Thinking of a career change

[Anonymous]

Guys,
As some of you will be aware I am currently unemployed after being made redundant, Obviously I have had a lot of time on my hands and have been having a serious think about my future prospects, I am 46 years old and for the first time in my life I am in a position where I can look at retraining and a career change without it having too much of an impact on my financial state, I joined the Royal navy after leaving school and after leaving the Navy I have moved from one dead end job to another but have always had to be employed in order to meet bills and bring up Kids, Obviously I still need to pay the bills but the kids can fend for themselves now.
Whilst I have no experience as an electrician I am thinking along the lines of re-training to get qualified get a couple of years experience working for a company then maybe take a chance and break out on my own and ultimatly end up on Watchdog.

Any thoughts or advice or anyone been through a midlife career change ??
Or even better anyone got a job for me

 

[wegras]

Nosa
Sounds like a great idea in particular the Qualified electrician
With the new Electrical regs not unlike Gas safe it really makes sense .Did you have a trade in the RN ?
I would imagine the electrician route would be perfect .
I know Certified Electricians who just certify the work of non certified guys and are very happy with the work

Good luck
ps retired me

 

[Taz]

i see 1 big draw back

after retraining you are then competing against younger kids for the same jobs

i retrained when i was in my early 30's it took a very long time to get a start, not impossible though

 

[RichardG]

What about being the guy in B&Q who asks to see your reciept.



More seriously my mate did exactly what your talking of doing, he got his 17th Edition and the licence to sign of work did some basic plumbing and other stuff and set up on his straight away (with another mate who ripped him big time, but that's another story). They started doing whatever they could, but eventually he got in a builder and he does all his electrical work for him, from what I can gather they have basically formed a little co-op and pass work between themselves aswell as doing their own thing. Without wanting to put you off he has had some slack periods but is pretty busy now, he is however based in Surrey and does alot of work on London.
All I would say is if it floats your boat go for it, and don't look back.

Get those flyers out now for ZedElectrical.(copyright, trademark and anything else which means you have to give large sums of money).

But then knowing you BodgeitandScarper is more appropiate.

P.S Light tinting is looking a go-er just my first rate rise in over 2 years.

 

[mcbeee]

When I was 3rd year apprentice sparky I had a 1st year apprentice who was 42 yrs old, I also had one that was in his late 30's. (with all the oilpatch construction at the time we couldn't find Journeymen to work in town so 3rd and 4th yr apprentices ran most of the work)
Go for it..as long as you don't mind getting shocked a few times, until you know better what to touch and what not to.. .

 

[ballington31]

a mate who i have worked with on and off with for the last 15 years or so as a chef decided the split shifts and anti social hours were just not for him any more , so he bought him self a diesil mondeo ,learnt the knowledge of plymouth and is apparently doing alright as a self employed taxi driver ,he recons to make around 25-30k a year i have no reason to doubt him he isnt usualy prone to exageration. you could maybe do something like that whilst training to be a sparky so at least you have something coming in , as you can choose your own times to work ,could probably make a mint driving grooms to church in the zed
good luck with hunting nosa

 

[Anonymous]

My pal lost his job as an electrician in his mid 50s - he was an alcoholic.
The alcohol problem is in check now, and for the past few years he has been working as a jobbing electrician. He only takes on small jobs and works when it suits him - he does very well. There is a market out there for someone willing to tackle the fiddly wee jobs like fixing a light fitting or extending the lead on a standard lamp or putting a new element in a cooker - all the stuff the big firms can't be bothered with.
My pal is now 65, but doesn't want to retire - he likes meeting people and he likes the easy money.

As for me - I'm a lazy arsehole who retired at 53, with a generous pension and redundancy package. :driving:

 

[Anonymous]

then maybe take a chance and break out on my own and ultimatly end up on Watchdog.

:rofl: :rofl: I like that, very good.

 

[chrismann85]

Go for it mate. better late than never. good luck

 

[Anonymous]

after retraining you are then competing against younger kids for the same jobs

This is I have to admit one of my big worries about doing it, What did you re-train in Taz

.Did you have a trade in the RN ?

Left the RN with a City and Guilds in general and mechanical but that was some years ago (I'm talking pre mobile phone age)

.But then knowing you BodgeitandScarper is more appropiate.

