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What a day it's been. And not in the good sense, either.
On 23rd July 1990, about 2 months after completing my A-level's, leaving school, and one week before my 18th birthday, I started my first job.
Today (well, yesterday now) on 23rd July 2002 - twelve years later to the day - I was called in to an office, and told that I'm almost certainly being made redundant in three weeks.
The team I work on is only two people - me and my boss - yet due to some downsizing by the client whose job we work on, there isn't much work, and won't be for at least a year, apparently. I've said on here before that work was slow, and now I'm paying the price. I'm a spare part. Been told that I don't need to go in to work at all if I don't feel like it, but that they've yet to ask other department heads if they can make use of me.
To say I'm nervous about the immediate future is an understatement. I think 'scared' would be a better word. I know that some people think nothing of these situations, and chop and change jobs as often as they like. Some do it to stay 'fresh', others may just wake up one morning and decide they'll hand in their notice.
I wish I was like that, but I'm not. This for me is a major concern. I owe about two and a half grand on credit cards, which until today I had no problem with - they would be paid off in a few months. Sure, I have Credit Care which will pay them off - or part of them - but to me that's not the point. I owe money, and that's not a Good Thing when you don't have a job.
I'll get a redundancy package of around seven grand. That'll pay off my debts, sure. But suppose I don't manage to get another job fairly quick. That won't last forever. On the other hand, I might be lucky and walk straight into another job. If I do, that's great - no break in the cashflow, and 7k in the bank. But if I know my luck, that's wishful thinking.
There has been a job going at my place, in the IT Support department, because one of them is leaving (of their own free will) to go elsewhere. I did consider applying for the position, but because I'd been happy where I was and got on well with my boss, I didn't bother. Now I have to.
They've already interviewed a few people. My hope is that having been there so long and knowing the people, knowing the way the company works etc., will give me an edge and help secure the job. But things don't always work out in a 'logical' way. It could be that they're looking for someone from outside to bring fresh ideas etc. to the way our support department is run. Who knows?!
People are saying "it'll be okay, it happens to lots of people" etc., but that doesn't help *me* at this moment in time. Basically at the moment I'm cacking myself, even though I have family and friends to fall back on.
Being at the one company for so long may have been good for my CV, showing committment and loyalty etc. But it's also robbed me of a lot of interview experience and the like. After years of security, I feel like a kid again - just out of school, and facing the daunting prospect of interviews and a major, potentially life changing decision.
I'm a person who likes some kind of routine in my life, and I've had this routine so long that I've probably got into a rut. I don't exactly *fear* change, but I like it to occur gradually, so I can fit things in around it. This kind of takes my whole life and throws everything up into the air, and I have no control over where the various pieces land.
Maybe it's not the change I fear so much as the loss of control over my life?
This probably sounds like overkill to a lot of you, but I can't begin to tell you how wound up and depressed I am at this moment in time. This is one of those things that always happens to "someone else". After work, one of my friends came round to see how I was doing after getting the news, and at one point I burst into tears - something I've not done in front of a friend since I was a kid. So please forgive me this overkill and crazy ramblings, but at the moment it really feels as if my life just collapsed.
I need to get myself sorted now, and quick. Get the CV updated, have the interview for the IT Support job on Friday, and get the CV off to other companies too, just in case. But it's the waiting that's the killer. I'd give anything to be six months down the line now, and looking back on the whole situation.
It may well be that in a few weeks time, I'll be settled either in a new job in the same company, or a new job in a new company, and posting here saying how stupid I was and how things have all worked out for the best.
Or I could be posting again telling of how my life has gone horribly wrong, and how I'd probably top myself if only I had the guts.
But should I disappear for a while, you'll at least know why.
Well, if you got this far, thanks for reading. And if you have any experience of this situation and can offer any sensible advice on getting through it, please do share - either publicly here, or privately at [email protected] - friends and family are great to talk to, but sometimes they just tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than being honest.
On 23rd July 1990, about 2 months after completing my A-level's, leaving school, and one week before my 18th birthday, I started my first job.
Today (well, yesterday now) on 23rd July 2002 - twelve years later to the day - I was called in to an office, and told that I'm almost certainly being made redundant in three weeks.
The team I work on is only two people - me and my boss - yet due to some downsizing by the client whose job we work on, there isn't much work, and won't be for at least a year, apparently. I've said on here before that work was slow, and now I'm paying the price. I'm a spare part. Been told that I don't need to go in to work at all if I don't feel like it, but that they've yet to ask other department heads if they can make use of me.
To say I'm nervous about the immediate future is an understatement. I think 'scared' would be a better word. I know that some people think nothing of these situations, and chop and change jobs as often as they like. Some do it to stay 'fresh', others may just wake up one morning and decide they'll hand in their notice.
