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Change in Occupation/Career

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  • Totally agree with the OP - I have 16 years in the ad industry and was made redundant a year ago. Worked in a couple of agencies since then, but the current one bores me to tears. I feel like as a senior figure I am getting nudged out due to age, and I would love to do something different. Issue is with a stay at home mum and two kids to support I just dont have the financial flex
  • Brunello said:

    Very interesting thread and plenty of good advice

    I was in a very similar position not so long ago

    After 40 odd years in The City and then suffering a very bad stroke I didn't think i would work again. Luckily I too have a wife in a great job and we are reasonably secure but I needed to do something. I was lucky that someone asked me to help him and I haven't looked back. I enjoy what I'm doing, it is fun, its completely different and I'm learning new things all the time. I think I'm adding value not just in the business but to the future of families. The main upsides though it is keeping me mentally fit and all those around me tell me I am rejuvenated by having something to work for. If only they'd pay me!!!
    So the main bit of advice to definitely do something and the other is take your time and talk to people as you will be surprised at how many people need your help.

    Couldn't agree more.

    Surprising how many idiots we probably all come across on a daily basis and yet we feel we are tied to what we are currently doing and couldn't possibly change. The skills you have may not always seem much but might be just what the next person actually needs
  • As someone who has done the career change thing I am all for it. Financially we took a hit when I did (my first take home pay was less than I used to lose in tax in my previous job). You will be amazed where you can make savings on things like food shopping, tv subscriptions, holidays etc. This needs the rest of your household to buy in to your desire for something new.

    How you decide what to do is less easy. I guess talking to as many people as you can. Think about what interests you. What news stories you read may be a useful guide as to what you may like to do. Don’t underestimate the skills you have acquired in your current career as you will be able to make use of many regardless of what you choose to do.

    Whatever you decide, good luck.
  • For someone with a head full of dreams, pocket full of fears and a proverbial jockstrap lacking cahones, this thread is a fascinating (and somewhat envious) read

    Gambling with your future when you've got younguns is probably not a good idea but i've always admired those families that buy a yacht and sail round the world for a few years.
  • Just persuaded my missus to hand in her resignation and go self-employed, she’s been shitting herself about it but today her phone has been ringing non-stop with people offering her contracts :smile:

    If the finincial side isn’t a worry for you, just find something you love doing! Whatever that may be.
  • I’m the same age as the OP, I think about this on a regular basis, I enjoy 70% of my job but the other 30% does grind you down after a while, it certainly feels as the years tick by ‘I’m to old for this’. I’ve probably got another 5 years and I’ll jack it in, if they don’t jack me in first!

    Then I’ll be doing the same, but god knows what to be honest, probably something a few days a week and the rest volunteering at one or two charities.
  • For someone with a head full of dreams, pocket full of fears and a proverbial jockstrap lacking cahones, this thread is a fascinating (and somewhat envious) read

    Same here. Have never had a clue what I fancied doing for work and now I have a few ideas I've got a mortgage and you get kids and couldn't afford to retrain.

    Best of luck KA, hope you find something you are passionate about and love doing!
  • edited January 2019

    I'm 44 now, been commuting to the City since I left school at 17 and spent the last 25 years in insurance. Absolutely hate travelling into London each day, but have a good/flexible job, nice salary and comfortable life at home which lets my wife work PT 2 days a week and look after our kids.

    Would absolutely love to do something different that didn't involve getting a train every day and be more local (I have no idea what though) but it's the financial side that prevents me and I reckon I'm stuck here for another 20 odd years......unless that lottery win comes about !

    Don't knock it mate, had a great job at 40, been with the company for 20 years, quit to buy my local pub - biggest mistake ever - luckily out the other side now, time again ? - plod on
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  • I went from being a successful highly paid IT contractor of 27 years to nervous breakdown to seperation to loss of my beautiful home to therupy and a couple of brushes with notion of bye bye planet earth to teacher training whilst volunteering in the mental health sector to working for a charity educating "naughty" kids locally in Chatham on a pittance...

    And do i miss three grand a week in the City?

    Of course i do, i am not a div you know!

    Soapy, can understand exactly where you are coming from. Cant understand your username though !
  • I went from being a successful highly paid IT contractor of 27 years to nervous breakdown to seperation to loss of my beautiful home to therupy and a couple of brushes with notion of bye bye planet earth to teacher training whilst volunteering in the mental health sector to working for a charity educating "naughty" kids locally in Chatham on a pittance...

    And do i miss three grand a week in the City?

    Of course i do, i am not a div you know!

    Soapy, can understand exactly where you are coming from. Cant understand your username though !
    Was "Derekhales" on the old board. There were few of them, go figure! I took a straw poll at the time and somehow... Steve Jones' nickname was soapy.
  • If money is not a direct need.

    Maybe do a voluntary job somewhere.

    Learn as you go.

    Do you like science?

    Natural history museum perhaps? If so.

    Then gradually build it up and get paid to work.

    I'm heavily considering and enquiring working at the caves in Chatham. Fort Amherst.

    Looks great.
  • I left uni with a masters in engineering and went straight into structural engineering as that was the job that was expected from the degree rather than actually thinking about what I would enjoy.

    2 years later I'm in the process of changing role towards something I'm really interested in and that would give me more flexibility between industries in the future. Currently applying for a part time (even MSc which I'm really excited about.

    I know I don't have the responsibilities that many do but I can understand what feeling trapped in a career is like and good on everyone trying to change that.
  • I've got nothing but admiration for anyone who has an epiphany and goes off on their own path and makes a success of it

    I've got a couple of ideas in my head that hold the potential to make me pretty wealthy but it isn't just the idea is it, the reality of making a massive leap from a decent job, allbeit one that pisses me off to something that could end up losing me everything. Nah, I've got a strong work ethic but gambling without the capital neither of my ideas can happen.

    Right now is a bad time for anyone looking to walk away from something secure because of all the jiteerbugs over the UK leaving the EU.

    Besides that, I'm a dreamer. My business is awesome when I dream about it every night!
  • I left uni with a masters in engineering and went straight into structural engineering as that was the job that was expected from the degree rather than actually thinking about what I would enjoy.

    2 years later I'm in the process of changing role towards something I'm really interested in and that would give me more flexibility between industries in the future. Currently applying for a part time (even MSc which I'm really excited about.

    I know I don't have the responsibilities that many do but I can understand what feeling trapped in a career is like and good on everyone trying to change that.

    It’s a lot easier to do up North though isn’t it with the cheaper prices.
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