The hard road or the easy road?

ivytwine

Hey all I posted here a few months back under a different (far too close to my real) name. I got great advice then so hopefully I'll get it again.

I am on a job bridge but I'm not happy. It's office work, the people are nice, it's local (I'm back at home) but its quite unfulfilling so far. It's just grand. Tbh if I was on a full wage I'd probably be quite happy with it but for €190 a week it's... I've always worked and always enjoyed, while working, being able to afford a little treat or two. Now I still have to rationalise everything, even a magazine or a shop bought sandwich. Being so low on money is bringing me down.

I got an interview with a company in my area. It's basically my dream job but again it's a job bridge, and its in the middle of nowhere. I can drive but have no car. I would be up to my eyes in debt to insure a car, that's if anyone would lend me the money. The other option is sharing lifts but there are pitfalls there.

Then in the midst of all this, my old boss rang saying there is summer work for me. Part time at first but full time in July and Aug. it's a very very tough retail job, I kinda swore I'd never go back, but it pays quite well and if I finish by sept I can afford to go abroad. I've applied for several tefl jobs.

So what would you do? Take the money or hope something comes out of job bridge??

Thanks for any advice!
EDIT: I know I may not even get the dream job, but would I be be nuts to turn it down cos of transport situation?

Silent Runner

You should go to the job bridge interview you're interested in anyway. Although it might not say it on the job spec, some companies/agencies may offer a full time position at the end of the 9 month contract.

I was in a similar position, dream job with jb, but it was in the middle of nowhere and would involve +2 hours daily commute so I was weighing up the idea of relocating but found out the agency provided accomodation.

As for the full time job you hate, realistically how long would it take you to save up enough money to get a car, could open a few more options in the future...

ivytwine

Thanks silent runner, appreciate the reply. I did go for the interview, it went well, but it cost me 50 quid to get there, so that gives you an idea of how untenable the transport situation is.

I don't hate hate my old job. The hours are quite long and the customers can be pretty painful. It's a betting shop. The staff themselves are great. My old boss is a lovely woman. It's also pride, it will be hard to go back and have to listen to all the people going on about me being back. I left to do my masters and I'm probably being paranoid but it feels like people will say "good enough for her". You know what small towns can be like.

If I was to go back to my old job it'd be til September and it'd be to save money to emigrate or move to a bigger town, hopefully the former.

My current job bridge was meant to be marketing and pr, this was how it was sold to me. I'm almost a month in and I'm stuffing envelopes. I actually can't see a future in it at all.

judgefudge

Well the fact that you describe this new job bridge as your "dream job" would make me think you should go for it! No harm in doing the interview and all that and seeing if you get it anyway. I know not having a car is a pain but like you said there may be an option to carpool, which is annoying but sometimes you've got to suck it up. Even if it comes down to it and you have to take out a loan it may be worth it to get experience even, and maybe a contract, in an area you love?

That's just what I think.. At least you have this other job offer to fall back on if you don't get the dream job.

Do you think you'd have opportunities like the "dream job" if you were to go abroad? Or do you just plan on going away to do any old thing?

Tiddlypeeps

If I were in that situation I would try my hardest to find a way to take the dream job (if I passed the interview). If you hoped the current job bridge internship was marketing and PR I assume the new one is related. Getting some experience in that area will be very valuable. If your end goal is to move abroad it will make achieving that gaol much easier.

They may or may not hire you at the end of the 9 months but either way an extra 9 months in the area you want to be working in is better than a 9 month gap on your cv where you worked in a betting shop. The longer you stay away from the job you want the more you forget what you learned in college and the less desirable you become to potential employers.

If it's not possible without suffering financial ruin then its not option anyway. Talk to the company first tho before dismissing it completely, they may be able to offer a solution.

If the dream job is definitely not an option then I would probably go back to the betting shop and save up for a car. Being able to travel will likely open up your job prospects significantly assuming you can save up enough in a reasonable amount of time. Packing envelopes is doing your career no favours, the extra experience might look good on your cv but when you get to interviews it will become obvious very quickly that the experience wasn't really relevant.

username123

This might not be a popular opinion but job bridge is a scam in a lot of cases. State sponsored slave labour. Youre stuffing envelopes - thats not proper job experience, thats a company who wont pay a junior - leave.

Dream job bridge - could be getting sold a pup with that too.

So what what customers say - go back to the old job and take the money and do what you want to do with your life.

Tiddlypeeps

username123 wrote: »

This might not be a popular opinion but job bridge is a scam in a lot of cases. State sponsored slave labour. Youre stuffing envelopes - thats not proper job experience, thats a company who wont pay a junior - leave.

Dream job bridge - could be getting sold a pup with that too.

