Stormer999

Mummy in the foothills

Not all doom and gloom. My 22 year old (had his birthday tuesday) was just offered a job, not minimum wage a graduate program they pay all the training and the exams and mentor him, he's in heaven and now has to wait for the start date, and with each exam the wages rise. Of course he's applied for at least three or four jobs every week since July fresh out of Uni, so there's jobs out there. He's also doing temp work also not minimum wage.

lilybilly101

Fantastic. That's great news. You must be so relieved!

I have a friend who was made redundant recently and he has three job interviews lined up and that's in Warwickshire. Many people returning are wiling to live where the work takes them. Anywhere in the UK is going to be a great deal closer than Aus, US or Canada!

I look at monster and their are lots of IT jobs posted and the TES had over 200 drama and dance teaching positions listed (many, many more in primary and so on). For us the UK is much brighter than here, in fact if we stay here I will start to eat into the equity I brought and it will be gone just simply on making ends meet. Cost of living here is high (IMO) for example a decent loaf of bread is $3.99. I treasure every crumb and my son WILL eat is crusts at that price!

I have to be optimistic about work or I may as well go to bed and not get up! Everyone is different. I know our resumes are good, my husband's is excellent, we both are willing to work hard, and like your son apply, apply, apply. We are also willing to live almost anywhere in the UK so that certainly helps. I won't like in London as I don't want to live in an apartment with 2 kids, a very tall husband with big shoes and an Airedale. That would be hellish!

So there you go. Let's all remain positive. The idea of getting a job from abroad is unlikely especially when you are married to a non UK citizen! So thanks for the warnings folks but please spare me at this stage of the game. I and everyone else on here have enough worries!!!!!!!!!!

dunroving

I appreciate your worries about getting a job, I really do (I went through it 4 years ago, and ended up taking a not-perfect job for 8 months that turned out to be hellish). I agree with your suggestion that a positive attitude is what's needed.

But the thread is open to opinions from both directions, and the flipside is the number of "rose-tinted" returnees who might actually benefit from some realistic advice and experiences of how difficult it can be and might become pretty soon.

Good luck to you - as I and others have said, with the right attitude you have an adantage, but it won't be easy for most people and that's a valid viewpoint too.

sallysimmons

I do understand the people wanting to inject a dose of reality, but when it comes to things like looking for work, reality is usually whatever you make it.

Even in these times of high unemployment, there are literally tens of thousands of people starting new jobs every month. Even in these times of economic downturn, there are many businesses that are succeeding. If you go into a new venture thinking you might fail, then chances are that you will. But if you go in determined to think about how you can be one of the successful ones, you will find a way.

I have a contractor working on my house right now. His firm is really busy but most of the contractors in the area have no work. I asked him how come, and he said he just did way more marketing and networking than the others. He said "if the pool of business is going to get smaller, then I have to go out and make sure I get a bigger share of what's left."

Same thing applies when it comes to job search. Most people do it really badly in my experience. If you make your mind up to not be one of those people, and to be proactive and creative, you will find work. But if you just do what everyone else is doing, you'll get the same results as everyone else.

Giantaxe

Believe me it's far more scary in a country like the US where there is next to no social safety net. Loss of employment here often means loss of health insurance too. Compare and contrast to the UK with universal NHS access...

Sally Redux

But Conservatives are always going to lay into the public sector, whether the money is there or not.

Mummy in the foothills

Thats one of the reasons Ds wanted to move back after Uni, he's quite the socialist compared to his friends here, In UK he seems quite normal Other Ds will follow him in a couple of years and Dh gets his butt in gear for us to do the same.
My friend commented that his wages didn't seem that high, then I reminded her he doesn't have to buy insurance and pay deductibles etc etc and she said then it looks better Plus she hasn't a clue about about the safety net he'll be contributing too.

ExKiwilass

Oh come on.

Sometimes life is just not fair, even for good, competent people who don't deserve it.

There's no way you can make a claim like that. So what you're saying is, to the PPs who are having proven difficulties finding work, that it's somehow their fault? Like they can control the world or something? Smacks of the "The Secret" and all that fake new-agey religion stuff.

I really dislike kicking people when they're down.

ExKiwilass

Mm, the pool of business is getting smaller huh. Interesting.

manamama

We´re moving back next month and I have to say that I am really worried about jobs.

At the moment, only my husband works...but on his wage, we struggle and live quite basic, which is good to a point but our children are young and we have 4. They need clothes, books for school, feeding etc.

Whereas, in the UK..I can work and plan to. I am not suited for being a Stay at home mom and want/need to provide for my children. To start off, both of us will look for work. We will tailor our CVs and cover letters for each job applied for, then practice interviewing each other and most of all keep each other positive.

I am sure one of us will get a job by Christmas...it´s not impossible and it won´t be easy..I haven´t worked for over two years (but have been studying and learning a new language which I hope spins in my favour to an employer). My husband has also been keeping up to date with his IT exams and studying-...

So fingers crossed for everyone looking for work...it will be difficult but here in Spain it is flaming difficult too...as in many other places.

Mummy in the foothills

Forget worrying about clothing, Asda and Tesco have you covered, I was shocked to find Dd (age 5) clothes for anywhere from $1 to $3 a piece, so much cheaper than I'm paying here, we stocked up before coming back, cardies, socks, teeshirts, undershirts and more. and car boot sales are even less.
If you are determined to get a job no matter what you'll find one, so long as you aren't fussy. Ds was working as a kitchen porter as a temp and they keep calling him back as he was good £6.75 an hour. So the work is there just not if you are fussy. Ds had said he'd flip hamburgers if he had too. and he was good for his word washing dishes and serving food to seniors.

lilybilly101

I understand that and you're so right. It was one of those moments and I'd been up from 4am picking at my fingers fretting. I'm nearly down to the elbow with worry! I know that the job situation isn't too rosy right now so let's just hope things improve for all and sundry. Apologies for being a little me, me, me on this one! It's being surrounded by my life in boxes that tipped me over the edge.

pennylessinindia

are you able to PM the name of the company? I know there is no adverts on site

LisaP

Compared to other countries (for instance Greece, where I live) the UK economy is extremely healthy and there are lots of job opportunities. I do understand that if you're unemployed through no fault of your own, then life isn't easy. But here, no job = no healthcare, no money. If you don't have a job here, you starve on the streets.

I've lived through three UK recessions. Basically, they're all the same. Times are hard for a while but then they pass. If you're prepared to work in a factory, or as a care assistant or a cleaner, then you'll work.

Twenty years I worked in the UK and I was never unemployed, I have good skills and good references.

I don't know what I will find when we return to UK in the winter, but I check job websites every day and there are currently around 30 jobs in my area that I would apply for; if I was there. Which is 30 more than here.