Help! Desperately need advice!

Enchantrix

Hi,

I'm sorry but this might be a pretty long post. I'm completely stuck in a rut and really don't know what to do.

I moved to Ireland from the UK last summer with my other half to work for a company in Cork. We both got jobs at the same company. Gave up our old life and used about 2 grand of my saving to get us here. We stayed in a hotel at first, found somewhere to live near Carrigaline. Things were pretty good for the first 4 months or so.

Then I got sick, really sick. In and out of hospital, medical fees through the roof. All the sick time was unpaid from work I yo-yo'ed back and forth for a while trying to work while I was ill but it got to the point where I just couldnt work due to illness. Money ran out and I could no longer afford to pay the doctor.

In desperate attempt to get well again I used the very last of my money to return to my mothers house in the UK. Saw the doctor there the next day (for free) and went to the hospital there (where I was treated and had procedures done without charge).

I got well and returned to Ireland. I went back to work. All my absences from work were covered by doctors notes. A week later I'm called into an office told "your job is terminated, go home, don't come back". Pretty upseting stuff, I wasn't even able to say goodbye to my team mates and was marched out of the building. Cried for days after that. Apparently I was on a probation period which they decided they were going to abruptly end. I can only assume this was their way of saying "you lost your job because you were ill".

As well as taking the job away by doing this the company has also killed me socially. All the friends I made since moving here work there and now I don't see anyone any more. My only friend is the computer and facebook. I'm jobless and stuck in the house (I don't drive). I'm alone for about 13 hours at a time 4 days a week while my other half goes off to work shifts for them.

I'm still really angry about the whole thing. I know I could find work easily in the UK but I don't want to leave my other half. My other half doesn't want to leave the job at the company because it would be very hard for him to find a new job (he's older and works in a specialised industry). Its been 3 months now and I feel like I'm banging my head off a brick wall. We're barely scraping by on just one income and I need to come up with something sooner rather than later.

So far I've only been able to find a couple of jobs I have the skills for online. All the jobs I see advertised in Cork want English + another European language. As far as work experience goes I've spent the last 5 years of my life working in the UK computer games industry. Mostly testing & quality assurance (very repetitive mind numbing work where you have to be accutely aware of every little detail). I think for most regular jobs someone would not really understand what I have been doing, take one look at my experience and toss my CV on the fire.

I've applied for a couple of deputy / assistant manager jobs in retail & restaurants - I used to manage small teams of software testers and was thinking I could try use these skills in these roles. Is this just a waste of time, will they look and see I havent actually managed in a shop or restaurant and discard my CV?

I desperately need some advice about what to do about the whole work situation. Where are jobs advertised in Ireland? I'm not having much luck with finding much online. Are there any agencies people can recommend? At the moment I'm looking for work anywhere along the bus route from Shanbally to Cork city and willing to consider anything I have the ability to do.

Please help I need information and advice badly.

majiktripp

Thats quite a story there, and not a very pleasent situation to be in, I do feel bad for the way you have been treated and hopefully things will turn around for you soon.

There are several job sites that I used; jobs.ie, recruitireland.com, fas.ie, loadzajobs.ie are a few of them but I imagine you've already become aware of these. You could try CPL recruitment also but most agencies these days are just hoarding CV's it appears.

I would have thought being a software tester that there would be actually quite a few roles available too you, however it maybe that Cork is the limiting factor as a majority of IT roles are solely based in Dublin, from my experience anyway.

Does the company your other half work's for now, have any other regional offices that perhaps he could reloate to? That might give you more scope for job hunting? Does he feel strongly about staying in Cork and continuing to work for said company even after their dismissal of you?

Best of luck to you anyways, hope things start to look up for you.

Mrs OBumble

Ouch.

That doesn't sound good: the Irish health system and employment laws ain't fun. I'm glad you had the escape route, and knew when to use it.

Firstly, IMHO you NEED to get out of the house EVERY day. Even if it's just a "pointless" fifteen minute walk around the block or suchlike .. there's just something about fresh air that human beings need.

Secondly, can you look around Cork for any possible networking groups. (Try the Cork City forum to see if anyone knows of any ... I don't know what it's like ... but the Galway City one is helpful). Look for any voluntary work you could do. Just about ANYTHING to get you out of the house.

Thirdly, forget about using transferable skills to get into another industry at the moment: all the service-industry supervisor jobs are currently able to be filled by folks with service-industry experience.

Write a "working class" cv to try and get any entry level temping jobs with (mine's got me some market research, temping and retail work). Don't aim for supervisor roles, just entry level - use short words, leave out job titles. (Eg my real one talks about eliciting and documenting systems requirements, the working-class one says "did changes to on the computer system".) Remember - this isn't your new career, just a temporary stop-gap til you get some testing work (assuming that's what you want).

Focus your professional job-hunting on firms that might employ people like you - stress the testing skills, not that it was the gaming industry. Sure, use the job sites. But do as much research as you can on your own. Go for walks about industrial estates and see what companies are in the buildings there - some potential employers didn't even occur to me until I saw that they had a big building with lots of cars parked outside!

Good luck!

the_syco

Enchantrix wrote: »

I moved to Ireland from the UK last summer with my other half to work for a company in Cork.

<snip>

I'm alone for about 13 hours at a time 4 days a week while my other half goes off to work shifts for them.

