Career change success stories

Author
Discussion

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Thursday 26th April 2018
quotequote all
StevieBee said:
Antony Moxey said:
StevieBee said:
international behaviour change communication specialist for the global Solid Waste Management sector; UK and international specialising in post-conflict, low income and emerging economic regions
Now THAT'S a job title! Does it basically mean you tell people how to shovel sh*t?!
biggrin It has been said that I 'talk rubbish' but, er, yeah....that's kind of it, although immeasurably more interesting than it may appear. Off to Zanzibar next week to help the locals develop a campaign to promote clean streets, organise beach clean-ups and other related stuff. Then when I'm back, off to Runcorn to convince people to recycle their food waste.
I can’t help wondering who’d play you in the biopic of your life. Currently a toss up between Ricky Gervais and Steve Coogan! biggrin

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Thursday 26th April 2018
quotequote all
mattnovak said:
Hmm. I’ve rolled with the punches since I was a teen - had many totally unforeseen and unplanned career changes. I always knew I’d be ok, but had no idea how. Bear in mind this is being written on the 21:22 from Kings Cross after a few drinks.

Background: born in 1980 and raised in Dagenham, Essex. Father was a mechanic, mother a housewife. Both ‘blow ins’ from the East End. Neither my siblings or I went to university - I only remember one teacher even mentioning it (and Mr Swanwick was about 22) with no encouragement to “better” oneself at all.

Consequently, I left school at 15 (this is a stat that annoys my wife, a Doctor, immensely - the joy of an August birth date!) but with a bunch of A-C grades. Being of solid working class stock (and such was the mindset of the time - plus the influence of my breadwinning father : housewife mother) - I became an apprentice bricklayer. That lasted about 10 months before I realised is was essentially a) slave labour and b) unless you were the boss - averagely paid.

So, having waked off site on the Friday (wages on YTS equivalent £50 PW, travel costs about £55 PW) I landed a job at an electrical wholesalers (CEF if you know it) as a warehouse assistant. In about 3 years I was the youngest Sales Rep for them in the country - 21 years old with a company Mondeo! Result.

That lasted for a while, then I got bored / too big for my boots and left. With nothing else to go to. Luckily, i could prove my sales records from tax returns, wageslips etc, so got a job fairly easily in recruitment. 18 months of that, and......



Bald to this! Making £10k per placement for someone else???’!!! No. So, I set up my own agency. Which went ok for a year (ish) until I was headhunted by an old school friend to move to Prague and set up the finance arm of the .com he was working for (he asked me because I was registered at companies house as the FD of my little agency).

So, that takes us up to 2004. Sorry for boring you all - it’s been a long, drink-y day. Happy to clue you in on the next chapter (hint: Belfast, challenger bank, IPO) if there’s an appetite.

Matt
I take it it was a good session on the sauce? wink

S9JTO

1,913 posts

85 months

Thursday 26th April 2018
quotequote all
Glass factory > IT Apprenticeship > DevOps Engineer

Antony Moxey

8,016 posts

218 months

Friday 27th April 2018
quotequote all
StevieBee said:
Antony Moxey said:
StevieBee said:
international behaviour change communication specialist for the global Solid Waste Management sector; UK and international specialising in post-conflict, low income and emerging economic regions
Now THAT'S a job title! Does it basically mean you tell people how to shovel sh*t?!
biggrin It has been said that I 'talk rubbish' but, er, yeah....that's kind of it, although immeasurably more interesting than it may appear. Off to Zanzibar next week to help the locals develop a campaign to promote clean streets, organise beach clean-ups and other related stuff. Then when I'm back, off to Runcorn to convince people to recycle their food waste.
Sounds utterly fascinating. I know what you mean about landfills though, spending 20 years traipsing over them in all weathers you do wonder what you signed up for, especially when you’re spot levelling the site’s active tipping area!

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 27th April 2018
quotequote all
mattnovak said:
Hmm. I’ve rolled with the punches since I was a teen - had many totally unforeseen and unplanned career changes. I always knew I’d be ok, but had no idea how. Bear in mind this is being written on the 21:22 from Kings Cross after a few drinks.

Background: born in 1980 and raised in Dagenham, Essex. Father was a mechanic, mother a housewife. Both ‘blow ins’ from the East End. Neither my siblings or I went to university - I only remember one teacher even mentioning it (and Mr Swanwick was about 22) with no encouragement to “better” oneself at all.

