Get a real job?

[expat]

My OH asks why I don't just get a real job. Definition: salaried employment, coming home every night.

I say, look at this here Jobserve: Switzerland, Sweden, Germany etc. Where is the Siebel work in England?

Ah, she says, so you have only old and unwanted skills?

Well, is that my problem? Why is there no work here? I don't mean the recession, it was equally true two years ago: there was work, but none here.

[DS23]

is expat functional or technical?

[expat]

is expat functional or technical?

technical.

[DimPrawn]

Get a real job?

And get yer hair cut yer bloody layabout!

[MPwannadecentincome]

but shouldn't you go abroad anyway, after all you are expat

[HairyArsedBloke]

A couple of years ago a pal of mine went to see some employment adviser from the Jobcentre. He said that the adviser looked at his CV then said, “I don’t know what any of this means, but I can see you have good IT skills. They are transferable, have you considered something like data entry?”

I’ve lost contact with him now, but last I knew he did find something without the help of the DWP. There is no help available to skilled people; it will only make you sick trying to get any out of them.

In my case I looked at what I had done for my previous clients and turned aspects of it into a product/service. If Hector is looking – I don’t make any money whatsoever.

What it taught me is to be a hard-arsed bastard. Never feel guilty about claiming benefits or ‘optimising’ your contributions.

Linky: Let this be your credo. (SFW)

[swamp]

My missus loves what I do. I make money! She completely agrees there is no such thing as a 'permanent' job.

[Francko]

I say, look at this here Jobserve: Switzerland, Sweden, Germany etc. Where is the Siebel work in England?

I do believe that this is a bit of an excuse. True that in some countries they use different technologies so you might be out of place in one or another but still cross-train to something very similar should not be an issue for somebody with many years of experience. So to me it looks more like you are trying to find an excuse for not being in the UK. I don't think you should just say that you don't want to be in the UK for your own personal reasons, that's it.

[Francko]

My missus loves what I do. I make money! She completely agrees there is no such thing as a 'permanent' job.

There is not. But still in many countries (France I guess is one of them) contracting is in such a bad state that it does not make sense to do it. Indeed in some places contracting in a way that's meant in England* does not exist at all but it is more about temp jobs.

* Recent efforts from the government might also reduce the UK market in such a state (especially if they allow cheap indian contractors to replace local ones at half the price)

[expat]

I do believe that this is a bit of an excuse. True that in some countries they use different technologies so you might be out of place in one or another but still cross-train to something very similar should not be an issue for somebody with many years of experience. So to me it looks more like you are trying to find an excuse for not being in the UK. I don't think you should just say that you don't want to be in the UK for your own personal reasons, that's it.

That's worthy of an answer, but the answer is no, you're wrong.

The question remains, why for goodness' sake are there no Siebel jobs in England? Is is really that nobody uses it, whereas they do all over Europe?

And if that's true, how do I go about cross-training? I have in the past deliberately taken 2 separate contracts because they promised contact woth SAP; it didn't materialise. Now in this market, it's hard to see how to cross into different skills: it's hard enough finding work with the skills you do have, never mind working with skills that you don't have yet. here's my CV with 9 years good Siebel experience, I'm interested in your SAP BI Oracle DBA whatever post.... call me a pessimist, but I don't think so.

But I would love to hear advice on cross-training.....