Starting a Career - Better Late Than Never?

[Gilly?]

I'm 28 and work in a little bakery, my girlfriend is 22 and has been offered her first job coming out of uni as an occupational therapist and is waiting on other offers. It's got me thinking that the past few years have been a bit of a blur and overall a bit slack and lazy with no real direction in what I want to do with my life. We've got a big future and plan to move in together in the coming months but I believe it could be ultimately determined on whether I can grow up and find a career that suits me so I can help finance the next stages of our relationship among other stuff.

Bar a few qualifications which I have no intention in using from wasted years in college doing Sports Development and Fitness Studies, I don't have much to offer apart from an NVQ Level 3 in Hospitality where I gained some key skills in Maths and English which are the equivalent of A-C at GCSE level (or A level, can't remember).

I'm a bum and also don't drive, I've failed my test twice because I'm a spaz but am confident I'll nail it the third time.

I firmly believe it's never too late to start a career and earn good money so I'm currently scouring the tinterwebz for possible directions and have come up with a few ideas through companies that offer training at entry level that boost your salary as you complete the training and become more efficient as well as other potential options that have scope to move up along the ladder.

I've also been doing a few free online IT training courses on Cybrary where I can gain recognised certificates, I've been really good at procrastinating with it though. I've figured if I don't even choose anything down this route, I'll have gained some knowledge I didn't previously have.

So my question is, has anyone been in a similar direction where you want to get your shit together and not have a job that a 16 year old fresh out of school could do and how you went about it?

 

[lordofthepies]

I'm 31 next week and I work in a call centre with no idea what I want to do with my life. I'm sure I'll figure it out one day though.

 

[mistermagic]

I found my path during my second from last degree year whilst doing my internship. It was hard to get in the business (experienced members will remember my dole years) but I got there in the end. Never to late to change paths but do it as soon as you can. Stop procrastinating. Better late than never doesn't mean you have all the time in the world.

Saying this, I'd love to be 28 and bone a 22-year old. That sounds awesome.

 

[Magic]

I'm 28 and work in a little bakery, my girlfriend is 22

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

I firmly believe it's never too late to start a career and earn good money so I'm currently scouring the tinterwebz for possible directions and have come up with a few ideas through companies that offer training at entry level that boost your salary as you complete the training and become more efficient as well as other potential options that have scope to move up along the ladder.

It may sound daft but if this is what you want to do, do it now. Companies are reluctant to train staff up from scratch when you're over 30.

My brother-in-law was a similar age when he changed career. He went in to banking on a trainee scheme and has done well. If he'd waited a year or two it would have been a lot different.

Out of interest, what's up with working in a bakery? Does it not appeal?

(Waiting for the not enough dough gags)

 

[Gilly?]

It may sound daft but if this is what you want to do, do it now. Companies are reluctant to train staff up from scratch when you're over 30.

My brother-in-law was a similar age when he changed career. He went in to banking on a trainee scheme and has done well. If he'd waited a year or two it would have been a lot different.

Out of interest, what's up with working in a bakery? Does it not appeal?

(Waiting for the not enough dough gags)

Working there is fun, I enjoy it but the money itself isn't enough to want to be able to afford a house with the wench and afford a car for when I eventually pass my my test.

 

[Gilly?]

Saying this, I'd love to be 28 and bone a 22-year old. That sounds awesome.

It is rather fun. Especially when she looks like Rosamund Pike, which funnily enough makes her terrifying.

 

[yellow]

Out of interest, what's up with working in a bakery? Does it not appeal?

(Waiting for the not enough dough gags)

Damn - I was going to roll that one out!

 

[Red]

Congratulations on having a bird who is 6 yrs younger than you Gilly.

 

[Stevencc]

Me and Gilly are the same age and our respective partners are 15 years part.

(She is 37, not 7).

Good luck though Gilly, I've always thought you were a top bloke...for a Liverpool fan.

 

[Stagat]

It's certainly not too late to start something new Gilly.

In fact, I'd look at it the other way. Look at the positives. You're not already 10 years into a career you hate and with other commitments that would make it more difficult to change than it is now.

