If you could re do your career with hindsight ?

kingrollo

For me I stayed in the civil service far to long in my younger years - learning and developing very little,

When I finally got into IT - I found it easy to hop from job to job increasing my salary along the way - again with hindsight, I quit jobs I enjoyed - for ones that paid more - more mistakes- I ended up with a job that caused me extreme stress - and depression - so I quite that and tumbled down the payscales - in search of a job that would keep a roof over my head whilst not making me ill ...

With hindsight, the time to move around and try different things is when you're younger - avoid job where you don't gain any marketable skills (public sector is bad for this)

Would love to have been a physiotherapist

yours ???

crispybug2

I’ve mentioned this before but I’ve been in the same job (fire safety/health and safety) for twenty six years and to be honest I’m perfectly happy with the thought of doing this for the rest of my working life, some people say I lack ambition but I enjoy doing my job and I think that that counts for a lot.

orraloon

Learned earlier that you don't work for a company / organisation, you work for yourself. Orgns will use you then as and when things change, you are only a number. So much earlier in my varied, multi job career I would have refused to keep on trying to fix things that were not of my making and not fixable anyway, and moved on sooner.

(Self employment as in my latter years has its benefits!)

capt_slog

I'm just about to retire.

I'm a Uni science technician now, I've also been a computer operator, chemical analyst and clerk!
I get to play with some great toys, I make a lot of interesting things and work with clever people, mostly Phds. Because I can do the stuff they can't (anything practical :roll: ) I get treated with respect and a sort of equal in my field.

It's hard to say what I'd do differently. Perhaps having some sort of plan rather than bumbling through getting jobs almost by accident, by that i mean I fell into things rather than any desire for a career. I'd certainly be on a lot more money by now for sure.

However, I've usually been able to leave my job at the end of the day and that has been that. I know some people who were always on call, always worrying about what they were going to do about x y and z. (but I have to say that mine has started to get like that in the last few years, I'm finding it harder to switch off at night).

Hindsight is great and always has 20:20 vision, but lot of life revolves around chance.

Matthewfalle

i've got the best job in the world - should have got into it 17 years earlier.

mr_goo

I would love to have pursued a creative job. Artist or illustrator. I loved art and enjoyed it at school but it didn't seem to be an option as a career. Ended up starting in banking, then newspapers and now construction. Am learning new skills to be a Web and App designer so I can work from home on my own terms and be creative. Hopefully a job I can do semi retired.

keef66

Capt Slog wrote:

I'm just about to retire.

I'm a Uni science technician now, I've also been a computer operator, chemical analyst and clerk!
I get to play with some great toys, I make a lot of interesting things and work with clever people, mostly Phds. Because I can do the stuff they can't (anything practical :roll: ) I get treated with respect and a sort of equal in my field.

That sounds like my ideal job!

My career path kind of just happened. I lived next to a farm, so did a weekend / holiday job there and became interested in agriculture. Biology was the only thing I liked at school and I went on to do a degree in it with emphasis on crop protection. And then naturally found work in the agrochem industry.

But I should've stayed doing practical, hands-on field based research, but like many was tempted to seek more money and a succession of desk-based jobs with very little stimulation, a lot of stress, and ultimately periods of clinical depression.

If I could do it over again I'd probably train as something like a mechanic / technician. I love problem solving and I'm quite good at it.

I'm waiting to find out if I'm about to retire. Company is about to go through another global hiatus so I'm hoping they'll be dangling a golden carrot near the exit door to tempt we 60 somethings. Failing that we have a meeting with a financial advisor to see if we can afford to retire now anyway...

tangled_metal

My mistake was not resitting my a levels while taking a year out. I was a stupid kid who knew nothing but had so much potential. I didn't get the grades needed for what I wanted to do so I did the first course I got offered. Big mistake! Mind you, even if I had got into the subject I wanted to do it would have been wrong for me. I know that now.

IMHO in your youth you're making decisions that are really momentous for your future. What a levels, what degree, what career, what job you're going into. But you have no real understanding of life in the workplace.

If like me you went to a good school with the expectation that most will go into university it's a pressure and complication that's not easy at that age to manage.

