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General Forum - Being made redundant on Monday.... - Page 1
Elite
Hello,
I just finished my nightshift this morning when the workforce was told there was an immediate meeting with the managers and have found out that our workplace is running so well that there is too much stock and the workforce is going to be put on one shift.
I turned 40 this year and have been in work since i was 18......14 years in this company and never claimed benefits, my mind is blank as to what i can do next 
My morgage and bills all have cover with insurance and i can expect a payoff of maybe £18.000
My job is manufacturing and machine setting but i think i need a change......i have been fixing and repairing people's PC problems and setting up home AV equipment for years in my spare time, i also have learned and speak basic Japanese but never had the time to take it up fully.
Do you see any options there for me?
Cheers.
posted by The Mobile Dr42%er on Saturday, 18th September 2010, 10:39
Elite
Sorry to hear that. You could try contacting a few higher end hifi shops. Home automation is where it is at. You need to know your way round av and computers for that.
Elite
I think Japanese speaking is the way to go, cant imagine that there are many who speak it well and if you do look for either teaching or interpreter? maybe contact the embassy or local language schools?
all the best
Elite
Thanks for the replies !
Appreciate your info 
Elite
Thats me on the dole 
I was thinking of buying a couple of Microsoft courses where you are awarded a Certified award at the end of it....do you think these are worth it and which course do you think could be more beneficial?
I am up for trying anything really not just IT.
Any recommendations greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
posted by Rob Shepherd on Tuesday, 21st September 2010, 18:02
Super Admin
Maybe sign up for the jobs websites that specialise in IT and see what the MS certs they ask for?
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Elite Donator
I've personally always considered the MS certifications a bit of a waste of time. Most people I've met who have them really do not have a clue how to troubleshoot issues and provide practical solutions to problems.
That's not to say everyone is like that...and there is an argument to say that having them 'might' help job prospects.
Elite
I've been contracting for over ten years without a single IT qualification, and as Miles said I've met plenty of people with them who don't have a clue because they just did an intensive 'guaranteed pass' course and have no real-world experience or aptitude. Not saying that's everyone, but certs are not the be-all-end-all.
With that said, I wouldn't recommend IT to anyone any more. Gone are the days of decent rates and it's an overcrowded market since everyone decided it was the golden path a few years back. Nowadays most employers want the moon on a stick for less than a tenner an hour, and the better paid contracts are few and far between. There's also sod all money on home PC build/repair.
I'd stick with the language thing. If I had an aptitude for languages - especially something like Japanese - I'd definitely pursue that, but then I'm p***ed off with IT.
This item was edited on Tuesday, 21st September 2010, 18:44
Elite
With a bit of cash in the bank (u dont mention kids?) and time on my hands I'd rent my house out and f*ck off to Japan for a 6 months....call it a reward for all those years of work
oh and ps...redundancy was the best thing to happen to me...got a £14k payoff... and used it wisely.....set my biz up...earn far more than i would have being employed and never looked back
This item was edited on Tuesday, 21st September 2010, 19:49
Elite
As above, I work in IT, and wouldn't recommend it. More and more stuff gets off shored, which is great when it's basic admin tasks such as user set ups, password resets etc, but as the offshore team's skills develop, we get left with more of the grunt work which can only be done on shore, such as fixing printers, reimaging PCs etc
To get anywhere you seem to need Prince, which as far ask I can see involves :
1) learning how to shout
2) learning how to use a phone
3) forgetting everything you ever knew about IT
languages on the other hand should be useful, especially Japanese.
