To think I won’t find another job very easily?

[Spectrumnoir]

I’ve just been made redundant - I’m 41 and have no skills and no real experience. The job I’m leaving I’d been in for 4 years and I was a team lead for a very small team of 5 (so it’s basically meaningless and I probably wouldn’t put it on an application form), working with young people around mental health.
However, I have no actual qualifications in this and I’m not very bright or personable.

I have two months to find something else, I’ve started to apply for things like shop work etc but I actually don’t have much experience in that. I feel like it’s hopeless because I’m older but inexperienced so people would rather have older people with experience or younger with new qualifications.
I am not fussy and will work for minimum wage but I would like to be able to collect my primary aged children from school once or twice a week in an ideal world. However, I appreciate beggars can’t be choosers.

So far I’ve applied for two shop floor positions and a warehouse job (it said no experience required).
AIBU to think basically I’m unemployable? I will register with the job centre and see what they suggest.

I lead a team of 5 people and don’t think of it as meaningless. Presumably you were okay at it if they kept you for 4 years. I think you need to realise your worth is more than you think.

What kind of work were you in before? Being a team lead isn't nothing, what were the extra responsibilities that entailed? You need to think shout how you can sell yourself and your experience, even if you don't believe it just think of it as marketing!

5 people isn't a small team. It's an average size team. Put it down!
You will have skills around team
leadership as well as around things relating to your current role- presumably CRB checked, experience with adolescents etc. understanding access to mental health care etc- all good.

You sound a bit defeated and shouldn't be- there will be jobs for you.
Good luck.

Typo - "think about"

It just meant doing stuff like supervisions / appraisals and observations. Some NHS meetings and reports.
Nothing much to write home about. No project management or anything.

I have worked a lot 1:1 with young people and children and have had good feedback but again - it’s not beyond what a lot of people have and I don’t put any store by it.

I loved that job and I am disappointed it has ended.
I am also worried because I don’t think I’m going to find anything else.

Sorry about your redundancy.

When I was recruiting for posts I looked for your age group to recruit rather than youngsters as often your age group tended to stay longer . Experience wasn't the key point - just keenness to learn and ability to get on with people.

If you were in a post for 4 years you must have been good at what you did.

I suspect the only thing holding you back now is lack of confidence - please do not let your redundancy affect you - there will be a job out there for you

Any form of management is a challenge! The fact you’ve not had any issues with a team of five makes me think you’re better at management than you seem to think. Trust me, management is a skill. Good managers are few and far between, and the most competent person at a job can get promoted to a team leader and absolutely drown under what it takes to manage people.
You’ve been made redundant and that is a massive psychological hit to anyone. Even the word “redundant” is brutal, but it really isn’t personal, it’s business.
And if all else fails, fake it until you make it. Everyone else is.

I think you need to get your confidence back and hit the ground running. Watch 'Suits' for inspiration - that'll do the trick :)

I have worked a lot 1:1 with young people and children and have had good feedback but again - it’s not beyond what a lot of people have and I don’t put any store by it

Without wanting to sound rude, you sound like you have zero confidence in your ability! You ran a team, it doesn't matter how big it was or what it involved (which sounds like quite a lot actually!). I'm guessing you feel like anyone could have done it because it was "easy" to you, but in fact it just sounds like you're good at it.

If you've worked with children would you consider being a TA? Schools are crying out for them at the moment and some will train you on the job? Or could you retrain for a couple of months to do something else working within the same sector?

Have you tried applying for a student engagement job at a university? It is s
helping and signposting uni students with problems with accommodation, mental health etc. Looks like it could be a good fit for your skill set.

Caveat: it is not a good time for higher education at the moment and many universities are making cuts.

Don't sell yourself short. Managing a team and writing reports are great skills. Not every person is up to it. You have proven maturity and reliability as you were in the job for 4 years.

Do sign up to a temp agency. Don't give up. You can go temp to perm.

You have loads of useful experience & skills. Don't put yourself down!

With your experience, I think you should apply for a support worker/ health care assistant for the nhs either in mental health or in a hospital work on the wards. Your age won't hold you back.

