Dad's having a hard time of it - new career possible at 61?
Discussion
I'm afraid this is going to sound like a sob story and a bit like I'm asking for help, but that's basically what it is.
Short version:
Dad is 61
Used to own his own company
Was successful as company owner, then bank manager, then hotel manager
Money is now a real problem
I want to help him find a new career as an account/sales manager or similar
Any advice on getting new work after 60?
Long version:
My dad turns 61 next week and has today learned that he won't be paid for the work he has done over the past two weeks. He has a distinctly unglamorous door-to-door sales job, asking people to donate towards local charities and hospices. He is based in Dorking, Surrey but occasionally travels around the south east depending on where work needs him. It's not a great job and pays quite poorly, but the worse part is his boss (who I think is the owner), who often pays staff late, and in this case won't be paying at all due to him losing the contract my dad was working on. Two weeks' lost earnings is going to make paying his rent a real struggle.
That is the catalyst for me writing this post.
Money is ridiculously tight with dad, as it has been for a few years now. He used to own a successful paper and stationery company, selling to businesses and schools in West Yorkshire. He earned well. We had a large house, new cars, nice holidays, mum didn't work while I grew up, and I went to a private school. Then they got divorced in 2000, when I was 10, and dad closed his business a while after.
By 2003 he was working for Lloyds TSB in a call centre in his native Newcastle. He was soon promoted to work as a Lloyds branch manager in East Horsley, Surrey. Then he was manager of Bookham and Weybridge branches and doing well. His branches were often among the top 10 or even top five nationally each week.
Next up, in around 2014, came a stint as a hotel manager in Bookham, but after 18 months or so the hotel was sold and is now a care home for the elderly, so he was made redundant. He then took up the job he has now and has scraped by with occasional assistance from me ever since.
As you might imagine, helping your once-successful dad out with rent isn't much fun for either of us. I feel desperately sorry for him and often quite upset about it all. But helping with the odd bill or getting his car fixed isn't enough anymore. He needs a new job and for his skills and experience to be recognised. He'd like to look for work back up north - Yorkshire or the North East - but couldn't afford the van hire right now, let alone the deposit to rent a property.
So to whoever is still reading; firstly, well done for getting this far. Secondly, can anyone share some advice or recall similar experiences they or their parents have had with regard to finding new work in their sixties?
In brighter news, I'm taking him to the Ferrari exhibition at the Design Museum tomorrow, which he will love. We went to Ferrari's 50th at Silverstone back in 1997 and it feels like no time ago at all.
Thanks for reading
Short version:
Dad is 61
Used to own his own company
Was successful as company owner, then bank manager, then hotel manager
Money is now a real problem
I want to help him find a new career as an account/sales manager or similar
Any advice on getting new work after 60?
Long version:
My dad turns 61 next week and has today learned that he won't be paid for the work he has done over the past two weeks. He has a distinctly unglamorous door-to-door sales job, asking people to donate towards local charities and hospices. He is based in Dorking, Surrey but occasionally travels around the south east depending on where work needs him. It's not a great job and pays quite poorly, but the worse part is his boss (who I think is the owner), who often pays staff late, and in this case won't be paying at all due to him losing the contract my dad was working on. Two weeks' lost earnings is going to make paying his rent a real struggle.
That is the catalyst for me writing this post.
Money is ridiculously tight with dad, as it has been for a few years now. He used to own a successful paper and stationery company, selling to businesses and schools in West Yorkshire. He earned well. We had a large house, new cars, nice holidays, mum didn't work while I grew up, and I went to a private school. Then they got divorced in 2000, when I was 10, and dad closed his business a while after.
By 2003 he was working for Lloyds TSB in a call centre in his native Newcastle. He was soon promoted to work as a Lloyds branch manager in East Horsley, Surrey. Then he was manager of Bookham and Weybridge branches and doing well. His branches were often among the top 10 or even top five nationally each week.
Next up, in around 2014, came a stint as a hotel manager in Bookham, but after 18 months or so the hotel was sold and is now a care home for the elderly, so he was made redundant. He then took up the job he has now and has scraped by with occasional assistance from me ever since.
As you might imagine, helping your once-successful dad out with rent isn't much fun for either of us. I feel desperately sorry for him and often quite upset about it all. But helping with the odd bill or getting his car fixed isn't enough anymore. He needs a new job and for his skills and experience to be recognised. He'd like to look for work back up north - Yorkshire or the North East - but couldn't afford the van hire right now, let alone the deposit to rent a property.
So to whoever is still reading; firstly, well done for getting this far. Secondly, can anyone share some advice or recall similar experiences they or their parents have had with regard to finding new work in their sixties?
In brighter news, I'm taking him to the Ferrari exhibition at the Design Museum tomorrow, which he will love. We went to Ferrari's 50th at Silverstone back in 1997 and it feels like no time ago at all.
Thanks for reading
Sorry to hear of the troubles.
A move back to the north would be financially beneficial as the rent will be cheaper, so the deposit and van rental would be a reasonable investment in a happier life. Plus there will be a deposit in his current place, so some cash will be recouped.
In terms of jobs, might be worth sticking a CV on Indeed and Monster, just to see what comes up. Depends on what he wants to do and how much he needs to earn (lower income requirements expands options somewhat).
A move back to the north would be financially beneficial as the rent will be cheaper, so the deposit and van rental would be a reasonable investment in a happier life. Plus there will be a deposit in his current place, so some cash will be recouped.
In terms of jobs, might be worth sticking a CV on Indeed and Monster, just to see what comes up. Depends on what he wants to do and how much he needs to earn (lower income requirements expands options somewhat).
Has he tried sitting down with a recruitment specialist and discussing his realistic options?
That may help him with direction on where to look.
