Fazer Owners Club - Unofficial
General => General => Topic started by: odbguy on 04 March 2015, 02:56:44 pm
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So ... I'm at work bored out my mind and wondering at almost 29 is this it and what went wrong ...
Got me thinking .. Most people I know tend to have been in the same job pretty much since they was 20 ...
Is there any late bloomers here? There's loads of likely stories of people starting there careers at 30-35 years and been just as successful as someone with 10 years experience over them ..
I'm probably experiencing a very early mid life crisis .. lol everyone on here always got lots to say so just curious what's your story?
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I often wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Right now I am doing it.
I started my first career as an aircraft engineer at 16 but after 6 years moved into IT hardware engineering/support and then into IT consultancy at the age of 35. Been doing this 10 years now and fed up with the industry and some of the f*ckwits that work in it. Trouble now is that I depend on the salary so a move to something else would mean a massive change to lifestyles for the whole family and I'm not sure I could do that to them.
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My brother is an aircraft engineer and loves it^ ..
I'm currently in the army and in a good position career wise .. like you I have far more than my fair share off absolute morons to put up with and this last year I have lost complete interest in it, I'd rather be at home with the family 200miles away rather than having a family at the weekend and always running the risk of having to work the weekend.
When I left school I started as a bricky but was greedy with money and so chinned that of after few years to work in a factory making corrugated board.
After been made redundant from there at 23 I bit and bobbed for half a year then worked as a Health Care Assistant at a low secure hospital ... very interesting job .. but joined the Army at 25 and now ... well its not for me.
The only thing keeping me here is the guaranteed paycheck at the end of each month and after my 10 + years of skipping from job to job I really don't know what's next.
Im surely to old to start anything new?
Any question like this is always made harder when you have to consider more than just yourself!
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I joined the railway industry 6 years ago. I have now just turned 50.
In that time I have become a protection master, a site person in charge and have just qualified as a T002/3, Hand back engineer. It's never too late, at 29 , the world is your oyster.
Go for it.
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I'm in a similar position, Bob - it consultant (although in a permanent job, go figure that one out!) and I fecking hate it. But the money.... How do I find something else, that comes close? I can handle a drop in income, when things I've toyed with the idea off, mean a 50% cut, and that's too much. I've got another 20 years to go, work wise, and all I know right now, is that I can't keep doing this shit!
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It's never too late, at 29 , the world is your oyster.
Go for it.
Pretty much what my misis said. .
I think I need to pull my thumb out my arse and sort myself out a! Lol
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it consultant (although in a permanent job, go figure that one out!) and I fecking hate it. But the money.... How do I find something else, that comes close? I can handle a drop in income, when things I've toyed with the idea off, mean a 50% cut, and that's too much. I've got another 20 years to go, work wise, and all I know right now, is that I can't keep doing this shit!
I didn't realise I had two login on this site :pokefun
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Joined the RAF at 17 left at 23
worked for GEC in the aircraft stores, good money but the factory went to wall after 2 years working there
Really struggled to find a decent paying job , worked for a caravan retailer then left to join Dixons group working in a workshop stores
they paid for the first year of the electronic serving city and guild (but no time off ) so enrolled and then continued under my own steam until qualified (was really tough working full time and doing college at the same time)
So at 29 I was a qualified electronic engineer but found bench engineering dull so left to work in customer facing tech support at my current company
17 years later I am dept head but as I get older I wonder if I really want to be working all these hours but dont think I can afford to back off until I get to 55 in 7 years time :rolleyes
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I joined Royal mail when I was nearly 17, the last intake of telegram boys, ive just taken EVR after 33 years for various reasons and I dont have a clue what im going to do, but right now I couldnt care less!!
Except buy one of these that is !
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Haha Pilgo .. just buy that then dissappear on it !! Lol
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Haha Pilgo .. just buy that then dissappear on it !! Lol
if it wasnt for my dog I would mate !
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I went to university at 19, studied Model Design and Special Effects. Got a job as an architectural model maker then got made redundant within 6 months (at Christmas time) as it recession hit.
Went to work with my brother in law on large building sites as a ducting fitter. Did that for 3 years then started looking for something else.
I need to work with my hands as I can't do desk jobs and get bored easily so need varied work. I applied for loads of jobs at furniture makers, wanting lower pay to build experience, but to no avail. I finally applied to a small pattern makers company who took me on and trained me up.
