Complete Change Of Career.

CHRISNOIR

Has anyone ever done this? As a permanently fed-up desk-sucking-blotter-jotter it'd be nice to hear of anyone who totally turned their life around and found something they enjoy. Was it difficult? How did you decide what you wanted to do?

Or am I just experiencing an early mid-life crisis at 32? Should I just STFU and thank God I actually have a job..?


This thread has been ‘inspired’ by yet another failed attempt at promotion. Five interviews and counting…

McBain_v1

Only 32 :?:
Jesus - I'm pushing 37 now and am still pondering whether to say "Sod it" and become a landscape gardener (or some other career that involves working outdoors).

will3

McBain_v1 wrote:

Only 32 :?:
Jesus - I'm pushing 37 now and am still pondering whether to say "Sod it" and become a landscape gardener (or some other career that involves working outdoors).

The trouble is do you carry on doing the boring indoor job that you know and earns the muni, or take the risk on the better looking job that might not be such a good earner?

Remember the grass is always greener on the other side, but it still needs mowing.

Ambermile

I went to Uni at 32, stopped engineering and did an honours in Computing. Came out and inside a year I was back to doing the same sort of job as I was before Uni! I do now have a little company doing stuff but the only thing I use the degree for these days is signing people's passport applications :roll:

Arthur

CHRISNOIR

McBain_v1 wrote:

Only 32 :?:
Jesus - I'm pushing 37 now and am still pondering whether to say "Sod it" and become a landscape gardener (or some other career that involves working outdoors).

Woah.. That's really scary - I was just looking at 'careers as a landscape gardener'!! :shock:

will3 wrote:

The trouble is do you carry on doing the boring indoor job that you know and earns the muni, or take the risk on the better looking job that might not be such a good earner?

Remember the grass is always greener on the other side, but it still needs mowing.

This is the big question. And where I am now pays pretty well for what I do (i.e soul-sapping desk work).

Ambermile wrote:

I went to Uni at 32, stopped engineering and did an honours in Computing. Came out and inside a year I was back to doing the same sort of job as I was before Uni! I do now have a little company doing stuff but the only thing I use the degree for these days is signing people's passport applications :roll:

Arthur

Yeah I went back at 25 (English / Media Studies - Media Studies, sheesh...) and all it really qualified me for was Teaching, which I really don't fancy!

will3

In which case the way I see it is that you want to earn yourself into a position where you are secure enough to take the risk.

Then again you might get squashed by a bus tomorrow, in which case it'd be too late :roll:

heavymental

Go on Chris. Just tell your boss where to go and go paint 'Chris Noir Landscape Gardener' on the side of your car.....

CHRISNOIR

OK, I've set fire to my desk. What's the next step again?

Red Rock

Chrisnoir the Badger catcher. You just need a black van with some white stripes, a trap and some fig rolls to lure them out with.

Seriously though, there's nothing worse than feeling the same day is just repeating over and over. I got like that a few years back and in the end I just quit my job. Not the smartest thing I've done :?

Red Rock

robmanic1

You have to get it into perspective, you're not meant to enjoy your job otherwise it'd be a hobby!

And the more you dislike your job the more you appreciate your free-time.

I'll keep telling myself this untill those magic numbers come up, then you won't see me for dust!

Maybe one day I'll go for a ride, and just keep going.....

will3

'tis true that they wouldn't have to pay you lots if the job was fun (at least that's what I told the folks leaving uni for city jobs with fat cash)

DavidBelcher

Heavymental wrote:

Go on Chris. Just tell your boss where to go and go paint 'Chris Noir Landscape Gardener' on the side of your car.....

Reminds me of the late, great Humphrey Lyttelton, who, following a comment in a newspaper review of Radio 4's "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue", said one of his ambitions was to own a small van with the phrase "Purveyor of Blue-Chip Filth to Middle England" on it

David

Harry B

Robmanic1 wrote:

You have to get it into perspective, you're not meant to enjoy your job otherwise it'd be a hobby!

And the more you dislike your job the more you appreciate your free-time.

I'll keep telling myself this untill those magic numbers come up, then you won't see me for dust!

Maybe one day I'll go for a ride, and just keep going.....

Brilliant With a mind like that Robmanic1 should be running for high office

The last sentence has been poping into my head quite a lot recently :?

