How many resumes did you send out last week? How many responses did you get, positive or otherwise? Did you get an interview?

Tried of the merry go round and want to have a little more control over your working life?

Job security is a thing of the past. These days, although there are many laws in place to protect the worker, there is really no job security.

Sure there are unfair dismissal laws, anti discrimination laws and so on, but at the end of the day if your boss can’t afford to pay you or there is a change in management or a company take over, your job security is gone.

You have worked and built up skills over the years, maybe you are looking at returning to work after raising your family or after an illness. Not only do you have your formal qualifications or experience gained in the workforce but think about the other experience you have.

You have loads of HR experience from everyday life, dealing with children relatives and friends, first aid, cleaning, letter writing, ironing, driving. Make a list the things you do each day and you will find a wealth of experience that doesn’t fit on a resume.

What about your sports, hobbies and interests, look at the different experiences that come from these.

Now you may be asking yourself where all this is going, so let me give you some Alternatives to think about.

Yes there are alternatives.

Depending on your formal qualifications you could do contract work. Watch Job Auction, local papers etc for people looking for contractors. I recently saw one for bookkeepers. You could also approach businesses and leave a card or your resume. As a contractor you are on a casual rate of pay, depending on how the business is run you may have to pay your own tax will necessitate getting an ABN, most businesses prefer this way as it means less headaches for them. No tax, no super, they can use your services when they need you. Of course these things have to be taken into account by you as well. You get no holiday or sick pay either.

Then you could start your own business. Think of your hobbies and interests, your skills and experience and then look for a niche market around them. There are lots of ways, Lawn mowing service, mobile mechanic, cleaning service, bookkeeping service and I am sure you can think of many more that would fit your circumstances. Start small and build it up. You can always check with your local job network agency as to your suitability for the NEIS Scheme.

You will need a few business cards, (can be home made on you PC to start) and a bit of footwork. You will have to check any council regulations and also check if you need any licences.

Of course, if you have been retrenched and got a payout or have some money put aside you could always buy a franchise. There are many reputable companies with franchises available in a number of fields. They will guarantee a certain amount of work, some even take the calls for you and give you the leads.

They include machinery, accounting packages, promotional aids etc, depanding on what kind of business it is.

It pays to look into them very carefully though and make sure they have been around for a while, independently speak to other people who have one of these franchises in another area and get an idea how they are going and the level of support the get. Always use an accountant and a solicitor for these types of businesses as we are not talking a few hundred dollars here. Franchises start from about $12,000 with many being over the $20,000 mark, some much more.

Some companies offer finance arrangements. But remember that you have ongoing costs, franchise fees etc and still have to make your own wage.

For many this is a great alternative to either working for a boss or going it alone in a new business.

Now if you want a bit of fun, do not need to make a fortune overnight, have an outgoing personality and are not afraid to sell there is always Party Plan.

Now come on guys, I am not leaving you out of this, whilst I don’t expect you to sell makeup or slinky underwear, there are several companies that do car care, health product etc. In fact you would be surprised what is sold by Party Plan these days.

Male or female you can start with a minimal budget have a few parties, sell to family and friends and you are away. It can sometimes be surprising who you can sell to, your local butcher, hairdresser, real estate agent, parent groups, sporting groups. Actually, if you are keen it doesn’t take too long before you are earning some reasonable money. There are some great companies out there with equally good products. Once you find one that suits you, it is a matter of signing up and start selling. What you earn is then up to you. In the beginning most companies offer you 20 to 25%. You order and pay for stock and some send you a cheque for the difference other you buy at distributor price and sell at retail price. Mostly you only order what you have sales for so you do not have to keep a lot of stock other than you kit.

In the near future I will delve into each of these in more detail.

Till next time

Paula Duggan