I wish I was like that, but I'm not. This for me is a major concern. I owe about two and a half grand on credit cards, which until today I had no problem with - they would be paid off in a few months. Sure, I have Credit Care which will pay them off - or part of them - but to me that's not the point. I owe money, and that's not a Good Thing when you don't have a job.
I'll get a redundancy package of around seven grand. That'll pay off my debts, sure. But suppose I don't manage to get another job fairly quick. That won't last forever. On the other hand, I might be lucky and walk straight into another job. If I do, that's great - no break in the cashflow, and 7k in the bank. But if I know my luck, that's wishful thinking.
There has been a job going at my place, in the IT Support department, because one of them is leaving (of their own free will) to go elsewhere. I did consider applying for the position, but because I'd been happy where I was and got on well with my boss, I didn't bother. Now I have to.
They've already interviewed a few people. My hope is that having been there so long and knowing the people, knowing the way the company works etc., will give me an edge and help secure the job. But things don't always work out in a 'logical' way. It could be that they're looking for someone from outside to bring fresh ideas etc. to the way our support department is run. Who knows?!
People are saying "it'll be okay, it happens to lots of people" etc., but that doesn't help *me* at this moment in time. Basically at the moment I'm cacking myself, even though I have family and friends to fall back on.
Being at the one company for so long may have been good for my CV, showing committment and loyalty etc. But it's also robbed me of a lot of interview experience and the like. After years of security, I feel like a kid again - just out of school, and facing the daunting prospect of interviews and a major, potentially life changing decision.
I'm a person who likes some kind of routine in my life, and I've had this routine so long that I've probably got into a rut. I don't exactly *fear* change, but I like it to occur gradually, so I can fit things in around it. This kind of takes my whole life and throws everything up into the air, and I have no control over where the various pieces land.
Maybe it's not the change I fear so much as the loss of control over my life?
This probably sounds like overkill to a lot of you, but I can't begin to tell you how wound up and depressed I am at this moment in time. This is one of those things that always happens to "someone else". After work, one of my friends came round to see how I was doing after getting the news, and at one point I burst into tears - something I've not done in front of a friend since I was a kid. So please forgive me this overkill and crazy ramblings, but at the moment it really feels as if my life just collapsed.
I need to get myself sorted now, and quick. Get the CV updated, have the interview for the IT Support job on Friday, and get the CV off to other companies too, just in case. But it's the waiting that's the killer. I'd give anything to be six months down the line now, and looking back on the whole situation.
It may well be that in a few weeks time, I'll be settled either in a new job in the same company, or a new job in a new company, and posting here saying how stupid I was and how things have all worked out for the best.
Or I could be posting again telling of how my life has gone horribly wrong, and how I'd probably top myself if only I had the guts.
But should I disappear for a while, you'll at least know why.
Well, if you got this far, thanks for reading. And if you have any experience of this situation and can offer any sensible advice on getting through it, please do share - either publicly here, or privately at [email protected] - friends and family are great to talk to, but sometimes they just tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than being honest.
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Heh, hope it goes well for you Wookiee matey, and I'm sure it will. {:)
Glad you're feeling better about things now wookie.
Hope it all goes well for you.
Hope it all goes well for you.
Guys,
Thanks one and all for the advice. Those that have e-mailed me will get a reply, but things are still very much 'up in the air' at the moment as you can no doubt imagine. I will reply properly, both here and personally, as soon as things settle down.
Things don't seem as terrible as they did at the moment. Now the initial shock has pretty much disappeared, I am looking at things more rationally and calmly. That's also thanks in no small part to much of the advice given here, so again, thank you all very much.
I am currently at work, having not long completed the interview I mentioned (damn crazy logic tests). I should know one way or the other by next Tuesday, so I've got pretty much everything crossed at moment.
As I said originally, I'm not sure how much I'll be posting over the next few weeks, but I'm sure to be reading every so often. So don't forget me, or I might cease to exist! :-)
TTFN.
Thanks one and all for the advice. Those that have e-mailed me will get a reply, but things are still very much 'up in the air' at the moment as you can no doubt imagine. I will reply properly, both here and personally, as soon as things settle down.
Things don't seem as terrible as they did at the moment. Now the initial shock has pretty much disappeared, I am looking at things more rationally and calmly. That's also thanks in no small part to much of the advice given here, so again, thank you all very much.
I am currently at work, having not long completed the interview I mentioned (damn crazy logic tests). I should know one way or the other by next Tuesday, so I've got pretty much everything crossed at moment.
As I said originally, I'm not sure how much I'll be posting over the next few weeks, but I'm sure to be reading every so often. So don't forget me, or I might cease to exist! :-)
TTFN.
