Spec me a career

[timbob]

Interesting times for me at the moment - I've been denied a full time contract at my current place of work, and am stuck part time, hourly paid. Upon further thought and talks with friends/family, I've decided that it's time for a new career path.

Currently, I'm stuck, aged 25 (straight out of uni, and 4 years in a skilled teaching job in schools) taking home only £14,000 a year. It's rather galling that someone doing unskilled shop floor work at a supermarket earns more than I do.

Short of taking time out, and self funding further teaching qualifications - which I have decided is not for me - there's no further advancement possible in my current career. Even if the economy turned about drastically, I gained a fulltime contract, and took further teaching qualifications, I would probably never see above £26-27k gross salary.

So - new career time for me. Something interesting, with a good possible career progression up into the decent salary bracket would be ideal!

Here's a brief list of my strengths:

Music - I'm a professional, gigging musician and teacher. I fully realise that this is only strictly relevant only in my current career though!

Numerate - 'A' level maths (an easy A) and further maths (C). Good mental arithmetic, dealing with numbers etc. Dad did a degree in maths, sister studying to be a maths teacher (yuck!), cousin is quite literally doing rocket science at uni, and busy smashing atoms together. Runs in the family.

Dealing with people - working in schools for 4 years. Controlling classes, dealing with kids, organising my timetable, liasing with schools etc


I need to keep weekends free - which seems to be an issue, and rules out a lot of sales based jobs that require working saturdays.

I play in a band, we've formed our own record label, and are on the brink of releasing our first single (end of the month) and album (October). Distribution deal, back doors into radio play etc etc, so I want to give that the fullest chance it can possibly have - which means leaving weekends free to gig as much as possible, and staying local to the Northampton/Coventry/Birmingham area.

I've been looking at banking, and possibly accountancy over the last few days, any other ideas?

Edited by timbob on Monday 7th September 17:23

[Jimbeam]

If you're serious about your band, Why the need for a career change? Surley That seems more enjoyable than working in a bank or scribbling the books of someone elses company.

Get a part time job and keep on gigging....IMO

[fat80b]

With both a maths and music background, have you thought about becoming a software engineer or more specifically an embedded DSP software engineer.

There are many opportunities working for software companies / chip companies in this area and DSP engineers often have a musical background. DSP's are used in various computer chips for processing audio / video etc

I would have thought that following a maths degree with a masters in software engineering somewhere and then looking to join one of the soon to be plethora of startup companies around once the recession ends and would be quite a good way to go.
I work for an IC design company and the working environment is excellent and it is a good career.

have a look

Bob

[jamesc_1729]

Hmmm. I have so many things to say... :

Mate you're not living up to your potential, in the nicest possible way. With an A at A-level in maths and a maths degree you should not be earning 14k.

You state that you are not up for doing 'self-funded' teaching qualifications and yet you have spent 4 years of your rapidly diminishing time on earth working in teaching. If you'd done a PGCE then you would start on 22k, as a science/maths teacher have had your PGCE bursary-funded and had your student loan from your undergraduate degree written off... I don't, to the power 100, understand that you don't think you are cut out to be in teaching and yet have subjected yourself to the bureaucracy, st from kids, and general hard work which goes with a classroom-based job for the last 4-years.

I got a D in my A-level maths, pulled my socks up, did an electronic engineering degree and have worked in embedded DSP for the last 5 years. I earn..more than 14k...like more than thrice that.

I hope the above spurs you on to greater things.. you are a wasted talent IMHO. Do a masters, go to work in finance, business, law, engineering, whatever... but fking sort it out.

Edited by jamesc_1729 on Tuesday 8th September 23:35

[oldbanger]

jamesc_1729 said:

Mate you're not living up to your potential, in the nicest possible way. With an A at A-level in maths and a maths degree you should not be earning 14k.

but the poor guy doesn't have a maths degree, he appears to have a music degree.

If the OP likes maths and doesn't mind studying in his spare time, you could always try to sit the Royal Statistical Society professional exams
http://www.rss.org.uk/main.asp?page=1793

Southampton Uni does distance learning courses, and by the time you get to chartered status you should be earning more than £27k

[Pommygranite]

Why dont you write musical maths songs to kids - you know, teach them the times table....

[timbob]

jamesc_1729 said:

Hmmm. I have so many things to say... :

Mate you're not living up to your potential, in the nicest possible way. With an A at A-level in maths and a maths degree you should not be earning 14k.

