Anyone learnt a trade older in life?

[CrutyRammers]

MC Bodge said:

StevieBee said:

From experience, I don't think this is a bad thing at all.

I've transitioned through what is now, technically three careers (Graphic Design, Marketing, Behaviour Change Communications) and entering into a fourth (Filmmaking). Each sort of branches off from the previous one but each required some serious skills development training. The result is that at 53 I'm completely engaged how I earn a living and have never really not enjoyed working. On the basis that you have to work, you may as well do something you enjoy and retraining enables this.

For many people, re-training would require a big reduction in income, income levels would possibly never recover.

I do wonder about this, as lifespans become longer. If working lives become 50, 60 years, many more people are going to want to change tack. I wonder if in future society will arrange more to accomodate this. You pay off your mortgage, maybe there's a new sort of training loan so you can take 3 years off and start a new career. I can certainly see the demand being there.

[MC Bodge]

ayedubya said:

MC Bodge said:

For many people, re-training would require a big reduction in income, income levels would possibly never recover.

yes and i would be willing / prepared to live on less than currently.

That's fortunate for you. It won't be the case that everybody is able to.

[Xaero]

MC Bodge said:

ayedubya said:

MC Bodge said:

For many people, re-training would require a big reduction in income, income levels would possibly never recover.

yes and i would be willing / prepared to live on less than currently.

That's fortunate for you. It won't be the case that everybody is able to.

One of the points I was trying to make earlier is a lot won't even have the choice. You're redundant if you don't learn a new skill. This is already fairly common in IT as software goes out of date relatively quickly, and this is going to affect many other industries, especially once AI starts to come online.

I work in a small hardware engineering company run by guys in their 60s where a lot of our products run on old software, connects with RS232, displays on VGA, and USB is considered exotic. Graduates aren't familiar/educated with it and keen to move over to new tech, so there is going to be a big bump in the road when the big updates need to happen as the old guard aren't updating their knowledge and the new employees have to learn the old while slowly forgetting what they've just been educated in (which is usually dated and not on the cutting edge anyway).

Moving across in different careers makes things more interesting for everyone, a structural engineering who is now a tiler, can probably specialise in stacking those tiles a lot higher and more considered than the average bathroom tiler for example.

Graphics design to marketing to film making probably can grab peoples attention quite well and will consider that when making the film.

I personally think the crossing of industries will add up, and the current desire to have specialists that do nothing else but one subject will drop out of fashion compared to a polymath who sees things from multiple backgrounds. It does depend a little on our mentality shifting away from respecting red brick degrees more than online self education too.

[ayedubya]

Xaero said:

One of the points I was trying to make earlier is a lot won't even have the choice. You're redundant if you don't learn a new skill. This is already fairly common in IT as software goes out of date relatively quickly, and this is going to affect many other industries, especially once AI starts to come online.

I work in a small hardware engineering company run by guys in their 60s where a lot of our products run on old software, connects with RS232, displays on VGA, and USB is considered exotic. Graduates aren't familiar/educated with it and keen to move over to new tech, so there is going to be a big bump in the road when the big updates need to happen as the old guard aren't updating their knowledge and the new employees have to learn the old while slowly forgetting what they've just been educated in (which is usually dated and not on the cutting edge anyway).

Moving across in different careers makes things more interesting for everyone, a structural engineering who is now a tiler, can probably specialise in stacking those tiles a lot higher and more considered than the average bathroom tiler for example.

Graphics design to marketing to film making probably can grab peoples attention quite well and will consider that when making the film.

I personally think the crossing of industries will add up, and the current desire to have specialists that do nothing else but one subject will drop out of fashion compared to a polymath who sees things from multiple backgrounds. It does depend a little on our mentality shifting away from respecting red brick degrees more than online self education too.

thanks i really appreciate the feedback from you, and of course the other posters.

i guess one thing which is partly my work experience but also my personal trait is that i have a very high attention to detail, and this could make me a slower (read: pernickety!) tiler but also one that does a high standard. i guess its taking the gulp and making the jump to do the course... and set up.

a big part of me is like: wait til Q2 2021 and it should provide a better outlook as to the nations economy and the way it is looking.. part of me thinks home improvements such as re-tiling might be a luxury rather than a whim.

[Evoluzione]

ayedubya said:

Of course i don't expect to master it in a 3 week course but would give me a start.

obviously with the current pandemic situation a career change to a trade where people potentially will soon have a lot less income to spend on home improvements... maybe the signs point to not making this change.

