I am looking for a job...

[Flumptious]

I used to be a university lecturer. I had to take 18 months off sick after my accident in 2005, but I did eventually go back, and I really enjoyed that job. Unfortunately, my department is being closed down, so I have was effectively made redundant, at the end of June. Over the summer, we had our family holiday, and then I had the kids around, but now that they are back at school, I am bored stupid.

I am really worried about whether I will find another job. I am officially registered as 'blind' (although I think that should just be 'partially sighted', really). I want to try and move into administration, but I have already applied for so many jobs, and had no luck. I have had only one interview. A lot of the forms essentially say "If you are registered as disabled, we will interview you, to give you a chance, at least", but even so, I have only had that one interview (and I can't remember if that one might have just been a 'tick the boxes' interview - 'We will interview you, as you are disabled, so it will look like we are being fair').

Grumble grumble grumble. I am really worried that I will never get another job. I don't have any experience in the area I want to move into, but my injury means that I would never get another lectureship. I am applying for administration in universities, where I think I would be good, since I know the university system so well. I live in Surrey, so I could cope with anything in London. There are lots of jobs, there, but then I suppose that there are loads and loads of applicants.

My CV essentially says that I am proud of myself for how well I have coped, post-accident. But I don't suppose that helps.

[spider555]

Could you work part time as a lecturer?

[Hidden]

I think you might need to get into a job in a roundabout way. Do some voluntary work to start with to show people how capable you are and then apply for jobs in the organisation. How about Adult Literacy - many people are in need of help with their basic skills to enable them to improve their career prospects. I have done voluntary work in a prison and there are so many prisoners who are never going to be able to go straight when they are released as they cannot read or write. How about teaching English to people from abroad who have come here to work? I know of nursing homes who bring in staff from abroad and then have language lessons for them. You could do any of those things I would imagine - or how about something completely different and organising activities in a nursing home or offering private tuition to those kids who are going to be applying for oversubscribed schools and need extra help with exam preparation.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.

[steve55]

hello flumptious, youve been gone a while. so youre blind big deal, so are thousands others, people who could benefit from your knowledge.

i didnt mean to sound rude, but please think about it,

steve x

[Flumptious in reply to steve55]

I am sorry, but I can't remember what you are suggesting.

[steve55 in reply to Flumptious]

flumptious were a geology lecturer? what a levels did you need? you could offer a summer foundation, preparing students in the theory of geology.

[Flumptious in reply to steve55]

Do you mean what did the students need?Essentally, any 3 sciencey-geography ones. I don't know who I would offer a foundation to (they would be about to become students - where?), and of course I would have to get them to come here, which is a rather awkward job. Or I suppose I could do it over email and Skype, I guess.

Thanks, though.

[steve55 in reply to Flumptious]

flumptious have you looked at teaching in blind schools?

[steve55 in reply to steve55]

flumptious no, since my stroke, i havent got the patience with anyone, thats why typing is good for me, i have to concentrate very hard, as a result i dont swear!!!

[malalatete]

I think it is very hard! I was retired because of my ME/FND and haven't worked since 2010. It is only.really this last year that my sympts have subsided sufficiently and for long enough to think about trying to get a paid role - I have been doing 1 day a week in the lirary where I study and the odd bit of voluntary work to try and ease myself back in (and see whether I could keep symptoms at a manageable level with an increase in activity.

The first one I didn't even get an interview. It was for a p/t research assistant in our local uni. The second - as an 'activities co-ordinator in a small privately owned care home - I was asked if I could get a letter from my GP about prognosis and the potential impact of work.

My GP wrote ezplaining my conditions and symptoms, noting that although currently I am well and the conditions are manageable there was no way he could predict whether or not I would relapse and on what basis. I didn't hear further, needless to say.

I am hopint to train for ministry in the church and have already been warned that my potential return to ill health (let alone the aneurysm that remains in my brain) may cause me difficulties in that process...I had hoped to be able to show, by holding down even just a part time role, that it need not be a disbar to employmemt. So far it unfortunately seems that in the real world of commercial savvy and profit before people it very much is. I am just going to have to hope that the church sees it differently.

I will keep on trying though. If anyone sees a flexible job, home based, part time to full time hours, that doesn't involve selling stuff - do let me know! In the meantime I will keep scouring the job alerts....

[spider555 in reply to malalatete]

I wonder if you might be over qualified?

[malalatete in reply to spider555]

Previoisly undoubtedly so but these days what I can manage and stay well is limited so I have been trying to aim at what I think is sustainable...

[RobHH]

Hi Flumptious,

It sounds like you managed fairly well in your job as a lecturer after your brain injury, so there's no need to mention it in your c.v. It could, along with your being registered blind, be putting employers off.

As exhaustedwife suggests, getting a voluntary job in administration might be the best way forward - some employers may feel you can't do the job if you can't see, which is obviously not the case, but will also be obvious to them if you are already doing a similar job.

Are there any admin jobs going at the university you worked for? At least they know you and your abilities. If you have time, delivering your c.v. personally might help too.

Good luck.

[Flumptious]

:-0 I have got an interview, next week.

It is not an ideal job (only temporary, probably, and not all that easy to get to), but if I get it, six months of that would massively improve my CV - instead of just saying I a, sure I could do such-and-such, I would be able to say that I *have* done it.

Oooh, fingers crossed...

[Hidden in reply to Flumptious]

Good luck!

[RogerCMerriman in reply to Flumptious]

Best of luck, Sure you will do well.

[moo196]

Hi,

Have you spoken with remploy about yr employment issues? Did they have any suggestions?

In many private sectors you can apply for jobs without mentioning any disabilities in advance. And if you perform well at interview and have a chance to speak face to face, I think this might be worth trying.

Good luck with this particular interview anyway !! ☺☺