i've just lost my job and dont know what to do

LegacyUser

Any advice would be welcome here.

I lost my job yesterday; it was my probation assessment and they saw fit to terminate my contract; or I had the option to quit myself, which I took.

The assessment process wasn't very fair or relevant to the work that i do, and in fact i was actually doing quite a good job and had the figures to prove it.

Anyway, i really liked the work i was doing and would like to stay in the same area if at all possible. But i am so bloody scared at the prospect of going for interview and trying to explain my way out of only doing 7 months with this company, should I be honest; i know as the time goes on i'll have to be, but say immediately, as in any interviews i may have coming up, how do i deal with it???

Or should i just go travelling and come back in a couple of months and use the travelling as an excuse for quitting the position??

I really don't know what to do; any advice would be welcome; its a sh*t scary time, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I had to sign on today and have a mortgage and everything, its awful.

I really need to get work ASAP, but how do i convince anybody to take me on after this??

Or should i really just put in a hard few months on the dole and start looking again after that and say i went travelling instead.

Im confident of a good reference from my immediate boss; what happened was out of his hands and i think he does feel sorry for me.

Please help.... i need all the help i can get...

Miss Fluff

Take a deep breath OP.

If you have a decent skills set and you were good at your job there is no reason why you can't be working again asap. Just because the economy has closed down, it doesn't mean companies have all of a sudden stopped looking for talented jobseekers.

First post of call is registering with some temp agencies right away which will keep the wolf from the door.

If you want to, you are more than welcome to PM me with more info, type of role you had/industry etc I may be able to help you or at least give you more advice.

jeepers101

Just use the current economic climate as an excuse, lots of capable people are getting laid off in all sectors.

RedXIV

OK first off, take it easy, this probably isn't as big a problem as you originally thought especially since you said yourself, your boss would give you a good reference.

If you need a another job, go looking. and look soon. Put your boss down as a reference and if anyone asks why you left your previous job, say they downsized because of the recession, here's my boss's number, i was a great worker.

LegacyUser

i'm so shocked; i'm so gutted, i KILLED myself working these last 7months; i gave it my all, i gave up so many good things in my life for it and it ended like this; whatever their real reasons were for asking me to leave. and it was a brilliant job which i loved, but worse than that i left i really good permanent job to join this company.

I'm so worried, resigning after 7months; how bad does that look and how the hell do i explain it in a plausible professional manner??

Should i just have let them fire me and blamed the recession???

I will be so glad when 2008 ends; it has been the worst year...

Miss Fluff, i will PM over the next few days, thank you!!

RedXIV

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

I'm so worried, resigning after 7months; how bad does that look and how the hell do i explain it in a plausible professional manner??

Resigning after 7 months - no biggie

Resigning after 7 weeks - noted

Resigning after 7 days - problem

Resigning after 7 hours - HA! no chance!

Seriously, if they are worried about your previous employment, they will ring the reference you supply. You've already said it's good, you're on to a winner!

LegacyUser

RedXIV wrote: »

OK first off, take it easy, this probably isn't as big a problem as you originally thought especially since you said yourself, your boss would give you a good reference.

If you need a another job, go looking. and look soon. Put your boss down as a reference and if anyone asks why you left your previous job, say they downsized because of the recession, here's my boss's number, i was a great worker.

But should i tell him thats going to be my excuse? I get on very well with him.

My position was a new one, is it feasible that they would open a new position and then get rid of it again so quickly??

And what should i tell recruiters?? surely they wouldn't touch a person with a barge pole who was asked to leave the company they were with???? And if the company readvertise the job most recruiters will be aware of it so they will deffo smell a rat.

I dont know what to do. I had it all, the great car, the great salary,and now i have nothing

I don't know what to do

Dave!

Sorry to hear it!

Try not to get worked up about it. The only thing you need to worry about here is the mortgage. Of course that sounds a bit insensitive!

But what I mean is that you shouldn't worry about the 'what will i say in the interview', 'will i get work in the same area again', and other stuff like that. Remember that you have the power in this situation. You hold all the cards.

If you like, as you mentioned, you can say you felt that you needed to get the travelling thing out of the way while you're young, so you can feel comfortable about taking on a career. Easy! It's a perfectly legitimate reason to have a gap in your CV, and you can just write off the previous job. I'm sure the experience would be handy for getting another job in the same industry, but worst case scenario, you drop down the ladder again somewhat (7 months to be exact), and just have to work hard again to get back up.

