Page 6 | Here I go again :-(

BringBackCatsEyes · 2026-05-29T16:10:09+00:00

Was made redundant in Sept last year. Found work in Jan of this year after months of dehumanising, depressing searching. It's a 12 month fixed term contract. I am doing very well. The company is doing well. Was told today it won't be renewed. Now I have to remain professional while looking for work. I am a lone parent, age 55. I don't know if I can go through it all again. I am in academic science. There are few jobs in my field.

ilovebrie8 · 13/06/2026 18:17

@DecisionTime123 I’ve done that dumbing down my CV but even then it’s not happening.

Gone are the days where you could walk into a shop and ask if they had any work it’s all online portals now and CV’s and questions.

I did ask in a shop and got chatting to them but not heard anything more.

wanttoworkbut · 13/06/2026 18:32

Italyanyday · 03/06/2026 22:02

My DBro found this website helpful: https://www.getflint.work/ He was in a different position to you as he was looking for entry level roles, but the AI CV matching with live job ads helped him focus on the roles that he had the best chance of getting. He has a job now but he moved areas to secure something. I realise not everyone is in a position to move for work though.

Universities have exams in January so it could be worth lining up invigilating shifts for that month if you've got HE contacts.

I'm interested in this but is it a CV scraper for agencies/sales organisations?

Original poster

BringBackCatsEyes · 13/06/2026 21:09

ilovebrie8 · 13/06/2026 12:26

Good luck, it is tough.
I’ve been looking for almost a year it’s hard to believe that…and I’ve done literally hundreds of applications.
Just be prepared it’s not an easy market at all.
Lot of bad behaviour by employers too as they know it’s not a candidate market.
They want the moon on a stick and some.
I had one where I had 2 interviews one on Teams then in person and they didn’t even get back to me with feedback it’s shocking.

Yes, I know it's tough, this is the second time I've been looking for work in less than a year.
I do hear back from most of the jobs I apply for, but I am not applying for hundreds. I applied for 35 in a 3 month period before landing my current role.

OP posts:

SanctusInDistress · 14/06/2026 10:10

Have you considered pivoting? From what you say you so, perhaps you are an editor of scientific journals? Have you considered going into medical or scientific PR/comms/marketing? They often need people
with the technical expertise and life experience grads won’t have.

toomuchfaff · 14/06/2026 16:32

You have been given 6 months notice. They didnt have to do that. You now have 6 months to find a role. Take advantage of that.

Dont tell anyone outside of your networking (anyone who can help you find a job!) that your contract isnt being renewed. Then you wont have to deal with the "have you found another role? ah well something will come up".

No one else needs to know.

Start looking for another job, if it comes before the end of this one, then leave. They dont value you that much...

Original poster

BringBackCatsEyes · 14/06/2026 16:50

toomuchfaff · 14/06/2026 16:32

You have been given 6 months notice. They didnt have to do that. You now have 6 months to find a role. Take advantage of that.

Dont tell anyone outside of your networking (anyone who can help you find a job!) that your contract isnt being renewed. Then you wont have to deal with the "have you found another role? ah well something will come up".

No one else needs to know.

Start looking for another job, if it comes before the end of this one, then leave. They dont value you that much...

No they didn't need to tell me (and it was 7 months), but I raised it before I signed the contract, saying that if they were not in a position to tell me either way 6 months before the end of the fixed-term contract I would need to start looking for work. I didn't say it in a shitty way, just realistic.
You're right though, it is good that I know for sure.

It's OK - I know who I can lean on for support and I am doing so. I do not have a partner so I do need support from chosen friends and family. It's different for everyone though.
I did experience a lot of well-intended but off the mark advice and suggestions last time so I have indeed been more careful about who I'm telling this time.

I am looking for another job and will leave if I get one. They tell me they value me. I just don't fit into their business model. Sadly being valued won't pay for my son's driving lessons.

OP posts:

Original poster

BringBackCatsEyes · 14/06/2026 16:51

SanctusInDistress · 14/06/2026 10:10

Have you considered pivoting? From what you say you so, perhaps you are an editor of scientific journals? Have you considered going into medical or scientific PR/comms/marketing? They often need people
with the technical expertise and life experience grads won’t have.

No I'm not an editor.
I haven't considered looking at PR/comms/marketing, but will consider it, thank you.

OP posts:

toomuchfaff · 14/06/2026 18:57

BringBackCatsEyes · 14/06/2026 16:50

No they didn't need to tell me (and it was 7 months), but I raised it before I signed the contract, saying that if they were not in a position to tell me either way 6 months before the end of the fixed-term contract I would need to start looking for work. I didn't say it in a shitty way, just realistic.
You're right though, it is good that I know for sure.

It's OK - I know who I can lean on for support and I am doing so. I do not have a partner so I do need support from chosen friends and family. It's different for everyone though.
I did experience a lot of well-intended but off the mark advice and suggestions last time so I have indeed been more careful about who I'm telling this time.

I am looking for another job and will leave if I get one. They tell me they value me. I just don't fit into their business model. Sadly being valued won't pay for my son's driving lessons.

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Well I hope you find something soon, I know its soul destroying to be pending end and having to start looking, my husband has had redundancy/non renewal 3 times in the last 5 years, each time more difficult. I had the same when mine didnt renew in December.

Travelban · 15/06/2026 09:59

I think it's like this for many industries now. I am in IT and have never had a problem getting roles before, in fact I had multiple offers only a handful of years ago. I am not sure why ageism is suddenly a factor but it seems to be when it wasn't back then (I haven't aged THAT much in 5/7 years) and I am fairly senior. My experience of applying for more junior roles is a disaster, because they are looking for people who have done that role and ask minute details about it, which I don't have as I was working those roles many years ago. The STAR interview format has killed the option of going for more junior roles in my experience anyway, as you can't recall minute detail of things you were doing such a long time ago.
I haven't had many interviews at all, just a handful and applied for a lot of jobs, really thinking out of the box too. And no luck!
I hope you get the job you interviewed for, any success please share as it's comforting to now people are succeeding......