Too late to get a career at 30?
Discussion
Hi there, I am currently unemployed and I am turning 30 at the end of this year. I studied ICT to HND level at college and uni but for some reason I was unable to find work in the industry. I thought my HND was a ticket to walk straight in to a comfortable white collar job but I was sold a lie.
I've had a number of dead end part time jobs that have lead nowhere so I've had to let them go as I've basically been working for nothing.
I've had mostly agency jobs and a few direct company jobs but nothing worth mentioning.
I recently completed an NVQ level 2 in Railway Engineering and Track Maintenance with the job centre.
I have approached some employers but I have found the shift patterns and general working conditions to be unacceptable to someone who was anticipating a white collar environment.
HydroSave Ltd July 2019
Driving to locations and navigating using a handheld device
Correctly identifying the location of fittings by looking for signage
Stopping safely next to fittings and retrieving/replacing a logging device
Manual handling awareness
Water hygiene awareness
Halfords (Seasonal) Customer Services Advisor Nov - Dec 2018
Providing a consistently high level of customer service and dealing effectively with all enquiries.
Advising customers on bicycles to suit their needs.
Promoting goods and services that are currently on offer.
Using the till to process orders and sell items.
Assembling bicycles for customers and fixing parts to them.
Using tools safely and keeping work area tidy.
Restocking products on the shop floor and arranging displays.
Logical Personnel ltd Industrial Operative Aug - Nov 2018
Working at Dungeness Power Station as an Industrial Cleaner
Using all appropriate equipment, machinery and chemicals safely to ensure all areas were cleaned thoroughly and to required standards
Working as part of a team or independently using initiative to ensure all tasks were completed correctly and within timescales
Following the correct Health and Safety guidelines at all times
Randstad CPE Ltd Labourer April - Aug 2018
General labouring duties
Working safely at all times and following health and safety procedures
Assisting colleagues in completing a range of tasks
Moving equipment and materials and ensuring manual handling guidelines were followed
Undertaking a range of cleaning duties
(Van) Hire Ltd Valeter Jan 2017 - April 18
Moving vehicles in the yard
Cleaning vehicles to a high standard
Working with other employees to meet deadlines
Occasional driving duties
J Sainsbury Plc Counter Assistant (Hot Food) July - Oct 2016
Customer service skills
Team working
Working to deadlines
Keeping paperwork up to date
Keeping the areas clean and tidy
So what could I do with this mishmash of a background?
I've had a number of dead end part time jobs that have lead nowhere so I've had to let them go as I've basically been working for nothing.
I've had mostly agency jobs and a few direct company jobs but nothing worth mentioning.
I recently completed an NVQ level 2 in Railway Engineering and Track Maintenance with the job centre.
I have approached some employers but I have found the shift patterns and general working conditions to be unacceptable to someone who was anticipating a white collar environment.
HydroSave Ltd July 2019
Driving to locations and navigating using a handheld device
Correctly identifying the location of fittings by looking for signage
Stopping safely next to fittings and retrieving/replacing a logging device
Manual handling awareness
Water hygiene awareness
Halfords (Seasonal) Customer Services Advisor Nov - Dec 2018
Providing a consistently high level of customer service and dealing effectively with all enquiries.
Advising customers on bicycles to suit their needs.
Promoting goods and services that are currently on offer.
Using the till to process orders and sell items.
Assembling bicycles for customers and fixing parts to them.
Using tools safely and keeping work area tidy.
Restocking products on the shop floor and arranging displays.
Logical Personnel ltd Industrial Operative Aug - Nov 2018
Working at Dungeness Power Station as an Industrial Cleaner
Using all appropriate equipment, machinery and chemicals safely to ensure all areas were cleaned thoroughly and to required standards
Working as part of a team or independently using initiative to ensure all tasks were completed correctly and within timescales
Following the correct Health and Safety guidelines at all times
Randstad CPE Ltd Labourer April - Aug 2018
General labouring duties
Working safely at all times and following health and safety procedures
Assisting colleagues in completing a range of tasks
Moving equipment and materials and ensuring manual handling guidelines were followed
Undertaking a range of cleaning duties
(Van) Hire Ltd Valeter Jan 2017 - April 18
Moving vehicles in the yard
Cleaning vehicles to a high standard
Working with other employees to meet deadlines
Occasional driving duties
J Sainsbury Plc Counter Assistant (Hot Food) July - Oct 2016
Customer service skills
Team working
Working to deadlines
Keeping paperwork up to date
Keeping the areas clean and tidy
So what could I do with this mishmash of a background?
