How Did You Get to Where You Are?

[biggs682]

currently working on the parts sales phone selling engine spares for diesel engine company

why

because i got to the time in life when i realised too late that family and family time is more important than a bigger salary and flash company car

 

[subaqua]

Post of the year for me.

IMO people like Dayvo are the ones who need to be looked up to, not some career clone doing the 9-5 for 50 years then popping their clogs in their sleep - never having tasted adventure.

You have a 1/2 mill suburban mansion - so what?

When was the last time you sat at dawn watching the sun come up over a mountain lake?

Or skinny-dipped as a totally spontaneous act?

Everyone who lives dies, but not everyone who dies has lived.

sunrise - not over a mountain lake but over snowdonia- last september camping with wife and kids.
previous to that cornwall just before a great day in/on the sea.
skinny dipping spontaneously - tenerife 1999.

i got the trade as something to fall back on when i had finished having a wild time in my 20s. except i managed to have a wild time and work at the same time.

 

[ASC1951]

Now I'm back and wondering what to do.

What you want is the Holy Grail of a qualification/skills which you can apply almost anywhere in the world and which earns you enough in six months to live for the next six months. That is not easy to find, because nothing annoys us drones as much as having to make hive-space for someone who will soon be off enjoying themselves again.

I thought - this is before the days of t'interweb - that something medical might do the trick. Definitely not being a lawyer: I couldn't even work in Scotland.

 

[palinurus]

Work in R&D formulating chemical products for the electronics industry.

One A-level, grade E! (Chemistry) at school- back then that'd get you onto an HND Chemistry course at a Polytechnic, did that, got job as lab tech (second job I applied for), worked up to R&D scientist over a long period, got degree through OU study, still work on the same site (but the company has been bought a couple of times so my employer is different). Currently taking some statistics courses, OU again.

 

[Adasta]

I'm a temp at the moment.

Seriously, if anyone knows of any job (admin, PA, secretarial, IT, finance, public/private sector - I have experience!) I would appreciate knowing about it!

I'm one of those graduated and jobless. I've had a few interviews but they came to nothing. My recruiting officers (at various agencies) have never intimated that it was my fault at all; it seems that they just pick someone with more experience every time.

I can speak one language fluently (other than English!) and two others to an intermediate level. But nobody cares about any of that.

 

[HelenD123]

What you want is the Holy Grail of a qualification/skills which you can apply almost anywhere in the world and which earns you enough in six months to live for the next six months. That is not easy to find, because nothing annoys us drones as much as having to make hive-space for someone who will soon be off enjoying themselves again.

I thought - this is before the days of t'interweb - that something medical might do the trick. Definitely not being a lawyer: I couldn't even work in Scotland.

Or a business that's seasonal which is what Dayvo does. I'm contemplating buying a house where I can rent a couple of rooms out to cover or almost cover the mortgage and then have the flexibility of coming and going as I please. Living out of panniers for 6 months makes you realise how little you need so I don't need to be earning a huge amount. I'll lose the security of good sickness benefits and will have to sort out my own pension but for the time being its worth the risk.

 

[HelenD123]

I'm a temp at the moment.

Seriously, if anyone knows of any job (admin, PA, secretarial, IT, finance, public/private sector - I have experience!) I would appreciate knowing about it!

I'm one of those graduated and jobless. I've had a few interviews but they came to nothing. My recruiting officers (at various agencies) have never intimated that it was my fault at all; it seems that they just pick someone with more experience every time.

I can speak one language fluently (other than English!) and two others to an intermediate level. But nobody cares about any of that.

I really feel for new graduates and school leavers. Employers are bound to favour those with experience but how are those new to the job market supposed to get the experience to be able to compete. My first job was fixed-term doing maternity cover for someone and I only got it because I'd done some temp work in the university holidays in a similar line of work. It was in no way related to my degree. You just need that lucky break but it can be a long time coming.

 

[Piemaster]

Left school and went to sea.

Still there. Long weeks away are nicely balanced out by having an equally long period at home.

