Please make me feel better....

LegacyUser

Hey guys,
I'm not sure if this would be better in the work & jobs section - mods feel free to move if necessary.Sorry about the length.

Okay, so as problems go I suppose there are people out there who have worse. I'm just feeling very down in myself at the moment. I'm a an engineer on a construction site, working for pretty much the biggest construction company in the country. Everyone knows what things are like in this business at the moment.There's nothing, no work anywhere. My company have been pushing us to accept jobs in the UK and the UAE in recent months. In the last couple of weeks they've offered a voluntary redundancy package. There are a number of big jobs finishing up now, and they've nowhere for the staff to go.

I've been struggling in my job the last few months - well, almost the last year. I'm finding it very tiring, and, as a girl, I've had enough of the construction industry. I'm also working with some particularly difficult people, and have ended up coming home in tears a number of times. I do enjoy my work, and I love the buzz on site, but it's been 5 years now, and honestly, I'm just tired of the endless hours and the stress of it.It's a man's world at the end of the day, and while I fit in without any problems, I can't do this job long term and never intended to.

So to get to the point.....I put my name forward to accept the voluntary redundancy. I had a meeting with my director, and asked about job prospects in the company and there are none.I'm not prepared to go to the UK..for a number of reasons, the biggest being that it wouldn't make financial sense. I have a mortgage, which will be covered, and I will be paid an okay package. My boyfriend is still working aswell. I'm just so, so worried that I've done the "wrong" thing. But there are no other options here. If we don't take this package, they will let us go - compulsory redundancy, with a smaller package.I'm trying to put myself in a position to survive for as long as possible financially, which basically means taking this offer, but it just feels so wrong to be signing yourself out of a job. I am in bits worrying about when I'll get to work again and, much as I know I shouldn't say this, I can't bear the thought of getting the dole. I've nothing against people who are on it - several of my friends are - but I never thought it would happen to me. Who does? There's a stigma in my head against it - it feels like a humiliation for me. I worked so hard in college, and I've worked so unbelievably hard since I graduated 5 year ago, and this is all I get out of it.

I suppose what I'm looking for is for people to make me feel better! I'm just so upset at the whole thing....I'm desperately worried about this decision, but I feel like I've no other choice. My director is fantastic - he didn't enjoy the conversation about the whole thing any more than I did, and he's prepared to give me whatever I ask for in terms of references etc - but it doesn't make me feel any better about it. I'm prepared to work at anything, not just construction. I've a good degree...but I'm so worried about when my next job will come along and how long I'll be stuck in this position for.I know there are people out there in worse positions than this....but I could really do with just a few friendly words.

Thanks for reading.

LegacyUser

Thanks sunflower. In my heart i know i'm making the right decision, but I'm so worried about when the next paycheck will come in I suppose and the effort I'll have to go to to get a new job while knowing it might be months before a compnay even bothers to respond.
I'm trying to look at it positively....I'm definitely stuck in a rut here. Like everyone, I'm worried about money.It's still very scarey to be signing yourself out of a job when things are still hard out there.

pog it

You just need to be proactive.

Starting planning your next career move- if you need to do a postgrad, applications are due this time of year for example. Doing something is a lot better than worrying