Secure job but I hate it.

balanceseeker749

New to the Forum, so hello everyone. 

I'm looking for some, well i'm not sure, advice, tips, guidance. Please bear with me! 

After 18 years in the forces fixing planes and travelling the world. in 2013 I left and joined 'Civvy St'. I worked supporting maintenance teams but hated every minute of it and then managed to move into project management in 2016. I thought this would be a great job, I work in project management support as an asst PM. The job is nothing like i thought and i've moved between different areas of the company but it's all the same. I'd love to leave and find something more full filling but the job I have is very secure with a good pension and at 47 with a 22 year mortgage to pay plus child maint payments, security is something i need to consider, but i just don't know if i can do this for another 20odd years! 

I've looked at buying into a franchise, to own and run my own coffee van, but I'm scared basically! I wonder if I can do that part time when I'm not working to test the water, has anyone done this??

I'd love to hear from people who have taken the risk and left the security to chase a dream, good and bad experiences, please let me know! 

Thanks for reading. 

TELLIT01

A quick search suggests there is up to 75% failure rate within 5 years for coffee shops.  I can't imagine that coffee vans are any more successful.  Have you investigated ways of using your skills from your time in RAF as it seems that was work you enjoyed.  Just one thought is companies involved in aircraft dismantling.

london21

Its ok not to be 100% happy.

Whilst there you can plan alternatives.

Maybe not leave just yet due to family and financial commitments such as a mortgage.

Do you have hobbies and other interests you have and can do on the side?

You can start something on the side and can then make it your full time when it picks up.

Also do some research on roles you might like and have transferable skills and competence for.

Do a StrengthsFinder assessment or write down what your likes and dislikes are,  what you like and dislike about your current role.

Not all businesses make it and are profitable, food businesses are doing well at present but do a lot of research and see who your target customers might be etc.

balanceseeker749

Thanks both. I'd love to work with aircraft again, but I live a long way from the nearest airport, so it's not something I can really think about as I don't want to have a long daily commute. I will look into the strength finder assessment. I have a far bit of spare time in the evenings and alternate weekends so occupying it doing something i enjoy and trying to make a little extra cash would be great, that's why i'm wondering about a franchise opportunity. 

Sometimes it's hard being a grown up! 

funnyvideo

Is your job really that secure?

I work in IT and hate it but it's got me on the property ladder in London and I can't remember the last time I spent more in a month than I made. What's help keep me sane is getting involved in extra curricular activities and changing companies. 

8 years is a long time to be at the same company. Maybe you need a fresh start somewhere. 

theoretica

Evenings and alternate weekends doesn't seem to be the most promising times to run a coffee van.  But there are lots of other options than just your current job or a coffee van (why a coffee van, what attracts you to that?)

How well paid is your job compared to your needs?  Could you really blitz overpaying the mortgage to then give yourself the freedom to earn less?  Could you afford to reduce your hours of work to give you more time to build other employment up?

Do you still have access to ex-forces advice? 

balanceseeker749

funnyvideo said:

Is your job really that secure?

I work in IT and hate it but it's got me on the property ladder in London and I can't remember the last time I spent more in a month than I made. What's help keep me sane is getting involved in extra curricular activities and changing companies. 

8 years is a long time to be at the same company. Maybe you need a fresh start somewhere. 

Perhaps I do need a new start, but yes, my current job is pretty secure With the forces I always moved around every 3-4 years so 8 years in the same place feels like a long time, even longer when there is no job satisfaction. 

TBagpuss

It's reasonable to want a job that it more fulfilling - your spend a lot of time at work and if you are unhappy it's very training.

What I would suggest is that you perhaps sit down and try to think about what specific elements you enjoy and feel you are good at,  both in your current and past jobs, and what specific things you dislike , and then start to think about what types of work might give you more of the things you like and less of those you don't.

For instance - you mention that you are in roles which appear to involve support and managements - would you be happier f you were more hands on, doing the work rather than supporting other people who are doing it?  If so, is that something you might be able to transition to in your current company, or look at moving to elsewhere?
Do you enjoy being part of a team or do you prefer doing your own thing? Is it the actual project management which you find frustrating or the set up in the company you are currently with (in which case looking at a similar type of job but in  different organisation, might help

What is the specific appeal of a coffee van? Any business start up is a big risk, and something like that I would think particularly so as it is an overcrowded market, and you are selling pretty low-value products so  need to sell a lot to make any kind of profit. 

I'm not suggesting that you need to answer those questions here, but they may be helpful questions to be asking yourself, to try to identify what would be a better fit and then how to get there! 

While you have been out of the services for a while, it might be worth looking into whether there are any support services or charitable organisations you can access who might be able to offer careers advice or advice about setting up a business, https://www.veteranemployment.co.uk/ looks like it might be a useful resource.

Best of luck 

balanceseeker749

Thanks again to you all for responding. I think I chose coffee as a business idea because I love it (ha) and I like meeting people, being outdoors and I've always fancied doing my own thing. I also think that in the area i live there would be a market for a coffee van that traveled around to remote business parks and events. I know i'd need to sell a lot to make a living and i suppose that is what's making me hesitant to jump out of my secure £40k a year job. 

I've only recently purchased a house following my divorce and so with mortgage and associated bills plus Child Maint payments to my ex I need to earn over £35-40K to pay the bills. 

Savvy_Sue

Before going further with a coffee van, do you have any serious catering experience? If not, I'd look at getting some, and that way at least avoid some of the mistakes. Plus, you'd find out whether you're actually suited to it, and what it really involves - probably long hours, on your feet, six feet above and away from your customers ...

TELLIT01

theoretica said:

Evenings and alternate weekends doesn't seem to be the most promising times to run a coffee van. 

Neither do the winter months come to that.