Advice for a black cab driver returning to I.T.
Discussion
Hello,
I am a London black cab driver of 10 years and looking for a way back into I.T. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Due to Covid & a failed relationship I no longer live in London, and for the last year or so I have been 'cracking a nut with a sledgehammer' and commuting five days a week from the Essex/Suffolk border. This is now causing me back pain, and a frank assessment of earnings - taking into account 'kipper season', quiet half-terms & school holidays - tells me that it's not worth killing myself over! To be honest after 10 years of the job I I think I've had enough anyway and am looking for pastures new... and looking very enviously at friends who have settled into a WFH routine!
Back in my early twenties I spent a few years in I.T. support (2nd level helpdesk role) and seek advice on returning to the world of I.T. employment. Basically I quit the job to go travelling, eventually returning to the UK and undertaking 'the knowledge' to get my cab licence. But now I'm about to turn 40 and my CV is looking pretty... flimsy.
During the last Covid lockdown I completed a Full Stack Web Development course on Udemy, a pretty insubstantial thing to put on a CV but I don't have much else! Of course I'm not married to working in Web Development, I pick things up pretty quickly with all things computers and have always had an interest (e.g. dabbling with Unity at the weekends, building PCs for family members etc).
TLDR: I'm about to turn 40 & literally tired of driving a black cab; what's the best way to get back into I.T. with a very thin CV?
I am a London black cab driver of 10 years and looking for a way back into I.T. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Due to Covid & a failed relationship I no longer live in London, and for the last year or so I have been 'cracking a nut with a sledgehammer' and commuting five days a week from the Essex/Suffolk border. This is now causing me back pain, and a frank assessment of earnings - taking into account 'kipper season', quiet half-terms & school holidays - tells me that it's not worth killing myself over! To be honest after 10 years of the job I I think I've had enough anyway and am looking for pastures new... and looking very enviously at friends who have settled into a WFH routine!
Back in my early twenties I spent a few years in I.T. support (2nd level helpdesk role) and seek advice on returning to the world of I.T. employment. Basically I quit the job to go travelling, eventually returning to the UK and undertaking 'the knowledge' to get my cab licence. But now I'm about to turn 40 and my CV is looking pretty... flimsy.
During the last Covid lockdown I completed a Full Stack Web Development course on Udemy, a pretty insubstantial thing to put on a CV but I don't have much else! Of course I'm not married to working in Web Development, I pick things up pretty quickly with all things computers and have always had an interest (e.g. dabbling with Unity at the weekends, building PCs for family members etc).
TLDR: I'm about to turn 40 & literally tired of driving a black cab; what's the best way to get back into I.T. with a very thin CV?
ANewBeginning said:
Hello,
I am a London black cab driver of 10 years and looking for a way back into I.T. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Due to Covid & a failed relationship I no longer live in London, and for the last year or so I have been 'cracking a nut with a sledgehammer' and commuting five days a week from the Essex/Suffolk border. This is now causing me back pain, and a frank assessment of earnings - taking into account 'kipper season', quiet half-terms & school holidays - tells me that it's not worth killing myself over! To be honest after 10 years of the job I I think I've had enough anyway and am looking for pastures new... and looking very enviously at friends who have settled into a WFH routine!
Back in my early twenties I spent a few years in I.T. support (2nd level helpdesk role) and seek advice on returning to the world of I.T. employment. Basically I quit the job to go travelling, eventually returning to the UK and undertaking 'the knowledge' to get my cab licence. But now I'm about to turn 40 and my CV is looking pretty... flimsy.
During the last Covid lockdown I completed a Full Stack Web Development course on Udemy, a pretty insubstantial thing to put on a CV but I don't have much else! Of course I'm not married to working in Web Development, I pick things up pretty quickly with all things computers and have always had an interest (e.g. dabbling with Unity at the weekends, building PCs for family members etc).
TLDR: I'm about to turn 40 & literally tired of driving a black cab; what's the best way to get back into I.T. with a very thin CV?
