Thought I’d move across here rather than spam up Anna’s log, what are you current thoughts on retraining, any career paths or industries you’ve explored?
I’ve really been sidetracked a bit with CoVid, so its slipped down the list a bit recently but my thoughts beforehand were to do a Building Surveying degree. Fairly secure, interesting and practical. Since CoVid hit, I’m more and more drawn towards a career that actually helps people though. While I’m aware you can do that in any industry, to an extent, I feel like this move is likely to be a “to retirement” deal and I’d like to retire knowing I made a difference. I’m aware I could just go to work to make money, and then make the difference outside of work hours but I’ve been doing that for years and it’s making work more and more hollow.
My two thoughts there are either something in the therapist field (which, as someone on the autistic spectrum, I’d be phenomenally unsuited for). Or working with kids in some form and hoping my temper and over opinionated nature don’t get me in trouble.
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I see you updated your reply, I’ll update mine then!
Working with kids is a challenge, it’s a brave careerb choice! Would you consider teaching? If so have you got a degree already?
The plan was reasonably established (in as much as I need to plan “this is how much I need to spend on the OU course, this is how much time I’ll need” is a plan). I’ve definitely second guessed myself though since CoVid. I’m getting worn down going to work just for the sake of earning money and I feel like I’d just be swapping one job like that for another, plus debt.
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I’m not sure if you’re a Christian but that longing to have an impact is quite relatable. If you’re good at something then you can do it and still be a servant to those around you. You don’t have to work at a shelter, church, etc. You can serve those around you by how you treat them.
You might not feel like you’re doing much with a surveying type job, but you could have an impact on your co-workers and customers.
I found myself changing jobs because I wanted to do something that had an impact. That’s how I got into law enforcement. I wish someone had told me that I could still serve and have an impact regardless of what my job was.
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I would, and do. My nan frequently tries to persuade me into it, and I can see the impact it’s possible to have on peoples lives there.
On one hand, I’m often told my ability to communicate ideas simply is great. On the other, I think i would have to work hard on myself to develop the patience.
I do, yes. So outdated that it’s of no practical use other than to say I have it, but it do have it.
How about something in the medical field? It’s a broad spectrum and most jobs directly help people.
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I’m not, although I was raised as one.
This has been my exact focus in recent years in my current job: trying to impact the people around me by my example and by actively developing them.
Thank you for your thoughts on this, its helping to clarify things for me.
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Heathen! Let the proselytising begin!
Not quite so, it allows you to do a pgce and be a teacher inside of a year!
That’s definitely a thought, I could definitely look into the options there. I think the idea of me looking at 5+ years worth of a medical degree (plus the pre-requisites, which would be another year from memory) are remote, but there’s definitely jobs in that area i could do that would tick a lot of boxes.
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That’s what I meant really. I have the degree, and the piece of paper somewhere. What I no longer have is any of the knowledge that came with it but if theres one thing I’m good at (and there’s a very good chance that’s true), absorbing facts is it. This is how I got the degree with next to no effort to start with.
Unfortunately with all of these options salaries aren’t great at the entry level, that the other unfortunate consideration. There was talk of paramedics being able to do the degree in the job, as an apprentice style program (hasn’t materialised but something needs to be done about the shortage) but even then the salary for any of the emergency services caps out at around £30k (very rough estimate depends on many factors) but the police entry starts at £19k, it’s mad to me that my very cushy office jobs should be better paid than these significantly more demanding roles.
I was very good at absorbing alcohol, I ended up with a student loan and no degree…
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Oh yeah I wasn’t thinking as far as becoming a doctor. I meant like some kind of therapist (ergo, physio, logo and so on), nurse, doctor’s assistant, paramedic etc. No idea what kind of job/ income you currently have or will need in the future, so that is a point outside of my consoderation. Most jobs in the medical field pay pretty shit for what they demand over here. Which lead us tp the crisis we currently have.
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I’m not particularly greedy with money, I don’t need a 6 figure salary, but I do need to be able to comfortably support my family which is easier said than done these days.
I looked at paramedics before, and got no further than seeing the salary and going “fuck that”. That was pre-kids as well, so there was less pressure on salary.
More demanding and more important. I’m 100% in agreement. My sister in law works as an ODP (basically the people who wipe the surgeons brow in shit films), she works stupid shifts, call work and most importantly, regularly has peoples lives in her hands. Earns similar money to me. It’s not right.
@Koestrizer I need enough money to support my family comfortably. In today’s money, that’s probably in the ballpark of £40k a year, give or take. Nothing crazy but way above anything I’m aware the NHS pays for anyone without a medical degree.
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Funnily enough you can do office jobs in the NHS (mostly project work so I don’t doubt there’s a level of stress and requirements for competency) that pay £40k, which is £12k more than the starting salary of jnr Drs.
Starting salaries: Police £20k, paramedic £25k, fire fighter £23k, nurse £24k. Minimum wage at 45 hours a week £20k (I’m guessing in reality most of the people in these jobs work more than a 45 hour week which is why I used that as the example). Public sector pay freezes have made already difficult, often unappealing jobs, almost minimum wage. Nursing, paramedicine, teaching all require degrees which means debts and three years delayed earning, so in reality you’ll be worse off for years to come. (And the average career length of a front line paramedic in the UK is 6 years, so 3 years of degree but the job is so awful you quit in 6).
These are the jobs this country relies on, but a decade of government policy ensures we will be in serious trouble in a lot of these areas in the years to come.
Sorry, bit of a rant there!
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I couldn’t agree with you more though, it’s a ridiculous state of affairs.
As @dagill2 knows I’ve had thoughts about transitioning into a different profession. There are many considerations that go into this but I’m potentially looking at reducing my monthly salary by the equivalent of well… what a lot of Swedish people consider the entirety of their salary. The discrepancy is that large.
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I would argue that more people have the innate abilities needed to be a policeman than a high level programmer, so I can intellectually justify that. Any mug could do my job.
I don’t imagine this will be a helpful sentiment, but, in truth, I’ve found a lot of value in disassociating what I do for money from who I am as a person, and that has been helpful in avoiding the dissatisfaction that many seem to experience in an “unfulfilling career”.
Basically, my employment subsidizes my identity, rather than shapes/defines it. Outside of a career change, perhaps a perspective change would assist.
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