So my career mistake was a school issue. I didn't know enough to know you really do have to work at school and university to give yourself a chance later on. With hindsight I believe I could have got a first. I believe I could have got onto a PhD. That's what others believed I was capable of.

However I'm still me. I've not got the glittering career I could have got. I've got enough though. But there's still the bit of me looking for more or different. That's my goal this year. Find the different. Change careers and move into something I can grow in

kingrollo

Tangled Metal wrote:

My mistake was not resitting my a levels while taking a year out. I was a stupid kid who knew nothing but had so much potential. I didn't get the grades needed for what I wanted to do so I did the first course I got offered. Big mistake! Mind you, even if I had got into the subject I wanted to do it would have been wrong for me. I know that now.

IMHO in your youth you're making decisions that are really momentous for your future. What a levels, what degree, what career, what job you're going into. But you have no real understanding of life in the workplace.

If like me you went to a good school with the expectation that most will go into university it's a pressure and complication that's not easy at that age to manage.

So my career mistake was a school issue. I didn't know enough to know you really do have to work at school and university to give yourself a chance later on. With hindsight I believe I could have got a first. I believe I could have got onto a PhD. That's what others believed I was capable of.

However I'm still me. I've not got the glittering career I could have got. I've got enough though. But there's still the bit of me looking for more or different. That's my goal this year. Find the different. Change careers and move into something I can grow in

Yes - I knew everything at 15 left school with zero qualifications - all that mattered was punk rock and girls ! - I was pretty rebellious even at work - I couldn't handle the unfairness of the work place and raged against it for a good many a year - until I got married really.

The guidance I have given my kids is to get a career (skill) in something - ones at uni and the other has junior accounts position - both are miles ahead of where I was at there ages.

I kind of feel bad telling them to roll with the punches the workplace provides - not to try and fight against it like I did...

shirley_basso

I wish I had worked more during my holidays so I could have enjoyed university more.

I wish I had taken a gap year.

Otherwise, I am pretty happy with where I am. I am about 1-2 year behind my peers of a similar age as I lost my first job after failing some academic qualifications which set me back a bit.

My problem is that I am easy distracted and lack attention to detail -> I need to find a way to fix those two then I could easily be a high flier.

Pross

I would find a job I loved doing and adjust my lifestyle accordingly rather than looking for promotion and pay rises to allow for a 'better' lifestyle. Like many people I realised too late that work / life balance is more important than how much you earn (although working in job where you can barely afford the basics would obviously bring its own stresses). I finally feel that I've got the balance about right but did it 20 years too late. I envy people who truly love their work far more than those that earn a lot of money and in reality very few are fortunate to do both.

tangled_metal

Without knowing you and not aiming this comment at you but there's a lot of faults that are signs of underlying conditions. ASD, ADD/ADHD, etc. A lot of very clever people mask these issues but underperform as a result. If you're average or lower intelligence then provided you're young enough these conditions would very picked up as a kid. In my day there wasn't ADHD it was difficult kids or troublemakers or lazy kids. Some ASD kids were just strange if it was a mile disorder.

I have a theory that some people are either undiagnosed or just share similar traits which prevents full potential. I'm sure you know some bright person who just messes up at work in potentially silly mistakes. My fault is hard stuff I understand and do well. The easy stuff I mess up on. For example I'll do come difficult maths using a piece of paper but get the answer wrong because I've added 3+2 and got 4 somewhere in the middle.

As far as being behind my peers goes. I haven't kept in touch. A few years after leaving uni I saw old school contacts on the now defunct friends reunited site. Obviously a boasting site but there were the odd person in a big 4 consultancy, people working for multinationals travelling the world to work and the usual doctors / lawyers. Others stayed in the area but doing very well and having another school friend as best man. IMHO how well I'm doing with past acquaintances is irrelevant. Am I comfortable? Job security? Can I have a summer holiday? Do I have a house and can manage payments? Those metrics are important. Along with can I afford to keep my cycling hobby going.

tangled_metal

BTW I've yet to work out what I like to do for a job. So I am just getting the positives out of what job I am doing. I look for the things that leave me fulfilled. I try to not let the negatives get me down. There's always positives in any job. Let that feed your happiness.

kingrollo

Tangled Metal wrote:

Without knowing you and not aiming this comment at you but there's a lot of faults that are signs of underlying conditions. ASD, ADD/ADHD, etc. A lot of very clever people mask these issues but underperform as a result. If you're average or lower intelligence then provided you're young enough these conditions would very picked up as a kid. In my day there wasn't ADHD it was difficult kids or troublemakers or lazy kids. Some ASD kids were just strange if it was a mile disorder.

