I need a new job...

Hey Messialdo, have you considered a design studio or a marketing agency?
They could have a job for you. The important thing for them is some experience in the field.

 

Well this is my take. Take a good hard look at all your skills that you have. And put them to work for you. If you're not working and your business is slipping then in my opinion any job is better than no job at all. You can always find a better one if need be.

If relocating to a new city then do you know anyone there? If so then take some time a couple of weeks and just do some job hunting look into places to live and the such. The point I'm trying to make is it's gonna require effort and you get what you put into it. I have do doubt that you'll be successful in whatever it is you end up doing.

So for example me personally I am a tutor for the university I am attending but in addition to that I pull in extra money from other side tutoring jobs. I also know how to do some mechanical work so I also work on people's cars. So my main tutor job isn't my only source of income. And I make more than enough to support myself and save money as well.

As long as you focus on yourself and never stop improving/learning you can't ever go wrong there.

I wish you the best of luck in all you do! I hope what I said helps!

 

Well what I was trying to get at is your main job shouldn't be your only source of income. To put your skills to work for you. because there is always someone to lazy, don't have the time or simply don't want to do a certain task which you know how to do effectively and efficiently. I know how to work on cars because I've been turning wrenches since I was a kid. What skills do you have? No doubt you are a creative mind so I'm sure you can come up with something

I'm not familiar with your field of work so any input would be rendered useless to be honest. I just thought I'd tell you what has worked for me that might work for you.

But at any rate best of luck to you in all future endeavors!

 

@Messialdo

I consider that the first quarter of my life gone..

Hey, that's data. Experience is awesome data. And learnt that the hard way. I started working when I was 17 and got into a career when I was 21. After 7 years, my career reached a glass ceiling and after a series of events I realized I made the wrong choice. And I lamented the fact that I've wasted those 7 years. Long story shorter, the story I told myself I've wasted those years and could've done something else has proven counter-intuitive. Much later when I started freelancing and got into lifestyle design (i.e. Tim Ferriss, Pat Flynn - highly recommend their podcasts). Fast forward 3 years later (I'm 30 now) and adding more skill sets to myself, those 7 years of data is now proving useful. It didn't feel use in the moment but now it does.

So, 25 years is data. I'm sure if you dig the data, you'll find some gold nuggets in it.

...doing web design and blogging... same motivation anymore for this same type of work that I do....

Totally get that. As a freelancer I've suffered on account of inconsistent month-on-month income streams. I've gotten used to it. But yes, if you're inclined towards a job with stability, jump right in.

... that Open University thing once I get a job sorted...

Not sure, if I'd be able to help you with any suitable openings in UK but will definitely recommend completing your education. In India, college drop outs (no matter how talented) are not paid well despite years of experience. If I were you, getting that degree would definitely be a priority. When I was 17, I hustled by doing odd jobs, sales then got into recruitment which paid out my college degree. It's going to be a struggle, but that'll pay off eventually.

Lastly, I'll recommend not to discount your education and skill sets in IT. I got this from Scott Adams (check this - ) that every skill you add to yourself increases your chances of success by 100%. A very shitty example would be, say you learnt public speaking then you could teach your IT skills to someone else. Or say you got better in front of a camera, then you can create online course for a platform such as Udemy. Scott basically says that, though you may not see success in the near term, by adding more skills to yourself, eventually you have a shot at doing something awesome which pays the way you want it to.

That's my two bits. Hope it helps!

 

I'll admit that initially it was tough for me to manage each passing month almost penniless. I worked as I had to make it work. In that situation, it'd have taken 6 months for me to get a job. So, I had to make this small business work. It took some time till build some clientele. And after 6 months or so I created an emergency fund (instead of using the money up) to rely on if I didn't get much work in the coming months. So, when I made a little bit of excess money, it went to the emergency fund and I withdrew in times of need. I had to struggle with this uncertainty of money as I worked jobs for over a decade and was used to fixed salaries. But yes, it took almost a year to set this business up in a way that it'd pay for itself and pay for my survival.

I highly recommend the degree if you plan to get employed.

 

I didn't read each reply, but I skimmed, so please forgive me if I say anything you've already answered or negated.

If you've been doing freelance writing and blogging, you could definitely qualify for some marketing positions. I think you said you don't love marketing, but there are a few specialty areas that you could look into and just start applying widely. "Social media manager" is a title I've seen popping up from time to time, for example. I recently interviewed for a PR job for a local school (didn't get the job), and it seemed pretty interesting.

My main suggestion, though, is to simply log onto Indeed or another job listing site, pick a city, and start browing openings. Apply to any and all that seem even vaguely interesting. This will help you get a better sense of what is actually out there, because we might tell you about a job, but that doesn't mean it will be in demand in your area.

 

If you have social anxiety, a job with a large group might be out of the question. IT repair isn't too far out of left field for you.

What helped me with social anxiety actually is teaching. I know some of those laws are different in the U.K. than in the states, so you could always look into something along the lines of instructing hobbyists or online instruction or something.

If you enjoy writing code, usually it's not a far jump to just, well write.

A few suggestions but I can't give you anything further without knowing you. Sorry.

 

Well, yes and no. They care more for certifications than actual degrees, at least that's been my experience. I do know that security + is in demand, at least in my area. Although certs can get expensive to a point, they can pay off. And they are far cheaper than a full university degree.

And like I said it's all I can suggest for now.

 

@Messialdo

Appreciate the comment. Times were hard but there eventually there was some reward in the end.

Not sure this would help but, can you get the degree via distance education? Meaning, you study on your own and just appear for the final exam to get the degree certificate. Typically, this would would out much less costlier than actually going to a University. I can totally relate with you because I never ended doing a good Masters degree due to monetary constraints.

Hang in there and keep searching, something will work out.