AIBU to not want to move to find work?

[Studyingmummy]

I am just a few weeks away from graduating as an Allied Health Professional so am currently looking for posts to apply for. While many of my much younger fellow student are applying for jobs further afield I have limited myself to the areas I can easily travel to (about 5/6 hospitals). Because of this I have only applied for one job so far (word on the ground is there are 5 posts) and am awaiting another health board releasing posts (likely to be 10+ posts across the city).

Because I'm a mature student with 2 DC in school and many ties to my local area I am reluctant to look further afield. My DH has a progressive chronic condition meaning he cannot work so we are reliant on benefits to an extent, although he also has a small pension from his previous career meaning we don't qualify for child tax credits beyond the basic £500 pa. We are also in council sheltered housing (3 bedground floor flat ) and receive some HB.
I am worried that if I dont get a post in my area soon I may not get another opportunity for several months, maybe up to a year. In the meantime I will look for other work to get me earning again. So AIBU to not apply for jobs involving moving area?

This reminds me of someone I know who trained to be a social worker but didn't end up working, due to a severe phobia of dogs. I don't know how she got through training; having said that I frequently wonder how I got through an english literature degree.

I would probably look at moving - it is difficult but having one member of the family working full time is stable and regular. At the moment, none of us know what will happen with regard to benefits.

Things have changed and do change rapidly in NHS. When I applied for my post, there were four applicants for three positions. A year later there were 280 - and no, that's no an extra nought - for one. It's the nature of the game. A few people couldn't get jobs locally when I qualified and some never worked as HCPs but they did get interesting roles that required degrees they wouldn't have had otherwise.

You'd be mad to give up a council house and move for a job in your current circumstances. I agree with expat that it was a bit unreasonable of you to embark on this training, presumably at taxpayers expense, when there were so few jobs you could then go for. I hope you do get one of these nearby jobs, so good luck with those applications current and future.

Can you say what profession? people will be able to help more then.

If you don't get band 5 posts, then maybe you could apply for Band 3/4 posts which would put you in a good position when people move out of posts.

In general I think you would be reasonable to try and find a job locally within a certain period of time you allot. After that I think you need to look further afield.

And yes to what expat said.

I came on the thread ready to say YABU, but now I've read it YANBU at all.

Your DH is disabled and you've got suitable housing, regardless of anything else you would be absolutely mad to give that up.

When you embark on a degree course you never know if there will be jobs at the end, so it's no good people saying that the OP did it "at tax payers expense". DS2 is going to uni in the Autumn to do adult nursing, the way the tutors talk about jobs you'd think they will have the pick loads when they qualify, I'd bet that's not actually the case.

Good luck with your job search OP. Stay where you are. I'm disabled, I have a DH in the Forces so have never had support from family. It's been hard, unless you have to move, then don't.

I would not rule out moving. you DH is not working so you are not bound to the current location through his work. it might seem daunting at first but if you get the job you are after you will be much better off in the long run.

If you don't get a post locally can you do this work voluntarily? Somehow you need some experience to increase your chances of getting a post, hence thinking it may be worth working remotely for 6 or so months even if it is of little financial benefit in the short term.

Universities always say job prospects are great to get people on courses.

YANBU. And the people harping on about "tax payers expense" are BU.

How else do you suggest we get enough trained nurses/midwives etc? Its subsidised for a bloody good reason. Or do you think they're all swanning round getting pissed and shagging doctors?

I don't think you are being unreasonable, you being a council tenant and having a DH with health problems and dc's in school are all very valid reasons not to want to move.

I think you just have to keep trying for local jobs and keep your skills up to date if you struggle in whatever way you can. Are you an Occupational Therapist? If so maybe you could consider OT assistant roles as well in the interim.

It's tricky getting jobs these days in the NHS. Years ago when I did my nurse training we all walked in to jobs. Now many newly qualified nurses are struggling to get posts.

TBH I wouldn't move for my job. My dses are settled in school and dh would really struggle to get another post due to his age and having worked in the same job for donkeys years so we'd be worse off, not better! For many it's not as simple as saying just go where the work is.

Things have changed and do change rapidly in NHS. When I applied for my post, there were four applicants for three positions. A year later there were 280 - and no, that's no an extra nought - for one. It's the nature of the game. A few people couldn't get jobs locally when I qualified and some never worked as HCPs but they did get interesting roles that required degrees they wouldn't have had otherwise.

