Is it ever too late to join the military?

[un1corn]

I'm 30. I've been a bobby for 10 years.

I fking hate it now. I used to love it, but now i hate it. I resent it. Everything about it irritates me and im satisfied with my job about 20% of the time at best.

I'm looking for new jobs, and have been for a couple of years now, but nothing i've seen looks interesting enough, or pays well enough. I'm currently on £32k a year. I've guestimated i could drop to about 24k a year and still live to a similar standard.

I wanted to join the RAF as a kid, but I only had my heart set on being a pilot, and my eyesight requirements weren't met.

However, i'm now reconsidering something else in the military, going in the officer route, probably Navy, maybe Army, i'm undecided. I know the grass isn't always greener but I look what i've achieved in my 10 years as a bobby.

It's been wasted. Despite my efforts and hard work, i'm still doing the same st as I was on day one. I still work with, for and against tossers. I've had no career progression, no opportunities and little reward. If anything, i've been persecuted more than i've been rewarded over the years, and this goes towards the resentment and anger I have towards the job.

I think about how far I could have been if i'd put the same effort for the last decade into the forces. The promotions and opportunities I could have achieved, I could have been way up the ranks, have my own naval command or anything.

At my age, is it too late to pack the job in and start again?

[un1corn]

Grumfutock said:

I would also give consideration to the pension you will be leaving behind.

Everyone bangs on about it, but it's not as great as everyone thinks. Yeah, i'm sure come retirement i'll be getting a decent sum, but i'm sure this would be the same for any pension you pay £375 a month for.

Don't forget the £80,000 the government effectively robbed off me in terms of the lump sum when they changed my pension without my consent.

alfabadass said:

Any issues you've experienced in the Police will be similar in the army IMO.

Grass isn't always greener. Have you ever applied for another role within the Police?

Several times. Nobody ever gets them unless you're best mates with the boss and play golf with him at the weekends.

[un1corn]

MattHall91 said:

OP, what don't you like about the Police?

I'm hoping to start in October after being in sales for 3 years since university and not enjoying it. Very interested to find out from experienced people.

Pension contributions
Quality of equipment provided
Number of officers and officer safety, to dangerous levels.
Lack of support from the government.
Lack of support from chief officers.
Budget cuts.
A federation with no power forced to dance to the home secretary's tune.
A court and judicial system that is fundamentally flawed.
Lack of promotion opportunities.
Lack of career progression.
Over zealous disciplinary procedures.

That's just off the top of my head.