Harry B

Robmanic1 wrote:

You have to get it into perspective, you're not meant to enjoy your job otherwise it'd be a hobby!

And the more you dislike your job the more you appreciate your free-time.

I'll keep telling myself this untill those magic numbers come up, then you won't see me for dust!

Maybe one day I'll go for a ride, and just keep going.....

Just been giving this some more thought and turning it around if you hate your job you should find some way of enjoying your free time less. So rather than change careers just give up cycling and things related to free air and exercise and take up some boring hobby that keeps you indoors all weekend. That way you'll be gagging to get back to work :shock:

Have I just solved the country's productivity problems???

Ricardo H

speaking as a landscaper myself, its not just a case of just throwing your old job in and going straight in to a new life out in the sunshine. You'll need a minimum of year full time at college to learn the basics, plus a couple of years as a low paid donkey to learn the ropes. After which you will have to work as a self employed subbie or start you own company to make enough money to live on. I've been doing this for 16 years, the past 11 i have been running me own company, you do this sort of work because you love the job and enjoy being out in all weathers

Anyway give us a shout if you go for it. all the polish guys have had enough and gone back home. I'll start you on £3.50 an hour!!

grayo59

Went self employed window cleaning and absolutely love it!

(I did miss the company car and paid hols at first, mind ...)

SCR Pedro

Hi there.

Making the first step is hard. The rest is easy.

I gave up a desk job in 2004. My "boss" tried to give me a telling-off. So I quit on him that very morning. Ok, I spent a long time thinking about it, but the "boss" helped me make up my mind a little quicker.

Well, I took a while out to go travelling on my savings. That gave me time to think. Once you've seen the world, there's not a lot of incentive for doing a desk job forever.

I've just finished a year at college, and now I have 4 years of uni ahead of me. One of my reservations was spending 5 years on education, but then I asked myself if I would rather 5 years in a dreadful job with no future.

The moral of the story? Do it. It's not as daunting as you might think it is.

Cheers
Pedro

markos1963

At the age of 41 thought I would have a last go at doing something I want. So I applied and passed the selection for a train driver. I jacked in my job in a meat factory and took a 50% paycut whilst I was being trained. That was 4 years ago and even though its been tough I don't have a moments regret. If I can do it so can you. You only have one go at life so don't waste a minute of it contemplating what you might do, just do it!

Ngalbrai

Example 1: 32 year old
Nondescript IT job, well paid but really dull, mate had enough and so retrained as a plumber, picks and chooses his own work, earns more, zero stress, active job so now fit, much happier, can make his own time and spend when he wants with his young daughter.

Example 2: 32 year old
Quit city job (Sydney) and sold flat, moved himself and fiance to quiet area south of sydney, bought small house outright, put some cash in bank. Does enough divemastering and boat skippering to keep food on the table and basically doenst worry about a bludy thing now - as does wife

Example 3: Me, 32 year old
String of fairly well paid jobs in london, alleviated it alot by doing various courses and taking up new hobbies, concentrated on out of work stuff and kept mind on work only being to pay the mortgage. Still bored so moved to Sydney, still doing same job, but, money is good and job required for visa purposes. Once resident can reasses, can maintain a good standard of living out here if you keep it simple and dont live in the city, not sure of my choices yet. Emigrating was easier than i thought, suspect career change will be harder/require more thought - so not that helpful then....
Ride bike lots...

renard

As people have already said, you only here once.

At 29 I gave up a middle management job in the steel industry to train to be a pilot.

One year training, no wage, lots of expenses.

Two years instructing - fantastic job satisfaction, rubbish pay.

Eight years flying airliners - great job satisfaction, good pay.

No nine to five routine, go to intersting places, fairly low stress.

Go back to the steel works - NO WAY!!

Who dares wins - it's better to try and not succeed than think if only

Harry B

Ngalbrai wrote:

Example 1: 32 year old
Nondescript IT job, well paid but really dull, mate had enough and so retrained as a plumber, picks and chooses his own work, earns more, zero stress, active job so now fit, much happier, can make his own time and spend when he wants with his young daughter.

