I'm out of ideas and don't know what to do anymore...

Grandslammer · 17-10-2016 12:42AM #1

Hi,

I'm going to try and keep this as short as possible.

I'm 27 and am currently unemployed since February this year. I'm currently living at my parent's home in the south east. My last job was at a call centre in Cork, which I was referred to by a friend and started in February 2015. I decided to leave the job after a year for several reasons - some of them including the fact that it was a dead end job, rent was very high and I was going into debt, all my friends who I made in the job all left, housemate problems, and despite me having one of the top productivity levels of all the staff in the call centre, there was no chance of promotions due to "staff politics" and managers wanting to keep the staff with most productivity on the phones to make them look better...

I studied video production and have a level 6 certificate in it, however there are no chances of jobs in the video industry. I was one of the top students in my class however the video industry is a case of "it's not what you know, it's who you know".

I'm literally lost with what to do next. I have been looking on job sites every day and applied for loads of jobs but have had little luck. The only responses I get are from these scam type jobs such as pyramid schemes and zero hour contracts. I have been attempting to learn web development but find it extremely difficult and while I really enjoy it, I don't see myself actually having the head for it long term.

I have applied for the Webelevate online level 7 course and hope to hear back soon whether I got in or not, which if I do, means I will be stuck living with my parents for another year which I don't really fancy doing. I live in a rural area and have no friends around here - having been bullied severely in school.

I'm not in a position financially to go back to college proper. I need to get something sorted asap. I'm an intelligent guy and a hard worker.

I have thought about moving abroad but cannot due to domestic reasons.

I have also considered becoming a Youtuber but cannot come up with any realistic ideas and have no equipment to do so. Also the competition on Youtube is huge and it's a gamble to say the least...

I'm out of ideas on what to do at this stage and am extremely worried and depressed about the whole thing. Can anybody offer me any advice?

Thank you.

me_right_one · 17-10-2016 12:54AM

There's absolutely nothing wrong with being 27 and still living at home. If thats what you have to do, then thats what you have to do. From the sounds of things, you are trying hard, and you actually care about your future, so dont mind anyone who looks down on you for that. They probably never had the uphill battle you have anyway.

If I was you, I would take the zero hour contract job. Save like hell and be prepared to be living with your parents for another few years. When you have enough money together, to a part-time course in IT while still working. With the course you already have, you could possibly skip the first year. Depending on how things go, just keep climbing the education ladder. I know a guy who started off with a level 5 fetac cert, and he now has a PhD in his area!

And dont feel bad about your situation. I guarantee you at least half the people you know have gone through times like this themselves, or if they havent yet, they will! All is well, you have a roof over your head, you are safe, and this will work itself out eventually.

Tell me how · 17-10-2016 12:58AM

Nothing worth having comes easy.

My advice.
Stop using excuses such as "politics" or "it's who you know".
Don't give up a job without having something lined up.
Understand that having a job, any job, would help you to afford to go back to college.
Expect this to be a journey of hard work and discovery.

Good luck.

Grandslammer · 17-10-2016 01:05AM

The zero hour contract job was in Shannon and I would have to move there to do it. Also the hours were all over the place so I couldn't get a second job as a result.

I've had enough of education too, having previously done two years of a degree before studying video production, also a level 4 and 5 in video before the level 6.

Grandslammer · 17-10-2016 01:09AM

"Nothing worth having comes easy.

My advice.
Stop using excuses such as "politics" or "it's who you know".
Don't give up a job without having something lined up.
Understand that having a job, any job, would help you to afford to go back to college.
Expect this to be a journey of hard work and discovery.

Good luck."

They're not excuses. It's fact. I couldn't afford to live and was going into debt. The job had low wages and the wages barely went up after several years. I would never be able to afford to go back to college.

Thanks for your reply.

me_right_one · 17-10-2016 01:12AM

Grandslammer wrote: »

The zero hour contract job was in Shannon and I would have to move there to do it. Also the hours were all over the place so I couldn't get a second job as a result.

