How did your 'career' end?
Discussion
Having been made redundant in my late 50's and finding pretty much all the similar work in the area has dried up and disappeared overseas plus similar work elsewhere is pretty thin on the ground I am thinking my 'career' with decades of experience has hit the buffers.
So how did yours end and what to do next...
So how did yours end and what to do next...
A contract doing something I loved came to an end. I couldn't get anything similar before my savings ran out so took a permanent job in something a bit niche thinking I'd do it for a couple of years and move on.
I'm finding it hard to get out of. I'm too male, stale and pale and seem to get rejected for jobs I have a very strong skills match for. I have certain family constraints as well which doesn't help.
A couple of years ago I was passed over for promotion and I lost interest in career progression. My wife is quite senior in her career and now we've paid off the mortgage I'm working a 4 day week and basically coasting to retirement when she's eligible for retirement too.
Friends in the industry have suggested I work for their consultancy but I've lost my motivation and can't be bothered.
Having said that, for the first time since I started at my current place I've become worried for the future. I'm doing my best to up skill but I might not be there this time next year. Thanks Rachel Reeves.
Whether I take the plunge into the consulting gig or just go f
k it and become a supermarket delivery driver or similar I don't know.
I'm finding it hard to get out of. I'm too male, stale and pale and seem to get rejected for jobs I have a very strong skills match for. I have certain family constraints as well which doesn't help.
A couple of years ago I was passed over for promotion and I lost interest in career progression. My wife is quite senior in her career and now we've paid off the mortgage I'm working a 4 day week and basically coasting to retirement when she's eligible for retirement too.
Friends in the industry have suggested I work for their consultancy but I've lost my motivation and can't be bothered.
Having said that, for the first time since I started at my current place I've become worried for the future. I'm doing my best to up skill but I might not be there this time next year. Thanks Rachel Reeves.
Whether I take the plunge into the consulting gig or just go f
k it and become a supermarket delivery driver or similar I don't know. After a freelance career of 35 years I took a full time contract to help a mate out.
Then Covid bit and I thought myself lucky as I watched freelance mates struggle. I managed to get some in to do work at my place.
Anyway, it was boring but easy and I lost my mojo. I got pushed out and just don't have the confidence to return to freelance, even if I could find work. It's a disaster out there.
That was May, and I've got too used to doing bugger all now. I'm lucky that I have savings but they won't last forever unless I kick the bucket first. Currently 63.
Then Covid bit and I thought myself lucky as I watched freelance mates struggle. I managed to get some in to do work at my place.
Anyway, it was boring but easy and I lost my mojo. I got pushed out and just don't have the confidence to return to freelance, even if I could find work. It's a disaster out there.
That was May, and I've got too used to doing bugger all now. I'm lucky that I have savings but they won't last forever unless I kick the bucket first. Currently 63.
Sort of retired from current work at 57. Very long term contract at HP came to an end when the division I contracted to was taken over by Compaq (HP bought Compaq but decided their internal lease finance business would be better run by the Compaq folks). Stayed on two years to help with the transition then was unceremoniously told not to come back in on Xmas Eve 2007, business 'phone at home went unanswered from then on even after receiving several calls from them. Went on to be a labourer on house renovations for a few years which I loved and learned a lot, it was a really refreshing change from the day-to-day office politics/management crap previously.
Was an IT Contractor when Covid hit. We were sent home to work. The work was scaled back and one day stopped, a courier came to pick up the work laptop the next business day.
It was a few years earlier then I wanted to consider retiring but knowing there was zero work about and I was the wrong side of 50 I decided to embrace it.
It was a few years earlier then I wanted to consider retiring but knowing there was zero work about and I was the wrong side of 50 I decided to embrace it.
Edited by 98elise on Tuesday 2nd December 21:07
Was happily doing contract (finance/bookkeeping zzzzzz) work after moving back to London in 2016, always plenty of work came my way to go into companies and clean up their messy ledgers/lack of paperwork etc.
Never getting bogged down in a permenant job. At one stage splitting my week working for two totally different companies in Waterloo.
Then got caught up in a long contract working for a high end travel company in the City trying to get commission from hotels.
Then Covid came, and a year of working from home which was a soul -destroying task of trying to get money from hotels all over the world with them all being shut and paying commission was the last thing on their minds.
A rubbish bonus (I'd got in so much more money than the previous two years) as the company had me by the short and curlies at that time, so couldn't jack it in and go somewhere else as nobody knew what on Earth was going on anywhere.
Contract ended January 2021 and I walked away from it and life in an office/needing a job. Retired at 54, a year after my wife.
Do the odd bit of film/TV extra work now. Probably about 35 productions since 2021 both big and small which is pocket money and can be interesting/fun at times (or dull and tedious too).
I get on the trains/tubes at rush-hour or very early in the morning sometines and think how lucky I am not having to do this every day.
Never getting bogged down in a permenant job. At one stage splitting my week working for two totally different companies in Waterloo.
Then got caught up in a long contract working for a high end travel company in the City trying to get commission from hotels.