If you want to hang on to the experience, then it's quite possible to embelish the truth somewhat! You say your previous boss will give you a good reference; what would he say if he were asked why you left? What's even more positive is that you took the option to leave yourself, rather than being sacked. So that's even more wiggle room for embelishment. Maybe have a chat with the boss and see what he has to say.

It'll suck looking for another job now, but ultimately it's not the end of the world! You might get a job in another industry that you're not happy with. Not a big deal! Just suck it up and deal with it for the time being to pay the mortgage, and then when you get that opportunity to get back into your desired industry, go for it.

Take a step back and have a breather You'll feel better in a few days!

Miss Fluff

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

and it was a brilliant job which i loved, but worse than that i left i really good permanent job to join this company.!

And you will find another brilliant job again. If you are as good as you say, you will be snapped up. The secret is not to be defeated and to start looking as of today. You have to be proactive. Have you updated your CV?

Unfortunately there is an emphasis right now on cutting costs and for some companies it IS a case of last in/first out.

Yes, do PM me when you get a chance, will hopefully be able to point you in the right direction...

STUBBORNGIRL

well Op i can relate to you on this thread. But my contract wasnt terminated, i decided to terminate it after 6 months which does look bad on any C.V.

I was so scared of going for interviews but had a great recruitment agency and they advised me on what to say and do! they are used to dealing with these situations. Maybe you could go to one of those?At the end of the day what i went with was the job that I was doing did not match the job spec that i agreed to. (and it wasnt a lie either) As long as you are not changing jobs every 6months then you should have nothign to worry about. Use the experience you have gained in the past 7 months and work it to your advantage in finding another job.

The main thing is you left on good terms with your employer and they are giving you a good reference!

GET out there and start looking now and Good luck to you.

STUBBORNGIRL

Dave! wrote: »

Sorry to hear it!



If you like, as you mentioned, you can say you felt that you needed to get the travelling thing out of the way while you're young, so you can feel comfortable about taking on a career. Easy! It's a perfectly legitimate reason to have a gap in your CV, and you can just write off the previous job. I'm sure the experience would be handy for getting another job in the same industry, but worst case scenario, you drop down the ladder again somewhat (7 months to be exact), and just have to work hard again to get back up.

Would your P45 not have the last employer you worked for on it? I think i was thinking of doing that myself until i realised that when you pass on your P45 to the current employer they will see your last company?
I stand corrected though

Dave!

STUBBORNGIRL wrote: »

Would your P45 not have the last employer you worked for on it? I think i was thinking of doing that myself until i realised that when you pass on your P45 to the current employer they will see your last company?
I stand corrected though

I believe so, but sure your P45 will just be sent on to Payroll, and they're not gonna give a sh*t about it.

Worst comes to worst and they call you on it, just say you started working for them but it soon became clear that the job advertised was different to what you would actually be doing... you wanted something more challenging... blah blah blah... and you left after a few days. Perfectly understandable really.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Mid thirties, only ever had one job that lasted longer than 9 months. What's the problem...?!

The trick is in the interview. Know what to say and say it confidently. If they ask, you say that you had a good seven months there, learnt a lot and were disappointed not to be taken on "but, given the current economic cliamte, I could understand".

If they've any doubts, they'll see a reference on the CV which they can call.

You can prove you were good, which probably implies you were unlucky. A prospective employer will see that.

STUBBORNGIRL

Dave! wrote: »

I believe so, but sure your P45 will just be sent on to Payroll, and they're not gonna give a sh*t about it.

Worst comes to worst and they call you on it, just say you started working for them but it soon became clear that the job advertised was different to what you would actually be doing... you wanted something more challenging... blah blah blah

Yeah actually you are right and sure at that stage they will have given you the job (before they have found out you are a liar)..

I dont know i think honesty is best policy and by saying you felt the job you were doing did not match the job description is not really lying as such. You dont really want to find yourself in a situation where you hang yourself by saying something like

---

oh in name of previous company we used to do blah blah ...... (there will be someone like me there that will pick you up on it)

Whatever you do decide to say be sure you are happy with it first. Try the recruitment agents though - the advice they offer is free and reliable..at the end of the day it serves in their purpose so that you get the job!

Dave!

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Mid thirties, only ever had one job that lasted longer than 9 months. What's the problem...?!

The trick is in the interview. Know what to say and say it confidently. If they ask, you say that you had a good seven months there, learnt a lot and were disappointed not to be taken on "but, given the current economic cliamte, I could understand".