I've had enough of education too, having previously done two years of a degree before studying video production, also a level 4 and 5 in video before the level 6.

Any relations or mates abroad? A change of direction might be what you need.

Grandslammer · 17-10-2016 01:40AM

I've considered moving abroad many times but I'm not really in a position to do that. I've lived abroad before on a J1 and when I was 19 I lived in Canada for 8 months training to be a pilot...very long story short the flight school went bankrupt so that was the end of that. I applied for the Aer Lingus cadetship a few months back but didn't get into it.

I have a cousin in Australia but I never fancied going there at all. I'd love to go back to Canada but I don't know anyone there and it's not financially viable to move...unless I had a decent enough job sorted before I go.

Btw...how do you quote messages on this? I'm clicking on the Quote button but it's not quoting the messages!

TY

CroFag · 17-05-2017 06:01AM

Both my Idea and from Irish statistical office: Learn German! It will boost your career like nothing else. Even RTE news was talking about it...

me_right_one · 21-05-2017 08:26AM

Hi Grandslammer. How u doing now?

Grandslammer · 21-05-2017 10:43AM

me_right_one wrote: »

Hi Grandslammer. How u doing now?

Hi me_right_one, thanks for your follow up!!!

I'm doing ok. I'm doing my online degree and learning coding in my spare time alongside it for extra learning. I'm hanging in there although I still have my really really bad days. Coding is very difficult and it's easy to get de-motivated as it's the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've literally only scratched the surface so far.

My main goal right now outside of learning is to get out of my parents house, but that's easier said than done and I can't do it til I finish my degree which will be November, and then Christmas is after that so it's going to be at least January 2018 IF I find a job...

I'm DONE living with housemates after having terrible experiences in the past, so I don't know how I will sort that one out! Even if I had the best housemates in the world I still don't want to live with them as I have lived in so many places in the past, and I'm just sick of that type of living. I want to be independent. I need to get a place of my own but of course that's much more expensive...

In fact I'm done renting altogether as it's dead money, which is one of the reasons I need to find a girlfriend asap and buy a house and have a family. I suppose I will have to rent for a while when I move out of home as I'll never find a girl here anyway, but the housemate thing is a definite no-no so I don't know how I can get around that...

So yeah to sum up I'm hanging in there but there's a long way to go yet, and I don't know how I will get around some of the forthcoming issues!

Many thanks for your follow up. I really appreciate it!!!

sozbox · 21-05-2017 11:13AM

Grandslammer wrote: »

Hi me_right_one, thanks for your follow up!!!

I'm doing ok. I'm doing my online degree and learning coding in my spare time alongside it for extra learning. I'm hanging in there although I still have my really really bad days. Coding is very difficult and it's easy to get de-motivated as it's the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've literally only scratched the surface so far.

My main goal right now outside of learning is to get out of my parents house, but that's easier said than done and I can't do it til I finish my degree which will be November, and then Christmas is after that so it's going to be at least January 2018 IF I find a job...

I'm DONE living with housemates after having terrible experiences in the past, so I don't know how I will sort that one out! Even if I had the best housemates in the world I still don't want to live with them as I have lived in so many places in the past, and I'm just sick of that type of living. I want to be independent. I need to get a place of my own but of course that's much more expensive...

In fact I'm done renting altogether as it's dead money, which is one of the reasons I need to find a girlfriend asap and buy a house and have a family. I suppose I will have to rent for a while when I move out of home as I'll never find a girl here anyway, but the housemate thing is a definite no-no so I don't know how I can get around that...

So yeah to sum up I'm hanging in there but there's a long way to go yet, and I don't know how I will get around some of the forthcoming issues!

Many thanks for your follow up. I really appreciate it!!!

Have you considered selling your video production skills/coding skills on freelance sites for extra cash? Those skills are location independent and could get you experience to land a job here if that's your plan.

Also, please don't be with a girl just because it makes it easier to buy a house, it won't work if that's the reason you're together.

Grandslammer · 21-05-2017 12:52PM

sozbox wrote: »

Have you considered selling your video production skills/coding skills on freelance sites for extra cash? Those skills are location independent and could get you experience to land a job here if that's your plan.