Consequently, I left school at 15 (this is a stat that annoys my wife, a Doctor, immensely - the joy of an August birth date!) but with a bunch of A-C grades. Being of solid working class stock (and such was the mindset of the time - plus the influence of my breadwinning father : housewife mother) - I became an apprentice bricklayer. That lasted about 10 months before I realised is was essentially a) slave labour and b) unless you were the boss - averagely paid.

So, having waked off site on the Friday (wages on YTS equivalent £50 PW, travel costs about £55 PW) I landed a job at an electrical wholesalers (CEF if you know it) as a warehouse assistant. In about 3 years I was the youngest Sales Rep for them in the country - 21 years old with a company Mondeo! Result.

That lasted for a while, then I got bored / too big for my boots and left. With nothing else to go to. Luckily, i could prove my sales records from tax returns, wageslips etc, so got a job fairly easily in recruitment. 18 months of that, and......



Bald to this! Making £10k per placement for someone else???’!!! No. So, I set up my own agency. Which went ok for a year (ish) until I was headhunted by an old school friend to move to Prague and set up the finance arm of the .com he was working for (he asked me because I was registered at companies house as the FD of my little agency).

So, that takes us up to 2004. Sorry for boring you all - it’s been a long, drink-y day. Happy to clue you in on the next chapter (hint: Belfast, challenger bank, IPO) if there’s an appetite.

Matt
"6 figs" is the only thing missing from that lot Matt....

tongue out

Tomo1971

1,127 posts

156 months

Sunday 29th April 2018
quotequote all
CX53 said:
What did you do before, what do you do now, and how did you get there?
18 - Left College and although had places in Uni, started as a Trainee Manager in retail - In London
19 - Hated London, so moved to a branch closer to home but was 'demoted' to normal staff
26 - Supervisor at same retail company
29 - Found a role as a 'Trainee Installer' in telecoms with a very large multi national co with 95k Employees

Then, for 14 years - various field roles in fixed and mobile comms.

Now, Project Manager for Telecoms Co as a contractor.

The trainee role when I was 29 was a stroke of luck really, just been in the right place at the right time - think that the job was posted on a NewsGroup - we hadnt had the PC connected to the internet that long and was in the days of 14.4k Dial up - sent off a message and then application form and had a full days assessment with them in London - 2 months later had the job offer.

So went from a job I hated to various jobs along the way, incl current, that I love. Money is decent too, which is a bonus!

Bergs

203 posts

175 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
quotequote all
Started off in childcare. Became a teaching assistant with a plan to train as a teacher.
Realised that I’m actually not that keen on doing that for the rest of my working life.

Went in to first line IT support > Got made redundent.
Did a bit of app development > Enjoyed it but it didnt tick all the boxes.
Did some marketing > Always felt like I was bothering people.

I’m now TL on a service desk training to become manager.

It’s been a learning curve for sure but I’m in a job I love and working for a fantastic company.

ADogg

1,349 posts

213 months

Thursday 3rd May 2018
quotequote all
I graduated from uni with a Product Design degree, was a Product Designer, Projext manager, then Design Engineer and now I own and run a B&B.

I’m 33.

nought2sixty

122 posts

79 months

Thursday 3rd May 2018
quotequote all
I bummed about in an electronics factory from 17-23, then got a job as a brewery assistant. Been doing this 3.5 years now and been assistant head brewer for the past year and a half. I feel my career change has been a success but the opportunities just aren't there in brewing so at the start of the year I decided to learn web development. Already had one interview so that change is going pretty well!

83HP

361 posts

179 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
nought2sixty said:
I bummed about in an electronics factory from 17-23, then got a job as a brewery assistant. Been doing this 3.5 years now and been assistant head brewer for the past year and a half. I feel my career change has been a success but the opportunities just aren't there in brewing so at the start of the year I decided to learn web development. Already had one interview so that change is going pretty well!
Do you have a portfolio going?

designforlife

3,734 posts

162 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Not me, but my fiancee-

She grew up in LA, didn't do well in school, had a string of crap jobs...then went to massage school and did that for a few years.

She woke up one morning and decided she didn't want to spend her life massaging rich people at country clubs...she decided she wanted to be a Doctor.

She enrolled in community college at 26 years old, passed all her exams and got a place at Columbia studying Psychology.