Forget why I like you sometimes :wink:

Thanks guys but keep em coming, Interested in peoples experiences with this sort of thing

 

[Taz]

i was in the computer industry (hardware), retrained and now a BMS engineer (building management systems)


i often think i would now like to retain to stack shelves in a super market, anything for a nice simple life, maybe even stacking shelves as its pit falls

 

[Taz]

When i retrained, i was going to college day release, at the time i was working part time as a milk man, (the day i was at college, i had to be up at 3am, go deliver milk till 7am, then off to college 9am till 8.30pm - very long day)

The course very hard and thought it was easier for the other lads, they were younger and wiser, they were also in the correct jobs for the course - they had work colleges which could help and guide them

On the positive, being older and retraining it is better because you are doing it for a reason, you will have more enthusiasm

 

[bigbensnr]

Why not train as a lollipop person. That way you don't have to start your new career til your 65 y/o, the holidays are good but not negotiable and you get to admire lots of mums.
If not train as a spark and look to specialising in testing for landlords and housemovers.
Call yourself Rhino Electrical ...moto ... We,re think skinned and charge a lot!

My charge for careers advice is very cheap.

 

[Anonymous]

Why not train as a lollipop person. That way you don't have to start your new career til your 65 y/o, the holidays are good but not negotiable and you get to admire lots of mums.

Hey I could do that as I'm 65 now and a good way to chat up lot's of mum's, didn't think of that :lol: :lol: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>erm, (note to self) will have to give the council a call on Monday

 

[Anonymous]

Why not train as a lollipop person. That way you don't have to start your new career til your 65 y/o, the holidays are good but not negotiable and you get to admire lots of mums.
If not train as a spark and look to specialising in testing for landlords and housemovers.
Call yourself Rhino Electrical ...moto ... We,re think skinned and charge a lot!

My charge for careers advice is very cheap.

Er yeah Thanks for the helpful advice :withstupid:

UPDATE

Have found a training course to become a qualified Electrician, Costs 4K for the course at the end of which I am a Qualified Domestic electician. However the course is full time and is 6 weeks (Which to me seems a bit short :? ) and it is in Rotherham so that would mean costs of food and Accom for 6 weeks

Thoughts :!:

 

[chrismann85]

Consider training as a brickie. They get paid a hell of a lot and if it's too cold or raining, they just sit in the office all day and get paid for nothing!

The girlfriend's a Civil Engineer and she can attest to this

 

[lacroupade]

If you have any concerns about age don't worry.....life experience and knowing how to handle people count for a lot. Present your business and yourself well and you will do OK.

Got to admit that six-week course sounds a tad dodgy........it might allow you to do basic stuff that regulations now stop private punters doing, extra sockets etc.., but probably not big jobs....you defo need the full qualifications to do that and thats not a five minute job.

You also need to be a competent DIYer at the very least....a lot of cabling jobs need careful thought and work to put in place....floorboards lifting, walls cutting, big holes drilled etc.. Its not like being a BT engineer where you can apparently get away with stapling someones extension cable across the front of their Louis XIV sideboard.... :headbang:

But JFDI.....the 'do nothing' option won't pay the bills. And the fact is that people who are prepared to work hard and sell a service at reasonable prices will always do well.

 

[Taz]

house bashing electrics is the dirty end of being a spark, having said that i think you would stand more chance on your own in the domestic market

 

[Taz]

Consider training as a brickie. They get paid a hell of a lot and if it's too cold or raining, they just sit in the office all day and get paid for nothing!

The girlfriend's a Civil Engineer and she can attest to this

worked as an odd carrier for quite a spell, there were very few days we did not lay bricks, and a day of handling cold bricks really takes it out of you

hardest ever job was that of a milk man, ever stood in a fridge to get warm? at 4am when its -5degs outside, a farmers dairy fridge can feel very warm

 

[encee]

Nosa: Can`t offer much in the way of advice to you mate, and I know this is not much good, but I really do wish you all the luck in the world in getting yourself a fresh job that you enjoy. God knows, it`s a very, very hard time for many people out there being made redundant every day, with a lot more to follow.............

Again, good luck mate.......