You said you want to be able to afford a house and a car which does sound like you're after a steady job kinda lifestyle tbh.

But my initial reaction reading your OP was, instead of spending the time training to be able to be taken on by a company, could you use it to learn skills you could then use to work for yourself? And then be finding clients or customers instead of working and hoping to get promoted or whatever.

A given amount of time of the former has the potential to see you far better off than the same amount spent working for a company.

Say you learn how to write sales copy (for example) in your spare time.

Self study. Stay at the bakery. Find clients. Stay at the bakery. Do your own work in your spare time. Stay at the bakery. Keep doing this until it's paying enough (enough being what you think is enough). Quit the bakery. Have your own career doing what you want.

If that appeals, it sounds like you're actually in a decent spot to make it happen imo.

Maybe you'd prefer a normal job anyway. Nothing wrong with that either.

Just putting it out there that if you have time (and the opportunity) to train to work for someone else while the bakery tides you over, and then presumably start from the bottom anyway, maybe you have time (and the opportunity) to train to work for yourself and begin that kinda career instead if you prefer.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Working there is fun, I enjoy it but the money itself isn't enough to want to be able to afford a house with the wench and afford a car for when I eventually pass my my test.

But is it not something you would like to do as a business, like running your own bakery? Could be good to learn the skills and then look to start up your own.

 

[QPR_Matt]

Self study. Stay at the bakery. Find clients. Stay at the bakery. Do your own work in your spare time. Stay at the bakery. Keep doing this until it's paying enough (enough being what you think is enough). Quit the bakery. Have your own career doing what you want.

.

I am working for an online Travel Agent, it is pretty big but I cannot go much higher. I am a Manager of over 100 staff (most on 0 hour contracts) but we have just got a new Director which is what the next step would be.

I want to do what you said, but I have no idea what business I would/could do off my own back. I have a mortgage so I cannot afford a massive drop in pay either. I am 27 later this year, but I have been here for 9 years and no idea what I want to do. I was a special constable in the met for a year and a half but it wasnt for me.

I had no clue in school/college what I wanted to do either, so I cant see it changing.

 

[Skinner]

Me and Gilly are the same age and our respective partners are 15 years part.

(She is 37, not 7).

Good luck though Gilly, I've always thought you were a top bloke...for a Liverpool fan.

I've moved in your direction, mines 34

 

[smat]

I am working for an online Travel Agent, it is pretty big but I cannot go much higher. I am a Manager of over 100 staff (most on 0 hour contracts) but we have just got a new Director which is what the next step would be.

I want to do what you said, but I have no idea what business I would/could do off my own back. I have a mortgage so I cannot afford a massive drop in pay either. I am 27 later this year, but I have been here for 9 years and no idea what I want to do. I was a special constable in the met for a year and a half but it wasnt for me.

I had no clue in school/college what I wanted to do either, so I cant see it changing.

27, mortgage in Hampton?!

 

[Renegade]

Me and Gilly are the same age and our respective partners are 15 years part.

(She is 37, not 7).

Good luck though Gilly, I've always thought you were a top bloke...for a Liverpool fan.

EDIT: made a joke about Steven's poor Maths, in reality I can't read English.

Why isn't anyone virtually high-fiving Steve for bagging a MILF?

 

[T.A]

We haven't seen a picture. She could be as handsome as Steven for all we know.

 

[Stevencc]

Are you trying to suggest that I'm not a DILF?

 

[Stagat]

I am working for an online Travel Agent, it is pretty big but I cannot go much higher. I am a Manager of over 100 staff (most on 0 hour contracts) but we have just got a new Director which is what the next step would be.

I want to do what you said, but I have no idea what business I would/could do off my own back. I have a mortgage so I cannot afford a massive drop in pay either. I am 27 later this year, but I have been here for 9 years and no idea what I want to do. I was a special constable in the met for a year and a half but it wasnt for me.

I had no clue in school/college what I wanted to do either, so I cant see it changing.

Well, I'm interested in working online btw, rather than opening a bakery or suchlike (although nowt wrong with that), so this is gonna be about that.

