Possibly an incredibly stupid move, given that I am in a secure job that I enjoy, the country is just coming out of recession and we have a baby on the way. 😯
But...
I've been working in Edinburgh and living near Newcastle for the past couple of years - staying with a friend in Edinburgh and only see my wife at weekends or when I can do some work from home.
With the baby on the way at the end of April there was no way I could carry on doing that, so I've gone for the "jump out the plane and find a parachute on the way down" approach (with the "parachute" hopefully being a job somewhere near my actual house).
Please reassure me that I'm not mental and this is a good move. 😕
Good luck!
sounds like a scary choice but well done - it takes balls to do something like that. it sounds to me like you made the right choice.
dont know what the job market's like round 'castle but good luck to you anyway mate!
Dont know Graham but "necessity is the mother of invention"!
I do know one thing however, I would struggle to work away from my children so I would probably do the same thing.
Good luck!
There is more to life than work. Work to live not live to work.
So yes - you have done the right thing - assuming your missus agrees 🙂
well done on making a bold move like that.Sounds like you'll have other pulls on your time in April.
sometimes getting out of the rut can be the best decision you ever make.good luck in finding your parachute.
I had similar experience - I lived in Edin during the week, then in Newcastle at the weekends - was tough. Decided at the end of my phd to move to Newcastle despite the fact it would have been easier for me to get a job in Edinburgh. Now happily set up in Newcastle with my wife, and would not change it. The job situation came second to personal situation.
By the way - if you're in Newcastle and need to get out on the bike, then a bunch of us meet up on Thursday evenings for night riding. Every week without fail - come along - its free and a great escape from job hunting:
[url= http://www.midaircrisis.co.uk ]Newcastle MTB Club[/url]
Now that's a scary move, good luck! My other half has just spent 2 months looking for a temp office job on £6 an hour, let alone a job that would support a family, I hope you have something lined up to move into!
I suppose some people would have moved the family to the job....
What TJ said +1 dude. There are more important things and your wife and family are a bit more important. You'll find a way. I did the same eight years ago - best thing I ever did. Good luck with it.
Good luck my friend, I did similar to you a few years back, but in retrospect I probably made the wrong
decision, but that's life and really you never know?
Just be happy and look forward to that baby arriving.
You nutter, that is quality! Good luck although I don't think you'll need it.
Good luck. I made a similar move a long time ago, just left an indignant hand written resignation on my bosses desk. Best move I ever made.
One of the biggest employers (certainly for men of your skillset) in Newcastle is the DWP, you might want to try there.
You'll save big cash on commuting at least.
you got to do what you got to do.
Well done for taking control.
Something will come up.
Thanks all for the support and encouragement. Greatly appreciated as I'm cacking it a bit at the moment (I don't do change very well!), but I know in my heart it is the right thing to do.
I hope you have something lined up to move into!
Nope! Not yet anyway. 😯
One of the biggest employers (certainly for men of your skillset) in Newcastle is the DWP, you might want to try there.
Thanks samuri.
If anyone has any good contacts that might be looking for a Senior Software Engineer with 12 years experience then please feel free to ping me an email: I think I'll need all the help I can get!
You could try sage software (based just the other side of the A1), or proctor and gamble (all over the shop in Newcastle). I know proctor and gamble have people working on drug and disease modelling in Newcastle - might suit a software engineer.
Also, look at the university of Newcastle, Northumbria University and Durham University - you never know what they might have.
What do you do, could advise you of local companies if you tell us what you're looking for. For what DWP will offer HMRC also have a big centre.
As Scotlandthescared said, come riding with Newcastle mtbclub.
I think I might've looked for a new job before quitting, personally.. 🙂
What do you do, could advise you of local companies if you tell us what you're looking for.
Well... I've been at my current company for six years as a Senior Software Engineer. We are an independent software house that develops software for other companies, either by taking projects in-house or by sending our engineers on-site. We specialise in embedded systems and associated apps, so I've got a pretty broad range of design and coding skills from firmware with bit-bashed drivers in C to enterprise level systems in C# and Java; I've worked on safety-critical medical, automotive and military software, and been engaged as a technical lead with customer-facing responsibilities.
Ideally I'd like to find something with the same kind of variety, but just something where I can use my existing expertise would be good.
As Scotlandthescared said, come riding with Newcastle mtbclub.
Thanks I will. Some time. Right now I'm very unfit. Haven't been on the bike for a couple of years 😳 as the work situation has meant I've wanted to spend weekends with my wife rather than on the hills.
Fortune favours the brave! Good luck, hope you find a new job x
Right now I'm very unfit.
Dont worry about that - despite being a 'club', we are not race heads. We have a range of fitness levels, so come out on Thursdays (need decent lights) and use that as a way of getting fit... and forgetting about job crap
STS.
Graham... in your job spec you also forgot to add being extremely helpful with random requests for help with C#! (We're working on encryption FOR C# at the moment!).
Given the amount of nights you seemed to be working late at the office, I'd say you have made the right move. Good luck with the job hunting.
STS: Cheers, I've got a small matter of finding a job and having a baby, but I'll definitely look you guys up once that is done! 🙂
slowjo: No problem, glad to hear he is making progress. Feel free to get in touch if you need any more help.
Molgrips +1. But then, you might have done anyway for all I know...
Fair few IT companies around the place. DWP and HMRC both have big projects on the go. Accenture and EDS are consulting on them.
Just done something very similar, but baby due 2 days ago 🙂
If you feel like taking a punt, there are several sites like this one that might find you some projects :-
[url= http://www.peopleperhour.com/ ]http://www.peopleperhour.com/[/url]
Please rip up that ticket to Aokigahara forest. Jobs do not define us, after all who ever asks "so what do you do" to measure as person up. No we are more than that, just need to remind the other 70 million in this class less blair project.
Graham, email me. I work for a company that may well be able to use your skills. Location may be a problem but then I dunno what sites we have up there, but it sounds like you'd be able to fit right in.
Speak to Sarah at Fruition IT, she may be looking for C# developers in the north east (contract and permanent hint hint)...
Fair play dude, sometimes it's good to do something mad and see what happens...out of the comfort zone an all...keep us posted. 😉
Jobs do not define us, after all who ever asks "so what do you do" to measure as person up.
I'm not sure that's a fair reflection. So many pople do, as a matter of habit or whatever, ask others what they "do" as a means of establishing what that person's job is and where they fit into the pecking order.
dave_rudabar: Thanks, YGM. 😀
Duckers: cheers, will take a look at Fruition.
fotorat: Jobs may "not define us", but they help pay the bills, especially when you have a young family on the way! 🙂
So long as your wife is happy with it, I'm sure you've done the right thing. Good luck.