It's such a broad subject. What area of IT interests you the most? Supprt? Systems administration? Software/web development? IT SecurityI am a London black cab driver of 10 years and looking for a way back into I.T. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Due to Covid & a failed relationship I no longer live in London, and for the last year or so I have been 'cracking a nut with a sledgehammer' and commuting five days a week from the Essex/Suffolk border. This is now causing me back pain, and a frank assessment of earnings - taking into account 'kipper season', quiet half-terms & school holidays - tells me that it's not worth killing myself over! To be honest after 10 years of the job I I think I've had enough anyway and am looking for pastures new... and looking very enviously at friends who have settled into a WFH routine!
Back in my early twenties I spent a few years in I.T. support (2nd level helpdesk role) and seek advice on returning to the world of I.T. employment. Basically I quit the job to go travelling, eventually returning to the UK and undertaking 'the knowledge' to get my cab licence. But now I'm about to turn 40 and my CV is looking pretty... flimsy.
During the last Covid lockdown I completed a Full Stack Web Development course on Udemy, a pretty insubstantial thing to put on a CV but I don't have much else! Of course I'm not married to working in Web Development, I pick things up pretty quickly with all things computers and have always had an interest (e.g. dabbling with Unity at the weekends, building PCs for family members etc).
TLDR: I'm about to turn 40 & literally tired of driving a black cab; what's the best way to get back into I.T. with a very thin CV?
If you enjoyed the full stack web development course and you have a head for programming then I would encourage you to go down the development route.
Thanks so much for your quick reply.
Yes you're right, I enjoyed the web development course and basically like creating things from code, so ultimately it's the development route for me. But being realistic I feel like time is against me (I would really like to pack in the cab driving by the end of this year) and so would consider anything I.T. related - even if it's just to get my foot in the door, get something recent & 'proper' on the CV and then take further courses in my spare time in order to land a development role.
Is this being too pessimistic and/or an outright mistake, or are people actually getting into development on the strength of a Udemy course, enthusiasm and a glint in their eye?! I've basically been behind the wheel of a cab for a decade so am completely out of the loop workplace-wise.
Thanks again for any guidance.
Yes you're right, I enjoyed the web development course and basically like creating things from code, so ultimately it's the development route for me. But being realistic I feel like time is against me (I would really like to pack in the cab driving by the end of this year) and so would consider anything I.T. related - even if it's just to get my foot in the door, get something recent & 'proper' on the CV and then take further courses in my spare time in order to land a development role.
Is this being too pessimistic and/or an outright mistake, or are people actually getting into development on the strength of a Udemy course, enthusiasm and a glint in their eye?! I've basically been behind the wheel of a cab for a decade so am completely out of the loop workplace-wise.
Thanks again for any guidance.
Completing something like https://www.schoolofcode.co.uk/ can be a good way of getting your foot in the door.
Not sure what your salary requirements are but if you can go sub 30k then I think there should be lots of opportunities.
Not sure what your salary requirements are but if you can go sub 30k then I think there should be lots of opportunities.
Thank you rustyuk. I remember seeing that bootcamp before but was in no financial position to take 16 weeks off work - now that I'm living cheaper outside of London I shall be applying for the Spring bootcamp. Thank you for this.
In terms of salary requirements, sub 30k is totally doable in order to get a proper career started.
In terms of salary requirements, sub 30k is totally doable in order to get a proper career started.
is WFH really what you're after?
sitting home alone all day week after week can really really get to you (it did to me)
i became. angry. snappy. moody. nervous. weekends didnt feel like weekends
i actually left that job and found a hybrid version of the same. all the above has gone.
i even spoke to the drs about it. they said its getting very common these days.
sitting home alone all day week after week can really really get to you (it did to me)
i became. angry. snappy. moody. nervous. weekends didnt feel like weekends
i actually left that job and found a hybrid version of the same. all the above has gone.
i even spoke to the drs about it. they said its getting very common these days.
Depends what sort of 'IT'.
There are some jobs where you can start doing basic stuff and get more technical as you go.
People who install networks can progress to managing networks
A mate has an alarm company. One of his lads has gone from 'bloke with screwdriver' to system expert over a few years.
Jobs like 'test technician' can have random amounts of IT in them and opportunities to develop that side of your skills.
There are some jobs where you can start doing basic stuff and get more technical as you go.
People who install networks can progress to managing networks
A mate has an alarm company. One of his lads has gone from 'bloke with screwdriver' to system expert over a few years.
Jobs like 'test technician' can have random amounts of IT in them and opportunities to develop that side of your skills.
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