 

[ASC1951]

Or a business that's seasonal which is what Dayvo does.

A caving friend of mine bought a little van and set up in the layby just outside Kettlewell, providing tea and eats to passing Yorkshire folk. Every weekend from spring to autumn and all week in the summer. We thought he was daft, until we found that he could go climbing for six months in Patagonia on the proceeds.

 

[cookiemonster]

I really feel for new graduates and school leavers. Employers are bound to favour those with experience but how are those new to the job market supposed to get the experience to be able to compete. My first job was fixed-term doing maternity cover for someone and I only got it because I'd done some temp work in the university holidays in a similar line of work. It was in no way related to my degree. You just need that lucky break but it can be a long time coming.

I will be graduating next year (July 2012) and I'm already making plans to get the hell out of the UK.

No way am I languishing on a dole queue after spending 4 years getting a degree.

 

[colly]

Book illustration, humping timber, mechanical services engineering, same again in Yorkshire, redundancy, self employment renting out cleaning equipment, business dried up and nearly went bust, more self employment acting as a middle man then taught myself how to repair and restore furniture and upholstery, learned of necessity pdq how to sew and use a sewing maching and for the past 25 odd years have been busy stuffing seats and restoring furniture.

It could be better................but it could be a damn sight worse.

I have never worried much about money although when I look back I was sailing so close to disaster for years on end maybe I should have done. Oddly something always seemed to come up to save the day when I was hanging on by my finger nails.

 

[HelenD123]

A caving friend of mine bought a little van and set up in the layby just outside Kettlewell, providing tea and eats to passing Yorkshire folk. Every weekend from spring to autumn and all week in the summer. We thought he was daft, until we found that he could go climbing for six months in Patagonia on the proceeds.

I'm good at baking. Maybe you're on to something .

 

[Adasta]

I will be graduating next year (July 2012) and I'm already making plans to get the hell out of the UK.

No way am I languishing on a dole queue after spending 4 years getting a degree.

I would've done the same, mate. But I managed to meet this girl and she seems to have grown on me quite a bit! I think I'd miss her if I decided to leave the country

Plus, she's got a good career which she enjoys. She's the breadwinner and I'm desperately trying to find a job!

 

[ianrauk]

Left school and became an apprentice plasterer, lasted 8 months and got bored. So was going to join the Navy.. got all the forms, ready to sign up then found out I enjoyed sex, drink and drugs and rock n roll too much.. so put that one to bed. Was at a heavy metal club in Hammersmith one friday and got talking to a fella there who worked in the t-shirt industry. They were looking for someone to help out with tour merchandising, going on the road and setting up merchandise stands and help selling the stock. The first band I went on tour with was Frankie Goes To Hollywood which was an eye opener for any young man. Also went on tour with Duran Duran, Culture Club, The Jam , the Police and a ton of others. Got bored of that after a couple of years and moved into the porno mag industry (wholesale side, shipping mags abroad, Escort, Knave, Mayfair, Razzle etc) got itchy feet again so made a few calls and got a job with a record label selling records to stores, one of the labels was a big German heavy metal label called Noise Records. Got friendly with the boss so asked him for a job. Went on the road again as tour management with bands such as Celtic Frost, Sabbat, Helloween, Sepultura, VoiVod, Megadeth and a load of big names bands of the time/genre. Was constantly on the road for over 2 years. Got bored of being on the road and dealing with bands who act like spoilt children. So got a job in music distribution. Been doing it ever since. Seven years ago a few of us set up our own company distributing music both physical and digital, instore and online. We also made our first movie/music documentary last year, Dr Feelgood - Oil City Confidential and have our second movie coming out this year. At the age of 44 had my second child and only work a 4 day week so I can look after the little one. I am lucky in that I have a good work/life balance and my job has given me the chance to travel to some great (and some not so great) places around the world.

 

[addictfreak]

Did you ride a conference bike from Morpeth to Darlington?

Sorry you have got me there?