We never know what's around the corner, hubby and I bought a van a couple of months ago, with plans of doing big trip at the end of financial year 2011. We would be looking for work along the way as we have no big super to rely on and are not yet near pension age, both were still working to get finances in order for trip, 2 days ago found out my job of 2 years is gone as company has gone into liquidation with no warning, a bit shell shocked at the moment as we live on the Gold Coast and have realised at my age 56 today, I will have a lot of trouble getting work, everyone wants to employ juniors, just don't know what to do now as we had just signed a new lease on unit for 12 months, just really needed to vent a little, sorry
It somehow isn't appropriate to say Happy Birthday Pauline is it. But nonetheless
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
I am so sorry how things have worked out for you but stay positive, there is always something around the corner you just have to be open for any opportunity.
Happy Birthday sweetie and I am so sorry to hear about your job.
But I do think that at 56, a lot of employers out there will be happy to look at you. You see, us oldies are damn reliable, not reckless like our young counterparts. Female, all the better; women are snapped up in a lot of areas we would never have had a look in before.
I don't know your line of work but please don't give up before you knock on some doors. I know its hard mate, been there more than once, but we will all be here for you to vent too if you wish.
__________________
I must be a binge thinker. I do it a lot at times, then, not much at all.
Wow! That must be a shock. What is wrong with these mobs who employ people and then crash under the pressure. Well, happy birthday to you. Now it's time to re-evaluate where you are in life. Are you adventurous? Are you curious about other jobs and the skills you may require? Well, it's never too late to learn. Check out courses and training opportunities in other industries, using your current skills and experiences, and explore your options. Who knows, you could end up with a really interesting, stimulating, exciting job, with more money too. I always believe things happen for a reason. This is one of those "things". Now you have to find the reason and explore its potential. Pour a wine, explore the internet. All the best to you. It will be ok, you'll survive, and be even better off, I'm tipping.
__________________
20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
I am what I call a checkout chook/ relief admin lady, not giving up yet, have been out there for 2 days putting out resumes and as they call it nowadays networking, no luck yet but fingers crossed, but have to be realistic that the Coast is very young orientated, which is why we really want to get out of here, just might have to bite the bullet and go sooner rather than later, thanks to this forum as it is a great place to get things off your chest and listen to different views from all, not really a wine drinker, scotch is my poison, is that allowed at happy hour.
head inland you will find it much easier to get a job. Actually if you head to Roma, there is plenty of work there in all sorts of shops, parks motels and pubs, the oil and gas companies have sucked all the employees up.
Happy Birthday Pauline, sorry to hear of your plight. My wife & I have just come back from a 12 week trip Melb, Darwin, Geraldton & return to Melb. we were offered jobs all the way up the centre as they need good people to work, as the young people fly in & fly ouut just as quick.. Good luck - They need you up there...........
__________________
I drive the only Prado in Australia with a talking tacho !!!!!!!
You know when your landing gear is up & locked, when it takes full power just to taxi to the terminal.........
Pauline see if you can get out of the lease without cost and turn the losing your job into an opportunity. Heaps of work for couples in country areas. Pick up the van and take off. Scary but once you get out there you will soon become country job smart and have a ball.
Hey, Cruising Granny, you are a New Age Gal, very encouraging, optimistic and have faith in the workings of the One door closes, another door opens ! I applaud you. You are right of course. We moved from our jobs and brought a home in Northwestern NSW. I got small job at the local bowling club, then at another 50km away. Another job came up, Admin for a small business 70 km away. It was to do the financial workings and the home rentals. I had no experience, but knew someone that did. Anyway I got that job, I was 60 yrs old. It was my last job before retiring. Point being there are jobs available inland, and lots of times experience or youth isn't the main ingredient. So as Gold Dandelion and others have said, it may be time to pack up and look in greener pastures. they are there, just a matter of finding them, mind you, it was a bit scary, but all good in the end. Good luck and Happy Birthday!
Although a member of the forum, one doesn't post to often, however continually up date ourselves with what's going around with all the great folks out there having a ball.
One has to agree with all the replies, to your initial posting. For my two bobs worth, get out of the place you are in and head over the Great Divide, to the western areas. There is a bucket load of work outside the rat race big smoke.
The bride & I, 59 and 63 respectively are always on the move and work quite happily, mainly hospitality. Give you an example this year alone:
February - Relief Motel Management - Dubbo NSW March - Relief Motel Management - Goondiwindi QLD April - August - Resort Guide and housekeeping - Undara Lava Tubes Qld September - Cook & Counter Hands - Burke & Wills Road House Qld September - House Keeping and Garbologist - Caravan Park Winton Qld October till at least January 2011 - Relief Motel Management - Mackay Qld
Pauline we are in the same boat as you. We weren't blessed with a retirement super, and to young to work for Julia Gillard. So we still happily earn an income by traveling this great land. There is a bucket load of work out there. As an example we were in Barcaldine on this last trip, and one coffee shop had a sign in their window, "Closed Friday & Saturday nights, due to lack of staff". And to mine Barcy is a great little spot to spend some time.