Can't really offer you any advice mate, just wanted to wish you luck.
I believe Insane Bartender said it, but doing temporary work for an agency really is a good option. It's certainly better than waiting for a decent job to come along, as you keep active. Also, any long term temping jobs often lead to offers of permanent employment. It's certainly easier to find work when you're already in a job, I know from experience.
I spent around a year looking for a job, and was claiming benefits. This was when my first child was born. Money was tight, we got by though. (I was possibly better off than when I started working, but that's irrelevant). Long term unemployment can be depressing, so I went with an agency working on phone lines, not something I wanted to do, but it brought the confidence back, and the next interview I had, I got a full time job from.
Just hang in there mate, and don't let the b's (edited) get you down.
I spent around a year looking for a job, and was claiming benefits. This was when my first child was born. Money was tight, we got by though. (I was possibly better off than when I started working, but that's irrelevant). Long term unemployment can be depressing, so I went with an agency working on phone lines, not something I wanted to do, but it brought the confidence back, and the next interview I had, I got a full time job from.
Just hang in there mate, and don't let the b's (edited) get you down.
Hey Wookie, things will work out, but I do know myself what it's like to lose a job when you have debts. Hang in there though, because things do have a way of working out. If you are determined enough there are always options and even with debts and any other dependancies you can find a way to work things out.
There are temporary jobs out there too, things you might not have considered doing in a million years but things that might also be fun and earn you some money while you look for something more 'serious'. That's what I did, I went through a few jobs working at MVC and other places, doing lots of overtime to make up the money, before finding my current job.
I wouldn't say that my current job is something I'd want to stay in for the rest of my life, but like you I find it quite a daunting prospect to change anything when I have to pay for a roof over my head and food on the table.
You'll do it though, you'll find something.
There are temporary jobs out there too, things you might not have considered doing in a million years but things that might also be fun and earn you some money while you look for something more 'serious'. That's what I did, I went through a few jobs working at MVC and other places, doing lots of overtime to make up the money, before finding my current job.
I wouldn't say that my current job is something I'd want to stay in for the rest of my life, but like you I find it quite a daunting prospect to change anything when I have to pay for a roof over my head and food on the table.
You'll do it though, you'll find something.
Although I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, I wouldn't be too worried...well actually, I would if it was me, but it's you. {:) You seem like the kind of the guy who could easily get a job, so as Grix said, just keep trying.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> I need to get myself sorted now, and quick. Get the CV updated, have
> the interview for the IT Support job on Friday, and get the CV off to
> other companies too, just in case. But it's the waiting that's the
> killer. I'd give anything to be six months down the line now, and
> looking back on the whole situation.
>
> It may well be that in a few weeks time, I'll be settled either in a
> new job in the same company, or a new job in a new company, and
> posting here saying how stupid I was and how things have all worked
> out for the best.
What is it you do exactly? This could be a wake-up call to you! How up-to-date are your skills? Even if you get that job in support, I think you should still take a look and see if you really want to stay at that company. Does the IT Support job pay as much as your current one? If not, why should you be forced to take a pay cut? You are worth more! If it pays more, then why did you not go for it in the first place? If you are worth more than what your current job has been paying you, then why have you not been paid that?
You need to seriously think things through, you have been loyal to the company, but after 12 years, that obviously counts for nothing, your boss obviously likes you so much, he wants to make you redundant. I know it's just business for them, so you need to treat it like that too, make it their loss if you go, not your loss for being made redundant.
I would say, follow up on the legal stuff I mentioned in my last post, if that falls through, and the IT Support job falls through, don't go back in to work unless you need to use the Internet or something, and use the time looking for a new job instead.
Sorry for the 2 long posts, it's just that I've just been through all this, and it's still fresh in my mind, it still hurts to know that no matter what, at any moment, you could be made redundant.
> I need to get myself sorted now, and quick. Get the CV updated, have
> the interview for the IT Support job on Friday, and get the CV off to
> other companies too, just in case. But it's the waiting that's the
> killer. I'd give anything to be six months down the line now, and
> looking back on the whole situation.
>
> It may well be that in a few weeks time, I'll be settled either in a
> new job in the same company, or a new job in a new company, and
> posting here saying how stupid I was and how things have all worked
> out for the best.
What is it you do exactly? This could be a wake-up call to you! How up-to-date are your skills? Even if you get that job in support, I think you should still take a look and see if you really want to stay at that company. Does the IT Support job pay as much as your current one? If not, why should you be forced to take a pay cut? You are worth more! If it pays more, then why did you not go for it in the first place? If you are worth more than what your current job has been paying you, then why have you not been paid that?
