Re: FN-FORUM: Advertising Bastards

date posted 11th January 2006 10:12

Laura Stadler wrote:

> I'm just bloody angry. After doing research on constructive dismissal etc.
> they are 'technically' giving me a dismissal - - I've never been
> dismissed/fired/made redundant in my entire life! - If so, how the hell
> does this affect later job prospects with anyone else? I have spent 9
> months at this company - What the hell do I say - oh yeah my last full time
> job was with this company - oh and why did you leave -I was dismissed - if
> so should I hand in my notice prior to waiting for the months end?

I have been made redundant 3 times in 2 years and the last time was 1
day before my wedding after which I was going on an expensive 3 week
self-drive honeymoon across New Zealand - as you can imagine I panicked.
I tried not to think about it too much but I started to worry about
how all of these redundancies would reflect on me and my CV and whether
employers may be put off thinking there is some sort of jinx on me and
the companies I work for. Each time I have been made redundant I have
taken useful contacts with me and after the last redundancy in which I
was not alone, I thought stuff-it I will try working for myself
full-time as I can promise I won't make me redundant. If I don't succeed
it is not someone else's decision this time.

It has been almost 9 months now and I am making more money, although
working more hours, doing what I love doing and not having to answer to
anyone. If I had not been made redundant I seriously doubt I would have
had the bottle to give up my job and risk this off of my own back, so
every cloud does have a silver lining. If it doesn't work out somewhere
down the line I have not lost anything and I would quite happily
consider looking for employment again.

That said, if I was in your position I would sit it out but start
building up my own business ready for when it does happen. Even if it
doesn't happen you then have something to help you make your decision
whether or not to stay or go and pursue your own venture.

Read your contract and see where you stand with regards to the customers
you have been working with and local competition as one of my previous
contracts had a clause in it preventing me from working for competitors
within a 20 miles radius for a period of time after my employment ended.
One thing I have been lucky with is the relationships I had with clients
who were interested in working with me and not the company I was working
for and so some of them came with me.

Good luck.