I learned a tough lesson when I was a 17 year old apprentice. I was very keen and started work an hour early every day. I loved my job. One day I was 15 minutes late and was called into the managers office. He said that he was going to dock 15 minutes pay for being late. I tried to explain that I had started early every day for that last year with no pay, surely this alone created some sort of balance as I had worked for free.

He went onto say that he was doing me a favour by employing me. Now, I am usually a quiet, thoughful man but this statement enraged me. I told him I was leaving immediately and told him to prepare the wages I was owed. He told me that I could not leave and that I had to work two weeks notice.

I said "Who on earth do you think you are? you don't own me, you don't control me, I am a free man and will do as I please, when I want and how I want".

Now nearly seventy and retired I realised early on that to progress through the working world it was about using the employer to get what I wanted. Not to be used by them to get what they wanted. Once I gained enough knowledge, training and experience to expand my CV I was off to a new job with more money. Sometimes I left as soon as the training I was promised at interview had finished and expanded my CV even more.

I never started a job without a letter confirming all the training promised at interview.

The word employ means to use. Employers are using us to earn them money so I decided to turn that tables and use them instead.