All you need to do is figure out what you enjoy, be really honest about yourself and just write to people (no emails) to see if anything comes up.
You're never to old to move along, and shouldn't have to settle for a life you don't really want.
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I'm in a similar position, Bob - it consultant (although in a permanent job, go figure that one out!) and I fecking hate it. But the money.... How do I find something else, that comes close? I can handle a drop in income, when things I've toyed with the idea off, mean a 50% cut, and that's too much. I've got another 20 years to go, work wise, and all I know right now, is that I can't keep doing this shit!
Similar to Bob and Rich above but work as a BMS Consultant. Been on the road commissioning, sales, project manager etc and I'm also bored senseless working with feckwits who would be geniuses if they knew half what they think they know "fecking useless Graduates - REGURGITATING PARROTS."
So like you say fella, get your finger out and THINK hard what you would like/enjoy doing and aim for it. If you tick along you'll follow a well worn track like us and be sick to shite of your job, hate going to work and with 20yrs left. I've only improved mine 4yr ago by going self employed and doubling my money.
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Started in a factory as an engineer. 2 years later was on the dole. Worked in security for 12 years and did night classes for 7 of those. Till I had an hnc in electrical engineering. Worked as a mobile service engineer for 15 yrs now.
Always liked fixing things so suited me.
However the jobs changing now with targets for sales taking more priority.
Starting to feel it's time for a change but alot of other mobile service jobs have similar issues nowadays.
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Joined the army at 16 as an Armourer, left 17 years later for similar reasons. Wife and kids were up north, and I was away down south. I commuted every weekend I could for 5 years, totalling about 30k/year. A bad tour of Iraq took it's toll on my sanity. I left that job at 33 and felt lost!
I drove HGV's for 12 months which was quite good fun, but crap money, and ended up what I'm doing now albeit away from my engineering roots. Been doing this for 8 years, and I'm getting itchy feet again.
I'm 42 and not afraid to look for another career, neither should you bud. The world's your oyster, so go hunting!
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All you need to do is figure out what you enjoy, be really honest about yourself and just write to people (no emails) to see if anything comes up.
^^This. This is the key. If you enjoy it, you have a better chance of being good at it, less stress, everything's easier.
I joined the RAF in 1985 as an air comms technician. The joining the RAF bit was ok, but I took a trade I really wasn't interested in, due to being young and impressionable at 18, and being told I'd have to wait another year for a place as a propulsion tech. I was working in an office furniture factory as a labourer at the time, and just thought, foc doing another year of this! More fool me. So when I came out in 1992, I had a trade I wasn't great at, and didn't enjoy.
So I went to the only other thing I knew - got a job on the parts counter at a motorcycle dealership, and have worked in the bike trade ever since. Now I've just quit Oxford Products ready to move up north and will start my new job hunt either looking for another bike dealership job, or one at an outdoor gear retailers, being my other interest. These have the advantage of keeping one or other of my hobbies cheap :D 48 now and still taking my chances :rolleyes Mind you, I've no family to worry about.
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Career?
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Cheers Risticuss, I'm similar to you in needing to work with hands. Although good at putting pen to paper to whip up an alright cover letter I couldn't do a desk job or something that wasn't varied ..
Iv been trying to get my HGV license done before I sign off Steverist as a back up but it depends whose in the office as to what response you get.
I was gutted to find after having 2 weeks of last week that they gave my place to someone else, I'd have easily cut my time off had they let me know but never mind!
Iv been thinking motorcycle dealership Nick Crisp, and having never worked in that sector was reading up on quals you can get to try sell yourself abit, City and Guilds do courses. Not sure if they are actually worth while?
Yeah Punkstig you know, courier/tv career .. I need tips, info ;)
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A tip for you
go look at the power companys,elecric,,i.e Western power
look for a job on Poles,Pylons, a young lad i know did this and the money they earn is huge,weekend emergncy callouts too
The car park at our local depot is like a footballers car park,Rangerover,mercs the lot.
He will earn about 80,000 this year, he is only 25 and runs around in an old Foucus,worth about £50,,he saves the lot,lives at home too,a good wedding,party DJ on weekends,this lad fell on his feet,,i wish i could start again,,
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I think that a job for life is a thing of the past these days & even if you do your full 22 you'll still be in the same position at the end of it looking for a new career (albeit youd be more financially secure).