<snip>

As far as work experience goes I've spent the last 5 years of my life working in the UK computer games industry. Mostly testing & quality assurance (very repetitive mind numbing work where you have to be accutely aware of every little detail). I think for most regular jobs someone would not really understand what I have been doing, take one look at my experience and toss my CV on the fire.

Sounds like your other half may be a Sugar Buffalo :P (there used to be a herd of them in Swords, Dublin) working in a "bad snow storm"

Anyhoo's,
http://www.jobisjob.ie/cork/qa-software-testing/jobs

http://www.irishjobs.ie/Jobs/Software-Test-Specialist-6280139.aspx
www-05.ibm.com/employment/ie/

Enchantrix

Thanks for these replies. I thought I was doing something wrong with my job hunt but after reading further it seems its not just me, everyone is having the same problems finding work. I guess I was just naive and though things in Ireland really couldnt be as bad as this. To be honest I don't know how you put up with it. Shouldn't the government here be working on initiatives to create jobs and help people into work?

Does the company your other half work's for now, have any other regional offices that perhaps he could reloate to? That might give you more scope for job hunting? Does he feel strongly about staying in Cork and continuing to work for said company even after their dismissal of you?

He lost all enthusiasm for the job after the way they treated me. It made a lot of people on my old team really p*ssed off too. They certainly damaged morale by doing what they did. If he works hard in a couple of years there might be the possibility of relocating to the US. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I can't see the US being any worse than here at least there would be a bit more sun there .

Thirdly, forget about using transferable skills to get into another industry at the moment: all the service-industry supervisor jobs are currently able to be filled by folks with service-industry experience.

I'm going to avoid wasting my time applying for retail & restaurant work then. If the competition for jobs here is as fierce as I think it is theres no point me trying to get a job like this. Even if I suceeded I'd probably hate it and be denying someone who really wanted it.

@the_syco thanks for those links, there were two jobs there I was able to apply for. Sorry no idea what you're talking about with sugar buffalos and snow storms.

Enchantrix

I've come to the conclusion that I will have a greater chance of winning the lottery than finding a job in Ireland. So I'm leaving the country in a couple of days. My advice to Irish job seekers would be if you can leave, leave while you still can. There are far better places to be than here.

Yawns

Must go get a me lotto ticket for the next draw

Slasher

Enchantrix wrote: »

So I'm leaving the country in a couple of days.

Well, cheerio, then. Sorry you got ill and things didn't work out for you in Eire. I am sure you will be glad to get back to the UK, where everything appears to be perfect. If we Irish had only asked the British government to stay, things would be perfect here too. Ah, well, pip pip!

sfdkcash

Congrats on getting out of Cork. I moved here with my other half over 15 months ago and can't get a job since I only speak English. I feel the same as you and I am just as depressed, bored, lonely, and dejected as anyone. As for jobs in restaurants that seem to be posted and available, I have had no luck either. I have 2 years of restaurant management experience, but I can't get a job since I have no experience in an Irish restaurant. WTF right?!?

I have several job offers back home that pay close to six figures but can't even land a minimum wage job here since I've never worked in Ireland. I love my partner, but it is beyond frustrating living here. I feel your pain, good luck.

Enchantrix

I am sure you will be glad to get back to the UK, where everything appears to be perfect. If we Irish had only asked the British government to stay, things would be perfect here too. Ah, well, pip pip!

@Slasher - This is exactly the kind of Xenophobic attitude I'm not going to miss.

@sfdkcash - I'm really sorry to hear that you've been stuck for so long. You really need to talk to your partner about this. Are they willing and able to support you in Ireland? If not then you need to start thinking about solutions together. Make sure they understand the job situation in Ireland. Show them this forum if you have to.Theres a good chance every solution will suck in the short-term. If you both want different things and there is no compromise, something will have to give.

In my situation the Irish income was not enough to support us both so I have gone to the UK to work. He is staying in Ireland, downsizing the house, moving walking distance to work to get rid of the car etc. Once we both have saved some cash we're hoping to meet back up again. I'm actually thinking about buying a house in the UK so it will be easier for him to move back here.

It really sucks, but its not sucking any more than the situation we were in.

I wish you the best of luck with finding your solution.

digme

Enchantrix wrote: »

@Slasher - This is exactly the kind of Xenophobic attitude I'm not going to miss.

@sfdkcash - I'm really sorry to hear that you've been stuck for so long. You really need to talk to your partner about this. Are they willing and able to support you in Ireland? If not then you need to start thinking about solutions together. Make sure they understand the job situation in Ireland. Show them this forum if you have to.Theres a good chance every solution will suck in the short-term. If you both want different things and there is no compromise, something will have to give.

In my situation the Irish income was not enough to support us both so I have gone to the UK to work. He is staying in Ireland, downsizing the house, moving walking distance to work to get rid of the car etc. Once we both have saved some cash we're hoping to meet back up again. I'm actually thinking about buying a house in the UK so it will be easier for him to move back here.

It really sucks, but its not sucking any more than the situation we were in.

I wish you the best of luck with finding your solution.

bye now

Rita11

Hi Enchantrix
i have no idea why u are bending over backwards to keep this man!! as he is not making any effort to keep you, i would keep running!!! and never look back.
good luck in UK