To skint to get my graduate partner into work!

jojonic

In desperation I ask the MSE's here for advice as it feels like we're stuck in a hole and cant see a way out!

My partner has just graduated in Oral Health Sciences meaning he is qualified to work as a dental therapist or hygienist. Whilst he was studying I was supporting the family including 2 small children on a medium salary (also running up various credit cards / overdrafts to keep our heads above water). My contract at work finished on the 31st March and since then I have managed to get a temporary part time job (which finished end June) but am now out of work ... although job hunting like a demon.

The problem is we have found there are limited openings for therapists and hygeinists in Scotland (despite my partner phoning around and sending CV's to hundreds of practices and agencies), although there are lots of very well paid positions in England. Whilst we are not in a position to move, we have decided he could work down south and come back when he could just to get the pennies rolling in.

The problem is I have really run out of money. Completely. The exhaust has fallen off the family car and following the onset of a strange knocking sound at the front end the garage informs me that the spring is broken on one side and the ball joint gone on the other, plus we have 3 bald tyres, all in all £500 to put right. On top of that the MOT is due the end of the month and we think it will need at least brakes for that so we're now faced with an unsafe and soon to be illegal vehicle which cannot take my partner to interviews 20 miles away, let alone 200.

Even if we could get him to an interview and he got a job, he would then need to rent a room or B&B to work there, plus find the money to get there and back now and then. It seems they pay a month in arrears, so we're looking at supporting him for 6 - 8 weeks before the first paycheck hits the bank, an amount I am estimating conservatively at around £2000

The job is well paid, so once the cash starts flowing we will be fine. I just dont know how we get out of this hole. Our families are not in a position to lend money, and although I am looking for work and have interviews lined up, much of my wages are going to be swallowed up by childcare (if partner is working) and paying rent / CT etc as we are getting HB, CTB and hopefully JSA at the moment.

Im getting to the point of looking at horrible loan companies just to get us started... is there a better way to deal with this situation? Please help!!! My stress levels are rising :wall:

Sorry for long post.

katsu

Look and see if you can get a credit union loan. No family or friends who could help out? What about finding someone who DH could stay with for his first month to reduce his costs until he gets paid?

vax2002

He may have to do some "normal" work, bar jobs, labouring until his chosen occupation arrives.
Sounds like a good kick up the harse is in order.

Lokolo

As vax has said. 3-6 months of his life working in McDs won't be the end of the world would it? Just get some spare cash, get repairs and save a little. Then move and go and find that dream job.

jojonic

Thank you MSE'ers for quick replies...

I would say that no, working in Maccy D's or scrubbing loos is not going to kill him, but earning minimum wage when there are jobs being offered to him at £30 a hour if he can only get there does seem a bit daft.

At the risk of being slapped I have to say that it barely seems worth it when the amount he would earn would barely cover what we lose in benefits and would leave us little opportunity to save up for repairs etc.

At this point in time, if he has to walk to Manchester and sleep in a tent I think he would be willing to do it so we get something back from the last 4 years of going without. We've been waiting for this moment for such a long time, its so frustrating that we're tripping over the final hurdle!

DCFC79

Definitely recommend applying for any job just for the cash, its ok applying for jobs related to his degree but you end up putting all your eggs in 1 basket though by not applying for other jobs. He could apply for any job and start there and keep on applying for related jobs.

whitewing

If family can't lend you money, could they lend him a car (properly insured of course) on an ad hoc basis for interviews?

whitewing

Is he actually being offered a £30 an hour job, or is it merely that he has seen the vacancy but hasn't even applied for it yet?

orangeslimes

whitewing wrote: »

If family can't lend you money, could they lend him a car (properly insured of course) on an ad hoc basis for interviews?

There are trains or buses to most places?
And companies might reimburse him (although probably not till afterwards), but the getting to interview bit might not be as bad...

mel12

Sounds like a difficult situation.

Getting to interviews theres not any financial help I'm aware of - but ways to save money might be using the megabus (cheap travel between major cities) and staying in youth hostels or similar (theres not usually actually an age limit on who can stay in them). Also although your families might not be in a position to lend money could they help out with any contacts of people they know that he might be able to stay the night with while attending interviews?

Once he's found a job though would it be possible to negotiate with the employer about being paid his first wages or part of them earlier?

Emmzi

If he *had* a job offer, my answer would be different. But he doesn't, so it's time to take a "normal" job. Right now £30 an hour is pure theory. You need to live with your reality for just now. I know it is frustrating, but if there are no local jobs, there are none.

Can you relocate with your employer to somewhere with more opportunity?