I went to the careers office and told them I wanted a new job in submarines. 'Overseas', he asked. 'No, they would be hovercraft', I replied
Nice one Arthur.
Thought i would dabble a bit in the financial markets, so did lots of research, and decided to take the plunge into a off shore account where my money might be safer ?
Just some of the plus points.
greater privacy (see also bank secrecy, a principle born with the 1934 Swiss Banking Act) little or no taxation (i.e. tax havens) easy access to deposits (at least in terms of regulation) protection against local, political, or financial instability
So I put 90% of my savings into the Fred Olsen line !
The one thing I do regret with my job is, the constant pressure and not being able to turn off, constantly checking for emails when at home, not being able to take a summer holiday, I would love to have a holiday in the uk with the family cornwall, devon etc, but I can only get away either October or Feb half term. I know I am going to regret it in years to come how much time I have missed with the kids as they have grown up.I should never have left my job with Nat West 20 years ago, I would have had a decent pension when I retired, now I will have jack shit.
Twenty to thirty years of continuing to do something that makes you miserable or take the plunge and change to something you'll enjoy which may be a few years of struggle but will be like winning the lottery thereafter if you can get out of bed to do something you like each day.
Good luck to anyone who has the guts to do this and any yiung uns without kids or real responsibilities you'd be mad not to.
They say it's the things we don't do in life that are the biggest regrets.
The one thing I do regret with my job is, the constant pressure and not being able to turn off, constantly checking for emails when at home, not being able to take a summer holiday, I would love to have a holiday in the uk with the family cornwall, devon etc, but I can only get away either October or Feb half term. I know I am going to regret it in years to come how much time I have missed with the kids as they have grown up.I should never have left my job with Nat West 20 years ago, I would have had a decent pension when I retired, now I will have jack shit.
What were you doing at NatWest? I work in a bank here in China. Although things may be different but I suppose generally speaking a job in a bank is okay and stable? Why did you quit?
I hate my job with a passion. So much passion in fact that thinking of ways to describe how much I dislike the people I work keeps me rocking.
Problem is I'm not really educated to any level beyond GCSE. I've got loads of tickets relating to my job but they are not really transferable.
I completely understand the mantra about not living to work and to do what makes me happy.
But
I've got loads of fucking bills to pay and life is expensive, so expensive it's ridiculous. I earn pretty well from my job I detest. And most things that would make me happy have shit pay or are unattainable to someone who went to the university of chancer's and loafers.
I've got nothing but respect for anyone who goes off on the pursuit of happiness
Could you try and make small changes first mate? Maybe alter your hours? Part time etc??? If you hate it you must change it. It is hard and I'm currently in the same position as you.
I'm constantly looking for jobs. Would love to get into football coaching, wouldn't know where to start though.
Going by the great KF, you should not need too many qualifications.
I moved when the bank started streamlining everything and changing the old high street bank system, I started from the bottom learned each and everyjob, and was clerking for the senior business manager at Charing Cross Business centre, but oppurtunities for promotion were getting harder and harder, the family business was doing well but getting to a stage where my old man needed help or would need to sell it, so I joined there, just after this a lot of the ul manufacturing moved to china. Although we are doing ok, it is a very seasonal buisness which is mad for 6 months of the year and the rest of the time you are trying to find things for the staff to do.We can't afford to lay people off because finding people who can maunfacture sportswear is very hard as it is no longer taught in the uk. So can t relax when busy which entails at least 70 hour weeks and cant relax when not busy as trying to keep staff in work which will entail at least a 58 hour week. More manufacturing is now coming back from china because prices are not as cheap and timescales too long, but there is not many people who can now do the job left in the uk.
As someone who has changed jobs a few times in the last decade after a 20 year career doing one thing the one important thing I'd pass on is - it's easier to find a job while you've got one than it is when you haven't!
