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 :-(

stop looking down at people who deliver packages for a living.

You should be proud of what you are doing - it’s not what you want or are capable of but it’s doing something rather than sitting around. My husband was made redundant from his professional role last year and is currently working at Amazon. Again - he is capable of so much more but I admire him for just doing anything. It definitely isn’t easy for either of you but something will come along. And I know our children are as proud of their dad now for doing this As they were before- if not more so. I hope you manage to get your benefits sorted in the meantime and that something better comes along quickly. Good luck

some thoughts for marketing....a shift to the voluntary sector eg. working for a charity? Have a look at charityjob online. Lots of roles have now shifted to working from home. Also private schools usually have marketing people so maybe keep an eye out there. Might be a big pay cut but better than delivering parcels.

Make sure you claim Universal Credit if eligible - don't assume you are above the thresholds as you might be surprised.

All the usual guff about selling everything you don't need/dont' use on ebay and vinted.

And breathe. Something will come up.

You may have tried this already, but have you looked at fundraising roles (particularly those with a focus on communications and/or regular giving)? I work in this area and the crossover with marketing is huge! But the big difference is that charities are struggling to recruit so there might not be so much competition. You're unlikely to get 5k/month but there are some pretty well paid roles still, particularly in larger charities and higher education fundraising. Just a thought anyway! Good luck and well done for doing whatever work you can.

You are doing fab. I understand marketing isn’t what it was. I have a relative who was out of it for years and thought she could just step back in with the same salary and of course it didn’t happen. A PP says it’s more a young person’s game and I agree with them.

However you don’t have any gaps in your employment. How are your Excel, Word, PowerPoint skills. These seem to be essential now. Mine aren’t great but aren’t massively needed in current role. If I ever leave I am definitely going to need to up my game.

I think that the fact you’ve taken on a role which is hard work and beneath your qualifications and experience speaks volumes and if I was an employer you would have earned my respect. Keep going, it’s only been a short time. You only need one job.

Hang on in there OP, i'm in a similar boat and christmas smack bang in the middle does not help! Tbh iv found myself out of work twice and its taken my 6mo both times to get something else, but i did and they were always an improvement.

What jobsites have you looked at? Try indeed, guardian jobs, charity jobs, dwp website, get on linkedin and search for jobs there. Have you considered widening the radius of job location, and considering different salary ranges? Have you had your CV looked at and are you tailoring it? Google some interview techniques too as you may not be up to date with the latest approaches.

I work in marketing. It's not AI killing anything off. Lots of people who need marketing haven't started back up yet after Christmas or are small businesses taking a break because their Christmas was so busy. Lots of digital agencies and recruiters haven't started yet back either. You'll get more interest in a week or two.

Keep pushing hard. Call all the recruiters all the time. Be as sector-specific as possible for your industry. I know a freelance guy who literally never stopped phoning recruiters all day, in summer, it was just the quiet period and since September he's been on a £500/day contract. You'll get there.

Have you given your LinkedIn profile an overhaul? There are free videos out there that can help you tinker with your profile so that you attract more recruiters - it's all about using the right phrases and terminology within your profile so that the AI that scans the site on behalf of recruiters can find you more easily. A relative of mine who works in software was job hunting, after a LinkedIn spring clean he went from being contacted by 4 or 5 recruiters a week to 10 a day!

You can start off by looking at videos like these:

I was going to say start doing freelance marketing work, but you’ve already started doing that. As a PP said, October to December is really no time at all and it’s a rubbish time to get a job as a rule. Now the NY is over, things should definitely pick up. In the meantime, don’t feel embarrassed about doing a useful job that puts food on the table.

Please do call the benefits people tomorrow OP. They maybe just forgot to press the button, it happens sometimes. At least then you'll be able to cover the basics while you look for something else.

Praying you get the sort of job you want soon. x

@Beebop1784 I tried to keep anonymous by changing my DC gender.

