Thinking about a change of career
- Thread starter fuzzybuzzytoys
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fuzzybuzzytoys
Sith Lord
PIGCITY said:
I was Piggy. Then picked up another lovely collection to flip today. So my 'mincing' will have to wait for another day as felt that little flutter of excitement I have been missing so much recently.
This is one of those rare non Star Wars related "gems" that I thought I'd bump because I turned 30 this year and think I am having some kind of pre mid life crisis about careers (AGAIN!)
Any other successful/inspirational "it's never too late to make the change" stories to tell guys?
Also - is 30 old? lol :lol:
Any other successful/inspirational "it's never too late to make the change" stories to tell guys?
Also - is 30 old? lol :lol:
Joe said:
It's amazing what can happen in a year. (16 months). I wonder if anyone has made a big career move in that time. Or is regretting not making one 16 months ago… :?
The main thing that has changed for me in the last year is i've quit DJing. The late nights and annoying punters just got too much. Traipsing home from central London at 4am every friday and saturday got pretty old pretty quick. Part of me was sad to see the back of it but a bigger part was ****ing relieved. I'm a firm believer in not doing things that don't make you happy. I still do the odd gig but only to cover my brother when he can't do his and it's a 4 hour gig that ends at midnight. A ****ing synch. But even so, when I was offered that weekly i turned it down. I'm just not one for doing something i don't enjoy. Even for pay. :?
Mr-shifter
Sith Lord
I did something similar to this ten or so years ago. I was quite bright at school but didn't really apply myself so I ended up spending two years at university doing a degree in a subject I enjoyed doing in college with no forethought to a career after it. I didn't apply myself properly so flunked out with nothing to show for the two years other than a great time.
I then settled into the job market and spent nearly four years working in call centres and offices. When your living at home wages were only for the weekend and I couldn't see past the next payday. I was one of the younger people in the office to start but it didn't bother me, although I looked at the 30+ guys in the office and said that would never be me. As the years crept by I could see myself more and more becoming these people and at age 24, had a lightbulb moment where I thought I needed to do something else.
I wanted to do something practical with my hands and settled on plumbing. I set dates and decided I would try to find an apprenticeship and literally handed my notice in that afternoon. I had come of the phones and was an administrator in the back office which I hated. I needed to spur myself on to make the change. I gave them 10 weeks notice and set about my task. I wrote 140 letters and sent them to local plumbing firms to ask for an apprenticeship. I also sorted out the new course at the local vocational college. I got one guy who was willing to take me on, so I thought I was all set for my new career. Off I went to enrol in college. Once I got to the college and sat down with the tutor to sort the course out he told me he wasn't willing to take me on. He wouldn't get full funding as I was going to be over 25 at the end of the course and all he wanted was 17 year olds to tick the boxes for the college. So I had no job and no new career.
I had to take something. I was also doing bar work at the time and working in a social club. One of the guys there worked for the electricity board in their emergency call centre and said he could get me a job so I took it, telling him it would only be temporary as I was regrouping to try and live this pipe dream I had. I took the job and started working for them.
Not long after I started, the company started a new scheme for adult trainees, to retrain in one of the electrical distribution disciplines. They had had trouble with the apprentices they were taking straight from school and wanted to train more mature people. It was an opportunity I could not have better written for what I wanted to do. 400 people applied for 18 positions and I guess the stars aligned for me over that process because I was one of the 18.
I then spent the next ten years training and then working as an overhead power linesman. The job was everything I thought it would be and more. I would have never placed myself in the role I did but I loved every minute of it. I still work for the board, but now in the capacity of an engineer. I have in that time managed to get some higher education, as they have put me through a HNC. I also was quite bad with money when I was younger, so a combination of student loans, credit cards and bad decisions had left me with debts of about 12k. I managed to pay every penny of it back and am quite proud of the fact since, other than a mortgage I have never been in debt. Admittedly, learnt through a harsh lesson, but one that I learned from.
If your still reading I commend your patience
. I guess life is all about doing what's right for you at the right times. I have found you will not get given anything in life but if you want something badly enough, go and grab it with both hands. It's not easy, but with hard work and effort, there's no reason why not.
I then settled into the job market and spent nearly four years working in call centres and offices. When your living at home wages were only for the weekend and I couldn't see past the next payday. I was one of the younger people in the office to start but it didn't bother me, although I looked at the 30+ guys in the office and said that would never be me. As the years crept by I could see myself more and more becoming these people and at age 24, had a lightbulb moment where I thought I needed to do something else.
I wanted to do something practical with my hands and settled on plumbing. I set dates and decided I would try to find an apprenticeship and literally handed my notice in that afternoon. I had come of the phones and was an administrator in the back office which I hated. I needed to spur myself on to make the change. I gave them 10 weeks notice and set about my task. I wrote 140 letters and sent them to local plumbing firms to ask for an apprenticeship. I also sorted out the new course at the local vocational college. I got one guy who was willing to take me on, so I thought I was all set for my new career. Off I went to enrol in college. Once I got to the college and sat down with the tutor to sort the course out he told me he wasn't willing to take me on. He wouldn't get full funding as I was going to be over 25 at the end of the course and all he wanted was 17 year olds to tick the boxes for the college. So I had no job and no new career.
I had to take something. I was also doing bar work at the time and working in a social club. One of the guys there worked for the electricity board in their emergency call centre and said he could get me a job so I took it, telling him it would only be temporary as I was regrouping to try and live this pipe dream I had. I took the job and started working for them.
Not long after I started, the company started a new scheme for adult trainees, to retrain in one of the electrical distribution disciplines. They had had trouble with the apprentices they were taking straight from school and wanted to train more mature people. It was an opportunity I could not have better written for what I wanted to do. 400 people applied for 18 positions and I guess the stars aligned for me over that process because I was one of the 18.
I then spent the next ten years training and then working as an overhead power linesman. The job was everything I thought it would be and more. I would have never placed myself in the role I did but I loved every minute of it. I still work for the board, but now in the capacity of an engineer. I have in that time managed to get some higher education, as they have put me through a HNC. I also was quite bad with money when I was younger, so a combination of student loans, credit cards and bad decisions had left me with debts of about 12k. I managed to pay every penny of it back and am quite proud of the fact since, other than a mortgage I have never been in debt. Admittedly, learnt through a harsh lesson, but one that I learned from.
If your still reading I commend your patience
. I guess life is all about doing what's right for you at the right times. I have found you will not get given anything in life but if you want something badly enough, go and grab it with both hands. It's not easy, but with hard work and effort, there's no reason why not.
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When your 20, 30 is old. But what do you no about life when your 20? When your older than 30, 30 is young. :roll:
