Career Advice

[RossJarvis]

After a very protracted set of unpleasant, circumstances my current/ex employers have now given me the great opportunity to seek new and fresher fields of employment. Anyone got any advice on how to pursue a career in wood-bashing, with minimal experience, advancing years, without a CSCS card but a C&G in C&J. Plus no current driving license?

Am also considering buying lottery tickets!

 

[Baldhead]

Coming up to Christmas, how about craft fairs to start with? Not a great wage earner but it may keep you off the streets, also something to show prospective new employers what you have been up to since being unemployed.

Hope you find something more permanent soon.

All the best.

Baldhead

 

[RossJarvis]

Coming up to Christmas, how about craft fairs to start with? Not a great wage earner but it may keep you off the streets, also something to show prospective new employers what you have been up to since being unemployed.

Hope you find something more permanent soon.

All the best.

Baldhead

That's been a thought in the back of my mind, however due to lack of facilities, skills and transport, can't see how to produce much and cart it around. Current thought is to do a Yosser Hughes and wander round local industrial sites saying "Gissa Job".

 

[No skills]

******* hell Ross, hope they paid you out something.

Best advice is just get out and get whatever you can, might be some seasonal work near you to tide you past xmas.

Getting a driving licence will be a big help getting further work, had my second lesson last night its pretty costly these days though.

 

[RossJarvis]

Getting a driving licence will be a big help getting further work, had my second lesson last night its pretty costly these days though.

Oh, I've had one of those, just that the DVLA won't give it back at the moment!

 

[Chippygeoff]

The post office will taking onextra people soon, its not a bad job and quite well paoid. Better than walking the streets. Joking apart it would seem your best bet is to look locally for any work, not having a driving licence is a huge obstacle, how about a bike, second hand ones are quite cheap and you can go further afield then. I hope something turns up for you.

 

[Baldhead]

Coming up to Christmas, how about craft fairs to start with? Not a great wage earner but it may keep you off the streets, also something to show prospective new employers what you have been up to since being unemployed.

Hope you find something more permanent soon.

All the best.

Baldhead

That's been a thought in the back of my mind, however due to lack of facilities, skills and transport, can't see how to produce much and cart it around. Current thought is to do a Yosser Hughes and wander round local industrial sites saying "Gissa Job".

My late brother-in-law was in the same position as you, he went around local factories asking for work, just as you intend to do, he explained that although a cabinet maker he would do any work that was available. One small factory unit wanted a few jobs done around the office, (shelving etc etc) a days work turned into a few weeks work with them, that led to another small unit employing his services, he basically went from one job to the next, all because he tried even when he thought it impossible. Keep plugging away Ross, someone somewhere will need your expertise.

All the best

Baldhead

 

[Paul Chapman]

After a very protracted set of unpleasant, circumstances my current/ex employers have now given me the great opportunity to seek new and fresher fields of employment.

That's a bit of a bummer, Ross Hope you find something soon. How about something involving writing - you seem to have some flair in that area?

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[ChrisR]

Ross.
Hope you find something soon, I was lucky, spent all my working live as an industrial electrical engineer, and only ever had three months unemployment. I retired in 2008, just when the down turn in the economy came, I loved my work, and don’t deal with retirement very well, but you cant be made redundant from retirement. On second thoughts yes I can, and there is no payoff. . :shock:

As other's have said, hang on in there, and be prepared to try your hand at anything, you never know were it might lead. (hammer)

Take care.

Chris R.

 

[powertools]

I'm sorry to hear that news.

Current thought is to do a Yosser Hughes and wander round local industrial sites saying "Gissa Job"

You make that sound like a very very unattractive proposition but at this time of the year many firms will be looking for temporary staff for the Christmas period and you may find something for a few weeks while you consider your long term future.

As Paul says It would be good if you could find something that includes your writing skills.
Best of luck.

 

[RossJarvis]

Thanks for the ideas and support guys

I'm actually seriously thinking I may wander around asking for jobs, but don't think it's a bad thing, sorry if it sounded that way. As someone said once, if you don't asks you don't gets. I just have to appeal the current "terminate your job" decision, then, see if I can shake off the "cloud of grimness" and get me a**e in gear and go do it.

I've been thinking of retiring for the last 30 years, but I won't be able to do it for at least the next 20.

Ross

 

[petermillard]

Anyone got any advice on how to pursue a career in wood-bashing, with minimal experience, advancing years, without a CSCS card but a C&G in C&J....

None of that's a problem.

Plus no current driving license?

That's a problem, but not insurmountable if where you live is reasonably populated.

My advise? Start a handyman business - get yourself a bike and trailer and put a positive spin on it by calling yourself an eco-handyman, green handyman, whatever. Get some cards printed up and put them through letterboxes - you can do that on your way to the local industrial sites to do your Yosser Hughes

Keep it simple - tell people you're a 'small job specialist' - and stay within the regs; no mucking about with electrics or gas!

