they've_been_suckered Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Just wondering if anyone else has considered completely changing career? In a decent/stable job for a large firm with some good prospects, problem is it just doesn't excite me. Definitely don't want to be doing what I'm doing forever. Obviously looking to maintain my standard of living but struggling to think of what I'd ideally do. It's a weird one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brant grebner Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I went for a job recently. Advertised as "therapist". Imagine my surprise when my prospective employer told me I would have to randomly bugger unwitting strangers at knife-point. Oh, wrong thread. Still - living wage. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) I changed nine years ago age 37. Was in a good job, senior project manager for a bank in tech infrastructure. Went back to uni for a year full time, did a masters in sustainable development economics. Did some project management for universities and now I'm doing business development for a research organisation in the space and big science sector. Much more interesting, feels more worthwhile and enjoying it much more. Pay isn't as good but decent. Have to mention I had no partner or dependents when I did it, so no one relying on me, but equally no one to support me during it. Edited April 18, 2017 by biffer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euan2020 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) kinda changed had worked in bank 11 years, went to University at 28 to do accountancy, cos i wanted to work in Eastern Europe off back of Scotland trips ended up in finance in Oil Industry, and been last 6 years in Cape Town, last 14 years been travelling with work to Russia, France, Kazakhstan and plenty places in Africa - money's a lot better as well depends what makes you happy - grass is not always greener as a footnote - quite a few people in my company flip between different roles (35,000 employees) Ops > HR Finance > Ops HR > Ops so possible to change role, but in same company Edited April 19, 2017 by euan2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Ceelo Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 20 years as a bus conductor, hated it so got a job as train conductor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiefaetheferry Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 22 years as a Manager (mostly HR) in retail. Started to not enjoy it about 3-4 years ago - lots of 'structure change' meaning myself and my colleagues in and out of 'consultation' but basically cost cutting to get rid of long serving people. Got lucky last year when redundancy was being offered and bit their hand off for 2 years salary. Started working with kids to support an application for the PGDE for Primary Teaching (one year postgrad). Very competitive - 164 places at Dundee Uni from 2500 applicants. Very chuffed to be starting in August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASTA Mick Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I changed a few years ago. I took a 25% pay drop (not to mention reduction in employee benefits). It took about 3 years to get back up to the same wage level. Worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euan2020 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 46 minutes ago, PASTA Mick said: I changed a few years ago. I took a 25% pay drop (not to mention reduction in employee benefits). It took about 3 years to get back up to the same wage level. Worth it. to what though - Lap Dancing, & 3 years to build clientele ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddersfield Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I decided to retrain as a Primary School teacher last year when I was threatened with redundancy. I decided to take the money, a student loan, a bit of a bursary & go for it. I was a senior manager on a decent wage, but it's the best thing I ever did (work-wise anyhow). I just got offered my first teaching job to start in September. I think if you feel like you need a change then you probably do, & if you can make it happen then you should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parklife Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 12 hours ago, they've_been_suckered said: Just wondering if anyone else has considered completely changing career? In a decent/stable job for a large firm with some good prospects, problem is it just doesn't excite me. Definitely don't want to be doing what I'm doing forever. Obviously looking to maintain my standard of living but struggling to think of what I'd ideally do. It's a weird one. You picked an bad time to think about changing career! There's a lot outside of work to consider. I dont think your hours are too long 8-5ish(?) and you've got a quite a short commute. A more exciting job might be further away and require long hours. How much is that potentially 2 extra hours a day working/travelling worth? Are there OU courses you could do that'd link your existing degree and qualifications to something that appeals more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiefaetheferry Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 38 minutes ago, Huddersfield said: I decided to retrain as a Primary School teacher last year when I was threatened with redundancy. I decided to take the money, a student loan, a bit of a bursary & go for it. I was a senior manager on a decent wage, but it's the best thing I ever did (work-wise anyhow). I just got offered my first teaching job to start in September. I think if you feel like you need a change then you probably do, & if you can make it happen then you should. Good news ! I remember you posting about this last year. Was it the school route PGCE in England ? Or do you qualify without a PGCE ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddersfield Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 11 minutes ago, killiefaetheferry said: Good news ! I remember you posting about this last year. Was it the school route PGCE in England ? Or do you qualify without a PGCE ? I followed the SCITT route (School-centred initial teacher training). I think most local authorities in England have one; not sure about yourselves? Anyway, you had to have a degree + GCSE/O Level Maths & English + pass the skills test to apply. Once I got through I was placed in a school for the year (minus a half-term in an alternative; different key stage & different type of school). It's a school in a very deprived area, so giving me a good grounding in EAL, safeguarding, behaviour management, etc. I had