complete career change, who's done it?

[Wideboy]

ever get to the point where you dont know what you want to do?

wood work has always been what i've done, did sign writing and engraving whilst on study leave for me GCSE's (yep exams were important to me ) got bored of that pretty quickly and finally got an apprenticeship in traditional boat building and marine engineering, although i enjoyed it and my place of work (you got properly beasted when you messed but that's the trade and it was really in a lovely place) it was about 30 miles away in lymington and with the bike i had at the time it took me forkin hours to get to and from work, i started looking nearer home for somewhere to continue my apprenticeship but could only get into joinery which is what i did (a big regret i have).

finished my apprenticeship a few months back then got laid off, i have been called back to work on Tuesday but i really really don't want to go and seeing as my time is served im thinking of going elsewhere, i would like to get back into boat building as now i have the means to travel more easily but there's not much call for traditional boat building so thinking of a complete career change.

but would this be considered a waste seeing as I've just spent the past 4 years working to get my trade?

i know this whole recession sh!te is going on but.... im 20, no mortgage, not really and out goings or commitments so i think what the heck

[Dave20046]

No your young enough to retrain and retrain, if you can cope with going back to square one then do it you have no real commitments.
If you're not happy now what about in 5 - 10 years?
Just be sure it's a trade change not a job change you need...

Yes, I went from Telecoms analyst to unemplyed bum in only 3 short weeks.

Otherwise known as redundancy!

spent four years studying to do what i wanted to do - licensed trade and i don't even work in that sector anymore. If you are not enjoying it whats the point - the thing is that you can always go back to it becuase you've done your time
go for boat building if thats what you want to do theres' company in scotland that do it still otherwise theres no commitments - try something completely new - you never know you might hate it you might like it. but at least you tried it!

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Wideboy

finished my apprenticeship a few months back then got laid off, i have been called back to work on Tuesday but i really really don't want to go and seeing as my time is served im thinking of going elsewhere, i would like to get back into boat building as now i have the means to travel more easily but there's not much call for traditional boat building so thinking of a complete career change.

Fluffer?

Do it!!!!

Your at the age where you can without it having any major affects on things.

You don't want to get a few years older and thinking what if!!!! Plus you have the skill/trade now so if things go wrong you do have something to fall back on!

I want to leave here a do a PGCE course and start teaching put we just can't afford for me to do that! You never want to live thinking WHAT IF!!!!

doesn't matter mate..as long as you can be happy enough with what you do.

been doing what i have for 8 years and thinking it time for a change or a step sideways.

[Mr Speirs]

Yeah I was once a Warehouse Manager in Tesco earning about £18k a year at 18 years old. Hated the job and packed it in to go back to education which I lasted about 3 months in before finding a job at a local music venue mixing bands and setting up clubs nights. Did that for a year and a bit and got asked (headhunted) to work for the company that was renting the PA system to the venue I was working at.

Now have a great job (if you can call it that) which lets me do interesting things and meet interesting people.

So it is possible and I wouldn't discourage anyone from doing. Whats the worst that could happen? Just don't fall into the same trap once you have done it where you need money and take a job which then traps you for another 5 years.

I used to be a bricklayer, got a bit bored of getting laid off etc so tried office work and was lucky enough to work in an IT Department and am now IT Manager. I have loved working in IT, but have itchy feet again.

Would love to change careers and do something to do with fitness, but have a mortgage and kids and all kinds of other expense. Oh and who would want fitness advice from a short fat bloke.

Do it now while you can mate, you are in a position most of us envy so make the most of it.

[Wideboy]

i think im gona go back in for boat building, its hard to explain but i used to be given jobs then and get so into them the day would fly by, you got so into what you were doing you didn't even want to go home sometimes, just stay and finish . I don't get that anymore