You need to seriously think things through, you have been loyal to the company, but after 12 years, that obviously counts for nothing, your boss obviously likes you so much, he wants to make you redundant. I know it's just business for them, so you need to treat it like that too, make it their loss if you go, not your loss for being made redundant.
I would say, follow up on the legal stuff I mentioned in my last post, if that falls through, and the IT Support job falls through, don't go back in to work unless you need to use the Internet or something, and use the time looking for a new job instead.
Sorry for the 2 long posts, it's just that I've just been through all this, and it's still fresh in my mind, it still hurts to know that no matter what, at any moment, you could be made redundant.
I know this might sound like a silly idea. But have you considered going into business for yourself? At the moment the government is offering a lot of tax breaks for small businesses and entrepeneurs. It can be advantageous as corporation tax on profits for small businesses with a low turnover is relatively low at the moment, to the point where some self-employed low income earners, like black cab drivers, have declared themselves small businesses and then used the system to increase their post-tax income (they pay themselves a nominal wage and count the rest as profit, which they pay less tax on)
I know there's talk of a recession at the moment, and that's almost as bad as there actually being one because people lose confidence. But being a small business should make you more flexible than many big companies, and with a redunancy payment on the way you'd have start-up capital too. Anyway, it's just a thought, but whatever happens I hope it all works out for you.
I know there's talk of a recession at the moment, and that's almost as bad as there actually being one because people lose confidence. But being a small business should make you more flexible than many big companies, and with a redunancy payment on the way you'd have start-up capital too. Anyway, it's just a thought, but whatever happens I hope it all works out for you.
WòókieeMøn§†€®, it's time to take control!
It's great that you have applied for another job at the same company, now get your CV out to recruitment agencies and get looking in the local papers for jobs. I recommend http://www.jobserve.co.uk for a starting point. Also, you say you have got a redundancy package, I suspect it is a lot because you have been working there for so long. It is important that you ensure that your company is doing things legally, there are proper redundancy procedures to follow, make sure that your company have done so. They are *obliged* to consider you for a different role in the company if you are being made redundant... They are being naughty, if not legally then morally, by not having already made sure that there is absolutely no other role you can take in the company.
I have just been through 2 different redundancy procedures at the place where I work, I was lucky enough to survive them both, but I got my act together and got a job elsewhere that I am due to start soon. So I do know what you are going through, except I was told I was "at risk", and had to wait for a few weeks to know whether I was staying or going.
You need to take control and get job hunting, but also make sure that your company has followed the correct legal procedures in making you redundant. I'm pretty sure you are allowed to know the basis upon which you were made redundant, rather than, say, your boss! I know a whole level of middle management above me has been obliterated, basically because they where pencil pushers and time wasters who did sweet FA, is this happening where you work? What skills does your boss have over and above you that means he should stay rather than you? Why have you not been consulted in this process and just presented with this outcome?
Different rules apply depending upon how many people are being made redundant at one time, but we had one guy who appealed against being made redundant, and won! So it can be done. Get in contact with a union if you can and see if they can offer you advice. Right now, your company could be shafting you, you need to make sure that they within their legal rights do do what they are doing.
Whatever happens, good luck, and don't get too down, there is always an upside.
It's great that you have applied for another job at the same company, now get your CV out to recruitment agencies and get looking in the local papers for jobs. I recommend http://www.jobserve.co.uk for a starting point. Also, you say you have got a redundancy package, I suspect it is a lot because you have been working there for so long. It is important that you ensure that your company is doing things legally, there are proper redundancy procedures to follow, make sure that your company have done so. They are *obliged* to consider you for a different role in the company if you are being made redundant... They are being naughty, if not legally then morally, by not having already made sure that there is absolutely no other role you can take in the company.
I have just been through 2 different redundancy procedures at the place where I work, I was lucky enough to survive them both, but I got my act together and got a job elsewhere that I am due to start soon. So I do know what you are going through, except I was told I was "at risk", and had to wait for a few weeks to know whether I was staying or going.
You need to take control and get job hunting, but also make sure that your company has followed the correct legal procedures in making you redundant. I'm pretty sure you are allowed to know the basis upon which you were made redundant, rather than, say, your boss! I know a whole level of middle management above me has been obliterated, basically because they where pencil pushers and time wasters who did sweet FA, is this happening where you work? What skills does your boss have over and above you that means he should stay rather than you? Why have you not been consulted in this process and just presented with this outcome?
Different rules apply depending upon how many people are being made redundant at one time, but we had one guy who appealed against being made redundant, and won! So it can be done. Get in contact with a union if you can and see if they can offer you advice. Right now, your company could be shafting you, you need to make sure that they within their legal rights do do what they are doing.
Whatever happens, good luck, and don't get too down, there is always an upside.
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