Anyone broken free from professional life? Warning: rant

@LightningPesto mentioned up thread that he's a life coach these days...

I guess career advisors are still a thing but I don't really know about them, maybe the post-school equivalent would be someone working in recruitment? A life/career coach comes at solving that challenge from a slightly different angle, working with you to find out what is important to you and what you want to pursue rather than someone telling you all the different jobs/roles that you might be appropriate for.

My first paying client was from lfgss and he smashed his career transition goals, so give me a shout/reply here if you want to ask any questions about life coaching or career transitions. I always think that the advice other forum-members contribute with here is pretty strong too.

Thanks @RubberDucky too

I keep meaning to read this thread. My story is that I was forced out by illness, so perhaps of less relevance to the people here making a choice.

There's a longer version but it's book length and not yet written.

Thanks for this. Lots happening right now but when i have a moment to gather my thoughts i'll send you a message.

are careers advisors still a thing

They are. My wife used one a couple of years ago and said it was helpful. I know others who have more recently.

Mrs c00ps is a careers coach. She has spoken with a few people on here. I can ask if she'd have a chat? Drop me a PM, if you're interested.

Edit: Although just seen LP is on the case also (I missed the last page here).

Anyone in the banking realm and happy to have a chat?

2 years data and then 5 years structured finance and thinking of a return after 3 years.

Anyone done a fast track plumbing course? How much are they roughly? What are the good companies (or colleges/gov schemes) that offer them? And what is the qualification that you really need to get on and work (is it NVQ2)?

Looking at this as a new option to sort my miserable life out

Some interesting reading on this thread. I'm one of those people who never really knew what they wanted to do but after a lot of job swithching I now have a list of things I don't want to do!

I left school at 16 with ok GCSEs, did a bit of retail and various warehousing/light industrial jobs, tried setting myself up in a trade but didn't stick with it. I'm now in my early 40s and have been assembling mechanical parts for almost 8 years and I'm fed up with it, bored of the work, frustrated at the lack of discipline/professionalism of my colleagues and the company which affects my work environment, and starting to think I don't want to be here much longer. I want to work/exist in a better environment with colleagues who are on a similar wavelength and hopefully get more satisfaction (and money would be nice) out of what I do.

I've inherited some money which I could use to start doing something but I don't know what to do or where to start. I've spent most of my working life quitting one job to go to another, only to find out the grass isn't greener. This time whatever move I make I want to be a positive one. Any advice, suggestions etc appreciated.

A really hard one, but the only advice I can think of is decide what you really do enjoy and find a way to work that involes doing it - not necessarily all the time, but at least in some way.

Well, I just threw in the towel. Now to work out what to do with my life and how to pay my bills.

Well done! Any plans or do you need to clear your head first?

I made the leap recently and it is an amazing feeling.

Over ten years in professional services/consultancy. I quit with nothing lined up, treated myself to a short break as genuine time off/recovery. Didn't even looking at job ads for a month, and then started applying.

I've landed a job I'm really excited about in the 3rd sector. Exactly the kind of meaningful work I was seeking. I'm starting at the start of May. It's really turned out very well for me.

For those that know me, I want to emphasise I left my previous employer on good terms. I just didn't want to spend the rest of my working life doing work where the main purpose was not to help people/benefit society.

Thank you! I have a 3 month notice period and after that the plan is to go on a month long cycle tour. Hopefully inspiration will strike at some point. I am looking at jobs, but at the moment they all seem very dull and meaningless. I'd love to retrain as a nurse, but even a two year masters is not financially feasible for me, and I'm not currently employed as a healthcare worker so not eligible for an apprenticeship. Alas.

Eta: Congratulations on your new job - I hope it turns out to be everything you hoped!

Congratulations!
Feels like I haven't seen you in an age, would be great to catch up and hear more.

Great news, congratulations!

Thanks @Marron Enjoy the cycle tour!

@hoefla thanks! It has been ages :( I'm not working yet so quite flexible for me to meet you when you have time after work or for lunch. Do you have my number? Are you riding Cobblemonster/London Classic?

@Cupcakes thanks Rich, I'm super pleased. Also been ages since I saw you, more excusably. Hope you and Hazelcakes are good.

Are you riding Cobblemonster/London Classic?

Possibly the start before peeling off to the pub at lunchtime :) I'll drop you a text.

Anyone gone into secondary school teaching later in their career?
I'm looking to leave my relatively well paid cushy job in a uni to go into teaching because I think kids are ace and people need to do more for them. Anyone done this and regretted it? Could it be worse than banal admin and management?

As a teacher I would suggest spending a few weeks in a school to see what it’s like. We have a lot of people start but the workload puts them off.

I'm not a teacher but married to one for the last 20+ years. I would concur with the above.

There are great things about teaching which keeps the committed ones in it, but it's hard work. State schools are run efficiently, on tight budgets. Contact time is maximised, and then colleagues may have to cover when someone is off sick or whatever, meaning that admin, lesson planning, marking etc are largely done in the teacher's own time (i e. evenings, weekends and holidays).

Kids can be great but they can also be twats
Parents can be twats
Management can be twats (obvs this one is not restricted to teaching!)

There are certainly good things about it; a real sense of purpose and contributing to society. Holidays are good compared to most work but as above, a fair chunk ends up being taken up with school work of one kind or another. And when you do go away, you always have to pay the school holiday tax!

Anyone done a fast track plumbing course? How much are they roughly? What are the good companies (or colleges/gov schemes) that offer them? And what is the qualification that you really need to get on and work (is it NVQ2)?

Best to call a few of your local colleges and ask for advice. If you're in London, there's a load that have really good plumbing facilities, which will all provide the same qualification. As to what qualification you need, it really depends on your age and transferrable skills.

At the moment, there's a big re-skilling push by the government post Covid, so there's a lot of funding available for restraining eg, you can get a Level 3 qual fully funded depending on your circumstances.

My dad went into teaching design and technology after working in the building trade for 20 years, he worked in fairly rough Birmingham secondary schools , nearly finished him off, he’s back in the building trade now and much happier

The system chews people up and spits them out, fine if your young with the energy for it , and if you can get into a decent school where the majority of the kids don’t have behavioural issues that makes a huge difference

My partner went from academia and teaching at a university to doing a PGCE. He now teaches at a sixth form college and loves it. I think @ChasnotRobert covered everything - looooong days, lots of out of hours work, big classes, twatty managers. Extremely crap pay. All worth it because the kids are brilliant, apparently.

I started in the mining industry, then academia, then teaching Design & Technology - called CDT at the time, and the name change accurately indicates the shift in emphasis.

The first ten years were great - I enjoyed what I did, and so did (most of) my pupils.

The next ten years were a downhill slide, largely due to DfE 'initiatives' and OFSTED demands related to unrealistic targets.

The last five years seemed like hell, and everything suffered, including all aspects of my health. Having the all the main exam boards wholly owned by various publishing houses screwed the curriculum to the point where coding was deemed a wholly acceptable alternative to D&T, and most of the things I thought valuable were rejected as irrelevant.

Obsessive testing marking and feedback, inadequate management, demanding and sometimes vindictive parents (not all, but they are the ones I remember most) and 12 hour days rising to 15 around this time of year proved too much, so I retired before it ruined me.

TL;DR it's a young person's game, and it can be much worse than banal admin and management. YMMV.