I have a theory that some people are either undiagnosed or just share similar traits which prevents full potential. I'm sure you know some bright person who just messes up at work in potentially silly mistakes. My fault is hard stuff I understand and do well. The easy stuff I mess up on. For example I'll do come difficult maths using a piece of paper but get the answer wrong because I've added 3+2 and got 4 somewhere in the middle.

As far as being behind my peers goes. I haven't kept in touch. A few years after leaving uni I saw old school contacts on the now defunct friends reunited site. Obviously a boasting site but there were the odd person in a big 4 consultancy, people working for multinationals travelling the world to work and the usual doctors / lawyers. Others stayed in the area but doing very well and having another school friend as best man. IMHO how well I'm doing with past acquaintances is irrelevant. Am I comfortable? Job security? Can I have a summer holiday? Do I have a house and can manage payments? Those metrics are important. Along with can I afford to keep my cycling hobby going.

I have been married 25 years - and have two great kids - young adults - those are what I regard as my success stories.
I know of people who haven't got\had that experience. Tough at times yes, - but I kind of feel its what I was put on the earth to do - it just felt right. I think anyone who hasn't had that experience has missed out (although the worst thing to do is start a family if you don't really want one)

I am sure my anxiety levels have hampered my earning potential - In a way I could do the high paid jobs - but what it did to me and my health, meant that I couldn't.

tangled_metal

We find our place in the world eventually.

kingrollo

Tangled Metal wrote:

We find our place in the world eventually.

Then Die !

lettingthedaysgoby

I get paid to travel round the world with bands, get to play with some incredibly expensive audio gear and generally have a rather fantastic time.

Yeah, I reckon I wouldn't change a thing

First.Aspect

I'm lucky, I enjoy my work, it pays better than anything I did before.

But having gone from liking the job and not being paid much, to disliking the job and not being paid much, to disliking the job and being paid more, to liking the job and being paid more (in that order), I now know that the jumps between like/dislike are far, far more significant than those between low/higher pay.

So as far as is possible, do something you enjoy, for or with someone you don't dislike.

keef66

Far too late I realised I have a mild form of AD. Looking back on my school record and it's blindingly obvious. I never did as well as people thought I should. Same in the workplace, and that likely contributed to my depression.
Even when taking AD meds I can only really concentrate on stuff that I find interesting / stimulating, and of fairly short duration. I'm baffled by the rest of my colleagues who appear able to sit there for hours / days on end doing the same tedious, repetitive work.

I reckon I'd have made a good paramedic. Too late.

tangled_metal

kingrollo wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:

We find our place in the world eventually.

Then Die !

It's just a matter of how close to each other those two events are. With luck you have many years enjoying your place in the world.

shirley_basso

In TM's response to sort of my post

I think you could be right but I am not sure about the ADD thing. I am relatively smart, but also am able to really knuckle down if I need do. Perhaps I am lazy and don't work well without being under pressure - but then quality can suffer.

I refer to my peers insofar as the people who started on the same grad scheme with me as well as people roughly my age - I don't view it as envy, more like lost earnings had I passed those exams first time. That said, I absolutely hated that job so I am pleased it's over.

I do have one regret - not working overseas - yet. I lived in Spain and France during my degree and always kicked myself I wasn't able to work there. My current job has a strong focus on the UK Mid-Market and I don't work in London any more and do wonder how transferable the skillset is.

That said, I am young and after being in my most recent role for 6 months, it could be easy enough to move overseas eventually if I really wanted.

tangled_metal

keef66 wrote:

Far too late I realised I have a mild form of AD. Looking back on my school record and it's blindingly obvious. I never did as well as people thought I should. Same in the workplace, and that likely contributed to my depression.
Even when taking AD meds I can only really concentrate on stuff that I find interesting / stimulating, and of fairly short duration. I'm baffled by the rest of my colleagues who appear able to sit there for hours / days on end doing the same tedious, repetitive work.

