Career Advice Please

[Enceladus]

hi all,
i'm in a bit of a quandry workwise and wondered if anyone can give me a few pointers, tips, etc....
i am a qualified accountant, but working in a warehouse as i can't get a finance job
having said that, it doesn't really bother me that i can't get back into finance (although i'm still trying).
the big problem is i can't stand the job i'm in!
it's an easy job, but i get no satisfaction from it.
been toying with the idea of doing more of a repairing / fixing / mending / making type job as i love to tinker with things and get them working (anything).
currently looking at doing an evening class in september, but i really don't know what.
can anyone give me some job types that i can look into a bit more please ?
many thanks

[stevierst]

I came out of the Army 7 years ago as a fully qualified and experienced mechanical engineer with a good couple of pages of qualifications on my cv. Could I find a job in that arena?? Could I hell!
I ended up doing something completely different, and I'm still doing it now. Can't say I enjoy it too much either.
Good luck, and if you find anything, let me know and ill come and join ya :

[Hedgetrimmer]

I guess what you've got to do is look at what your skills and interests are. I came out of the Air Force in 1992 as an avionics technician, unable to continue with my trade for various reasons, so had to look for other, maybe non-specific/general skills I had. As an accountant, you must be quite good with using computers/paperwork for instance. You presumably have pretty good maths skills too. Such things can be adapted to many different trades. I'm in a pretty boring warehouse job myself, and miss working in parts departments in bike shops. I miss the variation, meeting and helping people, and the opportunity to learn more about my favourite subject. Perhaps try that? You don't need to be a skilled mechanic yourself, although obviously the more knowledge you have the easier/.more enjoyable the job is. If you've got good mechs/techs in the workshop, they should back you up on the knowledge front when you need it. I've also looked at working in the outdoor pursuits trade. I spent a lot of time researching lightweight backpacking kit for my 2 months of fell-walking/camping in the Lake District last year and could easily have got a job in Keswick or somewhere like that (unfortunately couldn't find an accommodation solution tho'.) In conversations with shop staff, I found my knowledge was pretty good compared to theirs, without even having spent the time working in the shops like they had. Of course, if you're doing evening classes, you could do something in bike mechs/technology? I know from personal experience that it's difficult to find a solution to this one, but you're bound to have skills in less obvious things, like being good with people, a good problem solver or something like that. Without knowing more about you, I couldn't really suggest anything more, but perhaps seeing how I stepped outside of my trade, it might give you some ideas?

[noggythenog]

This looks like an ex forces thread going on here & ex forces know all about change as we get thrown back into civilisation.I left Radar & comms in the army & eventually what have i ended up in......radar & comms ..but not until i'd clawed my way back through a number of jobs of varying degrees of boredom & dead ends to get there & if im honest do i like radar & comms...well no but i do like where i work because of the pay,conditions & time off so im not saying that you should stay in warehousing but maybe some warehouses are better than others & perhaps finance & warehousing arent related but what if an accountancy job came up for IKEA, would they prefer an accountant that actually had some kind of a clue about warehouses in general, i like to think they would so i suppose im saying that theres always a transferable aspect from every job.you suggest there is no future in finance/accounting for you yet you are qualified & im sure eventually an opening will come your way, but only if you keep looking & keep applying.theres nowt worse than the guy who moans about not having a chance of getting a job, i thought that, i applied anyway, & i got it, not saying that's you either.


I havent really answered your question here, my best idea based on the little info i have about you - Motorbike/car sales/servicing department.those guys need to be good with figures, finance specialists etc, they need to have some knowledge about how things work, maybe not hands on but still knowledge based & problem solving/discussing.hey dont kill me for the suggestion but you did ask.


I do sympathise, dont give up.


Fras

[lew600fazer]

Can I ask how old you are ? you sound as if you do not mind getting your hands dirty. What area of the country do you live in?
Have a go and see if you can train as a Plumber, don't laugh , it is not like the old days were you had to spend years.
A bit about me , retired this year after 44 years as a Marine engineer. Currently living out in Spain. Last week my German neighbour was having problems with a leaking toilet and I noticed he had a few taps dripping as well. Took me an hour and a few beers to sort things out for him. What do I owe you? get away I am your neighbour!! €40.00 he insisted. So far this week just by word of mouth I have 10 jobs on ranging from overhauling swimming pool pumps and filters, new bathroom suite to fit, shower cubicle to replace etc! I do not really want the work as said I am retired. The work should take me about two weeks to do looking at €4000.00.
Train as a Plumber if possible, a good busy plumber in the London area can earn up to £2500.00 a week if he chases the work, leaking tap less than 5 minutes work £40.00 as most of that will be a standard call out charge anyway.
Lew

[AdieR]

My dad trained in leather-craft when he started out, way back in the early 60's, worked his way up for 20-odd years, and latterly was factory manager for Charles Letts. After that site went bust (there were no other leather factories locally, so had to change direction) he spent some time as a farm labourer to bring in money.  Whilst working on that farm he was doing mechanical jobs on machinery (after having spent years DIYing on cars and bikes), and with that, learned to weld. Took the welding bit, got himself a welding course and ended up as a coded welder / fabricator / sheet metal worker for 25 years. As he put it, "pattern-drafting on sheet metal was relatively easy after years of laying out patterns on leather". 

I left school at 16, trained as a mechanical fitter / toolmaker, spent a year in a furniture store, spent some time in a plant & marine engineering firm, 3 years in the sheet metal dept for a domestic appliance manufacturer (hated that), did 6 months in a fabrication firm doing steelwork for prison service (ok at first, then got bored), and spent the last 4 years in the food industry, mostly doing work for supermarket chains.

I've been "lucky" with this job in that whilst the job itself occasionally gets tedious, I've had (for 3 of the 4 years at least) a good boss, a good chargehand and we have a decent laugh which detracts from the boredom of some of the jobs. The firm has changed hands, and I'm currently doing traceability on nightshift for Asda and Aldi products and working part-time in engineering.

Don't know how easily it would fit in with your current work / shifts, my advice is get yourself onto an electrical / electronic engineering course (particularly control systems and logic controllers plus 17th edition) at college (it'll also give you a network of contacts as well) - good maintenance electricians are always in demand (esp those who can program systems and instruments).

[fireblake]

I'm not sure what area you live but my wife has her AAT and got made redundant during the County Council cut backs and signed on with an agency.  They had a few companies on their books looking for full time staff on average money but a fair drive away but then this job came up that was 3 miles away and better pay too. Next year they are putting her through the CIMA course. Chuffed to bits me.
On the south coast if you have an HGV licence you'll never be out of work,  it just takes time to find the better jobs that pay a bit better.
All the best in your quest.

Mickey

[Enceladus]

thanks for the replies
i am currently 39, and in east yorkshire (bridlington) but planning to move closer to Hull for family reasons.
i enjoy working with computers too (build, upgrade and repair mine) and don't mind getting my hands dirty (grew up on a farm).
done various jobs since leaving finance (about 10 years ago) like driving a tanker lorry, felling trees, bricklaying, etc.
had thought about plumbing / electrician etc. as i am fairly handy on that front.
im really just after something more interesting than moving boxes about ! 

[fireblake]

Spooky. I'm just listening to an article about Enceladus and geysers on that moon. Good old 5 live and up all night.