Also, please don't be with a girl just because it makes it easier to buy a house, it won't work if that's the reason you're together.

I have considered that and I have joined a couple of sites for it. There are loads of people qualified in video production and can't get work. It's a very hard industry. It' all about who you know - not what you know. I'm not skilled enough in coding yet (or even have a portfolio) to get work in that either. There is a lot of competition on all those freelance sites, and freelancers bid on projects. I've looked at loads of their profiles and they all have much superior portfolios than me. I'm hoping to design a site for a friend who is a photographer in the next few weeks (he's away at the moment and I can't start it yet as we need to discuss the particulars). So that will be a project for the portfolio.

I'm absolutely not looking for a girl just to buy a house!!! That's just a tiny part of why I want to find a girl. All of the other reasons come first in that regard. The problem is that every girl I have had a real interest in since my last relationship has not been interested in me, and every girl who has been interested in me I have not been interested in them.

I spent a whole year WhatsApping one girl, sending a conservative estimate of 430 messages a week! I really liked her and then she turns around and says to me that she only sees me as an acquaintance! I've had extremely bad luck with women of late, and I've analysed it all and the issue is clearly not me. Every girl on Tinder who I like stops replying randomly for no apparent reason mid conversation. However every girl I have no interest in keeps wanted to chat! It's weird...

I'm dying to get out and meet women in person cos I've literally seen everything on Tinder and Plenty of Fish at this stage, and want to do it the old fashioned way. Of course that will never happen living at home in a rural area. I can't even go out for a drink! I was bullied a lot in school and have no friends around here, and I can't drink and drive obviously. I'd love to go up the country for a night out but that costs money which I don't have. All my friends have girlfriends now too and are off living their lives and don't have time to go out. I'm the eldest of the group also...

All I need is a bit of luck on the girlfriend front, or someone to give me a chance.

me_right_one · 23-05-2017 06:55AM

Grandslammer wrote: »

Hi me_right_one, thanks for your follow up!!!

I'm doing ok. I'm doing my online degree and learning coding in my spare time alongside it for extra learning. I'm hanging in there although I still have my really really bad days.

So yeah to sum up I'm hanging in there but there's a long way to go yet, and I don't know how I will get around some of the forthcoming issues!

Many thanks for your follow up. I really appreciate it!!!

No problem Grandslammer! I'm glad to see you're doing alright!

When I read your original post, I thought to myself "I've walked that path"! I know what its like. But things worked out ok for me, and they will for you too! You seem like a sound fella, and the main thing is you have the right attitude. You are actively trying to improve your situation.

I hope, no I know the degree will go well for you. What part of the country are you in? If you're ever in Meath and want to go for a pint, PM me:)

Persephone kindness · 29-05-2017 12:17AM

Grandslammer wrote: »

Hi,

I'm going to try and keep this as short as possible.

I'm 27 and am currently unemployed since February this year. I'm currently living at my parent's home in the south east. My last job was at a call centre in Cork, which I was referred to by a friend and started in February 2015. I decided to leave the job after a year for several reasons - some of them including the fact that it was a dead end job, rent was very high and I was going into debt, all my friends who I made in the job all left, housemate problems, and despite me having one of the top productivity levels of all the staff in the call centre, there was no chance of promotions due to "staff politics" and managers wanting to keep the staff with most productivity on the phones to make them look better...

I studied video production and have a level 6 certificate in it, however there are no chances of jobs in the video industry. I was one of the top students in my class however the video industry is a case of "it's not what you know, it's who you know".

I'm literally lost with what to do next. I have been looking on job sites every day and applied for loads of jobs but have had little luck. The only responses I get are from these scam type jobs such as pyramid schemes and zero hour contracts. I have been attempting to learn web development but find it extremely difficult and while I really enjoy it, I don't see myself actually having the head for it long term.

I have applied for the Webelevate online level 7 course and hope to hear back soon whether I got in or not, which if I do, means I will be stuck living with my parents for another year which I don't really fancy doing. I live in a rural area and have no friends around here - having been bullied severely in school.

