Been made redundant today

Scubahood

Scubahood

Well-known member
From a company that's pretty rotten to the core and to be honest I'm glad to be out of there. Place is run appallingly, favouritism and nepotism is rife and the only reason I'd stuck it for so long was because I was in my comfort zone with the surroundings and colleagues etc. My mental health has definitely deteriorated in that time however, possibly due to this.

I was thinking about getting properly trained up for something, possibly working with adults who have learning difficulties? I get pleasure from helping people, so was wondering if anyone on here works in that area? Also been told I should start trying to sell my photography but I know that's a very competitive area, especially for a relative amateur.

Any words of advice/encouragement would be greatly appreciated :)
 
Last edited:
Good luck, pal, it could well be a blessing in disguise. You can get stronger after redundancy, keep that at the forefront of your mind.
 
I can confirm that selling photographs is a challenge, shall we say, depends on what your photos are. Some years ago I had a bit of success selling North Yorkshire landscape stuff, but unless you've got a gallery to show them off then it's a grind. Websites don't really do them justice (I was doing A2 prints). Sports photography I would imagine is dead - I also used to do quite a bit of stuff on a Saturday for the Northern Echo - stuff the staffers didn't want, Ice Hockey, Northern League footy, NYSD, bike races ... great fun and a bit of income but the Northern Echo doesn't do that sort of stuff any more, neither does anybody else pretty much. There's always weddings, that can be lucrative, used to do that as well but got to hate it. Then I got a proper job :) All the stuff I used to do was pre-digital.

If you want a chat you can message me on here.

Also - forgot to mention - my background's Chemistry but got made redundant twice before I was 28. Floundered about for a while but ended up working in IT which is what I do now.
 
Sorry to hear that Scubs. For what it's worth I think a lot of people are going to be in the same boat soon (me included). Tough times for everyone, regardless of our careers. Best of luck with your career change.
 
Scoobs - sounds like a blessing in disguise.
Stuff em.
Look out - there will hopefully be an opportunity for you waiting just around the corner(y)
Take care.
 
Last edited:
Sorry to hear your bad news, but think of it as an opportunity to move on. I was made redundant 12 years ago and have since moved through different jobs as I have enjoyed moving around between companies.
I decided to open my own business a year ago, it has been tough recently and I am struggling to restart. However I have appointed a manager to run it for me, she is far more experienced than I am, while I am taking semi retirement. What I am trying to say that there are always opportunities, they happen at the strangest of times. Make a list of your strengths and also what you enjoy doing, then look for the opportunities to make things happen.
 
Good luck Scuba. Like others have said it could be a blessing and end up better in the long run. It's an admirable idea to try and retrain to help others 👍
 
I can identify exactly with that first paragraph and know just how it feels - glad to be out but worried about what comes next?
I took the plunge into self-employment aged 48 but always had a part time job on the side. This seemed to work nicely over a 10 year period, and gave me a variety of short term positions which broadened my experience.
Like a few have already said, think of this as an opportunity and best of luck. Let us know how you get on, there's always a support group here if needed.
 
FartingGnome said:
I can confirm that selling photographs is a challenge, shall we say, depends on what your photos are. Some years ago I had a bit of success selling North Yorkshire landscape stuff, but unless you've got a gallery to show them off then it's a grind. Websites don't really do them justice (I was doing A2 prints). Sports photography I would imagine is dead - I also used to do quite a bit of stuff on a Saturday for the Northern Echo - stuff the staffers didn't want, Ice Hockey, Northern League footy, NYSD, bike races ... great fun and a bit of income but the Northern Echo doesn't do that sort of stuff any more, neither does anybody else pretty much. There's always weddings, that can be lucrative, used to do that as well but got to hate it. Then I got a proper job :) All the stuff I used to do was pre-digital.

If you want a chat you can message me on here.

Also - forgot to mention - my background's Chemistry but got made redundant twice before I was 28. Floundered about for a while but ended up working in IT which is what I do now.
Click to expand...


I used to do weddings and found them to be a total grind. Bit of a race to the bottom as well - you're either firm with your prices and lose out on business to 'Our mate Phil who just got a camera', or you knock prices down and devalue your work. It's also very crowded due to the low barrier to entry these days, and people willing to give full image rights, a cheapo album and a dvd and full days coverage for £300-400, do the math on that and its crazy money for the effort/editing time. Also found it just drained my actual love of photography to the point that I use use a phone camera now instead of a 30mp camera and about 10 grand worth of lenses, seems like another lifetime now. Also some crazy bridezillas. Had one that tried to give me a list of 40 photos she wanted - not group shots, but things like "groom looking at watch looking worried as bride running late while best man consoles him", yeah I'll just set that up while we wait...and another that wanted every daisy in a photo editing out - had no idea what she meant at first when she said I should have seen the weeds everywhere. It was literally the spot they had asked their group shots to be taken at, on the day they chose to get married, and wanted me to edit every daisy ot of about 200 photos.

I've been made redundant twice - once when I was a team manager at Barclays, and once when I worked at npower as a Business Analyst. Both times it was the best thing that could have happened to me as got money for training, big fat payout and walked into better jobs. If it happened now though it would be much more worrying due to the amount of people also looking for work that might already have the skills and experience.

If I were you Scuba, unless your financially very comfortable, get any job that has money coming in and then start looking at your options. Easier to get a job when you have a job, and less pressure.
 
Good luck mate. I have been there before when stuck in an awful company, coming home mentally strained and complaining to the other half when I should be relaxed and detached from work. I also got made redundant from that place and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, I hope it is for you as well.
 
Scubahood said:
From a company that's pretty rotten to the core and to be honest I'm glad to be out of there. Place is run appallingly, favouritism and nepotism is rife and the only reason I'd stuck it for so long was because I was in my comfort zone with the surroundings and colleagues etc. My mental health has definitely deteriorated in that time however, possibly due to this.

I was thinking about getting properly trained up for something, possibly working with adults who have learning difficulties? I get pleasure from helping people, so was wondering if anyone on here works in that area? Also been told I should start trying to sell my photography but I know that's a very competitive area, especially for a relative amateur.

Any words of advice/encouragement would be greatly appreciated :)
Click to expand...

I work for this company, supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism to live out in the community, after previously being in hospital. I would say you have to be a confident person for this type of work. It can be very challenging at times but rewarding as well.

http://pips.support/

Looks as if most of the current job vacancies are based in Stockton but it's worth keeping an eye on as they also have a placement in Loftus.
 
Good luck Scubba hood , things will work out . Try and go for something you think you will enjoy , although it is hard when un employed as I have been many times . I ended up taking a job to pay the bills , because you don't know if another job will come .
I have done the lot , labouring , etc , undervaluing myself .
I went back to my roots and my trade , but then went to college and got a teaching certificate and assessor certificate which opened doors .
I am now employed and fairly satisfied , but keep looking to improve .
Smile , be nice to people , be positive and you will be surprised how things pan out .
Good luck
 
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully it turns out to be a blessed in disguise with new and exciting opportunities ahead for you. Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top