lost your job? end of the world? or exciting new journey?
@chicksdigscars (5483)
March 13, 2012 9:46am CST
A few months ago I was so excited to announce on Mylot via a discussion that my partner, after just over a year and a half with no job.. finally got one.
Well, that was long lived.
After 4 months of a probationary period, that was only meant to last 3, she was told that the company had over-anticipated the amount of staff required for their new premises, and those who had worked for the company before, but in other branches, were to be kept on, and everyone else was to be let go. Unless they were willing to reduce their hours.
This just wasn’t going to happen. They had already cut her 39.5 hours a week down to 16, and to cut them further she’d have been working 10 hours a week. She’d have been making £60.90 per week, BEFORE tax and national insurance! Ridiculous considering when she wasn’t working, she was getting £115 a week on benefits [job seekers and housing benefit].. hardly worth the while really.
So reluctantly, because she loved the job.. she left.
We have been on a massive 4 week struggle so far to afford rent, bills, payments, food, gas, electric etc.. considering she lost her job literally 4 days before all these payments came out, and we have been trying to pay them on my one wage alone.
But.. things could be worse. We have each other, we have our health, and she now has a blank canvas again to try and find something she loves to do.. which leads me to the point of my discussion.. when you lose a job, is it the end of the world? Or is the start of a new one?
I personally know I am in a job, that albeit I enjoy, it’s not exactly my choice for a career. When I was younger I dreamed of being a pathologist, or a radiography.. something to do with the human body. My physics and biology grades were fantastic, but due to my chemistry letting me down, it was not to be.. and I ended up not being able to study it in university, so I took a “year out” [which has turned into seven] and entered the working world.
After various jobs, which lasted a year, 3 months, 9 months, 6 months, 3 weeks lol, I finally settled here, and 4 and a half years later, here I am.. still here. And I do enjoy it. I promise. The people are nice, the work load is fair, albeit not very challenging, and I do think I am more intelligent than what this work is, but I like it.
But sometimes I wonder, and since my partner lost her job, I’ve wondered more. Should I venture onto something else? Should I go back to study? What if I got fired, would I take the first job came to hand, or would something wonderful come my way?
Is losing a job the worst thing in the world or is it a doorway to an opportunity we otherwise might have missed?
What are you views on this? .. bit long winded I know.
2 people like this
10 responses
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
13 Mar 12
When a door closes, there is always a window somewhere opened. Though I can't even get a stable job, I do help out neighbors when they need me to dog sit and last year, one of my neighbor's dog had to be put down. But that opened a window of time for me to get a job with another neighbor dogsitting for her. So losing a job isn't the end of the world, but a beginning of a different world..:)
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
13 Mar 12
No, I think this outlook is new, I use to be negative and thought the future looked bleak. I have to admit, between mylot, and my friends on FB who share the same faith with me, and now with taking college classes, especially "Communications" (this class can be an eye opener when it comes to viewing our perspective on life and with people), I have become a lot more positive..It is not so easy though, not when I am surrounded by negative people here at home, but I guess just one + trumps 3 -????LOL
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
13 Mar 12
Oh, I forgot, because of my two girls, (who love other people and dogs, but are still too playful), I usually go to my neighbor's home..Which isn't bad, it gives me time away from the phone and my family so I can study in peace..:P
1 person likes this
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
13 Mar 12
i always love your view carm.. you are always so positibe and upbeat. have you always been that way? always had such a healthy happy outlook on life? or is this something that developed?
i dogsit now and again.. it's fun having new animals in the house :)
2 people like this
@GreenMoo (11834)
•
13 Mar 12
Commiserations to your girlfriend, and hope she find something soon.
When I was working I was very lucky and never spent any considerable period looking for work. But on those occasions when I was, I admit I was panicked. Bills to pay, the dreaded jobcentre if I couldn't find anything. At that point, it was the end of the world! Even when the job was awful, and I remember the sense of relief I had as a walked away from one godawful office jobless, it was still too catastrophic an event for me to be able to look at it in any sort of positive light.