That pretty much sums it up. Anecdotes from staff state that only 10 yrs ago students were basically 'kept on' at their placement site if they wanted to work there with little more than an informal interview with the dept manager. Now the application process is much more difficult and although there arent hundreds applying for one post in my profession there are certainly 10+ chasing each post. I just worry that all the dynamic youngsters I have trained with will be too much cmpetition for an old gimmer like me. I hope that I can at least gain graduate level employment even if its not in my chosen profession!

If you go in with attitude that others are better placed to get a job then they probably will get the job. Older people are very valuable as AHP's as life experience, empathy and maturity are invaluable skills. I would also be looking for knowledge and energy to get stuck in and work hard though.

My degree is diagnostic radiography so not exactly a niche area with few opportunities. Bit shocked at the comments on me wasting tax payers money to train tbh. My Dh was only diagnosed with his condition a year after I started training so the issue of being tied to secure suitable housing wasn't an issue when I chose to do this. Also I have 3 general hospitals about 30 mins drive from home so I don't think I was irresponsible in choosing this path. My DHs job was offshore so we were not tied to any area for his work and could have moved for my career if neccessary. Now its not as simple due to his needs. He does have some support from the council and local groups he attends and has made friends through these groups. I know it would be very difficult for him to move any distance and tbh I am loathe to do so.

If I don't have a post lined up by end of July (will get my results end of May) I will have to think seriously about taking a job where I will have to live away arrrgh the thought of bedsit land at my age in the short term & hope my family cope or apply for other types of work. Fingers crossed I am worrying for nothing and will get a commutable job.

Depends on husband's condition. if he is early stage MS say and could deal with the children then you get a job away and commute at weekends - sorted - plenty of men do this and you are the main wage earner. Every one wins.
if however he is bed bound and cannot move then you might need to hire an au pair and move the children into your bed room so make space for her to facilitate this plan.

I don't think YBU as such - but there are not exactly oodles of jobs in the NHS and haven't been for some/are not likely to be for some time (the job situation really doesn't move that rapidly), and so unless you're happy to simply wait for something which may or may not come up then you should probably think about moving on a temp basis, at least. Just because you live in the area doesn't guarantee you a job, so you will be competing with others from outside your area too - you need to make your CV as competitive as possible.

Cherriesandapples you are right & I know I need to be more confident. I don't actually doubt I am as good as the youngsters, I am on track for a 1st class honours degree and have achieved this while bringing up a young family and supporting my DH through the worst time of his life.

You should have thought about this before you embarked on this particular course. That is thought about the practicalities of the possiblity of having to move to another area to get a job. Hopefully you will find something in your area. Give yourself say four months applying for local jobs and if you have no luck then you will lhave to think about moving no matter how inconvenient. It's a case of needs must. Hope things work out.

Thanks chickenfuckingpox for the support . I guess I don't particularly have a big plan. I 'hoped' to get a post fairly locally, work as hard as I could for as long as possible while saving every spare penny and accessing as much free support for DH as possible. When the time comes that DH will need me to cut back on work or give up completely we would hopefully have some savings to fall back on.

You aren't being unreasonable to want to stay local, to exhaust every avenue to do so or to work in an unrelated field so that you can.

You might be being unreasonable to stay if you're going to be on benefits long term, BUT if your husband's condition means, or will mean in the future, that you need the support of family and friends or continuity of medical care, it swings back round to being reasonable.

Good luck :)

I say that as someone with an unused degree and a husband with a disability btw!

Vivienmarie I said in a pp that my Dh was diagnosed after I began the course. Before he became ill he worked offshore so we could have moved to facilitate my career easily enough. Our situation has changed dramatically to what it was 5 years ago when I first thought of changing my career and I am now trying to make the best of a bad situation.

I don't like the sound of you having to work and live away from your family OP - your post of 19.56 - wouldn't your family be able to go with you?

Thanks Silver I have no intention on staying on benefits long term as I'm petrified of all the cuts still to come & don't want to rely on such a precarious source of income. I guess I am just stressed at the prospect of either uprooting my DH & DC or spending a lot of time away from them if I have to live away. My role would involve 24 hr 7 day rota working so might be difficult getting home more than once every few weeks as staff can be required to work 10-12 days in a row fairly often. At least if i get a local job I will be home at some point every day. Realistically, Dh couldn't manage everything with me away for days/weeks at a time . Thanks for all the advice I appreciate it and will consider all my options carefully.