Unemployed and panicking - what do I do?

[SunDragon]

I was made redundant around a year ago. I started applying for other jobs the day I was made redundant and for the past year I’ve spent every day writing job applications. No holiday, no break, just job applications.

I’ve not managed to get any work since. For context, I was at a fairly senior level, think for example, Head of Marketing (not that, but that sort of level). Jobs at my level are not overly common and often go to someone in the team ready for promotion, so it’s hard to get as an external candidate. I looked into senior-level consulting in the relevant field but didn’t get any interest. Jobs at a more junior level are turning me down for being over-experienced and likely to move on quickly to something else (real feedback received multiple times), even though I make it clear I’m willing to commit.

I’ve also tried to get “just any job” that everyone suggests would be easy. Cleaning, supermarket, etc. I’m not managing to get anything at all! No one will give me any work.

I’m running out of money and I’m in a state of panic about what to do. I applied for benefits, I get some money each month but it doesn’t cover all my outgoings so I’ve used up all of my savings and I’m starting to build debt.

Panic panic panic! What do I do? How can I get some work - any work at all? I’m desperate to earn some money. Any suggestions really welcome.

Have you looked at fully-funded post-graduate positions? I'm currently doing a PhD at nearly 50 which pays living wage as I also lecture. It's called a GTA (Graduate Teaching Assistant). It's surprising how many there are still about if you can find something relevant to your experience or interest.

www.postgraduatestudentships.co.uk/funding-opportunities/masters-study-funding

I really think the op should keep trying than doing this.

8-10 hours a week roughly

OP, Mel Robbin's book on working as a woman, 'Work it Out' has some good advice in it, I listened to it as an audiobook. She suggested that now everything is online, algorithms, you can either throw everything into that, or try to leverage any contacts, networks or personal knowledge of those around you to get an 'in' somewhere- and that most jobs are going through that rather than speculative applications, partly as there's too many, a deluge for recruiters.

She has some good tips on what constitutes a 'network' to seek work (which is not who you think) and on how to phrase gaps in CV's, how to cope with being older, being a woman in the workplace.

She's America, might be worth a listen.

Tutoring if you are very stuck for cash can be lucrative and you could go onto benefits and then do this on the top legitimately (the gov't take 50%) just as a short-term solution. One of my dd's does this and get about £100 a week doing very little work, with overseas students prepping to come to the UK to study (she is not on benefits, at uni).

Neither option is particularly appealing

Also, if you have a spare room, take a lodger as it's tax free up to a certain amount, again, taking in students studying locally, hosting families etc. It's far easier to get one lodger these days than air b and b a difficult location. Try Mon-Fri, or Spare Room, this could bring in 500 a month or more.

If it was genuinely starving to death or that, I'd do that! Nothing interesting about my vag and I'd do quite a lot to properly prevent myself or my children starving, as indeed women do around the world.

Are you applying speculatively to companies and not just advertised positions? Find a name of a senior person at as many small nimble companies as possible and write to them ( a short email with who, what, why and when) and send a skills/competencies CV, with a brief outline of your career. Lots of action verbs. They will hopefully pass on to their HR, who is much more likely to take notice of it if it comes from a manager. Most won't do anything, but this is how I got my first job without experience at that time.

Also just want to say I'm so sorry you are in this position and really hope you find something.

For saving money sign up to things like olio, you could also be the person that distributes left over food for them (you pick it up at the end of the day, take 10% for yourself and advertise the rest on their app, and leave on your doorstep when others request it).A friend managed to massively reduce her family food bill doing this.

I’m sure plenty of men would pay you a lot more than medical science to poke around in it. That’s all I’m going to say.
If the outcomes going to be the same, you might as well maximise the assets earnings

Oooh yes, Olio is great! It should mean you can eat 3 meals a day if nothing else

The Teach First application deadline is 29th April - if you apply in time you could start teaching in September (you train as you go but you get paid to train). They take career changers and people at all stages of life. It's not for the faint hearted but it is a free qualification and a job.

Join our leading two-year, fully-funded teacher Training Programme | Teach First

When I put myself through uni in my 30s I took a lodger. Is that a possibility. Around here, sth east, a room goes for around £700 a month.

I feel for you, OP, I really do. A PP here mentioned ChatGPT and maybe you should give it a try?
A lot of us use it as a fancy kind of Google tool but it can be so much more useful. It's free to a point - I think you get 10 (?) free questions per day, something like that.
At the bottom of the page, you'll see 'ask anything' - type in a short bio / mini cv to explain who you are plus your skills and experience. Then, just add a new sentence to explain what you want / need re a job. Include remote / wfh / hybrid, location, and desired salary, all that.
Then, describe your ideal job.