Bite the bullet and get out there. As above, get out of the major coastal areas and experience the country. We can't wait to get back over the range and experience the real Australia again. Hey, why not join Workabout Australia, and get their weekly news letters....that's a start.
Happy birthday anyway, and go get 'em.
Cheers & beers
VK Greenie
PS: Check out our travel blog below, and see our adventures
-- Edited by vkgreenie on Wednesday 13th of October 2010 03:49:03 PM
-- Edited by vkgreenie on Wednesday 13th of October 2010 03:52:28 PM
__________________
Come along on our travels now on Face Book. The Retro Roamers
I found myself in a similar situation to yourself. I lost my darling hubby of nearly 30 years in 2006, then became a victim of the GFC and lost my job in 2008 at the ripe old age of 49. Trust me, you will find another job...........I did...........and so will you.
The upside of it all is that the sequence events made me rethink my priorities in life and I decided to buy a van and am planning to hit the road in June 2011 (if I can ever find a suitable tug!!!) and work my way around oz for 12 months.
I've had a lot of support and great advice from members of this site and I'm sure you will get heaps of the same.
happy birthday firstly, secondly if you do have a van and you do want to get out and try to get work elsewhere there are steps you can take to get out of a lease (to break it ) you can plead hardship since you lost your job and say that you cant afford to pay the rent ,even if you say hubby has left you and you are on your own get him to drive off in the van they do let people under hardship break a lease i once had to do it, because my partner at the time was an alcoholic and left i could no way pay the rent and applied to have the lease broken they realised that i didnt have a chance in paying the rent on my own and broke the lease.
its worth a try if that is what you are wanting is to get away in your van and possibly look for some other form of work because if you are that age but fit , you can find work picking even carvavan parks take cleaners up north cairns all kinds of places there are people on here that know websites that take on travellers for work? all kinds of jobs you can even find places that will want some one to run a caravan park for a while whilst they are away never listen to there is no work its what you aim for that is the go ?. i was once in weipa when it was no where near as big as it is now and low and behold there was a job for a school cleaner (which i had done before in crescent head nsw ) and a job for the gardener too? but alas partner did not want to leave his home town of crescent head much to my disgust or i would have taken the job on no worries.
anyways i hope things pick up for you with whatever you do stay safe in the meantime and good luck with the job searches
Hi Cee Just so great( well maybe not great but I am sure you know what I mean ) to hear that I am not the only 1 going through all this s..t, so sorry to hear you lost your hubby, we have been married nearly 33 years and I don't want to loose him, can't imagine what life would be like without his whinging, but I realise the time has come to get out of the struggle, men do find it hard though to get out of their comfort zone, that's why women were invented , we just seize the moment and grab with both hands, so to speak
Hi Pauline...and Happy Birthday...even if it doesn't feel too happy right now.
Everyone on here has given you great advice so I won't bother to repeat it all...
I think that most of us on this forum have a fair amount of wisdom because we have attended the school of hard knocks...and graduated with honours cos' we won't allow ourselves to be beaten.
You already have your van...so turn this negative into a positive and go for it girl!!!
Stay positive Pauline. I firmly believe that things happen for a reason and this is an opportunity for you. I know how hard losing a job is, happened to me a few years ago and with the support of my husband, daughters and wonderful friends I got through the sense of loss etc. It was a door that closed but another did open, the same will happen for you. Take a breath and don't be hard on yourself. This forum is great for support, we are lucky to be among friends.
for what it's worth, i have had simmilar things happen to me over my 54 year span on this planet, i use to worry to the point of making myself ill, however i now think that everything happens for a reason,, take just a few days to get over the initial shock of what has happened then go somewhere, the bech does it for me, just sit and then think of how you can turn this negative into a positive, it may not come to you right away but if you sit for long enough it will,, once you decide on what the positive is just jum in and do it, don't dwell on what might go wrong,, someone once told me whe i was at my lowest, that 95% of all the tings you think can go wrong never really do and the over 5% are usually not that bad that they can't be over come. Thats how i live my life these days and it seems to work . just thought it might help tony
__________________
SOMETIMES YA JUST GOTTA TAKE YOUR COLTHES OFF AND ROLL IN THE MUD
) and work my way around oz for 12 months.
