Things havnt been right at the day job for a while. I've been shouted at a lot and often for things that didn't relate to me. Pressure has been building, and combined with micromanagement I just missed my first deadline.

I got summoned to the office today, to be told they knew I had made a job application last week. Which is true, I did it one night after working into the evening when I had been shouted at for a mistake made by the person shouting at me.

It seems the people I applied to did not read the introductory paragraph, but did ask for a reference ... From my current employer.

So now I've been added to the list of redundancies this month, seeing as I was apparently leaving anyway.

I am having a truly shit day, but you know what? It's the first time in two months I've not been shouted at, and I've actually finished work early for once! Thats some small mercy at least.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Anyone have a perm / contract position for a web dev? (worth a shot)

But you know what?, not matter how shit it all is, you'll live to fight another day, and you'll bounce back.

Its the shit days that make the good ones so much sweeter

Shame there's other redundancies happening, otherwise you could nail them to the wall. Employers aren't allowed to stop you applying for other jobs, that's the joy of living in a free(ish) society.

Could you document it? You may have a case for constructive dismissal, assuming you haven't done anything to actually warrant it. That said, proving that was the reason could be impossible.
Can you hack their email to see if there's anything about it? If there's documented evidence about them agreeing to get rid of you for that, then it could stand up. You'd need to say an anonymous source gave it to you though.

On top of dano's hearty speech about tomorrow being another day and stuff (), the other plus side is that they reckon the country is starting to pull out of the recession now so your chances of finding another job are increasing.

Best of luck!

Its true though, I can remember really, really bad days (heck, weeks and even months), where I've just wanted to curl up and die, where I've thought I will never get through it, but you do.

If it doesn't kill you, it just makes you a stronger person.

Sorry, I know it sounds all happy clappy and shite.

Yeah I'm already trying to see the positive, hampered slightly by the notice period ending about 1 week before my 2 years are up and hense no payoff, but I've got lot of new skills to get a job with since last time. My development skills have really matured. I'm still ambitious, and I love the profession.

I'm not that great at selling myself - oddly given my histrionic tendancies - but I know I can flourish in the right environment and this may well work out for the best.

Feeling with ya. Going through a pretty hard time myself right now, at least concerning working.

I am a freelance journalist/PR-author for two companies right now. Sounds great on paper. I can do what I want at the times I want. Problem is though, I miss out on the best things on being an Austrian: no health insurance or pension plan (if I wouldn't care for that myself), no 13th and 14th wage (heck, in my profession I'd even get a 15th if I'd score a permanent employment... But it's about as likely to happen as winning the lottery).
Worst of all, due to the financial crisis, I haven't got any work to do since june, meaning no income whatsoever. And with me being a freelencer for years (I ought to have been on perma for at least 6 months in the last two years) I have no claim for unemployment compensation...
I am pretty much on a constant search for a perma job since the beginning of the year, as those developements were already showing, but I haven't got anything other than dozens of "Sorry" for an answer. That's especially frustrating as thrice, I was one of the two last applicants for the job.
Again, today I await the treaded call back from a company if they take me or not. I sit at my PC, staring at the phone, not daring to call them myself as I feel I will hear another "no", even though I had quite a good job interview. I'm sick I could almost vomit.

My problem seems to be thta I am too well educated for lowly jobs, but I lack the experience to get into the jobs I'm trained for. Right now, most employers are looking for people with multiple years job experience who will work for next to no money. If you fail at one of those two, you're out of the game.

Especially since I'm really low on cash by now. If my girlfriend wouldn't support me, I would have problems getting food on my table every day (unless I returned to my parents)

A "yes" would instantly wipe out my problems (allthough it might need more than that for my bank account to show something other than red). A "no" on the other hand would leave me quite without perspective for the moment. That stress is starting to take it's toll on me, and on my relationship.

I don't know how much frustration I will have to take though to defeat my worst enemy: my pride. I haven't yet really considered taking a job that is beneath me just to get money, as I not only don't want to spend most of my day in a job I hate, but I also fear that doing so might block me from taking opportunities that may still arise.

So, joining becky, if anyone has a job as a Journalist or PR-Manager, just mail me. Scawen, perhaps?

Quote from ColeusRattus :

I will have to take though to defeat my worst enemy: my pride. I haven't yet really considered taking a job that is beneath me just to get money, as I not only don't want to spend most of my day in a job I hate, but I also fear that doing so might block me from taking opportunities that may still arise.

If you did so, you'd be in a group that contains a large number of people.

A job is a job, if you enjoy it, then you are very lucky, but to the rest of us, its all about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over our heads.

TBPH, I'd sweep the streets if I meant I can support my family.

(not that sweeping the streets makes anyone a second class citizen, but you get the idea)

Quote from danowat :

TBPH, I'd sweep the streets if I meant I can support my family.

