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Career Change

edited April 2009 in Not Sports Related
I am seriously considering a drastic career change (probably an early mid-life crisis). I drifted into my current career almost by accident and am not greatly enjoying it.

anyone here ever done this? How did you find it impacted your life?
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Comments

  • are you phil parkinson;-)
  • Depends very much on what you are going from and to and how much / how long the training will be.
  • not good timing right now is it? unless you want to set up a repossession company.

    what do you do and what do you want to do?

    i'm sure someone on here will do what you want to get into.
  • well 5th May is my last day on the knowledge so to speak - last exam and pick my badge up. Then I have a decision to make. do i stay in my present job , I earn a good salary , bite the bullet and hand my notice in on the 6th.

    Pros for staying
    stable job
    guaranteed salary
    all the usual benefits working in a company.

    pros for going
    be my own boss
    answer to NO ONE - except the wife LOL
    take a day off when I feel like and not have to give a week's notice
    don't have some snotty little mug as a boss who quite frankly I feel like chinning most days

    Or am I biting of my nose to spite my face at this time. I dunno

    don't worry NSS i'll make sure you are paid before I go LOL

    Know how you feel Kigleia I have the same problem.
  • My brother switched from being an advertising writer/director in London, New York and the Far East for 25 years to being a chef last year, following a course at Lewisham College.

    A friend switched from being a bored desktop publisher to being a full-time hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy lecturer.

    Both are very happy to have made the leap!
  • [cite]Posted By: Ledge[/cite]well 5th May is my last day on the knowledge so to speak - last exam and pick my badge up. Then I have a decision to make. do i stay in my present job , I earn a good salary , bite the bullet and hand my notice in on the 6th.

    Pros for staying
    stable job
    guaranteed salary
    all the usual benefits working in a company.

    pros for going
    be my own boss
    answer to NO ONE - except the wife LOL
    take a day off when I feel like and not have to give a week's notice
    don't have some snotty little mug as a boss who quite frankly I feel like chinning most days

    Or am I biting of my nose to spite my face at this time. I dunno

    don't worry NSS i'll make sure you are paid before I go LOL

    Know how you feel Kigleia I have the same problem.

    My best mate is a Black Cabbie Ledge & he reckons to earn any sort of money at the moment you have to do some serious hours at the moment, lot tougher than it has been for last couple of years. He lives in Tadworth & does Surbiton / Kingston / Richmond which are pretty affluent areas.
  • edited April 2009
    [cite]Posted By: kigelia[/cite]I am seriously considering a drastic career change (probably an early mid-life crisis). I drifted into my current career almost by accident and am not greatly enjoying it.

    anyone here ever done this? How did you find it impacted your life?

    A few years ago I took up the offer of working in Germany and thought I'd last a couple of years, eight years later I finally made it back to the UK...

    My advice would be though not to rush anything, look around and see what you like doing, in the age of the internet you can do a lot of the basic research via your PC.

    There is also quite a body of literature dedicated to helping professional people switch careers mid-life:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Career-Change-Handbook-Youre-Someone/dp/1845281373
  • Yep, I was a warehouseman in the paper trade until I was 35. Now I'm an Engineer for (cant say) but it starts with Toy and ends with ota, best thing I ever did!! unless they make me redundant then they are b******S ;)
  • Did it about seven years ago - moved from Industrial Relations into IT. Luckily I got a beefy redundancy payout (I was a thorn in the side of management lol) which allowed me to take a year out to retrain and get certified. I'd already moved towards IT in my 'day job' anyway, so it wasn't a big step. Never thought in a million years I'd ever work in IT - never gave a shit about computers when I was younger and didn't even really learn to use a PC until about 1998 - but I discovered I enjoyed it and was good at it - so changing careers was a no-brainer really. Bizarrely enough I am actually formally trained as a Geologist - but there's no work in that unless you want to work for an oil or mining company (no ta!) so ended up 'drifting into' my first career as well.

    My advice would be to pick something that you think you might enjoy and do some reading up on it. That way at least if you're shit at it you can say you gave something you like doing a go before admitting defeat and ending up doing something you might not necessarily like as much - but which you've got a natural aptitude for. If you find out you ARE good at it and you enjoy it - superb!
  • This is a problem, unless you can re-train at something which offers more money (the path to job satisfaction) and can slide straight into it me personally I would stick with what I was doing.

    Still I spend most of my working life in an office now which I never thought I would so even though it's within the same mob it's a career change and you just get on and adapt I suppose.

