Career change tips/advice.

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  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,623 Forumite
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    Admin roles in the CS can vary greatly from dept to dept. From many years' experience these can be brain numbing and boring to someone with a creative mind. I would think very carefully about giving up self employment especially if you have a well established loyal clientele.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • NeilCr
    NeilCr Posts: 4,430 Forumite
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    dimestorediamond wrote: »
    Thanks Michelle, good to know!

    If anyone has interview tips, I'll take them! :)

    I'm a bit of a nervous rambler too!

    After one interview, my then boss told me to take a breath before answering a question. What I was doing was launching off straight away and then realising it was all going wrong - and then backtracking etc!

    I don't mean a long pause - but just enough time to gather thoughts

    Otherwise be yourself. Try not to be what you think they want

    And good luck
  • dimestorediamond
    dimestorediamond Posts: 202 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    lincroft1710 wrote: »
    Admin roles in the CS can vary greatly from dept to dept. From many years' experience these can be brain numbing and boring to someone with a creative mind. I would think very carefully about giving up self employment especially if you have a well established loyal clientele.

    This is something I have absolutely considered. I appreciate this, but I'm pretty sure. The reality is that I am 30, still at home and have a slim to none chance of a mortgage. My business isn't working and I don't love it enough to fight for it. I've been toying with leaving for four years. I don't have to rush really, its more to do with my personal goals. Self-employment has given me lots of freedoms I will miss, but employment will give me a little bit more stability - the lack of it has been getting me down mentally.

    I am definitely a creative person and I know the jobs I am looking at will not provide an outlet for it, but that is ok. I have lots of hobbies and I would like to branch out into making a living of some sort from my writing - working an administrative role would give me the time to do that. I sometimes feel being creative constantly from my job leaves me a bit empty for other creative endeavours.
  • dimestorediamond
    dimestorediamond Posts: 202 Forumite
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    NeilCr wrote: »
    I'm a bit of a nervous rambler too!

    After one interview, my then boss told me to take a breath before answering a question. What I was doing was launching off straight away and then realising it was all going wrong - and then backtracking etc!

    I don't mean a long pause - but just enough time to gather thoughts

    Otherwise be yourself. Try not to be what you think they want

    And good luck

    I am guilty of this!! Thanks, will try to remember, I think I am just conscious of waiting too long. I also tend to be a fast talker in general, so really need to focus on slowing myself down a bit.
  • wine_night
    wine_night Posts: 111 Forumite
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    There are plenty of online Excel training courses you can take for free from basic to advanced (no qualification but it will certainly help you to understand the functions without paying anything out). I have found this one to be very useful (depending on what version you have):

    http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/excel2007/Excel2007.html

    Good luck with your job search, you certainly come across well in your messages and seem enthusiastic about taking a new career path.
  • dimestorediamond
    dimestorediamond Posts: 202 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Thank you wine_night, its nice to hear that somebody thinks I have a shot! :) I'll check out the link, I'm hoping the teach myself method will be enough, but time will tell! Many thanks!
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,623 Forumite
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    dimestorediamond wrote: »
    This is something I have absolutely considered. I appreciate this, but I'm pretty sure. The reality is that I am 30, still at home and have a slim to none chance of a mortgage.

    Unless you're in a low house price area, basic CS grades may not pay enough for you to afford a mortgage.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • dimestorediamond
    dimestorediamond Posts: 202 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    lincroft1710 wrote: »
    Unless you're in a low house price area, basic CS grades may not pay enough for you to afford a mortgage.

    I am in a super low price area and based on the lowest part of the pay bracket quoted in every application would get me the mortgage I need. Either way, it's wouldn't be a factor in changing my mind, I don't like my job and I make significantly less than what I could be making elsewhere - less than NMW some weeks.
  • dimestorediamond
    dimestorediamond Posts: 202 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Just wanted to update here, in case anyone was interested. I have been offered a FTA in a branch of the civil service, and provided all the pre-employment checks go through fine, I will be taking it.

    I have a bit of trepidation with the fact its a FTA, but I need the work experience and I am hoping that this is an 'in' to something permanent. Now I have to do all the twiddly-thumbing whilst waiting for everything to sort itself out.

    Thank you to everyone who gave me such great advice, I did not think it would happen so quickly for me!
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