That's the very reason I'm still here. Since the company got bought over and hundreds of folks lost their jobs, morale has been a nightmare. They combined 4 floors onto one so we're now really cramped and I'm surrounded by people I have nothing in common with. And we're about to be moved into Central London next month, the only compensation being travel costs.
No pay rise in the last 2 years either, so the job that was fairly decent money (not great, but alright) when I started is now at the bottom of what I would accept for a new job.

The bottom line is we simply can't afford for me not to work. Literally. We would be in financial dire straits if I was out of work now. So until one of the applications I send off gets a positive response, or I miraculously make my fortune from music or graphic design, there's no alternative to keeping on coming in and grinding away.

Wow, this thread is going from strength to strength. I spot a theme

Pay rise? LMFAO, what the hell is one of those!!!!!

There is already rumblings in our company of going on short time, again, so 3 day weekends here we come, woot!.

Quote from ColeusRattus :

My problem seems to be thta I am too well educated for lowly jobs, but I lack the experience to get into the jobs I'm trained for. Right now, most employers are looking for people with multiple years job experience who will work for next to no money. If you fail at one of those two, you're out of the game.

I hear you on that one, for years I had the problem that I did not know how to hide my intelligence. See, despite being capable I didn't do myself any favours when I started out in life: I was only interested in my next high.

So I left school with no qualifications, half an apprenticeship, and no ambition or personal motivation. After cleaning myself up and leaving my nefarious beginnings behind me, I found that on applying for jobs I had difficulty creating the impression that I wasnt above a mediochre job, and I had no qualifications or experience to get a job that I was allegedly qualified for, on top of that I had a patchy work history with very little stability. I was a bad employment prospect whatever I went for.

After some years spent as a temp worker doing all manner of jobs, and getting the treatment and support that I needed, I like to think I came out of that era as a well rounded person.

That's really quite recent. Even when I look back a couple of years to the time I started posting on these forums I wasn't really there yet - and that probably shows with the number of forum flame wars I would get in too, and the break down I was going through when I was coding the X-System whilst unemployed.

The last couple of years have been very good for me, i've been able to form and maintain relationships, and have held a high pressure high tech job down for the last 2 years.

So whilst I may be in my 30's, really I think i'm just starting out. I see the last few years as the start of my life, the stepping stone that I will use to form a new career as a software developer - something that had I not wasted my youth I should have done long ago as I was pretty much destined for this profession.

In terms of skills and experience in a professional environment using professional tools, i'm very much looking at web development in any capacity. I'm not so fussed about pay as long as it's enough, but i'm expert at all the things that i've turned my hand too so far.

I think i'm a way off working in applications or games development - despite my pedigree having produced these things on a hobby basis all my life, on account of not knowing the professional tools. When I do turn my hand to them I expect I will master them as I have with everything I've attempted thus far, as i've got a very good head start already - so for now I will focus on getting another job in the web sector.

It's drive, determination, passion for the job, and enthusiasm to learn that got me from a low life scum of the earth who'd sooner shoot you than sidestep to pass you on the pavement to a respectable professional with a full and enriching life.

So whilst there may be a depression on out there, if anyone is going to get a job that I want then i'm damned well going to make sure that it is me.

Quote :

So whilst I may be in my 30's, really I think i'm just starting out. I see the last few years as the start of my life, the stepping stone that I will use to form a new career as a software developer - something that had I not wasted my youth I should have done long ago as I was pretty much destined for this profession.

I feel kinda the same way Becky. It's a nice feeling (I suppose a lot of people are in a fairly tight rut by 30) coupled with a disappointed in myself for not thinking seriously or clearly about a career earlier. I envy anyone who knows what they want to do by the time they're 20 and then go for it. On the other hand I feel I'm right where I want to be, and I can look back on my younger years as a fairly interesting adventure.

Go for it Becky!

Quote from Electrik Kar :

I envy anyone who knows what they want to do by the time they're 20 and then go for it.

I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do, heck, I am still not even sure.

On the flipside, my 12 y/o daughter has a clear path sorted already, she knows what she wants to do, and has contingency careers to fall back on, she already knows what exams and subjects she needs, and is already looking at further education when she leaves school.

I think kids of today have it easier, they have a lot more support, a lot more information available and a lot more assistance, unlike my day where a "careers advice" person came in once and told you what you should be doing, and then you were thrown to the wolves.

Quote from danowat :

unlike my day where a "careers advice" person came in once and told you what you should be doing, and then you were thrown to the wolves.

haha yes, I remember that. It literally was some person who didnt know you who came in, interviewed you for 10 minutes, looked at your school grades (which make very little difference in the real world) and then told you your destiny in life.

