Starting Again at 30 - What would you do?
Discussion
fridaypassion said:
nickfrog said:
But then you would end up driving a lorry presumably.
That's a very telling reply and demonstrates a lot of whats wrong in the world at the moment. Do you look down your nose at lorry drivers? They are all on 50-60k plus with no student debt. Who's smart and who's daft there? Going through 5-6 years of further education and racking up 50k of debt or more to get a 40k a year job is moronic. It makes absolutely no sense and needs to stop.
I know a bloke who changed career to become a train driver. Not a bad gig depending where you live I imagine. I'm from Reading so it was certainly an option for me (if I'd had a clue what I wanted to do at 18).
EVOTECH3BELL said:
Frustration with upper management(probably a common theme) too many cheifs, lacking improvement.
Well, sounds like you are already pretty good at what you do and know the business well being in the centre of operations. So talk to your company, get an executive master part-time. (make sure that they either pay for it, or help with the fees). Go up the chain, change that frustrating management, improve, innovate and get paid handsomely. You would be suprised how many executives actually come from the kitchen/factory floor experience. Good luck, 30 is nothing, you are just starting.Edited by EVOTECH3BELL on Friday 28th April 11:50
nickfrog said:
Most degrees are 3 years after college.
My reply demonstrates nothing of the sort and is not telling of anything apart from the fact that I wouldn't want to drive a lorry as a job. If driving a HGV is your thing than brilliant, absolutely great. It might not be everyone's choice of career. I would personally pay good money to not drive a lorry as a job, but that's just my view.
As for looking down my nose, I don't. That says more about you if you read it that way.
Society needs an array of educational backgrounds, some academic, some technical, apprenticeships etc. Uni can be a fantastic place to improve someone's critical thinking however and broaden one's perspective and aspirations.
Statistically, your earnings are significantly greater if you go to uni, that's a fact. And that very easily offsets for the extra cost. Besides, the current system saves tax payers money compared to before. In other words if you don't go to Uni, at least you don't have to pay for it.
As for the OP, he might choose a new career that requires a degree and who knows where that will lead?
Or perhaps he couldn't have got his current job without one and who knows where that takes him in the future?
PS the average lorry driver salary in the UK seems to be around £32k. https://backlinelogistics.co.uk/10-common-misconce...
So 5 years of further education then. My reply demonstrates nothing of the sort and is not telling of anything apart from the fact that I wouldn't want to drive a lorry as a job. If driving a HGV is your thing than brilliant, absolutely great. It might not be everyone's choice of career. I would personally pay good money to not drive a lorry as a job, but that's just my view.
As for looking down my nose, I don't. That says more about you if you read it that way.
Society needs an array of educational backgrounds, some academic, some technical, apprenticeships etc. Uni can be a fantastic place to improve someone's critical thinking however and broaden one's perspective and aspirations.
Statistically, your earnings are significantly greater if you go to uni, that's a fact. And that very easily offsets for the extra cost. Besides, the current system saves tax payers money compared to before. In other words if you don't go to Uni, at least you don't have to pay for it.
As for the OP, he might choose a new career that requires a degree and who knows where that will lead?
Or perhaps he couldn't have got his current job without one and who knows where that takes him in the future?
PS the average lorry driver salary in the UK seems to be around £32k. https://backlinelogistics.co.uk/10-common-misconce...
Edited by nickfrog on Saturday 29th April 19:57
What's the average student debt? 50k? In the 5 years you could have earned a minimum of 120k so you're 170k behind.
A quick look on indeed and not an out of date cherry picked link shows almost all hgv driving jobs are as I said in the band 45 to 55k this excludes overtime too.
For the OP if you want to stay in the industry you're in the most effective pay rise is always achieved by moving. Don't get stuck in a rut. I would always promote self employment personally but not everyone is wired for that.
The grass is always greener on the other side. Always.
fridaypassion said:
So 5 years of further education then.
What's the average student debt? 50k? In the 5 years you could have earned a minimum of 120k so you're 170k behind.
A quick look on indeed and not an out of date cherry picked link shows almost all hgv driving jobs are as I said in the band 45 to 55k this excludes overtime too.
AFAIK, College is free. My kids certainly didn't pay for it.What's the average student debt? 50k? In the 5 years you could have earned a minimum of 120k so you're 170k behind.
A quick look on indeed and not an out of date cherry picked link shows almost all hgv driving jobs are as I said in the band 45 to 55k this excludes overtime too.
I didn't cherry pick anything I just took the first link but I am quite happy if HGV drivers earn £50k.
But they still have to drive a lorry, which may or may not be someone's idea of a career and may or may not offer development opportunities.