As you haven't set your sights very high (and nothing wrong with that) you will find that tiling is quite likely falling-off-a-log easy, especially if you already have some diy skills which involve measuring and fitting things

Whilst you won't master it in 3 weeks as you won't have covered every situation you will be 90% of the way there.
Many people in the trade who tile did not have any official training whatsoever, they just decided (or were forced) to pick up the notched trowel one day and do it. You'll find the plumber who fits the sink will also tile it, the joiner who fits the kitchen will tile it etc, etc. It just isn't worth the hassle or the expense of getting a 3rd party involved unless it's a huge job.

I don't think it would blend in with your current job very well, people will want you in at 8 or 9 and gone by 5, not there on an evening or weekends.
The majority of the tools can be bought for a few quid. Half decent tile cutter will be a bit more, proper professional motorised cutter a lot more ££, but it's possible to hire one of course.

I wouldn't take any notice of CV19 scare stories, the housing market is huge and very buoyant at the moment so the building trade will be also.

[Frimley111R]

I was in marketing for 25 years and always loved it but in the end each role just became the same but different. I spent some time in a business start up that went well and then moved onto my own start up. The experience from the previous one helped a lot and as I could generate customers effectively and then it was just a matter of all the operational stuff. Its been VERY challenging and stressful but I wouldn't go back. I had a decent financial buffer which took that pressure off. I still love the marketing part but I'd 'been there, got the t-shirt' and was bored as it no longer challenged me.

It's hard but what else can you do? Either nothing or

[bazza white]

I'm working on becoming an electrician. I work 4 on 4 off and the course is pretty flexible and I'll work it on my days off and then go full time when I have enough work. I have a decent amount of knowledge practical and theory wise but some of the questions people ask on the course is frightening. Short courses are not suitable for all.

I actually wanted to do gas but the portfolio part is a pita but may do it when a full time spark as it will be easier (switch to weekend working for myself) . I was offered a job to be a plumbers mate for a company this week (minimum wage) then when portfolio done become a contractor.

If I was in a 9-5 I think I may have gone to college/uni evening classes and looked at other career options.

[fiatpower]

bazza white said:

I'm working on becoming an electrician. I work 4 on 4 off and the course is pretty flexible and I'll work it on my days off and then go full time when I have enough work. I have a decent amount of knowledge practical and theory wise but some of the questions people ask on the course is frightening. Short courses are not suitable for all.

Who are you training with out of interest?

[bazza white]

fiatpower said:

bazza white said:

I'm working on becoming an electrician. I work 4 on 4 off and the course is pretty flexible and I'll work it on my days off and then go full time when I have enough work. I have a decent amount of knowledge practical and theory wise but some of the questions people ask on the course is frightening. Short courses are not suitable for all.

Who are you training with out of interest?

Access in cardiff, possibly wouldn't be my first choice but needed flexibility. Out of interest why do you ask.

Edited by bazza white on Saturday 8th August 15:20

[DSLiverpool]

I’ve decided I’m going to try and monetise TikTok - not sure if that’s a new trade but it’s all very new to me.

[fiatpower]

bazza white said:

Access in cardiff, possibly wouldn't be my first choice but needed flexibility. Out of interest why do you ask.

Edited by bazza white on Saturday 8th August 15:20

Been looking at learning part time as I work a 4 day week. Looked at college courses and a few national training schemes too

[Nick928]

Evoluzione said:

As you haven't set your sights very high (and nothing wrong with that) you will find that tiling is quite likely falling-off-a-log easy, especially if you already have some diy skills which involve measuring and fitting things

Whilst you won't master it in 3 weeks as you won't have covered every situation you will be 90% of the way there.
Many people in the trade who tile did not have any official training whatsoever, they just decided (or were forced) to pick up the notched trowel one day and do it. You'll find the plumber who fits the sink will also tile it, the joiner who fits the kitchen will tile it etc, etc. It just isn't worth the hassle or the expense of getting a 3rd party involved unless it's a huge job.

I don't think it would blend in with your current job very well, people will want you in at 8 or 9 and gone by 5, not there on an evening or weekends.
The majority of the tools can be bought for a few quid. Half decent tile cutter will be a bit more, proper professional motorised cutter a lot more ££, but it's possible to hire one of course.

I wouldn't take any notice of CV19 scare stories, the housing market is huge and very buoyant at the moment so the building trade will be also.

They may not want you tiling at 5pm but you will spend every evening visiting people to quote and once you get home you can look forward to spending evenings writing up the quotes.
Weekends you can spend doing the accounts because you aren’t making enough to pay an accountant to do bookkeeping and keeping on top of marketing (that thing that gets you the customers).
The trades are a hard slog with long hours but unfortunately few people outside the trade see the true picture.

