Status Quo

I know I haven't updated this blog much recently but really there is no change - after 7 months hubby is still looking for a job with no sign of anything in sight. So as we approach our second Christmas of job worries we try to count our blessings instead of worrying. I'll update again when anything actually happens :)

Still waiting....

Hubby has had some interest on the job front lately, though nothing has materialised so far. He’s sent off some speculative CVs this week and had a few replies…one letter to say they aren’t recruiting…one phone call to say they will keep his CV on file and another phone call to offer him an informal chat. The last company would be great to work for as we know somebody who has worked there before. At the moment they don’t have any jobs on offer but they want to meet with Andy to scope him out anyway. That sounds promising.

I am trying very hard to leave this all in God’s hands, for he knows when hubby’s new job will come along. I do admit though that at times I do struggle with impatience and frustration. In my heart I know and accept that God’s will will be done….but I wish I could shake the frustration and impatience.

Good news!

I have some good news for a change :)

Unfortunately it doesn’t involve jobs :(

But anyway….remember I mentioned hubby had paid for unemployment insurance before he was made redundant? Well we just found out today that the insurance company will pay out. This will pay for our mortgage and give us some much needed breathing space.

I am so grateful for this – we have prayed hard that God will give us what we need whether it is finances or experience of hardship….we left it all in His hands. Isn’t our God an amazing God?

Andy is still waiting to hear if his claim for unemployment insurance was successful. This is something which he paid £100 a month for but the company are trying everything they can to get out of paying it....stalling....losing paperwork....that kind of thing. So 2 months and no income later we really are going to need that £1500 income from the insurance in the next couple of months as Andy's redundancy and our savings only give us 5-6 months of mortgage payments. Please pray that something will come up before we get to the end of our (shrinking) pot of money. I must admit I do worry about how long Andy will be unemployed and how long we can make the money last.

Feedback from the interviews

Andy didn't get either job :(

The first one....he drove 60 miles and then when he got there the company said they were looking for a technical drawing person and not a project manager. Well why didn't they read his CV then....because he put them under no illusion that he ever was a technical drawing person.

The second one they stopped the interview after 45 minutes and said they needed somebody with hiring and firing experience. Andy has some management experience but on a smaller scale then they wanted.....which is fair enough. The positive thing was that they said he interviewed well and had good technical skills etc. I'm hoping Andy doesn't take it personally as I think the feedback was generally very good.

So...the hunt continues. Anyone looking for a Project Manager with an engineering degree? Well....I had to try :)

Hope on the horizon?

Andy has just (today) been invited to 2 interviews for next Thursday and Friday. One of them isn't quite the same kind of area he'd been working in (Project Management/Engineering) and is more Plant/Manufacturing management based and the other is the same kind of role he's just been doing before he was made redundant. I hope one of these is just the job!

No sign of a job yet

Not much to report really. Andy is still job hunting (even in areas outside of engineering now) but nothing is coming up. I feel so helpless and I can sense that he’s really starting to panic now.

I also notice that he seems to somehow be ashamed that he’s lost his job. Yesterday at this new church that we’ve joined the pastor was introducing himself to us and I noticed Andy really beating around the bush regarding work. Afterwards I asked him why he didn’t just say that he’s been made redundant and he told me that he felt like the lowest of the low for claiming benefits. Now I despise claiming any sort of benefit myself (not that I’ve had any benefits except 25% off council tax and disabled student allowance) but anyway – I digress. So anyway I despise claiming benefits but he’s paid tens of thousands in tax over the years so £60 a week isn’t exactly anything to be ashamed about. But I can see his point – he’s got a very strong work ethic like I have and its killing him to have no job. But I trust that this is all part of Gods plan and that Andy will have a job that gives him what he needs – when he needs it. Weather that is money or self development or professional growth I don’t know – but God will him everything he needs.