She graduated from Columbia, then upped sticks to the UK, she's just about completed her second masters here, and will go on to study for a PhD in Forensic Psychology in 18 months or so.

She starts working at the Priory soon, and has two volunteer jobs. The money isn't big (or even medium) right now, but once she's a Doctor of Forensic Psych, 6 figure salaries await, and she gets to work in a field she is hugely passionate about.

It's pretty inspirational to behold, as a guy who has worked for the same company for 7 years, and in the same industry for 11.

Edited by designforlife on Friday 4th May 10:33

designforlife

3,734 posts

162 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
ADogg said:
I graduated from uni with a Product Design degree, was a Product Designer, Projext manager, then Design Engineer and now I own and run a B&B.

I’m 33.
Sounds exactly like my career, i'm 33 too! maybe it's time i open that B&B.

louiebaby

10,651 posts

190 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Success is an interesting concept... Everyone measures it in different ways...

  • Pharmacist - Successful, paid for me to try to be an international rower. Unsuccessful, spent 5 years learning to be one and hated it.
  • Trader - Successful, got me into my next job. Unsuccessful, lost lots of money.
  • Head of Operations (Trading) - Successful, paid off lots of my flat in London. Unsuccessful, very very long days.
  • Product and Pricing Developer (Electricity) - Successful, change of pace and location for a better work/life balance with young kids. Unsuccessful, massive corporate and the culture did my head in, promotion too slow.
  • Business Insight Analyst (Aviation) - Unknown, only been here 4 months...

Pulse

10,922 posts

217 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Started in IT Support.

Moved to NHS as Project Manager.

Moved to FS as Project Manager.

Been a Project Manager for 10 years (since I was 23). I should probably change!

nought2sixty

122 posts

79 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
83HP said:
Do you have a portfolio going?
Got a little one here: www.micmcgrorty.co.uk

chilistrucker

4,541 posts

150 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
At 16 and still at school I got a part time job at the local Tesco Petrol station.

Left school and did some data entry and then moved to a dept dealing with lost and stolen credit cards that my friend got me into. 3 years in I left as I knew I wanted to be a lorry driver, (goals eh.) smile
My mate stayed and is now a director at MasterCard smile

Drove vans till I was old enough to do the then HGV test. Then had 21 years on the roads, UK, Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and Turkey, half in general haulage, the other half on Rock’n’Roll tours. That ended due an accident and the DVLA revoking my licences. Had a bit of a battle with them for 3 and a half years which I finally won!!!!!
In the dark days though had some horrendous jobs just to get by, but finally got a break and did some chauffeur work.

Finally got my Lorry licences back and started back on the wagons in January. Work for a global parcel carrier now doing night trunking, not exactly Rock n Roll but i’m happy that life is normal again. It’s a very easy life and well paid, think this will see me to retirement 👍

98elise

26,376 posts

160 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Engineer.
8 years Royal Navy (weapons engineer) then 8 years as an M&E Site Manager.

to.....

IT.
Started in Application Support, but have ended up contracting as a BA. Contracting pays well which means I can retire at 55.

Edited by 98elise on Saturday 5th May 12:19

83HP

361 posts

179 months

Saturday 5th May 2018
quotequote all
nought2sixty said:
Got a little one here: www.micmcgrorty.co.uk
pretty decent, surprised it isn't your actual line of work.

nought2sixty

122 posts

79 months

Saturday 5th May 2018
quotequote all
83HP said:
pretty decent, surprised it isn't your actual line of work.
Hopefully it will be soon. I've only been doing it for a few months so I'm happy to take my time.

oldbanger

4,316 posts

237 months

Saturday 5th May 2018
quotequote all
oldbanger said:
Not counting student/2nd jobs

Ecologist
Eveningwear importer
Intelligence analyst
Strategy manager

How did I get here? No idea, some massive setbacks, but other opportunities happened

Edited by oldbanger on Tuesday 24th April 23:19
I was thinking about how I got here (it’s been a bh of a day) and thought I could probably expand on this post.

My father wanted me to be a doc so I took 3 science and music at a level. I didn’t want to do maths as I did ‘t Like the teacher and well I just wanted to be different. I started getting ill in 6th form, glandular stuff, recurrent tonsilutus but just managed to get grades good enough for my 2nd choice and got in through clearing. I went to medical school, absolutely hated it, got quite run down. and then my main mate at uni died very suddenly, which was a massive shock.