If I remember rightly I was told not to expect too much and look at factory jobs. I wanted to be a journalist (believe it or not I never used to make spelling errors or typos - those came later with all the abuse I gave my brain!) but was told I didnt stand a chance, and although I had a clear aptitude for computers my grades where not sufficient and I should give up on any professional vocation.

At least they where honest, if not very motivational !

Quote from Electrik Kar :

I envy anyone who knows what they want to do by the time they're 20 and then go for it.

To quote a very good video:

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people i've known didn't know at 22, what they wanted to do with their lifes. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds i know, still don't.

Well I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life by the time I was 12 or 13. Town planning or architecture. Had my subjects chosen, my college/uni courses picked and everything.
And then everything about me changed when I turned 16 and now I have no idea what I'm doing. I know what I want to do but fear I may now be too old to realise it. Isn't going to stop me trying

And a few months ago I decided that as well as rock superstardom I want to be a rally driver. At least there's no maximum age limit on that one!

Well if I could do anything I wanted i'd develop loads of cool stuff for LFS! hah, somehow I don't think it's an option. Aside from Victor being noticeably uncomfortable in my presence and Scawen despairing at my breakdown in '07, they do already have all the bases they want covered well and truly covered.

Still, there could be a chance I do a few of those personal projects I keep talking about now if I get some free time, only currently I dont have a game capable PC so testing things might be a bit tricky - and all my code is on my dead desktop. Hmz. Watch this space I guess .

Quote from Dajmin :

And a few months ago I decided that as well as rock superstardom I want to be a rally driver. At least there's no maximum age limit on that one!

Problem with these things is...

Unless you are extremely talented AND get spotted by the right people, you won't ever make a living from those. However, this shouldn't stop you. If you want to do it, do it by all means, and enjoy it as much as you can... just make sure you also have a job that pays the bills.

I'd love to be a photographer, world traveler (whatever job that would be), graphic designer, musician, blabla. But i decided to do those things in my free time, because making lots of money with those kind of activities will most likely not work out very well. It works for me.

Yarr, that's the issue. And now I'm pushing 30 it's unlikely anyone is going to snap me up to impress the teenage girls That said, we're in the very fortunate position to have a manager who is also a very generous millionaire. He stumped up the cash to record our album in much the same way a record company would, so that means we only owe him for that and retain all profits and royalties, rather than having to share them with a greedy corporate body.

As for the rally driving, it's not something I'd see as a career. I'd just love to get the license and a car and see how it went. I might get lucky and have a natural talent (since I'm good with spatial awareness and I'm not scared of anything) or I might be a total failure. But I love the thought of hurtling down narrow country dirt tracks at 60mph with no fear of oncoming traffic

Oncoming trees might have the same effect as oncoming traffic tho...

Quote from Dajmin :

Yarr, that's the issue. And now I'm pushing 30 it's unlikely anyone is going to snap me up to impress the teenage girls That said, we're in the very fortunate position to have a manager who is also a very generous millionaire. He stumped up the cash to record our album in much the same way a record company would, so that means we only owe him for that and retain all profits and royalties, rather than having to share them with a greedy corporate body.

It really does depend on the genre, and in the case of rock looks meen very little for male band members. In the case of indi/alternative then looks meen very little for band members of either gender - as far as I can tell.

You should do fine

These days success in music is all about music downloads leading to concert sell outs anyway, and nobody has to look at your ugly mug on a download, and at concerts your just a blurry swetty figure in the mid to far distance.

Music is win win for ugly people these days

Quote from jibber :

Oncoming trees might have the same effect as oncoming traffic tho...

True enough, but you have the advantage of a full rollcage and the tree being stationary

Quote from Becky Rose :

Music is win win for ugly people these days

Cheeky f*cker! I'm well pretty, it's just that I'm old

It's this kind of thread that reminds me that this forum is in fact not full of spotty 13-year old Americans who want NOZ!"111!, and we actually do manage to get a nice thread around here. And in the Off Topic Section too??

Back OT...

Shit happens, life ain't fair. I'm lucky to have only had one really bad moment in my life (completely of my own doing, and you lot would probably think it isn't even that bad!), and I'm kinda living with the consequences now. But hey, you can't change the past, so live with it, learn from it, and move to the future - you never know what tomorrow might bring

Quote from Becky Rose :

So now I've been added to the list of redundancies this month, seeing as I was apparently leaving anyway

If they go all the way with this, then I would expect you would get substantial damages, as this is without a doubt totally illegal.

Quote from dawguk :

If they go all the way with this, then I would expect you would get substantial damages, as this is without a doubt totally illegal.

if it's a private company, they can fire and hire whoever they want, for whatever reason... if they found out someone was looking for another job, that's certainly grounds to can their ass...

sorry that you got boned becky, if i could give you a job, i would.