But since then I've had a complete about face as far as work and lifestyle go. The one suit I retained for emergencies gathers dust and I don't think I could even walk in my work heels any more. Now I'd be more likely to see the bright side and a new opportunity approaching. But I'm freer of all the gubbins that goes with the 'career' and stuff now, and I'm really lucky to be able to choose to an extent what I do. Not everyone has that freedom.
One thing I've realised is that being broke isn't nearly so bad when you choose to be. That probably doesn't make a lot of sense. I'll try and explain. I'm flat broke, but that's because I don't work for anyone but myself. I prefer to be broke than to work for an employer. When I can't afford to do what I want, I can remind myself that this is my choice and remember that the alternative is to wear a suit, commute, put up with office politics, deal with the same crap day after day and suddenly it doesn't seem like a bad deal at all.
But if I were where you are right now ten years ago, I think I'd be clinging to that job with both hands. And probably studying in the evenings too!
There you go, an even more long winded answer!
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
13 Mar 12
i have never spent any time really inbetween jobs either thankfully, as i said to stine above. the odd month here and there whilst looking for something closer to home, or with a little extra money, and at stages of my life, i've had 2 or 3 jobs at once, and i'm only 25.. but i left school at 18 after doing my A-Levels with very very good GCSE and A-Level results, and as you know, before the economy got the way it did [in the UK atleast] a degree was never required, and i walked into any job i wanted. Infact i am proud to say i have never, ever attended an interview where I didn't get the job. I think thats impressive if i do say so myself.
I'm so impressed by your lifestyle choice. I wish I had the guts to do something like that.. but the thought scares me. I may how do you pay your bills? or mortgage? how do you buy food? get from A-Z.. i don't understand how your lifestyle works to be honest, and i think thats what makes me so "materialistic" for lack of a better world.. not understand how an alternative way of life actually works.
i think you are right, I think i should cling to it with both hands.. but to be honest i know i'm too intelligent for what i do. it's basically data handling, some accounts work, couriers, phone answering.. that kind of thing.. and i'm not blowing my own trumpet, but i'm a smart cookie.. but realistically there is nothing else out there if you haven't a degree. it's soul destroying because i know girls who got through uni by the skin of their teeth who are as thick as two short planks, and they'd be offered a job over me!
maybe going back to school should be my option? either that or learn to live a life like yourself :)
1 person likes this
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
14 Mar 12
the open university? doesn't that cost an utter bomb though to do that? unless you could pay in installments i doubt it would be something i'd actually be able to afford.
i hear what you're saying about experience, but i have bags of it, especially clerical experience.. and i'm a trained typist.. but every job i see online wants a degree. take the civil service for example. there are people i know working there, who got the job a few years ago, who are doing less work than i am, and less skilled work than i am, on a better wage. and when i looked into applying a few months back, the whole process has changed, and they won't accept applicants without a degree, no matter what their experience. so they'd actually take someone on, with a degree, that they'd have to train from scratch, instead of me, who could probably go in with my eyes closed and already do it.. thats why i think a degree is the answer.
wow.. your life seems to relaxed, and simple. i remember you saying you'd no television. it almost got a little hostile then until we realised it wasn't meant that way haha! i think the way you live is bizzare. but not bizzare bad, just unknown to me.. it amazes me though. i would love to have a farm. always wanted one. i would someday love to live out in the country and run my own dog kennels, but that is one dream i know will never come true! lol!
@GreenMoo (11834)
•
15 Mar 12
It was quite a long time ago that I did my degree, but it was reasonably affordable and they had various interest free payment plans you could sign up for. You don't have to sign up for a whole degree in one go, just a course at a time and you build up credits. You can get financial help towards OU courses too. Might be worth looking into. Just one idea of course, I'm sure there's bags of courses out there in loads of areas which interest you.