[ayedubya]

Nick928 said:

They may not want you tiling at 5pm but you will spend every evening visiting people to quote and once you get home you can look forward to spending evenings writing up the quotes.
Weekends you can spend doing the accounts because you aren’t making enough to pay an accountant to do bookkeeping and keeping on top of marketing (that thing that gets you the customers).
The trades are a hard slog with long hours but unfortunately few people outside the trade see the true picture.

appreciate your honesty. thanks.

i do recognise it will def be a slog to start with. but maybe a rewarding one. but obviously spending 2k on a course and adding to that digs when i am down at the course, then tools. its a big expense (for me) and a bit of a gamble in the current climate.

[VR99]

Ive been thinking the same recently.
Work in financial services(in my late 30's) but have never felt truly fulfilled....also think career lifespans are much shorter now so unless you are a doctor/dentist where you can work till you drop or have your own business there is a limited window for you to get the most of your career then move on.
No idea what I would do next either..mental health side of things interests me mainly as v close family members were impacted by it but then as others have alluded to in this thread, there are the costs of retraining and you will be competing against those who have been doing it for years.
Apart from those who "love their job" or found their "passion" early in life how do you actually know what will energise/motivate you to go all out on something? I guess experimenting is the only way, trying different things and experiences.

[Phunk]

DSLiverpool said:

I’ve decided I’m going to try and monetise TikTok - not sure if that’s a new trade but it’s all very new to me.

I've spotted some of your video's, some great tips.

I'd also look at uploading the same/similar content to YouTube and the new Instagram Reels feature.

Spread yourself out and reach different demographics.

[Frimley111R]

VR99 said:

Apart from those who "love their job" or found their "passion" early in life how do you actually know what will energise/motivate you to go all out on something? I guess experimenting is the only way, trying different things and experiences.

I love marketing and still do but after so many years I needed to do something different. Given that I loved marketing from about 19 years of age it's been a bit of a voyage of discovery and very much life-changing. I did what many do and worked for myself which was ok but often frustrating. Working in a start up (2 of us) in a new sector to me gave me more variety and helped me work out business processes etc.

After that, setting up something new a few years ago meant I was motivated to grow a business and learn so many new things. I think its the growth of the business that is the motivator. We could already just stick to the current size but it's exciting potentially employing people and building a small (or maybe medium) sized company. It's also very stressful though. We've been slightly fortunate that my marketing background has meant that generating business has been relatively easy for us and that's often the biggest challenge

We're all different and so trying different things is the best thing for anyone starting their working life or thinking of a big change to it.

[clockworks]

VR99 said:

Ive been thinking the same recently.
Work in financial services(in my late 30's) but have never felt truly fulfilled....also think career lifespans are much shorter now so unless you are a doctor/dentist where you can work till you drop or have your own business there is a limited window for you to get the most of your career then move on.
No idea what I would do next either..mental health side of things interests me mainly as v close family members were impacted by it but then as others have alluded to in this thread, there are the costs of retraining and you will be competing against those who have been doing it for years.
Apart from those who "love their job" or found their "passion" early in life how do you actually know what will energise/motivate you to go all out on something? I guess experimenting is the only way, trying different things and experiences.

I turned a hobby (tinkering with mechanical things) into a business.

I went into computers by accident 43 years ago at the age of 20 - got sent for an interview by the job centre after trying being a motorcycle courier and a bus conductor.
I stuck it out until I was 53, but had been looking for something else for about 15 years.

I wanted to find something that combined mechanical tinkering with model-making - basically putting a pile of parts together and making it work, while adding value by my efforts. I started repairing old, cheap, clocks from car boot sales, teaching myself from library books.

After a few years, I was repairing customers' clocks as a hobby.

I quit the IT job, went into business part time, along with a part time job that covered the bills.
2 years ago, I gave up the PAYE job, and went full time on clocks.

I'll never get rich doing it, but I mostly enjoy what I do now.

[Oggs]

My career changed at 49, after 30+ years of lorry driving which over the years has got worse, roads getting busier and everyone in a rush I started to hate it..... a new trade beckoned.
Took a year of training to become a qualified train driver and love it.
A career to end my working life.

[caterhamboy]

I retrained as an electrician 12 yrs a go, and have enjoyed it. But i'm now at the point where it's took it's toll on my body, i'm in my late 40's and i'm going to retrain as a hgv driver.
A lot say don't do it, but you will find the same in any industry.

[Evoluzione]

caterhamboy said:

I retrained as an electrician 12 yrs a go, but i'm now at the point where it's taken it's toll on my body.

What?