But it is common for people to move from job to job and the recession has displaced allot of folk who might have previously seen their jobs as secure.
I think i read that 6 jobs before settling in for the long haul was the optimum for employment, you bring a varied experience to a post, any more and you're seen as too erratic....not sure how accurate that is, i do read allot of rubbish.
& unless you're going for a job in a local small company then it is all HR folks who pull the strings and it is them that you need to satisfy. Match yourself to each and every one of their requirements, going off on a tangent about how good you are at something they havent even specified will sound good but still not match you to the job.
Allot of it is down to pure luck & perseverence & taking a few shit jobs along the way.
I did 5 years in comms in the army and when i left at 26, i ended up down shit creek and so i took whatever job was going, i worked for parcelforce for a bit, then as civillian police staff and then i moved to Wales and had to start all over again, ended up on a production line making UPVC windows, rock bottom for me, all these specialist quals and there i was, but it paid a small wage and gave me a reason to get up in the morning and i kept at it on the job hunt and portraying enthusiasm on my appications that quite honestly in reality i had lost. i got into the shipping industry off the back of that enthusiasm, didnt know the pointy end from the blunt end of a ship, but i learned and i worked my arse off doing some crazy hours. Then my current job came up, basically ship version of air traffic control, all the boys saying it was pointless, we wouldnt get it bla bla, most didnt apply, i thought foc it im applying, worked my arse off on my CV and application, got to interview and then got the job......am i lucky, yes...but sometimes you make your own luck, i was 28.
P.S i got my HGV when i was in but apparently you need some new EU crap certificate, pen pushing excercise to be able to use it, whats that all about, something at xmas about loads of drivers retiring because they couldnt be arsd with the new rules and therre was gonna be a shortage of drivers, pile o shit, those petrol tankers are a good job, well over 40k a year i think.
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Iv been thinking motorcycle dealership Nick Crisp, and having never worked in that sector was reading up on quals you can get to try sell yourself abit, City and Guilds do courses. Not sure if they are actually worth while?
Well, qualifications would certainly be useful if you want to do spannering. But there's bike sales and parts/accessories/clothing sales too. Don't need any quals for that, just a bit of knowledge.
When I left the RAF, I had worked on my own bikes, had owned several different ones by then, had read bike magazines for years, all the usual you do as an enthusiast. So I had built up quite a bit of knowledge. The first dealership I applied to asked for my CV, which was all avionics/RAF related, so I wrote a short history of my biking background separately, and I think it was more that which clinched getting the job.
Probably, most of the folks on this forum could do it. All the parts catalogue, ordering, warranty procedures etc; that's easy to learn on the job. Every place I've worked there's been those who could show me anything I didn't know about, get me started. Give it a shot, you've nothing to lose.
Oh, money -wise, my last parts job was at £17.5k so not huge, but I've recently seen places advertised at £20k+.
And keep an eye on this site:
http://www.bikejobs.co.uk/ (http://www.bikejobs.co.uk/)
Although I've either used local papers, word-of-mouth or just walked into places on a gis-a-job basis before.
Some interesting stories coming up in this thread.
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I left school at 17 and went to work for the AA answering the phone lines breakdown calls, it wasn't long before they recognised my brilliance and pulled me off of the phones and trained me in other stuff and it wasn't long before I was a manager 8 years later I was headhunted by a local engineering company who wanted me to implement a stock control system for them and head up the sales team, 4 years later I was head hunted again by Vodafone and I went and worked in their in house tech support team. Then I met the current Mrs Layley and moved to Northants and having being used to walking out of one job and into another and never even having to try at an interview when I lived in Newbury, I had a shock when I could not even get warehouse work up here.
I went through a series of shitty jobs up, before being offered a job by a friend of a friend who had a bike shop and wanted someone who knew their way around bikes, I have been tinkering with bikes from a very early age and was lucky enough to retrain & gain qualifications & I have enjoyed working for myself at Motorcycle Republic fixing bikes and building up a business but now I am looking around at other stuff as Laura and I have also built up the second business with Fat Maggot Clothing so am considering diversifying and doing something different.
The important things to remember are:
If you want an easy life, then do not work for yourself.