If they've any doubts, they'll see a reference on the CV which they can call.

You can prove you were good, which probably implies you were unlucky. A prospective employer will see that.

Good advice!

gurramok

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

The trick is in the interview. Know what to say and say it confidently. If they ask, you say that you had a good seven months there, learnt a lot and were disappointed not to be taken on "but, given the current economic cliamte, I could understand".

If they've any doubts, they'll see a reference on the CV which they can call.

You can prove you were good, which probably implies you were unlucky. A prospective employer will see that.

+1

Excellent advice. Don't worry OP, you will find something else that suits your skills.

Miss Fluff

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Mid thirties, only ever had one job that lasted longer than 9 months. What's the problem...?!

The trick is in the interview. Know what to say and say it confidently. If they ask, you say that you had a good seven months there, learnt a lot and were disappointed not to be taken on "but, given the current economic cliamte, I could understand"..

Only ever had one job that lasted longer than 9 months? Why doesn't that surprise me......However well intentioned, probably best to ignore above advice. Seriously.

MagicMarker

Miss Fluff wrote: »

Only ever had one job that lasted longer than 9 months? Why doesn't that surprise me......However well intentioned, probably best to ignore above advice. Seriously.

You mean the advice that implies to be confident and know what to say in the interview? Yeah, sure op, ignore away!!

OP, you're really over thinking this.. You have a good reference, what's the problem? In the next interview just tell them you were only hired on a temporary basis or something.

One thing, if you can afford to go travelling for 2 months then why did you sign on? Welfare should be a last resort, signing on the day after losing a job is a bit much tbh. If you calm down a little you will probably have another job within a couple of weeks.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Miss Fluff wrote: »

Only ever had one job that lasted longer than 9 months? Why doesn't that surprise me......However well intentioned, probably best to ignore above advice. Seriously.

I like to travel a lot and hate being tied for a long period of time - what was your assumption...?

Never had difficulty finding s job when I came back from the travels, so I was doin something right...

Beruthiel

Miss Fluff wrote: »

Only ever had one job that lasted longer than 9 months? Why doesn't that surprise me.

I don't know what the hell that's supposed to mean.
It's clearly meant to provoke and I'll have none of that in this forum thanks.
B

Beruthiel

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

But i am so bloody scared at the prospect of going for interview and trying to explain my way out of only doing 7 months with this company, should I be honest.

I was in a job for 6 months, couldn't stand the guy I was working for, I could go into why but it would turn into a rant.
I left and got another job, I told them I couldn't work for such a guy and that in all my working years I have never meet such an awkward individual.
Got the job but they went out of business after 6 months. So going for another job did worry me after that but I was totally honest in my interviews and had no problem getting a job.
You shouldn't have any problems.

MJOR

Help is at hand.....

I left my chosen career this time last year and headed into the good old world of recruitment. On paper i was right for the job and I thought I'd be good. Anyhoo after three months I found my probabtion was up, i hated my job and I was not great at it if I am honest.( Although I did have an offer from a few agencies to temp with them as a consultant but i steered clear.) (so there you go you are one step ahead of me already)

I was crying at the thought of going into work and so I was given the option to resign which i grabbed with both hands. I got on well with my line manager too and he gave me a great reference( i know this because one of my ex colleagues heard him on the phone)

So i temped for a few months, did interviews in the mean time and now i love my new job.

Please be positive- I know how you feel I have been there- you have the advantage of being readily available for interview.

Please PM me if you need advice my three months in recruitment was not wasted!!! I can reccomend a few agencies.

brokensoul

First of all, let me give you a big (virtual) hug *hug*

I lost my job at the end of January so i know exactly how ****ty you feel right now.

The only advice i can give you is to keep faith. You are good at your job, you just got an unlucky break. Get on the phone to recruitment crowds, get a feel for what is out there. Talk to colleagues, budies etc. Get everyone you knwo to keep their ear to the ground for you. There is no shame in having lost a job if it wasnt your fault. It took me a long time to accept that.

I actually ended up in a better job than the one i lost! So this might be the best thing to ever happen to you. It may not seem like it now, i know it didnt for me, but this will get sorted in time. I promise you that.

Best of luck.

PurpleBerry

Yes OP *hugs* all round. It's a vicious cycle. The economy is poor so when you lose your job there is less help and less opportunities when you find yourself jobless.

At least you have the dole. I know it's not a lot but it's better than nothing. Get onto the tax office and see if you're entitled to anything else. One rough patch I went through was made smoother by Rent Allowance. That won't apply to you but maybe something else will.

