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).
I always find going direct to the recruitment agencies that advertise on those sites help, I.e see which agency has posted a job you like or similar to one you would like and contact them. You could email them and attach your CV, or a lot of them now allow you to send your CV directly via their website.
Non-transferable skills is always going to be my problem. 18 years Local Government and for the last 8 years in a very niche IT role. If I ever lose my job I fear for where I'd end up. Back at the bottom of the pile and completely starting again I'd say.
Fair play to those who walk away and do something they love. I have neither the balls or the financial security to do it.
1983 I registered as a pharmacist, worked for Boots and rose rapidly in the management ranks. Loved them to bits, but the breakdown started in 1998. I got back in touch with my core vocation as a pharmacist and in 2001 threw in the management towel, the very good salary, company car, bonuses, etc. As I remarked to my boss at the time, you've switched off the lights, tied my hands behind my back, blindfolded me and knicked the fire extinguishers, I cannot fight fires anymore. His response...would you like to see the company doctor? And to add insult to injury , replaced me with a full time pharmacist and a full time manager. We divorced. So for five years I worked as a Locum, training tutor and most importantly worked for an independent. Life was good then out if the blue in 2006 I got my big life break opened my own pharmacy from scratch next to a health centre. Had a brilliant and lucrative 9 years and sold up last January.....it was starting to take its toll. I'd put 15 years of hours worked into those 9 years. Thought I'd need to keep working, so went back to Locum work....but it's difficult when you've been the boss and this time the stress was unbearable, picking up the crap from others I followed who couldn't be arsed for example to balance the morphine register. I couldn't just walk away. So I made a New Years resolution...no more working in a community pharmacy ever again, i don't need that agro. I thought at 55 two days a week would suit me fine for the rest of my days. But at what cost to my health and well being.
Then more good fortune turns up to deliver an off the shelf project on behalf of the NHS for 6 months. Office based, for the first time in 17 years, great people around me, I'm a changed person, you just don't know sometimes how the daily grind really can grind you down. And then I'll see what happens from there. I've worked out that at 55 I'm lucky enough not to need to worry about the future. The revised pension arrangements help!
I count myself lucky on oh so many fronts, but what I've learnt is one life and one body, listen to it and how it's performing and make the change while you have the chance. Take a chance and be brave. It was a big decision to jack in Boots management with a young family, similarly to sell one of top 10% of dispensing turnover pharmacies in the UK. But you often make your own luck I've had my fair share and thankfully I've been brave enough to make and take the big life decisions before they got the better of me. I've got no complaints and count my blessings on the good fortune I've had from a rather humble start in life.
One piece of advice, if your considering a pharmacy degree, don't bother, look at dentistry, opthalmology or mathematics/economics instead. There are too many around, too few jobs and the government appears committed to thoroughly overhauling the current pharmacy model.
Going into teaching after 25 years in international biotech sales. It's very daunting but I have the potential of another 20 year career ahead of me in a valued profession. It will be financially challenging but only in short to medium term.
The
Enjoyed my first day shadowing teachers at great school in Otley, North Yorks, and this was enough to make me commit to enrolling in September! Their is life and opportunity beyond the corporate.
Going into teaching after 25 years in international biotech sales. It's very daunting but I have the potential of another 20 year career ahead of me in a valued profession. It will be financially challenging but only in short to medium term.
The
Enjoyed my first day shadowing teachers at great school in Otley, North Yorks, and this was enough to make me commit to enrolling in September! Their is life and opportunity beyond the corporate.
I left Uni and after struggling to find a career in Sport Science I chose to work in the public sector. I've been in the same job for nearly 17 years. I enjoyed it up to a couple of years ago but it is now starting to grate and I'm looking elsewhere but not sure what I can do having done the same job for so long.
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!
Strange that I randomly started reading this thread having spent most of the evening look at cycling holidays in Mallorca. Do you have a website I can look at?
Five years ago I turned up to a group interview for a PR agency thinking it was an interview for Global Radio. There i was, sitting soaked through to my pants after a torrential downpour. Scratching my head wondering what I was doing there, having no idea what PR was. At last it came to my turn to speak. I amalgamated all the best bits that people had said during the interview. Heaven knows how I got that job, but I did! Fast forward five years, I'm now a manager at the same firm. I still have no idea what PR is.
Five years ago I turned up to a group interview for a PR agency thinking it was an interview for Global Radio. There i was, sitting soaked through to my pants after a torrential downpour. Scratching my head wondering what I was doing there, having no idea what PR was. At last it came to my turn to speak. I amalgamated all the best bits that people had said during the interview. Heaven knows how I got that job, but I did! Fast forward five years, I'm now a manager at the same firm. I still have no idea what PR is.
