Has anyone made a big career change after 30?

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Comments

  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,823
    To my mind you are coming at this a bit from the wrong direction.
    At 31 you are only around 10 years into a working lifetime that could have a further 40 years to go so as someone that has decided that just carrying on doing something that they don't really think is satisfying, your 1st thing is to work out what you DO want to do, not just what will be better than your current job and still pays ok.
    I worked in IT support for 25 years, most of the time thinking "Why am I still doing this, it's crap". I was paid pretty well but the years went by and I started to see the depressing sameness of a totally unfulfilling job - it's a waste of my life.
    Got a mortgage and family to deal with but I had to take the jump - now retraining to be a teacher which is very hard going combining a degree course study with working part-time, and main child-carer duties as my wife works full-time now.
    I'd acknowledge that I am about 15+ years late in making the change - had some roads I could gave gone down in the past but never committed sufficiently to them (sports photography, journalism etc) so I'm doing my darnedest to succeed at this. Might fail, will earn less and probably be working harder if I do end up teaching.

    It sounds like you are a bit like me in that there is not one totally overriding job you want to pursue, just ones that you've identified as taking your fancy as being satisfying. Maybe continue to investigate all possible avenues as there could be so something a bit left-field that grabs you.

    Good luck.
  • prhymeate
    prhymeate Posts: 795
    Thanks for the reply Andyrr. I think you're right to an extent, although I've always had the feeling of wanting to work outside for as long as I can remember. For whatever reason I didn't really chase that and carried on down the path of studying something else I was also interested in (History & Anthropology) and have now fallen into design which I've been doing for the last 7 years or so.

    Just going for a chat with the local Head Gardener last week felt like I was in my kind of atmosphere. I think that's why doing some volunteering might be a good idea, as I can at least get a better taste for it.

    I wish you all the best with your teacher training. I worked in the special needs department for a local school whilst I was at university and gained a whole new respect for teachers.
  • pilot_pete
    pilot_pete Posts: 2,120
    I made a huge career change aged about 30, going from IT and retraining to be an airline pilot. It was a huge, huge change and took two years to train, unpaid with the support of my wife keeping me afloat. It was a massive gamble as the training cost £55k (much of which I didn't actually have at that point!) and the qualification was just that - a pilot licence with no guarantee of a job!

    If you are interested in reading my story, you can find it here http://www.pprune.org/professional-pilot-training-includes-ground-studies/6911-full-story-start-end.html on the Professional Pilot's Rumour forum. There are some technical jargonisms which you may not understand, but the story gives a great insight into the dedication, determination and support that you will need to retrain into a new career, especially if it takes quite a while, costs a lot of money and prevents you from earning whilst you train. Oh and during this massive gamble we had a sick baby, lived in a one bedroom flat and had to sell the kitchen sink to pay for everything!

    Happy reading!

    PP
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    ddraver wrote:
    No, but I'm giving serious thought to doing something else it will probably take the year or so fo the job market to recover. Genuinely think I could actually do something more useful, or at least something more fun if not

    We all want our jobs to be more worthy and more valuable.

    That's why those jobs don't pay the bills!
    _
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    No, but I'm giving serious thought to doing something else it will probably take the year or so fo the job market to recover. Genuinely think I could actually do something more useful, or at least something more fun if not

    We all want our jobs to be more worthy and more valuable.

    That's why those jobs don't pay the bills!

    I'm sure a qualified geologist like ddraver will be able to find a worthy job that pays the bills (depending on his definition of "useful")
  • shimanobottombracket
    shimanobottombracket Posts: 376
    Pilot Pete wrote:
    I made a huge career change aged about 30, going from IT and retraining to be an airline pilot. It was a huge, huge change and took two years to train, unpaid with the support of my wife keeping me afloat. It was a massive gamble as the training cost £55k (much of which I didn't actually have at that point!) and the qualification was just that - a pilot licence with no guarantee of a job!

    If you are interested in reading my story, you can find it here http://www.pprune.org/professional-pilot-training-includes-ground-studies/6911-full-story-start-end.html on the Professional Pilot's Rumour forum. There are some technical jargonisms which you may not understand, but the story gives a great insight into the dedication, determination and support that you will need to retrain into a new career, especially if it takes quite a while, costs a lot of money and prevents you from earning whilst you train. Oh and during this massive gamble we had a sick baby, lived in a one bedroom flat and had to sell the kitchen sink to pay for everything!

