31M. I want a new career. Suggestions very welcome.

CeaseAllMotorFunctions

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I don't want to dwell on my current job, previous experience, circumstances etc so all I'm going to say is that I'm a 31 year old male who is looking for a completely new career. Again, I'm not going to disclose what I do for a living as it may lead others to suggest certain careers due to my experience. I have no criminal record, if that matters.

Think of this as a completely blank slate.

So, yes, I'm 31 and male. I live alone, and have no debts. I am looking for a new career. I am considering university for the first time as one option - I have serious doubts about whether that is the right choice due to my age, but also recognise certain professions are entry by degree only. I have A-Levels (grades BBB) and GCSES (10, all grades A-C).

Alternatively, I am also happy to (and prefer to, in all honesty), consider shorter courses that will directly qualify me for a new profession. A 12/18/24 month course would be great, but I don't want it to be a useless piece of paper that won't likely stand me in good stead for a job.

Also happy to consider suggestions of jobs at entry level that could lead to something else. I see a lot of "entry level" jobs advertised that still require experience and/or qualifications and seem anything but entry level.

My interests are films, restaurants, watching sport (football mainly) and writing - I maintain a film review blog (which isn't anywhere near successful enough to turn into any sort of living).

I don't like IT or maths so would rather avoid anything relying on either of those skills. I also know, even though I like restaurants I don't want to be a chef! Lastly, I'm not too keen on learning a trade (e.g. plumbing) as the career potential seems very limited for the vast majority.

So, would really appreciate suggestions on what I should look at considering my circumstances. I guess the priority would be for qualifications/courses that will directly qualify me for a job with a reasonable career path, rather than just "a job".

Thanks.

In summary:

• 31 years old, male
• Live alone, no substantial debts
• Have A-Levels (BBB) and GCSEs (10 at grades A-C).
• Bored of current job, want a brand new career
• Will consider anything as long as it has a good/defined career path
• Will consider university as long as the degree qualifies me for a job
• Will consider part-time courses if they directly qualify me for a job
• Interests are watching sport, films, restaurants, writing
• Dislikes are IT/computers and maths

Savvy_Sue

What you haven't said is what you feel you need to earn right now - if you're considering university then would living on a student loan be OK for you, or do you have some independent resources. I know you said 'entry level', but one person's entry level is another person's small fortune. (A Maths graduate I know got an IT job starting at £30,000 pa which is more than I've ever earned!)

Teaching, nursing, social work, to a certain extent the caring professions all have a defined career path.

Law's another.

But frankly, unless you have a passion for any of those I'd avoid it ...

CeaseAllMotorFunctions

Hi Sue.

Starting salary I'm not too concerned on, but I would like to be earning close to what I'm on now (around £30k) within 2-3 years if possible.

I don't mind continuing in my current role whilst studying a qualification on the side - but wouldn't want to take more than a couple of years to achieve it part-time.

As a last resort, I would consider full time university but that will mean a 3 year commitment on little or no pay. In fact, I'm becoming less keen on full time uni the more I consider it.

My absolute ideal scenario would be studying part-time for a qualification that would directly qualify me for a new job, or at least heavily support my application. I certainly wouldn't want to do anthing part-time that takes longer than a couple of years, which is why I'm ruling out things like the OU.

Unfortunately my only passions are what I described in my original post - watching films, watching sport, eating at restaurants and writing a blog I don't get paid for. I don't really have any other interests.

Would love suggestions on part-time (or full-time) courses that take 2 years or less to complete that will get me a new job. Or any other suggestions that anyone can think of that may be of interest to me.

Pennywise

CeaseAllMotorFunctions wrote: »

Lastly, I'm not too keen on learning a trade (e.g. plumbing) as the career potential seems very limited for the vast majority.

Not sure where you get that impression. Qualified/experienced tradesmen can be in high demand and command a very attractive income. Maybe not if you're "subbying" on construction sites, but if you build up your own small business, doing domestic work, can fairly easily give a plumber/electrician an above-average income.

