Careers advice

Stovepipes

Stovepipes

Stovepipes

Associate
Joined
20 Dec 2010
Posts
1,220
Location
Lincolnshire
I'm not necessarily looking for career advice here, although all good advice is welcome, but I'm wondering where a good place to start would be. I've just turned 35 and if I don't do something now I'll be stuck forever.

While I did get 2:2 in Business 13 years ago since then I've admittedly messed up having a decent career over the years. Being lazy, lack of confidence and not being great with people has all meant that I'm in a dead end job and even worse I have a new boss who is a fair bit younger than me and I don't think we're going to get on.

I'm not looking to be a high flyer, I doubt that it's even possible. I'd be incredibly happy to earn just around the national average wage.
 
Think about what you would enjoy doing with your time, then you wont have to worry about laziness. Do you enjoy having a structured environment and predictable, routine days? Find an office. Do you want to be creative but still part of a hierarchy? Maybe a kitchen. Wanna be your own boss and keep yourself outdoors? Tree surgeon?

There's literally a million careers; you just got to whittle down to what you would enjoy doing. Then you can figure out how to get there.
 
I am jealous of your position. You basically have a free reign now to choose the path you wish to take.
 
lude1962 said:
What are you good at?
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Pretty much nothing and I have never been able to think of a career I'd actually like to do, that's why I feel that I need to speak to a specialist. There's probably a job out there I could do that I've never considered.

Gilly said:
I am jealous of your position. You basically have a free reign now to choose the path you wish to take.
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I wouldn't say I'm in an envious position unless I can turn it around and somehow find a job that pays that I don't hate.
 
It's better than where I am, unfortunately.

You can choose your path next and, if average income is all you are really after, that's not much of a limiting factor.
 
I'm guessing you have an interest in IT as you are on this forum, why not look into going down that path? What was you doing before? Why not look into finding an entry level IT helpdesk role, do that for a year or so then it'll open up a few doors to working on a service desk or as a junior technician? Take a few networking courses then maybe you could get a job working on an infrastructure. who knows! Just take a plunge with something!
 
Stovepipes said:
Pretty much nothing and I have never been able to think of a career I'd actually like to do, that's why I feel that I need to speak to a specialist. There's probably a job out there I could do that I've never considered.
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If you won the lottery tonight and never had to work again, then what would you do to occupy your time day-to-day? (once all the yacht purchases and hookers and coke were out of the way :p)
 
Jamesyboyjim said:
I'm guessing you have an interest in IT as you are on this forum, why not look into going down that path? What was you doing before? Why not look into finding an entry level IT helpdesk role, do that for a year or so then it'll open up a few doors to working on a service desk or as a junior technician? Take a few networking courses then maybe you could get a job working on an infrastructure. who knows! Just take a plunge with something!
Click to expand...
I like my tech and don't mind tinkering with my own PC, I couldn't do it as a job though. I did a Comptia A+/N+ many years ago and a few weeks of Javascript & HTML as part of my degree, it's not for me.

Right now I'm kinda Customer services, night security. It doesn't pay well and has no prospects.

I'm hoping to get lucky with a trainee train driver position although I didn't get past stage 3 last time and it's insanely competitive.

I've often thought about working for myself but I have no idea what I'd do.

I'm willing to relocate although only to another big city and I don't mind training. That being said I don't fancy going back to university or putting myself into a lot of debt with no job at the end.
 
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Haggisman said:
If you won the lottery tonight and never had to work again, then what would you do to occupy your time day-to-day? (once all the yacht purchases and hookers and coke were out of the way :p)
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Hmm!

Play video games

Hookers and coke would never be out of the way :D

Buy property in particular a block of flats and convert the top floor for myself.

Motorcycle track days

Supercar track days

Spend 2 thirds of the year travelling.

Learn another language

Play sports or at least try

Sleep whenever I want.

Try stuff I see on Youtube like building a desk or making a leather wallet.
 
Stovepipes said:
Hmm!

Buy property in particular a block of flats and convert the top floor for myself. - Self employed builder/decorator/plumber/electrician

Spend 2 thirds of the year travelling. - holiday rep

Learn another language - translator

Try stuff I see on Youtube like building a desk or making a leather wallet. - self employed craftsman
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A couple of job possibilities based on the above then?

And for e.g. the desk/wallet making - it's stuff you can do in your free time while in your "dead end" job, sell on ebay/etsy/etc, and if you start making enough money from it then quit your job and do it full time.
 
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I'm in a simalar situation. Feel like I need to change soon. Been in the same dead end job for years but find it incredibly hard to motivate myself to look for something better.
 
Stovepipes said:
Being lazy, lack of confidence and not being great with people has all meant that I'm in a dead end job and even worse I have a new boss who is a fair bit younger than me and I don't think we're going to get on.

I'm not looking to be a high flyer, I doubt that it's even possible. I'd be incredibly happy to earn just around the national average wage.
Click to expand...

Stovepipes said:
"What are you good at" - Pretty much nothing

.
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Employers gonna be falling over for you :D

Good luck tho bro. Good on you for wanting to change occs
 
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Stovepipes said:
I like my tech and don't mind tinkering with my own PC, I couldn't do it as a job though.
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You don't know unless you try! :p

I only say this as I have recently jumped off the retail train and have started at the bottom on the IT ladder, I've learnt loads in the last 3 months and I hope to only progress!

I've always been a negative person insisting to myself that "I wouldn't enjoy that" or "I don't think that's for me" but the truth is, until you give something a go, you never know!

I wouldn't go as far as saying I love my job but at least it's given me some sort of idea in terms of progression, rather than retail management, that, ok, doesn't pay badly but is very long hours and very thankless.

good luck!
 
I don't like Java or HTML, but most IT jobs don't involve that.

I work in IT, and I never have to do HTML or Java.
I spend most of my day working on servers or VMware.

Entry jobs on helpdesk and that kind of thing are easy to come by, just make sure you don't get stuck there and you learn as much as you can from everyone you can.
 
National average should not be difficult to obtain in London.

The bit in your OP about not being great with people is what strikes me first. It's very difficult to move up the ladder or get your foot in a job if people don't take to your personality or if you can't communicate well. I'm not saying you need to change who you are but it would be the first thing I'd work on.
 
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