Other What's ruining your life right now?

... and Bill Gates breathes a sigh of relief.

 

So...as of this morning, I've been officially made redundant. I was a little bitter as I inadvertently found out yesterday evening when trying to log in to my account and finding it disabled: it would've been nice to have actually been warned personally beforehand (EDIT: I should point out I was notified a month in advance of potential redundancy). I sent a message to my boss, who only found out this morning. I asked if the outcome would've been different if I had been better at submitting research proposals, but he said it wasn't a performance issue and was unfortunately inevitable. A letter should be turning up today detailing what happens next, but the fact I'm on furlough complicates things.

This is a direct(ish) result of two things:

• Brexit* causing a downturn in interest in research projects involving the UK: the company I work(ed) for lost an estimated 14% income thanks to that ongoing debacle.
• CoronAIDS** resulting in a MASSIVE downturn in project funding, government or otherwise.

I'm a little upset as this was the first job I've had where I really enjoyed what I was doing, as well as working with great people. Unfortunately, the company may have been a victim of its own niceness - it had been operating at a sizeable loss for a while. Even so, I'm allowed to serve my notice period and will be getting a month's redundancy pay (with any outstanding holiday) despite the fact that the company doesn't have to give me anything - I've only worked there about 9 months.

Anyways, I'm going to finish brushing up the old CV (already found a spelling mistake that's been there for a LONG time - embarrassing) and start applying for new jobs. I've already had a preliminary search and there are a few additive manufacturing positions up. One of them is a sales position that pays £100k. £100k!!! Nice to know the lying sales ******s (who always cause the technical specialists like me grief when the client finds out they've been lying through their teeth) are living it large. I'm not going for that as I actually have a soul.

*I've posted my thoughts in the relevant thread - I wish it had never even been put to vote, yet as soon as it became a thing, unfortunately the UK was doomed as it had to go ahead to show it was willing to do so (cry wolf and all). The EU was the best thing to ever happen for academic endeavours, and yet people like my racist, steroid abusing ex-gardener were allowed to vote leave to "get rid of all them Muslims". Feel free to discuss in the other thread with me.

**At the start I wondered why the UK didn't have a policy of isolating the at risk groups, leaving the healthy population to go about their business. Like it or not, the economy is actually quite important - not just about 'the greedy corporations making money'. Feel free to discuss in the other thread with me.

 

Sell it!

 

Agreed... not the selling of soul necessarily, but considering sales.

IME technical specialists (pre-sales consultants especially) often make the best sales people. Clearly this is going to be largely based on your industry, but worth looking into. There's a credibility in actually knowing what you're talking about in depth, rather than knowing the first 5% and blagging the rest. Nobody wants to be sold to, so as long as you're personable, knowledgeable and prepared to get out there, you could be very effective at being one of the good sales people, rather than the smarmy ones you may think about when "sales" comes to mind.

That said, you may find that £100k is OTE - i.e. £100k including commission if you make your quota. This is probably only 1/3 based on how effective you are, 1/3 right place right time and 1/3 having realistic quotas set to start with. So it could just as easily mean £50k or £250k depending on these three things. If you manage your lifestyle off your base pay (i.e. no commission) it can be a really good way of earning and saving, on the other hand if you allow lifestyle inflation to eat up the bumper months, you'll really struggle in the quiet ones.

 

Not enough people in any commission based employment realise this... until it's too late.

 

Just had a phone call from my manager at work:-

• Good news - I wasn't made redundant yesterday, like a dozen other people.
• Bad news - They don't expect to need me back until October, when the furlough scheme ends.

 

I beg to differ. People are sheep (on average) and LOVE being sold stuff they neither need nor want as long as the person selling it "convinces them".

I often thought about going into sales because I'm actually really good at convincing people and selling my stuff/ideas in person. But I can't get myself to do it because I just don't like manipulating people. Also, where's the challenge in that?

 

Agree to disagree. IME people generally need to think they've come to their own conclusions, even if you're the one that got them there.

And there's a massive difference between "convincing people" and getting them (or their business/management/procurement) to part with their money.

My tuppence, arrogance and not respecting the prospect, sorry "sheep", would make you a pretty poor sales person.

 

Nothing makes me less interested than the stereotypical slick and pushy salesperson. Demonstrating the value that I will be getting in return for purchasing your product/service/agreement/etc and guaranteeing your claims through contractual obligations (preferably with penalty clauses for non-compliance) is a far better way of convincing me to part with my* money. At least in a 'business to business' context.

*my own money, the company's money, the budget I'm responsible for, etc.

 

I never said I'd treat them like sheep, but that's what people are. You could also call them lemmings or idiots, but sheep is fine. They want to be lead to something by other people, at least from what I've seen so far.

As you may have guessed by now, I don't have a high opinion of human beings. Always speaking "on average", obviously.

Also:

Gladly.

 

You calling me a sheep?!?

How dare you, you baaaastard.

 

Preach sister!

The key is in the presentation though....

Slapped haphazardly between a pitta in a polystyrene box and smothered vigorously in a condiment of choosing (mayo.)

 

Dear God ! You really think that meat is from a sheep ??

 

I loved the chilli sauce at my local kebab shop. Until I learned that most places leave it sitting there for days. Maybe it isn't the spice that makes your bum explode the day after...

 

I care not for the origins of the meat, I just want it to put me in a deep state of euphoria while all my internal organs plead for mercy.

To be fair I don’t actually think I’ve had a kebab from my local kebab shop in yonks. The burgers though... wowza... I’ll even let the occasional soggy bottom slide (the burger bun.... not the next mornings toilet trip) they smash a burger

Berlin kebab shops on the other hand are the bees knees

 

When your rescue dog won't eat it you know it's best to just bin it and never consider eating it again....

 

I didn't like any döner kebab I ever had in Berlin. I'm so used to the way they're done in my area, I just haven't found anything that gets close.

 

I've never found one as good as the ones from my home town. Here's one I found fit to photograph last time I was there:



It's the sauce. Incredible.