For your information, as of 11 July 2013...

....I am now under the employment of R E Dundant!  

Yep, I was made redundant from my position as Graphic Designer for a small Derby-based company. Established in 1976, the company survived longer than any other similar company in Derby, however one of our original clients were taken over, and then did a CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement) meaning that what we invoiced at £1 we would get 30p for over the space of four years!  

Apart from that, they had not given us any work since December 2012, so there was no option but to make me redundant and close the offices. There may well be some freelance jobs for me to do for the company, but the overheads really did have to be reduced, and the easiest way to do that was make me redundant and give up the premises with all of their associated running costs.  

Anyway, it's not all doom & gloom - it's simply a life-changing moment along my timeline, the end of one chapter and the start of a fresh new one.  

Nobody will want an almost XX year old  Graphic Designer 'stuck in their ways' when they can have inexperienced students and graduates that they can groom to comply with their own methods and ways. I therefore see it as the opportunity to have a total career change! I haven't got a clue what that will be, but to be honest I don't really care as long as it brings some bread to the table.  

I got a fairly decent settlement, and those that have me on Facebook will have seen that my wife and I had a 'spur of the moment' week away in Weymouth, Dorset last week during that heatwave.  

I have pretty much caught up with all of the missing decals and models that I had been putting off for 'next month's pay day'.  I am also going to take a few weeks out just to sit back, chill, enjoy life at my pace, and really do some hard thinking about what I want to do in the future.

I have numerous models to finish for people, and I am still picking up new commissions every week. These will all be worked through in sequence of the order being accepted. I also have numerous CODE343 branded projects on the go, and not all of them Metro 6R4s either!

Anyway, that's enough about me! I'll still be around the place, so don't think you've all got rid of me that easily.  

Catch ya laters....

Sorry to hear that David   It's good to see that your keeping very positive and I'm sure that you will find something that suits your circumstances and will be enjoyable as well  
Hope all goes well for you mate, all the best

Sorry to hear that David. I'm affraid though in this current climate it's very common but you never think it will happen to you then.............it does.
Ah well this is a perfect time to catch up on jobs that need your attention, like decorating, gardening..........ooo sorry i mean MODEL / DECAL MAKING  

All the best for the future and i hope you find something soon.

That sucks mate. But a career change is a wise move. There's not a lot of jobs in that area this side of the pond either. Ive got an honour's degree in multimedia applications development and cant find a job in my area, and thats a pretty wide area. I work in a job that i could have gotten without going to college at all.

But I try to keep drawing decals designs amongst other things to keep sharp, so definately keeping at the modeling is the way to go

They made you redundant so the company could stay open.....you must have been on some wage  lol


All joking aside, sorry to hear that David but at least the CODE343 stuff and the one offs and commissions you have will keep you out of trouble and keep you in pocket money

david, just wanted to echo the sentiments above m8, you have my sympathy, but also my admiration for such a positive attitude.well done m8!
taking time out will def help, and i'm sure you will work out a plan of action.....if you wanted to expand the 1/43 models project to 1:18's, i'm sure you would get no shortage of commission from us 'big boys'!!
all the very best for the future m8......  

Thank you chaps for the kind words of support, and for your best wishes for the future - it means a lot, honest it does.

I see no point whatsoever in worrying or getting depressed about the situation - in fact I'm a fairly laid back kind of guy that doesn't worry about anything in all honesty. Worrying or stressing doesn't solve anything at all, the problem is usually still there, and it just adds to the situation by making you poorly at the same time!  

Speedy wrote:They made you redundant so the company could stay open.....you must have been on some wage  lol

I wish Peter!  If I was, then my redundancy package would have been considerably higher!

They could not afford to keep paying my wages every month when I was only actually being productive for a week, maybe a fortnight, per month. This way they reduce their overheads considerably, have no responsibility for me now that I have worked the obligatory three month redundancy period (ending 11 July), and they have paid me in full, and I can still pick up the odd freelance job if I so desire to do so.

Honest chaps, I have absolutely no hard feelings towards my previous employer at all - I am simply angry that the law allows companies (our long-standing client) to act like they have done, and run their business that way. But hey, I'm not the first and I won't be the last. As MG's advertising slogan once declared... "Life's Too Short!"

CODE343 models and decals are still very much part of my future plans however - you have no need to worry on that score.

Sorry to hear that David. Best of luck with finding a new job.

best of luck in getting something sorted david for the future,these times are trying the best of companies these days.

Good luck mate, all you need is an Alps printer, you know how to do the rest. Code343 is the future  

Many thanks chaps - I very much appreciate your sympathy, and your support.  

CODE343 thanks you as well Dave!

Was made redundant from NR after 11 years service last November and whilst the loss of a regular wage was initially hard to get used to the relief of it fianlly happening after several months of uncertainty was in many ways liberating. Life is what you make of it and I certainly havent let what happened get me down in fact totally the opposite. Yes its tough in the UK economy wise at the moment and I'm of an age where a lot of people are starting the descent into retirement planning but its given me a fresh outlook on work and am looking to learn new skills and have a number of irons in the fire. Hasnt stopped me buying models either...

That's my philosophy exactly, Chris - time to have a sit back and decide what new challenges and experiences I want to take on. Being also 'of an age' I don't see it as doom and gloom at all, it's rather quite exciting really....