Career change

wannabecyclist

Would love if anyone could give their opinion on a career dilemma I have.

Have been working in the debt industry for a few years in sales/technical roles for a salary around 40k with bonuses so nothing special.

Now aged 31 was looking for a more rewarding, long term career that doesn't involve call centre environments. So I have been accepted for 2 roles:-

Student Paramedic- Low salary for 2 years whilst training, then will go up to 40k with shift allowance etc. Feel I may struggle to live on the 20k it starts at whilst training for 2 years. Also, when I am in 40's I imagine carrying old people down flights of stairs in wheelchairs could start to get a bit annoying and not the drama I was looking for. Without being morbid, I liked this role at the thought of trying to save lives at car crashes rather than attending to elderly members of the public with breathing difficulties. Howeve a good honourable career, something to be proud of.

2. Border Force Officer, Heathrow. Bit of a commute on the M25 however the shifts start outside of the busier commuting hours. Like the paramedic role shift work, but I don't mind that, will quite like having days off midweek when towns and leisure facilities are quieter and having 4 rest days every 4 weeks to add on to a weekend. Role described more here (wage has increased to 35k in total with allowances) http://tinyurl.com/q89wblh, concern is could be sat checking passports all day but I imagine there is quite a scope to it and will have many avenues to explore. Wage will be about 35k from the start (quite high which is surprising, police, nurses, teachers all start far lower for some reason)

3rd option I have been given is as a mortgage broker. So remain in the financial service field, nothing honourable about the job in that not helping the community as such, but probably good bonuses despite the low basic. Nothing exciting is going to happen in this job and will be a bit of a boiler room sales environment which to be honest I am bored of at my age. threats of redundancies as the financial cycle goes round from boom to bust and with more people becoming more financial savvy due to hard times am not sure why you would use a broker anyway (I just went on money supermarket to see who was doing the best rate when I got my mortgage).

Any thoughts, anyone here do any of these roles and have more of an insight? I have accepted both the first 2 roles and have to decide one or the other by June. The mortgage broker role I can get anywhere due to the contacts I have developed over the years.

mudsucker

"40k with bonuses so nothing special"

Sorry lost interest after that...

wannabecyclist

mudsucker wrote:

"40k with bonuses so nothing special"

Sorry lost interest after that...

Ha ha, that is a good year mind. And I mean 40k isn't going to lead to a glamorous lifestyle, it just means I can spend more money on my bike despite hardly ever having time to cycle it.

arran77

See this thread I started and pick off there

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40088&t=12962755

BTW debt collection / telesales ranks very low in the survey :P

Pituophis

mudsucker wrote:

"40k with bonuses so nothing special"

Sorry lost interest after that...

Yeah, it would be a pretty special year if I earned 40k too. It must be awful. :roll:

ManOfKent

I used to be friends with a paramedic. There was a lot of sitting around waiting for a call and/or being called to mundane incidents well below her capabilities. Since we lost touch there's been reorganisation around here and I think there are now good opportunities for specialists, first responders and the like. I imagine that life as a paramedic can be dramatically different depending on where you're based: picking up the elderly after falls vs climbing 15 flights of stairs in crumbling tower blocks vs no-go areas in some cities vs limbs chopped off by farming equipment...

Don't underestimate how disruptive shift work can be to your family and social life, and to your health in the longer term.

Colinthecop

Paramedic....

They do a top job, plenty adrenalin at times, they do shift work which beats 9-5 and they do naff all paperwork.

That'd be my choice. 8)

veronese68

I got laid off 13 years ago and thought about a career change. I wanted to do something worthwhile and looked at becoming a paramedic. Unfortunately with 2 young children I couldn't afford the initial drop in pay. I'm now in my mid 40s and could still cope with the lifting and carrying, that would be alright so long as you do it right. That's the option I would go for. Do something that contributes to society, they do a good job as Colin said. I still think about it sometimes when this feels a bit pointless.

mjbennett

From what you have written it doesn't sound like you are suited as a paramedic since you have reservations about carrying old ladies etc
Without knowing you it's hard to give you advice but do whatever is likely to make you happy.

sloppyschleckonds

mjbennett wrote:

From what you have written it doesn't sound like you are suited as a paramedic since you have reservations about carrying old ladies etc
Without knowing you it's hard to give you advice but do whatever is likely to make you happy.

Seems the OP isn't picking any of them for the right reasons.

Whatever the right reasons may be.

desweller

Pituophis wrote:

mudsucker wrote:

"40k with bonuses so nothing special"

Sorry lost interest after that...

Yeah, it would be a pretty special year if I earned 40k too. I must be awful. :roll:

Ha ha! Likewise. Unlike the OP though I love my job so I reckon I win.

