I want to retrain/change career but no idea what or how
Discussion
Transferable skills aside as I work in quite a specific role with a specific skillset, I have no qualifications apart from a few GCSEs.
I'm willing to study something via distance learning in my spare time and as I work shifts I could make time for this.
The problem I have is what. I know it should be something I enjoy but honestly I've no idea.
I like office based work or home based, but currently I'm hands on. Wouldn't mind something healthcare or mental health related but hard to learn anything that pays okay via OU etc.
I like writing, I'm quite good with numbers, I thought about doing AAT and finding an entry level accountancy role but I couldn't live on the 18k starting wage that it seems to be.
I'm aware I'll take a pay cut, for context, im 30 and currently on 49k with healthcare, reasonable holidays and pension. I would like at least 30k but I know that's pushing it, could drop lower for a couple of years but the mortgage term would have to be extended a lot.
Anyone got any suggestions on things you can realistically retrain in in your spare time that could start off a new career path with good prospects? Something steady, maybe public sector and something I don't have to do crazy commutes for (based in northants), something with sensible working hours, I'm open to all sorts and find myself okay at hands on stuff as well as office/basic computer work.
I know the answer may not be found on the Internet but I'm all out of ideas and desperate for a change .
I'm willing to study something via distance learning in my spare time and as I work shifts I could make time for this.
The problem I have is what. I know it should be something I enjoy but honestly I've no idea.
I like office based work or home based, but currently I'm hands on. Wouldn't mind something healthcare or mental health related but hard to learn anything that pays okay via OU etc.
I like writing, I'm quite good with numbers, I thought about doing AAT and finding an entry level accountancy role but I couldn't live on the 18k starting wage that it seems to be.
I'm aware I'll take a pay cut, for context, im 30 and currently on 49k with healthcare, reasonable holidays and pension. I would like at least 30k but I know that's pushing it, could drop lower for a couple of years but the mortgage term would have to be extended a lot.
Anyone got any suggestions on things you can realistically retrain in in your spare time that could start off a new career path with good prospects? Something steady, maybe public sector and something I don't have to do crazy commutes for (based in northants), something with sensible working hours, I'm open to all sorts and find myself okay at hands on stuff as well as office/basic computer work.
I know the answer may not be found on the Internet but I'm all out of ideas and desperate for a change .
Edited by Red Sleeper on Wednesday 31st August 09:24
I started out with the AAT (now a fellow wohoo). It is a great qualificaiton and teaches you everything you realistically need to know, with experience giving you everything else along the way. However accountancy can be a pretty hierachical world so you'll have to do the chartered ones as well which will mean many years of study if you do AAT + Chartered.
I've been doing this career since I was 18 (now approach 40) and it is pretty good on balance. I work from home, work life balance is good. The work itself is pretty dull but you can branch out in specialisms like system which I have done. Personally I am a more practical person I would prefer to be outside working but can't dispute as I get older the computer job will make more sense, we get decent pensions and benefits and for office work accountancy (and IT) is pretty practical.
To get in you always need experience. My boss (FD, I'm his FC) shifted to accountancy 10 years ago at 38 years old. He was a professional musician before then. He did a degree in accountancy whilst doing his music stuff and also did a period of time volunteering for a charitable organisation abroad setting up their finances. He found a job with a charity back in the UK and completed his ACCA (lots of exemptions from degree). He rose the ranks quickly and worked in a one of the big charities where he met me (and took me with him) and now has a FD position in a mid size charity.
I don't know how it works in different sectors but as a recruiter in the charitable sector I wouldn't be adverse to a career changer and often see they bring lots of other skills, something quite useful in a sector a diverse as the charitable. Money is pretty competitive as we want to attract people from other sectors.
I've been doing this career since I was 18 (now approach 40) and it is pretty good on balance. I work from home, work life balance is good. The work itself is pretty dull but you can branch out in specialisms like system which I have done. Personally I am a more practical person I would prefer to be outside working but can't dispute as I get older the computer job will make more sense, we get decent pensions and benefits and for office work accountancy (and IT) is pretty practical.
