Career change

Ranger37

Ranger37

Well-Known Member
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Almost 40, I work offshore but thinking of switching to a normal 'own bed every night' job again, this would require a change of profession probably, as I'm in the catering game and there's no way I'm going back to crazy hours and working every weekend

Anyone ever retrained when middle aged?

I've had a quick look at plasterer and heating engineer courses
 
I'm also offshore and considering a career change just now.

If you can somehow wangle redundancy, you qualify for 4k of training through the 'transitional training' program.
 
Do it mate.

The moment that thought process starts, it's time to change.

We spend the vast majority of our lives working, might aswell enjoy it!
 
Ive just went through a career change into the Insurance industry, back working day shift after being on night shift for the past 12 or so years and at the moment im hating every second of it, hopefully it changes though and i can begin to adjust.
 
I've been hunting for a new job as well, I took my current job as a stop gap and still here 5 years later.
 
I am now 52 :-( i have been doing the same role, albeit in different companies for now 17 years. I am an IT project manager. I like projects, but when you get into a company that is full of backstabbing arseholes who are only interested in creating bureaucratic mountains to justify their own bloody jobs, its a nightmare.

I used to have flexibility to work from home, it helped, boiler servicing, deliveries, dog to vets etc, now we need everything signed off in triplicate before that is even allowed. I hate the place i work, the good people are all hacked off with redundancies and fed up with paperwork stopping us progressing and doing the job.

I have concluded i need out of the IT sector, I am starting to feel like Ken Barlow in Corrie ffs. Typecast and forever stuck in this twilight zone.

Wish i had a trade or something i could fall back on to do myself. I post this as warning to any of you younger bears who can project themselves forward into their 50's. Get out before its too late and find something worth getting out of bed for!

All i am doing is turning up ticking the boxes and going home. I hate every day at work, but what can i do? I cant seem to find anything that i can retrain for in the limited time i have left.
 
Have not changed industry as such. Worked for years as a joiner, went to college at night for 2 years doing a Construction management HNC when I was 39. Now work as Site Manager. Had to pay for SMSTS ticket, first aid at work etc. Been worth it though.
 
weetam3106 said:
I am now 52 :-( i have been doing the same role, albeit in different companies for now 17 years. I am an IT project manager. I like projects, but when you get into a company that is full of backstabbing arseholes who are only interested in creating bureaucratic mountains to justify their own bloody jobs, its a nightmare.

I used to have flexibility to work from home, it helped, boiler servicing, deliveries, dog to vets etc, now we need everything signed off in triplicate before that is even allowed. I hate the place i work, the good people are all hacked off with redundancies and fed up with paperwork stopping us progressing and doing the job.

I have concluded i need out of the IT sector, I am starting to feel like Ken Barlow in Corrie ffs. Typecast and forever stuck in this twilight zone.

Wish i had a trade or something i could fall back on to do myself. I post this as warning to any of you younger bears who can project themselves forward into their 50's. Get out before its too late and find something worth getting out of bed for!

All i am doing is turning up ticking the boxes and going home. I hate every day at work, but what can i do? I cant seem to find anything that i can retrain for in the limited time i have left.
Click to expand...

With all your experience etc it should be easy enough to get a similar job with a different company, that may be completely different mate?
 
^^^You would think so.... on topic, think i may need a change of industry or to retrain into something else. Life is way too short for dreading getting up in the morning.
 
weetam3106 said:
I am now 52 :-( i have been doing the same role, albeit in different companies for now 17 years. I am an IT project manager. I like projects, but when you get into a company that is full of backstabbing arseholes who are only interested in creating bureaucratic mountains to justify their own bloody jobs, its a nightmare.

I used to have flexibility to work from home, it helped, boiler servicing, deliveries, dog to vets etc, now we need everything signed off in triplicate before that is even allowed. I hate the place i work, the good people are all hacked off with redundancies and fed up with paperwork stopping us progressing and doing the job.

I have concluded i need out of the IT sector, I am starting to feel like Ken Barlow in Corrie ffs. Typecast and forever stuck in this twilight zone.

Wish i had a trade or something i could fall back on to do myself. I post this as warning to any of you younger bears who can project themselves forward into their 50's. Get out before its too late and find something worth getting out of bed for!

All i am doing is turning up ticking the boxes and going home. I hate every day at work, but what can i do? I cant seem to find anything that i can retrain for in the limited time i have left.
Click to expand...
I'm 52 and know how you feel mate.
 
Was there not some programme to get Oil & Gas folk into teaching?

Not the best money but the holidays must make up for that.
 
weetam3106 said:
I am now 52 :-( i have been doing the same role, albeit in different companies for now 17 years. I am an IT project manager. I like projects, but when you get into a company that is full of backstabbing arseholes who are only interested in creating bureaucratic mountains to justify their own bloody jobs, its a nightmare.

