Hermin from London writes:
Hi Red,
I was made redundant from my job at the beginning of March, and I was not expecting this to happen to me. I had hoped to stay in my job until I retired, especially as the salary was very good for what I was doing, and I now face the prospect of looking for another job. I have decided to switch from the career I have done for the last 40 years (secretarial), and am looking to become a nurse or to get a job working for one of the airlines at Gatwick or Heathrow Airports.
Can you see a silver lining for me after the disappointment — if so, will I have a long wait or will it happen soon? Of course, the salary part of it will be a huge drop, but at least I feel I will be doing something I enjoy.
Kindest blessings always …
Dear Hermin,
There is a silver lining for you, largely because of your desire to persevere. After all, it isn’t everyone who will be able to look back on their professional life and say that they did everything they wanted to do!
I do see you training to become a nurse, a wise choice in a field that will be very agreeable to you. But I don’t actually see you working in nursing for approximately two more years, so it seems as if you will begin your formal education and training in the early fall. While I certainly cannot rule out you exercising your options to continue in a more advanced program, initially it seems as if you will focus on short-term rehabilitations or home health care, rather than a field that confines you to working in a hospital setting.
Before you throw yourself into school, I do see you obtaining a position in the travel industry. Aside from personal travel, you really won’t be at the airport or aligned with any particular airline. Because of limited opportunities and a potentially huge decrease in salary, if you were to work for the airport or airlines directly, it looks as if you will be going in a bit of a different direction.
From what I can see, it looks as if you will be a receptionist, with hands-on training to be a travel agent, at a fairly plush office. You’ll enjoy the atmosphere and the work, and the money will be better than what you are expecting. You will be very well received and ultimately quite respected, becoming friendly with some very upscale clients. You will love your work, even though — or maybe because — it doesn’t appear to be a full-time position. Since you will be studying at the same time, this is going to balance out quite well for you.
I admire your energy. You are going to be quite busy and productive come fall of this year. So, even though life is throwing you a bit of a shift, your joy in your undertakings makes it seem more like a gift.
Brightest blessings!
Red
