Career change.

[Aubrey Maturin]

2 hours ago, philpy said:

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. 

What about a private detective?

Seriously though find something you enjoy.

[throbber]

2 hours ago, philpy said:

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. 

Do you still work with a racist body builder?

[welshbairn]

22 minutes ago, throbber said:

Do you still work with a racist body builder?

Throbber, you're practically a married man with another baby due. This isn't the time for fantasy dates on the side.

[Lambie's Pigeon Feed]

I work in a policy job in the civil service. It pays pretty well but its pretty fucking dull. I fancy becoming an immigration lawyer but its a lot of work and pays less (unless I had my name above the door). I came close to quitting a few years back to become a teacher but moved roles instead. With both those jobs I worry the reality of a massive workload will mean I hate it eventually.

I've been in various departments for around 10 years now, in that time of all the people I've worked with only 2 of them have left the civil service /public sector completely. I'm in the sweet spot of being the highest grade below the level where the buck stops with you and I've got time to do all my household chores during my working day. Best realistic outcome for me, working in a Scottish embassy abroad (I could not work for the UK government again because they are c***s).

[beefybake]

9 minutes ago, Lambie's Pigeon Feed said:

I work in a policy job in the civil service. It pays pretty well but its pretty fucking dull. I fancy becoming an immigration lawyer but its a lot of work and pays less (unless I had my name above the door). I came close to quitting a few years back to become a teacher but moved roles instead. With both those jobs I worry the reality of a massive workload will mean I hate it eventually.

I've been in various departments for around 10 years now, in that time of all the people I've worked with only 2 of them have left the civil service /public sector completely. I'm in the sweet spot of being the highest grade below the level where the buck stops with you and I've got time to do all my household chores during my working day. Best realistic outcome for me, working in a Scottish embassy abroad (I could not work for the UK government again because they are c***s).

Learn what you need to learn, do what you need to do, to position yourself, to be ready at the right time... ?

[Boostin' Kev]

12 minutes ago, Lambie's Pigeon Feed said:

I work in a policy job in the civil service. It pays pretty well but its pretty fucking dull. I fancy becoming an immigration lawyer but its a lot of work and pays less (unless I had my name above the door). I came close to quitting a few years back to become a teacher but moved roles instead. With both those jobs I worry the reality of a massive workload will mean I hate it eventually.

I've been in various departments for around 10 years now, in that time of all the people I've worked with only 2 of them have left the civil service /public sector completely. I'm in the sweet spot of being the highest grade below the level where the buck stops with you and I've got time to do all my household chores during my working day. Best realistic outcome for me, working in a Scottish embassy abroad (I could not work for the UK government again because they are c***s).

There's a lot to be said for that from what I've seen, some people like the the job title/'power' with increasing promotions though.. There's one level above me I'd be happy with, without having to sacrifice my lifestyle too much and still get to fanny about a lot.

[throbber]

I don’t think you are at a disadvantage as a 35 year old up against a 21 year old for a graduate position tbh. 21 year olds are a fairly mixed bag who are likely to chop and change jobs a few times and aren’t usually tied down with mortgages, kids or a demanding partner. 35 year olds are probably viewed as a safer pair of hands who won’t f**k off at the first sight of trouble by a lot of employers.

 

[Raidernation]

I went down the promotion road teaching in Scotland. Had 2 different PT jobs, loved one, hated the last one (and TBH due to circumstances really didn’t give a f**k by the end)

Am I glad I did it? Yes.
Would I do it again? No. Happy just teaching theses days

[Gordon EF]

On 25/10/2020 at 16:06, throbber said:

I don’t think you are at a disadvantage as a 35 year old up against a 21 year old for a graduate position tbh. 21 year olds are a fairly mixed bag who are likely to chop and change jobs a few times and aren’t usually tied down with mortgages, kids or a demanding partner. 35 year olds are probably viewed as a safer pair of hands who won’t f**k off at the first sight of trouble by a lot of employers.

 

Realistically, employers don't expect folk to work at the same place until retirement. In an era where the average time spent in a job is something like 2.5 years, no employer with an ounce of sense should be thinking "why hire a 35 year old, I'm only going to get 30 years of work out of them. I could get 44 years out of this 21 year old."

The only issue might be if you're switching careers and are starting off in a more junior position than you were in your previous jobs, how you might handle that. As long as you come across as someone who's making the switch because it's something you really want to do and are prepared to learn and start a bit closer to the bottom, it should be more of an advantage than a disadvantage.

[coprolite]

1 hour ago, Gordon EF said:

Realistically, employers don't expect folk to work at the same place until retirement. In an era where the average time spent in a job is something like 2.5 years, no employer with an ounce of sense should be thinking "why hire a 35 year old, I'm only going to get 30 years of work out of them. I could get 44 years out of this 21 year old."

The only issue might be if you're switching careers and are starting off in a more junior position than you were in your previous jobs, how you might handle that. As long as you come across as someone who's making the switch because it's something you really want to do and are prepared to learn and start a bit closer to the bottom, it should be more of an advantage than a disadvantage.

I think that the point about sticking a junior post is probably what would put you at a disadvantage. New grads are generally expected to do a lot of menial shite along with gaining experience and employers might think you'd stand up for yourself. 

Not all employers use graduates as skivvies though. A good employer should be flexible enough to dispense with the bollocks about getting you used to the workplace. 

