New job required before I self distrust

[Drago]

I think they're going to bin me this year, because of an injury I acquired when I was assaulted badly while on duty, and for which I've endured 2 operations and now have an arm full of titanium, and no longer that the necessary grip or feeling in my right hand to do the job.

Typical plod, getting beaten s***less protecting the public.

 

[Saluki]

If you fancy a change, have you decided what you want to do when you grow up?

I'm 51 and haven't a clue, hence managing an office in a guitar school (it's a blast but horrendously paid). I am looking at courses and whatnot myself. I can't afford to go back to uni or anything but looking for short courses. I have thought of proof reading but there is a lot of competition out there for that.

You need to sit down and think about what you fancy doing. Lots of courses out there for career changes. I know of someone who has gone into customer services - not something that I'd much fancy, call centre and all, but she used to be a traffic warden and she's loving it and see's it as a new career as she plans to progress and do exams in customer care.

Good luck with making a change.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Join the club.
I've worked 30 years in the catering/hospitality industry, it's ok if you make it to manager/head of department in a big company, otherwise forget it.
Like roads are geared for motorized vehicles, most non work activities are aimed to office hours workers.
We get paid less than anybody else (even the cleaning industry is better paid), we are expected to change shift patterns at short notice, we will never be able to retire.
I am 52, it's expected that heavy lifting is routine in my duties.
Get out of catering if you're young enough to retrain

 

[Brandane]

It's easier said than done, to jump ship and re-train for something else; especially when you have dependants.
I was lucky, if you can call it that, as at the age of 39 and in a job that I disliked (Police in a not very nice area) I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia. Nothing serious in normal circumstances and regulated with 2 pills per day, but the Police weren't willing to take the chance that in the heat of battle something might go pop - so they pensioned me off. A pensioner aged 39, with 19 years service. I obviously don't get a full pension, but it helps. I have in the 14 intervening years re-trained for several different jobs. Airline security, driving instructor, salesman, and HGV driver (yes DVLA are aware of my medical condition and insisted on all sorts of Doctors reports).
I tend to float about between jobs, and show employers the same loyalty that they show me. I am in the fortunate position that I don't have to take too much krap, and if things get to the stage where I am no longer enjoying the job then I leave.
Currently I am driving HGV's for a third spell, this time for an agency. That allows a degree of picking and choosing your workload to suit yourself, and at the moment there is no shortage of work. Quite the opposite; the problem is trying to stop them pressurising me into doing more work than I want. Not that I would recommend HGV driving as an alternative to the OP; getting your licences and CPC training adds up to a fair wedge of cash (£2k ballpark figure to do class 2 then class 1). Once qualified the money is not great and the hours can be long as drivers try to earn a living wage. Some love it though; horses for courses and all that. I quite enjoy most of the shifts I get, but 2 or 3 shifts per week are enough. Just back from Nottingham tonight (down yesterday, back today - running wing parts from Prestwick to the Airbus plant) and that was a nice easy couple of days. It's not always like that!

 

[screenman]

Self-employment is not that alluring:

View attachment 85652

No sick pay, no holiday pay, often longer hours, and no pension contribution. I would not have wanted my working life any other way, 32 jobs before I was 20 told me I was not fit to be employed.

 

[jnrmczip]

Join the club.
I've worked 30 years in the catering/hospitality industry, it's ok if you make it to manager/head of department in a big company, otherwise forget it.
Like roads are geared for motorized vehicles, most non work activities are aimed to office hours workers.
We get paid less than anybody else (even the cleaning industry is better paid), we are expected to change shift patterns at short notice, we will never be able to retire.
I am 52, it's expected that heavy lifting is routine in my duties.
Get out of catering if you're young enough to retrain

That's sums it up a lot need to get out now. The job is dead end no room to progress as everyone above is happy where they are so need to move on try get something better myself. P's cleaning was an option for a second as it's hassle free and better paid. Just as a stop gap give me time to sit back assess what needs to be done and then go for it.