BelgianBeerGeek

Border Force = Civil Servant, therefore no. Sh*t job, sh*t money, get made redundant in X years when the Govt get bored of your existence. Out of your list, paramedic. They spend ages hanging around in A&E with a stretcher, then home time!
Oh, you earn 40K a year? Give yourself a slap and get outta here. Come back when you have a real problem.

awallace

1st world issues eh? ;-)

I am not a paramedic but I work along side them frequently. They work hard, often for little thanks, and there is a lot of people who could have just popped to the docs, however of course there are a lot of adrenaline type jobs. There is the impact of death and "could I have just done...." They face abuse and violence too.

It is a rewarding job if you work hard and one you should enter with pride and passion. I sense you feel you could turn your hand to a lot of things but a paramedic is a job people stick to.

Just my thoughts.

VTech

wannabecyclist wrote:

Would love if anyone could give their opinion on a career dilemma I have.

Have been working in the debt industry for a few years in sales/technical roles for a salary around 40k with bonuses so nothing special.

Now aged 31 was looking for a more rewarding, long term career that doesn't involve call centre environments. So I have been accepted for 2 roles:-

Student Paramedic- Low salary for 2 years whilst training, then will go up to 40k with shift allowance etc. Feel I may struggle to live on the 20k it starts at whilst training for 2 years. Also, when I am in 40's I imagine carrying old people down flights of stairs in wheelchairs could start to get a bit annoying and not the drama I was looking for. Without being morbid, I liked this role at the thought of trying to save lives at car crashes rather than attending to elderly members of the public with breathing difficulties. Howeve a good honourable career, something to be proud of.

2. Border Force Officer, Heathrow. Bit of a commute on the M25 however the shifts start outside of the busier commuting hours. Like the paramedic role shift work, but I don't mind that, will quite like having days off midweek when towns and leisure facilities are quieter and having 4 rest days every 4 weeks to add on to a weekend. Role described more here (wage has increased to 35k in total with allowances) http://tinyurl.com/q89wblh, concern is could be sat checking passports all day but I imagine there is quite a scope to it and will have many avenues to explore. Wage will be about 35k from the start (quite high which is surprising, police, nurses, teachers all start far lower for some reason)

3rd option I have been given is as a mortgage broker. So remain in the financial service field, nothing honourable about the job in that not helping the community as such, but probably good bonuses despite the low basic. Nothing exciting is going to happen in this job and will be a bit of a boiler room sales environment which to be honest I am bored of at my age. threats of redundancies as the financial cycle goes round from boom to bust and with more people becoming more financial savvy due to hard times am not sure why you would use a broker anyway (I just went on money supermarket to see who was doing the best rate when I got my mortgage).

Any thoughts, anyone here do any of these roles and have more of an insight? I have accepted both the first 2 roles and have to decide one or the other by June. The mortgage broker role I can get anywhere due to the contacts I have developed over the years.

Firstly, if you earn more than 50p above minimum wage here you will be ridiculed and hated (trust me)

To try and answer your question.
I always wanted to be a paramedic, it was my dream job and I managed 3 months until i relayed that I couldn't afford to live on the training money and had to leave, I was devastated at the time but happy now of course.
Its a thankless job on the whole, bureaucrats ruin the fundamentals of the job and you have to watch your back at all times as the knife is close at hand wether that be by the general public your trying to help or the people your working with/for.

Border force, I've no idea really about this job but is it secure ? will it make you happy ? can you really rise through the ranks ?
Thats the usual questions anyone with aspirations will ask themselves.

Mortgage broker, I wouldn't bother, banks are not lending at the levels needed to maintain the jobs out there and I have friends with a lifetime of experience who have had to change recently, these were guys taking home 7 figure sums and now can't afford their own costs.


Are you happy at work, do you need to leave ?
I can understand your feelings, I had started to hate my job for the past 2 years, it didn't give me what I wanted, personally I have huge aspirations and that wasn't being met so I would have taken a job at half the salary I was on and been happy with that if I was happy at work.

Think about your choices, talk with good close friends about it before you make decisions.

And good luck...

mallorcajeff

Dilema i am facing myself this winter when i move back to the uk to start over again. Need to work on a plan and think of what to do? Dont care what i end up doing as long as i earn enough to pay for everything i need to and get to ride my bike i will be happy. (And once ive had a log burner fitted to my cottage ive bought)

MaxwellBygraves

VTech wrote:

Firstly, if you earn more than 50p above minimum wage here you will be ridiculed and hated (trust me)

When, oh when, will people start paying attention to the plight of white, middle-aged men on 40K+ a year

VTech

My point was the huge jealousy on this forum for anyone earning "above average" salaries.
It blatant throughout this forum.