So what what customers say - go back to the old job and take the money and do what you want to do with your life.

If they want their dream job they may need to do some almost free work. I agree that a lot of companies are taking advantage with jobs bridge but some of them are legit. Thats why my advice would be to take the dream job if possible, it gets them out of the useless job bridge and into a potentially useful internship. If it also doesn't work out then the betting shop isn't likely to have gone anywhere. Worth a shot in my opinion.

Making money is all well and good, but if its doing something they hate then it's just gonna move them further away from what they want to do in life. That may be worth it to the OP for financial comfort but that's not the impression I got off their post.

Overheal

it's a very very tough retail job

As a Cries of Retail vet, I'm burningly curious what retail job is so tough that it would not be up for consideration against these "job bridge" schemes? I think even cleaning toilets if it paid a lot better would be a step up from that.

ivytwine

judgefudge wrote: »

Well the fact that you describe this new job bridge as your "dream job" would make me think you should go for it! No harm in doing the interview and all that and seeing if you get it anyway. I know not having a car is a pain but like you said there may be an option to carpool, which is annoying but sometimes you've got to suck it up. Even if it comes down to it and you have to take out a loan it may be worth it to get experience even, and maybe a contract, in an area you love?

Hi judgefudge, thanks for the reply. I've already done the interview. When I say carpooling, I would have to place ads online, in papers and on radio to get someone to drive me over to this town and back five days a week. I honestly don't know how many people could make that kind of committment to a stranger. I say town, it's a village really with one main shop and no bus service. I know I'm sounding very negative but the more I think of it the more impossible it seems. Have around 200-300 euro to my name (most of my money the last while has gone on learning to drive ironically) so I could probably afford a total banger, but not to insure it.

judgefudge wrote: »

Do you think you'd have opportunities like the "dream job" if you were to go abroad? Or do you just plan on going away to do any old thing?

I'd do TEFL. I've started applying to two Asian countries to keep my options open. However, I have no money for flights lol.

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

If I were in that situation I would try my hardest to find a way to take the dream job (if I passed the interview). If you hoped the current job bridge internship was marketing and PR I assume the new one is related. Getting some experience in that area will be very valuable. If your end goal is to move abroad it will make achieving that gaol much easier.

Thanks Tiddlypeeps. It's radio production. I took the jobbridge in the first place because like you said I didn't want to have a massive gap on my CV and I'd worked all through college. I hate not working.

I don't know if the jobbridge would make it easier to move abroad. That takes money and jobbridge doesn't pay enough, especially the 'dream' job as I'd be in hock to buy a car. Paying jobs are really hard to find. I've been out of work for a number of months and, although I've plenty of experience, my old job is the first paying one (for want of a better term) I've been offered.

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

If the dream job is definitely not an option then I would probably go back to the betting shop and save up for a car.
.

I'd only get a car if I needed one. I live within walking distance of my current job and the bookies. If I went back to the bookies I'd definitely be saving for emigrating.

username123 wrote: »

This might not be a popular opinion but job bridge is a scam in a lot of cases. State sponsored slave labour. Youre stuffing envelopes - thats not proper job experience, thats a company who wont pay a junior - leave.

Dream job bridge - could be getting sold a pup with that too.

So what what customers say - go back to the old job and take the money and do what you want to do with your life.

Hey username123, I have always agreed with you, in fact I had reservations for applying for any jobbridge until I quickly noticed that I would spend my life on the dole if I didn't apply for any. There seems to be almost nothing else out there, especially in media.

My current employer seems to have a history of getting people to work for nothing. The other woman in the office worked unpaid for an entire year before getting a position- she got absolutely nothing. I think the same is expected of me.

I think I won't get the 'dream job bridge' for two reasons. One is the transport issue. Second is my current placement. If I transfer now that knocks a month off my jobbridge in the next place and I don't think they're thrilled at only having an intern for eight months.

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

If they want their dream job they may need to do some almost free work. I agree that a lot of companies are taking advantage with jobs bridge but some of them are legit. Thats why my advice would be to take the dream job if possible, it gets them out of the useless job bridge and into a potentially useful internship. If it also doesn't work out then the betting shop isn't likely to have gone anywhere. Worth a shot in my opinion.

Making money is all well and good, but if its doing something they hate then it's just gonna move them further away from what they want to do in life. That may be worth it to the OP for financial comfort but that's not the impression I got off their post.

I don't know if I want a career in media anymore. It just all seems crap. I feel like I could be thirty before I get paid for working my ass off. I grew up without a lot of money so it means quite a bit to me to be financially secure and be able to pass that on to any future baby ivytwines.

Overheal wrote: »

As a Cries of Retail vet, I'm burningly curious what retail job is so tough that it would not be up for consideration against these "job bridge" schemes? I think even cleaning toilets if it paid a lot better would be a step up from that.