You state that you are not up for doing 'self-funded' teaching qualifications and yet you have spent 4 years of your rapidly diminishing time on earth working in teaching. If you'd done a PGCE then you would start on 22k, as a science/maths teacher have had your PGCE bursary-funded and had your student loan from your undergraduate degree written off... I don't, to the power 100, understand that you don't think you are cut out to be in teaching and yet have subjected yourself to the bureaucracy, st from kids, and general hard work which goes with a classroom-based job for the last 4-years.

I got a D in my A-level maths, pulled my socks up, did an electronic engineering degree and have worked in embedded DSP for the last 5 years. I earn..more than 14k...like more than thrice that.

I hope the above spurs you on to greater things.. you are a wasted talent IMHO. Do a masters, go to work in finance, business, law, engineering, whatever... but fking sort it out.

Interesting point of view, thanks for the tough love!

As has been pointed out, I don't have a maths degree, but a degree in Jazz music (specifically!) When I finished university, I was offered a job starting on £18k as an instrumental music teacher - not a classroom teacher, but a travelling music teacher (I had 10+ schools on a weekly timetable). A PGCE is not required for this sort of work - my official title is an "instructor", rather than a "teacher".

After a year, the pay went up to £20k, and personal relationship circumstances necessitated a relocation at the end of that year.

I fell into a part time job doing much the same work further north, and the hours of this have expanded to fill a full time working week. Unfortunately, still on the initial hourly paid (no pay for 2 months over summer holidays!) basis that I started on there 2 years ago.

I don't think going back to uni is an option - not with bills/rent/fuel to pay for at any rate - but finance, business and law all sound appealing.

I guess I'm after the sort of career that takes on intelligent, hard working general graduates without any specific qualifications to the job, working as a junior (or something) and learning on the job.

I think IT is out for me unfortunately, I've never dabbled in programming or coding as a teenager, and am fully aware that the market is already saturated with IT contractors both more gifted at IT than I am, and with more experience.

[MentalSarcasm]

Have you considered setting up your own business doing the same thing that you're doing now? Not only can you then market yourself to schools yourself but you can also offer to do things like lunchtime and afterschool music clubs.

Summer is more difficult to fill but that's when your band could go on "tour". Friend of mine and his band did a three week one for the summer, got themselves booked in a bunch of clubs and pubs that wanted a bit of live music, packed everything in to a very battered van, and off they went!

[Kermit power]

MentalSarcasm said:

Have you considered setting up your own business doing the same thing that you're doing now? Not only can you then market yourself to schools yourself but you can also offer to do things like lunchtime and afterschool music clubs.

Summer is more difficult to fill but that's when your band could go on "tour". Friend of mine and his band did a three week one for the summer, got themselves booked in a bunch of clubs and pubs that wanted a bit of live music, packed everything in to a very battered van, and off they went!

I think this sounds like a very sensible plan.

Whatever you do, don't for Christ's sake get into banking or accountancy just because you want more money. Life is too short for that. The flipside to getting into a lucrative career comes if you decide 10-15 years down the road that you absolutely detest it, but by this point you're married with kids and stuck in it because you can't afford to take the pay cut.

[timbob]

MentalSarcasm said:

Have you considered setting up your own business doing the same thing that you're doing now? Not only can you then market yourself to schools yourself but you can also offer to do things like lunchtime and afterschool music clubs.

Summer is more difficult to fill but that's when your band could go on "tour". Friend of mine and his band did a three week one for the summer, got themselves booked in a bunch of clubs and pubs that wanted a bit of live music, packed everything in to a very battered van, and off they went!

The band did the battered van thing around Europe this summer just gone - and great fun it was too!

I have considered this yes. The problem is that the vast majority of state schools use the council music services - who I work for now, and the vast majority of private schools have well established tutors with a very low rate of staff turnover.

I tried this 2 years ago when searching for the new job up here - and was greeted with a blanket two dozen "no, but we'll keep your details on file" answers from all the private schools I wrote to.

I'd have to chuck in my job in order to free up the time to "go private", and doing that on the hope that I can somehow pick up a full weeks worth of work in local private schools seems a bit of a crazy risk!

[jamesc_1729]

Sorry for the above I misread your original post.

Have you considered an OU course then perhaps??

[Gedon]

timbob said:

jamesc_1729 said:

Hmmm. I have so many things to say... :

Mate you're not living up to your potential, in the nicest possible way. With an A at A-level in maths and a maths degree you should not be earning 14k.

You state that you are not up for doing 'self-funded' teaching qualifications and yet you have spent 4 years of your rapidly diminishing time on earth working in teaching. If you'd done a PGCE then you would start on 22k, as a science/maths teacher have had your PGCE bursary-funded and had your student loan from your undergraduate degree written off... I don't, to the power 100, understand that you don't think you are cut out to be in teaching and yet have subjected yourself to the bureaucracy, st from kids, and general hard work which goes with a classroom-based job for the last 4-years.

