How old was you when your career started?

[nick crisp]

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  48 now and still taking my chances  :rolleyes Mind you, I've no family to worry about.