I moved when the bank started streamlining everything and changing the old high street bank system, I started from the bottom learned each and everyjob, and was clerking for the senior business manager at Charing Cross Business centre, but oppurtunities for promotion were getting harder and harder, the family business was doing well but getting to a stage where my old man needed help or would need to sell it, so I joined there, just after this a lot of the ul manufacturing moved to china. Although we are doing ok, it is a very seasonal buisness which is mad for 6 months of the year and the rest of the time you are trying to find things for the staff to do.We can't afford to lay people off because finding people who can maunfacture sportswear is very hard as it is no longer taught in the uk. So can t relax when busy which entails at least 70 hour weeks and cant relax when not busy as trying to keep staff in work which will entail at least a 58 hour week. More manufacturing is now coming back from china because prices are not as cheap and timescales too long, but there is not many people who can now do the job left in the uk.
Now I can see why. I probably would have made the same choice.
Labour costs are indeed going up in China and it seems that many manufacturing factories are being moved to Southeast Asia.
If you are going to leave one job without having another one then I would reduce the risk by either having savings or the willingness / potential to sell your house and have the equity as a back up. My wife and I both quit our jobs and relocated from Kent to Lancashire. We weighed up all the factors and decided we didn't really have a lot to lose. A year later and it couldn't be going better. Both in new jobs , part time, smaller mortgage / bigger house, nicer area, much better schools etc. My commute to work is a five minute walk and I'm enjoying myself.
I'm just starting in my career really (24 now) but already hate my job. I work hard and always willing but I have no ambition to move up for some reason and feel like I have nothing in common with the others that work there. People seem to be dull, lifeless. Most are earning double/triple my salary who seem to know Sweet Fanny Adams. My problem is I don't really know what I want to do.. All I know is that I prefer working with people rather than the commercial/money side of things but jobs in retail/sales etc tend to pay crap and full of tossers. I've looked around and seen jobs which are similar to mine paying 5-6k less. Employers know they can pay a crap salary cos of the job market.
I'm questioning whether I should look for something before it gets too late. I know I should feel lucky to have a job, plenty my age struggling to find work. I'm considering moving up London as I'm hoping there is more of a "social" life up town, but then I would still be sitting in an office.
I just keep being told to be lucky to have a job and to 'get on with it'! Mid life crisis at 24... gawd help me.
So 3 years on, 27 and further qualified in my industry field, I read back on this with some sadness as being honest with myself I still feel exactly the same. Yes, some of you may say you're still young and can make changes etc but at 27 my life has different pressures and priorities than it did when I was 24. Saving for a house, loans, bills, bills and bills.
I worked hard for the last 3 years to become qualified using a day release at University to achieve the highest grade out of all my peers. I I have been searching for a new job in the same industry before I rule out that it "isn't for me" and have recently received a job offer on prestigious project on more £ and with better prospects to gain Chartered status. Did I read job specifications with excitement? No. Do I look forward to moving onto a new company and project? No not really. Yet I feel somewhat stuck in my profession due to financial commitments.
I have floated with many ideas, going back to my original post in 2012 the idea of working with people feels more natural to me. I have thought about Primary teaching, Secondary Teaching, Ambulance Service, Mentoring, Youth Work and even a Chef! The idea of being a teacher and working summer holidays as a Football coach has appealed to me, but I understand there is a lot more research involved and the road to get there would involve 3 years of a degree course with all the debts and lack of salary.
One thing I know for sure, I don't want to be 30 reading the same post above and feeling the same.
I hate my job with a passion. So much passion in fact that thinking of ways to describe how much I dislike the people I work keeps me rocking.
Problem is I'm not really educated to any level beyond GCSE. I've got loads of tickets relating to my job but they are not really transferable.
I completely understand the mantra about not living to work and to do what makes me happy.
But
I've got loads of fucking bills to pay and life is expensive, so expensive it's ridiculous. I earn pretty well from my job I detest. And most things that would make me happy have shit pay or are unattainable to someone who went to the university of chancer's and loafers.
I've got nothing but respect for anyone who goes off on the pursuit of happiness
I'm like you mate, haven't got a huge amount of transferable skills I cold use outside my current line of work.
We're quite lucky in that we both earn enough so that if one of us loses our job, we could still get by. At times would like to do something different but wouldn't be able to earn anywhere near what I'm on now if I had to start again.
