To worry I'm going to be stuck in a dead end minimum wage job forever

[jemenfiche]

Retraining is definitely not an option.

I have a degree but for a myriad of reasons can't really use it for anything purposeful.

Am in a minimum wage job. I never used to mind but recently things have changed at the company I work for and now it's just awful and I've been in tears most days this week

I really need inspiration for something else I can do before I go crazy

What did you do bluenose?

I'm not against studying. I find study easy (if I could be paid to study..... It's my superpower but real life hasn't worked quite so well!) Id need to know what I planned to do with it first though or Shere it would lead. I did a psych conversion hoping to retrain which took a few years and I didn't find hard so can't study for the sake of it!

Thanks throwing

That's very, very kind of you.

OP: I said that I wouldn't post again, but re relationships, I was still a virgin at 30, only one previous relationship (short/long/anything) was for a couple of years while at university. At 30, the sum total of people I'd kissed was one. At 30 I made a big effort to try to meet people - went out one night a week, joined social groups, etc. One night at speed-dating met someone, married two years later, now have two children. I'm not at all an advocate of any relationship being better than none and indeed for some people a relationship isn't what they want at all. However, I am a big believer that meeting people is ultimately a numbers game.

Thanks. If I could go back five years I'd agree with you. It's a bit of a mess!

Mov1ingon what I trained in is so specific that it would out me, but it is medical related and with a few years formal supervised practise I can be fairly high up.

If you want to be paid to study, you could become a research assistant or lecturer?! I do some research at work and it is just like being at uni!

Hi OP, I've got a 2.1 in English literature. I disagree that it's a useless degree- you have a lot of useful skills as an English lit graduate.

I know you've said that you're not able to make a change at the moment, but I agree that you could maybe look into recruitment agencies in the future. We've just taken on a receptionist with an English degree- we just wanted someone with basic IT skills, the ability to write a good email, and communicate well with people. Once you're 'in' an industry you have a chance to show what you can do. Take time to think- not just about what you want to do, but the kind of place you want to work (public or private sector, small or large, multinational etc). Then find an agency and see what they can find for you.

It's scary making a leap, especially if your confidence is a little on the low side (not sure if this is the case for you). I think you'll fee so much better if you just start making plans though, even if they're for a couple of years time.

angryeumigrant your post of 17:28 is one of the most insightful I've ever read. I am an English Lit graduate and ex-teacher and because I come form a working class, low educated background I had none of the cultural capital to realise any of this when I was younger. I moved back (not far from Wrexham actually!) because I felt obliged and couldn't afford to be away from my DM. It took some years to pay off student debt (those were the years when student loans formed half of finance and it was expected that you would have a full overdraft).

We bought our first house just at the peak of the mid 00s housing boom and have only just got out of negative equity.

What you say about social networking rings very true as a couple of members of my wider family have pursued and achieved a very different standing and status than mine. I don't have the psychology to do that though and so our status will probably be perpetuated by our DCs.

It's funny that there's a very different thread running concurrently in which the OP is asking for ideas for well paid careers as a finance student. I felt very disheartened having left my own relatively well paid post to read about many earning twice what o was on and six times my current salary. Your points about networking and location put that into context though.

Jennifer: Most posts I make on this site get the response "f offensive" so I am glad to get some positive feedback for once! I'm not at all a natural socialiser myself but I have forced myself to learn how to do so. Like most things, it gets easier with practice. I had great parents but they were both teachers in permanent pensionable jobs from their late 20s and they don't understand the importance of networking and building connections to a most careers. It's actually got a lot more important because people change employers / roles much more often now than in say the 1960s.

So its all the fault of the feminists and the women at Dagenham Ford etc.

If it was being said about any other group...........

So its all the fault of the feminists and the women at Dagenham Ford etc

Of course it is, HelenaDove

Fwiw eu I don't think you were remotely offensive - direct, certainly, but no bad thing. The circumstances surrounding leaving teaching were quite sad and involved no wrongdoing on my part but I haven't rule out totally going back at some point. But not now.

I have got an idea but I can't do anything about it right now - it's dependent on me selling some property. (My savings are tied up in assets.) So in the meantime I keep trudging on and honestly I'm a nice cheery friendly happy sort. Mostly! But yesterday people were being rude to me and my period was due and, I don't know, I just felt world weary and shattered and miserable.

These are fleeting times mostly linked to my periods hence not being depressed. It's been the same since I was 12! The day before my period and a detention for a missed homework could reduce me to tears!

Your post was great. I hope I do have kids so I can advise them using your ideas :)

I accidentally leapt to the last page but am definitely going back to read the whole thread. I identify so much with your dilemma (as explained on page 1) and wish I could start a similar thread to help me figure things out.

Good luck OP

Op could you rent your house out and move somewhere else with more opportunities? Or could you take in a lodger or student to help pay mortgage and bills?

What would you like to do other than social work? Would you consider pastoral in the education system? We have family workers at my school which is along those lines. I saw a safeguarding job in a primary that looked interesting but i didn't move to the area. Assuming you weren't struck off I'm sure your school experience would be an asset if applying for education based non-teaching jobs.

If i were you I'd look at how you can change being tied to your area and either change your working pattern or find another job. You need to free up some time to pursue other avenues and you cannot do this working anti-social hours 6 days a week. Valuable volunteer work in areas you're interested in is worth pursuing and you'll also meet new people.

Also try and say yes more, not yes...but :)

To be honest I don't think the area makes a huge amount if any difference. And re social work - it's almost certainly something I will do in the future but probably something for two or three years down the line rather then right now if that makes sense :)

Haha that's a teaching trick isn't it! Yes, you MAY go to the toilet when you have tried question 2

My social worker friend had to volunteer in a related field to get some experience before applying. She did samaritans for about a year plus some work shadowing.

I really think it's worth looking at schools as wherever you're based there will be some and there has been an explosion in skilled pastoral care in the last couple of years. Have a look on tes and your local schools and see if anything grabs you :)

How funny - I'm going through the training now :) Also sent an email off about volunteer work with disabled children (would LOVE that!)

OP have you looked to see if your local police force is recruiting? If you are interested in working in a socially active role it might be worth a look.
It might mean taking a low grade job to start with, but would certainly be more than minimum wage. If you do one working shifts that also attracts good allowances on top.
From there you will be exposed to many more internal jobs, many of which will include on-the job development.

For example, you could go for a job as a call handler. These kind of roles don't require any specific qualifications and you would be paid (with shift allowance) approx £24k to £28k dependant on area you live in.

Something to think about. It sounds like you need a change, it's very daunting and there always seems more barriers than opportunities. Good luck, I'm sure you will make a change in time

That's a great idea! Thank you :)

Best of luck. I know a few people who have worked with Samaritans and my hat goes off to them.

I see up thread you haven't ruled out teaching. You'd be perfect for this if you're interested in working with pupils with Sen. Obviously I've no idea where you're based but Andover seems a lovely place from when I have visited and if you could rent your house out (not as hard as it may first appear) you could go anywhere!

www.tes.com/jobs/vacancy/english-teacher-hampshire-435197

OP you sound like a different person fucking periods

I feel like one! No, honestly, yesterday was just exceptionally tough going x

Good stuff jemen 😊