Job Fears: I am about to become part of the working poor?

Dunroamin

morganedge wrote: »

I always find this topic very interesting, mainly because it is close to my heart.

I am someone who generally hates working.
I've had about 15 jobs in my life so far (late 20's)
I've pretty much hated them all.
I don't have any great qualifications/skills, so all the jobs are basically warehouse roles, or office based/admin stuff.

Worked from the age of 18 to 24, various full time jobs.
Just spent my time wishing the week away, waiting for the weekend.

Then the company I worked for folded, and, for the first time, I signed on. I was on the dole for the best part of a year.
It was kind of depressing, but ONLY when, for example, family members would visit me and ask about my job hunting, or the process of signing on and going to the ridiculous 'courses' the jobcentre send you on. However, I LOVED getting up when I wanted, and I adored all the free time I had.

Then, a year ago, I got another job which I am still at.
I rather dislike this job, too. I spend every waking second, just waiting for the weekend to begin, so that I don't have to work and can relax and enjoy myself.

I really don't blame people who don't want to work and would rather just claim free money from the government. Blame the system - not the people who have different priorities/values.

So why don't you make some effort to acquire some qualifications or skills that will enable you to have a more fulfilling life?

You surely aren't planning to spend the next 40 years of your life feeling like this and winning the lottery isn't guaranteed!

morganedge

Dunroamin wrote: »

So why don't you make some effort to acquire some qualifications or skills that will enable you to have a more fulfilling life?

a few reasons:
I'll be 30 soon. Feel as though I've left it too late. I messed up in my earlier years and now I may just have to pay the price

I'm not very clever either. There's nothing that I'd be particularly good at, which leads me on to the big one:

I NEVER had a clue what I wanted to be 'when I grew up'. Nothing 'work wise' interests me. Lots of friends when I was a kid knew they wanted to be a fireman, or loved cars and wanted to be mechanics etc etc.
I never had a clue. Even after seeing the school career councelors and the like.
It's impossible to know where to start, especially now.

Dunroamin wrote: »

You surely aren't planning to spend the next 40 years of your life feeling like this

I certainly don't intend to stay in this job much longer, no.

When I got my current job after being on the dole for a year, I honestly felt like i'd replaced one type of depression with another:- The depression of feeling like a loser because I wasn't working, was replaced with the depression of spending 5-6 days of my ONE LIFE at work! It feels like madness.
Short of being a professional footballer or a !!!!!! star, I just don't understand how people aren't in a constant state of depression at having to work such a huge percentage of our lives.

In this country, we appear to have an option of not working at all, and being able to live a relatively 'OK' lifestyle. People can talk about how it won't last forever, and changes are gonna come, but I know that in my lifetime, nothing drastic will happen.

Dunroamin wrote: »

winning the lottery isn't guaranteed!

But the advert says 'it's you' when the finger in the sky points at me. It's a matter of time....

jayII

I love my job, if I won the lottery I'd cut my hours but I wouldn't want to give up working entirely.

When I was jobhunting last time I had a good long think about what is important to me in a job, what things I generally enjoy doing and which things I really dislike doing.

I then looked for work that sort of fit in with the things that are important to me and avoided jobs with lots of the things I really don't like. When I got an interview I prepared incredibly thoroughly for it and got the job.

It is really well worth having a long hard think about what you do and don't dislike doing in life generally and what gives you a particular buzz or good feeling, then training or looking for a job along those lines. It may take time to find the right thing but you have another 40 working years ahead of you unless you have a good pension and can retire early.

kelloggs36

morganedge wrote: »

a few reasons:
I'll be 30 soon. Feel as though I've left it too late. I messed up in my earlier years and now I may just have to pay the price Rubbish - it is NEVER too late to improve your lot through determination and hard work. I went to university at 35 and changed my career - I had left school with some O Levels and nothing else. I have also worked all my life but wanted more; I too used to live only for the weekends or holidays until I realised that you only get one life and it was up to me to change it. You can't have a nice life with all the 'trappings' unless you put effort into achieving/earning it. Unless you are very lucky and inherited your wealth then you have to work HARD to get anywhere in this life. This sounds like you can't be bothered.

I'm not very clever either. There's nothing that I'd be particularly good at, which leads me on to the big one: You don't have to be a genius to improve things - there are very few true geniuses out there, but there are people who are determined and that does not need intelligence. If you need to be educated, then go to college - small steps lead to big things in the end.

I NEVER had a clue what I wanted to be 'when I grew up'. Nothing 'work wise' interests me. Lots of friends when I was a kid knew they wanted to be a fireman, or loved cars and wanted to be mechanics etc etc.
I never had a clue. Even after seeing the school career councelors and the like.
It's impossible to know where to start, especially now.


I certainly don't intend to stay in this job much longer, no.

When I got my current job after being on the dole for a year, I honestly felt like i'd replaced one type of depression with another:- The depression of feeling like a loser because I wasn't working, was replaced with the depression of spending 5-6 days of my ONE LIFE at work! It feels like madness.
Short of being a professional footballer or a !!!!!! star, I just don't understand how people aren't in a constant state of depression at having to work such a huge percentage of our lives.

