Career change.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, Boostin' Kev said:

Is Monkman the only poster to go through a mid life crisis to be an accountant? 

Didn't they used to say that John Major was the only person ever to run away from the circus to become an accountant?

 

 

 

ETA:  Christ, I was beaten to it.

Edited October 21, 2020 by Monkey Tennis

[The Moonster]

45 minutes ago, Jambomo said:

Sure. There is quite a wide range of areas you can be involved it, public lending libraries are the kind most people think about but you have law librarians, NHS/healthcare, schools, there are loads.  I work as an academic librarian, mainly in supporting research (things like Open Access, bibliometrics etc). There is a lot more now about about access to information in general than just lending out books. A lot is done around electronic resources (i.e e-books, journals that are online only or mainly online), keeping data safe (i.e archiving and making as much publicly available as possible) loads of things.

Getting into it at entry level (so normally on a helpdesk or starting as a cataloguer or other metadata assistant) is fairly straightforward, you don't need a lot of qualifications but it is very competitive so usually people will have some relevant transferrable skills or previous volunteering experience. If you want to move up then people will generally look for Librarianship as a degree or the route I took which was a undergrad degree in any subject but then a postgrad degree in Librarianship or information management (the main thing is doing a course accredited by CILIP which is the professional body for librarians). The good thing is that the Postgrad courses are really set up for people to do them around work, its almost the expected route so that helps a lot. You do get professional Chartership from CILIP which is more of a nice to have than essential as it is in some other fields (i.e accounting).

I always head it in my (admittedly ignorant) head that librarians would soon be a thing of the past what with all the info online but you've got me looking into this and it sounds really interesting! How long did it take you to get all the qualifications required?

[GallowayBlue]

1 hour ago, Jambomo said:

Sure. There is quite a wide range of areas you can be involved it, public lending libraries are the kind most people think about but you have law librarians, NHS/healthcare, schools, there are loads.  I work as an academic librarian, mainly in supporting research (things like Open Access, bibliometrics etc). There is a lot more work done now around access to information in general, than just lending out books. A lot is done around electronic resources (i.e e-books, journals that are online only or mainly online), keeping data safe (i.e archiving and making as much publicly available as possible) loads of things.

Getting into it at entry level (so normally on a helpdesk or starting as a cataloguer or other metadata assistant) is fairly straightforward, you don't need a lot of qualifications but it is very competitive so usually people will have some relevant transferrable skills or previous volunteering experience. If you want to move up then people will generally look for Librarianship as a degree or the route I took which was a undergrad degree in any subject but then a postgrad degree in Librarianship or information management (the main thing is doing a course accredited by CILIP which is the professional body for librarians). The good thing is that the Postgrad courses are really set up for people to do them around work, its almost the expected route so that helps a lot. You do get professional Chartership from CILIP which is more of a nice to have than essential as it is in some other fields (i.e accounting).

Thank you. Food for thought.

[Jambomo]

20 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

I always head it in my (admittedly ignorant) head that librarians would soon be a thing of the past what with all the info online but you've got me looking into this and it sounds really interesting! How long did it take you to get all the qualifications required?

Its taken me 6 1/2 years in all, (4 for my Undergrad and 2 1/2 for a part-time postgrad).

Yeah lots of folk think that but there are a few things that make Librarians stick around, one is that they now do a lot of teaching on digital skills and how to find and evaluate online information, how to use databases etc. The other is more for institutions like Uni's, NHS etc but they pay for access to resources - it costs a massive amount of money to buy journal and e-book access, most people couldn't afford to buy all they need so the institution pays for wide-range access. Actually still quite a lot of them can be in print in certain subject areas.

Its a really interesting job and I certainly don't regret choosing it over financial services donkey-work anyway!

[Jambomo]

2 minutes ago, GallowayBlue said:

Thank you. Food for thought.

No worries. The main issue is how competitive it is, can be quite hard to get into and once in, its the kind of job that people will hang on to until retirement so opportunities aren't huge but you can get lucky and the kind of area I am in is growing a lot to keep up with the increase in research.

[Ekhibee88]

Needs to be more focus on apprenticeships, decent ones at that. I graduated this year from a full time construction degree, got me wondering why I did this full time. It should be part time with you working in the industry. I believe there would need to be an increase in apprenticeship places. Full time vocational degree with no experience is not a good look.