The Civil Service example you quote is just ridiculous. I now they have to have certain standards, but that's just stupid. I think I was probably lucky in that the field I worked in considered that experience and proven track record were more important than qualifications. You're really opened my eyes.
@dandan07 (1906)
• China
14 Mar 12
I do not work.
But I have to have a job to support myself.
I do not think I will like my job, for i do not work for myself. If I have my career I think i will love it and put my full efforts to it.
If I have enough money to support a whole year, i will not feel sad for losing the job. I can use my money to find a new one or start my own business after that. If my money is enough for 30 years or more, I think I will have a good journey before sending myself into work.
But here is you do not have a job, there are also many other problems. First of all these is the pressure from your parents and the society, they consider the one without a job as a total loser.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Mar 12
hi chicksdigscars Iam retired for several years so am not worried aboutjob market for self just need more money to pay my bills easier here as most of my two checks are eaten up by board and room at Gold crest retrement center. here in Southern California
the economy is still very bad and too many are still out of wo rk.
people do not have the luxury of playing around as they need money
right away so they take almost anything they c an get and believe me they are not getting humongous wages either.so I think here in
ca. we should not be picky as surely the economy will change but right now take that job and be damned glad you have it.
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
14 Mar 12
totally hear you hats! ..its mental trying to find a job these days. i'm lucky i have a job but its nice to have a look now and again, and there is nothing.
you may be retired now.. but i'm sure you have had your fair share of jobs?
@Cherish14 (2693)
• Philippines
14 Mar 12
I haven't had a steady job yet. i used to work for short periods of time before when i was still in college and so it was hard for me to get a job that are contractual like 6 months or 1 year because of my studies. but now i haven't applied yet because i am still in the process gathering my papers all together and also my license as a nurse because i just took the Board Exam and great thing i passed it 
i am just hoping i can find a job as soon as i am done with my papers because i hate the fact that i am jobless and broke right now.
i am just hoping i can find a job as soon as i am done with my papers because i hate the fact that i am jobless and broke right now.@Cherish14 (2693)
• Philippines
14 Mar 12
awww thanks :) yeah i am a nurse now :) it is hard looking for a job here in Philippines. i am trying to apply abroad but i need an experience too as a hospital nurse. but i have to keep trying. thank you my friend
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
14 Mar 12
awww thats fanfastic! so you are a nurse? well thats amazing. i don't know about where you are, but over here they are crying out for nurses and it would be a easy job to walk into once you had the relevant qualifications! good luck in your job and congrats on passing!
@TheIzers (680)
•
14 Mar 12
My husband got fired from his job three years ago because of the budget cut. It was scary considering he was the only one who make money in our household that day. But it was not the end of the world because we realize we have so much responsibility. So, we just got up and started looking for a new one. Luckily after applied job at over 20 company we did find one and this one is much better. he still work with the same company today and get more of the benefit than the company he worked before. today every time we look back we always grateful that we got fired three years ago because God has a better plan for us. By telling you what happened to us I hope you can motivate your friend not to give up looking for job. Stay strong and keep looking, there must be something for her out there. And hopefully she will find a better one than the last one she got some months ago.
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
14 Mar 12
wow that is awesome! i am so glad you commented and shared that! so your husband loosing his job, which should have been a really bad thing, ended up being far better for him, and your family in the long run? fantastic!
@samijo719 (1052)
• United States
14 Mar 12
I have been laid off from 2 different companies in the last 4 years and it has been hard both times. The economy is still not great so while I think yes at certains time is can be a great journey to greater things right now it is just plain scary. Jobs are so scarce and few and far between in these times that not knowing the future is terrifying, at least for me.
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
14 Mar 12
see i think more along the same lines as you. i have walked out of jobs, and straight into other ones.. but since i have had this job for over 4 years the economy has gone from bad to worse.. and thats my fear as well of not getting another job or not knowing where my next paycheque is coming from!