Also, have you been out of work long? Because if you leave a job (ostensibly, you may not have exactly wanted to but that's the official line, right?) you can't sign on for, I think it's nine, weeks. Unless this has changed.

Best of luck with the jobhunt. It might seem like a bad time to be looking but look at it from this point of view, you might get a job that was held by someone who decided "Screw Ireland and its recession, I'm off to Oz for a year!"

Maevita

I had a very similar thing happen to me without any warning a month ago. There were no reasons given, in fact my letter of explanation included information that wasn't true which leads me to believe my direct boss may have lied to the HR department to justify her actions. Anyway what I now feel is that if a company are willing to treat employees in this manner you are better off out of there.

I started looking for a job immediately and I was completely honest with the recruitment agencies but emphasised that it was not a performance related issue. It took me 4 days to find a better paid, nicer job than I had had and I am so much happier to not work back there anymore. So don't worry, while people talk about recessions and problems finding jobs, you have experience and you'll be fine. Just put yourself out there with a positive attitude and you'll get something far better!! Be careful not to criticise your previous employer to any interviewer a simple sentence such as, "they needed to downsize the department slightly and unfortunately you were the most recent joiner" will cover you.

But make sure of your reference, get a friend to call as a prospective employer and then you'll know exactly what they will say and if necessary how to preempt it. In any case many large companies are so fearful of defamatory cases that they will only confirm the dates you worked there and will not comment in a positive or negative way on your performance etc.

PM me if I can be of any help or if you just need to vent. I was quite angry for a while after this happened but the best way to say 'screw you' is to immediately go and get yourself a job where you're appreciated!

LegacyUser

MagicMarker wrote: »

You mean the advice that implies to be confident and know what to say in the interview? Yeah, sure op, ignore away!!

OP, you're really over thinking this.. You have a good reference, what's the problem? In the next interview just tell them you were only hired on a temporary basis or something.

One thing, if you can afford to go travelling for 2 months then why did you sign on? Welfare should be a last resort, signing on the day after losing a job is a bit much tbh. If you calm down a little you will probably have another job within a couple of weeks.

When did I say I could afford to go travelling for two months???? I toyed with the idea of going travelling but let me assure you that I would have to get a loan FROM MY PARENTS to do this; and i'm not sure iwant to do that to be honest.

signing on is a bit much a day after losing my job to be honest??? Firstly, Let me point out that I was commended by the welfare officer for coming in straight away, and that I will infact be receiving Jobseekers allowance, ie from my OWN stamps, from the multitiude of PRSI I have paid since I first started working.

Who are you to judge me?? Who are you to say i was wrong to sign on??

I have very little savings, I have a mortgage and personal loan to cover the cost of. I did not expect to lose my job. I am up sh*tcreek right now and I am trying to do my best.

I have done nothing but talk to recruitment agencies since Monday, I just emailed another my CV 5mins ago. But in the area I am in I am looking at 6-8weeks to obtain a position, most companies do 2-3 interviews.

Comments like yours are not welcome; I would like to see what you would do in my position, would you be so quick to ignore the welfare route if it was a choice betwen eating or not.

To everybody else, thank you all for your kind words and very sound advice. It has really helped. I am being as pro-active as I can be in putting this behind me and hope that I can obtain something decent soon. Hopefully it will all be ok.

LegacyUser

well,

Its 3 weeks on now.

I haven't had any interviews.

I had an interview but lost it because another recruitment agency sent my cv for the same job as one recruiter had already, the two recruiters started fighting over who had sent me first, and in the space of a few hours the employer got the hump and cancelled my interview because of the chaos that ensued between them. And im so p*ssed off because it was a good job and i was seriously psyched for the interview.......bloody recruiters

I'm trying to remain at the same employment level as what i was at but its so quiet at the moment job-wise and im starting to get worried. Still i feel it'd be stupid to go backwards, for the moment at least.

Im finding it so difficult, my job was so busy and its so weird having so much free time.

Also i never had to watch money for the last few years and now i do and its really really tough. I even had to buy the dog tesco value food today, even he has to suffer.

