Retraining

[skinner05]

I have been working in Audit for the past 5 months and by the end of the first month realised it wasn't for me but thought i'd give it some time to see if it was just an initial bedding in process. However, five months in and I hate going in to work each day.

Therefore I am now looking for a change in career. I have around 6k that I would be willing to use to retrain. I really don't know what is out there though to be honest and so I am looking for advice from anyone who has retrained during the last 12 months or so.

Would love a job that involves me being outside a lot of the time and the pay isn't overly important initially aslong as there is room to progress. I am open to all realistic suggestions.

Any help much appreciated

[Jasandjules]

Plumber? Builder? Gardener (landscaper?).

[Eric Mc]

What type of audit work are you involved in - technical, procedural or financial?

Are you training to be an accountant?

[skinner05]

Eric Mc said:

What type of audit work are you involved in - technical, procedural or financial?

Are you training to be an accountant?

Working for the NHS, so a bit of procedural and financial.

The option to do your accountancy exams is there, they are fully paid for but i don't really want to spend 4-5 years in audit just to get my accountancy qualificaiton, 5 months has been bad enough

[Orb the Impaler]

OP - if I were you - and *especially* if I was working in the NHS I would not even consider leaving your job until this depression is over. By all means spend your money on the training, but don't leave a secure job, no matter how much you hate it.

I'm looking at retraining at the moment and I'm stuck. The plumbing market is totally oversaturated and I think we'll be seeing plumbers and sparkies out of work soon (I bet we already are, actually).

IT is utterly oversubscribed with falling wages, not to mention the fact that you would be trying to crack a market where you would be up against people with years and years of experience.

Have you considered a "sideways" move within your current organisation? Or have a word with your boss and explain your problem?

[Eric Mc]

I am an accountnat nad always hated auditing.

I would find working in admin in the NHS soul destroying no matter what area I was involved in.

Are there other areas within the NHS that you could transfer to?

[elster]

Orb the Impaler said:

I'm looking at retraining at the moment and I'm stuck. The plumbing market is totally oversaturated and I think we'll be seeing plumbers and sparkies out of work soon (I bet we already are, actually).

IT is utterly oversubscribed with falling wages, not to mention the fact that you would be trying to crack a market where you would be up against people with years and years of experience.

This is very much the case. I am seeing those people who have virtually no experience finding it very difficult to get work at the moment.

I'd stick with the NHS for the moment, can always train in your spare time. But I think you need to find what you want to do before you start training on anything.

Edited by elster on Monday 16th March 09:24

[SS HSV]

skinner05 said:

I have been working in Audit for the past 5 months and by the end of the first month realised it wasn't for me but thought i'd give it some time to see if it was just an initial bedding in process. However, five months in and I hate going in to work each day.

Therefore I am now looking for a change in career. I have around 6k that I would be willing to use to retrain. I really don't know what is out there though to be honest and so I am looking for advice from anyone who has retrained during the last 12 months or so.

Would love a job that involves me being outside a lot of the time and the pay isn't overly important initially aslong as there is room to progress. I am open to all realistic suggestions.

Any help much appreciated

How about a Domestic / Commercial Energy Advisor? These are new positions that the governement has authorised. Everytime you sell a house you will have to obtain a certificate to show the energy rating of the house (a bit like appliance ratings but for a building).

There are courses run by various different organisations, and they offer segmented training. You can get trained as a Domestic Energy Assessor in about 4 months, and the cost all in is.. £5900 - right on your budget. Then if you go on to do the Commercial side, you will receive membership to various professional bodies and an accredited qualification.

Earnings wise, each house you visit, you are expected to earn £285. Each commercial property is £1000. There aren't enough assessors out there due to the cost of the training, although City and Guilds run courses at various colleges. It is estimated that there are over 2 million homes waiting to be surveyed at present, and the assessors that are qualified are working flat out. If you did 3 residentual surveys per week and 1 commercial, you would earn £2155 per week. The cost of the training (£5900) was from a company that actually offers you a job at the end of the training, but you can do the course for around the £1500 mark for the first three segments which qualifies you to be a residential assessor. Anyone with a bit of savvy can do the job, you are free to go where you want, no job is ever the same and you will be starting a whole new career where you will be in demand. Still trying to weigh out the negatives, but at the moment there doesn't seem to be any.

[dave_s13]

^^given no bugger is moving at the moment I'd be very wary of that.

Sounds good in theory but then so does earning 30k as a driving instructor....

[SS HSV]

Agree, but there are still 2 million waiting for an assessors' report at present, there are only a few hundred trained people and most don't have £6k for the training package. It's not really a job as such, more of a business opportunity. I cannot see why it won't be lucrative, it's just taking the plunge and that is no different from any other business risk. Either way, to look for a career change in a recession takes large balls, and that is the reason I have posted it.

[curlie467]

Im off work at the moment due to us having a baby girl a few years back, decided to leave and look after her because childcare costs are frightening.
Anyway the point being that i am using this time to work out a change in career etc but am so struggling for inspiration on which way to go, i would also advise that staying put at this moment in time is good advice and to seriously consider which careers (or what you enjoy doing) would make you happy and then look into training etc, 6k is a lot to lose if you get it wrong again.
After numerous jobs i would definitely say that being happy in your work is high in priority.
You have a good think at go with what you enjoy.

[Somewhatfoolish]

lion tamer?

[skinner05]

Cheers for the advice. Staying in my current job is probably the best move given the way things are at present. As for moving to another post within the NHS, there doesn't seem to be that much (that i would have a chance of getting) available at the moment.

SS HSV said:

How about a Domestic / Commercial Energy Advisor? These are new positions that the governement has authorised. Everytime you sell a house you will have to obtain a certificate to show the energy rating of the house (a bit like appliance ratings but for a building).

There are courses run by various different organisations, and they offer segmented training. You can get trained as a Domestic Energy Assessor in about 4 months, and the cost all in is.. £5900 - right on your budget. Then if you go on to do the Commercial side, you will receive membership to various professional bodies and an accredited qualification.

Earnings wise, each house you visit, you are expected to earn £285. Each commercial property is £1000. There aren't enough assessors out there due to the cost of the training, although City and Guilds run courses at various colleges. It is estimated that there are over 2 million homes waiting to be surveyed at present, and the assessors that are qualified are working flat out. If you did 3 residentual surveys per week and 1 commercial, you would earn £2155 per week. The cost of the training (£5900) was from a company that actually offers you a job at the end of the training, but you can do the course for around the £1500 mark for the first three segments which qualifies you to be a residential assessor. Anyone with a bit of savvy can do the job, you are free to go where you want, no job is ever the same and you will be starting a whole new career where you will be in demand. Still trying to weigh out the negatives, but at the moment there doesn't seem to be any.

I thought there was talk of these being scrapped? Or was that just the HIP's?

Any idea which particular companies are most reliable for providing decent training and a job at the end of the training, as this is something i might look in to. I've had a browse on google but its difficult to seperate the good from the bad when you are basing it on their websites.

Thanks

Edited by skinner05 on Monday 16th March 12:20