You're not helping out KM on an interim basis are you by any chance?
I was thinking of a career change. I was gonna go from benefit scrounger to petty criminal. I mean benefit scrounging pays well an' all but they make me go and sign on a couple of times a week now and it's slap bang in the middle of the day which means I miss Jeremy Kyle for those days. Work is work I suppose and you've gotta do what you gotta do to bring a pound note in but that's quality time I'm missing with Jezza and I'll never get that back. Decisions decisions :-(
I'm a Software Developer (or "Software and Infrastructure Engineer", depending upon who's currently paying me and what they produce) in my early 20s. It's something I enjoy and I'm very good at, but perhaps I'd enjoy it more as a hobby without the workplace politics clouding what I do?
Growing up I seemed to have a knack for programming from the age of 13 or so, and from about 17 I was doing the odd very simple freelance bit here and there - combined with some more complex stuff as a hobby. I'd also been involved in a little news story (nothing amazing, I just found a security vulnerability somewhere) that I dined out on and have used to get jobs since.
At 20 I took on my first permanent (junior) role which paid OK, but then was offered jobs elsewhere and I generally moved around a bit until I'd tripled my salary in about 3 years and was generally getting contacted about senior roles. I started out with agency/marketing stuff, switched towards cloud/SaaS packages and have worked in the Healthcare, Business Admin, Startup and Financial sectors. All in 3 years.. and there lies the problem, I guess.
My last role I was given a lot of trust, and at 23 was able to help hire a new engineering team - which was very surreal as I was the youngest in the office, including two staff members I mentored. After the drawn out process of selecting the new team, I was pretty much a buffer between them and management bullshit - so I left. There was also office politics and I made a bad choice or two, but I left with my head held high and regularly go out with them.
My main problem is I chop and change roles regularly, very regularly - because I get painfully bored. I've done very well out of it, and without that boredom I wouldn't have learnt as much as I have nor would I have gained the variety of experience and the financial benefits. The problem is, it looks piss poor when you're changing roles every 6-12 months - and pretty much suggests I'm either shit, which fortunately references and working evidence proves to be incorrect, or better suited to contract work.
This mindset has meant I've entered in to my most recent role with the idea of "this is your last chance" - if this doesn't work out then I need to change. Alas, I wouldn't be able to match my salary, I am under-qualified for anything else and I just find it very easy to get this work; I've never failed an interview.
Ultimately, I'm looking at getting some information security and penetration testing certificates this year and I'll try and shift my career in to something security related. Hopefully I can bring my development experience along and use that as bargaining power at interview.
1983 I registered as a pharmacist, worked for Boots and rose rapidly in the management ranks. Loved them to bits, but the breakdown started in 1998. I got back in touch with my core vocation as a pharmacist and in 2001 threw in the management towel, the very good salary, company car, bonuses, etc. As I remarked to my boss at the time, you've switched off the lights, tied my hands behind my back, blindfolded me and knicked the fire extinguishers, I cannot fight fires anymore. His response...would you like to see the company doctor? And to add insult to injury , replaced me with a full time pharmacist and a full time manager. We divorced. So for five years I worked as a Locum, training tutor and most importantly worked for an independent. Life was good then out if the blue in 2006 I got my big life break opened my own pharmacy from scratch next to a health centre. Had a brilliant and lucrative 9 years and sold up last January.....it was starting to take its toll. I'd put 15 years of hours worked into those 9 years. Thought I'd need to keep working, so went back to Locum work....but it's difficult when you've been the boss and this time the stress was unbearable, picking up the crap from others I followed who couldn't be arsed for example to balance the morphine register. I couldn't just walk away. So I made a New Years resolution...no more working in a community pharmacy ever again, i don't need that agro. I thought at 55 two days a week would suit me fine for the rest of my days. But at what cost to my health and well being.
Then more good fortune turns up to deliver an off the shelf project on behalf of the NHS for 6 months. Office based, for the first time in 17 years, great people around me, I'm a changed person, you just don't know sometimes how the daily grind really can grind you down. And then I'll see what happens from there. I've worked out that at 55 I'm lucky enough not to need to worry about the future. The revised pension arrangements help!
I count myself lucky on oh so many fronts, but what I've learnt is one life and one body, listen to it and how it's performing and make the change while you have the chance. Take a chance and be brave. It was a big decision to jack in Boots management with a young family, similarly to sell one of top 10% of dispensing turnover pharmacies in the UK. But you often make your own luck I've had my fair share and thankfully I've been brave enough to make and take the big life decisions before they got the better of me. I've got no complaints and count my blessings on the good fortune I've had from a rather humble start in life.