I got a D in my A-level maths, pulled my socks up, did an electronic engineering degree and have worked in embedded DSP for the last 5 years. I earn..more than 14k...like more than thrice that.

I hope the above spurs you on to greater things.. you are a wasted talent IMHO. Do a masters, go to work in finance, business, law, engineering, whatever... but fking sort it out.

Interesting point of view, thanks for the tough love!

As has been pointed out, I don't have a maths degree, but a degree in Jazz music (specifically!) When I finished university, I was offered a job starting on £18k as an instrumental music teacher - not a classroom teacher, but a travelling music teacher (I had 10+ schools on a weekly timetable). A PGCE is not required for this sort of work - my official title is an "instructor", rather than a "teacher".

After a year, the pay went up to £20k, and personal relationship circumstances necessitated a relocation at the end of that year.

I fell into a part time job doing much the same work further north, and the hours of this have expanded to fill a full time working week. Unfortunately, still on the initial hourly paid (no pay for 2 months over summer holidays!) basis that I started on there 2 years ago.

I don't think going back to uni is an option - not with bills/rent/fuel to pay for at any rate - but finance, business and law all sound appealing.

I guess I'm after the sort of career that takes on intelligent, hard working general graduates without any specific qualifications to the job, working as a junior (or something) and learning on the job.

I think IT is out for me unfortunately, I've never dabbled in programming or coding as a teenager, and am fully aware that the market is already saturated with IT contractors both more gifted at IT than I am, and with more experience.

For fk's sake, have a very close look at the jobs market in teaching if you choose this path. Contrary to the adverts on TV, everyone and anyone is training to be a teacher. Unless you have led the royal marine band and apart from having a first from a Russell Group uni, forget it.

I'm in a similar situation to the OP, apart from I'm a qualified teacher with a lot of added value and it's fking difficult to pull the cat out of the bag. I'm semi-looking at what the hell to do if the cat doesn't materialise....

[Thurbs]

jamesc_1729 said:

I got a D in my A-level maths, pulled my socks up, did an electronic engineering degree and have worked in embedded DSP for the last 5 years. I earn..more than 14k...like more than thrice that.

timbob said:

I think IT is out for me unfortunately, I've never dabbled in programming or coding as a teenager, and am fully aware that the market is already saturated with IT contractors both more gifted at IT than I am, and with more experience.

Don't be too quick to judge. James wasn't talking about a simple code monkey which you can buy in from India at £60 per day.

DSP means digital signal processing. It is a very specialised and niche part of the electronics market and is pretty unique as you need: maths, music, logic and engineering skills.

It is these chips which convert analogue signals in to digital and visa versa. There are also lots of other cleaver stuff that goes on enhancing and producing a special sound.

I worked with a company which designed and made specialised mixer things (I am not in DSP, it was a separate application on buses I needed the audio!!) for Madonna's tour a few years ago. Really interesting stuff.

Another friend used to work for TAG McLaren Audio, designing the electronics inside £5k+ amps and stuff. He really enjoyed that and would have stayed if it wasn't for his SWMBO.

Take a second look if I were you. You could realistically combine your love of music with your logic and mathematical gift and make big bux whist doing it.

[timbob]

Thurbs said:

jamesc_1729 said:

I got a D in my A-level maths, pulled my socks up, did an electronic engineering degree and have worked in embedded DSP for the last 5 years. I earn..more than 14k...like more than thrice that.

timbob said:

I think IT is out for me unfortunately, I've never dabbled in programming or coding as a teenager, and am fully aware that the market is already saturated with IT contractors both more gifted at IT than I am, and with more experience.

Don't be too quick to judge. James wasn't talking about a simple code monkey which you can buy in from India at £60 per day.

DSP means digital signal processing. It is a very specialised and niche part of the electronics market and is pretty unique as you need: maths, music, logic and engineering skills.

It is these chips which convert analogue signals in to digital and visa versa. There are also lots of other cleaver stuff that goes on enhancing and producing a special sound.

I worked with a company which designed and made specialised mixer things (I am not in DSP, it was a separate application on buses I needed the audio!!) for Madonna's tour a few years ago. Really interesting stuff.

Another friend used to work for TAG McLaren Audio, designing the electronics inside £5k+ amps and stuff. He really enjoyed that and would have stayed if it wasn't for his SWMBO.

Take a second look if I were you. You could realistically combine your love of music with your logic and mathematical gift and make big bux whist doing it.

Thanks for that - definitely sounds worthy of a bit of research!

[jdbecks]

self employed music teacher?