Well I'm feeling really fed up with my job - I'm an ICT teacher. Have done for a long time now, and I'm starting to seriously think about making a radical career change as I feel like I'm going through the motions, in a job you can't really do that in. My one big regret in life was not following through some training I did to become an electrician, and bar a suprise offer to write full-time or test drive cars for a living, something similarly practical and interesting is where my brain is currently veering towards. My big issue is the financial disaster that this would usher in - I'm on a pretty decent wage at the moment and have the usual responsibilities (mortgage, graduate loan etc) that make a pay cut a really big deal beyond just a cut in my beer money or not being able to afford the odd video game. I was just hoping to find out if anyone else had been in a similarly difficult situation and maybe impart some words of wisdom. Apart from anything, working out how to start all over again at 30 in the sort of area I'm thinking of. Or should I stick it out and live a life of regret and bitterness?
I did it a few years ago. I moved from watchmaking to construction. To be honest the money was an improvement but I don't regret doing it. Watches are just a hobby now
While I have no experiance I could grace you with, could you not set something up while your working as a teacher - and when your all ready to move into your new job give your notice?
US Navy (2 years) --> Coffee Shop / Restaurant (5 years) --> Desktop support/field services (1 year) --> Software Development (7 years) But, yeah, every time I switched, the money got better. Electricians can make buckets of money under the right conditions. (I considered it too) Maybe the 'safest' bet would be to do something similar to what Bogomip was talking about - see if you can start writing a few articles on the side for a car magazine or for a nearby large newspaper. That could get you started in a writing/cars direction while not risking your mortgage.
No, I've always been a student. I say go for it, you don't want to get stuck in a thankless job thinking "What if" for the rest of your life. Do you teach in secondary education? teaching ICT there is a thankless crappy job.
Well, until four months ago I was working in physical/personal security. Now I have moved countries and I work in a call centre where I take bookings from old ladies who want to make a little trip. And I've never been happier (but then again, I'm 22). My advice would be to not just dream about it, but seriously think about it (which I think you're doing already). Financial security is important, especially if you've got debts or loans to pay off, but financial security doesn't bring you happiness in a job or even lifestyle you think you're stuck in. With time (not years, but a few months I guess) ideas will pop up into your head, chances will arise because you will see them whereas before you ignored them, and you will take them. And then three months later you will realise you came a long way and you're doing what you want to do or on the path thereto. ****, I sound like a motivational speaker. There's good money in that, btw. Too bad my feet smell.
Best thing I could suggest doing is going back to college, part-time in the evenings, to get your electrical qualifications (especially since it's all changed in the last couple of years). See how you get on with the course, and if you're still set on a career change, try to find a friendly developer or builder who has a more or less constant requirement for electrical work. Or moonlight for a couple of months (best make those months in the Summer - hard to wire in the dark ) and see how you get on. That's just my tuppence'orth. I think you'll be okay there, motivational speakers are very rarely required to take their shoes off!
First i when to art school to study product design. After that I tried to make a living out of designing and making furniture. Didn't last long, too hard headed and handmade furniture is too expensive for the majority of people to get something of a client base (mind, this was before internet took of) Next came 8 years in engineering, doing highly accurate 3D measurements on all kind of jigs. This involves being away from home ALWAYS. This got to me at the end, and make me decide to make yet another change: My girlfriend and I decided to buy a bar and try to make a living with that. Still have it, but to be honest this is prob the hardest way to make money i have ever tried. Long hours, insanely demanding norms and laws. But when it goes it is good fun. There you go, I guess i have been all over the place
Tool Shop Sales Assistant -> Bit-tech staff writer. Do the course part time to get a flavour, all the while putting money away to support yourself. Then grab a small business loan and do it. Oh and try and build up the connections now, no pun intended.
McDonalds Lobby Host -> Maplin Electronics -> Soldering full time -> Iceland -> VB Programmer -> Bar man -> PHP/MySQL programmer Not that hard to be honest. But that's because I'm a student, save up enough money to last a couple of months, let your bank know and they should let you stop payments till you sort yourself out.
Haven't done anything like it. But if you have financial responsibilities, it might be smart to keep your job for now and start doing what you wanna do outside of your current job. (writing articles etc..) If you see that it has potential to keep you financialy healthy, then you could consider quitting your current job and doing the other thing fulltime. Good luck!
Ive been involved in catering (both cooking and serving / barman) in hotels / cafes and resaurants for the last 10 year while i finished school / college ect. got my dream job as a web designer (nothing flash, just starting at the bottom and work my way up as learning various bits and pieces. Ive now worked in a bike shop for over a year as the web dev wasn't that i thought it would be, and if i can scrape £20,000 over the next 4 years the shops mine. mmmhhhwwwwaaaaaaaa. Thats about as radical as ive been job wise.
Doug: Iceland is not a job. Mook: Stop worrying about your career and tell us how you annoyed your neighbour! AH
I'm kind of in the same boat. I've become disillusioned with my IT career... If I could find some other career that I could enjoy that would pay enough, I reckon I'd rediscover my joy of IT. I've stopped doing much of what I used to as a hobby because it's like a perpetual busman's holiday. But with wife & kid in tow, I can't just start again...
THis is freaky. I had this very discussion with my partner this week. I say go for it. I've just got to find something that can support the bills to get me out of this transport despatch rut I've been in for nearly 10 years. LOL - I was even thinking of becoming an electrician too.
DO IT! Just over a year ago I left an 11 year career as a Chef and started working at a photo agency. I figure 10 years of this and I'll take up blacksmithing. Do it, a big leap. Makes you scared as hell, but you feel great about it. Plus you remain focused and interested. You only get to live this life once, no point in sitting it out in a crap job.
Nothing is impossible dude, I'm sure you'll do fine - just stay in your current job until you've secured the other one for a smooth transition and no lack-of-money. But whatever you do, don't live in regret. Life is too short, and there are thousands of opportunities to help you change things. Keep your head up
I went from working in Chemical industry to Sales in Ikea and now I study Media Ingenering. I was young and still tried to figure out what todo with my life. It was a big step from leaving a secure(and boring) job with financial security into something a lil more apealing(sp?). Its hard at first but as others sad, you only life once and i didnt wanted to get stuck in a job i didnt like.
Lots of great comments, thanks! Yeah I'm pretty set on a total revamp of my working life. The sad thing is, getting into a craft like plumbing or being a sparky is seemingly virtually impossible due to my age. Certainly the aprenticeship route is out of the question, and the supposed advanced apprenticeship scheme seems to be a bit of a phantom scheme. I really want to do something with my hands (oooer) that is stimulating and interesting, and doesn't require me to do pen-pushing or any other clerical bollocks. My dream would be to do an apprenticeship in either plumbing or motor mechanics, but at the age of the 30 that just seems a total joke.
If you really want it, don't let the age thing stop you. It's just a mental block. I had a similar thought and it kept me on the couch for 3 months. Trust yourself and don't stop looking. What you are looking for exisits, it's just not easy to find. Network, search, listen. My shot landed in my lap from wwaaayyy out in left field and looked nothing like what I thought it would, but ended up being exactly what I wanted. It might require a bit of sacrifice, but what doesn't? I was 31 when I left the kitchen, and I had to go a whole year with no income to pursue what I wanted. In the end it was worth it, I make more now then I did and am WAY more stress free then I was. Was the year hard? yeah, we had to really cut out life style back. But we did it and my wife is as happy about it as I am.