One piece of advice, if your considering a pharmacy degree, don't bother, look at dentistry, opthalmology or mathematics/economics instead. There are too many around, too few jobs and the government appears committed to thoroughly overhauling the current pharmacy model.
I was working a boring legal job before I was offered the chance to take over a football team. It's been a tough ride so far, I've had to fire a lot of people - all of whom were individually great hires - and we still have way too many customers over 40. But I enjoy the music and I have a wicked title on my business cards.
I sold my business back in 2010...It was a good earner in its early days back in the 90's but just became a wage later due to the change in market forces in the Print & stationery trade. So I sold it after 20 years of ownership and moved to Australia thinking Id make a new start. Trouble is that I probably did this 20 years too late. Moving to a foreign country when youre over 50 with no real trade behind you and not having any friends or relations out here has made life very hard for me.
I've now been out of work for nearly 6 years and when I first came here I applied for dozens of jobs and never got any replies, let alone interviews....I would have been happy driving a delivery van....a far cry from running a successful business back home, but I was trying to be realistic. The lowest point came in 2013 when I applied at two well known Volunteer bureaus and both rejected me as being far too experienced. I couldnt even give myself away.
Fortunately we sold our house in the UK in 2014 and this allowed me to free up some cash to enable me to renovate the house we live in now. If we sell, we will make a nice profit and ideally Id love to do it all again, but finding a house at the right price in this market is very difficult so its kind of making me revisit where I was before I began the renovation.
I invested in some vintage wedding cars and have ploughed a lot of money into getting them up to scratch. We developed a website which looks great but we have now encountered the seo problem in an already busy market place. Its really frustrating and at times I feel like packing up my bags and coming back home. I do have moments where I really feel like a fish out of water here but you soldier on.
Im not in any way looking for a sympathy vote and after rambling on here I think the point I wanted to make was be careful what you wish for.....for all the ups and downs of my previous career I really would love to turn back the clock. That old saying of the grass being greener on the other side is so true.
So before you make a leap of faith, be really careful and do your research. Its heartening to hear some of the success stories here, and Im really hoping to find something meaningful to do in the near future, but at 56 you really do start to look over your shoulder as you realise that time is catching up on you.
Put my hand up for a redundancy back in 2003 after 25 years in the City. Fancied working for myself, so the money went that way. Went bust 4 years later and just been chasing jobs for the past 9 years to bring a wage in.
That's been hard as age kills your chances in most places and what's left is usually crap or physical work, which had been OK. However a major health scare last year means my current job is a no go. Not looking forward to my job prospects tbh and not looking for anything grand either, but most applications don't receive a response and those that do respond are with a negative.
So, yup I'd turn back the clock too. If I'd stayed where I was I'd have been retiring this week on a pension paying more than I currently earn.
I do feel for you mate...keep plugging away and all the best for the future....whatever it may hold.
Going into teaching after 25 years in international biotech sales. It's very daunting but I have the potential of another 20 year career ahead of me in a valued profession. It will be financially challenging but only in short to medium term.
The
Enjoyed my first day shadowing teachers at great school in Otley, North Yorks, and this was enough to make me commit to enrolling in September! Their is life and opportunity beyond the corporate.
Going into teaching after 25 years in international biotech sales. It's very daunting but I have the potential of another 20 year career ahead of me in a valued profession. It will be financially challenging but only in short to medium term.
The
Enjoyed my first day shadowing teachers at great school in Otley, North Yorks, and this was enough to make me commit to enrolling in September! Their is life and opportunity beyond the corporate.
Well I've only gone have given my notice in. I've decided I've had enough of Tennants being ungrateful for the plumbing work I do .so I have followed my heart took a ten thousand pounds a year pay cut all to look after children in residential care.
I was a freelance computer chap for 30 years, at 57 realized that it had finished for me. My wife and I are now in the process of buying a Guest House in Falmouth, Cornwall. Our daughter went to uni there and we always found it difficult to find a place to stay when went to visit her and from there we had our plan B. Will be moving down in March.
Second hand but my sister in law was made redundant two years ago from the prison service. She was terrified at first because wasn't sure what transferable skills she had. However, she had lots of job offers and would never go back to weekends and shift work.
I take my hat off to anyone who does shift work. My dad did it for years and I swear it nearly killed him. Well that and the 40 a day. And the booze. And the stress of following Charlton for nearly 70 years.
I enjoy my work but I don't like the company I work for and I regularly work 50-60 hours a week and could be forced to travel the length of the country at the drop of the hat. Moneys not terrible but not what I believe it should be.
