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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2017 19:04:11 GMT
Some egg-sucking advice.....
You could think of your next job as an interim step. Obviously if *the* job comes up, then great, but the important thing is *a* job. The faster you are in work, the sooner you will protect your capital.
Equally the old statement that its easier to get a job when you have a job is absolutely true.
So in looking for a job, and in deciding whether or not to accept a job, use the criteria of an interim job if it doesn't quite make it as the job.
When writing your CV, when telling people about yourself, when talking about the future, then bear in mind the question in the listener's/reader's mind will be "SFW?". Make sure you give a relevance to everything you write or say. If you can't think of a relevance, then don't say it. It will only dilute your relevant statements.
Look at yourself through their eyes. Value stuff as they do, not as you think they should.
If you want me to look at your CV as an objective 3rd party, then you have all my contact details. Utterly no offence taken if not.
Remember, your CV is only there to get you an interview. Don't put it in your CV if it doesn't add towards that goal.
An unemployed candidate spoils very quickly. So you need to keep changing stuff, adding to stuff, or finding new headhunters etc. if you wish to remain fresh in their minds.
Someone who has been unemployed for a while seems less desirable than someone currently employed. Ref: interim jobs.
Speed and impact is everything at this point.
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Post by Humph on May 6, 2017 21:20:06 GMT
All good advice of course.
But...if it happened to me next week, I know exactly what I would do, I'd sell one of my properties, put some new tyres on the Qashqai shove the bikes in the back and naff off round the world for a couple of years. Take my chances with what experiences/opportunities that brought or made available. I'm older than WDB so I totally get it that he probably still wants to pursue a career in his field of expertise, but I'm increasingly of the mind that time/life is short. My dad died when he was a dozen years older than me and while I may or may not do better than that, I'd take a few quid in F off money from my employer if I was offered it and use it to have a bit of fun.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2017 21:44:15 GMT
We're both older than him. It makes a difference, if nothing else its a lot longer to make your money last.
Also, I suspect that WDB has higher to go before he stops.
For me, the place to achieve is to arrive where you can take interim, temporary and/or contract jobs. Once you're there, you do then become the master of your own life. [mostly].
If WDB is in that position, then its a different decision. But if you are essentially an employee looking for employment, your worth drops very fast when you're unemployed over time. It doesn't become impossible of course, but it does get a lot harder.
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Post by Humph on May 6, 2017 21:50:31 GMT
Totally get that.
But, I've mostly inadvertently, lurched from financial feast to famine and back again a few times throughout my life and neither situation scares me anymore. When it all goes belly up again I'm going to use it as an excuse to write the next chapter of life's book. 😉
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2017 21:54:40 GMT
I retired from full time work when I was 46 at the end of a major contract and walked with a serious chunk of change. And, I'd arrived at a position where I was attractive directly to customers, rather than being used to make a company attractive to customers.
So I didn't need to seek an employee position, didn't have to convince HR assistant administrators of my proficiency, and could offer value propositions.
And your role/job is more towards my side of the world than WDB's.
As an employee one's chief worry is to be employable. And the truly awful thing about that is you put your life in the hands of know-nothing HR admin.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 7, 2017 8:15:00 GMT
Some egg-sucking advice..... You could think of your next job as an interim step. Obviously if *the* job comes up, then great, but the important thing is *a* job. This is the way I'm thinking. The interview I had on Wednesday was with a company I know quite well, but which is not offering my dream job. It would, though, keep me active, fresh and earning until the real thing comes along. What I'm hoping is to secure this, or another of those I've kicked off, in the next few weeks, then to agree a start date a few weeks ahead so I can do a bit of what Humph would do. But I actually enjoy working, and the social involvement of working in a team, so that's another reason not to be out of circulation for longer than I can help. Oh, and on my third reading I've decoded 'SFW'. It needs a question mark; without it I was thinking 'Safe For Work' and wondering why you thought I might embed porn in my CV. Unless I want to work in porn, of course.
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Post by tyrednexited on May 7, 2017 8:53:18 GMT
All good advice of course. But...if it happened to me next week, I know exactly what I would do, I'd sell one of my properties, put some new tyres on the Qashqai shove the bikes in the back and naff off round the world for a couple of years. ...nice idea, but not next week with a 17 year-old still at home (unless your other half is very accommodating). One of the perils of having a family in later life. I've known a good few of my acquaintances without such encumbrances make similar vows, but, in fact, very few actually achieved it (and a few of them actually set out on that course, but couldn't stick it). It's a prospect that looks very attractive from one side of the fence, but much less so when you're finally on the other side, and takes a specific mind-set to make a go of. (I'm not saying you don't have that mind-set, but in my experience, it is rare). I have, however, a number of ex-colleagues and acquaintances who, given the 'opportunity', made significant (and some would say much down-level) career changes; the majority of them have stuck at that, and managed to make a living (albeit in some cases, only just) from such diverse practices as professional photography, and running a B&B. Those that persevered profess themselves much happier, and certainly appear to be! It most certainly is appropriate to review one's circumstances at such times, however. I've always maintained that I worked to live, but I have little doubt that for large parts of my working life, that was reversed, something that I took into account when I finally "retired". (despite the opportunity on a plate for interim, consultant and other similar work). My financial situation helped with that, but I had friends who should have done the same, but didn't (and, as per a previous thread, rather too many of them, younger than me, are no longer with us). I was walking with an ex-colleague and his wife on Friday, and was describing my working life as something like (pulling stats from the air) 80% active enjoyment, 10% OK, 5% irritation and 5% of real sh1t - I don't think that's a bad record, but the current job is still the best! Good luck to W!.