@jd107nette (1454)
• Philippines
17 Mar 12
oh dear... i just lost a job myself. i honestly hated the job at first. because it was not in line of the course i took up in college but as time went by, i learned to love it. I often times go the extra mile to provide the best of service i could give to this company which hired me and made me feel that i could do something worth while and beneficial to the many. I've had subordinates and i am really touched that they even shed tears when i was taking a month leave.
but when i was coming back, i was told that they couldn't accept me anymore. i was angry and sad at the same time. i missed the job so much and my friends. we made a good team and improved our sales and all that,. i was able to raise the voice of the workers to the employers and establish communication so they could work in harmony. but i am so disappointed that they removed me just because of deeper issues (my employer is actually my father's brother and the company is owned by my grandfather). maybe they don't want me being too influential in the company. but really, despite all the dirt and sweat i'd accumulate in the job, i loved it really.
at first i thought it was the end... but have realized that, i could do something else... i could find a job that would pay me better and appreciate the good things i contribute to its betterment. haha and i'd pick "it's the start of a new journey"!
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
14 Mar 12
Darn, why did i read this discussion? It's too long for me and it's causing me eye strain! 
But i love you that much to have patience. You lucky girl!
I lost my job once, my boss ran away with my salary and there's no way i could sue him coz he couldn't be found. The worst thing was that, I decided to get a house and there's no way i would be able to pay for it without a job. But i didn't think that my world had ended. I wasn't depressed. What i did was look for another one and i was successful in that. However, I didn't stay long in that job because i got a text message for a much better offer. I didn't stay on that one too coz i got luckier.
So you see, if you start getting depressed you won't be able to think well, you would be wasting time mopping and whining instead of looking for better opportunities that might just be around the corner. 
But i love you that much to have patience. You lucky girl!
I lost my job once, my boss ran away with my salary and there's no way i could sue him coz he couldn't be found. The worst thing was that, I decided to get a house and there's no way i would be able to pay for it without a job. But i didn't think that my world had ended. I wasn't depressed. What i did was look for another one and i was successful in that. However, I didn't stay long in that job because i got a text message for a much better offer. I didn't stay on that one too coz i got luckier.
So you see, if you start getting depressed you won't be able to think well, you would be wasting time mopping and whining instead of looking for better opportunities that might just be around the corner. 
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
13 Mar 12
I guess that is going to depend on the individual and the individual's personality or outlook on life. Some people have a "half glass empty" outlook on life and others "half glass full".
It does not sound like your girlfriend lost her job: she chose to quit. The company was having problems. Obviously they liked her. They offered her greatly reduced hours which she choose not to accept. Myself, I would have stuck with the job while I looked for additional work because you say that she loved the job. Not too many of us can say that we love our jobs. And things can change fast in the business world. By next year, they might have been asking her to work overtime.
For yourself, it can not hurt to look for change if you want to improve your employment situation. Why would you consider that you would get fired? You've been with this company for a while. They like you. The next company should like you also.
But, could you go back to school while working part time at your present company? Can you not get financial assistance as a student from your school?
I see losing a job as a new opportunity, not the end of the world. But I also see every day as a new opportunity.
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
14 Mar 12
thanks for the comment.
yes she choose to "quit" .. but that was based on the fact that the reduced hours they were offering here, were practically £50 LESS a week than she was getting on benefits. so whilst she was on benefits she was bringing in over £100 a week.. with the reduced hours in her employment she'd have been bringing in less than £60 after tax! .. so financially it was more beneficial for her to not work there.
in relation to myself.. i don't really mean that i get fired as in they decide one day they dont like me.. i actually mean more, that with the current economical climate, no ones job is secure, and not because people dont like youm or want you around, but rather because they may not be able to afford to keep you on. and i certainly couldn't survive on part-time hours!
i'm not sure if i would get any financial assistance, and i know i wouldn't be able to go part time in my current job either.. so thats out the window.
thats a nice outlook on life :)
