Thinking of Starting a-fresh or Moving on

[KeyR1]

Hi all,

Long time reader of this sub-part of the forum and find it a thoroughly enjoyable read. The amount of advice on offer is brilliant and brings me to the reason for my post. I am now at a crossroads in my current position and would like some much needed input from the 'masses' to help give me some non-biased views. Some background on me will no doubt help so here goes. (I will apologise for the grammar and downright abuse I may give the English language in this post, I am tired but in need to get this off of my chest).

I left school with a handful of GCSE's to my name (C's and D's in the core valuable subjects, Maths, English and Sciences etc) but hold no other clear qualifications, bar a couple of NVQ's in sales from time working for a Mobile Phone Company within one of it's stores in the UK. I now currently work within the Motor Insurance Industry as a Underwriter of standard motor risks, but also High Net Worth single and multi-vehicle cases, along with personalities and such. I am currently classed as a senior in my role but have come to the point where I cannot go any further up the ladder as I don't fit in with their Golf crowd and their current cliques. I can easily stay as a front line staff and just improve my pay by 5 - 15% every other year, however, I want to be tested, further my knowledge and now gain a career of my own with prospects. I am 25, have a 5 year old child, a Fiance that I have just supported through 3 years of a degree, that has now become an ODP within the NHS and has obtained a career for life and now I feel left behind.

I am basically looking for advice as to what one would do in this scenario, would you mtfu and stay and just accept the dead end career but small pay increases ( I hit targets regularly anyway so recieve a couple £100 extra every couple of months ) Or would you look into it now before it is too late? I have some knowledge of scripting for computer games using sourcepwn ( Sourcemod scripts ) and have what I feel is a talent with troubleshooting, working with numbers and account management that I would love to share but in this role I know I can't do much more other than turn up and go home. I would love some advice and input or job offers in the East Anglia area =)

Thanks in advance

[Pommygranite]

Stay as you are? Hell no.

Mid -20's is your career point - either st or get off the pot and for you the fact you are even asking seems to say go for it. If you can financially exist on your wifes wage for a year or so to get going in what you want then all the better.

[rog007]

Train as an accountant? Good luck!

[KeyR1]

Thanks guys,

Think I know it, I am just comfortable and unhappy, as a lot of you no doubt know, trying to force change can be hard work. regarding training, unless there is a wage, I simply can't do it. My partner was nhs trained so although no wage, a means dependant bursary was offered and we needed it to go alongside my wages.

Any Ideas of east anglian places to train as an accountant or within It with a wage then? I have look on the usual sites, Linkedin, monster, cv-library, accountancyjobs etc. or but am none the wiser as to what to look for?

Thanks once again so far

[rog007]

You get the qualification by studying in your own time whilst holding down a job.

[Clivey]

I'm reading this with interest. - I'm 24 and in a similar situation. I have a mortgage + bills to pay so can't afford to give-up my dead-end job to retrain. I have no idea what to do and feel like I'm wasting my life!

If I didn't have a house / partner, I'd probably go to University to do a degree in physics or similar but I can't do that in my current situation.

[944fan]

Pommygranite said:

Stay as you are? Hell no.

Mid -20's is your career point - either st or get off the pot and for you the fact you are even asking seems to say go for it. If you can financially exist on your wifes wage for a year or so to get going in what you want then all the better.

This and this again. I wavered about a career change in my mid twenties and didn't do it. I am now early 30s and have been promoted a couple of times to the point where my wife has quit work to look after the kids and I have a mortgage and 3 depends solely reliant on my salary so there is no way I can change now and I am stuck for another 30 odd years

[elanfan]

As an underwriting clerk for that is almost certainly what you are at your age and experience (why do insurers try to call all their clerks underwriters when they are not?)- I suspect you are right in having nowhere to go. A lot of mamagers will see you as filling a slot they require to be filled and unless you stand out (or are sleeping with the boss) you are unlikely to go anywhere.

If you want to progress in insurance you need to take the ACII (if they are still called that) exams and advise your manager you are looking to progress. Many younger staff found they progressed quicker at a brokerage - if you can find an ambitious one this can be a quicker route to promotion/more money etc. The most successful staff ended up in partnerships and that is the route to lots of money but there is a lot of regulation thesedays. I've also seen some end up on a merrygoround moving many times between brokers and not really getting anywhere (perhaps they were unlucky or just not talented enough).

[krislew1293]

I have been considering changing things for a while now, as I work in car sales and have been in the Motor Trade since leaving school I want to set up on my own but the change not nessesary in career is worrying due to paying the mortage etc if things were go wrong daunts me a little but really it shouldn't as I have morethan enough knowledge of the motor trade

[KeyR1]

elanfan said:

Very goo response

Hi Elanfan,

I am indeed an actual underwriter as I have no real set prices to keep to, just if it is what as a company we deem to be okay postcodes(sp) area then I will underwrite the risk for a premium I feel It should be. I do data entry too but mostly every risk I obtain info. for I underwrite the premium and most suitable market for.

I agree though, a lot of the team that were non-dispensable ( quite literally 200k + a month they brought in ) have realised in the last 6 - 8 weeks that they are no longer going to move onwards or upwards in the company, have all left and some of these handed in notices after my post too. I just genuinely have no idea what I want to do any more. I have worked within entertainment ( for 2 years) on holiday camps within the UK dealing with sound and light and comparing etc. Have been on broadcast radio for a year presenting on air with live recordings as well as fundraising and charity work. Have sold mobile phones, worked in a bar, now started selling insurance and now underwrite it too.
I no longer see insurance as a place where I can push where I want to go, especially in my area of the Uk (Cambs / Norfolk)

Would love to go back to Uni, but as I have a 5 year old child and a house, plus my partners is working within the NHS, I can't simply take the time out. Whilst she was learning we had the NHS bursary which helped cover the stupid cost of childcare.

I am great within numbers, analysing data, can read SQL, C++ and can code a little bit in Sourcepwn + Jarva. I am just at a big /sigh moment I think.