To get in you always need experience. My boss (FD, I'm his FC) shifted to accountancy 10 years ago at 38 years old. He was a professional musician before then. He did a degree in accountancy whilst doing his music stuff and also did a period of time volunteering for a charitable organisation abroad setting up their finances. He found a job with a charity back in the UK and completed his ACCA (lots of exemptions from degree). He rose the ranks quickly and worked in a one of the big charities where he met me (and took me with him) and now has a FD position in a mid size charity.
I don't know how it works in different sectors but as a recruiter in the charitable sector I wouldn't be adverse to a career changer and often see they bring lots of other skills, something quite useful in a sector a diverse as the charitable. Money is pretty competitive as we want to attract people from other sectors.
z4RRSchris said:
would you have to move elsewhere / commute if you want to push over that 50k mark?
the misses retrained into UX research, got a 6 figure job within a year. London based
I'd probably have to be a manager to go over 50k and in my industry its not something I'm keen to do.. the misses retrained into UX research, got a 6 figure job within a year. London based
I have no idea what that is but I'm interested! I'll have a Google
_Mja_ said:
I started out with the AAT (now a fellow wohoo). It is a great qualificaiton and teaches you everything you realistically need to know, with experience giving you everything else along the way. However accountancy can be a pretty hierachical world so you'll have to do the chartered ones as well which will mean many years of study if you do AAT + Chartered.
I've been doing this career since I was 18 (now approach 40) and it is pretty good on balance. I work from home, work life balance is good. The work itself is pretty dull but you can branch out in specialisms like system which I have done. Personally I am a more practical person I would prefer to be outside working but can't dispute as I get older the computer job will make more sense, we get decent pensions and benefits and for office work accountancy (and IT) is pretty practical.
To get in you always need experience. My boss (FD, I'm his FC) shifted to accountancy 10 years ago at 38 years old. He was a professional musician before then. He did a degree in accountancy whilst doing his music stuff and also did a period of time volunteering for a charitable organisation abroad setting up their finances. He found a job with a charity back in the UK and completed his ACCA (lots of exemptions from degree). He rose the ranks quickly and worked in a one of the big charities where he met me (and took me with him) and now has a FD position in a mid size charity.
I don't know how it works in different sectors but as a recruiter in the charitable sector I wouldn't be adverse to a career changer and often see they bring lots of other skills, something quite useful in a sector a diverse as the charitable. Money is pretty competitive as we want to attract people from other sectors.
Thanks for your reply, I'll give it a proper read after work when I'm not skiving in the break room!I've been doing this career since I was 18 (now approach 40) and it is pretty good on balance. I work from home, work life balance is good. The work itself is pretty dull but you can branch out in specialisms like system which I have done. Personally I am a more practical person I would prefer to be outside working but can't dispute as I get older the computer job will make more sense, we get decent pensions and benefits and for office work accountancy (and IT) is pretty practical.
To get in you always need experience. My boss (FD, I'm his FC) shifted to accountancy 10 years ago at 38 years old. He was a professional musician before then. He did a degree in accountancy whilst doing his music stuff and also did a period of time volunteering for a charitable organisation abroad setting up their finances. He found a job with a charity back in the UK and completed his ACCA (lots of exemptions from degree). He rose the ranks quickly and worked in a one of the big charities where he met me (and took me with him) and now has a FD position in a mid size charity.
I don't know how it works in different sectors but as a recruiter in the charitable sector I wouldn't be adverse to a career changer and often see they bring lots of other skills, something quite useful in a sector a diverse as the charitable. Money is pretty competitive as we want to attract people from other sectors.
Craig W said:
Why exactly? No prospects, career dead-end, don't enjoy it? Have you felt like this for a while or just recently?
You're pretty young, I think it's common to have these feelings when you start to settle into a career. the grass isn't always greener.