an option to do PGCE as well but given my age & likely career path decide not to bother with it. Anyway, congrats yourself. I'm glad you got a place. Let me know how it all goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapofGlencoe Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Similar situation and thinking the same. Decent although not fantastic salary. permanent job. I believe the job situation in this country looks good on the outside but dig deeper and there's huge issues for normal people. There's so many FTC positions these days it's scary. Companies are able to pick and drop people too easily and it doesn't help stability, in my opinion. I've noticed a massive upsurge in FTC in the last 2 years. I think the Government needs to do something about it. I get virtually no enjoyment from what I do. However, is the grass greener?? Don't know. I have a commute which is great, and a level of autonomy in this position which means i 'can take it easy' during the day.. as long as I get the task done. I've thought about moving into Engineering however I did a Finance degree. Is it possible to simply retrain...how does it look to employers?? With a mortgage and wanting to settle down it's really tough to make these choices. I honestly believe the system we work in is fffuked up. .. unless you crack it early we're all in the same boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
they've_been_suckered Posted April 19, 2017 Author Share Posted April 19, 2017 1 hour ago, Parklife said: You picked an bad time to think about changing career! There's a lot outside of work to consider. I dont think your hours are too long 8-5ish(?) and you've got a quite a short commute. A more exciting job might be further away and require long hours. How much is that potentially 2 extra hours a day working/travelling worth? Are there OU courses you could do that'd link your existing degree and qualifications to something that appeals more? Yeh, I don't disagree. I'm working for a Food Manufacturer who supplies solely into the UK market. Probably the safest job out of all the ones I've had. The commute is amazing, probably a case of not knowing how lucky I am just doing 10mi round trip each day. Never looked at OU stuff before. I'm quite a hands on type I think. Would probably have been suited to a mechanical/engineering type job if I'm honest. I can build things and fix my road bike pretty easily and actually enjoy it 15 minutes ago, PapofGlencoe said: Similar situation and thinking the same. Decent although not fantastic salary. permanent job. I believe the job situation in this country looks good on the outside but dig deeper and there's huge issues for normal people. There's so many FTC positions these days it's scary. Companies are able to pick and drop people too easily and it doesn't help stability, in my opinion. I've noticed a massive upsurge in FTC in the last 2 years. I think the Government needs to do something about it. I get virtually no enjoyment from what I do. However, is the grass greener?? Don't know. I have a commute which is great, and a level of autonomy in this position which means i 'can take it easy' during the day.. as long as I get the task done. I've thought about moving into Engineering however I did a Finance degree. Is it possible to simply retrain...how does it look to employers?? With a mortgage and wanting to settle down it's really tough to make these choices. I honestly believe the system we work in is fffuked up. .. unless you crack it early we're all in the same boat. Had to google FTC there. Never been an issue for me... I've done an engineering degree and moved to procurement which feels like the opposite of what you've done! I have a really relaxed work life, very little stress and I doubt I'd find something as cushty to be honest. Grass is unlikely to be greener but might be less boring. 1 hour ago, Huddersfield said: I decided to retrain as a Primary School teacher last year when I was threatened with redundancy. I decided to take the money, a student loan, a bit of a bursary & go for it. I was a senior manager on a decent wage, but it's the best thing I ever did (work-wise anyhow). I just got offered my first teaching job to start in September. I think if you feel like you need a change then you probably do, & if you can make it happen then you should. I've done some volunteering recently and if I'm honest, I don't think working with kids is something I'd enjoy although I did consider it. I'd toyed with the idea of joining the police a long time ago but having spoken to a few people about their experiences of life in a service like that I'm not sure the lifestyle suits me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbcmfc Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 If you're in a secure job, being paid well enough to have a nice lifestyle and have a decent work life balance, I'd be wary of jumping ship on a whim. If work is actually making you unhappy, that's different. I get bored at work, but when I think about looking elsewhere, I look at the other side. I drop my boys at Nursery/grans most mornings, and get home in time to see them for a bit most nights. In comparison, my wife is often away before they get up and they're going to bed when she gets in, she's always under pressure... So if you're just a bit bored, maybe look at other opportunities where you are, to diversify a bit. I've started doing a bit of project management for my boss, which has helped relieve the boredom and good for my CV if I do move. (although be careful how you go about saying you're bored! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddersfield Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 The job I had before was in the field of homelessness, offending, etc. We used to get a steady stream of people coming into that line of work from areas like banking & finance. I worked in Halifax a lot, where the biggest employer was the bank, & occasionally middle/senior managers would get to around 45/50, feel like they had enough money & decide they wanted to do something more rewarding. Meanwhile, a lot of people I knew in the sector just got burned out & went off to work in a bank. I was completely hacked off in that world, I just got lucky (if redundancy counts as luck) that I got the opportunity to shift. Ultimately, you have to weigh up if the upheaval of moving into a new world is worth it to get rid of the boredom. “The price one pays for pursuing any profession or calling is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side.” - James Baldwin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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