I had tonsillitis during the first year exams and failed them all. I was bunking off by then anyway so I was going to fail them no matter what.

I was still ill in the run up to the resits and told the dean I was leaving. My plan was to either go study environmental science (basically because I liked being outdoors) or to go back to take maths a-level and then study physics. Or maybe go do a music diploma and become a professional violinist. The dean offered for me to retake the first year at med school but I wasn’t interested. He told me to apply to imperial then. So I did. I applied to study ecology as this kinda fit environmental science but sounded more interesting. I got straight in, with about 2 weeks to go.

I got a 2:1 by the skin of my teeth. I lived out near to my boyfriend (who I eventually married) and struggled with recurrent illnesses and depression, so missed a lot of lectures (about half of the course).

From the age of 14 I worked admin jobs, evenings and weekends in the family business so managed to support myself.

I wanted to do a PhD, something to do with forest insects. I had a couple of interviews for relevant jobs but nothing forthcoming so I decided to try for a forestry course. Again I got on the course with about a week to spare. Moved to Bangor having never even seen this place. I got a Masters, again struggling with recurrent illness and general fkwittery .

After that I moved back to London. My boyfriend had moved himself into my flat whilst I was away and given up his own place. He also wound up working in the family business.

I had a load of voluntary research jobs and expenses only internships at places like oxford uni and the nhm. I also worked part time for the family business. I had written a PhD proposal which I sent round everywhere i could. It got picked up by Birmingham uni who sorted funding. I also married mr Ob number 1 during this time.

So I moved to Birmingham. Lived in a bed sit and worked on my PhD. My marriage very quickly went tits up, even though the move was already agreed before the wedding. I was still getting ill regularly and became very depressed. My field work was stopped in year 2 due to foot and mouth, my supervisor didn’t understand my research topic and my second supervisor who did went on long term sick. The work was physically gruelling and I was totally out of my depth . I got divorced. I wound up in hospital with tonsillitis. I got even more depressed. In the end I just stopped functioning.

I met mr ob no 2 who helped me refurbish my place in London after my ex moved out, and sell it so I could finalise the divorce. I got a place within commuting distance of Brum with the intention of completing my PhD but I just wasn’t well. In the end I was excluded from uni for non-payment of fees. I had been given an extension due to foot and mouth and my documented illnesses but that wasn’t funded and I was broke.

I wound up selling books on eBay (initially my own sci-fi stuff) then started selling evening wear (ex catalogue stock). A mate lent me some money to set up an online store and I sourced plus size evening wear from Quebec. I got this going but wound up getting a minimum wage job as a carer as I had no money coming in ( and my bf had lost his job just after we met).

The business broke even but I just couldn’t get it to make a profit. It was also mind numbingly boring. After a couple of years I remembered seeing an ad for police intelligence analysts a few years before and decided that was going to be the next move.

I got the 2nd intel Job I applied for. Initially I was a researcher on maternity cover and then managed to work my way to analyst. It was interesting work. I loved it but we were constantly going through rounds of redundancies. So a few years later, I jumped ship and went to the private sector, doing the same work in a civil setting. I wound up managing a team of 10, running a 1 year training programme.

During this whole period I gave up wheat and dairy, gave up smoking, had my tonsils out, and then gave up drinking. I don’t get ill like I used to any more - the wheat/dairy had a massive impact especially.

I got itchy feet and money has been a massive driver. (My sister died 10 years ago when her two youngest kids were 1 and 4. We have taken them on with me being the main earner for quite a while ) I started looking for a head of dept role, had a couple of interviews but they didn’t lead anywhere. I took a level 5 diploma with the CMI.

Then my boss inherited all the data people in our firm during a restructure and asked me to move over to work with their manager. I have always wound up being involved in process design and iT projects, I just seen to gravitate towards trouble shooting. Now I design data systems and manage a small team of statisticians/ mathematicians. I am just hiring someone who didn’t pass their PhD either but has immense potential, given the right opportunities.

I quite enjoy the work and it affords me opportunities to manage to work around the kids, who are both autistic. It doesn’t pay massively. I am not a higher rate tax payer for example, but we scrape by.

I might do the level 7 diploma in strategic management ( although retraining in cyber security has been considered once i found out how much salaries are )