I don't enjoy it and felt like it for the last 8 or so years.. You're pretty young, I think it's common to have these feelings when you start to settle into a career. the grass isn't always greener.
HVAC - there’s nobody coming through. If I was to start out again I’d be looking at both ground source heat pumps and absorption.
Twenty years ago I was told by my apprentice master that the world will always require things to kept hot and kept cold.
To earn ver £50k in my industry you’ll been to comfortable with large tonnage machines and know your way around a VSD.
Twenty years ago I was told by my apprentice master that the world will always require things to kept hot and kept cold.
To earn ver £50k in my industry you’ll been to comfortable with large tonnage machines and know your way around a VSD.
Red Sleeper said:
I don't have any healthcare experience to build on
Sorry I misread your "with healthcare" for "within"... Doesn't change the fact that you need to find an enduring skill, which is in demand across sectors. IS or DP meet this criteria. If you can build on existing sector knowledge that is always a plus (what do you currently do?!).
If you're only 30 and on £49k with just GCSEs you're doing extremely well IMO.
Appreciate that money isn't everything but you're earning more than most qualified professionals.
I know you say you just don't enjoy it, but might be worth breaking down what aspects of the role you actually enjoy, versus what you don't like. Is it the customer interaction or perhaps problem solving aspects you enjoy the most for example.
Likewise, what is the long term dream? Are you hoping to be able to earn more money, have better work/life balance, work abroad etc.
Once you know the broad themes of what your ideal working life looks like, you can research potential careers.
Appreciate that money isn't everything but you're earning more than most qualified professionals.
I know you say you just don't enjoy it, but might be worth breaking down what aspects of the role you actually enjoy, versus what you don't like. Is it the customer interaction or perhaps problem solving aspects you enjoy the most for example.
Likewise, what is the long term dream? Are you hoping to be able to earn more money, have better work/life balance, work abroad etc.
Once you know the broad themes of what your ideal working life looks like, you can research potential careers.
Edited by R56Cooper on Friday 2nd September 14:47
Matt p said:
HVAC - there’s nobody coming through. If I was to start out again I’d be looking at both ground source heat pumps and absorption.
Twenty years ago I was told by my apprentice master that the world will always require things to kept hot and kept cold.
To earn ver £50k in my industry you’ll been to comfortable with large tonnage machines and know your way around a VSD.
I know in the USA HVAC engineers/techs make ridiculous sums of money, talking $200k+ a year, not sure if it would be as lucrative here in the UK?Twenty years ago I was told by my apprentice master that the world will always require things to kept hot and kept cold.
To earn ver £50k in my industry you’ll been to comfortable with large tonnage machines and know your way around a VSD.
What kind of training/qualifications do you need to become one?
As for the OP, I find myself in a similar situation except I am a qualified healthcare professional (Pharmacist). Can't see my career going much above £50-55K. I will be watching this thread closely.
I had a friend change careers from pharmacy to data science
I looked into HVAC and contacted a few people. I'm an accountant, posted above but want to do something more practical. It seems you need to get your NVQ 2 & 3 in plumbing before doing a HVAC course. The problem I found is that to achieve NVQ2 you would basically have to work for free for a year.
Happy to be corrected as it was something I was pretty interested in.
Happy to be corrected as it was something I was pretty interested in.
Do you like computers at all?
You could study for some qualifications in AWS (Amazon Web Services) - if you can get yourself on a course that gives you access to the AWS Academy (won't be cheap) that will get you to a point where you can pass (for example) Solutions Architect Associate.
Most people who have gone this route and have got jobs through typically start at £50k+, some at over £100k.
No previous IT experience is necessary.
You could study for some qualifications in AWS (Amazon Web Services) - if you can get yourself on a course that gives you access to the AWS Academy (won't be cheap) that will get you to a point where you can pass (for example) Solutions Architect Associate.
Most people who have gone this route and have got jobs through typically start at £50k+, some at over £100k.
No previous IT experience is necessary.
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