    Happy reading!

    PP

    That is one helluva risk! So are you a pilot now? If so how long, and what did you have to do to get a job flying aircraft once you were qualified? Is the job and pay worth it in the end?

    I have been in and out of work for the last 10 years (nearly 30 now) and I find this thread enlightening. For those who have set up their own business, do you find this particularly difficult? Im no stranger to long hours but I imagine the expenses and red tape are a ****ing nightmare.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Prhymeate wrote:
    Joelsim wrote:
    Yep, I was in advertising for 15+ years and just got to the point that I was resenting going in to the office every day. Then got made redundant and the thought of applying for another job filled me with horror.

    So I set up a business selling headphones (hifi has always been a passion). That was harder than I expected it to be, far too much competition from tax dodging giants and far too many people selling headphones. So, I started cat sitting and it's grown really well so far, touch-wood.

    Much happier now (albeit have struggled financially over the past 3 years paying a London mortgage on my own and 2 lots of child maintenance. Only just got on top of things in that respect).

    If you're having doubts at 31 then you probably do need to change.

    That's pretty cool. I'd have never thought cat sitting could turn into a full time job. I'm an SW17 resident myself so if I hear of any friends looking for someone I'll point them in your direction.

    I went for a chat with the Head Gardener at a nearby Royal Park. It was nice of him to meet me and he was pretty helpful and suggested two courses that I should look into doing. The only problem is that I have looked and they are 3 years long and need other horticulture qualifications and experience to apply for...

    Please do :D
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    WE moved over to Belgium for me to work in a completely new sector 2 years ago... You've seen how that worked out but I'm now trying again in another sector!

    Also, I've started writing semi professionally and that never would have happened where we were. Also, we love the life.

    Life's too short to be doing something you don't like. What's the point of dragging yourself somewhere every day to be miserable?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,269
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Life's too short to be doing something you don't like. What's the point of dragging yourself somewhere every day to be miserable?

    Correctamundo. Check out the big brain on DG here. 8)

    You're better off out of that pile of kee-rap you've described. Best wishes and good luck for the future.
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    My sister was around 30 when she re-trained and fell on some good fortune. Alongside full time work she was studying OU in her spare time, eventually earning a 2:1 in Biological Sciences (I think), with a view to becoming a Primary school teacher. Some good fortune (split with partner, sold their house, made a massive profit each) and she opted to study a self-funded Masters in Australia. While doing this she was invited to complete a Phd, again in Sydney and now has an office overlooking the harbour, an apartment overlooking the Bridge and property in the Blue Mountains.

    My brother retired from professional sport at 21 (injury forces sale) and went on to complete a degree in Business, before selling his soul to one of the financial houses for 15 years, despising every minute. Once the kids were both in full time school, he started volunteering at the local Primary school and was invited to apply for School direct training. He's now a full time Primary teacher, and will probably climb the ladder quite quickly into becoming a Head. Training was a hard road for him with two under 10's, but a very supportive set of parents/in-laws and a high earning wife helped. Before he started training, they had spent their bonuses wisely, and some advanced inheritance helped them make serious inroads into their mortgage.

    Personally, I enjoy driving a bus, but another 35 years? Hand me that prospectus.

    What I'm getting at is that you don't know where opportunities will lead. Whatever you choose to do, freelance Graphic Design would reduce some of the hardship.
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • prhymeate
    prhymeate Posts: 795
    Mouth wrote:
    What I'm getting at is that you don't know where opportunities will lead. Whatever you choose to do, freelance Graphic Design would reduce some of the hardship.

    You are right. The thought of not knowing is quite exciting but at the same time it's difficult to cut ties and make the jump, part of me is worried the reality of working in horticulture might not be what I'm looking for..and then what do I do.
    I went to the open day at a horticulture college over the weekend to speak to some of the tutors and to get a feel for the place. Some of their courses run 1 day a week so I think I might be tempted to sign up to that whilst I freelance or find a part time role somewhere. At least that way I can dip my toe into the water.
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    Prhymeate wrote:
    Mouth wrote:
    What I'm getting at is that you don't know where opportunities will lead. Whatever you choose to do, freelance Graphic Design would reduce some of the hardship.

