MikeR
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:00 PM |
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about to lose job - hints and tips?
Folks,
Whats been rumoured for a long time has partially been announced - my project is 'changing'. What this means to my job is still not clear
(although I have my own opinion & hence this post). I'm supposed to find out in the next 2 weeks.....
It occurred to me that others may be in this position and others may have lost their jobs recently. I was hoping people could post helpful hints and
tips to make life easier. Not - spend more time in the garage but things like "claim this benefit" or "tell the council that"
perhaps even a "make sure you don't tell this organisation".
So .... what do peeps suggest (and please be serious - at the moment this is quite a serious time for me, its the first time I've faced this in
15 years employment).
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blakep82
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:01 PM |
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claim for job seekers straight away! don't leave it 4 months like i did
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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cd.thomson
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:03 PM |
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I can't help with redundancy but I have been unemployed recently.
Make sure you ring up the jobcentre and sign on to job seekers allowance ASAP if/when the worst happens. The complete process to claim your money can
take a while but it gets back dated to that initial phone call so theres no point umming and arring about it! 
Also take advantage of what they have on offer. TBH I have no idea how able people aren't capable of finding jobs with them with all the
training etc they offer.
I dont know what you do- it may be easy for you to get another job, but jobseekers will take at least some of the financial strain during the
transition
Craig
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nib1980
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:09 PM |
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my missus was recently unemployed, and the Job centre made her laugh.
she currently has 3 degrees and A Phd, the nice lady at the job centre said "they may struggle to find her work"
but in all seriousness start ASAP, and make sure you don't have more than £6k in savings
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MikeR
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:15 PM |
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What's the problem with savings? What impact does it have?
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motorcycle_mayhem
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:15 PM |
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I'm here, been here a while, it's a dark depressing place.
OK, so it depends on your circumstances, but yes, call the job centre right away the minute you lose your job. This is imperative, otherwise you have
to explain why you didn't.
If you're in rented accomodation, have debts, a drug habit, a couple of estranged wives and kids, you can probably expect some considerable help
from Gordon. The various departments will help at the Job Centre.
If you've displayed the ability to work and pay tax for a while, or have had a career, have savings, had a working wife and generally paid
Gordon a great deal of money during your adult life... you'll get £60 a week for 3 months, a further 3 months at £60 week with some paperwork,
and then nothing.
Commit yourself to feelings of depression, suicidal thoughts and a spiral of despair, getting a few hundred speculative applications off may help, a
few rejection letters may come back from courteous firms.
If your employer has gone to the wall, the Receivers have walked in and ushered you out, you can start the process of claiming some of Gordon's
help (provided very begrudgingly) for State redundancy (it isn't much). The Receivers will be of some help here, the State isn't.
If you're offered some sweetening voluntary redundancy deal, take it.
Eventually, the Building Society (Gordon owned) will take your house from you, you'll still have the working wife, so they'll want the
balance due and you'll have to rent.
You may eventually get where I am now, looking at the bike in the garage and thinking f%%% this... warm sunny countries....
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blakep82
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:20 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
What's the problem with savings? What impact does it have?
they'll expect you to spend them before claiming back all the NI you've paid over the years
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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l0rd
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:21 PM |
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Does anyone know what happens when one of the two is making more than 25K a year?
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:26 PM |
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If it was me in that situation and I have been in the past quite a few times. I’d say act now and join very agency in your area (sounds like you
should have done so quite a while back too, rather than wait to late)
Do update your CV and go on the web and check out sites that have advice on how to do it CV well, most people haven’t a clue tbh (this from my sister
and her boyfriend who are agency recruiters)
Don’t fixate on just one type of job, try and look around at other possibilities. For example I’ve done – van driver, truck driver, bus driver,
technician, asbuilder, designer, parcel sorter, operations planner, testing supervisor, draffy to name a few, all off these roles I can move right
back into if needs be.