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Post by Humph on May 7, 2017 9:33:01 GMT
Good few years ago now, in fact it must be a couple of decades come to think. A guy I knew was in his 50s and was made redundant. He got a fairly substantial pay out but it was never going to be enough to fully retire. Plus he had two boys, one in Sixth form and the other at Uni.
However, he and his wife had always shared an interest in sailing, only dinghies etc at that time but nonetheless, that's what they enjoyed. More or less on a whim, he and his wife decided to take a course in sailing yachts. They did that and also sold their family house replacing it with a small flat to keep as a base in the uk. Most of the rest of the money went on a 60' ocean going yacht.
The boys moved into the flat and were supervised by grandparents who lived nearby. The parents took off in their yacht and spent many years travelling around the world, topping up their finances by taking paying guests on the boat from time to time. I kept in touch with him for a while and was often astonished to hear where they had got to including Hawaii, New Zealand and the Pacific coast of America as well as more "local" places such as the Greek islands.
Eventually, the boys grew up and had their own lives and families, and often flew out to their parents wherever they were in the world for their own holidays.
These were not "rich" people, just ones with a bit of a spirit of adventure I guess, and a willingness to follow their dreams.
I eventually lost touch with them, so I don't know what they are doing now or even whether they are still with us, but I often think of them and how they turned what could have been a depressing Autumn of their lives into an adventure.
Have I got the "courage" to do something like that? I really don't know if I have, but I'd like to think I might, given the right set of circumstances.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 7, 2017 10:52:37 GMT
We occasionally hear of people doing that sort of thing - but usually when they've been eaten by cannibals or kidnapped by Somali pirates.
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Post by Humph on May 7, 2017 12:05:21 GMT
It would indeed be a really bad day if you encountered either of those, especially if they were into multitasking.
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Post by tyrednexited on May 7, 2017 13:30:31 GMT
It would indeed be a really bad day if you encountered either of those, especially if they were into multitasking. ...and unlucky; especially around Wycombe (...though, come to think of it.......)
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 7, 2017 14:50:54 GMT
OK, I decided to JFDI and bought a MacBook Pro. Not a top-of-the-line one - in fact the most affordable with a Retina display. Cheaper by £100 at John Lewis (with a 36-month warranty) than at Currys (12) - and £30 less than it would have been tomorrow, as JL had raised the price online but not in the store.
Anyway, I was swayed mostly by the idea of performance sustained over the long term, against paying £200 less for gradually thickening Windows treacle. And, unlike newer Apples, mine has full-size SD and HDMI sockets, so no adaptors necessary. Now I've got to learn to use the thing, and it'll be all your fault (Commer and Sven) if it's too much for me. (Have to say, though: running through the demos on the store machine was simple enough, and the integration with my phone and iPad Mini should help matters.)
There. Done. Now to find a job.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 7, 2017 16:29:43 GMT
And here it is. Wow! It's a beautiful thing just to open and use. The @ symbol is in an awkward place, and it'll take me a while to come to terms with the lack of dedicated Home, End, Del, PgUp and PgDn keys but the experience of just sitting down and using it it feels amazingly natural for a long-time Windows drone. I'll have to learn some new keyboard and mouse habits too, I expect, but I can see why people take to these things.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on May 7, 2017 18:30:56 GMT
Welcome to the Apple world. The Macbook Pro is probably the later version of what I have (so still got the proper ports and the excellent magnetic power connector). It is really well made. The screen is excellent. And I prefer MacOS to Windows.
I have an app so I can change the resolution to anything sensible - even 2560x1440 which is unreadable on a 13" screen. The built in scaling is more limited. MacOS scales the UI so much better than Windows on high DPI displays.
I am biased i suppose. I have a Macbook Pro Retina, iMac (from 2009) and a Mac Mini. And an Android phone.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on May 7, 2017 18:38:29 GMT
Battery life in the real world is also very good. Not long after I first got it I went on a course for work.... used the Macbook Pro running some virtual machines all day with it on battery power.
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