A different job.

[Evoluzione]

As this is discussion and dreaming I purposely haven't posted in the jobs section.
If you could go back in time and start again, would you choose a different career and if so what job would you do?

Purely on the face of it I should have been a Fireman or a farming contractor like Kaleb off of Clarksons Farm.

I know someone will tell me there is more to it, but squirting a hose about a bit in between arsing around back at the station for 85% of the time on full pay, early retirement on full pension looks pretty good. I don't think i'd mind running into the occasional burning building fully kitted out now and again either.

Farming means long days, but long days doing what? Sitting behind the wheel of an air conditioned tractor or Combine out in the countryside doesn't look too bad either...

[Scabutz]

Don't know about fire fighting or farming but from what I've seen neither look like a doss job as you describe. For a start both have a much higher chance of being killed than my job.

I work in IT and if I had my time all over again, I'd probably work in IT. For one, it's what I'm good at and two, have you seen the salaries?

[shtu]

Ultimately, no.

What I've done over the years has been part of my life, and I wouldn't be where I am by taking a different path.

[talksthetorque]

If I could do it again, I'd make more mistakes
I'd not be so scared of falling
If I could do it again, I'd climb more trees
I'd pick and I'd eat more wild blackberries

https://geniuslyrics.net/bloc-party/waiting-for-th...

I think I'd have got in to what I do now quicker, rather than taking the long way round like I did.
And I'd spend more money on cars and holidays and less on plasterers, electricians etc.

[ARHarh]

Living in a rural area I can tell you that being a farming contractor will not give you an easy life. The tractors start as the sun rises and are still moving after dark. They don't just spend their time chewing on a piece of straw, leaning on a gate all day. It will be far easier earning a living sat behind a desk for 8 hours a day.

[cmvtec]

If I had another go, I certainly wouldn't be in quality assurance.

[MitchT]

I'd have chosen finance instead of graphic design. Graphic design is basically the profession that wage inflation forgot. It's enjoyable enough at times but it's really a "hobby job" for people whose parents can afford to buy them a house. My best mate who's six days younger than me went into finance and is now retired with a big house in the country, a property portfolio, two classic Porsches and is currently on a three month jaunt around France. Meanwhile, I'm scratching my head wondering if I'll ever be able to escape the rent trap and trying to work out how much less I'll need to use the heating to offset next year's NI rise.

[hyphen]

Evoluzione said:

I know someone will tell me there is more to it, but squirting a hose about a bit in between arsing around back at the station for 85% of the time on full pay, early retirement on full pension looks pretty good. I don't think i'd mind running into the occasional burning building fully kitted out now and again either.

I imagine as a Fireman you would be on rotating shifts? Early, days, nights. Plus weekends and Bank Holidays.

[Esceptico]

I was thinking about this not that long ago. I didn’t love my job but didn’t hate it either, it was pretty lucrative, I got to do a fair amount of travel and worked at times with some really bright and interesting people. Not sure other career paths would have been better overall - I might have found something I actually liked doing or took pride in doing but I’m sure there would have been negatives to offset the positives.

[dukeboy749r]

talksthetorque said:

If I could do it again, I'd make more mistakes
I'd not be so scared of falling
If I could do it again, I'd climb more trees
I'd pick and I'd eat more wild blackberries

https://geniuslyrics.net/bloc-party/waiting-for-th...

I think I'd have got in to what I do now quicker, rather than taking the long way round like I did.
And I'd spend more money on cars and holidays and less on plasterers, electricians etc.

I don't regret joining the army, but I do regret (mostly post-military), not telling more civilian aholes who I have worked with, or for, to just do one. (aholes are not confined to the civilian world, but your courses of action towards them are, sadly, are more limited).

One CO of mine, whilst I was in, did watch me rant and my then officer commanding and suggested that I just go out for a deep breath of fresh air, whilst he had a word with the officer in question. He was a tt (the officer in question, not the CO).

I'm grateful for life, the ups and downs because without them it would be the very thing people often say they regret towards the end of life - that it was too boring and they didn't push/take chances, just do the things they wanted, not feel they had to (mostly for others).

[Taff107]

dukeboy749r said:

I don't regret joining the army, but I do regret (mostly post-military), not telling more civilian aholes who I have worked with, or for, to just do one. (aholes are not confined to the civilian world, but your courses of action towards them, sadly are more limited).