Jackieboy

Have you looked at what sort of jobs are being offered or skills required in your area or are you able to relocate. Opportunities will be very different if you're in London from if you're in the Scottish Highlands!

I'd forget about your hobbies and interests (which are largely irrelevent) and think more along the lines of whether you want to work in a large or small organisation, whether you're motivated by money or helping people and whether you want a 9-5 job or are happy with shifts and unsociable hours.

CeaseAllMotorFunctions

Pennywise wrote: »

Not sure where you get that impression. Qualified/experienced tradesmen can be in high demand and command a very attractive income. Maybe not if you're "subbying" on construction sites, but if you build up your own small business, doing domestic work, can fairly easily give a plumber/electrician an above-average income.

A family member is an electrician who runs his own business (self-employed) and he is always complaining about a lack of clients. Earns around £25k a year after expenses and it took him six years to get to where he is now. I just don't want to commit to learning a trade and taking the risk of trying to build a self-employed business and struggle to earn what I'm on at the moment.

If there is a particular trade you can suggest that is more lucrative or in demand then let me know, but from the (limited) research I've done, it's both very competitive and a long process to build anything.

Jackieboy wrote: »

Have you looked at what sort of jobs are being offered or skills required in your area or are you able to relocate. Opportunities will be very different if you're in London from if you're in the Scottish Highlands!

I'd forget about your hobbies and interests (which are largely irrelevent) and think more along the lines of whether you want to work in a large or small organisation, whether you're motivated by money or helping people and whether you want a 9-5 job or are happy with shifts and unsociable hours.

I live near Wolverhampton/West Midlands area. How would I go about finding whats "in demand" other than looking at job sites?

In reply to the second part of your post - I'm happy with any hours/shifts etc and not bothered about organisation size. I would say, at my age I am now more motivated by money (or at least earning what I am now). As I said in my original post, the only things I'm not really interested in are IT or anything involving numbers. Not too keen on taking up a trade purely for the reason I gave above re getting to a certain level.

I only mentioned my interests and hobbies as I've been a lurker on here for a while and more often than not people usually ask what the poster's interests are when they are looking for a new career.

nicechap

You could use the search function for similar threads like this one;

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5583333

theoretica

Things with a well defined career path to a high salary are mostly hard to get onto the path. Airline pilots have extremely expensive training, and doctors need lots of training and competition for university places.

How about lorry driver?

lincroft1710

Not knowing what you currently does mean we could be wasting our time and suggest what you already do. Your thread is very similar to several that have appeared in the last few months, which I don't think were successfully answered.

There are not many opportunities where you could do a relatively short term PT course and waltz into a job with no practical experience where you could expect to earn £30K in 2/3 years time.

Nebulous2

If you have spent a prolonged period of time training / developing / getting knocked back then moving forward again to get up to £30k then it will be difficult to match that within 3 years. Twice that is more likely.

Your best option is a move to a different but closely related field to your own where the change is not so big.

I've recruited a huge number of people into care. The people who do best are almost always those with care experience. Either previous jobs or personal experience through caring for family or friends. The further away it is from someone's experience the more difficult it is. Lots of people have tried it then gone back to what they know - chastened but wiser.

On the other hand some people will rise whatever happens. I knew someone in an executive, high-pressured very well paid job. After a lengthy dispute with his employers he left with a substantial payout. Initially he said he would never work again. He then took a job stacking supermarket shelves overnight as he was bored. A couple of internal promotions, a sideways move into the warehouse and he then got a job as a yard manager for a building firm. Not at anything like his previous level, but a salary above yours from nothing, in less than four years, in his fifties.

Savvy_Sue

Just wondering if your skills are transferable into a different field, eg charity or cooperatives or something like that? And whether that would help if you felt the job was more 'worthwhile'?