 

[wam68]

It's easier said than done, to jump ship and re-train for something else; especially when you have dependants.
I was lucky, if you can call it that, as at the age of 39 and in a job that I disliked (Police in a not very nice area) I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia. Nothing serious in normal circumstances and regulated with 2 pills per day, but the Police weren't willing to take the chance that in the heat of battle something might go pop - so they pensioned me off. A pensioner aged 39, with 19 years service. I obviously don't get a full pension, but it helps. I have in the 14 intervening years re-trained for several different jobs. Airline security, driving instructor, salesman, and HGV driver (yes DVLA are aware of my medical condition and insisted on all sorts of Doctors reports).
I tend to float about between jobs, and show employers the same loyalty that they show me. I am in the fortunate position that I don't have to take too much krap, and if things get to the stage where I am no longer enjoying the job then I leave.
Currently I am driving HGV's for a third spell, this time for an agency. That allows a degree of picking and choosing your workload to suit yourself, and at the moment there is no shortage of work. Quite the opposite; the problem is trying to stop them pressurising me into doing more work than I want. Not that I would recommend HGV driving as an alternative to the OP; getting your licences and CPC training adds up to a fair wedge of cash (£2k ballpark figure to do class 2 then class 1). Once qualified the money is not great and the hours can be long as drivers try to earn a living wage. Some love it though; horses for courses and all that. I quite enjoy most of the shifts I get, but 2 or 3 shifts per week are enough. Just back from Nottingham tonight (down yesterday, back today - running wing parts from Prestwick to the Airbus plant) and that was a nice easy couple of days. It's not always like that!

You enjoy it

 

[Drago]

I've tried to hang on to get my full 30, but the new Doctor at work disagrees. I'll get full pension, and an injury award to compensate me for the difficulty I'm going to have finding work with one boshed arm. My driving endurance is very limited, and I need a vehicle large enough that my elbow won't contact the interior bodywork (hence my truck). I can't hand write more than a few lines. Typing isn't so bad, but I need an ergo keyboard and mouse. And all sorts of other little problems are going to balls me up and wipe away 90% of the jobs I can apply for.

On the plus side, it'll give me more time to devote to my SAR work, which with my sesrch qualis (search manager, ops officer, planning officer, search tech and MTB Trainer certs all held) would earn me a mint in some countries but in the UK I'm happy to do for free and feel useful.

 

[postman]

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• postman
• 30 Mar 2012

I know that retirement is going to work for me.

Retirement works for Bob Mee.

 

[Brandane]

I've tried to hang on to get my full 30, but the new Doctor at work disagrees.

Is it still the case that 26.5 years is the magic figure to reach, whereby any ill health pension is made up to the full 30?
Good luck, whatever the future holds.

 

[Drago]

By the time it's all processed I'll be beyond 27? Thank heavens I bought a few 'years' when the going was good.

 

[jazzkat]

It's not so hot for recent entrants to the profession. While the pension payable is now 1/57th of salary for every year worked instead of 1/80th, the lump sum has disappeared and the pension is payable at 62 with actuarial reductions as opposed to 55 with actuarial reductions. Under the current pressures in schools, I don't envisage many new entrants reaching pensionable age before bailing out for other employment. Very few of my colleagues are smiling as they hang on in the classroom for their pensions to become payable.

Very few entrants to the profession do so because of the pension scheme. It's only in the past few years that I have come to realise how good it is. I doubt that 'How attractive is your pension scheme?' is a question raised by any candidates for any job at the start of a career. Retirement seems to be a lifetime away at the time and beer, sex and good times are more pressing issues as far as quality of life is concerned.

Ten years ago I actively encouraged folk to join what I regarded as one of the most rewarding, in terms of job satisfaction, careers. Now, at best, I am non-committal when asked about teaching as a career. The job has become a GCSE grade delivery unit management one and education is a peripheral task.

I'm 18 months too young to retain any of the phase out arrangements and so instead of the pension that I contractually agreed to, the government has just taken it all away from me. I'm really angry about it. I, probably like the saddo that I am, have always considered my pension as a part of my salary and have had plans all my working life that now won't happen. If anyone else reneged on a contract you'd take them to court. I don't think I'll have much luck fighting that one!
I feel like I've wasted 23 years of my working life and it's highly unlikely that I will be able to secure a good career that will make up the shortfall at my age. Had I gone into private industry like some of my Uni friends I'd be sitting pretty. So much thanks for contributing to the countries children's future.
The chances are that, given my family history, I'll drop dead of a heart attack in front of the kids before I draw a penny of my pension. I agree too about the age of teachers. I don't see many older teachers these days, and by older I mean 30+ most are in their twenties and the remaining older staff seem to be getting their retirement in before the thieving bas government take it off them. Anyway sorry for the OT rant.
I completely understand where the OP is coming from, I'm in the same boat, no advice though sorry.