    Money is my sole motivator
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  • [cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]

    Money is my sole motivator

    Phil Parkinson is my sole motivator ....
  • You're bolloxed then oggster!

    Go and work for your local council if you do fancy an easy unsackable number.

    Seriously, sir Phil will lead us to glory
  • edited April 2009
    I am only doing my current job due to the economic freeze, I dont want to be a Travel Insurance Claims Assistant forever. As soon as i decide what i really want to do (Whether it's in the Emergency services or just staying in another kind of office work.)

    I would recommend sticking at what your doing for now!
  • [cite]Posted By: Ledge[/cite]well 5th May is my last day on the knowledge so to speak - last exam and pick my badge up. Then I have a decision to make. do i stay in my present job , I earn a good salary , bite the bullet and hand my notice in on the 6th.

    Pros for staying
    stable job
    guaranteed salary
    all the usual benefits working in a company.

    pros for going
    be my own boss
    answer to NO ONE - except the wife LOL
    take a day off when I feel like and not have to give a week's notice
    don't have some snotty little mug as a boss who quite frankly I feel like chinning most days

    Or am I biting of my nose to spite my face at this time. I dunno

    don't worry NSS i'll make sure you are paid before I go LOL

    Know how you feel Kigleia I have the same problem.

    I will second what Ketman said Ledge, I know two black cab drivers and they are having to put in some serious hours to earn what they have been used to and of course pay for the lease of the cab, don't get me wrong they are still earning a good living but the good day's seem to have gone when it comes to driving a cab.

    Good luck with whatever you choose though mate, you only get out what you put in.
  • [cite]Posted By: Dazzler21[/cite]I am only doing my current job due to the economic freeze, ........

    I'm only doing mine for the money.

    Otherwise I'd be a Pro footballer .......
  • [cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]You're bolloxed then oggster!

    Go and work for your local council if you do fancy an easy unsackable number.
    If that was ever true, it's not any more. Where I used to work is making people redundant left right and centre, and has outsourced its call centre to Rochdale.
  • Electrical Engineer

    Bar owner

    facilites Engineer

    Hotel Chief Engineer

    Special Projects Manager

    Key Accounts Manager

    Consultant ---- Facilities Manager -- Project start up/Close Manager

    did differant courses and took some chances--- one or two dead ends. Remember one door closes , a few get slammed in your face, but what dsnt kill you makes you stronger.
  • edited April 2009
    [cite]Posted By: aliwibble[/cite] Where I used to work is making people redundant left right and centre, and has outsourced its call centre to Rochdale.

    Rochdale ?

    The epicentre of erm ..... dunno really. Used to go out with a bird woman oop'n Rotch Day-all.

    If they go up in the play-offs, we can all go to Spotland again.
    It's not Wembley though, you know.
  • had to phone the bank this morning and was put thro to Bombay / mombai or whatever its called this week call centre. I kid you not the lady on the ther end insisted that my address didnt exist ! i had given her the ref number etc etc etc post code etc etc etc i was on the point of going across the road and seeing if indeed the hse had been f**kin moved without me knowing !
    Mind you i aint saying a call centre in Rochdale wuld be much better.


    " pres 6 for a twat that knows f**k all"
  • [cite]Posted By: Goonerhater[/cite]
    Mind you i aint saying a call centre in Rochdale wuld be much better.

    You'd understand the lady in Mumbai clearer ..... than the Coronation Street reject oop'n Rotch Day-all.

    ;o)
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  • edited April 2009
    [cite]Posted By: Ketman[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: Ledge[/cite]well 5th May is my last day on the knowledge so to speak - last exam and pick my badge up. Then I have a decision to make. do i stay in my present job , I earn a good salary , bite the bullet and hand my notice in on the 6th.

    Pros for staying
    stable job
    guaranteed salary
    all the usual benefits working in a company.

    pros for going
    be my own boss
    answer to NO ONE - except the wife LOL
    take a day off when I feel like and not have to give a week's notice
    don't have some snotty little mug as a boss who quite frankly I feel like chinning most days

    Or am I biting of my nose to spite my face at this time. I dunno

    don't worry NSS i'll make sure you are paid before I go LOL

    Know how you feel Kigleia I have the same problem.

    My best mate is a Black Cabbie Ledge & he reckons to earn any sort of money at the moment you have to do some serious hours at the moment, lot tougher than it has been for last couple of years. He lives in Tadworth & does Surbiton / Kingston / Richmond which are pretty affluent areas.

    Granted Ketman but he's a Canary - yellow badge so he can only work in those areas. Me I've done the hard badge All London so I can go anywehre within M25.