[ZingaliMan]

Bute Island Foods which make none dairy cheese called sheese and none dairy ice cream for the vegan market.  Only a few years ago it employed 5 people. Today it employs 160. A new small factory is being built across the road from the current factory which will employ a further 100 next year. Planning permission is in for a further factory at the islands old gas works for a  £10 million unit. They supply own brand vegan products to Sainsbury's, Tesco , Asda, Waitrose on Tuesday M & S did a audit as they will sell Bute Island products also. The company export all over the world also.  If your looking for something new in the job market might be worth keeping an eye out as all kinds of jobs will come up in the future. You would have to move to the island . I have been here 7 years now and would never dream of moving back to the mainland the quality  of life here is better .Two ferry's run every 35min Glasgow being 40min away from Wemyss Bay.  There is also a roll on roll off ferry on another part of the island also so there is always a way off the island.  

[johnnydun]

On 20/10/2020 at 11:41, Hedgecutter said:

 

Kind of the other way around, I had a handyman around recently who had been a pilot before being made redundant and then going off to college to learn joinery. He now largely does that and fitting people's bathrooms, which half the country seems to need just now as holiday cash pots are being used for new bathrooms. "I've never been so busy" he said.

Did he do a good job of the landing?

[Jacksgranda]

On 20/10/2020 at 10:42, TheScarf said:

I'm a brickie but since I was 18 in 2003 I've bounced between that and IT support.  Now as I turn 35 I've decided I can't be arsed with building anymore and want to sit on my arse fixing IT problems for the rest of my days.

Not exactly a career change, but a decision to stick to doing one thing.  Being a brickie is great in the summer, and when your boss isn't a complete c**t b*****d.  In the winter, working for a c**t b*****d? No thanks.

Bricklaying and plastering are young men's games, although you're not old at 35.

Being inside doing your "other" job has made your mind up for you, of course.

[TheScarf]

4 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said:

Bricklaying and plastering are young men's games, although you're not old at 35.

Being inside doing your "other" job has made your mind up for you, of course.

Working for my old boss made me feel about 60.  I would get home from a day on site, sit on the sofa and wouldn't get up again as I was so knackered.  At least sat on my arse all day in my new job I have energy to take the dog out, go to the driving range etc at night.

[Jacksgranda]

22 hours ago, The Moonster said:

I always head it in my (admittedly ignorant) head that librarians would soon be a thing of the past what with all the info online but you've got me looking into this and it sounds really interesting! How long did it take you to get all the qualifications required?

Aye, I thought it was mildly interesting, too. Maybe if I was half my age I might have been tempted (to change from what I did).

Edited October 22, 2020 by Jacksgranda
Sleppnig

[Jacksgranda]

2 hours ago, Ekhibee88 said:

Needs to be more focus on apprenticeships, decent ones at that. I graduated this year from a full time construction degree, got me wondering why I did this full time. It should be part time with you working in the industry. I believe there would need to be an increase in apprenticeship places. Full time vocational degree with no experience is not a good look.

I think the reason apprenticeships died a death (in the construction industry, anyway) were 1/ you're totally useless in the first 12/18 months and cost your employer money, both in your (at that time miniscule) wages and the time a qualified tradesmen spends teaching you 2/ you don't have much money (as mentioned) and 3/ once you qualified you could swan off somewhere else where the employer had made no investment in you getting qualified.

[The Moonster]

Just now, Jacksgranda said:

I think the reason apprenticeships died a death (in the construction industry, anyway) were 1/ you're totally useless in the first 12/18 months and cost your employer money, both in your (at that time miniscule) wages and the time a qualified tradesmen spends teaching you 2/ you don't have much money (as mentioned) and 3/ once you qualified you could swan off somewhere else where the employer had made no investment in you getting qualified.

Number 3 is a big problem for companies here, my employer sees countless apprentices come in here, get the qualification then piss off to a better paying job (although I maintain that's because we pay really shite wages). I'm quite friendly with the guy who works in our German office and his kids were going through apprenticeships with a big shipping company a couple of years back - it's in the terms of their apprenticeships that they can't leave the company for at least 2 years after achieving their apprenticeship qualifications which is designed to stop the above happening. It also guarantees the apprentice 2 years of work experience on completion of his studies. Imagine some in this country would call that some form of slavery but it seems to suit all parties from where I'm standing. 

[Jacksgranda]

27 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Number 3 is a big problem for companies here, my employer sees countless apprentices come in here, get the qualification then piss off to a better paying job (although I maintain that's because we pay really shite wages). I'm quite friendly with the guy who works in our German office and his kids were going through apprenticeships with a big shipping company a couple of years back -it's in the terms of their apprenticeships that they can't leave the company for at least 2 years after achieving their apprenticeship qualifications which is designed to stop the above happening. It also guarantees the apprentice 2 years of work experience on completion of his studies. Imagine some in this country would call that some form of slavery but it seems to suit all parties from where I'm standing. 

