Natural apptitude for a 'trade'?

pinpin

Do you think you need to have a natural aptitude for a certain trade before thinking about taking a training course?

I've been unemployed for a while (living off of savings rather than claiming, though) due to a mixture of anxiety, depression, cancer and a very unimpressive CV. My work has always been minimum wage jobs like warehouse helper, office body, sweeper-upper etc

I know I started a thread a while ago asking about IT training, but most people told me that unless I had a genuine interest in IT with lots of experience gained from tinkering around at home, and more importantly, a natural skill for computers, then it'd be a waste of time.
I took their advice and am looking at other ideas.

For years, family members and friends have suggested 'learning a trade'.

The fact that i'll be hitting 30 soon doesn't put me off as much as the fact that I can't think of anything i'd be suited too.

When I was younger, it always felt like my friends were either academics who excelled at school or they were not so great in school, but seemed to have an innate ability to fix things and be good with their hands.

I had friends who were awful at school who the teachers thought were thick, but these people could fix their dads car!

Other friends couldn't fix the chain on their bike, but they could ace a calculus exam and understand complicated biological theories.

Now, with me, I feel as though I have drawn the short-straw both times!
I tried hard in school but was just a 'C' grade student.
I'm certainly not 'academic' or even remotely clever.

This tends to make people suggest that I should 'learn a trade' (likely assuming 'he's probably one of those guys who is good at skilled manual/hands-on type stuff instead of being book-smart'')

Problem is, I am one of those people who can't wire a plug. I can't read a map. I bought a home gym and couldn't for the life of me work out how to do it (ended up getting a friend to do it who breezed though it). I don't know anything about DIY....Nothing.


I can't think of a 'trade' that i'd be good at.
The only one that seems 'realistic' is something like plastering, and that's only because, from seeing someone do it once, it looked like just using a metal instrument to slop a load of thick gloop on a wall and trying to keep it even. (I know this is likedly a huge insult to skilled plasterers, but hopefully you see where i'm coming from).
The other trades I know of (electrician, carpenter, plumber) seem ever-so unrealistic.

So, has anyone here ever started training in one of 'the trades' without seemingly having any aptitude for such a career?

bugslet

I can't answer really, but maybe it's a good idea to work from where your natural aptitude is/

I went to a careers advisor - cost about £180 at the time - and basically worked out where my talents lay and where they didn't lie! I found it really useful.

cavework

Every thing in your post OP is a negative.. are you really useless at EVERYTHING ?
You must have some things you enjoy ? some things you are good at ?
Be it cleaning .. decorating.. people skills, the list is end less..
Why are you so quick to write yourself off?
What are you good at?
If you beat cancer .. you can now beat anything thrown at you..
xx
PS
Many people who are now qualified in a trade had no experience before working through an apprenticeship to gain their qualifications.. just determination

Annisele

pinpin wrote: »

The only one that seems 'realistic' is something like plastering, and that's only because, from seeing someone do it once, it looked like just using a metal instrument to slop a load of thick gloop on a wall and trying to keep it even.

It sounds like you realise that's becase the plasterer was good . A lot of skilled manual jobs are like that; if it's done well it looks effortless.

Have you tried temping in office jobs? You can clearly write - that plus a decent work ethic can get you quite a long way. I got my first 'proper job' out of temping - I pinged round a bundle of different companies, and eventually found one I fitted with. In the end, they didn't even interview me for the permanent role - they just took me aside one day and asked if I wanted it. Definitely possible!