When I left school I went straight in to a factory job until I found something I wanted to do which I eventually did. I then went on to work in Animal Welfare for years, then a private kennels and finally on to college to qualify as a groomer.
In those days there was no minimum wage and at one point I was on 75p an hour and good pay was £10 per day!
It was a definite vocation.
I went in to retail for better money after I returned from backpacking and in 1995 went to Uni and completed a 2yr HND in Design Communications at Southampton Institute (Now Solent Uni).
I went back in to retail after graduating and finally ended up in financial admin as a settlements clerk for Amex and then I was head hunted for a special project at Barclays.
That takes me right up to Ev being 6 months old and after the Barclays contract ended I didn't go back to work. I found it too hard to leave him and even though he was well looked after at nursery he really was not the happy baby I knew he could be.
The summer after he turned 4, I started caring for my Mum and then did that until last October. As being a carer is not classed as 'working' I officially have not had a job for 11 years!
I can see why on paper I am a risk, but I am ABLE to work, WILLING to work and NEED to work! I am looking everyday and apply for at least 2/3 daily but I get nothing, very rarely a No even!
I have not sat on my backside over the 11 years. I am a volunteer for TV/Film conventions where I can be selling tickets one minute to being a PA for an actor the next. I chaired the PTA, organised and helped run events for funding. Organise events within my community. I helped run toddlers group, started a blog - and even use that to help up and coming business' to grow an online identity.
I am good at a lot of things, I love learning and I am great at using initiative. If I can organise, promote or even perform public speaking; then I am in my element. I just need somebody to take a chance on me ....queue Abba... or not!
