Redundant at 40 cant get a equivalent job, what to do next?
Discussion
Career change at 40? IT Helpdesk background
Ive been made redundant after 18 years as the single IT support person in a company and it appears through job interviews ive been living a goldfish bowl IT wise. I have experience of IT support but not with modern systems only the old systems in my old job.
Im happy to change career and start at the bottom of the ladder but I need to be earning 35k within a few years. I cant work shifts or weekends due to childcare reasons.
I dont have a degree or any modern qualifications just 5 A-C GCSES including maths and English.
I have no idea where to start or what I should be looking to do.
Any advice please?
Ive been made redundant after 18 years as the single IT support person in a company and it appears through job interviews ive been living a goldfish bowl IT wise. I have experience of IT support but not with modern systems only the old systems in my old job.
Im happy to change career and start at the bottom of the ladder but I need to be earning 35k within a few years. I cant work shifts or weekends due to childcare reasons.
I dont have a degree or any modern qualifications just 5 A-C GCSES including maths and English.
I have no idea where to start or what I should be looking to do.
Any advice please?
I suppose start with the obvious (to me) which is what do you like and enjoy doing?
I'm a big believer that if you can get lucky enough to find a job doing something you enjoy it's much more enjoyable than doing some random thing that you're only doing for the money.
On the IT front what sort of stuff have you been asked?
Just curious as you do sometimes see the definition of "IT Support" stretched quite a lot.
YMMV of course
I'm a big believer that if you can get lucky enough to find a job doing something you enjoy it's much more enjoyable than doing some random thing that you're only doing for the money.
On the IT front what sort of stuff have you been asked?
Just curious as you do sometimes see the definition of "IT Support" stretched quite a lot.
YMMV of course
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: I suppose start with the obvious (to me) which is what do you like and enjoy doing?
I'm a big believer that if you can get lucky enough to find a job doing something you enjoy it's much more enjoyable than doing some random thing that you're only doing for the money.
On the IT front what sort of stuff have you been asked?
Just curious as you do sometimes see the definition of "IT Support" stretched quite a lot.
YMMV of course
Ive been the sole IT support in a company for 18 years, looking after desktops, Laptops, ipads on a domain. From Windows XP to Windows 10/11, Windows server 2003 to I'm a big believer that if you can get lucky enough to find a job doing something you enjoy it's much more enjoyable than doing some random thing that you're only doing for the money.
On the IT front what sort of stuff have you been asked?
Just curious as you do sometimes see the definition of "IT Support" stretched quite a lot.
YMMV of course
Windows server 2025.
CraigNewmarket said:
Ive been the sole IT support in a company for 18 years, looking after desktops, Laptops, ipads on a domain. From Windows XP to Windows 10/11, Windows server 2003 to
Windows server 2025.
Do you mean those are the things you do or that's the kind of stuff you're being asked about?Windows server 2025.
There isn't a single definition of "IT Support" but server stuff might be considered pushing the boundaries depending what the ask is.
CraigNewmarket said:
Career change at 40? IT Helpdesk background
Ive been made redundant after 18 years as the single IT support person in a company and it appears through job interviews ive been living a goldfish bowl IT wise. I have experience of IT support but not with modern systems only the old systems in my old job.
Im happy to change career and start at the bottom of the ladder but I need to be earning 35k within a few years. I cant work shifts or weekends due to childcare reasons.
I dont have a degree or any modern qualifications just 5 A-C GCSES including maths and English.
I have no idea where to start or what I should be looking to do.
Any advice please?
Do a NEBOSH General certificate course. Get in to H&S. Advisors start on £35-40k. Ive been made redundant after 18 years as the single IT support person in a company and it appears through job interviews ive been living a goldfish bowl IT wise. I have experience of IT support but not with modern systems only the old systems in my old job.
Im happy to change career and start at the bottom of the ladder but I need to be earning 35k within a few years. I cant work shifts or weekends due to childcare reasons.
I dont have a degree or any modern qualifications just 5 A-C GCSES including maths and English.
I have no idea where to start or what I should be looking to do.
Any advice please?
After 3-5 years H&S managers are on £45-70k plus.
IT skills are really important and will set you ahead of many others.
Happy to help.
lrdisco said:
Do a NEBOSH General certificate course. Get in to H&S. Advisors start on £35-40k.
After 3-5 years H&S managers are on £45-70k plus.
IT skills are really important and will set you ahead of many others.
Happy to help.
Thankyou so job title would be H&S advisor? Or trainee or H&S assistant?After 3-5 years H&S managers are on £45-70k plus.
IT skills are really important and will set you ahead of many others.
Happy to help.
CraigNewmarket said:
Thankyou so job title would be H&S advisor? Or trainee or H&S assistant?
H&S advisor. There are lots of places to get a start. Have a look on Indeed. Lots of roles at £40k plus.
Make yourself very employable. Do a 3 day first aid course, driving licence, accident investigation course. Behavioural safety. Learn how to do a quality Risk Assessment.
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Join IOSH.
Work LinkedIn and get lots of connections.
Leveraging your IT background:
Business Analyst roles - Many companies need people who understand both technology and business processes. Your experience supporting users gives you insight into how systems actually work in practice
Project coordination/management - IT support teaches you to juggle multiple priorities and communicate with different stakeholders
Technical sales or account management - Your ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical people is valuable
Training and documentation - Creating user guides, delivering software training, or working for training companies
Business Analyst roles - Many companies need people who understand both technology and business processes. Your experience supporting users gives you insight into how systems actually work in practice
Project coordination/management - IT support teaches you to juggle multiple priorities and communicate with different stakeholders
Technical sales or account management - Your ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical people is valuable
Training and documentation - Creating user guides, delivering software training, or working for training companies
CraigNewmarket said:
Ive been the sole IT support in a company for 18 years, looking after desktops, Laptops, ipads on a domain. From Windows XP to Windows 10/11, Windows server 2003 to
Windows server 2025.
Deliveroo driver? Only joking.Windows server 2025.
That sounds like the JD for an L2 helldesk/Wintel support/engineer role.
They start around £25K but can go above £35K as well as moving up to L3 which pays more.
In your position, if you want to stay in IT, I'd go contracting. Pick up low level hands and eyes/fields service/deployment type contracts (availability depends on where you are based) in parallel get your skills up with IT certs. Very long time since I've done this type of work, back in the day these roles attracted 120-150 day through umbrella company, no idea on current rates.
If you manage to keep the work coming in via contracts you could also look to build skills in own time to specialise - cyber security is a massive growth sector especially in the IT OT domain, look at some Gartner research (or NIST releases, cyber studies etc) to see the projection for industry spend growth and risk factor. Good luck!
Other ideas if you want to sack off IT...obv need to see how saturated your area is as these are common low barrier of entry type roles...Mobile detailer, window cleaner residential, window cleaner industrial, industrial cleaner; dog walker, dog trainer (some really decent money here esp if you have land and can over boarding training). Then you have the classics, retrain as plumber, plasterer, sparky, escapologist.
If you manage to keep the work coming in via contracts you could also look to build skills in own time to specialise - cyber security is a massive growth sector especially in the IT OT domain, look at some Gartner research (or NIST releases, cyber studies etc) to see the projection for industry spend growth and risk factor. Good luck!
Other ideas if you want to sack off IT...obv need to see how saturated your area is as these are common low barrier of entry type roles...Mobile detailer, window cleaner residential, window cleaner industrial, industrial cleaner; dog walker, dog trainer (some really decent money here esp if you have land and can over boarding training). Then you have the classics, retrain as plumber, plasterer, sparky, escapologist.
Edited by ozzuk on Thursday 24th July 11:25
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