    And all black cab drivers are bloody liars. LOL
  • [cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Go and work for your local council if you do fancy an easy unsackable number.

    Echo what others have said re: LA jobs. Not easy at all unless you consider generally being paid less than the average wage, constantly being asked to do more for less and at the same time being expected to put up with daily abuse and general bloody rudeness from the public who think that as a public sector worker you're fair game for anything they fancy throwing at you.

    Yeah, maybe it is more secure than the private sector but maybe that's the pay off for not earning as much throughout ones working life or even getting so much a card as Christmas let alone a healthy bonus.

    Re:career change, I tried it 18 months ago and I'd say DON'T go for it right now unless you're 100% certain of an income. not trying to be negative but right now is not the time to be taking risks IMO.
  • was a bookie...became a scuba=diving instructor. best thing i have ever done (albeit in 23 going , hope that does not classify me as middle age!)
  • i am near the end of a fast track plumbing course that will give me a city and guilds in plumbing, currently in sales and have been able to do this around my current job, started last august and should be finished by this august. Have already set up my own company. nervous as hell, but im confident people will still need a plumber. go for it!
  • I was a gynocologist, now I'm a male escort.

    You'll be surprised at what transferable skills you will have.
  • Major Client Account Executive - Insurance Broker - 20 years
    Insurance Manager - Global IT Company - 5 years
    (Brief return) Major Client Account Executive again - 2 years
    Retail Business Owner - 8 years
    Full time house Dad/husband
    Independant Distributor for Utilty Service Provider (UK's Company of the year) 6 months ongoing.

    I wanted out of the corporate world I inhabited for twenty plus years. Got myself made redundant and moved to Norfolk to takeover a retail business.

    I actually view all my jobs as a stepping stone to what I'm doing now. It's the best thing I have ever done and for the first time I am really doing something for me that I like.
  • Transferred into a Local Authority in January from a smilar outsourced role, it has been good for me, did um and ah about doing it 12 years service dropped to move. Looks like it is working out well though.

    Echo the comments above LGO's apparently we have to takes dogs abuse even when we are doing our roles properly and efficiently.
  • Sorry lads but in my experiance both professionally and personally those in employment by local authorities are not doing good jobs.

    I deal with local councils every day and it is a ball ache. I fully expect you to stand up for yourselves but in my epxeriance they are light years behind similar workers in the private sector.

    I do apologise and mean no ill will personally, but the public sector civil service needs a hard kick in the arse.
  • edited April 2009
    [cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Sorry lads but in my experiance both professionally and personally those in employment by local authorities are not doing good jobs.

    I deal with local councils every day and it is a ball ache. I fully expect you to stand up for yourselves but in my epxeriance they are light years behind similar workers in the private sector.

    I do apologise and mean no ill will personally, but the public sector civil service needs a hard kick in the arse.

    I'm sure you were expecting it so here goes...

    Although in the public sector, I deal with private sector businesses, central government organisations and the voluntary sector every day of my life and can confirm beyond any reasonable doubt that, wait for it, there are good and bad employees in EVERY business. It's the nature of large organisations because they reflect a cross section of society, some people are engaged and good at their job, others less so. In my experience people in the public sector are generally not in it for a quick buck and tend to want to do a good job under sometimes very difficult circumstances.

    Your experience my lead you to believe that every LA is rubbish and some services in some departments probably are but then the very same could be said about most organisations in the private sector. Lets be honest, our banking industry's not exactly covered itself in glory recently has it for example?

    Because of the work that I do, I often visit business that are very poorly run by inept or dodgy individuals whose answer to any problems that crop up is either a)ignore it or b) stick the prices up, throw some money at it and get the punter to pay for it. Those are not options available in the public sector in my considerable experience, where I and many of my colleagues have tackled problems in the past through innovative solutions at little or no cost to the tax payer.

    In my experience, colleagues who have come into the public sector from the private sector are often surprised by the reality of the situation and compare it very favourably in comparison with the private sector in terms of service delivery, professionalism, customer servcie, etc.

    Over to you sir...
  • To compare banking and the public sector is a good one, because employees in both seem to get rewarded for imcompetence.

    I will be honest there are good employees in LA's that I have dealings with but they are very much in the minority. A mate of mine works for a council I shall not mention which one but the reason he works there (this guy would be the last person I would place in a position of anything nearing responsibility) is by his own admission that he is unsackable. And that seems to be the case across the board.

    I know I'm generalising a lot but there is really nothing driving employees in public employment other than their own morality. And I'm afraid that seems to be in short supply.
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