Most important is to have money coming in and the bills being paid.
[Edited on 4/12/09 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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marcjagman
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:27 PM |
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If you get any redundancy pay, take out of the bank, tell social you have spent it, on a car or something otherwise your claim for JSA will be
seriously delayed. If you have savings of more than £3000 or ISA's or life insurance don't tell them or they make you cash them in and
spend the money. I know they did with me, tell your mortgage company and apply for housing benefit, even if you own your own home, they may help with
interest charges,
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:30 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
If you get any redundancy pay, take out of the bank, tell social you have spent it, on a car or something otherwise your claim for JSA will be
seriously delayed. If you have savings of more than £3000 or ISA's or life insurance don't tell them or they make you cash them in and
spend the money. I know they did with me, tell your mortgage company and apply for housing benefit, even if you own your own home, they may help with
interest charges,
yeah they will check what you have saved before giving you a penny so put it elsewhere
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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turbodisplay
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:35 PM |
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Have you thought of becomming self-employed? I got made redundant at the end of august, as I had my dashboard project almost complete I decided to
get it ready for market, otherwise I will get stuck in a job again.
You will be entitled to reduanancy, and lieu of notice if not given enough notice, via the reduanacy service scheme.
Cap is £350 per week.
Darren
Forgot to say: If you want to get another job quicker, register your cv with monster etc, and setup automated searches to be sent via e-mail.
[Edited on 4/12/09 by turbodisplay]
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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coozer
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 01:43 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
If you get any redundancy pay, take out of the bank, tell social you have spent it, on a car or something otherwise your claim for JSA will be
seriously delayed. If you have savings of more than £3000 or ISA's or life insurance don't tell them or they make you cash them in and
spend the money. I know they did with me, tell your mortgage company and apply for housing benefit, even if you own your own home, they may help with
interest charges,
Rules have changed recently, I got made redundant in July and went to claim JSA 5 minutes after leaving work. I am claiming contribution based JSA
which does not ask about your money/savings situation, being based on your national insurance. It lasts 6 months then you change onto the income based
which is means tested. When my time comes in February all I'm going to say is I don't want to claim it.
ATM I'm signing on every week where they do a search and point at things saying "can you do that?" Things like pizza delivery and
catalogue collections, care work etc for £5.75 an hour!
They have targets and suggest anything to get you off their system and regularly tell me I'm not doing enough to find work, and thats despite
the office being open Saturday mornings to process new claims!
Good luck,
Steve
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 02:00 PM |
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Tbh waiting on the job centre to find you work is a total waste of time and only used by folk who are not interested in getting a job.
If you have access to the web, you then have access to far more opportunity’s than if you spent the whole day checking just the job centre. All
agency’s are available over the web (monster got me the job I’m in at the moment) spend your time not on the car forum but going through every one of
the agency’s sending them your CV at the same time.
Then write a list of all the ones you’ve joined which you should phone (too check up on the situation) all at least once a week to keep you in the top
of their minds when a position does come up.
[Edited on 4/12/09 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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mds167
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 02:02 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by motorcycle_mayhem
Eventually, the Building Society (Gordon owned) will take your house from you, you'll still have the working wife, so they'll want the
balance due and you'll have to rent.
If you think you're going to have problems paying the mortgage, tell the lender as soon as you can - then if they try and take you home away you
can show you complied with the terms of your loan (it may say that you should tell them asap to show you are holding your end of the bargain) and have
been a good person - very important for when they petition for reposession.
If you think you're not being treated fairly, look to the Financial Ombudsman Service, talk to the CAB (join the queue).
Sorry to hear of your troubles. Stay positive (as much as possible), you never know what may happen.
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55ant
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 02:04 PM |
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no experiance myself, but has happened to close family members. most important thing is cash flow, keep money coming in somehow, even if you take a
simple course - say an NPLQ to be a lifeguard, thats £7-8 an hour and plenty of flexible hours to work in the leisure centre. but take all the advice
you can, use it, and if it doesnt work what they hey.
away from cars, now cycling and building TT bikes
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James
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 02:59 PM |
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Is your mortgage up for renewal any time soon?