I left school after flunking my A-levels and went into the city on a fairly crap wage starting at the bottom. After a year I guessed this was'nt for me, and applied to art college, which was my soul talking. I did a year's foundation course in Newham, failed to get into university, went back to the City for a year, reapplied, got in and had three wonderfull years in Newcastle. After that, there was no obvious job so I became a pavement artist for two years, which was great but hard on the knees. I decided to try a better climate and moved to Spain, where I spent six drunken years working in bars, DJ ing and finally as a bar manager. But it's a Young persons game so I moved into construction as a painter and decorator. I survived the worst of the Spanish recession, but lost my job a year ago and now work for my wife as a sales manager for a travel firm. I still paint pictures, have my own artists website, and like Spain though I miss the UK. Conclusión. If you are young, you should just go for it and follow your heart. As you get older, it becomes harder to be another Reggie Perrin, so you may regret not trying alternatives when you had the chance.
I moved when the bank started streamlining everything and changing the old high street bank system, I started from the bottom learned each and everyjob, and was clerking for the senior business manager at Charing Cross Business centre, but oppurtunities for promotion were getting harder and harder...
I left Barclays for the same reasons and sat around for a year wondering what the hell to do. I had written a little for the local press (unpaid) and bluffed a job at Sky Sports ("Yeh, written loads on sport, what do you need") when they were setting up online. Ended up two decades later heading up ESPN's digital offering outside the USA after a long time working with Cricinfo and looking after sites such as Soccernet. The change was the best thing I did, despite long, and at times crazy, hours ... working on, watching and going to sport and being paid for it. Went downhill once American bosses started sticking their oars in (endless meetings explaining why "soccer" cannot be covered in the same way as NFL ... "hey, but why can't you have reporters in the dressing rooms") but a hell of a ride. Happy to be out of it now ... and have reinvented myself again in semi-retirement as a sports photographer for schools (utilising a hobby which I was fairly good at).
Taking the plunge is a risk and is scary, especially if you are older (I was 35) but if it pays off it is like a shot in the arm and you are often reinvigorated, for work and for life as well. It made me realise that life can drift away in a job you hate, and eventually that saps so much vitality out of you and impacts on everything you do.
If you can afford to and have a vague idea of which direction you want to go in, do it. But if you change just for the money, then be prepared to not enjoy what you do. Some people are happy with that, others want more.
The flexibility of what I did allowed me to see my children growing up and rarely miss plays, sports etc. I was never going to be rich, but being such a part of their development was priceless.
Thinking of going down the K road myself @p_air. Is it really that bad?
Well. I did give the K (knowledge) a go as a kind of back up as my job was only going one way. I hated it. The group I worked with were OK but the management held us in such contempt. We felt like kids on detention most days. It never used to be like that and nobody ever left once they got in.There was talk of changing our shift pattern(about the only plus of the job) and cutting our money. So the K had to go on hold. I needed something sooner. Updated my CV. I'd been in my job for 12 years so was a bit concerned but managed to bag a couple of interviews. I got an offer from a company in the city that was a complete industry change. I was worried that the change might be too much and I might not pick it up, but my new soon to be manager seemed to have more confidence than I did and said I'd be fine! So I took the plunge and got my head down. It was a slight pay drop to start with,but still would be more than my old firm were going to pay if they got their way. Amazingly the pattern was the same as what I had been doing. So that was a bonus. A year on and all is good. Had my first yearly review this month and things have gone well. Everyone seems happy.Also got a pay rise! As for the K. That will have to wait. Although now I work in the smoke don't think I'd fancy driving around in it all day. Boris has now completely F**** a pretty already F***** up road network!
What I would say is to anyone thinking about changing is that you really never do know what is around the corner. I felt trapped and thought there's no way I'll ever escape but have faith.
The grass is greener is good advice as well,so do your research. Good luck to all.
As someone who has changed jobs a few times in the last decade after a 20 year career doing one thing the one important thing I'd pass on is - it's easier to find a job while you've got one than it is when you haven't!