Working 1 to 1 with youth work is not nothing op. Nor is leading a small team, know your worth. I understand it must have dented your self esteem being let go but I would encourage you to pursue a similar role you were obviously a good fit it is not an easy job and can be challenging at times. You could put it on your cv fluff it up and express your interest in cpd opportunities during your interviews. There are also plenty of agencies crying out for TAs in schools. You have got this spend a day to make yourself feel good and get yourself back out there :) 😀 you've got this !! Best of luck xx

It just meant doing stuff like supervisions / appraisals and observations. Some NHS meetings and reports.
Nothing much to write home about. No project management or anything.
I have worked a lot 1:1 with young people and children and have had good feedback but again - it’s not beyond what a lot of people have and I don’t put any store by it.

You have solid experience which would stand you in good stead for family support work, wellbeing and mental health, befriending type services - have a look at the third sector because a lot of support work is being outsourced from local authorities. There are lots of jobs that need skills in giving supervision to others and you have good experience.

Look at roles in youth justice teams or AIPT or 16+ care leaver teams, variety of roles that don't need specific qualifications and your experience sounds great! If you fancy challenging adults, look at pso roles in the probation service or if you want a challenge apply for PQuip, get paid to do a degree in under two years and come out of it a qualified probation officer. IME they value life experience and there are lots of new recruits your age and much older from all kinds of career backgrounds.
I have been made redundant and I know it can feel like a kick in the stomach, please don't let that devalue the fantastic work you have done

That's a decent size team and you did it for quite a while. And I'm sure you solved problems, dealt with all kinds of people, made decisions, maybe managed a budget or had to buy in products or services or comply with regulations?
Managed key NHS stakeholders?
Wrote clear and comprehensive reports which allowed other to take appropriate action?
Supervised and trained junior staff to excellent in their roles?
Put it all down! Talk yourself up!

Could you look into something like being an engagement lead in a school? You have the experience of working with young people, dealing with other professionals etc

Don't do yourself down - you may not have any specific qualifications on paper by the sound of your OP (I may be wrong) but you have plenty of experience and transferable skills! Good luck with the job hunt!

You don't get to manage a team with no skills and no experience! You have more than you know.

Sorry about your redundancy. It really can knock you sideways. Just remember your workplace is as replaceable to you as you are to them! 41 is young.

Any job description you read, have a competency based example for each required skill ready to roll.

Break a leg

Sorry OP, I don't have any recent experience of the type of work that you might find suitable, but I did want to reiterate what everyone else is saying, in as much as you DEFINITELY DO HAVE SKILLS to offer, and are far from unemployable.

As for your not being 'very bright or personable', how much further could you knock yourself down? You've obviously been bright enough to master the job you've been doing for 4 years, or they wouldn't have kept you beyond the initial trial period, and certainly wouldn't have made you a team leader.

As for personable, what exactly do you mean by that? You don't have to be beautiful, or dress like a model to get a job you know. So as long as you're clean, and tidy, that should be quite enough for most employers. However, if you want to give yourself a bit of a boost, and have the money, maybe treating yourself to a new hairstyle, or even a trim, will make you feel more confident. Do you have a regular skin care regime? Again, if not, then it doesn't have to cost the earth, but just might help to build your confidence, and with regular exfoliation, and moisturising, you may well find that your skin looks fresher and brighter, and helps you feel better about the way you look, although I'm sure you're no where near as bad as you think. It just sounds like the redundancy has knocked the stuffing out of you. So time to pick yourself up, dust yourself down, get back out there, and show the world what you CAN do! We'll all be rooting for you.

I agree about the support worker role. I do this and am mid 50s. I didn't start until after 40. There's someone at ours over 70.

And stop underselling yourself!! You have lots of transferable skills. Maybe get a professional CV done?

@Spectrumnoir how are you getting on?

Have you looked at family liaison type roles in the police, schools or health service. It sounds like you have a lot of transferrable skills.

Redundancy can really knock your confidence. I hope you are feeling a bit better about yourself if you read this.

(PS @MadnessIsMyMiddleName personable doesn't mean what you seem to think it does. It's nothing to do with looks)