Mine was, and as unemployed I knew I wasn't going to get a renewal very easily!
Fortunately, the broker couldn't find a better deal for us than if we just stuck with what we'd default to with our current mortgage
provider.... so we stayed.
But it'd have been a problem is not!
So bear that in mind.
Get your CV done ASAP. Send it out to friends/business people you know to check it's good.
When it's good, send it to everyone you can think of that might have something. Old work colleagues who've moved on, people in other
departments at your current place (I'm assuming it's a big enough place you wouldn't know about other internal vacancies), people
you know at your old companies.
This is all in addition to getting it round to agencies and recruiters.
Hope that helps, I'm doing all this now as I'm a bit keen to find a job at the moment!
Good luck,
James
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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James
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 03:07 PM |
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Is your mortgage up for renewal any time soon?
Mine was, and as unemployed I knew I wasn't going to get a renewal very easily!
Fortunately, the broker couldn't find a better deal for us than if we just stuck with what we'd default to with our current mortgage
provider.... so we stayed.
But it'd have been a problem is not!
So bear that in mind.
Get your CV done ASAP. Send it out to friends/business people you know to check it's good. I did a first draft recently and hurriedly sent it
off as it was the closing date for a job I'd just spotted... the amount of schoolboy errors in it was ridiculous! Things which others would have
spotted. Or I might even have spotted if I'd printed it! :-o
When it's good, send it to everyone you can think of that might have something. Old work colleagues who've moved on, people in other
departments at your current place (I'm assuming it's a big enough place you wouldn't know about other internal vacancies), people
you know at your old companies.
This is all in addition to getting it round to agencies and recruiters.
Hope that helps, I'm doing all this now as I'm a bit keen to find a job at the moment!
Good luck,
James
[Edited on 4/12/09 by James]
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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pbura
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 03:11 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
If it was me in that situation and I have been in the past quite a few times. I’d say act now and join very agency in your area (sounds like you
should have done so quite a while back too, rather than wait to late)
Do update your CV and go on the web and check out sites that have advice on how to do it CV well, most people haven’t a clue tbh (this from my sister
and her boyfriend who are agency recruiters)
Don’t fixate on just one type of job, try and look around at other possibilities. For example I’ve done – van driver, truck driver, bus driver,
technician, asbuilder, designer, parcel sorter, operations planner, testing supervisor, draffy to name a few, all off these roles I can move right
back into if needs be.
Most important is to have money coming in and the bills being paid.
All very good advice. Re: the CV, keep it simple with clear statements on crisp white paper in a readable font and a good amount of white space.
Also:
- Network. Call friends, family, business associates past and present, and tell them you are looking for work and just wanted to make them
aware in case something comes to their attention. Overlook no one; you will be amazed where leads can come from. After telling them what kind of
jobs you can do (keep it brief unless they are intimate with your field) send a CV and an informal thank-you note for your chat.
- Keep it light. Desperation scares the poo out of anybody.
- ASK FOR REFERRALS. Conclude any conversation about your job-hunting with, "Do you know anyone I ought to call?" Again, keep it
light.
- Cold call. For companies that would be an especially good fit, do your homework and find out who the key people are (industrial guides,
etc.). Call the switchboard and ask for your target by name, or inquire as to who is in charge of such and such, and "Could I speak to him,
please?" Getting by operators will take some experimenting. Do not lie, but say things like, "I think he will be interested in talking
to me. I have some information about ______." When you get connected, say roughly the same thing, plus "I wanted to let you know about
my availability in case you can use me, because I think I might be a good fit in your company." If you get rebuffed, ask for referrals (very
important) and send a thank-you note with a CV.
