To ask for your help figuring out how I can get some income in fast

[Moneyproblemz]

Legal options only please 🫠
I'm really panicking. I've been a freelancer for two decades now but my industry is being destroyed 😭 I'm a translator, and before you suggest interpreting - don't bother. My languages don't have heavy interpreting demand in the UK.
Like many translators, I've been watching my profession slowly die for a while now. But this week my biggest client said they were shutting down.
I'm absolutely screwed. I only have two months of outgoings I can cover.
I live in a city which is helpful, but I just don't know what the hell to do. I know I need to think of a proper long term career pivot, but right now all I can feel is panic. I need to find something quickly, and I've applied for some jobs already, but I just feel like who the hell is going to hire me as a 40-something with zero experience of anything other than my own industry. I'm assuming anything to do with hospitality and retail they are just going to prefer someone 20 years younger than me.

I'm just asking on here in case anyone has a few off-piste ideas I might not have thought of other than "desperately trawl through Indeed". Like I said, I do have some ideas for a bigger picture plan, but right now I need an immediate solution.

Thanks all

Are you renting? Would you be eligible for short term benefits and housing benefit.
You have paid in, this is what the original system is designed for.
My aunt takes in international students, short term lets, €180 per student per week if you have the room, one meal per day.

Do you have a first degree? If so you can do a shorter, post-grad training to become a SALT. However, it is very competitive so you may well need a 2:1. Whether you do the post or under grad training you will need some relevant experience. Working in an assistant role (SALT, physio, OT or classroom) would be helpful. However, TAs usually need a vocational qualification now. Care work would be an alternative or you could work in an unrelated field and do some voluntary work. If you opt for the latter you may find going through a recruitment agency helpful. If you are personable and efficient the agency should recognise that and start putting you forward for the more interesting or better paid roles. That way you might find you feel less panicked by what is happening to you. Good luck!

TA would be relevant experience for SALT career. Join an agency, you don’t need any qualifications for many of them, and no experience either.

I also second the cabin crew idea (although you would need to do some training) but also other airport / airline staff (like at check-in), if you live anywhere near an airport. Having languages would give you an edge over other applicants, and being personable would certainly help!

Why not interpreting? It seems the obvious solution. Language line for NHS, police immigration etc. Could be really interesting.
Or hotel work, reception needs language skills.
Airlines, Civil service,

I'm a translator (German and Dutch) and am still getting work as I specialise in medical reports. Ok, some of it is post-editing AI but I still get enough work to make a living. Could you try that? Having said that, I'm quite worried it'll end suddenly at some point so I'm actively applying for jobs. I'm 55 so worried about ageism but all we can do is keep trying. Hope you manage to find something OP. Good luck, it's so depressing.

That is amazing! thanks, following this thread..im in my sixties ..wondering if there's a cut off age 🤔

If you have a degree could you do a PGCE and become a teacher? There's often bursaries to help with the cost of training.

Otherwise look at temporary work up to Christmas at least, if you get a foot in the door somewhere it might lead to a permanent role. Royal Mail, parcel delivery companies, hospitality and food and drink manufacturing will all be taking on extra staff at this time of year, although I'd be cautious about Evri etc as it's long hours and low pay. Look on Indeed and register with local agencies.

Retrain as a HGV or bus driver?

The suggestions for cabin crew and airport staff are good ones but be aware that you'll need to supply a full checkable job history with no gaps of more than a month for several years (to make sure you've not been away at terrorist training camp).

DP applied for a job as a baggage handler and was successful but couldn't supply the job history required because previously had been self employed via agencies and didn't have contact details for people who would supply references. However this was in February 2020 so that job wouldn't have gone anywhere for the next year or so anyway (although he could have been fortunate to have been taken on and immediately furloughed and he did get other work elsewhere during the pandemic).

@Moneyproblemz not sure where you are based, or if you actually know this agency already. But they do have account executives type roles that could be suitable. Sometimes they look for people who are able to speak/ write in several languages.

Long term, these types of jobs could be a solution.

https://www.french-selection.co.uk/

If you want to change careers to Speech and Language Therapy, look at degree apprenticeships. There are private companies as well as NHS that offer this. Many private companies work in schools, adult settings or with specific charities. Be prepared to start as an assistant before accessing any type of further education.

Roles in insurance claims and customer service where the insurance involves liaising with overseas - for example, travel insurance, breakdown insurance. Medical.

In any case, they were targeting the 50+ crowd. OP too much of a spring chicken for easyJet

Oh yes - a friend of a friend (made redundant from her previous job) made a killing on this with low effort on her part

When you do get back home and into some sort of employment, consider doing a PGCE so that you can apply in the Spring for a teaching job (as a teacher, not TA).

Cleaning. Are there many holiday homes where you are? You can do turnaround cleaning to include doing the laundry/ironing. Where I am people charge £20 an hour. Then you could start to fully manage properties, managing the whole thing, eg bookings, check in and check out, guest queries etc.

My cleaner earns £60k a year doing this- she works 7 days a week but you can take on as much or as little as you want.

proof reading?

John Lewis and Waitrose are now starting the recruitment process for Christmas staff. This could tide you over, whilst you work out your next steps.

Get in touch with all of the recruiters that supply white colllar candidates to construction companies.
Get the same AI that’s destroying your career to write your CV.
When your CV goes out, your age won’t be on it, but 40 is not an issue. For example, you’re unlikely to want maternity pay in the future.
You are obviously intelligent and communicative.
A lot of employers in construction will look at your personality.
Your CV will show a solid career. Therefore you are not someone who has jumped from job to job.
You would probably make a good PA, or choose a career in accounting or sustainability.
Also in construction there are lots of new careers that never existed until very recently, so you are up against other candidates with no experience in that particular field.
You will have loads of good quality transferable skills.

Construction pays well and generally offers flexibility for career changes.

Teaching English as a foreign language - a friend of mine used to do this on Cambly, I think it was called, to top up her income.
Do you have any clothes etc that you no longer wear that could be sold on Vinted?
Sign up with a few employment agencies to try and keep a steady flow of income while you're looking for something more permanent.
Bookmakers usually have a high turnover of staff due to a lot of students working there while on break from uni - so they advertise often

Hoe you get sorted soon

Seasonal temp jobs in retail/Tesco/john Lewis etc are about to start becoming available. I would look at airports/check in desk type work where speaking multiple languages would be beneficial.
i would email secondary schools asking about student support work/pastoral care roles where you could support in the languages department. And also register with all the recruitment agencies and let them do the work of finding you a job

Corporate jobs requiring people with specific languages. They're always on indeed. Roles like account management/client success/support roles

I joined the civil service 2 years ago after finding myself in a similar situation and have never looked back , been promoted since then . Generally lots of jobs at any given time providing you’re not fussy which area you go into. You do need to put quite a bit of work into the applications and interviews as they’re very technical , but there’s plenty of info on this if you google.

Have you looked on local council websites. Especially look for fixed term type roles as a foot in door.
Often asking for skills not experience so eg if you’ve been running a business and invoicing, dealing with people, attention to detail.
Age isn’t a barrier lots of older people.
Things like demographic services, dealing with reports and minutes.

The schools are struggling to find teachers who can teach French and German. My kids secondary school had a German teacher from Spain with a hefty Spanish accent. I can only imagine too well what an odd German accent the children ended up with. German with a Spanish/English accent.

Proffesional training needed.

If you're really desperate, very cheap English teacher online. Properly qualified teachers with a certificate are €40-50 ph online, so offer €20per 45mins making clear you're not qualified. You won't get much work, but it's maybe 50 per week in the evenings which will at least feed you