I reckon I'd have made a good paramedic. Too late.

Well I once made a bad taste joke about having ADD to get out of trouble for looking out the window while someone was talking to me. I thought I was being clever but they believed me. A bit later they brought it up. It backfired on me. Seems they had been researching it and concluded ADD was a very distinct possibility. Looking into it I can see why.

Through school it's A for attainment D for effort. Lazy and daydreamer was the labels I owned. Truth is ADD people often got those labels unfairly.

However my lack of high flying status is down to inability to rustle up any ambition. Lack of understanding of what else I could do. So that leads to me stumbling into what I've ended up doing.

As to ADD I should try for diagnosis but tbh there's no resources or expertise anywhere near me to get that. The local services in the nhs all shrug and say that they can't find anywhere with the expertise to diagnose. It's private or nothing. Right now I could afford it but at the expense of things more practical for my family. They come first.

shirley_basso

That is quite interesting TM about school reports. Every single report I have said is basically the same - A/B for attainment, C/D for effort, except usually in maths which I really liked.

'If only he applied himself' will be on my gravestone!

As for high flying status - it's all relative. With my education I think I could/should be acheiving more. Others say they'd kill to be in my position.

keef66

Tangled Metal wrote:

As to ADD I should try for diagnosis but tbh there's no resources or expertise anywhere near me to get that. The local services in the nhs all shrug and say that they can't find anywhere with the expertise to diagnose. It's private or nothing. Right now I could afford it but at the expense of things more practical for my family. They come first.

Lucky for me the company medical cover has paid for most of my sessions with various MH professionals. If you tried the meds you'd soon have your answer; it's pretty binary for me, like the mental equivalent of noise-cancelling headphones.
(I've also been provided with a pair of actual noise cancelling headphones which also help a lot...)

tangled_metal

Shirley Basso wrote:

In TM's response to sort of my post

I think you could be right but I am not sure about the ADD thing. I am relatively smart, but also am able to really knuckle down if I need do. Perhaps I am lazy and don't work well without being under pressure - but then quality can suffer.

Bear in mind that ADD/ADHD does not mean you can't focus on things. There's variations which mean you hyper focus. Have you ever got so focused on what you're doing that you didn't register someone talking to you straight away? That could be ADD.

Ever find that you put things off, not even the most difficult things only to leave them to the very last minute? Where you put yourself under high stress and pressure before you can even start on the task? That is possibly ADD.

Have you been called lazy? A daydreamer? All things that may or may not be a symptom of your ADD if you have it. It's a spectrum disorder and there's many variations. Hyperactivity is not always present neither. Were you ever able to just sit or lie down somewhere as a kid and not do anything for periods of time? These are things that could indicate ADD that I've found mentioned in my research into the matter.

There was one poster on a forum. She was an American or Canadian academic (professor) who I think read 65 years plus and semi retired. She got diagnosed as a 60+ year old and it awoke in her the answers to the gaps in her obviously very successful career / life. She then spent her time helping others with advise and the knowledge and research she had done into it. Her knowledge was immense. From drug and non-drug treatment protocols to diagnosis and other matters. If she thought an undiagnosed person had ADD it was highly likely to be the case. There's great resources out there if you are an adult wanting to find out about it. Just diagnosis is a very uphill battle in the UK.

tangled_metal

Noise cancelling headphones? Music is another thing that relates back to ADD. There's a correlation between ADD and the liking of high beat rate / high energy music. Do you like short, high energy punk music? I know I do. It's not a definite link that defines the disorder more that you're more likely to like that distraction if you've got ADD. You can still like slow music too.

Personally I do my best work with something playing in the background. I wouldn't have been able to study half as well for gcse exams if it wasn't for my little, dial tuned, black and white TV set being on. Even now if I've got deadlines I take work home and do it in front of the TV. It helps me. I can't do one thing but have to do two or more. Believe it or not I used to have the TV on with music playing just to read a book. It's weird to think I used to hum along to the music while reading but still kept up with a difficult drama or film.