I work for Network Rail and have been for the past 11 years, working shifts.
How about you accept that your white collar dream has gone for now, use the new qualifications you have, do 2-3 years of the working hours and then you might find that the 9-5 office job you want might appear, the industory does have a lot of 9-5 white collar type jobs.
How about you accept that your white collar dream has gone for now, use the new qualifications you have, do 2-3 years of the working hours and then you might find that the 9-5 office job you want might appear, the industory does have a lot of 9-5 white collar type jobs.
autopsyhater said:
Hi there, I am currently unemployed
for some reason I was unable to find work in the industry.
I thought my HND was a ticket to walk straight in to a comfortable white collar job
I've had a number of dead end part time jobs that have lead nowhere so I've had to let them go as I've basically been working for nothing.
I have found the shift patterns and general working conditions to be unacceptable to someone who was anticipating a white collar environment.
So what could I do with this mishmash of a background?
Get off your high horse?for some reason I was unable to find work in the industry.
I thought my HND was a ticket to walk straight in to a comfortable white collar job
I've had a number of dead end part time jobs that have lead nowhere so I've had to let them go as I've basically been working for nothing.
I have found the shift patterns and general working conditions to be unacceptable to someone who was anticipating a white collar environment.
So what could I do with this mishmash of a background?
No offence but an HND is f
k all when everyone has degrees these days. I'd guess your entitled attitude is a part of the reason you are where you are. Time to get stuck into something, anything, whilst using the rest of your time to look for better/retrain/study...
My wife quit working as a massage therapist in her late 20s (which she had done since leaving school in the US, no college degree) to go back to school and retrain as a forensic psychologist, she's now got a degree and two masters, and has just got a job in the NHS. She's 34 now, and still has a few years until she will be a Doctor, but is well on her way.
You've got to want it and be driven, but 30 is absolutely not too late IMO.
You've got to want it and be driven, but 30 is absolutely not too late IMO.
That is an atrocious CV - flipping jobs every few months will simply result in your CV being binned in many companies. Why take the risk & cost of employing someone who looks likely to quit within a few months?
You need to swallow your pride, get a job - any job - and work it for 2 years to show you are able to be dedicated. In my personal experience people asking for more tend to deserve it less. Those that get their heads down and work tend to be the ones that get promotions, payrises and opportunities because they are proving themselves.
I spent years working shifts, sometimes 18 hours a day - taking overtime where possible because the wage was cr@p. Now I'm in a great job because I've put the time & dedication in. It won't arrive on your doorstep without working hard. Despite most beliefs, most people in good roles haven't just had everything on a plate, they have worked their asses off to get where they are.
You need to swallow your pride, get a job - any job - and work it for 2 years to show you are able to be dedicated. In my personal experience people asking for more tend to deserve it less. Those that get their heads down and work tend to be the ones that get promotions, payrises and opportunities because they are proving themselves.
I spent years working shifts, sometimes 18 hours a day - taking overtime where possible because the wage was cr@p. Now I'm in a great job because I've put the time & dedication in. It won't arrive on your doorstep without working hard. Despite most beliefs, most people in good roles haven't just had everything on a plate, they have worked their asses off to get where they are.
Get a job and keep it for a good year. you are unemployed, the longer you are unemployed the worse it will look. From your post you seem to be changing jobs too often or as I understand was temp/agency work. I would take the rail job the shift work may be beneficial in having time to retrain/interviews without taking time off work. You need to get stuck in I am afraid. See it as a means to an end. You may not love the job but at that level of career development you should not be ashamed of getting your hands dirty. A cosy 9-5 cruising job is probably the dream but will never take you anywhere. Get some drive on you and get stuck in. Sorry...