Am glad this thread is here . I work for the local housing association as a plumber on really good money .van .final salary pension. 30 days holiday. .they have made me a supervisor. Which is like poacher turned game keeper. I hate it with a passion.ive done some volunteering work in a rehab which was good but did not tick the right boxes.so I decided to do some bank work for children with challenging behaviour in residential care . I bloody love it .It's amazing. But it half my hourly rate but I only work 10 days a month. So I could start my plumbing business on the side .but don't know we're to start.my Mrs is so worried about me going to do it because of the money situation. Any help would be great fully received thanks
I now earn a quarter of what I did 5 years ago and half what I did a year back and have no regrets whatsoever. The old days were great in that they paid for a house (or 2) and various luxuries but I don't miss the hassle.
A better balance in home and work has also meant my wife has been able to push on in her career and she's smashing it.
I'm just starting in my career really (24 now) but already hate my job. I work hard and always willing but I have no ambition to move up for some reason and feel like I have nothing in common with the others that work there. People seem to be dull, lifeless. Most are earning double/triple my salary who seem to know Sweet Fanny Adams. My problem is I don't really know what I want to do.. All I know is that I prefer working with people rather than the commercial/money side of things but jobs in retail/sales etc tend to pay crap and full of tossers. I've looked around and seen jobs which are similar to mine paying 5-6k less. Employers know they can pay a crap salary cos of the job market.
I'm questioning whether I should look for something before it gets too late. I know I should feel lucky to have a job, plenty my age struggling to find work. I'm considering moving up London as I'm hoping there is more of a "social" life up town, but then I would still be sitting in an office.
I just keep being told to be lucky to have a job and to 'get on with it'! Mid life crisis at 24... gawd help me.
[...]
I have floated with many ideas, going back to my original post in 2012 the idea of working with people feels more natural to me. I have thought about Primary teaching, Secondary Teaching, Ambulance Service, Mentoring, Youth Work and even a Chef! The idea of being a teacher and working summer holidays as a Football coach has appealed to me, but I understand there is a lot more research involved and the road to get there would involve 3 years of a degree course with all the debts and lack of salary.
[...]
If you've already got a degree, wouldn't it be a 1 year PGCE course to get in to teaching?
I now earn a quarter of what I did 5 years ago and half what I did a year back and have no regrets whatsoever. The old days were great in that they paid for a house (or 2) and various luxuries but I don't miss the hassle.
A better balance in home and work has also meant my wife has been able to push on in her career and she's smashing it.
I *taught 15 years in state secondary schools before deciding to chase the dream. Moved to Italy with the family and started a cycling holiday company. Love it. Best decision I ever made. But then I do ride most days now!
Life is to short and I would recommend to anyone to make a change if they are in a job they are not happy in.
*I Loved teaching and would recommend it but it is bloody exhausting!
I'm just starting in my career really (24 now) but already hate my job. I work hard and always willing but I have no ambition to move up for some reason and feel like I have nothing in common with the others that work there. People seem to be dull, lifeless. Most are earning double/triple my salary who seem to know Sweet Fanny Adams. My problem is I don't really know what I want to do.. All I know is that I prefer working with people rather than the commercial/money side of things but jobs in retail/sales etc tend to pay crap and full of tossers. I've looked around and seen jobs which are similar to mine paying 5-6k less. Employers know they can pay a crap salary cos of the job market.
I'm questioning whether I should look for something before it gets too late. I know I should feel lucky to have a job, plenty my age struggling to find work. I'm considering moving up London as I'm hoping there is more of a "social" life up town, but then I would still be sitting in an office.
I just keep being told to be lucky to have a job and to 'get on with it'! Mid life crisis at 24... gawd help me.
[...]
I have floated with many ideas, going back to my original post in 2012 the idea of working with people feels more natural to me. I have thought about Primary teaching, Secondary Teaching, Ambulance Service, Mentoring, Youth Work and even a Chef! The idea of being a teacher and working summer holidays as a Football coach has appealed to me, but I understand there is a lot more research involved and the road to get there would involve 3 years of a degree course with all the debts and lack of salary.
