Aeolienne
Well-Known Member
Hi, I'm Aeolienne. I'm 41 and single. I'm from London originally but have spent the majority of my working life away from the capital. The longest stint was in Exeter where I ended up buying a flat, but having been dismissed from a scientific civil service job there in 2009 I've been out of work for most of the time since.
To elaborate, I was on the dole for a year after leaving the civil service, then was offered a job with a private-sector environmental consultancy in Skipton, North Yorkshire. Not my preferred choice of location by a long chalk - I'd much rather have moved to Bristol - but it was the only job offer I received so I let out my Exeter flat and moved up north. Unfortunately I was fired from the Skipton job during probation, and when I went to sign on I discovered that my owning a property I wasn't living in disqualified me from claiming means-tested benefits. So I decided to cut my losses and move in with my parents in London. That was supposed to be a temporary measure but it ended up lasting for nearly five years. During this time I clocked up a four-month internship with a smart metering firm in Cambridge, two months with an oil company, six months with an investment bank and one week with an home insulation provider. The second and third placements were arranged via a so-called supported employment scheme with scant regard for my actual career aspirations.
Eventually, feeling that I was running out of options I agreed to take part in a BBC documentary about autistic jobseekers, which led to me being offered a job (albeit temporary) with an energy services provider in Warwick in February 2016. I now live in nearby Leamington Spa.
Outside of work, I'm into hillwalking, environmental conservation, visiting art galleries, recorder playing and music (especially Baroque and medieval) and I'm passionate about environmentally sustainable technologies (especially renewable energy).
To elaborate, I was on the dole for a year after leaving the civil service, then was offered a job with a private-sector environmental consultancy in Skipton, North Yorkshire. Not my preferred choice of location by a long chalk - I'd much rather have moved to Bristol - but it was the only job offer I received so I let out my Exeter flat and moved up north. Unfortunately I was fired from the Skipton job during probation, and when I went to sign on I discovered that my owning a property I wasn't living in disqualified me from claiming means-tested benefits. So I decided to cut my losses and move in with my parents in London. That was supposed to be a temporary measure but it ended up lasting for nearly five years. During this time I clocked up a four-month internship with a smart metering firm in Cambridge, two months with an oil company, six months with an investment bank and one week with an home insulation provider. The second and third placements were arranged via a so-called supported employment scheme with scant regard for my actual career aspirations.
Eventually, feeling that I was running out of options I agreed to take part in a BBC documentary about autistic jobseekers, which led to me being offered a job (albeit temporary) with an energy services provider in Warwick in February 2016. I now live in nearby Leamington Spa.
Outside of work, I'm into hillwalking, environmental conservation, visiting art galleries, recorder playing and music (especially Baroque and medieval) and I'm passionate about environmentally sustainable technologies (especially renewable energy).
