Being unemployed is a right kick in the plums

Hey, I'm in exactly the same boat. I tried to use the garden as my job and work a 9-5 shift all week on it, but it's almost impossible to maintain.
I just fill my spare time with BBC iPlayer and the other channels' sites (and here of course).

It's a tough break, and I don't have any family to support like you.

I figure a rough storm only makes you a better sailor hey?

Hang in there and good luck to both of you. I know how hard it is hearing those words. Everything will work out in the end! Could give you all the cliches about doors and journeys etc but you know that already. Good luck and fingers crossed. Keep positive ( D$mn hard I know) but it comes across in the interviews and you need it loads then. All the best and thoughts with you both.

Sorry to hear your story. I was 44 and at the top of a successful career, with a newly extended house and mortgage, a wife at University and 3 sons at school. It took me years to get back on my feet, and I am still in debt at age 67. BUT I have wonderful family, everything I have, I have worked hard for. Having a positive attitude is vital and requires lots of self discipline and courage. If it would help you to talk, you may have my number. Just sendme a Private Message and you will have it. Never give up. My father fought in the last great war, my grandfather fought in the first world war, we owe it to them not to take the soft option. Would you do the same for your family? ask your self? Good luck. P.S my grandfather taught me about veggie gardening, I'm an addict now!!!!!!

By the way, I went self-employed, didnt want any self interested B to control my life any more. It took me 10 years to get somewhere significant but I'm still fighting, in control and fairly happy.

This happened to me in March - and previously 5 years before. 5 years ago was worse as I did not know how long it would go on and I felt so worthless. I got walked out as well - how nasty is that?

This time was easier, and possible as a result I was able to accept the humiliation of having to go back to my old employers to do holiday cover etc when they called - but recently they have offered me my old job back! Mind you I think they are still going bust so I might as well make hay....

Weird stuff like this can happen and looking in the oddest places can help. Have you thought of volunteering to try to help keep your interest going?

I can only advise you to be different in your search for work - go and bang on doors perhaps instead of applying in the way everyone expects - if nothing else it gets you out of the house. You might get something temporary for the summer period whilst every one is away. Look at a new career perhaps - what can you use your IT skills in for the time being to get you through? Will a small business/council snap you up?

Yo are so right about so many employment agencies - I think they employ insensitive and vaguely dishonest people as a matter of course. Just like estate agents really - and just like estate agents they will be mostly out of work themselves soon.

Good luck - you need it. Tell yourself that it is not your fault every day, it's just your luck ran out.

Hi Funstuie, i joined the ranks of the unemployed in April this year, i've always worked (30 years), and i'm sooo frustrated that the job front is so bleak, there's only so much house work, gardening and Jeremy Kyle (ha ha) you can squash into one day, i've wrote for job's, i've filled that many on line form's in my fingers get sore, it's the same with the papers.
So i've resolved myself to thinking "something will turn up", and it's the same for you, there's a job out there for both of us, it might take time...but we'll get a job..Good Luck xx

Good luck to all in their search for work. I've been there and I know how soul destroying it can become.

The recruitment market does pick up in September. I suppose it is holiday time and companys have many key recruitment staff away on holiday and so not a good time to advertise, interview etc. Maybe spend some time visiting recruitment agencies and getting to know the staff, finding out who the companys are that they deal with, who are their customers etc. I think as so many people apply and upload CV's online these days the face to face approach is more limited. But there are agencies who have survived and are doing business - find out about these and get your face and details known. These agencies often have a link up with at least one large company that they get their business from.
In the meantime catch up with all the things you did not have time for when working. Reading, fitness etc. Good luck.

Being on the dole is not the life of Riley that Daily Mail makes it out to be. It's not just the lack of money that gets you down, it's the lack of interesting conversation with colleagues (or just any conversation at all) and it's a loss of identity.
Who are you, if you don't work?