[...]
If you've already got a degree, wouldn't it be a 1 year PGCE course to get in to teaching?
Hi @LuckyReds Sorry I wasn't clear.. it would be if I had a degree, I am only Higher Education Certificate level qualified. I would need to complete 2 years part-time to achieve a degree.
I now earn a quarter of what I did 5 years ago and half what I did a year back and have no regrets whatsoever. The old days were great in that they paid for a house (or 2) and various luxuries but I don't miss the hassle.
A better balance in home and work has also meant my wife has been able to push on in her career and she's smashing it.
I've changed career so many times I can't remember them all. But like katrien says "they have been an improvement every time" !!. Worked in London in late 70's in several jobs then did a degree and worked in Europe & the Far East and now have been my own boss for the last 20 years.. There is nothing better than working for yourself.
I now earn a quarter of what I did 5 years ago and half what I did a year back and have no regrets whatsoever. The old days were great in that they paid for a house (or 2) and various luxuries but I don't miss the hassle.
A better balance in home and work has also meant my wife has been able to push on in her career and she's smashing it.
You're married!!!!!
;--)
Yes, I'm afraid you missed my boat
One night stand said that to me once. Third time lucky.
Been working in retail banking since I was 17, 15 years now and done pretty much every role possible, and am now at the stage where I need a change.
Have looked into various roles outside of banking, but seem to keep getting knocked back as I only have retail banking experience.
If anyone on here works for local governments or council, and can point me in the right direction to move into this line of work, please send me a message.
If you are going to leave one job without having another one then I would reduce the risk by either having savings or the willingness / potential to sell your house and have the equity as a back up. My wife and I both quit our jobs and relocated from Kent to Lancashire. We weighed up all the factors and decided we didn't really have a lot to lose. A year later and it couldn't be going better. Both in new jobs , part time, smaller mortgage / bigger house, nicer area, much better schools etc. My commute to work is a five minute walk and I'm enjoying myself.
If you are going to leave one job without having another one then I would reduce the risk by either having savings or the willingness / potential to sell your house and have the equity as a back up. My wife and I both quit our jobs and relocated from Kent to Lancashire. We weighed up all the factors and decided we didn't really have a lot to lose. A year later and it couldn't be going better. Both in new jobs , part time, smaller mortgage / bigger house, nicer area, much better schools etc. My commute to work is a five minute walk and I'm enjoying myself.
If you are going to leave one job without having another one then I would reduce the risk by either having savings or the willingness / potential to sell your house and have the equity as a back up. My wife and I both quit our jobs and relocated from Kent to Lancashire. We weighed up all the factors and decided we didn't really have a lot to lose. A year later and it couldn't be going better. Both in new jobs , part time, smaller mortgage / bigger house, nicer area, much better schools etc. My commute to work is a five minute walk and I'm enjoying myself.
But it pisses down, every day
It does rain a lot I can't deny that but we live on a lovely seaside town and enjoy the sunny days far more than I did down south. Still see my friends, I travel down and when they come up to us they have a nice relaxing break by the sea.
Great reading everyone's post. It's so strange reading back from 2012.
I moved down to Dorset with my work in hope of reinvigorating my career. Unfortunely that hasn't worked, although Dorset is an absolutely stunning place to live. I've put some time starting an online business which I hope to have started in March but the thought of going to work every days feels me with dred.
Ironically enough it's what made me start this thread back up. The fact I'm now starting to look for other jobs...
Would appreciate any good website, agencies etc that people can recommend that list jobs. I know the usual ones (Reed, Indeed and Total Jobs).
Comments
Thought i would dabble a bit in the financial markets,
so did lots of research, and decided to take the plunge into a off shore account where my money might be safer ?
Just some of the plus points.
greater privacy (see also bank secrecy, a principle born with the 1934 Swiss Banking Act)
little or no taxation (i.e. tax havens)
easy access to deposits (at least in terms of regulation)
protection against local, political, or financial instability
So I put 90% of my savings into the Fred Olsen line !
Good luck to anyone who has the guts to do this and any yiung uns without kids or real responsibilities you'd be mad not to.