I used to have flexibility to work from home, it helped, boiler servicing, deliveries, dog to vets etc, now we need everything signed off in triplicate before that is even allowed. I hate the place i work, the good people are all hacked off with redundancies and fed up with paperwork stopping us progressing and doing the job.

I have concluded i need out of the IT sector, I am starting to feel like Ken Barlow in Corrie ffs. Typecast and forever stuck in this twilight zone.

Wish i had a trade or something i could fall back on to do myself. I post this as warning to any of you younger bears who can project themselves forward into their 50's. Get out before its too late and find something worth getting out of bed for!

All i am doing is turning up ticking the boxes and going home. I hate every day at work, but what can i do? I cant seem to find anything that i can retrain for in the limited time i have left.
Click to expand...


Why dont you move in to teaching others what you do and try and become a college lecturer?
 
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Wish I'd changed career many years ago.
I now feel like I'm at a point that the financial hit of retraining would be too much to take and there's no way I'd find another job paying what I earn now.
 
You have by the sounds if it a good background in your field so why not stay in it but just move lane and try and become a college lecturer in your line if work?

You dont always need a teaching certificate as a wealth of experience can be just as good.
 
I'm only 28, but for the past 10 years i was working in Facilities Management. Got to the stage I didn't even want to get out of bed for a 8-2 shift Mon-Fri. The company I was working for where looking for people to take a package and I jumped on it. So was unemployed by the end of April this year. Used a chunk of the money for IT courses, done some employablity sqa stuff through the job centre and I'm now working for an sme doing IT & Network Support. Also have the oppertunity to work from home, Get to attend some nice business meetings, 9-5 Mon Fri.

Its the best thing I ever done. I'm now studying for my MCSA and my CCNA. Only thing I regret is feeling like a numpty for not doing it sooner.
 
Good luck to anyone going for this.

I've been stuck in sales roles that I've hated the last 7 years or so. 4 years in my current job, hate it with a passion, but I don't have the talent to do what I'd enjoy doing for a living. Better with the old "devil you know" thing just now.
 
djgarymc said:
I'm only 28, but for the past 10 years i was working in Facilities Management. Got to the stage I didn't even want to get out of bed for a 8-2 shift Mon-Fri. The company I was working for where looking for people to take a package and I jumped on it. So was unemployed by the end of April this year. Used a chunk of the money for IT courses, done some employablity sqa stuff through the job centre and I'm now working for an sme doing IT & Network Support. Also have the oppertunity to work from home, Get to attend some nice business meetings, 9-5 Mon Fri.

Its the best thing I ever done. I'm now studying for my MCSA and my CCNA. Only thing I regret is feeling like a numpty for not doing it sooner.
Click to expand...

Having the experience of the other job and the things you learned whether you realise it yet is a good thing.
 
djgarymc said:
I'm only 28, but for the past 10 years i was working in Facilities Management. Got to the stage I didn't even want to get out of bed for a 8-2 shift Mon-Fri. The company I was working for where looking for people to take a package and I jumped on it. So was unemployed by the end of April this year. Used a chunk of the money for IT courses, done some employablity sqa stuff through the job centre and I'm now working for an sme doing IT & Network Support. Also have the oppertunity to work from home, Get to attend some nice business meetings, 9-5 Mon Fri.

Its the best thing I ever done. I'm now studying for my MCSA and my CCNA. Only thing I regret is feeling like a numpty for not doing it sooner.
Click to expand...
What courses did you do mate?
 
weetam3106 said:
^^^You would think so.... on topic, think i may need a change of industry or to retrain into something else. Life is way too short for dreading getting up in the morning.
Click to expand...

I think this is just what happens when you hit your early or mid fifties.

I spend half my day on FF these days, as I genuinely can't be arsed with work any more, and I'm f***ing self employed. LOL

I need to get out of my line of work as well :)

In fact, f*** that. I need to retire asap. :D As others have said, life is too short. I'd do loads of things differently a second time round, and doing something I loved and getting the work / play balance right would be top of the list.
 
I think most people grow to dislike their job. If it's not something you would choose to do out of a sense of enjoyment, then it's probably quite normal to move from tolerating it to hating it over time.

I haven't stayed in the same company for longer than 3 years and I doubt I ever will. The culture of the industry and the company lose all shine after about 2-3 years in my experience. But unless your job is something you would do whether paid or unpaid, you're probably going to be frustrated by it.
 
the_baron said:
Was there not some programme to get Oil & Gas folk into teaching?

Not the best money but the holidays must make up for that.
Click to expand...

There is, but it depends on what your background consists of, either academically or work wise. I know two ex-offshore workers who have went through it.

One is now a trainee teacher, hoping to become a Maths teacher in due course, whilst the other is teaching technical drawing along with metal and woodwork classes.