If you want less time at work, then do not work for yourself
If you want less stress, then do not work for yourself
But once you work for yourself, its really difficult to even contemplate ever having a "proper job" with a boss, office politics, and all the other shit that goes with it.
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(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/05/bc2e031567f82b360a77edb55a420fb6.jpg)
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Left School at 16 and did mechanical engineering apprenticeship, made redundant once time served, fell into office equipment sales for photocopiers, franking machines etc, then into IT sales, then decided to start my own IT company 7 years ago. Got a wife with a credit card and a kid at private school.....so I'm foccin skint despite robbing all the profits :'(
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Hey Slimwilly. I was advised about working up on the Pylons by an old boss about 8 years ago but I'm not much for heights and hi voltage :/ lol
Cheers Noggy so judging by what our have read my next job is the one to stick at ! Haha seems like I just need to stop avoiding it and take the step, it seems harder cos if I could give 2 weeks notice and leave I'd look for a job and go but because it needs a year's notice I'm just thinking what will I be doing this time next year. I'm over thinking it all, I just need to go for it.
It was 'Vehicle Parts and Vehicle Sales (VCQs)' Nick the course I seen .. but when thinking about it seems to be a course on stuff you should already know and common sense .. lol .. I'l definetly check out that site thanks muchly.
I have a few mates self employed Deefer and they have all said the same. Lol .. One of the lads now works for British Gas and although he has taken a massive pay cut he loves the massive relief off pressure and just does whatever jobs he gets called too.
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If you do decide to go for the motorcycle trade, it'd be worth getting this magazine regularly:
http://www.motorcycletrader.net/aboutus.aspx (http://www.motorcycletrader.net/aboutus.aspx)
It'll tell you what's going on in the industry, articles about new products and the ins/outs/benefits/how it's made of them, job ads, all sorts, much of which you don't get in the usual off-the-shelf publications, allowing you to keep a step ahead of your customers and just generally helping you to build a knowledge base.
Anything you want to know, just PM me, I'll try to help :thumbup
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left school in 79/80......the Thatcher years begin and Liverpool had foc all as did I qualification wise.
drifted from shit job to shit job but wouldn't get on me bike to the South (coz Tebbit said we should) but was out everyday looking for work. had foc all money when me few mates did which was hard going, done whatever I could......both legit and cash in hand and at 35 managed to get into the fire brigade.....been in 15 years now which has been great bar all the political shit that goes with it. Probably could've done better years ago but I would never settle for 2nd best (failed the paras so told the army to shove it as the rest were all crap hats) or be told what to do by politicians.
You're never too old so go for whatever takes your fancy....YOLO
if I had my time over, and knowing what I know now through life experiences.... I'd have either tried for Civil engineering/joined another Army reg/left the country
I went to the University of Life ;)
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HR folks who pull the strings
I work for a company with global HR and that is not how we do it
I read all the CV,s ,I interview all candidates and I ultimately decide who to hire
HR only handle terms of contract ,communications, and may sit in to give an view the of candidates general demeanour
As I have been hiring for a while I sometimes ask other function managers instead and I sit in on their hires
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HR folks who pull the strings
I work for a company with global HR and that is not how we do it
I read all the CV,s ,I interview all candidates and I ultimately decide who to hire
HR only handle terms of contract ,communications, and may sit in to give an view the of candidates general demeanour
As I have been hiring for a while I sometimes ask other function managers instead and I sit in on their hires
What about these matrix system things then Ralphie?, i thought that they were a HR thing where they match up the job spec to the applications, surely HR do all the ground work before they pass it to you otherwise youd be sifting through endless CV's & applications.
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Depends on the role and the response really
I see every CV sent including all the "on the spec ones" for anyone asking about engineering roles but I am only a small dept
for warehousing or telephone jobs HR will will apply matrix filters due to the sheer number of applicants
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Anything you want to know, just PM me, I'll try to help :thumbup
You will probably hear from me soon ! Lol
We are all crap hats Maddog ! Lol should have gone civil engineer ... actually no .. left the country !! Haha
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Sometimes when you get to do what you want to do, then you decide it is not the best thing for you! I left the IT management consulting thing that was my target job a few years before to work in the media industry (IT but I had no previous experience of broadcasting stuff).
Being able to get home in the evening became more important to me than it was when I was younger. Now I have kids I don't know how the wives of those that work away manage (unless they have paid help or very helpful family close by).
