Poor work history/mental health - what should I do?

Folander

LuckyPenny wrote: »

The other alternative, you say you are good with numbers. You could try a Finance Manager route. Most Finance Managers get £50k but you would have to go down a similar route as above. E.g. day release or evening classes to get your qualifications.

Are you being serious??? The 'Finance Manager' route? The OP would need to be a qualified accountant with years of experience before he could even consider becoming a Finance Manager. Being someone who apparently works in HR I think you seriously demeaning the Finance Manager position with your comment.

OP - get a job, any job and start upskilling.

tomtontom

pioneer22 wrote: »

Would you consider nursing, physiotherapy, OT, Radiography or another AHP course?

You would need to do an access course or a-levels then a 3 year degree starting on 21/22k up to 30k after 5 years then 35-45k after 7 or 8 years after taking a promotion. All funded with a bursary and student loan.

Career for life, pension, job security etc

Healthcare needs to be a vocation, not a means to making as much money as possible. Given OP's attitude, I certainly would not want them caring for my loved ones.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Folander wrote: »

Are you being serious??? The 'Finance Manager' route? The OP would need to be a qualified accountant with years of experience before he could even consider becoming a Finance Manager. Being someone who apparently works in HR I think you seriously demeaning the Finance Manager position with your comment.

Extraordinary isn't it. Someone with no qualifications beyond GCSE says they are "ok at numbers, stronger than English" so somebody recommends they become a Finance Manager.

If they had said "ok at English" no doubt the same person would have told them that writing the next Harry Potter is a viable career option.

SomeRandomGuy

pioneer22 wrote: »

Would you consider nursing, physiotherapy, OT, Radiography or another AHP course?

You would need to do an access course or a-levels then a 3 year degree starting on 21/22k up to 30k after 5 years then 35-45k after 7 or 8 years after taking a promotion. All funded with a bursary and student loan.

OP has already answered all those questions (no). Plus there is a lot of debate around the government removing bursaries at the moment.

The issue with self-employment (in addition to those already outlined by other posters) is that to start your own business you have to have the confidence and ability to self promote it. Many people with long term unemployment and MH issues are going to struggle to drum up business, whatever that business may be.

Not to mention that most markets for unskilled self employment like dog walking, window cleaning, van owner/driver, cleaning & ironing and so on are absolutely saturated...... just look in your local shop window, noticeboard, gumtree, facebook, etc.... there are tons of people advertising to do these jobs everywhere and the only differential is either reputation or price.

SpicyChickenBaguette

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Why would anyone use the OP rather than their existing dog walker, or one of the more established dog walkers in the area? Speaking as someone who uses a dog walker, ours has a number of people working for him, so as to provide cover etc, plus has a couple of vans tot ake to dogs to decent places. And he doesn't charge much.

This isn't a rhetorical question. people do set up and establish businesses. In all cases it's because there is a good answer to that question.

I struggle to see what the good answer to that question would be in this case. You keep saying he has strengths. I fail to see them. He needs to be inspired only to get a job sweeping floors, IF he can, and then do his damnedest to turn up on time and keep it. He probably won't.

Trying to inspire him to "do a job he enjoys" is nonsensically counterproductive. That will only come if he proves he can get out of bed and hold down a job, which he hasn't managed to show int his entire life. I'd be surprised if his volunteering is anything other than a couple of days when he feels like it.

This might sound harsh but I really don't care. Anything other than just telling this guy to get off his !!!! and actually DO something rather than making grandiose plans and whinging about how iife conspires against him isn't going to help him. Stop planning, start doing. Something you can do NOW.

What's wrong with you?

So let me understand this correctly, you've read a few paragraphs I've written and you've concluded that I'm lazy, have no strengths, and that I "probably won't turn up on time".

Did you not read that I have suffered with severe mental health issues for the past decade? It's a fairly big point. I assume you're not someone who has any experience whatsoever in mental health problems, as demonstrated by your ignorance.

You've decided to conclude that because I haven't held down a job for longer than a few months, that I must be lazy, have no respect for punctuality, probably won't be any good at anything I do, can't be arsed to get of bed in the morning and generally some sort of waster. Nothing to do with having a serious mental health problem that has seriously affected my life for the past 10 or so years. I'm really sorry that I'm showing ambition and wanting to succeed.

Your ignorance towards mental health is remarkable. I imagine if I had said I had been out of work due to suffering from cancer or another serious medical issue/disability you would have been far less critical, yet because it was mental health related you've decided it's more of a personality problem. I didn't know you were also a psychologist.

You know nothing about me aside from a few lines of text. You should be ashamed of yourself. I feel sorry for anyone you encounter on a day to day basis who probably suffer the same level of prejudice you've shown.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

I haven't said you are lazy. I have said you have done nothing yet to show you are not. For whatever reason. Nobody is going to take a chance on giving you anything other than an entry level job. Why should they?

You are not showing ambition. Doing something would be showing ambition. Talking about it isn't. I don't know whether your inability to comprehend this is down to mental health issues or not. if it is, talk to a professional.

Nobody here is qualified to judge how far your mental health issues have affected your ability to get a job. Nor is an employer. And frankly, they don't care. What they do know is they are not going to take any risks on anyone with your work history - for all they know you are using your history of depression (which is easily overdiagnosed) to mask your natural shortcomings. I am not saying you are; what I am saying is employers can't know. You need to show that you have changed, in an entry-level job.

Once you've done that, employers can judge you on what you do, and not what you say. You are not going to get anywhere looking for a magic career that nobody is going to look at your application twice for.

This advice is far more useful to you, if you choose to take it on board, than some well-meaning nonsense telling you to join the police, become a radiologist or a finance manager.

Incidentally I have known a number of people personally who have been diagnosed with depression and signed off work. About half of them may have had it. Half openly admitted they didn't and had self-diagnosed, whereupon the doctors went along with it. I'm not saying you are one of these; I AM saying it happens.

Hermia

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Nobody here is qualified to judge how far your mental health issues have affected your ability to get a job. Nor is an employer. And frankly, they don't care. What they do know is they are not going to take any risks on anyone with your work history - for all they know you are using your history of depression (which is easily overdiagnosed) to mask your natural shortcomings. I am not saying you are; what I am saying is employers can't know. You need to show that you have changed, in an entry-level job.

I agree. I had some health problems in my 20s which meant I could not work for two years as I was constantly in and out of hospital. I found it really hard when I tried to get back in the work place despite the fact that I did work before I fell ill. I eventually got offered a very unexciting job. After 18 months of doing that with only one day sickness I applied for other jobs and found employers no longer seemed concerned about my previous period of sickness.

I also feel entry-level jobs do give you an idea of what you enjoy. When I was a teen I did my fair share of shop/cafe/hotel/office jobs and they did give me an idea of what skills I have. Even doing filing in an office junior job made me realise that I enjoy organisation!

BigAunty

To the OP - are you any nearer choosing a career path and relevant training options to achieve it?

FlyingBuyingTrying

I have no idea what type of MH issue you suffer from but I do understand how difficult it can be. As I mentioned before, I happen to suffer from Bipolar type 1 and within my bipolar support group, near all work. Lithium and various other medications make life possible. Is there not a support group you can join or be referred to? Bipolar is a serious MH illness and yet many continue to work and get on with their lives. A support network, good doctors and medication is vital. Dear knows where I would be without it. But we can't allow a MH illness to hold us back. Life is too short and you really are missing out on so much at such a young age. I really do know it's hard. I have been in and out of hospital and therapy for years now. I served in the military before being fully diagnosed and the military shrinks were fantastic. Support is key.