I was due to go on holiday but i've cancelled it as i feel i need to stay around and continue the jobhunt and anyway, funds are tight so a holiday is out of the question

Sorry, i just needed to vent. I dont think i could have lost my job at a worse time to be honest, life sucks right now...sigh....

homerjay2005

jeepers101 wrote: »

Just use the current economic climate as an excuse, lots of capable people are getting laid off in all sectors.

yep, thats it. say your probabtion was nearing an end and you had no choice but to leave. use the redundancy claim. to be honest, they probably just did a scummy way of getting rid of you, rather than making you redundant. its happening in other companies too. you could have been the best performer, but they still wudda got rid of you. chin up, im sure you will get another one.

maybe, just to be an ass about it,should question their reason and ask them them to show hw your stats were not good enough.

MagicMarker

Didn't see this post until now...

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

When did I say I could afford to go travelling for two months???? I toyed with the idea of going travelling but let me assure you that I would have to get a loan FROM MY PARENTS to do this; and i'm not sure iwant to do that to be honest.

Well, you said this...

Or should i just go travelling and come back in a couple of months and use the travelling as an excuse for quitting the position??

So excuse me for not being a mindreader!

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

signing on is a bit much a day after losing my job to be honest??? Firstly, Let me point out that I was commended by the welfare officer for coming in straight away, and that I will infact be receiving Jobseekers allowance, ie from my OWN stamps, from the multitiude of PRSI I have paid since I first started working.

All i'm saying is i wouldn't have signed on the day after loosing my job, i assume you still had a pay cheque coming to you plus all the holidays you were owed from the holiday that you were going to take. I'd probably wait about a week or so to see what the situation was like regarding interviews etc.

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

Who are you to judge me?? Who are you to say i was wrong to sign on??

I never said it was wrong

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

I have very little savings, I have a mortgage and personal loan to cover the cost of. I did not expect to lose my job. I am up sh*tcreek right now and I am trying to do my best.

It's not my fault that you have little savings and a mortgage and a loan, maybe you should learn to manage your money a little better? What was going to pay for that holiday you were going to go on, or the two months traveling that you were toying with?

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

I have done nothing but talk to recruitment agencies since Monday, I just emailed another my CV 5mins ago. But in the area I am in I am looking at 6-8weeks to obtain a position, most companies do 2-3 interviews.

Well then stop being picky and take anything you can get.

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

Comments like yours are not welcome; I would like to see what you would do in my position, would you be so quick to ignore the welfare route if it was a choice betwen eating or not.

Did you run out of food the day after you lost your job? If you do not want comments like mine, then do not post on a public forum.

MagicMarker

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

well,

Its 3 weeks on now.

I haven't had any interviews.

I had an interview but lost it because another recruitment agency sent my cv for the same job as one recruiter had already, the two recruiters started fighting over who had sent me first, and in the space of a few hours the employer got the hump and cancelled my interview because of the chaos that ensued between them. And im so p*ssed off because it was a good job and i was seriously psyched for the interview.......bloody recruiters

I'm trying to remain at the same employment level as what i was at but its so quiet at the moment job-wise and im starting to get worried. Still i feel it'd be stupid to go backwards, for the moment at least.

Im finding it so difficult, my job was so busy and its so weird having so much free time.

Also i never had to watch money for the last few years and now i do and its really really tough. I even had to buy the dog tesco value food today, even he has to suffer.

I was due to go on holiday but i've cancelled it as i feel i need to stay around and continue the jobhunt and anyway, funds are tight so a holiday is out of the question

Sorry, i just needed to vent. I dont think i could have lost my job at a worse time to be honest, life sucks right now...sigh....

Are you still trying to get a job in your field? If so, like i said, stop being so picky.

Don't rely solely on recruitment agencies. Start applying directly to employers, print off your cv and go into town, apply to pubs, restaurants, coffee shops, offices, shops, supermarkets, ****ing McDonalds if you have to. Do you drive? Then apply for dominos, 4 star pizza, chinese anything, tips are good.

Once you get something then you can start browsing for a job that's more suited to you and be more picky.

EDIT: Just to note, i do empathize with you, and i will be in your position in a little over a month when i return to Ireland, but i will not be signing on as soon as i enter the country. I will look beforehand and try and arrange a few interviews for when i get there and i hope to have a job within 2-3 weeks, hopefully.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

well,

Its 3 weeks on now.

I haven't had any interviews.

I had an interview but lost it because another recruitment agency sent my cv for the same job as one recruiter had already, the two recruiters started fighting over who had sent me first, and in the space of a few hours the employer got the hump and cancelled my interview because of the chaos that ensued between them. And im so p*ssed off because it was a good job and i was seriously psyched for the interview.......bloody recruiters

I'm trying to remain at the same employment level as what i was at but its so quiet at the moment job-wise and im starting to get worried. Still i feel it'd be stupid to go backwards, for the moment at least.