There are times to work your arse off, then you'll get sick of it. You may want to travel the world, or you may want to have a home life. You may want to earn lots on money and pay other people to do stuff, or yo might be a control freak and happier with less cash! It's all a personal choice, and can change as you age. We are lucky in the UK as we can change careers more easily than a lot of other countries.
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Strange how some post come up just when your thinking along a similar line.
I left school in 1977 and started working at Franny Lee's toilet roll factory shit job (excuse the pun) no career as such but very good money in it's day.
Then comes along the Mrs the house the kids the occasional holiday and before to long 24 years 9 month 3 week 3 days have passed and I find myself being made redundant.
I received a fantastic £4970 pay off :rolleyes but luckily walked into a job as a Residential Child Care Worker. A drop in pay of £20000 yup dropped from £34000 to £14000. That was 13 years ago almost to the day.
I initially loved the job and wanted to make a career out of it but several years in I kinda worked out that while it paid a wage and therefore paid the bills that's about all it did, promotion chances are limited although me not being a YES man maybe hasn't helped.
I'm still there but have put in for early retirement March 2017 if I get it I'll be setting up a butty van and working for myself doing something I want to do.
So all in all nothing majorly exciting no massive career, but a nice house loving family nice bike and car's not bad for a toilet roll maker.
Sorry to go on.
One thing that has had me thinking over the past few days after the footballer dying aged 83, forget his name.
I'm currently 53 if I go at 83 my life will consist of approx. 10 years worth of sleeping 6 years worth of working and 14 years worth of living, I need to make sure that that 14 years worth of living is done to the full.
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Wanting to he home with the family is the biggest thing on my mind Alan ... I'm currently sat in a room on my tod thinking I should be home tucking the kids into bed.
Wow mick that's crazy, less than 5k payout for almost 25 years! Toilet paper maker, it's funny how when you use the stuff you never think of how it's made ... I'd make anything for 34k ! Haha
I almost didn't ask the question yesterday but I'm glad I did. I haven't mentioned it to anyone as i wouldn't normally care for there opinion as those at work who obviously try tell you there's nothing in civi street. But to be fair I didn't join the army til I was 25 so I know there is plenty out there if you look. Plus its good to hear ideas from different people with varied backgrounds.
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I was 15 when I started my career and 55 when I retired with a big redundancy package and a good pension.
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21 --navy then the oil industry--job done now retired
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Left school, hit Uni, did my post grad and been teaching since 2001, so I was 22-23.
I'm one of the lucky ones in that I love my job and have been employed full time since Feb 2002, even when I resigned after seven years in the same school to come across here to NZ I only missed a days work before blagging my way into long term supply for six months before I flew over.
Good thing about it is that it's never the same, granted after seven years you know what lesson you'll be doing by what tuesday of september it is, but changing schools is like starting a new job again.
Also means I'm able to head to other places and still do what I love, although getting Kiwis to understand my lilting Scottish brouge has been guid for a giggle.
Folks thought I was bonkers for leaving everything and everyone I knew behind and shipping off 12000 miles, but I'm only 36 and figured that a change is as good as a rest, so why not change up everything and see how foreign climes suited.
Reckon you just need to work out what you like and what you are like, have a good rummage around and see what else out there fits.
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Left school, hit Uni, did my post grad and been teaching since 2001, so I was 22-23.
I'm one of the lucky ones in that I love my job and have been employed full time since Feb 2002, even when I resigned after seven years in the same school to come across here to NZ I only missed a days work before blagging my way into long term supply for six months before I flew over.
Good thing about it is that it's never the same, granted after seven years you know what lesson you'll be doing by what tuesday of september it is, but changing schools is like starting a new job again.
Also means I'm able to head to other places and still do what I love, although getting Kiwis to understand my lilting Scottish brouge has been guid for a giggle.
Folks thought I was bonkers for leaving everything and everyone I knew behind and shipping off 12000 miles, but I'm only 36 and figured that a change is as good as a rest, so why not change up everything and see how foreign climes suited.
Reckon you just need to work out what you like and what you are like, have a good rummage around and see what else out there fits.
Exactly. Change it up. We'll all be brown bread soon enough so don't spend your time wondering about what ifs. Give it a go and see what happens. If you're lucky you'll find something you're happy doing.