Keep positive - stand at your front door facing North and envisage approximately a mile away, then do the same for South, East and West; four square miles - imagine how many flats and houses, shops and offices there are in that area, all within easy walking distance let alone cycling. There's 50 quids worth of work that needs doing in each one of those homes or workplaces, I'll guarantee it.

So make yourself available and fulfil that need; build a business from scratch and grow it into something substantial.

It's what I did 13 years ago...

Cheers, Pete

 

[Baldhead]

Anyone got any advice on how to pursue a career in wood-bashing, with minimal experience, advancing years, without a CSCS card but a C&G in C&J....

None of that's a problem.

Plus no current driving license?

That's a problem, but not insurmountable if where you live is reasonably populated.

My advise? Start a handyman business - get yourself a bike and trailer and put a positive spin on it by calling yourself an eco-handyman, green handyman, whatever. Get some cards printed up and put them through letterboxes - you can do that on your way to the local industrial sites to do your Yosser Hughes

Keep it simple - tell people you're a 'small job specialist' - and stay within the regs; no mucking about with electrics or gas!

Keep positive - stand at your front door facing North and envisage approximately a mile away, then do the same for South, East and West; four square miles - imagine how many flats and houses, shops and offices there are in that area, all within easy walking distance let alone cycling. There's 50 quids worth of work that needs doing in each one of those homes or workplaces, I'll guarantee it.

So make yourself available and fulfil that need; build a business from scratch and grow it into something substantial.

It's what I did 13 years ago...

Cheers, Pete

Eco Handyman, now that has a nice sound to it, bike trailer and panniers filled with hand tools, local papers and TV will like that, free advertising, turning a negative into a positive, my advice is go for it!!!

Baldhead

 

[RossJarvis]

That's a problem, but not insurmountable if where you live is reasonably populated.

My advise? Start a handyman business -

Keep positive - stand at your front door facing North and envisage approximately a mile away, then do the same for South, East and West; four square miles -
Cheers, Pete

Now that really is a good idea. I've just Google-Earthed a 1 mile radius of the house and think I may need to get in training though!;



Well worth serious consideration, I've already done a fair bit of "handiness" for friends and family.

 

[No skills]

Looks like you need to be a gardener instead.

 

[Flynnwood]

That's a problem, but not insurmountable if where you live is reasonably populated.

My advise? Start a handyman business -

Keep positive - stand at your front door facing North and envisage approximately a mile away, then do the same for South, East and West; four square miles -
Cheers, Pete

Now that really is a good idea. I've just Google-Earthed a 1 mile radius of the house and think I may need to get in training though!;



Well worth serious consideration, I've already done a fair bit of "handiness" for friends and family.

Good advice from Pete.

Something like this with adaptions:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Children-Chil ... 1c2b537bde

I think you'll be surprised how many local referrals you will get if you do a few good jobs.

Vistaprint do cheap cards/leaflets.

Enquiry rate from leaflet drops is rather low (under 1%) but don't let that put you off. You only need a few jobs to get you going and your sense of humour will prevail and win more and more work via referrals. £100 would get you going, perhaps quicker than you think.

On your way to industrial estates for the Yosser approach - don't forget the suitably attached John Cleese moustache. And whatever you do, don't point to your forehead and then tap your nose accordingly

:lol:

 

[powertools]

Thanks for the ideas and support guys

I'm actually seriously thinking I may wander around asking for jobs, but don't think it's a bad thing, sorry if it sounded that way. As someone said once, if you don't asks you don't gets. I just have to appeal the current "terminate your job" decision, then, see if I can shake off the "cloud of grimness" and get me a**e in gear and go do it.

I've been thinking of retiring for the last 30 years, but I won't be able to do it for at least the next 20.

Ross

Sorry if I gave you the impression that wandering around asking for a job is something I thought you would not do.
I run my own micro business that involves cold calling on garages and I know what a daunting and depressing task it can be but it is how I have made my income for the last 15 or so years.
In truth my turnover has fallen for the last 3 or 4 years and we are heading into the worst time of year for what I do and I am tempted to try and supplement my income along the lines of the local handyman idea.
At 62 I also had ideas of retiring but they have long gone.

 

[RossJarvis]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Not sure about the gardening bit, a good friend of ours is a local "eco-gardener" and bought a pedal tricycle truck thingy, she cycles to most of her jobs. Unfortunately the tricycle truck nearly killed her and has been retired.

However, although lovely, she is more barking than I am!

 

[Graham Orm]

Sorry to hear that Ross. As already mentioned the Post Office usually take on casual workers in the sorting offices at this time of year.

 

[Berncarpenter]

I know losing a job can be a bit of a downer when it happens ,I had the sack from a well paying job nearly 20 years ago and this was the push i needed to go fully self employed .I found it hard at the start but things soon took off and now i am so glad it happened .Think of it as a chance to do something that you really enjoy doing and go for it.Like its been said before you only need to do a couple of good jobs for people ,the word will soon get around.I found advertising didnt work for me i wasted alot of money on it in the beginning .Good luck Bern.