I'd recommend finding some voluntary or charity work. Be creative though, it's not all just working in a shop. Hearing readers in a school is good for getting you out of the house early (but you'll need a CRB check).
There's also conservation work if you're into gardening. Use your time to try a bit of anything and everything ... and for cripes sake turn off Jeremy Kyle.

Sorry to hear your news, TOH has been through two rounds of this at work and so far survived - Lord knows what we would do if he lost his job!

A possible idea for something to get you out of the house and pulling in a small amount of money without detracting from job search time.

Become an Avon Rep - yeah, I know but hear me out! Your average rep works about 5-10 hours a week at evenings and weekends and earns a variable amount of pin money - some, and they are the minority, earn over £100 a week - though it should be said that of those I know who have achieved this level all have been with avon for several years so I'm not talking a get rich quick scheme here! I currently average about £35-40 a week from direct sales and a further £25 a week from team sales and have been with Avon one year. However this is not the entire story, avon reps have the oppertunity to build their own team of reps and earn from their team as they place their orders - we aren't allowed to use the 'p' word to describe the structure - the current term is 'multi level marketing' but some genuine facts... I have met and spoken to a lady who has built her sales round and her team of reps over five years, last year her income from avon was in the region of £90k.

Of the top ten reps in the uk currently I believe 5 are men and generally men seem to do better than women - possibly because they take the job more seriously.

Avon sales are on the increase, people are switching from the more expensive brands to Avon which means it is a good time to try this route and the best bit?

It cost nothing but your time to try! You only contract to pay an 'administration fee' if you place an order having found customers in the area allocated by Avon as your territory. (and or the friends and family customers that you may find).

Mods! I am not touting for business! The majority of people who will read this will live more that half an hours drive from me and I would find it hard to recruit and train them! This is just an idea - anyone who is interested should PM me and I can put them in touch with someone more local to them who can give the support needed.

Sorry to hear about this mate. Just a bit of information that might, in some small way, help. 1) Your are 4 times more attractive to an employer if you are doing any kind of work, even voluntary. 2) Don't just rely on advertised jobs - use speculative approach. Figures have shown, in general, that 15% of jobs are found through adverts, 85% through spec. approach. 3) Cold calling is a highly effective method of job search.

Chin-up mate! I was in a similar predicament last June

If you enjoy gardening, why not 'sell yourself' locally - make up some cards and put in local shops. It'll come in slowly, but will pick up. I've been doing it nearly a year now, and I currently have some work every day. Not a great deal, but the good old 'word-of-mouth' is working.

I've learned loads too - like what I need versus what I want! I don't 'go' shopping any more now, or make any other unnecessary journeys, I pick stuff up en-route to/from where I'm working, it saves time and fuel. I also have regular 'tidy-ups' and sell unwanted items on eBay.

Fingers crossed for you, leave the TV off, and try not to spend too much time on here like wot I did!

Just to add something (not sure what) ... my BiL took voluntary redundancy 6 months ago, thinking he would be cushy on his pay off and the dole, and he'd be able to walk into another job when he got bored of loafing.

He is now regretting his decision: he used his pay-off on holidays and treats instead of paying off his mortgage, then his wife's hours were halved too, they've had to give up her car and the dole is running out. He now has to accept any job he is offered (up to 20 miles away I think) even if it's a cleaning job.

Of course what he should've done was get a new job before he left the old one, but he wouldn't hear it at the time. It's much easier to get a job when you're in a job ... even voluntary work is better than nothing. It shows initiative and drive (but BiL still thinks he is management material and won't stoop to charity work )

Fine bit of advice! Agree with the volunteering bit. What about also offering tuition to students studying IT? You don't have to be a qualified teacher to do this - just get a copy of the syllabus (which is free). My boss was only saying the other day how some of his colleagues were made redundant and after being told weren't even allowed back to their desks - email cut off straight away, marched out like criminals...

Hope you get sorted with something soon. I can't imagine how hard it is, as I've never gone through it.