Unemployed for almost 11months

Celangel SG

Alot of ppl wonder why I could not get a job for such a long time. I sometimes wonder about it myself. I am 35 and have 8 years of experience as a PR/mktg exec in the retail industry. Ok, I do not have a degree because recently there was a school scam and I was one of the victims studying for a degree in that school and so I am back to A level entry.

I also went for numerous interviews and got no call-back. Some say I'm over-experienced and they just need those with 2 years experience. Some say they don't think I'm ready for a managerial post. The rest I guess just prefer younger people or are unsure about hiring me because I was unemployed for sometime. Even temp jobs are choosy. They got alot of applicants too.

In the end, I decided to try a totally new and need no experience kinda job and that was the position of a dealer in one of the casinos and I got the job finally. This new job is about 40% lower than my last drawn. Also, my new employer has delayed all dealers training commence date because of the delay in construction and it has been close 2months since I signed the appt letter and I am on a slight dilemma at the moment. 1. praying hard to start work asap. or 2. Do a temp job but no temp job wants to hire for only less than a month. or 3. Continue looking for another perm job.

The truth is I was kinda excited when I got the dealer job and is willing to learn stuff I never thought of but there are times when i tell ppl about my decision and some find it sad that I am making such a big change. However, some close friends who knew how much I went through being unemployed and job hunting all supported my decision. They say no harm trying and the job sounds fun. Sounds comforting, isn't it?

The thing is I sometimes ask myself this till today "Am I making the right career move?"

Please give me your comments as well.

Thanks:)

TrueHeart SG

The thing is I sometimes ask myself this till today "Am I making the right career move?"

Please give me your comments as well.

Thanks:)

Hi Celangel,

You will get the answer to your question once you start on the job itself after the training period.

Some people may tell you that it is a good thing that you get a job in the current economic situation, whereas others may tell you that you should have wait longer and not take a steep 40% cut, but ultimately, it comes down to whether you like the job or not once you start work.

Nevertheless, it is a good thing that you have an interest in this new job and a positive outlook - as compared to some others who are pessimistic even before work actually starts. I will also have to say that it is brave of you to take the 40% pay cut, for there are still quite a number of people who were from higher positions looking for a job, as they are unwilling to take steep pay cuts.

Cheers.

xtreyier SG

Dealer's job while basic is low, the tips can be high. It is indeed a good career change. Time to fatten up your retirement funds and later to start a biz of your own.

Try sales jobs for temp, with a basic. Good to at least have some money in your pocket, and who knows, it may turn out to be your calling. No harm in trying, and if you never try, you will never know.

Good luck.

Rooney9 SG

Places like TMC, MDIS, Hartford, Kaplan, FTMS etc got vacancies what. alot of people resigned from there. maybe you go to their website to see their vacancies.

fireng SG

Places like TMC, MDIS, Hartford, Kaplan, FTMS etc got vacancies what. alot of people resigned from there. maybe you go to their website to see their vacancies.

I think there are alot of people who apply to these companies to work too..

RedizAlertz SG

In my opinion, it's usually harder for pple of age 30 & above to get a job when there are so many applicants out there who are either fresh graduates or younger or foreigners. It's already very hard to be unemployed, moreover to be in that situation for almost a yr - it's tough shit.

I fully support being in another nature of job that is of total difference from your previous job even tho' there is a great difference in salary. Surely it's better to be unemployed, dun u think? 2ndly, job's benefits aside, being in another nature of job gives u the chance to learn other things outside what you hav been dealin with during ur previous workin years. After learning the rope, u hav gain another new knowledge, wat's so bad abt tat?

But be warned, the older we are, the harder it is for us to be employed. Therefore we jus gotta accumulate as much different experiences & savings as possible, for the nxt step that we r goin to take is to start our own biz if we r to get unemployed again.

Ferret SG

u start work at 27 ?

Short Ninja SG

Like I told you once before you might need retraining to start on a new career and who knows the rewards could be better in the long run this time>Good Luck!

Rooney9 SG

TS did you actively looked for work? you need to apply at least 30 jobs a day. did you also go to employment agencies for assistance, although they sucks.

why not go to WDA or e2i for help? if you haven't pls go to e2i and speak to them.

Rooney9 SG

I think there are alot of people who apply to these companies to work too..

so far hows your work at TMC? good?

Celangel SG

No, I did not start work at 27. It's just that I was in that particular industry(fashion retail) for a long period.. actually to be exact it's 10 years now that I remember I started as an A&P assistant in another co. before. Previously before that, I was in the travel industry for about 4years.

As to going to WDA and e21, it was through them that I got to learn about the recruitment drive for the IRs and went for it. I also went to CDC for employment help and after a few months, they asked if I was interested in an admin job in private education schools but of even lower pay than the dealer job i got. Anyway, they were happy for me to have found a job already.

Thanks for all your advice. I'll keep them in mind :-)

Rooney9 SG

Thanks for all your advice. I'll keep them in mind :-)

so where are you working now? is it at private education school?

TrueHeart SG

so where are you working now? is it at private education school?

Hi Rooney,

I believe Celangel is currently waiting for his professional training to start.

Cheers.

RayWing SG

Hi Celangel,

Firstly, congratulations and good luck on your new career.

I was in the same situation as you, 32 and unemployed for more than half a year until I found my position here in this marketing solution outsourcing group. Our clients include telcos, charities and banks.

If you're still exploring another option for a long term career at a management level,or maybe just for a temporary sales position, do drop me a line at 96941382 and I'll fill you in on more details.

Cheers, Andy

Rooney9 SG

Hi Celangel,

Firstly, congratulations and good luck on your new career.

I was in the same situation as you, 32 and unemployed for more than half a year until I found my position here in Levante marketing group under Appco. Appco clients are names such as telcos like Singtel or Starhub, charity names such as Heart Foundation or Cancer Society, and also banks such as HSBC.

If you're still exploring another option for a long term career at a management level,or maybe just for a temporary sakes position, do drop me a line at 96941382 and I'll fill you in on more details.

Cheers, Andy

what does Appco marketing group does? got vacancy at your company still?

Alexandrine SG

Is being 30's in Singapore too old to find a job or to make a career switch? When did the bar falls on the heads of the 30's?! Singapore HRM's are so obsessed with the young n' impressionable young grads that matured candidates are being forced to the landfills rite not to mentioned the competition from non-traditional (China, IVietnam, India, n' Phillipines) source of foreigners! Can anyone provide a solution?

keeptouch SG

The solution is to vote the corrupted PAP party out of power in the next election

keeptouch SG

The thing is I sometimes ask myself this till today "Am I making the right career move?"

Please give me your comments as well.

Thanks:)

There is this PCP programme offered by WDA which you can go and try