Literally gone from £5k p/m to now delivering packages

[trying2bpositive]

I was made redundant back in October. I worked in marketing and I've been in the field for almost 15 years now. Ask me why I cannot get a job to save my life!! I've gone for countless interviews and just haven't been able to secure a role. At the moment I'm driving around delivering fucking packages for a courier company. I'm covering a really nice area and it's just so depressing. I'm crying in my car at the moment because I can't believe how my life has just changed in the space of a few months.

They say that you can't rely on one income stream, and this is why. I used to have a business on the side, but I closed that down. That's my biggest regret.

I have a daughter and I'm so embarrassed about what I'm doing to make money right now, it's not even covering the bills . I don't have a clue how I'm going to get through this next month, let alone the next few.

I'm trying to stay so positive I keep applying for roles but I'm not getting anywhere. I understand why people decide to end things themselves because the way that I'm feeling right now, if I didn't have my son, I would be seriously contemplating my life right now.

Take it from me, don't rely on one income stream. Make sure you have savings and don't think this couldn't happen to you because I'm the last person I thought this would happen to :-(

You've gone out and got work following a redundancy and you should be proud of yourself. Look upon it as temporary, keep on chasing for the benefits you're entitled to and keep your head up.

Richard Harrington (Welsh actor, been in loads of things) is quite open about having been a Deliveroo driver during the pandemic, when acting work dried up and he needed to for financial reasons. I respect him for that and I'm sure I'm not alone. I respect you too, OP>

Agree that restarting your business is a good idea

Keep your head up OP, it's amazing that you are out there hustling and bringing in some money, this will pass, don't be disheartened by not getting through interviews - it will happen if you keep going. Do you know anyone who does mentoring or coaching in your industry who you could meet up with with get a positivity boost from time to time?

Been in a similar situation.

Went from working a decent ISH job in engineering to unemployment and welfare. The adjustment is massive and peoples reactions were very eye opening, let's put it that way.

Once I was over the shock, I had to get proactive.

Go through finances with a finer tooth comb than vets use to find fleas.
I got rid of everything, everything, except the absolute necessary. Housing, fuel, food.

By the time I'd dumped the £50pm phone, the £250pm car payment, the £85pm sky package etc. i felt better, the books started to balance.

I moved house, this saved me £££ a month.
I swapped supermarkets and stopped deliveries, that saved ££ a month.
I spoke to bank about a loan I had, a credit card I had etc. they understood and gave me a few months Interest free on the credit card and cancelled it's use.

It's been a few years now.
Now my outgoings are £1200 a month as opposed to £3500 a month. I feel better for it..

And... My point OP...

YOU WILL GET THROUGH.

Op.....well done for having a job. It might not be the one you want but its something. Can you get a benefits check done to see if you can claim anything??? Good luck with it x

To be successful, especially in marketing, you need to exude confidence and energy. Sounds like you are feeling really down on yourself right now and that anxiety and desperation may be leaking through.

FWIW I admire you massively for taking on this interim job. DH refused to do anything 'beneath' him when he was made redundant and i started to lose all respect for him. If he'd picked up a shift at the all night garage I'd have had way more respect.

You are working. You could kid yourself you are doing a bit of field research as you want to apply for a high end marketing role with a delivery company like DHL or UPS and you want to know what the actual customer experience is like.

You could take another look at the business you closed down and see if a revamp and a relaunch is feasible. It could re-empower you.

You could offer your services freelance to small local firms in your area, which could stay on as a second income stream once you get a new job. A friend in marketing did that as he was made redundant about four times in ten years and he has ended up being a partner in a small successful local firm as a sideline.

Whatever happens, when you get your next interview, go in brimming with enthusiasm for the company and your ability to solve its marketing issues. Tell them you've been doing some work for a national delivery firm and some strategy work for a local firm. No need to say that firm is your own or that you are the delivery person.

There's no shame in doing what you need to, to bring money in. It's admirable.

its not a very nice way to talk about the job that thousands of people do & we'd be lost without them. Maybe think on that.

do you have both a son & a daughter?

I agree with a previous poster that maybe your skill set isn't in line with the way marketing has gone. Can you update your skills? (Online, sm) or use your existing skills in a different way?

what is your own business?

Massive squishes @trying2bpositive - I’ve been in a similar boat and had to take on all kinds of work to make ends meet. Cleaning, dog sitting, etc.

I am currently self employed as with my various ailments and care responsibilities I can’t manage a corporate role.

