Job woes. How to cope with redundancy at 37.

Don't burn your bridges where you are, but use the contacts. Get a super reference and employment statement out of them. Hit them up for contacts for similar work, and ring those people. Put your name out there.
Be positive and enthusiastic.
Call Centrelink now and arrange an appointment to discuss your options. You may be surprised at what is available.
Choose a couple of possible changes of career, identify what qualifications you would need and go for them. Retrain.
Could be as simple as doing a truck driver's course and contacting some mining companies.
Sit down and write out a statement of what you would like your life to be like in 5 years, then list the steps needed to achieve that.
This could be an opportunity to really set yourself up for the future you always dreamed about.

Unfortunately with my wifes income we are eligible for approximately $0 from centrelink. Unfortunately hers is not enough once the mortgage, insurance, health cover, bills and food etc comes out. We would cope but would likely have to make sacrifices like home internet and phone, health cover and other.

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Originally Posted by tomalophicon

Mate, take it as an opportunity to get yourself some qualifications.
Get all the Government benefits you can and sign up for a course.
Or do a mature-aged apprenticeship, big companies (like power comapnies) can pay good money and there are very good government incentives for you.
Could be a blessing in disguise.

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Ok I'll be blunt. It's not your employers responsibility to keep you employed to retirement, it's yours, sometimes business changes, that's how it goes

To many people don't have a nest egg for times such as these, I think thats risky and nieve

There is no shortage of work for those that desire it, increase your skill set, try something new and most of all don't dwell.

Sorry to hear. Keep your chin up.

I agree with tomalophicon. ABS data shows that those with a "post high school" qualification are significantly less likely to be unemployed and when they are, they are out of work for less time (on average).

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Originally Posted by pfillery

Unfortunately with my wifes income we are eligible for approximately $0 from centrelink. Unfortunately hers is not enough once the mortgage, insurance, health cover, bills and food etc comes out. We would cope but would likely have to make sacrifices like home internet and phone, health cover and other.

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Look at mature age apprentiships. Alternatively, you can get PT work while you study at uni. $18k pa tax free theshold these days.

That said, my father has no formal quals apart from a HR and forklift tickets. He has never had any problems finding work, even post 50 and now post 60 yo. It all comes down to attitude and persistence.

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Originally Posted by pfillery

loyally working A VERY POSITIVE ATTRIBUTE ...As a maintenance person MULTIPLE SKILLS
but hey I'm still smiling POSITIVE MINDSET

Is it morally wrong to take 13 days of sick leave for the last 13 days of employment? THE FACT YOU ASK THIS MEANS YOUR MORAL COMPASS POINTS TRUE

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All of these points that you yourself made are vital to remember. I run a facility and have a maintenance man as an employee. He too has no quals so to speak of, but he has a shed load of skills. When you write up your resume, change the section called "Qualifications" to "Skills" and you will probably fill the page!
When I employed my maintenance man, he was up against candidates with qual this and qual that... when I read his resume, he had skills. So do you.

Stay positive!

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Originally Posted by pfillery

Unfortunately with my wifes income we are eligible for approximately $0 from centrelink. Unfortunately hers is not enough once the mortgage, insurance, health cover, bills and food etc comes out. We would cope but would likely have to make sacrifices like home internet and phone, health cover and other.

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with a qld adress i hope your closest centrelink is not the one i dealt with. as with you my wife's income puts any benefits out of the question even resume assistance. but the kick in the guts was the person checking my job search log book reckoned to give up as anyone 50 and above is not likely to get work again ! took time but i am working again. so keep your head up and just keep trying

You say you were doing maintenance.
Why not pop down to your local job agency, register your self for casual work. put your self down as a trade assistant. They generally pay quiet well.
you might be lucky to be sent somewhere for a time and often employers will use casual agencies and if the candidate proves them selves they might hire you full time.
Register at a few agencies and take what ever they offer.At least some money will come in whilst you sort yourself out

Mate, I was made redundant a little while ago and at 50 I thought I would be in real trouble.
But I stayed positive and saw it as a tree down across the track that I had to get around.
Thankfully my boss gave me two weeks pay in liu of notice, this let me start looking for a job while I still had some money in my pocket. Perhaps you could go to your boss and tell him you are not going to be worth having there because you are so down and hurt by it, will he give you pay in liu so you can concentrate on finding something new.
Six weeks on I got a job where among other things I get to drive such things as Evoques and GT's and a bit more $ than I was on too.

Steve.

pfillery,
Theres alot of really good advice here.
We did "volantry redundencies" a few times at work, alot of the young blokes were rushing to get them, their attitude changed almost instantly. (before they had even been told anything). If I had then been given the chance to re-employ any of them there after, I would not have. Mind you, we're talking early twenties.
At the same time, many of were worried lest it should be us,, families/loans etc, put a great stress on many.
I myself have been retrenched, so I understand and empathise with you.
Leaving on good terms, meant I was asked to come and work again, not once, but on two occasions. The next time I left their employ was not so good. I'll never be asked back again.
I also had the miss fortune to have my job advertised without my knowledge. Nothing worse than being asked by an employee, "so why are you leaving?"
The anger I felt,, man I could ripped the bosses head off,,:mad:. However, being almost 50, (and feeling half cripple) I guess I knew I needed to control the anger, A) for the sake of my employes, and B) you just never know whats around the corner. If I had blown my top, I may not have recieved a half decent refference. Although I would never return there, they do not know that, and thats a good thing.

Anyway, listen to what the boys here have said, its all good info. You know as has already been pointed out, whats right, and whats wrong. As hard as it feels now, it will make you a better person, and your work peers (s?) will appriciate your attentivness.

Good luck in your search for work.

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Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

You are only 37 so have not yet hit the invisible, unspoken, illegal and discriminatory age barrier.

. They are trying to get to a situation where nobody comes to an office without an appointment.

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I have to respectfully disagree with you on these two points. I am told that there was once rampart age discrimination against the ..aged;). I would counter that as most of the businesses I deal with, including myself, have a bent for mature age folk. Sure, I only use labour hire folk but shudder when they send me a young fella or girl. They simply don't stay and aren't reliable. I'll not beat around the bush here, mature age are more likely to be loyal, on time and less affected by sick dogs, lost children or excessive iPhone usage. The youngest I have atm is 37 and each is worth their weight in beer. I hired a public servant many years ago, young girl, about to marry and eventually with child (neither disclosed in interview). It may be illegal, immoral and nasty but the demographic for poor return on investment employees has shifted away from the aged and toward the young and child bearing.

Pfillery, you'll easily be with job if you are willing to try something new.

As for lining up wastefully at centrelink, phone and get an appointment. The time wasted in line could be spent job hunting:p:p. Whilst I have never been in a centrelink, I am told that there can be some 'interesting' folk therein. Avoid it like plague.

Mate, You will be re-employed and generally in a better position. Chin up.

Ralph