    You are right. The thought of not knowing is quite exciting but at the same time it's difficult to cut ties and make the jump, part of me is worried the reality of working in horticulture might not be what I'm looking for..and then what do I do.
    I went to the open day at a horticulture college over the weekend to speak to some of the tutors and to get a feel for the place. Some of their courses run 1 day a week so I think I might be tempted to sign up to that whilst I freelance or find a part time role somewhere. At least that way I can dip my toe into the water.

    Is there any chance your employer would restructure your working week (ie four longer days rather than five shorter ones) so you could accommodate the course in question?
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • sancho_panza
    sancho_panza Posts: 183
    orraloon wrote:
    I left the world commercial and became a landscape gardener.

    On one of my RHS courses, my course buddy was a girl who had been a GP but got fed up with prescribing drugs to alleviate social problems.

    Find something you enjoy doing, else you'll spend a large part of your life doing something you don't.

    Seriously wise words. My wife and I were in a similar situation, similar age; look at the people 10 years or so ahead of you in that career and see if you share their aspirations. That's one of the things that clinched it for me. It's a long story and took some years of retraining and more education. I find once you've made the decision to do it then things kind of fall into place. Just gotta take that first step... Good luck. Keep it posted, would be interested to hear how things unfold.
  • pilot_pete
    pilot_pete Posts: 2,120
    ShimanoBottomBracket wrote:
    Pilot Pete wrote:
    I made a huge career change aged about 30, going from IT and retraining to be an airline pilot. It was a huge, huge change and took two years to train, unpaid with the support of my wife keeping me afloat. It was a massive gamble as the training cost £55k (much of which I didn't actually have at that point!) and the qualification was just that - a pilot licence with no guarantee of a job!

    If you are interested in reading my story, you can find it here http://www.pprune.org/professional-pilot-training-includes-ground-studies/6911-full-story-start-end.html on the Professional Pilot's Rumour forum. There are some technical jargonisms which you may not understand, but the story gives a great insight into the dedication, determination and support that you will need to retrain into a new career, especially if it takes quite a while, costs a lot of money and prevents you from earning whilst you train. Oh and during this massive gamble we had a sick baby, lived in a one bedroom flat and had to sell the kitchen sink to pay for everything!

    Happy reading!

    PP

    That is one helluva risk! So are you a pilot now? If so how long, and what did you have to do to get a job flying aircraft once you were qualified? Is the job and pay worth it in the end?

    I have been in and out of work for the last 10 years (nearly 30 now) and I find this thread enlightening. For those who have set up their own business, do you find this particularly difficult? Im no stranger to long hours but I imagine the expenses and red tape are a ****ing nightmare.

    Apologies for the delayed reply, didn't read the thread again until just now!

    I am indeed a pilot and have been since 1999. I am now a Training Captain and train and test airline pilots for my employer. The salary is very good (well into 6 figures now) and has paid me back dozens of times over for the initial investment.

    Getting the first break is very difficult though as all airlines want experienced pilots as they are cheaper to train (the course they do is shorter than for a 'newbie' with no experience).

    I gave myself 4 months after qualifying, applied to every airline in the UK and got 70 odd rejection letters. I then went and paid a bit more to become a flying instructor, started to build my hours (pilot experience is based on flying hours and aeroplane types that you have flown) and then got a break as an air taxi pilot flying twin piston engines light aircraft all over the uk and into Europe. This built some experience but I was still considered 'low houred' as I didn't have any 'big' aeroplane experience.

    After pursuing the Boeing Fleet Manager of a well known charter outfit for several months (as I knew they were recruiting) I got my lucky break. I happened to phone him (about the 5th time in two months) on the day when he was looking for ten low houred pilots and had only found nine! Still had to pass selection but failure wasn't an option in my opinion!

    To cut a long story short, I passed, got the job and six months later 9/11 happened and I was laid off. I had a bit more experience and a 'big jet' on my licence and went through another three airlines before ending up where I am today in 2003.

    It is a rewarding job with hours of boredom interspersed with moments of shear terror! I have never regretted the change.

    PP

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