I have also done odds of bar and event work. I signed up with red wig wam for all sorts of random temp work (putting posters up at Asda stores!), kept LinkedIn updated (and post industry specific insights and engage with others) and also did some self employed work/offered mini courses/mentoring and training to others.

it’s really shit when ends arent meeting and dec/jan are the worst times for job hunting.

I am confident something will come up. But please push for all the help and benefit support you can get in the meantime.

you are showing your daughter that no matter what you have a fabulous work ethic and will do whatever it takes to make ends meet. That to me is worth more than anything.

im also selling old odds and ends and making another £50 a month with that for now which covers the odd hill.

speak to your utility suppliers or contracts as they can pause or temporarily lower fees whilst you get back on your feet.

You are doing an honest job to support your family. No shame in that .

I know nothing about recruitment or marketing so can't advise on that.

Speak to your doctor please if things are getting on top of you. Please do not harm yourself. Grateful your child is proving to be a protective factor during this rough period. We all go through hard times but we eventually manage to muddle through. Keep going. You have done well to at least get employment and that speaks volumes about your levels of resilience. Just keep going OP.

Another one saying, you can hold you head up high. Delivering packages may not be what you want out of life but it's honest work to get you through the tunnel.

If you have gobe through agencies and recruiters for interviews can you ask for any 'honest' feedback. It may be something you are not aware of

People do understand doing this work when you need to. During Covid when my DH was worried his well paid work would dry up (though luckily it didn't) said he was totally prepared to drive grocery deliveries if he needed to and I felt that was fine.

I think there's nothing for it but to plug away - you'll find somewhere were you click. As people have said, December/January will be quiet months so hopefully things will come through as things pick up and it's not really very long to be unemployed. It took me 6 months to land a new job when I was made redundant 10 years ago, as I was in a fairly niche field with few roles on offer, but financially we were helped by not having to pay childcare during that time.

Don't ever be embarrassed about any job, no decent person looks down on someone's work.

We went through this as a couple. High earning husband . Redundancy and no job forthcoming. He did surveys for water company, delivered leaflets until he got a job he was very overqualified for , eventually worked up again . He reached out to people he had previously worked with as well that did give him some leads.

I was so proud that he did whatever he could to support us. Years later when we tell our kids , they appreciate it too.
Having a strong work ethic , willing to do whatever you need to to sustain you and your daughter , is nothing to be ashamed of . I think you are terrific . 💐✨

Good for you working delivering parcels - great work ethic.
A few thoughts:

• have you gone through all your expenses to make sure your outgoings are as low as possible? Posters on here can help if needed.
• are you getting interviews or rejected before meeting in person? I.E. does your CV need a review and refresh or does your interview technique need work? Again, ask for help!
• retraining - have you thought about other careers you might be good at and what might help you get there?

Good luck to you.

I know it's not exactly marketing but loads of Slimming World consultants are wanted in my area, is that an option?
Well done on how you are doing thus far and good luck for the future xx

That daughter turned into a son real quick, this seems like a fake post

You're doing honest work, supporting yourself and your child, and not being defeated by shit circumstances. And anyway, your job is what you do, not who you are.

Whatever else you are feeling, don't let it be shame. There's nothing at all shameful in your situation. Quite the opposite, I admire and respect you.

Never, ever be embarrassed about working !

Do you have any contacts that can "refer you as a friend" into the company that they work for ?

You must have transferable skills, have you looked at civil service, hospitals, schools, police job vacancies ?

Good luck

I'm in a similar boat OP, it sucks - the amount of posts I have seen this year from people particularly in TA that are out of work - some very desperate is something I hadn't seen before. 'In further signs of a weakening UK jobs market, the ONS said the number of vacancies fell for the 17th month in a row, down by 45,000 in the three months to November to 949,000 – the longest period of decline on record."

I imagine the poster is trying to anonymise things a bit. This doesn't scream fake to me, it's a very common scenario.

Why be embarrassed by having to make a living? You took a job because you needed one.

Sounds like you might need some interview coaching. You're getting the interviews. Can a recruitment consultant do a mock interview with you? Any friends/ex colleagues who can help?

Every detail of every post on Mumsnet is changeable, as it should be to preserve anonymity.

It doesn't mean the situation OP is in is BS.

She might be a he.
The son may be a girl or a both.
Op may have earned 5k or 3k a month.

People fudge details to keep themselves safe so what may look like slip ups or dishonesty is just self preservation and protection against outing.

I hope that helps.

£5k a month and you have no savings to fall back on? Presumably you have a big house then you can down size if needed.