Increasingly frustated looking for a new career in my late-20's.

dd32d

From the age of 18 until present (age 29) I've worked in security as a security guard on minimum wage before being promoted to a supervisory position and earning an extra 80p an hour (.....). Basically I've realised my job is at a dead end with very limited potential to get promotion and the most I could reasonably expect to earn over the next decade would have been around £8.50 an hour. Furthermore, I've lost interest in the industry and just cannot see myself working in it for the next 40 years.

I don't want to work in the security industry any longer, I want a new career, something I can be proud of that has good potential for promotion and future earnings - I want to be able to save to buy a home, settle down etc.

The problem is - I'm finding lots of doors shut in my face and limited opportunities - applied for lots of "entry level" jobs in IT and traineeships/apprenticeships with well know firms like BT, Virgin, Sky, BBC etc and not even been invited for interview despite meeting all of the minimum criteria. I have a feeling being 29 is a negative factor for apprenticeships.

I am open to working in ANY industry as long as there is potential to advance and earn more over my career rather than taking 10-15 years for an 80p increase.

I only have GCSEs and would prefer not to go to university for various reasons. Surely there are routes in to jobs without needing a degree?

What industries should I be considering that I would realistically be able to find a job in at an entry level that have good promotion potential?

xapprenticex

No degree and being 29 will make it harder for you because you are considered old for an apprenticeship, sure you have adult ones but good luck finding one.

Also if you only have GCSE's then you may be wasting your time with IT because its VERY competitive and most people have qualifications beyond GCSE.

IMO, you need to volunteer to get experience in what you want to get into. YOU need to decide what you want to do, you cant ask a bunch of strangers to give you a cookie-cutter job to go for, you need to do that bit yourself.

Find a careers website and take it from there.

Only issue is volunteering means you are not working, if you are not working, can you pay the bills and look after yourself etc? If you are stuck in your current job due to responsibilities then it just makes things a little more difficult. Maybe you should find what you want to do and do some evening courses in that field as a start. If you can work p/t and volunteer then maybe that could work.

Or find a better job in security, im sure good money will bring back the fun.

Good luck

Newdirections

what about the railway? Great Western (and others) seem to pay quite well really, and you get the free travel, and chance of promotion. I know of people who have progressed to working as a train driver through that route. E.g. I don't know where in the country you are, but recently, a customer service base role in the south east had a starting salary of nearly 25k (sensible hours, and free travel across the rail network - not bad IMO). You might find that security work has a lot of transferable skills as well.
Have a look on their website!

dd32d

xapprenticex wrote: »

No degree and being 29 will make it harder for you because you are considered old for an apprenticeship, sure you have adult ones but good luck finding one.

Also if you only have GCSE's then you may be wasting your time with IT because its VERY competitive and most people have qualifications beyond GCSE.

IMO, you need to volunteer to get experience in what you want to get into. YOU need to decide what you want to do, you cant ask a bunch of strangers to give you a cookie-cutter job to go for, you need to do that bit yourself.

Find a careers website and take it from there.

Only issue is volunteering means you are not working, if you are not working, can you pay the bills and look after yourself etc? If you are stuck in your current job due to responsibilities then it just makes things a little more difficult. Maybe you should find what you want to do and do some evening courses in that field as a start. If you can work p/t and volunteer then maybe that could work.

Or find a better job in security, im sure good money will bring back the fun.

Good luck

Like I said in my original post, working in frontline security as a security guard is very low pay. It's taken me years and years to get a single promotion for an 80p pay rise. There just aren't any well paid jobs in frontline/manned guarding. Trust me.

I have said I am interested in any sector as long as it has good earning potential and promotion prospects meaning I am completely flexible. I genuinely would be happy to consider anything. I just can't work in this industry for the rest of my life.

bugslet

Have you thought about learning a trade, plastering, plumbing, that kind of thing? You might have to save up and pay for the course(s) yourself, but it's an investment. In the short term, you aren't going to earn more I imagine because you are starting out, but in a couple of years you have experience. You can then work for better companies or even work for yourself.

As regular readers know, I'm in haulage. Costs about 3k to get your license, earnings vary a lot depending where you are in the country from roughly 8.50p.h. to 12.00 p.h. Again you are starting out so you are unlikely to earn the good money straightaway, but my lads on Euro work pull a top line of around 40k. It's not a job for everyone, but if you are interested then head over to Trucknet and look around on the newbies board.

I know both the options I've mentioned mean laying out money and that might be difficult, but it is an investment. If you don't have something to sell to an employer, you become the same as a lot of other people and then you are relying partly on luck.

paddyrg

If your main concern is money, look for unglamorous things - oil rigs, building site work in the Middle East, etc. Even security work in those sectors will pay a premium. Close protection can be £300/day and take you anywhere in the world.

If you want to build on what you're doing, specialise. Join (for instance) an event security company and then you're making contacts in the event industry. If you're good and people like you, you'll find new opportunities to use specialised knowledge.

There's a lot of really, really useful skills you can teach yourself through YouTube tutorials, too. Almost any job at a senior level will require handling cash or budgets. That invariably means spreadsheets or paperwork. If you can teach yourself (or go on an inexpensive course to kick you off) basic Excel skills, it's what holds the world together. There's pretty much no supervisory or higher job it won't be helpful for. Even the best close protection guys will also be effectively the PA to their employer, and handle their cash and payments for them, and need to account back.

Trades, always useful. Steel fabrication, always useful. Rates will depend on if you want a regular 9-5 it if you do specialist work eg events industry again. Sometimes we need to fabricate something huge and amazing for a one-off show, sometimes a film art department need a plasterer to finish a set build. Everyone always needs sparks. Train as a pyrotechnician and do some crazy shows.

In general, the worse the hours, the further from home, the less glamorous the work, the better the money.

GothicStirling

Have you considered going to college or university (most now offer Foundation degrees for those who don't have the A-levels required). I do have a degree, and I'm going back to college in September (night class) to train as a Bereavement Counsellor.

missbiggles1

I never flinch from suggesting the obvious, which in your situation would be the Police or Prison Service.

Detroit

Couldn't agree with xapprenticex more. Volunteering is hugely beneficial for people in your situation.
I've worked with volunteers my entire career, and have seen countless examples of people with no formal qualifications receive training and on the job experience to start careers within the sector.
While it's not necessarily the most lucrative career choice, many people find it very satisfying. You can also acquire transferable skills to take into the statutory or private sector where salaries are higher.

I would advise you to try and get an idea of what you'd like to do though, as this will help your focus. Are you a people person? Do you want to work with technology? What are you good at/interested in? A career is more than getting on, it's about what you spend most of your life doing, so needs to be right for you. There are aptitude tests you can take to help select jobs you may be suited to. Careers service used to do them, but there's bound to be online ones.

fewgroats

You could complete surveys or do a few tasks on Textbroker which will give you the equivalent of an extra 80p per hour, but I believe this is a need to get somewhere in life, rather than earning a bit more money? Of course I may be wrong.

BrassicWoman

learn some basic plastering and decorating skills and go self employed. GArdeneres are always in demand in the summer too. Lawn mowing and weeding doesnt need much training.