Im finding it so difficult, my job was so busy and its so weird having so much free time.

Also i never had to watch money for the last few years and now i do and its really really tough. I even had to buy the dog tesco value food today, even he has to suffer.

I was due to go on holiday but i've cancelled it as i feel i need to stay around and continue the jobhunt and anyway, funds are tight so a holiday is out of the question

Sorry, i just needed to vent. I dont think i could have lost my job at a worse time to be honest, life sucks right now...sigh....

Have you tried temping? Not ideal, but it pays the bills and most temp agencies should be able to find you something in a matter of days.

Sephiroth_dude

Have you signed on for the job seekers allowance?if not you definitely do so.

Sephiroth_dude

MagicMarker wrote: »

One thing, if you can afford to go travelling for 2 months then why did you sign on? Welfare should be a last resort, signing on the day after losing a job is a bit much tbh.

and why excactly is it a bit much?I did it the tuesday after I was let go temporarily,what excactly is he/she suppose to live on? air? :rolleyes: when someone loses there job there entitled to sign on for the job seekers allowance,be it the next day or not.

MagicMarker

Read the rest of the thread, because it's obvious from your last two posts you haven't read past the OP.

LegacyUser

Bloody hell Magicmarker, kick a person when they're down?!

I wil admit to not being the best person with money, but when I pay a mortgage, personal loan, bills etc, theres not a whole lot left over in any given month. As I said, if i was going travelling i was going to borrow money from my parents to do so, but have decided against this as i do not want to take the money from them. Regarding the holiday i was supposed to go on, i had it nearly paid for in full earlier this year, there was a small balance owing on it, and taking this and spending money into account i have decided to forfeit it and concetrate on finding a job instead. I am applying both to recruiters and directly to companies, and using every avenue that I can to secure employment in my area of work.

And no,i dont have a car, that went with the job. And I posted here as this is the only place I can actually be honest about whats happened. Tomy friends and family im trying to put a brave face on things, but in reality i am Sh**ing myself.


Yes i did get some holiday pay, the grand total of 5 days, not a lot, but some extra cash nonethless. The point I am making is that I really have to make this money stretch and stretch, and im trying my best to do so.

I'm not just going to take just any oul job right now, I feel it would be futile for the moment, it might be something I will consider come october but I am well qualified to do this particular job, and it is the area to which I am best-suited. Also I need to be flexible to travel to Dublin should I get called for interview( I live in Limerick), so it would be pointless tying myself down to some minimum wage job if it spoiled my chances of getting a proper job in my area.

But I WILL consider it when I have to, but i'm giving myself until October at least.

To a previous poster, yes, i do believe I was shafted, it happened much too quickly and all seemed to have been organised in advance; and you are right, it seems to be happening to a lot of people these days. I have bumped into clients since who have stopped me and said that they are very sorry that i am gone, and already they miss me, so i was obviously doing a good job in their eyes; i mean im glad to hear this from my clients, but it makes losing the job all the harder, as I really loved it and was so dedicated to it.

Temping isn't really an option in my field, but i might pick up a mat leave contract or something. I guess i posted yesterday as i spoke to another recruiter late yesterday who was actually honest with me and said it is so so quiet at the moment and i won't find something that easily; it did freak me out a little i must admit.

I'm now even looking at relocating elsewhere in the country, it scares the bejaysus out of me to have to do it, but if i have to move to Dublin I will.


Tough times ahead......

tbh

op, forget about the welfare debate. Just one question: What reason did your last job give you for not taking you on? It'd be helpful if you gave us a bit more background (what industry are you in) so we could give some constructive advice.

LegacyUser

Technical sales.

They said I didn't have adequate product knowledge. But to be fair, their training wasn't up to much either, and i did ask for extra training but didnt get it. I actually didnt do that badly in the assessment but they twisted everything around to suit themselves. My sales figures were very good, my relationship with my accounts was excellent and my customers were very happy with me.I was also putting in serious hours and making a serious effort. In short, even if they weren't happy with my product knowledge the right thing to do would have been to extend my probation and give me some more training, thats what most companies would have done, particularly in light of how well I was doing otherwise.

But basically I dont think the company is in very good financial steed at the moment- they are american, and with the way things are here at the moment it wasn't viable to keep me on. The construction downturn hasn't done their business here much good. Even if i had known every single detail about every product, i still would have lost my job methinks.