Edison said most people miss opportunity 'cause its dressed in overalls and looks like work.
It's never to late but as with most things in life it's how you approach or look at it. I've a very good friend who's business went down the tubes, having lost his business and home he hasn't been able to get employment in his field so be is delivering the post until he can. He believes that's a better message for employers than doing nothing on the dole in the meantime.
It's never to late but as with most things in life it's how you approach or look at it. I've a very good friend who's business went down the tubes, having lost his business and home he hasn't been able to get employment in his field so be is delivering the post until he can. He believes that's a better message for employers than doing nothing on the dole in the meantime.
OP, I think you have to understand that rarely in life do people just cruise through 40 years of work without a hitch. Its easy to look around at people in white collar work thinking its all ok for them, for many it isnt.
I guess what I would recommend is to take a step back and look at what you have done the last ten years and why it hasn't worked out and stop doing it - as some said, what made you do the NVQ if you didn't want to do shift work, surely that was an obvious prerequisite to the job? Without sounding harsh, you need to do a lot more planning, take a step back and plan out what you want for the next few years, what you need to do to get it (and it might not be nice, it will require hard graft) and plan out what milestones you want to achieve - check in on your progress, find a good mate/sounding board who will tell you how it is and not just tell you everything is fine each time and make sure you push on.
Anyone can change careers at any point, but you need a plan and you need the graft.
I guess what I would recommend is to take a step back and look at what you have done the last ten years and why it hasn't worked out and stop doing it - as some said, what made you do the NVQ if you didn't want to do shift work, surely that was an obvious prerequisite to the job? Without sounding harsh, you need to do a lot more planning, take a step back and plan out what you want for the next few years, what you need to do to get it (and it might not be nice, it will require hard graft) and plan out what milestones you want to achieve - check in on your progress, find a good mate/sounding board who will tell you how it is and not just tell you everything is fine each time and make sure you push on.
Anyone can change careers at any point, but you need a plan and you need the graft.
If you are that focused on a white collar / office job - the ICT qualification should be enough to get you in at most support centers as first line support, even if initially through an agency.
You can then actually pull your finger out and work hard to prove yourself, take advantage of internal training, etc and over the next few years move up a little.
It's not going to happen overnight though, and I pretty much guarantee the railway maintenance work will pay more to begin with, and probably for the forseeable. But you'll be able to say you work in a white collar environment.....
You can then actually pull your finger out and work hard to prove yourself, take advantage of internal training, etc and over the next few years move up a little.
It's not going to happen overnight though, and I pretty much guarantee the railway maintenance work will pay more to begin with, and probably for the forseeable. But you'll be able to say you work in a white collar environment.....
Dan_1981 said:
If you are that focused on a white collar / office job - the ICT qualification should be enough to get you in at most support centers as first line support, even if initially through an agency.
You can then actually pull your finger out and work hard to prove yourself, take advantage of internal training, etc and over the next few years move up a little.
It's not going to happen overnight though, and I pretty much guarantee the railway maintenance work will pay more to begin with, and probably for the forseeable. But you'll be able to say you work in a white collar environment.....
You can then actually pull your finger out and work hard to prove yourself, take advantage of internal training, etc and over the next few years move up a little.
It's not going to happen overnight though, and I pretty much guarantee the railway maintenance work will pay more to begin with, and probably for the forseeable. But you'll be able to say you work in a white collar environment.....
I don't know why you (the OPer) couldn't get a suitable role. They were probably out there when you started applying.
You certainly wouldn't have been able to get a job coding bots for fund managers but as Dan says, a job on a helpdesk (asking confused people to turn it off and on again) or in IT support (you may get to wear a white shirt but will probably end up on your hands and knees threading LAN cables under desks) should still be doable.