Example 2: 32 year old
Quit city job (Sydney) and sold flat, moved himself and fiance to quiet area south of sydney, bought small house outright, put some cash in bank. Does enough divemastering and boat skippering to keep food on the table and basically doenst worry about a bludy thing now - as does wife

Example 3: Me, 32 year old
String of fairly well paid jobs in london, alleviated it alot by doing various courses and taking up new hobbies, concentrated on out of work stuff and kept mind on work only being to pay the mortgage. Still bored so moved to Sydney, still doing same job, but, money is good and job required for visa purposes. Once resident can reasses, can maintain a good standard of living out here if you keep it simple and dont live in the city, not sure of my choices yet. Emigrating was easier than i thought, suspect career change will be harder/require more thought - so not that helpful then....
Ride bike lots...

How is it in Oz. we've been contemplating emigration to somewhere warmer so a while now. How do UK lawyers get on down under?

bagpusscp

CHRISNOIR wrote:

OK, I've set fire to my desk. What's the next step again?

Call the Fire Sevice :shock:

My CC starts at the end of August .Going p/t ....only 3 days a week.

flattythehurdler

Harry B wrote:

Ngalbrai wrote:

Example 1: 32 year old
Nondescript IT job, well paid but really dull, mate had enough and so retrained as a plumber, picks and chooses his own work, earns more, zero stress, active job so now fit, much happier, can make his own time and spend when he wants with his young daughter.

Example 2: 32 year old
Quit city job (Sydney) and sold flat, moved himself and fiance to quiet area south of sydney, bought small house outright, put some cash in bank. Does enough divemastering and boat skippering to keep food on the table and basically doenst worry about a bludy thing now - as does wife

Example 3: Me, 32 year old
String of fairly well paid jobs in london, alleviated it alot by doing various courses and taking up new hobbies, concentrated on out of work stuff and kept mind on work only being to pay the mortgage. Still bored so moved to Sydney, still doing same job, but, money is good and job required for visa purposes. Once resident can reasses, can maintain a good standard of living out here if you keep it simple and dont live in the city, not sure of my choices yet. Emigrating was easier than i thought, suspect career change will be harder/require more thought - so not that helpful then....
Ride bike lots...

How is it in Oz. we've been contemplating emigration to somewhere warmer so a while now. How do UK lawyers get on down under?

Lawyers should be encouraged to emigrate.

Nuggs

Doesn't everyone want to be a landscape gardener when the sun's out?

I'm grateful for my desk when it frezzing cold and p!ssing with rain...

pottssteve

Chris - teaching's not that bad an option.. Actually, the training and first year or two are hard graft - and I'd aim for FE if you don't like kids much. After that, it's alright. Pay's reasonable, especially as you get more experience and move up the scale. 13 weeks paid holiday a year, including all of July when the Tour is on. You could follow it around France! Secure job. Travel possibilities (I've lived and worked in 5 countries now).

As other people have said, changing takes sacrifice, and you're a long time dead...If you want any teaching advice, just ask.
Steve

Ricardo H

given the chance again i think i would have trained to be either a plumber or electrician. These guys seem to be in work all year round

claash

Hi,
I did it the other way round: Was self employed (running a language school) from 23- 31yrs. Loved the work, hours were fairly crap but I could deal wit that!, but decided I needed a career change (couldn't imagine staying there till I retired)

Tied myself to a desk job and I now regret it terribly!! I would recommend anyone go for the career change to get away from this monotony!

Chris, plan it carefully. GO for something you really want to do and the you will make it work.

CHRISNOIR

Phew, good section of opinion from all sides there! Cheers, all – sounds like it’s all a real gamble isn’t it..? Will have a bloody good look at my options!

I suspect someone from my work may lurk here – there were cakes this morning…

robmanic1

Nuggs wrote:

Doesn't everyone want to be a landscape gardener when the sun's out?

I'm grateful for my desk when it frezzing cold and p!ssing with rain...

Ah, warm copies make everything seem alright!

drewfromrisca

I've been seriously thinking about changing for years now. I've done 9 years in the police now and it's got to the stage where I absolutely despise it! I seriously have to drag myself in every morning! I walk around in my job in a zombie like daze waiting for the A) day to end holidays! I've just come to realise that life shouldn't be lived like that really!

Captain Fagor

Harry B wrote:

How is it in Oz. we've been contemplating emigration to somewhere warmer so a while now. How do UK lawyers get on down under?

That depends. Can you breathe through your ears? Boom-boom! I'll get my coat......