unemployable

[Deleted User]

It's nice to have, because some customers require it. However, a good PM is not one with the right bits of paper, but the right experience and skills

melysion

ringo_24601 wrote: »

It's nice to have, because some customers require it. However, a good PM is not one with the right bits of paper, but the right experience and skills

Oh I am sure. I am just saying a significant number of the positions I have seen don't list it as essential.

Thanks for the LinkedIn suggestion. Someone else on this forum mentioned it and I took a wee glance but I will look into it more carefully now.

I am in bioinformatics too - but the classic kind which has fallen out of favour. Plus, I think I have had quite enough of the postdoc merry-go-round. Lectureships are like hens teeth - particularly in Bioinformatics.

Am looking at that job link you sent now

Bean83

Medical writing sounds ideal for you if you like writing - not quite the same as writing a novel, but you'd get to use a good mix of both your scientific and your writing skills. Perfect for people leaving academia as it is quite a similar environment (I should mention here that I am a medical writer myself so might be a bit biased!!)
This website is a great resource to get you started, they have loads of jobs advertised on there, a lot of which are in London:
http://www.medcommsnetworking.co.uk/startingout/
You certainly aren't unemployable - medical writing agencies want academics as they have exactly the right set of skills. You can progress quickly too - team leader is possible within just a couple of years once you have some experience of the industry.

melysion

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Bean83

To be honest, if you've been a postdoc for a number of years then you should really be able to walk into one of those jobs, even if they claim to want a couple of years experience! Make sure your CV is full of all the things you've ever written - posters, manuscripts, grant proposals etc. and I'll bet you could easily get an interview on that basis.

tiger_eyes

melysion wrote: »

I guess it just seems a bit of a pipedream. Writing that is. I have started the novel - its not just a mythical being - but you know how it is. People expect you to stop dreaming and get a real job. lol

It's certainly possible. I support myself writing and editing fiction. But learning any skill from scratch to a professional level is a long and challenging process - it took me more than a decade to get my first royalty cheque - so I think you're right to look for another day job in the meantime. For now, write every day, finish what you start, and join a good critique group.

paulineb_2

melysion wrote: »

I am currently a Postdoctoral Research scientist but - due to my grant money running out - will be made redundant at the end of February.

I've known since September and have been looking for work but to no avail. Three interviews so far but that's it. People tell me it's good going just to get an interview but they dont pay the mortgage. Only a job will do that.

I am in a fairly senior role and have managed projects and people before so am currently looking at Project Management type roles. My problem is that I feel utterly unprepared for a job outside academia but staying in it is unstable at best and job security will only decrease as I age (I am 42).

Im a bit stuck because I honestly don't know what I am qualified to work as.

My dream (dont laugh) would probably just do some private tuition and write my novel but that's a pipe dream I know.

Its got me down a bit to the point that I have considered suicide. I do know that I wont go anywhere near the job centre for a number of reasons. I will not claim JSA because the moment I do that I become reclassified as a benefit scrounger. I see how the unemployed are treated on here by some other posters. Not nice.

I don't know. I seem to have worked so hard and dont deserve my life to fall apart like this. Ill have a redundancy payment but that wont last beyond April (its not big). My big fear is that I am going to be seen as unemployable and end up as one of the older people long term unemployed. Think I'd rather slit my throat first.

I actually think you need a major reality check and need to have a massive rethink on your JSA stance. No its not nice being on JSA. I worked for a long time in supported accommodation, I have a post grad in community education and a post grad in alcohol and drug studies and I managed more than one addiction project.

My health suffered due to a massive bullying culture and my last full time job ended 4 years ago. Im 44 by the way. Ive had a few short spells of unemployment. I actually had a couple in my 20s after I graduated and after a temporary contract ended. Ive spent two lots of 6 months unemployed in the last two years and I havent liked it, Ive hated it. But as I have a flat and if I get JSA, I got housing benefit, not claiming would have meant homelessness.

Im self employed again and was for around 18 months, then I worked part time. I retrained as a fitness instructor about 6 years ago when I was still in a full time job and decided to do that rather than continue in the line of work Im trained in.

Yes some people get labelled benefits scroungers, but unless you have a plan B, you might get to next year and think I have no work and no income. What are you going to do if you do get to February and have no income coming in?

Its hard enough living on 71 quid a week JSA, but living on nothing, unless you have people who are prepared to support you is impossible.

You do have an option of starting up your own business, but again, you are still going to need an income and if you did start up your own business and get working tax credit, its less per week than you would get on JSA

I know exactly what its like having to sign on and hating it, but I dont care about how other people view me. Im not a scrounger, neither did I think I was unemployable because I was in my 40s and redundant.

I also know what its like to have worked my backside off in jobs and have tough times, which massively affected my health at times.
But crap happens to people, its how you deal with it thats important.

We are living in tough economic times and its not easy being a job hunter in this economic climate. But again, please make sure you have a plan B, if you dont, then you'll know this yourself, unless you have help to pay your bills and your mortgage, you'll struggle financially and even if its in the very short term, JSA is better than nothing.

[Deleted User]

I've sent you a PM melysion

You'll find that the skillset you built working in bioinformatics makes you pretty employable - but for quite specific jobs

melysion

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ERICS_MUM

it could be worth contacting the major consultancy and accountancy companies such as KPMG, PriceWaterhouse etc, as they both have project / program management divisions.

Or major banks, as they always have major projects on the go and usually do not have the staff (or enough of them) who are sufficiently trained and experienced to handle major developments.

Good luck. Please don't slit your throat.