My Dad was also a successful business owner and then bankrupt aged 53. He went into a completely different profession (contract building trade) at that age and just as the 2008 recession kicked in.
It was hard - he was lucky in a sense that some friends and family steered him into work initially but he's openly admitted that he was way out of his comfort zone.
I remember him coming off a contract around Christmas one year (the worst time) and ending up doing nightshifts picking in a warehouse, on minimum wage for a few months to tide him over and pay the bills. That was hell for him.
But he came through it and now has fairly steady and reasonably paid work.
That may help him with direction on where to look.
My Dad was also a successful business owner and then bankrupt aged 53. He went into a completely different profession (contract building trade) at that age and just as the 2008 recession kicked in.
It was hard - he was lucky in a sense that some friends and family steered him into work initially but he's openly admitted that he was way out of his comfort zone.
I remember him coming off a contract around Christmas one year (the worst time) and ending up doing nightshifts picking in a warehouse, on minimum wage for a few months to tide him over and pay the bills. That was hell for him.
But he came through it and now has fairly steady and reasonably paid work.
jeff666 said:
With out meaning to sound harsh,
What has he done with all the money he has earnt during "the good days" I realize a divorce may have not helped things, but to get to 61 without a pot to piss in seems sad to me.
Easily lost when you run your own business sub-optimally.What has he done with all the money he has earnt during "the good days" I realize a divorce may have not helped things, but to get to 61 without a pot to piss in seems sad to me.
Divorces can be costly affairs and if you don't take the next step correctly, it can be a slippery slope - I've seen it.
I might suggest having a look at local authorities/council roles. In my experience they tend to have their own recruitment pages & often avoid advertising outside of them for cost reasons. It is my belief they often adopt "positive discrimination" to avoid claims of actual discrimination on grounds of age/disability etc.
I might suggest having a look at local authorities/council roles. In my experience they tend to have their own recruitment pages & often avoid advertising outside of them for cost reasons. It is my belief they often adopt "positive discrimination" to avoid claims of actual discrimination on grounds of age/disability etc.
Good idea to post for advice - hope you get some useful ideas.
I don't think they'll come from me, but reading what you have written, he has good experience in both b2b (low value / high volume goods and.contracts), customer support facing and team management.
Chin up. That's an aweosme set of skills. Something good will come up.
I'd be trying to look for roles thst use those skills, rather than something back office and repetitive that's lower value skilleset. What he's doing nkw, door to door end customer doesn't really sound like him. He needs to be managing / resourcing a group doing thst work, or selling b2b.
There are so many businesses out there with poor sales. Recruiting is so hard. Personally, I'd pick a few small local companies who I think I could help, I'd arrange meetings and pitch a deck to them showing how if they hired me, I could use my experience to help with their ops and sales. I'd need x days to speak with them, understand products, processes and accounts, I'd go out and hit x accounts in y days over z months and would expect to increase blah blah make it up.
Go in there with intelligence, a plan and a can-do attitude.
Many small businesses struggle to make the step up from small to medium, someone.walking in with experience and a proposal may well make them give him a chance. He.coukd even split his time across a few companies, 2 days / week, to lower their costs.
That's my 2cents for now
Best of luck!!!!!!!
I don't think they'll come from me, but reading what you have written, he has good experience in both b2b (low value / high volume goods and.contracts), customer support facing and team management.
Chin up. That's an aweosme set of skills. Something good will come up.
I'd be trying to look for roles thst use those skills, rather than something back office and repetitive that's lower value skilleset. What he's doing nkw, door to door end customer doesn't really sound like him. He needs to be managing / resourcing a group doing thst work, or selling b2b.
There are so many businesses out there with poor sales. Recruiting is so hard. Personally, I'd pick a few small local companies who I think I could help, I'd arrange meetings and pitch a deck to them showing how if they hired me, I could use my experience to help with their ops and sales. I'd need x days to speak with them, understand products, processes and accounts, I'd go out and hit x accounts in y days over z months and would expect to increase blah blah make it up.
Go in there with intelligence, a plan and a can-do attitude.
Many small businesses struggle to make the step up from small to medium, someone.walking in with experience and a proposal may well make them give him a chance. He.coukd even split his time across a few companies, 2 days / week, to lower their costs.
That's my 2cents for now
Best of luck!!!!!!!
The most likely route back into work is in roles he has done before
I would suggest Hotels in the North East, looking for managers (or experienced staff) The big places...spa resort type affairs.
Whilst the retail banking sector is pretty thin on opportunity, with his background there must be opportunities in that sector.
Finally - There are a number of call centre operations in the north east, might be easier to look for roles in there for a steady income, I am sure with the reliability that he would bring he would quickly move into the right level of role. I wonder about training manager types of position in these places too.
Hi, if your Dad is relatively fit, good with people and can be flexible with working times my company might be able to help. We do restoration work for insurer clients who's policy holders have suffered fires or floods and we are looking for people to work from our Bracknell depot. You can contact me on the following email: ashleycarr@richfords.com
Sorry to hear your family woes and in particular for your dad as it must be both hard and demoralising for him at his age.
I think driver for a franchise car dealer is a good shout and also looks at the Barclays website as they run a programme for 'older' workers. May well be perfect for him having had previous experience in that field
I think driver for a franchise car dealer is a good shout and also looks at the Barclays website as they run a programme for 'older' workers. May well be perfect for him having had previous experience in that field
I would recommend looking on www.civilservicejobs.co.uk for call centre/middle management type roles in the North West/East.
maybe a little help, driving instructors are really sought after at the moment and generally earn £25-£30 PH before costs. We currently have 2 guys training up both over 40, a 61 year old may be a little late in life but certainly able to do the job, CRB check, applications and 3 tests needed
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