Its hard being made out to be a failure when you're actually not. I'm trying my best to move on from this, but its going to be tricky.

Ultimately what has happened will make me stronger and even more determined in my next job, i know that, but its getting my next job that will be the hard part.

tbh

ok, that sounds perfectly reasonable and I think that you are correct - if everything was as good as you say it was - I don't doubt you! - then the best thing would have been to extend your probation. I think the small amount of time you spent there wouldn't necessarily be a problem - especially if you get a good reference - sometimes things just don't work out, and if I were interviewing you, I would notice that you left quite quickly, but that explanation would be sufficient. I think the best advice I can give you is try not to get disheartened, and keep plugging away. In an interview situation, be honest. If you try to fib your way around the situation, you'll only get caught out, and the interviewer might wonder what else you're not being straight about - worth the risk if you had been in prison maybe, but not for this. As for the other topic, you're entitled to welfare, that's what it's there for, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Best of luck, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, it must be very upsetting, but you never know what's around the corner.

trio

A recruitment agency will coach you on what to say. Contact several of those today. And keep following up with them - the people who get the most interviews from an agency are the people who ring to check at least once a week. They tend to stay in the front of the Recruitment Agents mind.

ALWAYS say in an interview that you got on really well with your previous Manager. Luckily, that's true with you. No employer wants someone who didn't get on with their Manager. So make sure you mention that, even if you have to shoehorn it in awkwardly.

Only say brilliant things about the last company too. Say that on both sides there was regret that they couldn't continue the contract.

If they ask you where you see yourself in 5 years? There's only one answer you can give: "Why, HERE hopefully!"

homerjay2005

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

Technical sales.

id like to know what company you work for. but obviously you cant post on here, but this sounds familiar to a place i know. if it is, dont worry, its nothing to do with you, its cut backs.

maybe sign up and send me a pm with a hint, location/company type and ill know then!!

LegacyUser

Thanks all!

I'm trying my best not to be disheartened, but its difficult.

I'm being as proactive as I can be and am literally annoying recruiters everyday!!

They have advised me to use the recession as my excuse, as it very plausible in this current climate and is probably the real reason anyway!

A friend also mentioned to me that the company couldn't let me go because of the state of the economy, that that would leave them wide open for a legal case(i actually dont see how, but hes a solicitor so i take it he has some idea of what hes talking about!) so he reackons that they conjured this up as an excuse; perhaps there is some truth to this.

Anyway, no use crying over spilled milk, I will have a good reference from my manager, and i have other good references also, so at least thats something!

As for welfare, i have signed on for jobseekers allowance already but it takes a good few weeks to process. I was mortified going in to do it but i am entitled to it, and i've paid a ****load of PRSI since I started working, so at least for once im getting something apart from a free eyetest from the state for once!!

I'm just hoping it all works out ok, praying even, tho i'm about as religious as a stone!!

And if and when I get my next job, I'm definately going to make an effort to save more money in future, its damned scary when the 'rainy day' actually comes along!!!

tbh

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

A friend also mentioned to me that the company couldn't let me go because of the state of the economy, that that would leave them wide open for a legal case(i actually dont see how, but hes a solicitor so i take it he has some idea of what hes talking about!) so he reackons that they conjured this up as an excuse; perhaps there is some truth to this.

I think that if you lay someone off, you can't re-hire anyone for that position (because it's redundant). Not sure, but remember hearing something about that.

ntlbell

tbh wrote: »

I think that if you lay someone off, you can't re-hire anyone for that position (because it's redundant). Not sure, but remember hearing something about that.

They tend to just adjust the title a little

from "technical sales" to "very very technical sales"

SheroN

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

When did I say I could afford to go travelling for two months???? I toyed with the idea of going travelling but let me assure you that I would have to get a loan FROM MY PARENTS to do this; and i'm not sure iwant to do that to be honest.

signing on is a bit much a day after losing my job to be honest??? Firstly, Let me point out that I was commended by the welfare officer for coming in straight away, and that I will infact be receiving Jobseekers allowance, ie from my OWN stamps, from the multitiude of PRSI I have paid since I first started working.

Who are you to judge me?? Who are you to say i was wrong to sign on??

I have very little savings, I have a mortgage and personal loan to cover the cost of. I did not expect to lose my job. I am up sh*tcreek right now and I am trying to do my best.

I have done nothing but talk to recruitment agencies since Monday, I just emailed another my CV 5mins ago. But in the area I am in I am looking at 6-8weeks to obtain a position, most companies do 2-3 interviews.