Deffo not a fake post! Have attached a pic of the last of my packages for today.

Do your skills have crossover to wider comms roles? There are many roles in the public sector where communication and marketing are needed. You might not be selling a product in these roles; but you might be boosting take up of a service or enable greater public awareness. Wishing you the best of luck in what sounds like a difficult situation but you come across as very hard working

Hello OP, we are really sorry to hear you are feeling this way.

We hope you don't mind, but when these threads are flagged up to us we usually add a link to our Mental Health resources.
You can also go to the Samaritans website, or email them on [email protected]. Support from other Mumsnetters is great and we really hope you will be able to take some comfort from your fellow posters, but as other MNers will tell you, it's really a good idea to seek RL help and support as well.

We also like to remind everyone that, although we're awed daily by the astonishing support our members give each other through life's trickier twists and turns, we'd always caution anyone never to give more of themselves to another poster, emotionally or financially, than they can afford to spare.

You shouldn't feel ashamed, but proud of yourself for getting another job, until you find something better. Well done you. Perhaps retrain in something else that interests you?

I agree with previous posters, I can’t believe you’re down on yourself, you sound bloody amazing. I’d be proud if you were my mother or sister or daughter.

@trying2bpositive

Two points:

After reading your op, I just wanted to warn you of something I have seen irl about someone who couldn't get a job.

I then saw OwlWeiwei's post on my way to warning you. I will cut to the chase: Do not confuse confidence and energy with arrogance, especially if you view yourself to be senior in your skills. After 2 years of helping listen this individual's woes whilst being simultaneously bombarded with discussions of his 'super skills', who always went further in interviews ( many times to last two or even just him and job gets pulled etc), but never got the job, it was his arrogance, know-it-all attitude that was failing him. It puts employers off. I warned him to dial down on his 'confidence'. Also, I then realised, he never quite held a job for very long enough- so I saw he takes no initiative to fit in.

I shared a flat with a one dimensional flatmate who was otherwise committed and dedicated to his work; but I had had to do a lot of accommodating as I was the tolerant one. After we had long both moved on, I received an out of teh blue call from him desperate for some legal advice from a friend as he just got sacked. Of course I had to hone onto his good points whilst gently showing him, he did very little to try to fit in but focused instead on his frustrations of his 'disorganised and difficult boss'. I told him, because he is super organised and likes order- just like me- I could see how HE thought his boss was difficult (because she is disorganised). Flatmate admitted he was brought in to help boss get organised. Can you see teh vicious circle he created by not adjusting himself? Sometimes, YOU as employee, have to swallow your pride and work with what you have, not expect your boss to fit around you. This chap is also what they call Gen Zee who I have since worked out are a special species.

I am a lawyer but got a side job helping someone by managing their marketing executive: this is why I like him and gave him the job: His skills matched the JD; he is always proactive and shows he can do more and is willing to do more and he is realistic with the company's overnight prospects.

Good luck OP

stop looking down at people who deliver packages for a living.

I think OP just meant this is not her dream career. It is the dream career of virtually no one doing it, except maybe people who can't do anything else (if I could drive I might try it.) It can also be quite stressful as they have to move really fast (at least over Xmas.)

Also, of course if OP has had a better career before, she'll find this deflating. That's normal.

Speaking as someone who's "been there", the Samaritans aren't all they're made out to be and I found other helplines far more helpful (one specifically).

What sort of marketing do you do?

Speaking as someone who's "been there", the Samaritans aren't all they're made out to be

Yep I find the Samaritans to be pretty dodgy. They even tell people their plan to kill themselves is a good idea sometimes. Better to see your GP @trying2bpositive .

Not necessary. Shame

You are going to come through this and get back to where you want to be, OP.

People are well advised to anonymise their posts a bit by changing a few details, that doesn't mean it's fake.

Plus posts like this, whether real or not, are likely to include lots of useful advice for others in similar situations