It's not all about the money but if it is, then the fact remains that you're statistically better off with a degree, and despite the initial investment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/graduates-conti...
Edited by nickfrog on Sunday 30th April 07:18
Slightly later in life than the OP, but I had been in my previous job for nearly 20 years and at that point I was in my mid 40s. There was nothing wrong with the job at all really but I couldn't see myself doing the same thing for another 20 years. I decided to throw everything I had into setting up my own tree surgery business. It is the best thing I have ever done. It has not been a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination but 4 years down the line it is established and I have a team working for me. I just wish I had done it sooner!
u-boat said:
I love my job (airline pilot) and it pays well and gives me loads of time off to do other things I also enjoy. The job itself is fantastic but the work life balance is the real thing that makes it absolutely awesome.
I know loads of pilots who came to flying as a second career at 30 odd from all sorts of backgrounds and are also loving it.
My job is shifts too (short term power trader), and I love the work/life balance. Yes it can suck being at work at 2am on a Friday night, but then we get 3 clear weeks off 6 times a year. The job itself is just like playing a game for 12 hours at a time, a combination of chess and gambling. Have done it for 5 years and it's got by far the best pay/effort/time off balance of any job I know. I know loads of pilots who came to flying as a second career at 30 odd from all sorts of backgrounds and are also loving it.
Pilot would be a good job to have, sadly when I was 18/19 the RAF wouldn't accept people without 20/20 vision and by the time the rules changed I was too old. One of very few regrets was not trying harder to get in when I was young enough. I can't think of a better job in the world than being paid to fly fast-jet or military helicopters.
I switched from an IT role to HGV driving early last year. I done it because I enjoy driving and prefer to work on my own. Pulling a 5 metre tall trailer in high winds takes a bit of getting used to though. There's long delays too. This week I've worked about 48 hours across 4 days, but only about 26 hours were driving.
The money can be good but only if you put the hours in and make a lot of phone calls. Agency work pays best. A lot of permanent guys are only on £14ph, some on even less. Would you work an average 48 hour week for £35k gross? I won't.
The money can be good but only if you put the hours in and make a lot of phone calls. Agency work pays best. A lot of permanent guys are only on £14ph, some on even less. Would you work an average 48 hour week for £35k gross? I won't.
DaveE87 said:
There's long delays too. This week I've worked about 48 hours across 4 days, but only about 26 hours were driving.
That's sounds horrendous for your mental health, especially if its an job you activity choose to get into at a later age.I get feedup with a 5 minute traffic jam due to temp lights because life is literally flying by and time wait for no one. To waste 20hrs+ of your life stuck in traffic every week!!
I can see why there was a HGV driver shortage recently, just think of what else you could have done with nealry an extra 24hrs of life this week!!
u-boat said:
The job itself is fantastic but the work life balance is the real thing that makes it absolutely awesome.
Tbh I’d do it for nothing.
There’s plenty of jobs like this that people love doing and haven’t turned something they love into a chore
Your find this seems to be rare thing on here, I love my job too, exactly as you, I would do it for free.Tbh I’d do it for nothing.
There’s plenty of jobs like this that people love doing and haven’t turned something they love into a chore
But I know colleagues who don't feel the same way, and 95% of our juniors/future colleagues just went on strike for a week.
It's a hard balance to get right, and certainly seems to vary alot between individuals.
You could argue that sitting at a desk performing utterly pointless tasks for a big corporate is a waste of life too. How many people actually do anything that's more beneficial for society than relaxing in a jam? Unless you're a surgeon or charity worker..... hardly anyone!
Delays I guess could be waiting to get loaded not just traffic. You could be reading a book or relaxing in that time. Sounds like a pretty good job to me.
Obviously truck driving isn't a popular job to the average PHer. My idea of hell would be doing a desk job or even worse working from home (all the worst bits of a desk job but no totty to admire!) I've done it when I was younger and have elements of it now. It's nice to do something you like doing and truck driving really suits some people. And to think the money is better than most people with a degree will ever earn....
Delays I guess could be waiting to get loaded not just traffic. You could be reading a book or relaxing in that time. Sounds like a pretty good job to me.
Obviously truck driving isn't a popular job to the average PHer. My idea of hell would be doing a desk job or even worse working from home (all the worst bits of a desk job but no totty to admire!) I've done it when I was younger and have elements of it now. It's nice to do something you like doing and truck driving really suits some people. And to think the money is better than most people with a degree will ever earn....
fridaypassion said:
You could argue that sitting at a desk performing utterly pointless tasks for a big corporate is a waste of life too. How many people actually do anything that's more beneficial for society than relaxing in a jam? Unless you're a surgeon or charity worker..... hardly anyone!