There's also evidence that under pressure such as large RTA or terrorist attack the person with ADD responds quicker to events. They'll be the one starting to help others while others (NT types) are still trying to work out what's happening. Kind of if your life is on turmoil because of ADD then the added turmoil of crisis is another form of normal for you.

shirley_basso

Tangled Metal wrote:

Shirley Basso wrote:

In TM's response to sort of my post

I think you could be right but I am not sure about the ADD thing. I am relatively smart, but also am able to really knuckle down if I need do. Perhaps I am lazy and don't work well without being under pressure - but then quality can suffer.

Bear in mind that ADD/ADHD does not mean you can't focus on things. There's variations which mean you hyper focus. Have you ever got so focused on what you're doing that you didn't register someone talking to you straight away? That could be ADD.

Definitely while watching TV and also when on my phone. Drives my wife absolutely mental.

Ever find that you put things off, not even the most difficult things only to leave them to the very last minute? Where you put yourself under high stress and pressure before you can even start on the task? That is possibly ADD.

Often

Have you been called lazy? A daydreamer? All things that may or may not be a symptom of your ADD if you have it. It's a spectrum disorder and there's many variations. Hyperactivity is not always present neither. Were you ever able to just sit or lie down somewhere as a kid and not do anything for periods of time? These are things that could indicate ADD that I've found mentioned in my research into the matter.

Not really ever this. I am quite restless though - I like to be doing things.

There was one poster on a forum. She was an American or Canadian academic (professor) who I think read 65 years plus and semi retired. She got diagnosed as a 60+ year old and it awoke in her the answers to the gaps in her obviously very successful career / life. She then spent her time helping others with advise and the knowledge and research she had done into it. Her knowledge was immense. From drug and non-drug treatment protocols to diagnosis and other matters. If she thought an undiagnosed person had ADD it was highly likely to be the case. There's great resources out there if you are an adult wanting to find out about it. Just diagnosis is a very uphill battle in the UK.

I would be interested to learn more. I feel like I could be the protagonist from Limitless!

robert88

kingrollo wrote:

For me I stayed in the civil service far to long in my younger years - learning and developing very little,

When I finally got into IT - I found it easy to hop from job to job increasing my salary along the way - again with hindsight, I quit jobs I enjoyed - for ones that paid more - more mistakes- I ended up with a job that caused me extreme stress - and depression - so I quite that and tumbled down the payscales - in search of a job that would keep a roof over my head whilst not making me ill ...

With hindsight, the time to move around and try different things is when you're younger - avoid job where you don't gain any marketable skills (public sector is bad for this)

Would love to have been a physiotherapist

yours ???

Not entirely sure but I would have emigrated in order to do it.

hopkinb

Tangled Metal wrote:

Shirley Basso wrote:

In TM's response to sort of my post

I think you could be right but I am not sure about the ADD thing. I am relatively smart, but also am able to really knuckle down if I need do. Perhaps I am lazy and don't work well without being under pressure - but then quality can suffer.

Bear in mind that ADD/ADHD does not mean you can't focus on things. There's variations which mean you hyper focus. Have you ever got so focused on what you're doing that you didn't register someone talking to you straight away? That could be ADD.

Ever find that you put things off, not even the most difficult things only to leave them to the very last minute? Where you put yourself under high stress and pressure before you can even start on the task? That is possibly ADD.

Have you been called lazy? A daydreamer? All things that may or may not be a symptom of your ADD if you have it. It's a spectrum disorder and there's many variations. Hyperactivity is not always present neither. Were you ever able to just sit or lie down somewhere as a kid and not do anything for periods of time? These are things that could indicate ADD that I've found mentioned in my research into the matter.

Hmmm, this could explain a lot.

slowmart

Career wise I’d leave untouched, hindsight is a valuable tool to re evaluate your drivers and the context you apply to “success” at certain periods in your life. Certainly that’s been an interesting journey but I don’t dwell on what I could have changed but rather apply the learns from the experiences and events of my life to make sure the ever decreasing time I have left is maxed out.

rick_chasey

Could have gone any number of directions but in the direction I went to I would avoid 2 of the 4 firms I have worked for as I still carry professional and personal scaring from both of those that hamper me to this day, and probably should have joined a big firm from the off.