So:
Mini CV / bio
Explain what you need
Describe ideal scenario
Press enter

What comes up will surely be helpful. Obviously you can hone those inputs any way you like.

(Don't worry too much about paragraphs - AI is an amazing tool but there's no actual human tutting at your grammar etc)

Don't dumb down, don't under-sell yourself, please OP. Good luck, I hope you get work really soon x

This is a great suggestion.

Another thing I was thinking OP is to use any contacts you have. Do you know anyone who owns their own business? Have you asked your friends colleagues etc.

What I really mean is- have you asked for help?

Have you got a science or maths degree. You can get a bursery to train to be a teacher. A friend just did it at 55 (I think she’s mad but there is lots of demand if you’d like it)

@SunDragon

OP, are you in a part of London where Marks and Spencer might be looking for staff?

omg people read the OP’s posts. There aren’t many of them and they aren’t that long.

She doesn’t have room for a lodger.
She can’t drive.

https://natcen.pinpointhq.com/en/postings/6bd10ceb-3b7b-4d75-944f-13578f36a016

This place are hiring. It's interviewing people for social research surveys. It says you need a car but you don't if you're in London really.

The Lady hasn't existed for a few years now!

OP, are you registered on CatInAFlat? I used to do well on there when I was in London, as people are more likely to go away without families to keep an eye on their pets. If you get a regular client or two it might help - I'd frequently make £500 or so over Xmas.

OP sending solidarity here to you; I am 60s and in same position, about to lose what I thought was a job for life. I also understand what you are saying about your housing position, shared ownership flat will be hard to sell and once you sell that simply leaves you with nowhere to live and rent will take all your equity within a few months. I get all this from friends too - oh why can't you do x y z, oh I knew a man who had a cousin and his friend did A B C and now they are coining it in, and so on. I did see someone upthread mention looking in The Lady, that often has some bizarre gems! Also on instagram there's a couple of interesting pages for outdoor jobs like gardening and also creative jobs like museums and galleries work. You've also got that civil service charity might be able to help - are you able to access your pension early or would that simply be making a bad situation worse?

Finally if you are within travelling distance of Westminster I do know of a care agency looking for staff they are an excellent employer. Otherwise have you tried volunteering for anyone because then you are in pole position to apply for their next vacancy and maybe in your 50s that's more feasible. I know when I walk into an interview now (even if its one of those where you didn't have to put much in the CV so they can't guess) I really look my age and I walk with a limp and you can literally see their faces drop.

Just to say The Lady were advertising for housekeepers yesterday on Instagram so maybe they are just online in some form or other?

I work in public sector and everyone thinks it's so dossy with people sitting around doing nothing and leaving early on a Friday. WRONG! I am doing the work of 3 people as there's just no money to get anyone else in. I'm sure lots of employers in every sector at the same. That's why there are so few jobs, because canny/skint employers have realised why backfill a role when the people left behind can just do it on top of their normal job. And whilst in the past they may have not been able to do it for fear of people buggering off, now everyone is too scared to jump ship and or it's too difficult.

Unfortunately sub-editing is being decimated by AI - editorial staff are being laid off all over the place, and when I do see newspaper vacancies they're centred around training AI and/or require being able to drive. Fact-checking isn't really a thing here as it is in the US, contentious stories might get run through legal but that's aboutbit. And OP would need to get NCTJ qualified.

I’m local government. I suggested it as it tends to be more older person friendly than private. Lots of middle aged women where I work. There’s lots of roles they really struggle to fill as pay is low. Someone aged 50 who is presentable and good written and spoken skills may be able to meet the essential criteria using transferable skills. Op has a disability so would be guaranteed interview if she meets criteria. Once in there’s lots of free training courses and could monitor vacancies for a move up to a higher paid role.
Yes there’s no money and it’s not easy work and very busy but culturally I find it more satisfying and supportive. But the pay is dire.

Yes, there are. A friend of mine works as a PA to a few old couples / people in a local 'independent living' setup. Basically a seniors only gated community without inhouse care. The private carers do their thing, the cleaner does their thing, but SO MUCH else falls on family - helping with shopping, admin, medical and other appointments, trips to theatre, cinema, hospital visits all that. If family lives far away or abroad, she picks up the slack and DD doesn't have to fly in from Stuttgart to help hunt for lost spectacles or to 're-set the TV' LOL.