One CO of mine, whilst I was in, did watch me rant and my then officer commanding and suggested that I just go out for a deep breath of fresh air, whilst he had a word with the officer in question. He was a tt (the officer in question, not the CO).

I'm grateful for life, the ups and downs because without them it would be the very thing people often say they regret towards the end of life - that it was too boring and they didn't push/take chances, just do the things they wanted, not feel they had to (mostly for others).

Absolutely the best thing I ever did. 24 Yrs done and would still be in if I could.

Worked in the woods and worked on a farm (both far from being an easy job) before becoming a time served carpenter and joiner, Got bored of the mundane, repetitiveness and thought I'd join up.

Struggle with civilian jobs now. Lack of selflessness, unwillingness to do anything that they consider not to be in their job spec and lack of drive to get the job done abound where I work now in civvy st.

[NewportPag]

Interesting thread. I'm 29 and have been working in restaurants/hotels since 20, the initial aim was to open my own place, but after the almighty mess we have gone through with Covid, and the staffing shortages I have seen at work post brexit, I had enough and left my job a couple of weeks ago.

I'm working on my own flower business at the moment, but really need to find a new job/career. I felt leaving school at 16 would reiterate my 'work ethic', but I now realize how many jobs I have ruled out by not having any a-levels.
If anyone could recommend a good career coach/ job website they found particularly effective, it would be greatly appreciated.
James

[Psycho Warren]

Taff107 said:

Lack of selflessness, unwillingness to do anything that they consider not to be in their job spec and lack of drive to get the job done abound where I work now in civvy st.

I agree, first job I had in civvy street, the other employees kept telling me to slow down and do less as I was making them look bad. And that wasnt even trying that hard as it was a bit of a st job.

[Psycho Warren]

Evoluzione said:

but squirting a hose about a bit in between arsing around back at the station for 85% of the time on full pay,

With the cuts and efficiency drives over the last 20 years or so, you will find very few full time stations like that.

[46and2]

cmvtec said:

If I had another go, I certainly wouldn't be in quality assurance.

100% this

[Captain Answer]

Scabutz said:

I work in IT and if I had my time all over again, I'd probably work in IT. For one, it's what I'm good at and two, have you seen the salaries?

Same, been in IT related stuff since 2003(ish) and would choose the same again given the chance. Only other thing that might interest me now would be engineering but I didn't appreciate that as a job when I was younger

[coldel]

I head up operations in a data business and have no idea how I ended up here...also find it hard to know what my actual skill set is. A fireman is a guy trained to fight fires, I kinda just do stuff.

If I could go back definitely be something involved in sport, football or motor racing. Run my own racing team, be a Toto Wolff!

[768]

Porn star.

I don't know really. If I'd worked it out I'd be doing it. Not IT, that's for sure.

[seyre1972]

Psycho Warren said:

Taff107 said:

Lack of selflessness, unwillingness to do anything that they consider not to be in their job spec and lack of drive to get the job done abound where I work now in civvy st.

I agree, first job I had in civvy street, the other employees kept telling me to slow down and do less as I was making them look bad. And that wasnt even trying that hard as it was a bit of a st job.

As a Crown Servant (FCO/Diplomatic Service) I was very fortunate to work exclusively with ex Army/Navy Signal operators from the age of 18 for several years. I'd echo exactly what is said above - the work ethic/delivering the task at hand to the best of your abilities/bluntness at times in remediating issues/blockers - while not conflict based - was all about delivering the end goal.

As fresh out of school - this was the environment I learnt my trade in - obviously it rubbed off on me. I'd say this has stood me in good stead / given me the perfect grounding to do well in my chosen trade (IT by means of being in the right place @ the right time etc) I'm now 30 years older ..... And touch wood other than a few weeks between contracts have never been out of work/struggling to find work.

I've been fortunate enough to be able to take on/offer roles to several ex services people in Financial Services - as the "get the job done" ethic is sadly lacking elsewhere.

[Muzzer79]

I am not a fireman but the positives of sitting around for a bit of the day waiting for a call, I would imagine, are outweighed by things like risking dying in burning buildings, pulling dead children out of car crashes, etc.