Career change at my age?

AndrewFlannigan said:
We were in the same line but we never begrudged the tax we paid over a 30 year period.
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Me neither - except a generalised annoyance that so much of tax goes on stupid things like wars rather than useful things like education and hospitals. And if it didn't the rates would be substantially lower. I also mildly resent the year they wasted investigating my business with countless threats of fines and possible imprisonment which ended with a suggestion the £15 per week for running a business from a dedicated room in my house was "excessive".

My point was mainly that we never avoided any tax while running the business and paid substantially more than, say, Starbucks. The government has now essentially stopped that business which means we now pay a lot less tax. We also have less money.

benc98 said:
IR35 has complicated matters recently. I'm employed, but my place used to hire loads of external consultants and that's more or less stopped now. A few colleagues have told me it's not as good as it once was..
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I looked at an "IR35 friendly" contract a while back. I don't remember the exact numbers but I would be taking home something like 40% of the gross - so a "tax" rate of around 60% as opposed to the 20-40% + NI that most people pay. But the fine structure is such that many large employers won't hire contractors at any price now. A lot of the work is going offshore.
 
Phil V said:
That’s never been a good strategy.

If you send out hundreds of applications they can’t possibly be tailored to a post and will be sifted out instantly. You might as well have done nothing.

There’s a middle ground where you can apply for a lot of jobs but actually apply properly to give yourself a chance.
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It was a statement of intent phil ,not to be taken literally .. and as a ex employer I’m not sure what was the funniest trying to decipher the writing which often included sad sack stories or doing the actual interviews
 
the black fox said:
It was a statement of intent phil ,not to be taken literally .. and as a ex employer I’m not sure what was the funniest trying to decipher the writing which often included sad sack stories or doing the actual interviews
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I’ve done more sifting and interviewing this year than any other time in my life.

The most soul destroying bit is having to read half hearted applications because everyone deserves a ‘chance’. And it’s oft occurred to me that more effort has gone in to rejecting a candidate than was put into the application:(
 
My sister has been trying to get me a job where she works and long story short I have a job working there, but still going for an interview tomorrow and to look around the place.

It's assembly work.

The job I applied for on Monday was for a trainee gamekeeper on the isle of Lewis. Haven't had a reply.
Also enquired about another job near Loch Ness
 
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Be aware of the hordes of midges in the west of Scotland, and it's really bad on Lewis at a certain time of year. My wife's uncle was a gardener there his whole life so became used to them but would be literally covered in bites around his head and arms.
 
lindsay56 said:
Be aware of the hordes of midges in the west of Scotland, and it's really bad on Lewis at a certain time of year. My wife's uncle was a gardener there his whole life so became used to them but would be literally covered in bites around his head and arms.
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I couldn't tolerate midges like that!

I'd rather work in a factory ;)
 
lindsay56 said:
Be aware of the hordes of midges in the west of Scotland, and it's really bad on Lewis at a certain time of year. My wife's uncle was a gardener there his whole life so became used to them but would be literally covered in bites around his head and arms.
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I've been going to Scotland for 29 years. I know about the midges.
 
A chap I know from holidays works among the midges (and spends almost as much time with them when he's on his mountain bike!). He swears by Avon Skin So Soft although it (to use his words) makes him smell "like a tart's arse!"

Congrats on the job BTW.
 
Just been for an interview and to look around. They already know about me so it was a short sit down. Technically, I don't know if I have the job. I'll know tomorrow, I'm hopeful about it.
 
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