Delays I guess could be waiting to get loaded not just traffic. You could be reading a book or relaxing in that time. Sounds like a pretty good job to me.
Obviously truck driving isn't a popular job to the average PHer. My idea of hell would be doing a desk job or even worse working from home (all the worst bits of a desk job but no totty to admire!) I've done it when I was younger and have elements of it now. It's nice to do something you like doing and truck driving really suits some people. And to think the money is better than most people with a degree will ever earn....
I think I’ve seen you post your last sentence or something similar before and I don’t think it’s true. I agree with the rest of your sentiment though, sitting behind a desk either in an office building or worse still at home typing successions of buzzwords and bullsDelays I guess could be waiting to get loaded not just traffic. You could be reading a book or relaxing in that time. Sounds like a pretty good job to me.
Obviously truck driving isn't a popular job to the average PHer. My idea of hell would be doing a desk job or even worse working from home (all the worst bits of a desk job but no totty to admire!) I've done it when I was younger and have elements of it now. It's nice to do something you like doing and truck driving really suits some people. And to think the money is better than most people with a degree will ever earn....
t is my idea of hell. But driving an HGV for 8 hours per day on our awfully congested roads doesn’t sound much better tbh. I respect HGV driving as a profession and I’m glad to see their pay has risen to fit the importance of the job over the last few years but their average is still mid £30k’s as far as I can tell which is similar to people with a Bachelors degree. Besides which the two are not mutually exclusive.
fridaypassion said:
nickfrog said:
But then you would end up driving a lorry presumably.
That's a very telling reply and demonstrates a lot of whats wrong in the world at the moment. Do you look down your nose at lorry drivers? They are all on 50-60k plus with no student debt. Who's smart and who's daft there? Going through 5-6 years of further education and racking up 50k of debt or more to get a 40k a year job is moronic. It makes absolutely no sense and needs to stop.
Wouldn't surprise me if less than 10% are on 60k+.
Don't have much advice to give apart from 30 is absolutely no age.
You'll get to 35, 40, 45 and older and look back and think why didn't I do that then.
If you can manage financially and your partner supports it I'd just quit and see what happens, give yourself 6 months, a year.
There will always be boring reasonably well paid jobs available to fall back on for anyone with a modicum of intelligence.
You'll get to 35, 40, 45 and older and look back and think why didn't I do that then.
If you can manage financially and your partner supports it I'd just quit and see what happens, give yourself 6 months, a year.
There will always be boring reasonably well paid jobs available to fall back on for anyone with a modicum of intelligence.
I'd also add that comfortably the worst job I've ever done was my first graduate job out of uni and I include shelf stacking at Morrisons and working at McDonald's in that.
Being made redundant from that job was one of the best things that ever happened to me because at the time I didn't have the guts to leave even though I hated it.
Being made redundant from that job was one of the best things that ever happened to me because at the time I didn't have the guts to leave even though I hated it.
simons123 said:
I've always thought teachers had the biggest chip on their shoulder...but i think lorry drivers have overtaken them in recent times. Driverless trucks are already in production, so within the next 10-15 years that chip on the shoulder will be getting a LOT smaller
And AI is coming for those office jobs 
I’ve seen posts on Reddit from writers/bloggers and architects so far worried about their job security I’m sure many will follow and that tech is here now.
From the videos I’ve seen about self driving vehicles it will be a long time before driverless trucks will be usable in the real world daily driving - maybe night trunking when roads are quieter but until all the cars are autonomous I can’t see it happening.
Also driverless or not they still need goods strapping down - loading and unloading.
Planes have autopilot - have done for years but still have 2 pilots on board - 1 at the controls at all times.
gangzoom said:
DaveE87 said:
There's long delays too. This week I've worked about 48 hours across 4 days, but only about 26 hours were driving.
That's sounds horrendous for your mental health, especially if its an job you activity choose to get into at a later age.I get feedup with a 5 minute traffic jam due to temp lights because life is literally flying by and time wait for no one. To waste 20hrs+ of your life stuck in traffic every week!!
I can see why there was a HGV driver shortage recently, just think of what else you could have done with nealry an extra 24hrs of life this week!!
I career changed at the age of 35 to do Quantity Surveying. Money in QS'ing is excellent given there is a massive shortage of QS's (well so I'm told). Good balance of office work mixed with construction site based work ...it's definitely not easy changing careers at an older age though. Almost everyone is younger then me, and there is more expectation I'd know more about construction given my age... however don't regret the change at all. 30 is still young but do it now as it does get much harder the older you get as people do judge whether it's fair or not
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