Anyway, same applies, if your not happy move on but only if you can afford too. I can't think of happiness coming from a job where you work all week only to realise you can't put food on the table. But on the other hand, if your truly unhappy is it worth the struggle anyway ?
I chose to leave and that was right for me but everyone is different and advice from family/friends normally gets you closer to the right choice.

desweller

I think you've lost the plot if you think that £40k is nothing special. It's in the top 6% of the population (according to the HMRC 04-05 stats).

ETA: According to 2013 figures you're in the top 20%...still pretty good!

nathancom

VTech wrote:

My point was the huge jealousy on this forum for anyone earning "above average" salaries.
It blatant throughout this forum.

Anyway, same applies, if your not happy move on but only if you can afford too. I can't think of happiness coming from a job where you work all week only to realise you can't put food on the table. But on the other hand, if your truly unhappy is it worth the struggle anyway ?
I chose to leave and that was right for me but everyone is different and advice from family/friends normally gets you closer to the right choice.

Just because someone calls you a berk it does not mean they are jealous. Still tell yourself that if it makes you feel better. Ignorance is bliss.

VTech

DesWeller wrote:

I think you've lost the plot if you think that £40k is nothing special. It's in the top 6% of the population.

My view on this is what gets me into trouble here but I can't help it.
£40k/year isn't anything special.

Ill try to explain although I will be shot down for it.

£40k a year will sustain the ability to buy a £200k house, a car (not cars!) pay the bills and take a single holiday a year of a half decent quality.

£40,000.00 gross
£29.733.60 take home yearly
£2477.80 monthly

Monthly costs:

£1184.40 - £200k mortgage
£213.93 - £2567.17 average council tax yearly
£118.00 - Gas/Electric average monthly bill
£21.00 - average water bill
£12.50 - TV licence
£40.50 - average 3 bed house insurance £486 yearly
£37.08 - average car insurance £445 yearly
£250.61 - average cost to run a small car £3007.36 yearly (not inc insurance).
£250.00 - average cost of a half decent holiday £3000 which includes everything from booking to costs and clothes etc

£2128.02 monthly

This is before you crack open the Chateau Montelena and Caviar.

£40k/year is not a lot in the UK, it does not afford a lavish lifestyle even though most do not earn this amount.
This is why we are in so much debt as a country, people biatch about what they don't have when the fact is, things are costly and most don't earn enough, even when its twice as much as others.

nevman

Just keep the job and volunteer to do something you like...could even join St John ambulance.

desweller

VTech wrote:

DesWeller wrote:

I think you've lost the plot if you think that £40k is nothing special. It's in the top 6% of the population.

£40k/year is not a lot in the UK, it does not afford a lavish lifestyle even though most do not earn this amount.
This is why we are in so much debt as a country, people biatch about what they don't have when the fact is, things are costly and most don't earn enough, even when its twice as much as others.

You need to get some perspective mate. The majority of the world's population would happily lose a limb (literally, in some cases) to live in the style you describe. You take way too much for granted.

VTech

DesWeller wrote:

VTech wrote:

DesWeller wrote:

I think you've lost the plot if you think that £40k is nothing special. It's in the top 6% of the population.

£40k/year is not a lot in the UK, it does not afford a lavish lifestyle even though most do not earn this amount.
This is why we are in so much debt as a country, people biatch about what they don't have when the fact is, things are costly and most don't earn enough, even when its twice as much as others.

You need to get some perspective mate. The majority of the world's population would happily lose a limb (literally, in some cases) to live in the style you describe. You take way too much for granted.

I have huge perspective. I was writing in line with the average 3 bed house, decent earner, working class guy who aspires to do better in life than claiming whatever he can and wanting an average car and a holiday once a year in spain or turkey.

Of course this is far greater than than the worlds majority would ever get and would gladly lose a limb for but if you read other comments that I have also been hammered on this forum by incredibly stupid people with little knowledge of the world you would see that I also have written that no one in the UK knows poverty.
Poverty in the true sense, in that you can't eat or drink and have no option.
That doesn't exist in the UK unless bad mistakes are made or social issues are involved like mental illness or disability etc.

The reality is that we are like locusts, we devour far greater amounts than needed but that is human way of life. We buy carbon bikes for hundreds/thousands when they are not needed, we drive expensive cars that are not needed, we drink champagne when water will do.

Its the way we are. I doubt there is an innocent one amongst us.