Comments like yours are not welcome; I would like to see what you would do in my position, would you be so quick to ignore the welfare route if it was a choice betwen eating or not.

To everybody else, thank you all for your kind words and very sound advice. It has really helped. I am being as pro-active as I can be in putting this behind me and hope that I can obtain something decent soon. Hopefully it will all be ok.

You were right to sign on straight away. I was unemployed a few years ago, I didn't bother signing on for a month as I was full sure I'd have a new job within a couple of weeks. If you delay signing on it makes it more difficult to get your social welfare payment.

Sorry to hear about your situation. Hope it works out well for you.

Darragh29

jeepers101 wrote: »

Just use the current economic climate as an excuse, lots of capable people are getting laid off in all sectors.

Very good advice, with 32,000 people being let go over the last two months and no sign of an improvement, run with this is my advice. I wouldn't get too hung up on the CV end of things, I never saw a CV that wasn't at least 20%-40% inaccurate! Have you thought about working for yourself or starting up your own business??? I found myself in the same situation as you a few short years ago and decided to give it a shot and I've been at it ever since. It obviously depends on your skill set and where your talents lie, but with the current economic climate, it could be worth perhaps giving some thought to...

DenMan

Hi OP

Sorry to hear about your current predicament. I know you said that you were involved in Technical Sales. Is that where you would like to see yourself remaining? Do you have a Degree Qualification or even a Masters that you can use to your advantage instead of limiting yourself to one avenue. If you enjoy Technical Sales then by all means continue. If you have other interests and skills then you should use them, use your qualification to it's fullest and reap the full benefit of it. Hope it works out for you.

LegacyUser

Companies tightening their belts will want to retain an image that everything is booming while at the same time cutting costs. They don't want customers fleeing or making contingency plans that don't involve them.

So they don't want to fire anyone, officially.
However I bet they're not replacing people who leave voluntarily, and are probably re-thinking things like "new positions" to shed any costs they can.
I'd say you are a victim of that.

Seven months is a fair enough stint these days, I would not be worried about it at all.
Why did you leave your last job?

"They were cutting back and I was last in so first out"

or

"The role was different to what I'd been told - I was told it was all about <describe roughly new job prospect you are interviewing for here> but it turned out to be <describe a job that is below your level> and I wasn't learning anything new, so it wasn't a challenge"


or

"I was working on my own, I prefer to work in a team where I can learn and exchange knowledge"


I've interviewed people, and any of the above would do me.

LegacyUser

Again, thank you so much for all of your helpful responses!!

I have a decent scientific degree and taught masters, but i went straight into technical sales so its all i know really. It would be hard to get into anything else in my field(lab work etc) at this stage, i've been selling for over 4 years, and dont have any work experience other than it, well, real work experience anyways.

I am considering medical sales now also, but there isnt a lot going there either, and given health cuts etc the future doesn't bode well in that industry, unless you have an exceptional product.

Its hard to be the victim of something that isnt your fault. I can honestly say i've never worked as hard as i have in the past 7 months and all i got was, effectively, a smack in the face.

I ultimately would love to set up my own business, as a distiributor or whatever, but thats a goal for a few years time i think.

Anyway, if anybody else has anything else to offer i am so grateful, these responses are so helpful and really give me confidence, thanks again!

christeb

whatisagirltodo wrote: »

Again, thank you so much for all of your helpful responses!!

I have a decent scientific degree and taught masters, but i went straight into technical sales so its all i know really. It would be hard to get into anything else in my field(lab work etc) at this stage, i've been selling for over 4 years, and dont have any work experience other than it, well, real work experience anyways.

I am considering medical sales now also, but there isnt a lot going there either, and given health cuts etc the future doesn't bode well in that industry, unless you have an exceptional product.

Its hard to be the victim of something that isnt your fault. I can honestly say i've never worked as hard as i have in the past 7 months and all i got was, effectively, a smack in the face.

I ultimately would love to set up my own business, as a distiributor or whatever, but thats a goal for a few years time i think.

Anyway, if anybody else has anything else to offer i am so grateful, these responses are so helpful and really give me confidence, thanks again!

I work in a related industry, so would have a decent idea of what kinds of roles are out there. For someone in Tech Sales, a couple of examples off the top of my head would be Business Development (for example in one of the large Clinical Trials companies) or Scientific Recruitment. These are both areas where opportunities exist at present (PM me if you want more info - I'm not a recruiter!)