I'd like to go it alone but I don't think think there's enough of a market it for it to do by myself so I'm thinking of finding a similar employed job with less hours and starting the business as more of a side venture. Does anyone else have any experience like this working both as an employee and starting a business/working self employed together?
I enjoy my work but I don't like the company I work for and I regularly work 50-60 hours a week and could be forced to travel the length of the country at the drop of the hat. Moneys not terrible but not what I believe it should be.
I'd like to go it alone but I don't think think there's enough of a market it for it to do by myself so I'm thinking of finding a similar employed job with less hours and starting the business as more of a side venture. Does anyone else have any experience like this working both as an employee and starting a business/working self employed together?
I'm in a similar boat mate. Don't want to start talking to people about what I would do though in case they nick my ideas!
Well I've only gone have given my notice in. I've decided I've had enough of Tennants being ungrateful for the plumbing work I do .so I have followed my heart took a ten thousand pounds a year pay cut all to look after children in residential care.
Comments
theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/27/on-the-blacklist-building-firms-secret-information-on-workers
Fair play to those who walk away and do something they love. I have neither the balls or the financial security to do it.
Then more good fortune turns up to deliver an off the shelf project on behalf of the NHS for 6 months. Office based, for the first time in 17 years, great people around me, I'm a changed person, you just don't know sometimes how the daily grind really can grind you down. And then I'll see what happens from there. I've worked out that at 55 I'm lucky enough not to need to worry about the future. The revised pension arrangements help!
I count myself lucky on oh so many fronts, but what I've learnt is one life and one body, listen to it and how it's performing and make the change while you have the chance. Take a chance and be brave. It was a big decision to jack in Boots management with a young family, similarly to sell one of top 10% of dispensing turnover pharmacies in the UK. But you often make your own luck I've had my fair share and thankfully I've been brave enough to make and take the big life decisions before they got the better of me. I've got no complaints and count my blessings on the good fortune I've had from a rather humble start in life.
One piece of advice, if your considering a pharmacy degree, don't bother, look at dentistry, opthalmology or mathematics/economics instead. There are too many around, too few jobs and the government appears committed to thoroughly overhauling the current pharmacy model.
Enjoyed my first day shadowing teachers at great school in Otley, North Yorks, and this was enough to make me commit to enrolling in September! Their is life and opportunity beyond the corporate.
Good link here
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-get-best-out-your-recruitment-consultant-tips-clients-maxted
Growing up I seemed to have a knack for programming from the age of 13 or so, and from about 17 I was doing the odd very simple freelance bit here and there - combined with some more complex stuff as a hobby. I'd also been involved in a little news story (nothing amazing, I just found a security vulnerability somewhere) that I dined out on and have used to get jobs since.
At 20 I took on my first permanent (junior) role which paid OK, but then was offered jobs elsewhere and I generally moved around a bit until I'd tripled my salary in about 3 years and was generally getting contacted about senior roles. I started out with agency/marketing stuff, switched towards cloud/SaaS packages and have worked in the Healthcare, Business Admin, Startup and Financial sectors. All in 3 years.. and there lies the problem, I guess.
My last role I was given a lot of trust, and at 23 was able to help hire a new engineering team - which was very surreal as I was the youngest in the office, including two staff members I mentored. After the drawn out process of selecting the new team, I was pretty much a buffer between them and management bullshit - so I left. There was also office politics and I made a bad choice or two, but I left with my head held high and regularly go out with them.
My main problem is I chop and change roles regularly, very regularly - because I get painfully bored. I've done very well out of it, and without that boredom I wouldn't have learnt as much as I have nor would I have gained the variety of experience and the financial benefits. The problem is, it looks piss poor when you're changing roles every 6-12 months - and pretty much suggests I'm either shit, which fortunately references and working evidence proves to be incorrect, or better suited to contract work.
This mindset has meant I've entered in to my most recent role with the idea of "this is your last chance" - if this doesn't work out then I need to change. Alas, I wouldn't be able to match my salary, I am under-qualified for anything else and I just find it very easy to get this work; I've never failed an interview.
Ultimately, I'm looking at getting some information security and penetration testing certificates this year and I'll try and shift my career in to something security related. Hopefully I can bring my development experience along and use that as bargaining power at interview.
And yep its been a very good read too.
I take my hat off to anyone who does shift work. My dad did it for years and I swear it nearly killed him. Well that and the 40 a day. And the booze. And the stress of following Charlton for nearly 70 years.
I'd like to go it alone but I don't think think there's enough of a market it for it to do by myself so I'm thinking of finding a similar employed job with less hours and starting the business as more of a side venture. Does anyone else have any experience like this working both as an employee and starting a business/working self employed together?