Then Covid came, and a year of working from home which was a soul -destroying task of trying to get money from hotels all over the world with them all being shut and paying commission was the last thing on their minds.
A rubbish bonus (I'd got in so much more money than the previous two years) as the company had me by the short and curlies at that time, so couldn't jack it in and go somewhere else as nobody knew what on Earth was going on anywhere.
Contract ended January 2021 and I walked away from it and life in an office/needing a job. Retired at 54, a year after my wife.
Do the odd bit of film/TV extra work now. Probably about 35 productions since 2021 both big and small which is pocket money and can be interesting/fun at times (or dull and tedious too).
I get on the trains/tubes at rush-hour or very early in the morning sometines and think how lucky I am not having to do this every day.
Edited by vixen1700 on Monday 1st December 20:10
I reached about 55 and worked out that I had enough savings/equity (and the children were almost old enough) that I could retire at a reasonable standard if nothing else worked out so I chose a high risk high reward overseas option. It didn't fully work out but was interesting and not bad. Came back to the place I used to work but intentionally chose a role that was less stressful and more interesting and still paid reasonably. Hoping to stick it out for five more years now unless another opportunity to good to miss comes along.
vixen1700 said:
Do the odd bit of film/TV extra work now. Probably about 35 productions since 2021 both big and small which is pocket money and can be interesting/fun at times (or dull and tedious too).
I get on the trains/tubes at rush-hour or very early in the morning sometines and think how lucky I am not having to do this every day.
How did you get into this? Seems interestingI get on the trains/tubes at rush-hour or very early in the morning sometines and think how lucky I am not having to do this every day.
Ten years ago aged 54 I handed over my last batch of prisoners to the oncoming day shift custody officer.
I grabbed my coat, said goodbye to my colleagues, went upstairs to the Chief Inspectors office, shook his hand, handed in my warrant card and walked out a free man ready to see what adventures lay ahead.
I grabbed my coat, said goodbye to my colleagues, went upstairs to the Chief Inspectors office, shook his hand, handed in my warrant card and walked out a free man ready to see what adventures lay ahead.
Im 54 and got made redundant on 17th Oct this year. I am fortunate enough to have found a job 5 days after this. I've a certain set of skills which are in short supply.
Been in my new job for a month. I've still got recruitment calling and emailing me daily asking if I'm interested in working for so and so. I could leave this job and move to another job easily. I kind of pick and choose who I want to work for now.
I realised it won't always be like this but I'm earning a good coin for now and can squirrel away 30% of my current salary each month.
Been in my new job for a month. I've still got recruitment calling and emailing me daily asking if I'm interested in working for so and so. I could leave this job and move to another job easily. I kind of pick and choose who I want to work for now.
I realised it won't always be like this but I'm earning a good coin for now and can squirrel away 30% of my current salary each month.
Just to add another career end. My forces one was a bit of a damp squib. I wasn't expecting a parade and medals, but instead it was just a couple of days cutting ties with every part of my former life.
I got drafted to the base I was to leave from, and was given a sheet of paper with a bunch of tasks to get stamped before I could formally leave (medical, exit interview etc). It took a couple of days to do everything. Once done I just jumped in my car (now full of my worldly possessions) and drove out of the gate for the last time. There were no friends or colleagues on the base so not even leaving drinks.
Not a lot of call Navy Weapons Engineers in civilian life so was certainly a career end.
I got drafted to the base I was to leave from, and was given a sheet of paper with a bunch of tasks to get stamped before I could formally leave (medical, exit interview etc). It took a couple of days to do everything. Once done I just jumped in my car (now full of my worldly possessions) and drove out of the gate for the last time. There were no friends or colleagues on the base so not even leaving drinks.
Not a lot of call Navy Weapons Engineers in civilian life so was certainly a career end.
Edited by 98elise on Tuesday 16th December 13:03
Pretty boring end for me after 40 years of working in the finance sector. Did 22 years for a high street bank, left in 2000 and went into the Sales side for invoice finance. After 14 years I’d had enough of the targets etc and found a role as a relationship manager as a way to wind down (less money but less pressure and I could do the job almost with my eyes closed), ideally until I was 60.
Pension rules changed slightly to my benefit and with the increase in pointless paperwork, retired at 58 in 2018. It was a good decision as I would have hated working from home when Covid hit.
Pension rules changed slightly to my benefit and with the increase in pointless paperwork, retired at 58 in 2018. It was a good decision as I would have hated working from home when Covid hit.
I hit 55 this year and the day after my birthday I resigned from a job I wasn't enjoying and signed on with a chefs agency.
Wish I had done it ten years ago. Less pressure than being employed or self employed and in many respects more freedom.
I'll keep doing this and slowly wind the number of days until I've had enough.
I thought I was on for one last career push at 50 but honestly, it wasnt worth the hassle.
Wish I had done it ten years ago. Less pressure than being employed or self employed and in many respects more freedom.
I'll keep doing this and slowly wind the number of days until I've had enough.
I thought I was on for one last career push at 50 but honestly, it wasnt worth the hassle.
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