That's the obvious solution.

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

54 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Number 3 is a big problem for companies here, my employer sees countless apprentices come in here, get the qualification then piss off to a better paying job (although I maintain that's because we pay really shite wages). I'm quite friendly with the guy who works in our German office and his kids were going through apprenticeships with a big shipping company a couple of years back - it's in the terms of their apprenticeships that they can't leave the company for at least 2 years after achieving their apprenticeship qualifications which is designed to stop the above happening. It also guarantees the apprentice 2 years of work experience on completion of his studies. Imagine some in this country would call that some form of slavery but it seems to suit all parties from where I'm standing. 

I'm not sure of a good alternative, but I'm really not sure that restricting people's right to work where they can or withdraw their labour is ever something we should be advocating. We'll end up with rioting apprentices causing bother in the streets like 15th century Florence. You say yourself that in your case your employer pays shite wages, I'd address that before mandating that you are legally obliged to work for your employer for a set period (once it's established as acceptable practice, I'd be very surprised if it didn't slowly start to creep up).

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Genuine Hibs Fan

[The Moonster]

4 minutes ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

I'm not sure of a good alternative, but I'm really not sure that restricting people's right to work where they can or withdraw their labour is ever something we should be advocating. We'll end up with rioting apprentices causing bother in the streets like 15th century Florence. You say yourself that in your case your employer pays shite wages, I'd address that before mandating that you are legally obliged to work for your employer for a set period (once it's established as acceptable practice, I'd be very surprised if it didn't slowly start to creep up).

 

I did say that some in this country would see it as a form of slavery and this is what I was kind of getting at. I'm not really clued up on the German apprenticeships I mentioned previously to argue this case properly tbh, but for me it seems to tick a lot of boxes. I should say I don't think this should be required by law (as in all apprenticeships come with this stipulation), but for some companies it might make sense to employ a couple of apprentices on those terms so that every single one of them doesn't waltz out the door. 

I do agree that wages should be a priority over that though. If you pay good wages the chances are folk will stay on. This company makes enough money to pay people more than it does IMO, although they generally are quite generous with bonuses on an annual basis. 

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

When I did my traineeship I’m pretty sure there was a clause in my contract that meant my employer could claw back the costs of training if I left on qualification. I’m not sure if they would’ve enforced it but it’s definitely something that is in place in the UK.

[Derry Alli]

3 hours ago, ZingaliMan said:

Bute Island Foods which make none dairy cheese called sheese and none dairy ice cream for the vegan market.  Only a few years ago it employed 5 people. Today it employs 160. A new small factory is being built across the road from the current factory which will employ a further 100 next year. Planning permission is in for a further factory at the islands old gas works for a  £10 million unit. They supply own brand vegan products to Sainsbury's, Tesco , Asda, Waitrose on Tuesday M & S did a audit as they will sell Bute Island products also. The company export all over the world also.  If your looking for something new in the job market might be worth keeping an eye out as all kinds of jobs will come up in the future. You would have to move to the island . I have been here 7 years now and would never dream of moving back to the mainland the quality  of life here is better .Two ferry's run every 35min Glasgow being 40min away from Wemyss Bay.  There is also a roll on roll off ferry on another part of the island also so there is always a way off the island.  

Its at its boom. I'm not too sure it will remain - even at the level seen now - in the mid to long term.

45 minutes ago, Bonksy+HisChristianParade said:

When I did my traineeship I’m pretty sure there was a clause in my contract that meant my employer could claw back the costs of training if I left on qualification. I’m not sure if they would’ve enforced it but it’s definitely something that is in place in the UK.

My mate is due Siemens £7,500 through doing his gas tickets through them then ditching them. His immediate manager told him to leave as he'd get more money elsewhere and the company would never be able to get the money back.

[JK_Queens]

There’s a clause in my accountancy traineeship that if I take a job after becoming chartered and leave within 2 years I need to pay back the costs of my training. There is the ‘out’ that I can leave immediately upon qualifying. This is in the public sector, the restrictions are most stringent in the private sector I believe.

Surprised this isn’t in place for apprentices. Think it’s more than fair enough if the employer is investing in your training and losing your productive time when your at college etc.

[philpy]

All I've done and known since I left school is warehouse/builders merchants work. I'm 43 and pissed off with it all now. Been with the same employer for 9 years and I'm seriously considering a career change, but I don't know what I'd want to do!! I had thought about driving jobs in the past, but driving around Edinburgh would just make me more angry than I can already be at times.