Jobs update?

[Judy]

I know when we started this thread many (including my dp & ds) were looking

for work.

Just wondered how you & your families have faired?

My dp who was facing redundancy was kept on to do a major project & then

offered a permanent job.

Ds found an apprenticeship 6 months after leaving College and is still there.

I run my own business, however have found the last few months challenging

to say the least.

Anyone else have an update?

Judyxxx

[loubylou]

All sounds good Judy, thats fab news.

Dh still has the axe hanging over his job, tbh I just wish it would happen now so I can stop worrying about what may happen and worry about a real worry, iyswim? He is looking for other jobs but its tough and tbh if hes being made redundant its 18 yrs and we want that money! So rather he didnt leave of his own free will!

I'm still working full time and not really enjoying it, its just too much with everything else, but needs must at the min. The web sites are doing ok and the business is building up slowly but surely. The workwear is the busy one, but the baby site depends heavily on google search which is hard to get up the top for, so slow but ok.

So I guess we are going forward slowly but not much change yet! Hope everyone else is having luck with jobs.

[Judy]

Hello Louise,

I know what you mean about 'redundancy hanging over you'; dp had that

for many months and felt so powerless, tbh I don't know how he managed to

put on such a brave face at work!

At least your dh has 18 years redundancy pay.

Goodness me, you are busy, hope that your website's really take off & then

maybe you can ditch the job you dislike. if it's a financial option?

Hugs Judyxxx

[loubylou]

Originally Posted by Judy

Hello Louise,

Goodness me, you are busy, hope that your website's really take off & then

maybe you can ditch the job you dislike. if it's a financial option?

Hugs Judyxxx

Thats what we are hoping for, you just get impatient for it all to go right, I need to take a deep breath and just sit tight, sadly not in my nature!

[Liz1967]

Gosh Louise and I thought I was busy

Well my business is doing very well I am pleased to report, despite the appearance of one or two competitors in the area Can I just have a quick rant for 2 seconds on this ....... I am all for competition, when we started 6 years ago there was one other lady doing what we do. Since we have been in business at least 4 other people are now offering the same service in the same area, and without sounding like I am blowing my own trumpet here .... they are not as good as us. I don't want to sound big headed but we don't relay walk (ie leave dogs in the van/car while walking a batch of dogs, we don't have dogs free range in the van/car and we always always give an hours walk. With all that I think we are very good value at £9-£10 per hour. Before I got my website up and running I found enquiries had tailed off, or people would enquire and we wouldn't get the business. Turns out several of our less professional competitors are undercutting us but doing some of what I have described, including only giving dogs a 20 minute walk. Sadly some people are just focussed on ££ and not always so concerned about their dogs welfare. That said though, we have got plenty of work and on most days are fully booked. OK Rant over!!

DPs work is thankfully busy busy busy, we are just about to diversify - I found to my horror he has a barn full of mowers/tractors/etc he owns, all used but working OK, and gathering dust while just sitting idle. Interestingly I showed him what such things go for on eBay so we are going to start putting some of the 2nd hand stuff on eBay as he couldn't believe the prices you can get on there. I still do all his accounts and admin and that takes me several evenings a week to keep up with.

Louise, I wish you all the best with your websites, I hope they prove the way for you to leave full time work. Its horrid if you hate it, I really feel for you. I haven't forgotten about ordering my work tops, I just honestly haven't gotten round to it yet.

Judy, good idea to start this thread, bet you are so proud of James and his achievements, and thank goodness DP is safely in a good job too.

Love
Liz
xx

[Bunyip]

As you know, I still haven't found a job after 12 months of searching. I haven't even got an interview as many of the jobs have come back and told me I'm overqualified or don't have the right experience, even if I know I have the skills. A friend of mine who was made redundant at the same time as me, now has written two CVs, one with all his qualifications and experience, and one "dumbed down" so that he stands a chance of getting less technical jobs. Daft eh, but that's what it takes.

My dh is self-employed and is struggling too.

Having said that, we are busy with our smallholding and are actually happier and more settled than we've ever been in our lives! So, the job search goes on for me, but I know that find a job or not, we will survive and actually thrive here, somehow or another.

My unpaid jobs of the day so far:
1) Take Boo to school
2) dig over the asparagus bed ready for our seedlings to go in.
3) mow the grass in the orchard

Bliss!

xx

[Jameela]

I've had some good news. A bit of background; I'm a commercial law solicitor, and used to work in-house at a tech company (doing all their legal work, as opposed to working in a firm and doing work for several clients). I was made redundant at the start of 2009, and as I'd been treated very badly by two employers by that time, I decided to set up on my own as a sole practitioner. It worked out very well during 2009 - I didn't earn as much overall, but I reckon I actually only worked 8 months out of the year! I was also able to do shorter hours while I was having morning sickness etc. I had two main clients and a couple of smaller ones. Now, much to my pleasure, one of my main clients has offered me a part-time (3 days per week), permanent role. I can keep my self-employed status for anything that comes in from the other clients, but the one who's offered me the job took up about 80% of my time last year anyway. So I get the best of both worlds! The only downside is that they want me to start in July, and while I'd originally thought that would be fine, it's going to be a dreadful wrench leaving Rob at the nursery while I work. At least he will only be there 2.5 days - his daddy will look after him for half of one of the days I'm at work.

[Elaine38]

Hi,

I've been working on a self employed basis for several years - 3 long very days a week so with travel it amounts to a full time job. It's not really 'me' and I'm always keeping a eye on new roles, preferably local so I don't have the exhausting commute. As ds starts school in sept I'd like to be around for the pick-up and I would prefer he didn't have to go to a childminder, not sure if that will be possible. Interesting, part time, flexible,local jobs don't seem to be available!!

Jameela, sounds like a good job but I know how hard it is to leave your ds I've worked with many commercial solicitors recently and found that the females are so much more balanced..The men have tended to be macho idiots.

[Jameela]

Elaine - how true re macho idiots. I have often wondered what people would do if I stood up during one of those interminable meetings where the men are just waving their todgers at each other, and told them I'd make them sit on the naughty step if they didn't stop. Does my head in, it really does.

[loubylou]

Liz, its good to hear your both busy, but I know its horrid when people just undercut you with a lesser product, happens on the web all the time. Just stick with it and eventually quality will win out. Dont be daft about the tops, you know where I am if you need any, but if you dont need them, dont worry.

Bunyip, hope you get something soon, but your life sounds lovely just enjoy it its worth more than money.

Elaine, I'd love a pt interesting job, but I dont think they exist anymore, not by me either anyway, but hope one pops up for you.

Jameela, great news about your pt job, well done.