Pross

I'm a bit surprised at the reaction here to a £40k salary (on a good year with full bonus). I'd assumed that average salary on a site predominantly inhabited by middle aged men with a penchant for expensive bikes would be higher. That said, I would think if salary is a prime consideration then paramedic isn't the job for you. Sounds a bit like a mid-life crisis, seeking excitement. Why not look at the police? The Met are recruiting again.

desweller

VTech wrote:

I have huge perspective. I was writing in line with the average 3 bed house, decent earner, working class guy who aspires to do better in life than claiming whatever he can and wanting an average car and a holiday once a year in spain or turkey.

Of course this is far greater than than the worlds majority would ever get and would gladly lose a limb for but if you read other comments that I have also been hammered on this forum by incredibly stupid people with little knowledge of the world you would see that I also have written that no one in the UK knows poverty.
Poverty in the true sense, in that you can't eat or drink and have no option.
That doesn't exist in the UK unless bad mistakes are made or social issues are involved like mental illness or disability etc.

The reality is that we are like locusts, we devour far greater amounts than needed but that is human way of life. We buy carbon bikes for hundreds/thousands when they are not needed, we drive expensive cars that are not needed, we drink champagne when water will do.

Its the way we are. I doubt there is an innocent one amongst us.

Your reasoning is that it's OK for the greedy to be greedy as long as they're too spineless to change their ways?

kajjal

Posting for advice about £40,000 a year plus bonus not being enough unfortunately gives a certain impression and will get a lot of people's backs up. Best just to stick to bikes

VTech

DesWeller wrote:

VTech wrote:

I have huge perspective. I was writing in line with the average 3 bed house, decent earner, working class guy who aspires to do better in life than claiming whatever he can and wanting an average car and a holiday once a year in spain or turkey.

Of course this is far greater than than the worlds majority would ever get and would gladly lose a limb for but if you read other comments that I have also been hammered on this forum by incredibly stupid people with little knowledge of the world you would see that I also have written that no one in the UK knows poverty.
Poverty in the true sense, in that you can't eat or drink and have no option.
That doesn't exist in the UK unless bad mistakes are made or social issues are involved like mental illness or disability etc.

The reality is that we are like locusts, we devour far greater amounts than needed but that is human way of life. We buy carbon bikes for hundreds/thousands when they are not needed, we drive expensive cars that are not needed, we drink champagne when water will do.

Its the way we are. I doubt there is an innocent one amongst us.

Your reasoning is that it's OK for the greedy to be greedy as long as they're too spineless to change their ways?

How ?
I just left a salary of a little more than that as I didn't like it as much as I used too.

People who say money isn't important are usually those that biatch at others with more than them.
Of course money matters, it means a lot, an awful lot.
Ok, it doesn't buy you love, but it helps with health, helps with happiness and helps with almost all things.

Put it this way, I would rather be unhappy and rich than unhappy and poor.

VTech

madasahattersley wrote:

Sadly VTech is right but only in outlining how huge living costs are if you're not prepared to tighten your belt. If you work 9-5 Monday-Friday and take home £40k then it's still £26 an hour, i.e more than I'll earn in 4 hours working as a sales assistant/mechanic (which believe it or not is skilled work!) so saying it's "nothing special" is condescending at best.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offence by what I ask.

Do you have a comfortable life for your hard 40 hour week ?
Can you go on one holiday ?
Can you afford a car ?
Do you worry about affording bills ?

I agree that it is easy to tighten the belt but in a modern society I personally don't think it much to ask that a hard working person should be able to eat, heat his home, have an average car and go on a holiday once a year.

Of course many in the world will never afford this but I'm referring to someone in the UK.

BelgianBeerGeek

Vtechs 40K a year is 29K take home.

I am a civil servant on way less than 29K take home. I have to prioritise everything I buy. I chose not to have kids, drive a 15 year old car, and I do not go on expensive holidays.Mrs BBGEEK is in a similar position.

Ok, I live in Hampshire, a relatively expensive part of the world but we have to count the pennies.

29K a year? I fucking wish.

paultheparaglider

VTech wrote:

I just left a salary of a little more than that as I didn't like it as much as I used too.

I must have missed something here, but I thought you were a mega rich software designer that did lots of work for F1 teams and had lots of expensive cars, fancy homes all over the world, and lots of wine investments and the like.

How did you do all that on a salary of a little over £40k?

VTech

paultheparaglider wrote:

VTech wrote:

I just left a salary of a little more than that as I didn't like it as much as I used too.

I must have missed something here, but I thought you were a mega rich software designer that did lots of work for F1 teams and had lots of expensive cars, fancy homes all over the world, and lots of wine investments and the like.

How did you do all that on a salary of a little over £40k?

The initial topic was about a £40k salary, I worked out the figures which is as written in my earlier post.
I never said I was on £40 a year at any point.