I'd say if you have the cushion of your job for as long as the need it then you may as well aim big while you have the chance. Go for the dream. Ask yourself what do I like and is there a way to make money from it.

Hobbies, interests, passions - cooking, photography, health etc.

If there's nothing there (although there should be at least something), ask yourself what you're good at or what skills you have that you enjoy using - people skills, detail oriented, creative, etc.

Tell me both and I'll have a think.

There's loads of ways to make money online. Might not be a single 40-year business or career as who knows where it'll go and what'll work in future but you can learn useful and transferable skills and evolve with it. And have different things going on at the same too. Multiple income streams.

One example, from what you said about about your job - which sounds like delegating work when it's there to a team of dudes - I'd say you might have some of the transferable skills for giving Kindle publishing a go. And you could technically get going with stage one tonight.

You're probably not going to retire off it but it's maybe somewhere to get started.

Basic overview:

- identify a load of currently popular non-fiction topics
- get ebooks ghost-written on them
- publish under different pen names
- marketing obvs
- if successful, scale up, keep publishing and enjoy the relatively passive income

Not listened to it for a while but this podcast episode is a pretty informative interview with a kid who was bringing loadsamoney in doing it.

 

[Gilly?]

It's certainly not too late to start something new Gilly.

In fact, I'd look at it the other way. Look at the positives. You're not already 10 years into a career you hate and with other commitments that would make it more difficult to change than it is now.

You said you want to be able to afford a house and a car which does sound like you're after a steady job kinda lifestyle tbh.

But my initial reaction reading your OP was, instead of spending the time training to be able to be taken on by a company, could you use it to learn skills you could then use to work for yourself? And then be finding clients or customers instead of working and hoping to get promoted or whatever.

A given amount of time of the former has the potential to see you far better off than the same amount spent working for a company.

Say you learn how to write sales copy (for example) in your spare time.

Self study. Stay at the bakery. Find clients. Stay at the bakery. Do your own work in your spare time. Stay at the bakery. Keep doing this until it's paying enough (enough being what you think is enough). Quit the bakery. Have your own career doing what you want.

If that appeals, it sounds like you're actually in a decent spot to make it happen imo.

Maybe you'd prefer a normal job anyway. Nothing wrong with that either.

Just putting it out there that if you have time (and the opportunity) to train to work for someone else while the bakery tides you over, and then presumably start from the bottom anyway, maybe you have time (and the opportunity) to train to work for yourself and begin that kinda career instead if you prefer.

I never actually thought about working for myself, it's something I've never really saw myself doing as I've always associated it with manual labour and that's something I'm not really about. I know there's a lot more out there than that though. I wouldn't have a clue where to start but that's where the research comes in I guess.

 

[Leewilson]

This is your mid life crisis isn't it Gilly?

There's only one thing for it



































































































Get working on them arrows, and you could end up like this!

 

[T.A]

Are you trying to suggest that I'm not a DILF?

I'm sure you have other good attributes...

 

[Gilly?]

This is your mid life crisis isn't it Gilly?

There's only one thing for it



































































































Get working on them arrows, and you could end up like this!

It could well be a midlife crisis.

Suffering with dartitus currently so that's a long shot, see how the district singles pans out tonight.

Looking into Prison Officer as a possibility, looks like something that could really get the best out of me.

 

[Max]

Might be worth considering what you're good at, really broadly.

My brother worked as a pizza chef for years, got sick of it, did some travelling, then got a job (at age 32) selling ads for his local paper. Not thrilling, but he got in quite easily because he's naturally good with people and can schmooze very well. For what it's worth, he hated it, and has just spent £1k buying a hot tub rental company from someone he knows. I suppose the morale there is that he's quite adventurous, earned a bit of money to invest, and that I tell really boring stories.

I am incredibly risk averse and would never do any of this shit. I would, if I could start all over again, get a job working in the zoo. Speak to no one. Feed the penguins. I fuckin' love penguins.

 

[eightiesrobin]

I've had a career for 24 years, it's kind of overrated IMO.