How old was you when your career started?

[odbguy]

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?

[BBROWN1664]

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.

[odbguy]

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!

[dazza]

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.

[richfzs]

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!

[odbguy]

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

[BBROWN1664]

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

[bigralphie]

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

[pilgo]

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 !

[odbguy]

Haha Pilgo .. just buy that then dissappear on it !! Lol

[pilgo]

Haha Pilgo .. just buy that then dissappear on it !! Lol

if it wasnt for my dog I would mate !

[risticuss]

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.

[Frosties]

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.

[Ian-man]

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.

[stevierst]

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!

[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.

[Punkstig]

Career?

[odbguy]

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

[slimwilly]

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,,

[noggythenog]

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.