Topic: Redundancy...

[mat]

Redundancy...

2 weeks ago we were suddenly informed our department managers of a famous company have decided to move all our roles to another location in the country... effectively making us all redundant (all other departments have made the redundancies fairer by splitting them across sites)

anyway... this means having only relocated up here 2 years ago for this job, bought my lovely home just over a year ago... later this year I will have no job, a mortgage, no family, but a friend whom I see at weekends as he lives 200 miles away... and I am 40... (this is now home, I don't wish to move back south)

do I use this disaster as an opportunity?  I've wanted to do a horticultural degree for years with an aim to starting up my own nursery/shop from scratch (If I can ever afford to!) and my local agric college is doing a 2 year foundation degree in production horticulture... which I could start in Sept...

Umm.. am I mad...???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ::)  ???  ;D

1) There are so few IT jobs out there that each one seems to receive 600+ applicants... and whereas there are normally hundreds of advertisements daily, now I rarely see one... It will pick up again but not for a while...
2) I want to do this course, i'd love it
3) I really do NOT want to go on job seekers allowance... even though it would mean my mortgage is paid... I'd rather being doing something I enjoy
4) Being a student I seem to could get more money than on job seekers (albeit some is a loan, but these do not get paid back till I'm earning again...) and using MS Money I believe I can last the course financially with full student loans, christmas/summer jobs... selling plants at car boots...
5) when the job market picks up, I can get back into IT again having had a break doing something I love... and could then perhaps save up again to start up on my own as my few savings would have been used up...

so am I mad???  ???  ::)  ;D

any advice on whether I'm mad/ redundancy/ starting up gardening type businesses gratefully received!!!!!!

mat
(I am female, but this shouldn't make a difference!)

[ugly gourd]

Hello mat  My advice is read your thread and you know you want to do it so go for it as jobs are so scarce its either being bored on job seekers or making new friends at college with a common interest and doing what you enjoy
                            Go for it !!! :o ;D

[taurus]

If its truly what you want then go for it.  Its better to do what you enjoy and have slightly less spending money than be stuck in a job that brings in more cash but less happiness.  When times are hard this is when you will find out who are really your friends.  Its about ability not gender.  Good luck which ever road you take.

[reddyreddy]

My brother in law did something similar, he worked in IT hated it, spent two years full time at college retraining to become a surveyor and now loved it, he is married with 2 kids and and it was TOUGH but the choice is a short period of hardship for a  job you love for the rest of your life or not, is that a choice? Really good luck to you whatever you decide.

[betula]

Good luck.Hard to make these decisions. ;D

[tonybloke]

go for it, Mat!! chase your dream, you'll never catch it if you don't  :)
rgds, Tony
 (mature hortic foundation degree student)  ;)

[debster]

I say go for it, i totally changed my career following my divorce and i had a home to run etc and child maintenance to pay and i did it, i did get a bursary but no loans so not much money, but i was able to work extra jobs too which i did, and i have never looked back you will regret it if you dont give it a go, i truly believe some things happen for a reason
good luck
debs ;D

[rosebud]

gO FOR IT , LIKE TONY SAYS CHASE YOUR DREAM IT DOSEN`T COME ROUND TWICE AN OPPERTUNITY TO DO WHAT YOU REALLY LOVE.
Opppps oh dear,   trust me i wish so many times i had chased mine to late now. :'(

[Hyacinth]

Hello Mat, I'm for the 'chase it' opportunity, which the others have so clearly detailed and for all their reasons. 8)

Practicalities..(sigh.) you've had your house for a year & please look at the out-goings associated...not just the mortgage, but the other utility bills...and food, car, insurances + inflation?...then build in a 'slush fund' for the unexpected.....and THEN! If your head can still justify your heart and the figures can add up......GO FOR IT GAL!!!

Like Debster has written....when you need money, there are always jobs to supplement yr income...might not be the jobs you'd choose for a career, but they're there...my only word of caution is to NOT rely on them being there to top-up a shortfall, izall...

Tonybloke....once you (and Mat) have your qualifications....what are the job opportunities after?

[tonybloke]

probably teaching? ;)

[asbean]

Go for it, Mat  :) :) :)

One door closes, another opens ... ...

[littlebabybird]

mat, i think you probably got this from all the above, but just incase you didnt.

go for it.

lbb

[Uncle Joshua]

mat, i think you probably got this from all the above, but just incase you didnt.

go for it.

lbb

No need to say more.

[mat]

Thanks Guys... well at least no-one is saying i am mad!  ;D I have done the "sums" as I have MS Money on my PC and I have relied on it now for about 5 years (its great) but I was worried it was a bit "daft" changing from IT (which I have become a bit disheartened and less motivated in now) to a student for 2 years... even if I end up having to sell my house in 2+ years time at least i will have had two enjoyable (but hard work!) years more in it and hopefully prices will have picked up, and I agree, I'd be bored on job seekers... 

Yes, it's a dream I have had for years to work for myself... so perhaps I need to take the "opportunity" and see what i can make of it after the course...

... it's like a morgue at work... now the shock is wearing off; everyone is so angry, fed up... pi**ed off... just waiting to find out when we are all leaving (probably August...)

Still, the weather today was fantastic...
mat

[Hyacinth]

Good, Mat! 8) I'm sure you've given us the reply we all hoped you would. All the best and enjoy your summer :)

Lish x

[powerspade]

In the early 70`s I was made redundant having worked in the engineering trade. I was married with two little ones and desperate to make ends meet. I have always been into music ( I play Piano and Organ), and I had a dream to make it as a Piano Tuner. I used my unemployment as a stepping stone to get what I really wanted to do. I trained to get qualifications. With only £30.00 in the bank I started up my little enterprise and it gave me a living for 37 years. I went through a recession, and two years after I started my new work I was widowed and left to bring up my children on my own. I went through tough times but also great times. I now have retired and spend most of my free time on my allotment. Looking back working for myself it was the best thing I did  For some it works for others it doesn't .
If you have a dream got for it  you will only find out if it is for you if you try.

[mat]

Thanks for your support.  Powerspade - what an amazing story - well done to get through all of that.

mat