Rant mode on

[Lanzaned]

Aargh!

As some of you may have heard already, the company I work for has gone belly-up. According to dutch law this gives you 6 weeks notice, so since july 29th I've been in my period of 6 weeks notice, but still having to do my regular 8-hour a day duties.

As you may have noticed I've been spending quite a lot of those 8-hours online here, because since I have not been payed for the months of June and July I cannot go to work, I just can't afford the trainticket. I've been working from home all this time which actually was doing nothing more than moving e-mails from my inbox to a seperate folder and answering one or two telephone calls from people who needed tech assistance.

Today I tried to log in to the company network and couldn't. So I tried calling our helpdesk. One of the lads there who I speak to more often was very evasive and told me I had to take it up with the boss, as he couldn't help me. I tried pleading with him that if I couldn't log in, my hours wouldn't be logged and I might get into a lot of shit because of that, but to no evail.

So I called his boss...and lo and behold...voicemail, no matter how many times I called (even with my number blanked out so he couldn't have known it was me )

After waiting for quite some time I called my boss (again I might add) to ask him to solve my problem, he then told me that the curator (don't know if you call them that in english, but it's the guy who gets all the mail and has to take care of all the shit when a company goes belly-up) had ordered all external connections to be shut down, both from people working at home as those working in the office. This means that nobody can do anything at all anymore.

So I'm looking at two weeks of jobhunting, which I dislike. I liked this job, peeps were nice, I had quite some responisbility towards a lot of the out-sourced staff and I was the only one who knew how certain systems worked (which includes the one system they forgot to shut down and to which I still have access, so I'm using it to my heart's content atm calling people left and right at no cost to me).

So, I'm still owed 2 months wages (not counting the six weeks notice) and the people who are going to pay me that have not yet contacted me. Under dutch law the UWV (the dole/UB office) has to take over any back payments to people stuck in the situation I'm in. So I called them today to find out what the F was going on with that as I NEED to get payed, I have costs as well.

What it boils down to is that they split up the 150 or so employees into geographic regions and I have to be contacted by the Rotterdam office (while the other peeps in the office get contacted by the Utrecht office and they HAVE had their letters detailing further steps etc etc etc). Rotterdam is being sloooow (again).

I've had my troubles with them in the past and I'm not looking forward to having to deal with those piss-heads again.

Ah well... anyone know a job I can fill from home? Or have a job for me within 50 km from my house?

Much obliged...

[Nodd]

Ouch! Sorry to hear your in such troubles 

The only thing I can think of really where you can work from home and the pay can be good is to work for yourself, setup your own business. However, this obviously depends on your skill set. What could you do?

[Hudders]

Oh.

That's terrible.

http://www.homeworking.com/

[Lanzaned]

Ouch! Sorry to hear your in such troubles 

The only thing I can think of really where you can work from home and the pay can be good is to work for yourself, setup your own business. However, this obviously depends on your skill set. What could you do?

Thanks Nodd..

What could I do? hmm a lot actually, I'm pretty smart (most of the time) and a quick learner. Problem is that with the things that interest me and which I would like to do (and which can be done from home) I'd need to make a name for myself first before I can start on anything at all.

I've been in sales for most of my working life (both in a shop and telemarketing) and am self taught with in all my computing skills (you learn a lot by copying and editing others work). I don't want to get back in sales though, and if I wanted to do something with my computer skills it would depend on people getting to know about me and ofcourse me having to mke a portfolio. I'm not bad at working with computer programs, but I suck at graphics, which makes it hard to go all out web-designer, which can be fun and has my interests. Maybe I should see if I can get my MSCSE paid for by the government

Oh.

That's terrible.

http://www.homeworking.com/

And thank you too Hudders, much appreciated, I've been looking into those links as well (well the dutch versions ofcourse) and ofcourse there's regular jobhunting, I just hope I can find something before I do have to start filling out UB forms... I hate those and there's so many rules and regulations, dutch law sucks sometimes

Ah well, I just had to get everything of my chest I think and I know this forum (even though sometimes it gets a bit whack) is a good place to vent my frustrations.

Thanks lads, really, you just reminded me why I visit this site very day..

[Nodd]

So your not a good graphic designer? So what? I'm not either..

If web design interests you, you can do 1 of three things..

1. Find someone who CAN design. Get them to make you something in photoshop, then just cut out the graphics and apply css to mimic their design.

2. Look at a design you really like and try to copy it. Add your own style to it a little bit and change things to suit you/your needs.

3. Buy a template. You can get these extremely cheap. When starting out this may be the best option to get some income (although I maybe wouldn't add them to my portfolio.. only really use custom design for that). But it will mean you can probably do 3-5 sites in the time it would take you to design 1.




It's not too hard to get setup. In your spare time maybe try to knock up 2 templates. Then when you go to your first client show them those 2. Maybe offer a slight discount if they will let you have their site added to your portfolio.

Possibly start off by asking friends and family if they need a site. If not, check other small businesses. Give them a call.

You don't need to pay for advertising, and you don't really need a site of your own. I get contacted quite a bit through just "word of mouth". Infact I have a meeting today after work just out of town. It really is suprising how people hear about you. You may even reach a point where you have to turn down work or put it on hold.

The only real hard bit I guess is getting a regular income, or a good one you can live off. I do it as a bit of an additional extra rather than a main source of income, but I will gladly give you tips and info/help. It would probably be best if we spoke over skype or ventrillo etc. I may even be able to forward some work your way (depending on your web-design skill) 

[Hudders]

www.patterntap.com

[Lunicks]

Wait, what? I don't get the term "belly-up". What happened to NIPO? :X

[Lanzaned]

Not NIPO Lunicks, we only work with their software

[Hudders]

I don't get the term "belly-up".

Adjective

belly-up

   1. (idiomatic) Dead or defunct, often used with go, went, or turn.

          After several financial failures, the organization went belly-up.

[Lanzaned]

broke can also be used

[x♥♫Pink and Fluffy♫♥x]

Oh dear lanz im sorry about ur job mate. I really hope things work out for u chick.

[Hudders]

I really hope things work out for u chick.

Ee's not a chick, ee's a fella.

[x♥♫Pink and Fluffy♫♥x]

Oh shhh hudders or ill start calling u 'bird' haha

I just call ppl that..... kinda like honey or babe or sweetie.

[Lanzaned]

Oh dear lanz im sorry about ur job mate. I really hope things work out for u chick.

squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[x♥♫Pink and Fluffy♫♥x]

awwwwwa thats just so bloody cute!!!!