Career change at 27 with mortgage

Jani9

First post on here so hello to everyone.

I just wanted to some thoughts and advice on my situation if possible.

I'll be 27 this year, work in sales for a car manufacturer and earn a good wage (small basic but good commission as long as I sell).

I've got used to the money and am comfortable with mortgage, bills and can save a good amount each month. My partner earns reasonable money too but not as good as me as saving!

I've never known what I've wanted to do career wise and still don't. I started off in catering before working in sales. I'm good at my job but I don't enjoy it and don't want to do this until I'm 65!

The job I do now is not something I want to do long term and want to change careers before me and partner decide to have children. I want to be settled in a job I enjoy (a bit!) before we have kids.

I have looked in to doing a degree through the Open University and have settled on Business and Economics as I do have an interest in this and I hope will open some doors for me.

At the current time I will be earning a lot less money if I try something else as I will have to start at the bottom so I think by doing this degree and get a good career.

I can either do the course part time and keep working 6 days a week in sales (dont really want to do!) and the degree will take 6 years!

Or I can do the degree full time and get a part time job so I can change careers quicker in 3 years (Money would be tight though)

Any career ideas from doing this degree or advice on the whole thing would be much appreciated.

Thank you for reading.

whitewing

I would remove the company name from your post.

kloana

Jani9 wrote: »

Or I can do the degree full time and get a part time job so I can change careers quicker. (Money would be tight though)

Any career ideas from doing this degree or advice on the whole thing would be much appreciated.

Thank you for reading.

You can do up to 120 credits per year at the OU (i.e. full-time), but it's not recommended when also working full-time, and also because of the difference in study (you need to be a lot more independent - it's hard!). I'm also @ OU doing a second degree, purely for leisure and pleasure. I'm taking it very slowly, as even part-time (60 credits per year) is tough going when you also work.

As for the degree you're looking into, how does it match up to the career(s) you're looking at? Is it necessary? I'm not saying don't do it, just saying don't rush if you don't need to. Car sales is a tough career with a certain level of drive and passion required to succeed. Surely there's loads of skills you've acquired there that won't dump you at the 'bottom' of the pile in your chosen career?

I did one year of hard sales (for a bank), and the experience was invaluable. I was able to move onwards and upwards from that alone, not backwards

Jani9

Problem I've got is that I'm not sure what I want to do career wise.

I have learnt alot of skills through what I do currently but when looking through job sites I can only see similar jobs that I can move into which I don't want to do.

I just get the feeling that by doing this degree in a subject I have an interest in will open more doors for me.

Otherwise I only see other car sales jobs and telesales positions advertised which I definitely don't want to do.

kloana

Jani9 wrote: »

I just get the feeling that by doing this degree in a subject I have an interest in will open more doors for me.

Business and economics is such a broad field, and doesn't specifically relate to one particular job, though it'd likely equip you for many. But, with your existing work experience, some of it will be teaching you to suck eggs. Other parts will be new, and probably challenging.

But...if you're looking to study specifically for career outcomes, it's always good to have a career in mind first!

Prospects.ac.uk is half-decent for this purpose. The best matches are as follows, though some of the careers they suggest require additional qualifications and/or experience:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_economics.htm

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_business_and_management_studies.htm

[Deleted User]

My own experience is very similar to yours. I began in catering where I worked until around 22, moved to sales (commission based) and did that until 29. Like you, I balked at the idea of being a 50 year old salesman and so looked at re-educating myself but had no idea in what field. I eventually settled on the idea of some kind of social care role as it looked varied and interesting.

I started with the OU to get entry level qualifications (60 point course) and then began a degree in Social Work at a physical Uni (I am about to finish my 2nd of 3 years).

Financially, it is doable with a mortgage. I have managed it by choosing a course which gives a bursary, applying for student loans and working part time.
My main advice would be to choose a subject which you are excited about and which easily translates into a job at the end.

Good luck, I can promise you that it will be worth it (I'm so glad to be out of sales!)

nearlyrich

On the other hand sales can be a rewarding career, 51 year old sales person here, changed from civil service at 27 ish and ended up in sales by accident. I love it...maybe a change of product would help?

[Deleted User]

Sfitzter wrote: »

I balked at the idea of being a 50 year old salesman

nearlyrich wrote: »

On the other hand sales can be a rewarding career, 51 year old sales person here, changed from civil service at 27 ish and ended up in sales by accident. I love it...maybe a change of product would help?

Oh man, I feel bad now, I didn't mean to suggest there is anything wrong with being a 50 year old salesman, just that I didn't fancy it.

Paully232000

I would say that you don't want to be doing something that you could come to dread working as in years to come. Nothing wrong with sales or any job, but you have to enjoy what you do.
I was in a job for years which at first I loved doing, but certain aspects of the job made me not like it as much towards the end. I knew what I wanted to do, in the same field, but something different. I then went back to university for a year full-time (with a child and with a mortgage) with a career specifically in mind. I am now in that career and loving it, and would not go back to the original career as I now have the passion I had for the original job, but in a slightly different role.

I would say that it will be tough to go through a degree (less money, hard work etc), but it is workth it in the end. However, before you quit work, or decide to do a degree part-time I would say have a specific goal in mind and fit the degree around/toward that.

unlikelyheroine

You shouldn't spend your life doing something you hate and 27 is pretty young - lots of people I know had not settled on their final career by then. However your current plan seems to be to give up a decent job in order to do an Open University course that may or may not lead to anything, and all this while you have a mortgage to pay.

It's very easy to know what you DON'T want to do. Finding something you actively enjoy is a lot harder. Sometimes a job only becomes enjoyable after you've spent enough years on it to make the career worthwhile and make progress. Other times job satisfaction can be achieved by a switch in roles or responsibilities rather than wholesale retraining.

If I were you I wouldn't bin the job before I had a better idea exactly what I wanted to do and how to get to it.

nearlyrich

Sfitzter wrote: »

Oh man, I feel bad now, I didn't mean to suggest there is anything wrong with being a 50 year old salesman, just that I didn't fancy it.

Don't feel bad on my account I love my job, I know it's not for everyone but it's been great for me;)

I hope you find a job that suits you and fulfils you;)