Career Change After Redundancy

[Agent L]

I could use a little advice or to hear from people with similar experience.

I work(ed) for a financial services company for the last 10 years or so and latterly as a project analyst. I've been made redundant with a decent enough severance pay and am just serving the last 3 weeks of my notice now.

I've not really enjoyed the work I've been doing and was already looking for ways out and this seems to give me the breathing space and time I need. I want to get involved in conservation/land management but am already struggling with ways in to that sort of work or finding advertised positions.

I've started volunteering with a few organisations that do the sort of work I want to do but am finding it a little off-putting as they all seem to have a work-force that is 90% volunteers with very few paid employees with rarely a vacancy between them.

I'm based in East Sussex which I feel may be making things harder but I am being realistic that I will likely have to start at the very bottom and work my way up but whilst I have my severance pay I can afford to do that.

Does anyone have any ideas of next steps? I'm applying for the East Sussex County Council countryside ranger trainee-ship but it is seriously over subscribed, lasts a year with no pay and the employment opportunities at the end are minimal so I'm thinking I would be better getting a paid job somewhere in the same sort of field that will pay on the job.

[zaphod42]

How about doing a masters in the field?

[Agent L]

I must admit to not being much of an academic, not sure a masters is an avenue I would stick at, I'm much more practical and like to learn on the job.

Saying that I don't know what a masters would involve.

[zaphod42]

Have a look into the open university - well regarded and they cater for the "non academic".

Depends - better to look at exactly which role area you want and use that to drive the qualifications needed.

[pstruck]

I can't offer any advice, but I am in a very similar position to you.

I was made redundant last March from a civil engineering consultancy. I've been working in the same line for 20 years, although my role had changed and I was mostly project managaing. I had come to dislike this to the point of seriously considering baling out, and then the news of redundancy came.

I am currently in a temporary contract, doing work closely related to my past experience and more enjoyable than the project management. However, longer term I would like to change my career direction.

One of my possible alternative careers would be to get into building restoration type work. I could imagine myself working for the National Trust or similar, but need to find the right way in, as I currently do not have experience in this field of work and cannot afford to take a significant drop in salary.

[Mikeyboy]

It sounds like there are many of us who are in a situation we probably didn't expect but now see as an opportunity to change out of something we don't enjoy.

I've been giving this all somethought for a few weeks. I've looked at the governments careers advice service and after doing the various tests it basically repeats what you have told it.
e.g.
"you like to write, why don't you become a newspaper editor" hmm because I have no experience in the field of journalism and that would be running before i can walk. So that is a frustrating course to take in getting advice.

If you have the luxury of having some cash behind you to do further study or retrain and have an idea of which area that would be in then you are doing better than many.

Remember that the right skills and training here will possibly open you up for jobs in the US and Australia too if you can face a move.

Me, I have no idea what I want to do.
Writing is one idea but it doesn't pay and at the moment I need a wage so can't really take a long time out to re-train/take unpaid work.

I know that basically I no longer want to work in recruitment, I don't like the selling or the people particularly so I think I would enjoy a more process driven practical role but have no training in any of those areas. IT is an option but may have the same issues as the writing.