There's also an additional scheme, from Moray council where, having under gone the initial training - they will help you with a relocation package due to a severe shortage of teachers in the area.

It's career that would see you into retirement, but it's not for me - I'd have the wee shites skelped...and I'm an instructor / assessor as it is :D:D
 
I'm in a very similar position. Offshore also and fancy a change. With my skills there's nothing for me onshore closer than Grangemouth but the commute and drop in cash wouldn't be worth it.

I fancy retraining as well but with my mortgage and family I couldn't afford to take the hit.

Wish you all the best if you take the plunge mate.
 
Been thinking about a career change for a while myself but have no idea what I want to do or where to start.

I'm a cnc machinist just now and have pretty much had enough. It's a hard job to get out of unfortunately
 
I work in service development for NHS addictions. I hate it. Genuinely wish I'd left school at 16 and gotten a trade.
 
Been in the same supermarket for 10 years this December. Been looking at other jobs the past few years but I've no qualifications or experience in anything else. Feel like I'm stuck but I suppose it's better than no job at all.
 
Probably stuck here now institutionalized. Every year I get the same shit at the appraisal about more responsibilities, more money and every year %^*& all changes.
This is my weekly goals.
1. Get to half 4 on Monday day one gone.
2. Get to half 4 on Wednesday half way there.
3. Get to half 4 on Friday thank %^*& week over.
 
Do it. I went back to school at 40 and although it took a while part time, was well worth it in the end. Been working in the new job for a year and a half now just wish I had done it years ago.
 
I worked in offices / call centres from leaving school for a good 10 years, hated every minute of it.

Jumped ship got a job labouring now a scaffolder, far from a great job but what a difference from that feeling of sitting on yer backside all day every day.

Do something else if you get the chance, you won't regret it.
 
Having had a skim over this thread I will admit I'm in a similar situation as the offshore guys. Hate the job but drop in wage to retrain is too much for anyone with a family. I listen to a lot of folk say "aye lucky you you work offshore". If only they knew the truth behind being stuck in a tin can in middle of sea, shite wifi, moaning faced workers runing about cleaning up after ungrateful bastards. But hey this is the life a chose I suppose
 
Ranger37 said:
Almost 40, I work offshore but thinking of switching to a normal 'own bed every night' job again, this would require a change of profession probably, as I'm in the catering game and there's no way I'm going back to crazy hours and working every weekend

Anyone ever retrained when middle aged?

I've had a quick look at plasterer and heating engineer courses
Click to expand...

I'm a bit younger than you and planning on doing the same while im still youngish. I work in Operations but the way the industry is going I just can't be bothered with it anymore.
 
foot1efreek said:
Having had a skim over this thread I will admit I'm in a similar situation as the offshore guys. Hate the job but drop in wage to retrain is too much for anyone with a family. I listen to a lot of folk say "aye lucky you you work offshore". If only they knew the truth behind being stuck in a tin can in middle of sea, shite wifi, moaning faced workers runing about cleaning up after ungrateful bastards. But hey this is the life a chose I suppose
Click to expand...

You in catering / stewarding?

Ask the OIM about a move into a vacant roustie position. Not the best time for it in the current climate, but many have went that route.

Your foot is already in the door.
 
I did exactly that. After near 20 years offshore, i decided to put the hand up for voluntary redundancy, there is every chance that i could have been hit by compulsory anyway.
To be honest, i loved my job and the offshore life, i did not enjoy the heli flight for obvious reasons and as we get older, family dynamics change or move sideways, the years were flying by (as they tend to do offshore 3 on 3 off) and i wanted to slow my life down and saviour every day we have in this world. Nothing lasts forever. Now i am at home every day, enjoying life.
I picked up some agency driving work, no money but as i say enjoying being home.
A previous poster mentioned the Transitional training fund, thoroughly research and check this out as i listened to Nikla's mob on about ex offshore workers getting all this TTF help, rubbish, Nikla conned me, I applied for my final management training course (N0 5 of 5) which were usually paid for by my company offshore but they stopped all nen essential training during this period, anyway after jumping through all the hoops which TTF put in my way, they refused the funding saying i had to show proof of a guaranteed job position offer due to having said course cert. I ended up having to pay the £300.00 myself and completed the course at Aberdeen Ex centre. I am very much enjoying the change in my work life and will stay put for now.
Good luck to any bears who make the change.
For those bears still offshore, stay safe.
 
Craig said:
You in catering / stewarding?

Ask the OIM about a move into a vacant roustie position. Not the best time for it in the current climate, but many have went that route.

Your foot is already in the door.
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Aye mate stewarding so Aramark. There are no roust or positions on this place am contracted to a floatel . Just the knowing my rota the now is keeping me here and not applying for alt else
 
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