Hi Overheal, sounds like a forum I want to be part of! It's a small town bookies in rural Ireland. Very busy, never stops. Everyone knows everyone and some of our customers are lacking in manners, cop-on or basic hygiene. I'm also a moderately attractive girl so have had to put up with countless sexual remarks and even touching.... Like I said earlier, I'm highly tempted to go back, for the cash!

LegacyUser

Hi Ivywine
I know how you feel at the moment. Getting €50 a week on top of the dole and trying to get to a job that is in the middle of no where with no bus service is not a runner.
You are not earning enough to buy and run a car. If you take this job you are only going to end up in debt. Also if you take a loan and can't make regular payments it will show up on your icb report (your credit history). Some time in the future you may need to borrow money or get a mortgage and a bad credit history will stop you from doing this.
You have been looking for a job. You have taken a job bridge post where you are learning nothing which will help you in future when your applying for other jobs.
At this stage you have to think of yourself.
If you take the job in the bookies you will be in a position to save some money which will help you leave Ireland. You may get experience abroad which will benefit you long term if you come back to Ireland.
If you working part time you could sign on casual docs. Also when you leave Ireland you maybe able to get the tax back that you paid since the start of the year.
Good Luck and let us know what you decide.

LegacyUser

Hey there,

WHat about the current job... do you think there is room for them to be giving you more to do than stuffing envelopes? Could you approach your supervisor gently and say id be really interested in learning more about X, Y, Z... can I do anything to assist with the projects your working on

Funnily enough i sometimes think marketing and pr isnt as exciting as people think... a lot of it can be mail shots and mail merges and stuffing envelopes . but you know im sure they must have some marketing strategies that could be worked on, or something that could fo with promotinand needs a strategy and input behind it. Or maybe there is an advertising campaign you could assist on getting quotes for ads, or compiling media lists, or having input on press releases.

What role is the other job?

Or you could get in contact with JobBridge, give them a call if you have their number or get in touch online http://www.jobbridge.ie/feedback.aspx , ask for advice with regard liking to get some more experience with organisation your with now.

good luck

ivytwine

Hey everyone, just an update.

I got a phone call yesterday from the dream internship and I didn't get it. Terrible to say but I was kind of relieved; I don't have to worry about the car situation any more. Made me even more determined now to go abroad. I applied for a summer camp job in Italy earlier in the year and I was surprised by how disappointed I was when I didn't get it. So definitely want to get abroad now. Maybe this was the kick I needed to do it.

I have applied for South Korea and Japan- I really really want Japan so keep the fingers x'd.

I've decided to take my old job back so that I can save enough for flights and get started over there. The first month will be tough money wise so need cash

Thanks again for the advice, it's so appreciated.

@fablady, thanks for the lovely post. My credit history is very good so far, I had two short-term loans in college when the grant and rent did not collide and paid back everything on time. I don't know if I would be able to keep up repayments on a car loan so, yeah, definitely don't want to eff up my rating. I don't need a car anyway, can walk to work and get the bus/train to Cork, Limerick, Dublin etc.

@zomaddooowcnnra (hope I have that right! ) I don't really think so. I am supposed to be redesigning the webpage, doing Facebook and Twitter etc, and doing up interviews with former clients. I have done up a whole five page word docu of stuff that has to be done and nothing has been acted on. I don't really get the tools or the time enabling me to do it. I could start something on the website that they want me to do and within five minutes I'll be asked to photocopy ten letters and send them out. I've edited stuff on CMS, tidied up grammar and spelling etc, but the web designer has to be contacted to make major changes. I just don't think any of this stuff is on my boss' list of priorities. For example, there is a handbook that is given out to new clients. It really needs tidying up, and I spotted a great example on a Canadian website during the week. I sent it to my boss and said maybe we could incorporate some of their ideas in it, and she just emailed me back saying "put it on the website"; it's for a different country and company!

Most of the time, I'm filing, typing names into databases, photocopying etc.

None of this is major, but it is annoying when you're being paid half nothing to do it. Like I said in my original post, if I was being paid even minimum wage to do the job I'd be happy to take the money and save. But when you can't even save or enjoy a semi-decent life there's not much point.

LegacyUser

Hi ivytwine, yes you are not happy there and have made an effort but dont see it changing. best of luck with saving and with TEFL job hunting ... and dont forget to have some fun over the summer at home too

StillWaters

I was ready to post take the paid job before you updated us.

Its a no brainer to me, absolutely the right decision.

ivytwine

Thanks Still Waters and zomaddooowcnnrakk

Feels like a weight has been lifted off me. Hopefully it will all work out- mods you can lock as it's resolved now