They say it's the things we don't do in life that are the biggest regrets.
Labour costs are indeed going up in China and it seems that many manufacturing factories are being moved to Southeast Asia.
Good luck with your business.
So 3 years on, 27 and further qualified in my industry field, I read back on this with some sadness as being honest with myself I still feel exactly the same. Yes, some of you may say you're still young and can make changes etc but at 27 my life has different pressures and priorities than it did when I was 24. Saving for a house, loans, bills, bills and bills.
I worked hard for the last 3 years to become qualified using a day release at University to achieve the highest grade out of all my peers. I I have been searching for a new job in the same industry before I rule out that it "isn't for me" and have recently received a job offer on prestigious project on more £ and with better prospects to gain Chartered status. Did I read job specifications with excitement? No. Do I look forward to moving onto a new company and project? No not really. Yet I feel somewhat stuck in my profession due to financial commitments.
I have floated with many ideas, going back to my original post in 2012 the idea of working with people feels more natural to me. I have thought about Primary teaching, Secondary Teaching, Ambulance Service, Mentoring, Youth Work and even a Chef! The idea of being a teacher and working summer holidays as a Football coach has appealed to me, but I understand there is a lot more research involved and the road to get there would involve 3 years of a degree course with all the debts and lack of salary.
One thing I know for sure, I don't want to be 30 reading the same post above and feeling the same.
We're quite lucky in that we both earn enough so that if one of us loses our job, we could still get by. At times would like to do something different but wouldn't be able to earn anywhere near what I'm on now if I had to start again.
Conclusión. If you are young, you should just go for it and follow your heart. As you get older, it becomes harder to be another Reggie Perrin, so you may regret not trying alternatives when you had the chance.
Taking the plunge is a risk and is scary, especially if you are older (I was 35) but if it pays off it is like a shot in the arm and you are often reinvigorated, for work and for life as well. It made me realise that life can drift away in a job you hate, and eventually that saps so much vitality out of you and impacts on everything you do.
If you can afford to and have a vague idea of which direction you want to go in, do it. But if you change just for the money, then be prepared to not enjoy what you do. Some people are happy with that, others want more.
The flexibility of what I did allowed me to see my children growing up and rarely miss plays, sports etc. I was never going to be rich, but being such a part of their development was priceless.
So I took the plunge and got my head down. It was a slight pay drop to start with,but still would be more than my old firm were going to pay if they got their way. Amazingly the pattern was the same as what I had been doing. So that was a bonus.
A year on and all is good. Had my first yearly review this month and things have gone well. Everyone seems happy.Also got a pay rise!
As for the K. That will have to wait. Although now I work in the smoke don't think I'd fancy driving around in it all day. Boris has now completely F**** a pretty already F***** up road network!
What I would say is to anyone thinking about changing is that you really never do know what is around the corner. I felt trapped and thought there's no way I'll ever escape but have faith.
The grass is greener is good advice as well,so do your research. Good luck to all.
A better balance in home and work has also meant my wife has been able to push on in her career and she's smashing it.
;--)
Life is to short and I would recommend to anyone to make a change if they are in a job they are not happy in.
*I Loved teaching and would recommend it but it is bloody exhausting!
Worked in London in late 70's in several jobs then did a degree and worked in Europe & the Far East and now have been my own boss for the last 20 years.. There is nothing better than working for yourself.
Have looked into various roles outside of banking, but seem to keep getting knocked back as I only have retail banking experience.
If anyone on here works for local governments or council, and can point me in the right direction to move into this line of work, please send me a message.
Happy to work across London or Kent
Cheers
I moved down to Dorset with my work in hope of reinvigorating my career. Unfortunely that hasn't worked, although Dorset is an absolutely stunning place to live. I've put some time starting an online business which I hope to have started in March but the thought of going to work every days feels me with dred.
Ironically enough it's what made me start this thread back up. The fact I'm now starting to look for other jobs...
Would appreciate any good website, agencies etc that people can recommend that list jobs. I know the usual ones (Reed, Indeed and Total Jobs).