In this country, we appear to have an option of not working at all, and being able to live a relatively 'OK' lifestyle. People can talk about how it won't last forever, and changes are gonna come, but I know that in my lifetime, nothing drastic will happen.



But the advert says 'it's you' when the finger in the sky points at me. It's a matter of time....

before you wake up old and realise that you wasted your life in wishing things were different, or making up excuses for laziness rather than getting out there and trying to improve your lot.

Furrtiv

Hell, after just being told last week that I'm going to be dropped due to staff cutbacks - after five months, at a job I really loved - I'd give anything to work in a similar role, even at minimum wage, to be earning my money doing something I enjoy. OP, for goodness' sake, take the job! Be marginally better off financially, then work hard and work your way up, enjoy it - lots of us have had to make do with jobs we've disliked, even outright hated, but we did it because we wanted to work and have total say over our money and how it's spent (not including taxes, of course!).

dandelionclock30

Dont you have total say over your money and how its spent if your on benefits? I was under the impression you got your benefits and could spend it on what you want!

kelloggs36

He meant taxpayers don't have a choice on how our tax is spent.

bankhater_1965

Furrtiv wrote: »

Hell, after just being told last week that I'm going to be dropped due to staff cutbacks - after five months, at a job I really loved - I'd give anything to work in a similar role, even at minimum wage, to be earning my money doing something I enjoy. OP, for goodness' sake, take the job! Be marginally better off financially, then work hard and work your way up, enjoy it - lots of us have had to make do with jobs we've disliked, even outright hated, but we did it because we wanted to work and have total say over our money and how it's spent (not including taxes, of course!).

the problem by working hard and reaching for the skys , is the big drop when you get made redundant , cameroom will gaurantee you this, just as you have experianced in your post ! alot have worked with hated jobs and perhaps they didnt have the choice , some do have options and sometimes better

dark_lady

coin_operated_girl wrote: »

I've just done a quick calculation and I earn around the same amount each month as I was recieving in benefits- I live in London so rent and travel is stupidly high plus I have to pay for my prescriptions etc Vs incapacity benefit, housing benefit, free prescriptions etc. But do you know what? I don't care. I love my job. I have self respect. I am able to support myself. All of that is worth so much more to me than the fact that I could sit on my !!!! all day for the same amount of money.

You need to look at the bigger picture. Taking this job could provide new opportunities and it would be the first step in progressing up the career ladder. As of yesterday, my manager has increased my hours from 35/week to 39/week (increasing my salary by £2,000) because I asked him to and he was happy to do so as it gave him an excuse to raise my wage as he knows I don't earn much. My colleagues all earn more than me even though we do the exact same job as I joined the team after cuts were made. As soon as one of my colleagues leave (2 are likely to leave v soon) my manager said he will bump me up to their salary, which will give me a £4,000 pay rise. So I'm looking at a £6,000 difference to my starting salary. Not bad considering I've only been working there for 8 months and prior to this job I was unemployed for 3 years due to ill health. The point I am making is that if you work hard, you don't know what could happen.

Benefits aren't there as a life style choice, they are there as an absolute last resort. Anyone who choses to stay on benefits (which is what you would be doing if you don't go for this job) are a waste of space and are an insult to those who have no choice but to be on benefits.

People on Incapacity Benefit have to pay for their prescriptions. It says so on the prescriptions themselves.

bankhater_1965

coin_operated_girl wrote: »

I've just done a quick calculation and I earn around the same amount each month as I was recieving in benefits- I live in London so rent and travel is stupidly high plus I have to pay for my prescriptions etc Vs incapacity benefit, housing benefit, free prescriptions etc. But do you know what? I don't care. I love my job. I have self respect. I am able to support myself. All of that is worth so much more to me than the fact that I could sit on my !!!! all day for the same amount of money.

You need to look at the bigger picture. Taking this job could provide new opportunities and it would be the first step in progressing up the career ladder. As of yesterday, my manager has increased my hours from 35/week to 39/week (increasing my salary by £2,000) because I asked him to and he was happy to do so as it gave him an excuse to raise my wage as he knows I don't earn much. My colleagues all earn more than me even though we do the exact same job as I joined the team after cuts were made. As soon as one of my colleagues leave (2 are likely to leave v soon) my manager said he will bump me up to their salary, which will give me a £4,000 pay rise. So I'm looking at a £6,000 difference to my starting salary. Not bad considering I've only been working there for 8 months and prior to this job I was unemployed for 3 years due to ill health. The point I am making is that if you work hard, you don't know what could happen.

Benefits aren't there as a life style choice, they are there as an absolute last resort. Anyone who choses to stay on benefits (which is what you would be doing if you don't go for this job) are a waste of space and are an insult to those who have no choice but to be on benefits.

personaly i think the people who go to work for the same £ as to claiming benefits are the idiots dont you think and has no advantage what so ever for no financail gain ! if you are happy to go to work for the same thats your silly fault but dont critacise others that think differant who can claerly do there maths , who prob laugh at you for doing so including me ! theres nothing good in to days world for doing so