At just shy of 50 I started working night shifts again, admittedly as a manager, but not sitting in an office and far from home. 18 months later a much more "acceptable" job with the same company turned up and of course they preferred to promote from within like most companies. 18 months after that something close to my perfect role has arisen within the same company again and I've just been offered it. As others have said there comes a time to just knuckle down and accept the discomfort, knowing there will be better times ahead.
I’m a electrician and worked in a office for a year, my god it’s so so boring, same crap day in day out, same people, same boring office politics and buzz words. People watching what time you turn up and leave when it’s none of their business.
If you’ve trained to do track rail stuff , those sorts of things are carried out outside of peak times, so you’ll never find a job in that 9-5.
If you’ve trained to do track rail stuff , those sorts of things are carried out outside of peak times, so you’ll never find a job in that 9-5.
Firstly, 30 isn't too old and to be frank, you haven't got much to lose.
Two questions, what do you want to do and what skills do you have - particularly from your studies?
As others have said, you should be able to get your foot in the door at an entry level IT role with an HND. You don't say where you live, but go onto https://www.jobserve.com/ and look for roles with "junior" in the title.
Alternatively, have you considered applying for a programme aimed at career changers? Something like https://www.nationwide-jobs.co.uk/early-careers/te...
Two questions, what do you want to do and what skills do you have - particularly from your studies?
As others have said, you should be able to get your foot in the door at an entry level IT role with an HND. You don't say where you live, but go onto https://www.jobserve.com/ and look for roles with "junior" in the title.
Alternatively, have you considered applying for a programme aimed at career changers? Something like https://www.nationwide-jobs.co.uk/early-careers/te...
Never too late to find something new. Im 51 and when i left school spent 7 years as an apprentice sign writer, that then promptly died on its arse when the pre cut stickers came out.
I then went into various random jobs , doing everything from factory stuff to customer service to signing folk on in a job centre.
I left to follow a passion of special fx work for film and tv and did pretty well until a lot of work died out with cgi being prominent and a lot more competition meaning pay went down . plus all freelance so stressful chasing work , accounts, tax etc.
So at 51 decided i just needed something steady to bring in a decent wage and started looking and applying. today I have had an offer of a start date for a brand new role i have no experience in , a civil service job dealing with commercial rates etc. good money,good hours in a 9 to 5 mon to friday way, great location and a brand new challenge. so at 30 the world is still your lobster. try looking at local council vacancies, sign up for alerts, same with civil service jobs too
I then went into various random jobs , doing everything from factory stuff to customer service to signing folk on in a job centre.
I left to follow a passion of special fx work for film and tv and did pretty well until a lot of work died out with cgi being prominent and a lot more competition meaning pay went down . plus all freelance so stressful chasing work , accounts, tax etc.
So at 51 decided i just needed something steady to bring in a decent wage and started looking and applying. today I have had an offer of a start date for a brand new role i have no experience in , a civil service job dealing with commercial rates etc. good money,good hours in a 9 to 5 mon to friday way, great location and a brand new challenge. so at 30 the world is still your lobster. try looking at local council vacancies, sign up for alerts, same with civil service jobs too
I also studied at college an HND in ICT, but I had to work my arse off to land a job in IT. Unfortunately, there are thousands of kids with the same qualification, so competition is fierce.
My advice - self-study... This is your best way into the white-collared job that you desire. Do the following and you'll land an entry-level position (level 1) on a technical help desk -
CompTIA A+
CompTIA N+
CCNT - not that relevant if you don't want to pursue a career in networking
I smashed out these courses and then instantly landed a job. 6 years later I am now a network engineer for a large organisation.
You need to stand out from the crowd, and whilst these are fairly generic courses, having them will prove to the employer that you're keen and have a solid understanding.
My advice - self-study... This is your best way into the white-collared job that you desire. Do the following and you'll land an entry-level position (level 1) on a technical help desk -
CompTIA A+
CompTIA N+
CCNT - not that relevant if you don't want to pursue a career in networking
I smashed out these courses and then instantly landed a job. 6 years later I am now a network engineer for a large organisation.
You need to stand out from the crowd, and whilst these are fairly generic courses, having them will prove to the employer that you're keen and have a solid understanding.
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