- Consider a walking tour. There is a road not far from me that is flanked by hundreds (thousands?) of small businesses for a stretch of
about 10 miles. If I were a young man, I would dress neatly, load a portfolio with CVs and note paper, and start walking. Introduce yourself, say
you are looking for work, and ask for referrals if rejected. My son tried this out, but we didn't collect a lot of data because he got hired at
his first stop.
My late first wife was a dental hygienist, and twice when we relocated because of my work, she had a job within a half dozen phone calls. When I
started my accounting practice, besides doing traditional professional networking, I compiled a list of local businesses with names of their
principals, and cold called. My success was slower than my wife's, but I did land several good clients that way.
Edit: I overlapped a lot of what James had to say, which is good! About the CV, when I used to screen hundreds of resumes, I did not pay much
attention to the professionally typeset ones. Reasons were that they smelled of desperation (and unemployability), and gave the impression that they
were ghost-written.
[Edited on 4/12/09 by pbura]
Pete
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D Beddows
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 03:39 PM |
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I resigned from my VERY cr*p job about a month ago - don't be afraid of the jobcentre, if you treat them like human beings they tend to
respond much better because I suspect they're so used to muppets and abuse! They don't have a clue in terms of getting you a job if
you've got a degree and years of experience but although £64 is nothing it's worth having at the end of the day - and after all you have
been paying national insurance for what 15 years?........
The savings thing has changed - it's £16K I think now... we've got about £10K, I declared it and wrote a nice letter giving the (true)
reasons why I resigned and I've just had a letter saying I'll get the full £64 a week from the day I registered the claim.
I intend being on benefits for as little time as is humanly possible I have to say because I HATE signing on and I know I'm pretty good at what
I do - but it's stupid to be too proud in times of need! People make a career out of living on benefits from the National Insurance we pay so if
you need it for a couple of months.....
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mr henderson
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 06:23 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by turbodisplay
Have you thought of becomming self-employed?
Yes indeed, give that some careful consideration. It worked for me, although I admit I was lucky in that I was able to gt a really good workshop on a
nearby farm at a decent price.
A year ago I applied for a job at my wife's employers, got turned down, wouldn't consider it now at twice the money
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austin man
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 08:21 PM |
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Lots of good advice given.
Dont be afraid to have more than one CV dress them up or down
When thinking about your experience in work, make sure you take a mental walk through of what you have actually done (its surprising how we forget
some of the most important things)
If you say your going to call make sure you call.
Even when unsuccessful phone to thank them for the opportunity who knows what will happen in the probationary period.
Dont send out applications on mass select your potential employers wisely (theres nothing worse for an employer when he contacts you regarding an
interview to hear "Hmmm who is it mmmm what is it you do oh I forgot about that application "
Always use a good quality paper not the £1.99 stuff from Morrisons. It lokks good and it feels good.
If you have goodneat/ handwriting, then handwrite the letter you cant get more personal than that.
If speculatively contacting employers Ascertain the name of the Manager before putting anything in the post
Get rid of any stupid email addresses
Remove any silly answer phone messages from your phone.
Treat every incoming call as a potential interview.
Sorry if I harped on. Been involved with Jobseekers for the past 11 years and still passionate Its my job.
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
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norfolkluego
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| posted on 4/12/09 at 10:28 PM |
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First thing, don't panic, it's happened to me twice, not nice but not the end of the world.
Pbura's networking advice is good, you will have met a lot of people at work over the years, get in touch with them, let them know you're
on the market, that's how I got my current job (after the same company had already rejected my CV), an ex collegue who was working there dropped
my CV onto someone's desk, this time it got read, two week later I started (almost 8 years ago now). Don't be shy, make the calls.
Good luck, it will get better, trust me.
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omega0684
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| posted on 5/12/09 at 12:49 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
claim for job seekers straight away! don't leave it 4 months like i did
back date your claim from when you lost your job!
I love Pinto's, even if i did get mine from P&O!
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