I know that at my work we usually look for graduates so we can get clever people with relevant knowledge doing routine stuff for a couple of years.  We wouldn't expect someone with 10 years experience in another environment to do all the same stuff. 

Basically, if someone doesn't want you because you're older it would have been a shit job for you anyway. 

[throbber]

7 hours ago, Gordon EF said:

Realistically, employers don't expect folk to work at the same place until retirement. In an era where the average time spent in a job is something like 2.5 years, no employer with an ounce of sense should be thinking "why hire a 35 year old, I'm only going to get 30 years of work out of them. I could get 44 years out of this 21 year old."

I never mentioned anything as long term as that though. Recent graduates are still often the types who would chop and change jobs to begin with while they’re finding their feet so even if you’re only expecting 2.5 years of work out of someone a more mature and settled 35 year old could easily be the better option.  I have seen a few 20-25 year olds come and go at my work in the last couple of years and whilst they were particularly bad examples they all had a naivety about them that you wouldn’t get from a 35 year old. Things like a lack of urgency about getting a job done on time, lack of ability to see one step ahead of what they’re currently doing, not able to multi task/prioritise and always blatantly on their phones and then spitting the dummy out when they get a bollocking for fucking stuff up. It’s put our company off that age bracket for the time being I think.

[Gordon EF]

16 minutes ago, throbber said:

I never mentioned anything as long term as that though. Recent graduates are still often the types who would chop and change jobs to begin with while they’re finding their feet so even if you’re only expecting 2.5 years of work out of someone a more mature and settled 35 year old could easily be the better option.  I have seen a few 20-25 year olds come and go at my work in the last couple of years and whilst they were particularly bad examples they all had a naivety about them that you wouldn’t get from a 35 year old. Things like a lack of urgency about getting a job done on time, lack of ability to see one step ahead of what they’re currently doing, not able to multi task/prioritise and always blatantly on their phones and then spitting the dummy out when they get a bollocking for fucking stuff up. It’s put our company off that age bracket for the time being I think.

Aye, that came off like I was aiming that at you. Meant it more as a general point and just replied to yours.

[Gordon EF]

6 hours ago, coprolite said:

I think that the point about sticking a junior post is probably what would put you at a disadvantage. New grads are generally expected to do a lot of menial shite along with gaining experience and employers might think you'd stand up for yourself. 

Not all employers use graduates as skivvies though. A good employer should be flexible enough to dispense with the bollocks about getting you used to the workplace. 

I know that at my work we usually look for graduates so we can get clever people with relevant knowledge doing routine stuff for a couple of years.  We wouldn't expect someone with 10 years experience in another environment to do all the same stuff. 

Basically, if someone doesn't want you because you're older it would have been a shit job for you anyway. 

Aye. It's similar to a lot of scenarios when you're interviewing / job hunting. If someone's going to hold something against you for some utterly stupid reason, it's frustrating but that person is probably an idiot and you're better off not working for that company in the long term.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Gordon EF

[Shandon Par]

Obviously COVID has been occupying minds of late but the weather we get these days is causing a ticking time bomb. Heavy rain means leaky roofs. Leaky roofs means plastering. Plastering means decorating. 

Heavy rain also means flooding and everything from drain clearing to heavy duty engineering to deal with it.

For young folk worried about their schooling, we are going to need and place value on trades.

With threat comes opportunity. 
 

I’ve recently binned the office job/business for a trade and it’s like the weight of the world has been lifted.

 

[RH33]

Excellent, come paint my hall and landings.

[Shandon Par]

1 minute ago, RH33 said:

Excellent, come paint my hall and landings.

Any time! Lockdown permitting..

 

 

[RH33]

I’d applied to go back and retrain as a psych nurse but with Covid having lead rough winter for me, if I get offered I’m going defer. I promised my son I wouldn’t start this yr if i had spell unwell.

[Derry Alli]

1 hour ago, Shandön Par said:

I’ve recently binned the office job/business for a trade and it’s like the weight of the world has been lifted.

Did you have your 'tickets' and just come back to them or do you just really enjoy being a pub league Picasso and decided to give it a go? 

[Shandon Par]

1 hour ago, Mr. Alli said:

Did you have your 'tickets' and just come back to them or do you just really enjoy being a pub league Picasso and decided to give it a go? 

Through my old job I’d been renovating places and mucking in to paint them for many years. Got to the stage last year where some months I’d have four places lined up all needing prepared to go on market and I figured if I binned the day job I could still make a decent living. Only do what I’m good at and insured for (painting, silicone, a bit of interior design) and pass on fancy wallpaper or mucky plastering jobs to others. Stuff where I can flounce in and make a shabby place look lovely with an eye for the right colour and a shopping trip to Dunelm or IKEA is my speciality. 
 

Plan of doing a city and guilds when it’s all running again. 

 

Did this one over Christmas. Hadn’t been touched for 15+ years and had suffered a few leaks too. Owner down south so left it all to me. Painted it all. Got a new sofa cover and pics etc from IKEA, sorted out a cleaner and it’s about to go up for sale. His estate agent was chuffed and said it was ready to go “as is” so that’s the sort of thing that suits my skill set. 
 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Shandön Par

[Derry Alli]

Superb mate, best of luck with it and I hope it brings you happiness.