Experienced & unemployed

[JanChris]

What does a white male over 50 with tertiary qualifications & experience have to do to get employment in SA?

[adrianh]

You simply forget about that idea and start your own little enterprise.

[JanChris]

You simply forget about that idea and start your own little enterprise.

Hi, I have been trying but not easy to get investors or partners. I designed and built a machine in the late 80's that takes soil samples and is self driven. I know it is a winner as I have never seen such a machine. Lot of requests to tell them more but I wont until an agreement is signed. It has huge export potential.

[adrianh]

Hi, I have been trying but not easy to get investors or partners. I designed and built a machine in the late 80's that takes soil samples and is self driven. I know it is a winner as I have never seen such a machine. Lot of requests to tell them more but I wont until an agreement is signed. It has huge export potential.

Unfortunately there is no easy answer. The only thing one can do is to seek out opportunities and develop them. Those opportunities may be miles away from what you did as a career but they may provide an income nonetheless.

[JanChris]

Unfortunately there is no easy answer. The only thing one can do is to seek out opportunities and develop them. Those opportunities may be miles away from what you did as a career but they may provide an income nonetheless.

Thanks, I will continue to search but I am sure that I will find something to do. I just feel that it is such a waste of not being able to share your knowledge as I learnt so much from the industry leaders that I was fortunate to work with. This sounds like the same old story but when you have to work with "younger" (as I once was) people in the field, you realise that you have so much to give and at the moment it is going to waste. Maybe that is why our country is in the state it is in. I was fortunate to live and work in both SA's and there is a clear difference and in some instances not for the better.

[Blurock]

Hi, I have been trying but not easy to get investors or partners. I designed and built a machine in the late 80's that takes soil samples and is self driven. I know it is a winner as I have never seen such a machine. Lot of requests to tell them more but I wont until an agreement is signed. It has huge export potential.

It is a waste of time going through the traditional channels to raise finance for a new product or business. Best would be to build a prototype and to do a demo for the guys who manufactures or use this type of equipment. If necessary sell up to 50% of the rights to someone who can add value (not just an investor, but someone in that industry). Remember that 100% of nothing is still nothing.

[Justloadit]

It is a waste of time going through the traditional channels to raise finance for a new product or business. Best would be to build a prototype and to do a demo for the guys who manufactures or use this type of equipment. If necessary sell up to 50% of the rights to someone who can add value (not just an investor, but someone in that industry). Remember that 100% of nothing is still nothing.

Done that and still been successful.

What I have noted, is that no one wants to be involved in the pain, they just want to participate in the profits, but investing as little as possible. In other words they want everything for almost nothing. On one or two occassions I actually asked these so called investors if there was a word "Doos" engraved on my forehead, as I may be an engineer but I understand business and finance.

[Justloadit]

Done that and still been successful.

Actually meant unsuccessful .

[HR Solutions]

What do you do Jan ? And what experience do you have ?

[JanChris]

What do you do Jan ? And what experience do you have ?

I've been in the production/factory management field for 25 years and I did all from construction, steel manufacturing and motor industry. Worked my way up after I completed my trade.