Career change?

[Captain Jack]

Recently I've been becoming extremely bored at work doing more or less the same thing over and over again. My previous job was basically desktop support, but actually I did everything from getting a printer working to managing an Oracle database (yes, I know... ). That got really stressful and very underpaid, so I went elsewhere. My current job is 2nd/3rd line support/Java programmer/Oracle/Unix admin type stuff. This is very easy and really rather cushy as all I do all day is browse on eBay.

However, it's boring. There's no real variety to the role and it's boring. And did I mention it was boring? I have a job interview next week with some American IT company whose name sounds like some gynecological condition, but it does involve semi-regular trips to the home of the brave and around Europe... which could be interesting I guess. Doubt I'll get the role, but you never know. And my ex-boss is asking me whether I'd be interested in coming back to where I worked before as an IT supervisor. Well, that one will get boring quickly.

Soooo... what other options are there for me? I don't really wanna work in IT any more, but that's where all my experience is and I can't really do/qualified to do anything else. Has anyone here started from scratch in the middle of their career? Lots of people just open their own business, like property development, but that requires money, of which I have none (hence the S reg diesel 406 saloon and not a V6 407 coupe). Sooo, chappies and chappesses (do we have any still?)... any advice/ideas etc....?

[steve_earwig]

A lumberjack?

If you've got time to sit and scurf the 'net then maybe you could study for some more quals.

Anyway, stop that defeatist attitude right now! Go for that job, it's yours if you want it!!

[DaiRees]

Yup, I did 10 years as a Quality Engineer in a manufacturing company then jumped ship because I was bored of doing the same stuff all the time, pissed off with taking sh*t from weasily little fukwit customers and managers about crap that was entirely out of my control, stressed, overworked and underappreciated. So I took a sizeable wage cut to go to work for a friend who has his own company doing training, recruitment and consultancy. That was great for a while, always different stuff going on. Then as we built up the company I got more involved in the training side and the variety got less, then we had a partial buy-out and now people who think about money first are in charge of the training company so I'm again being given impossible targets. We used to ensure that the candidates we signed up were suitable for the course and actually wanted to do it, but now I'm running around all over South Wales teaching people who don't want to listen stuff they don't want to know (and some of whom aren't capable of doing anyway!) and dealing with employers who think my only purpose in life is to disrupt their production schedules. And all that for considerably less money than I was on 18 months ago! Our company's going to end up with a sh*t reputation and if I'm not careful I'll get tarred with the same brush, so I'm now looking for another job too!

Still at least I'm not on the verge of a breakdown anymore!

Dai "pissed off but not ill" Rees

[steve_earwig]

You could always jack in your job, rent your house out and emigrate but that rather depends on personal circumstance.

Any of you seen Office Space?

[TooT]

My brother packed in his job after about 6/7 years of being a leisure center manager. He bought a van off ebay kitted out with water tank and generator and loads of other stuff for car valeting. Its been about a year and a half since he started and he is really quite busy and has a lot of regular customers. Sure he gets quite times and it really depends on the weather but soon as it nice, like this week, he is fully booked.

[steve_earwig]

Turn your house over to marijuana production. You'll need to by-pass your electricity meter of course.

Mate of mine used to be a designer for BOC, was made redundant by CAD. He went back to college, got a degree, became a teacher. He's now retired & spends most of his time in Spain.

Another mate started a business renting out gambling machines to pubs, now on his way to his first million.

Know of a guy who does something similar to Toot's brother, except he cleans windows. Invented some of the stuff he uses too.

[niz406]

Retrain.... do something new, your never to old to learn a new trade... what interests you? What do you thnk you would be happy doing ? What could you see yourself doing for a long time?

They are the kind of questions you need to ask yourself.... Then ask yourself, how do I get there??!?!?!

[Captain Jack]

What I'd REALLY like to do is become a commercial airline pilot... but... it costs 80k to train (I know, cos my friend is doing this now)

[steve_earwig]

I always wanted to be a layabout and just do stuff when I feel like it. Hold on a mo....

[Captain Jack]

I always wanted to be a layabout and just do stuff when I feel like it. Hold on a mo....

Yes... me too... but at 26, I have a loooong way to go to retirement....

[steve_earwig]

And, at 26, you are far from being unemployable if you should choose/be forced to change career path.

[Captain Jack]

Maybe I should become a driving instructor

[Welly]

Well, being in construction I can tell you there is a huge shortage of skilled tradesmen if you can see your way to learning a trade. It will take a while to become recognised as a good worker (where the money is) but there's plenty of work out there.

We install thermal insulation, fire protection, acoustic insulation and electrical trace heating and some of our 'operatives' gross out £40K

Another area is Gas Appliance servicing (domestic boilers) qualifications from ACOPS/CORGI required (course and £1,500.00 I think). You may need to work for British Gas to get the experience but if you leave an go alone once settled you can go around servicing boilers at £90.00 each and easily do 4 a day with no parts, just you and some cleaning and testing kit. Heck, you even get to meet all those house wifey types

[Captain Jack]

Well, being in construction I can tell you there is a huge shortage of skilled tradesmen if you can see your way to learning a trade. It will take a while to become recognised as a good worker (where the money is) but there's plenty of work out there.

We install thermal insulation, fire protection, acoustic insulation and electrical trace heating and some of our 'operatives' gross out £40K

Another area is Gas Appliance servicing (domestic boilers) qualifications from ACOPS/CORGI required (course and £1,500.00 I think). You may need to work for British Gas to get the experience but if you leave an go alone once settled you can go around servicing boilers at £90.00 each and easily do 4 a day with no parts, just you and some cleaning and testing kit. Heck, you even get to meet all those house wifey types

Actually, that is something I was considering but I can barely change the taps on my sink. But it does sound varied and I know they are not on bad money. What's the starting salary? I would really need something very close to £30k, but wouldn't mind working up to it if it doesn't take too long

[niz406]

What I'd REALLY like to do is become a commercial airline pilot... but... it costs 80k to train (I know, cos my friend is doing this now)

Evere Heard of a Career development loan? It's like a student loan all over again, Barclays are one bank that do them and they offer you a loan that you do not start paying back until sometime after the course is complete..... 80k please and if you get a commercial pilots licence / job you will be able to afford the repayments quite easily! !