I'm not in a position financially to go back to college proper. I need to get something sorted asap. I'm an intelligent guy and a hard worker.

I have thought about moving abroad but cannot due to domestic reasons.

I have also considered becoming a Youtuber but cannot come up with any realistic ideas and have no equipment to do so. Also the competition on Youtube is huge and it's a gamble to say the least...

I'm out of ideas on what to do at this stage and am extremely worried and depressed about the whole thing. Can anybody offer me any advice?

Thank you.

If you are really good. I mean REALLY good. You could consider making promotional videos for business purposes. Also being a wedding videographer. You need to make a brilliant show reel and a website that shows up in search results. The ability to travel around the country is a MUST.

I know someone who made a six figure income his first year as a wedding videographer. You need to be different and very good. It's still a profession in Ireland were there are not many doing it and not very good ones.

Getting your own website is not that hard to do. You can possibly even go do it yourself.

There are weddings everyday in this country. People want their to be a movie. Make their dreams come true.
https://brideandgroom.ie/

Here is an example he is one of the best in the business esp in Ireland. He also does promotional videos. As I say travel is a must.

BorneTobyWilde · 29-05-2017 12:29AM

Sex sells. you have the ability to tap into the Adult Entertainment Industry. A multi billion dollar industry that props up a lot of countries like the US , UK so on.
Have you every thought of creating quality Adult based films using your abilities.

Persephone kindness · 29-05-2017 12:35AM

Good luck with your degree though. Worth while completing

Persephone kindness · 29-05-2017 12:35AM

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Sex sells. you have the ability to tap into the Adult Entertainment Industry. A multi billion dollar industry that props up a lot of countries like the US , UK so on.
Have you every thought of creating quality Adult based films using your abilities.

:eek::pac:

Grandslammer · 30-05-2017 09:03PM

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Sex sells. you have the ability to tap into the Adult Entertainment Industry. A multi billion dollar industry that props up a lot of countries like the US , UK so on.
Have you every thought of creating quality Adult based films using your abilities.

I actually HAVE thought about that! Not sure it would work in Ireland though as everybody knows each other and it's still kinda taboo...

I wouldn't consider it outside Ireland as starting an Irish industry was the whole thing that got me thinking about it. No point in trying to compete elsewhere.

BorneTobyWilde · 30-05-2017 09:19PM

Definitely an opening there that needs filling. It would have to be in your face business, not hidden and shameful. It would need to be loud and proud.Something that gets a mention on Late Late Show.
Does not need to be hardcore, I'm talking erotic, shot beautifully thought provoking and sensual. Can you pull that off .
Would be cool to have a comedy aspect to it too.

PMBC · 18-06-2017 05:28PM

Just my opinion, but finish your degree before moving out. In cases, the harder you try to meet someone special the harder it becomes. It could easily happen to you (both) as you walk around the corner some day.
Is there anything/anywhere locally you could help out - charity work, etc.
Keep going, you're doing well.

Grandslammer · 18-06-2017 06:02PM

PMBC wrote: »

Just my opinion, but finish your degree before moving out. In cases, the harder you try to meet someone special the harder it becomes. It could easily happen to you (both) as you walk around the corner some day.
Is there anything/anywhere locally you could help out - charity work, etc.
Keep going, you're doing well.

Thanks for your reply! There is nowhere locally where I can help out. I live in a rural area and was bullied a lot in school, so I am forced to pretty much live as a recluse here.

I need to move out of home ASAP. However, at the same time, I am finished living with housemates due to several very bad experiences with them in the past (just got unlucky I suppose). But even if I was to have the best housemates in the world I still don't want to live with housemates anymore as I've been there done that too much and feel like I have no independence when living with third parties.

I'm going to finish my degree and not worry about learning other coding things for now, as I have tried that and it got too overwhelming as I was running before I could walk so to speak. I will consider my options again when I finish my degree in November.

I'm out of ideas and don't know what to do anymore...

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