Fed up, de-motivated, need a new life path.
Discussion
Thought about starting your own business? Doesn't even need to be in the same line of work - for example, I am an engineer by trade, but also set up a domestic cleaning company on the side to help supplement my income.
Also, where in the country are you? Could you monetise a hobby in some way??
Also, where in the country are you? Could you monetise a hobby in some way??
Have you considered a direct transfer into the CNC as an AFO?
You'll be able to keep your pay scale, pension etc. but you won't be rolling around with drunken scrotes or attending endless domestics and so on. As much as I admire the boys and girls who do that, there must be a point where it grinds you down.
You'll be able to keep your pay scale, pension etc. but you won't be rolling around with drunken scrotes or attending endless domestics and so on. As much as I admire the boys and girls who do that, there must be a point where it grinds you down.
For me, being in the police was my dream job - I always fancied traffic or the dog branch. For various reasons, I ended up pursuing a career in teaching but desperate to scratch the police itch, I decided to join the specials which I did for 2 and a half years. I found it very exciting and I put in a hell of a lot of hours. That said, I didn't have the paperwork that the regulars did which I think fostered quite a negative attitude towards specials in general which was a pity. Despite the excitement, I resigned as I found myself increasingly sitting around doing nothing with either no neighbour or something else meaning I was just wasting my time.
If they offered an accelerated promotion scheme in Scotland (like they do in the MET) I'd still consider it but couldn't afford to start at the bottom and work my way up now.
Out of interest OP, why do you feel there are no prospects? I was under the impression that after your two years on the beat, there are opportunities to specialise and sit exams etc. in order to progress?
My neighbour is a cop and after having a baby has packed it in, has taken a hefty pay drop and is working in a completely different field.
If I were you, I'd be tempted to get in touch with the various recruitment agencies out there with a view to looking at possible options as they are paid to find you a position that you will stay in. Don't think of yourself as somehow lacking in skills however - I probably don't need to rhyme off the wide variety of skills you need to be a good cop - use these to sell yourself as most, if not all, will be transferable.
As for train driving, I looked at this also once upon a time - great money for what you do, but even less prospects than in the police and 30 years of driving a train may well be too much to take in terms of boredom.
Don't give up hope - you're the same age as me and new opportunities will present themselves but take some time to really think about what you're looking for and what the options are - if you don't have any major commitments, you might consider retraining and starting in a completely different field?
All the best,
Martin
If they offered an accelerated promotion scheme in Scotland (like they do in the MET) I'd still consider it but couldn't afford to start at the bottom and work my way up now.
Out of interest OP, why do you feel there are no prospects? I was under the impression that after your two years on the beat, there are opportunities to specialise and sit exams etc. in order to progress?
My neighbour is a cop and after having a baby has packed it in, has taken a hefty pay drop and is working in a completely different field.
If I were you, I'd be tempted to get in touch with the various recruitment agencies out there with a view to looking at possible options as they are paid to find you a position that you will stay in. Don't think of yourself as somehow lacking in skills however - I probably don't need to rhyme off the wide variety of skills you need to be a good cop - use these to sell yourself as most, if not all, will be transferable.
As for train driving, I looked at this also once upon a time - great money for what you do, but even less prospects than in the police and 30 years of driving a train may well be too much to take in terms of boredom.
Don't give up hope - you're the same age as me and new opportunities will present themselves but take some time to really think about what you're looking for and what the options are - if you don't have any major commitments, you might consider retraining and starting in a completely different field?
All the best,
Martin
don't know if this helps, but on 1 of the truck websites, (trucknet uk) there is a post on the main topic forum about a train company currently advertising for train drivers. it looks a very interesting offer, with what looks like fantastic training, a good job, pay, pension etc.
they say on the advert they are particuarly keen to recruit people who have been lorry/bus drivers, ex forces, and from the emergency services, fire, paramedics and police
it looks that good, that i'd be very tempted, if it were not for my recent bloody head injury, so i'm not likely to pass their medical at mo.
if your interested have a look on trucknet, or try the company direct maybe, 99% its called, 'db schenker'
btw, its all freight train work.
they say on the advert they are particuarly keen to recruit people who have been lorry/bus drivers, ex forces, and from the emergency services, fire, paramedics and police
it looks that good, that i'd be very tempted, if it were not for my recent bloody head injury, so i'm not likely to pass their medical at mo.
if your interested have a look on trucknet, or try the company direct maybe, 99% its called, 'db schenker'
btw, its all freight train work.
Damn, I just typed a long message on my phone before an error message showed so here goes again:
I left the Police in June last year after 5 years of being a PC.
I loved the early days but after 3 years I fell out of love with it.
For anyone who has done the job, I won't need to tell you the reasons why as you'll already know.
I sat down & wrote a list of companies & organisations I'd like to work for & kept looking at their websites.
I got the first job I applied for, as an environmental regulator regulating permitted waste sites.
The jobs interesting & challenging. It's busy but I manage my own time. I'm not micro managed & I'm not a radio slave.
I get treated like an adult. Yes I took a pay cut but then the company car eases the blow & I reckon that over 10-15 years, I'll be better off financially.
The one & only thing I miss is the laughs & banter I used to have. I'm still good friends with some I worked with & I feel bad because it's not a job anymore, its a prison sentence...
I left the Police in June last year after 5 years of being a PC.
I loved the early days but after 3 years I fell out of love with it.
For anyone who has done the job, I won't need to tell you the reasons why as you'll already know.
I sat down & wrote a list of companies & organisations I'd like to work for & kept looking at their websites.
I got the first job I applied for, as an environmental regulator regulating permitted waste sites.
The jobs interesting & challenging. It's busy but I manage my own time. I'm not micro managed & I'm not a radio slave.
I get treated like an adult. Yes I took a pay cut but then the company car eases the blow & I reckon that over 10-15 years, I'll be better off financially.
The one & only thing I miss is the laughs & banter I used to have. I'm still good friends with some I worked with & I feel bad because it's not a job anymore, its a prison sentence...
jonah35 said:
The grass isnt always greener.
You get a pension that is amazing, worth £10k pa to you so you're on £41k ish plus good holidays and banter and a job for life.
There is career progression too.
Good luck
£41k to work horrible shift patterns, be seriously restricted of what you can do even when not working, and turning up every day wondering if you're going to be spat on, stabbed, shot or blown up. And all in an atmosphere of job cuts, safety issues and general poor working conditions.You get a pension that is amazing, worth £10k pa to you so you're on £41k ish plus good holidays and banter and a job for life.
There is career progression too.
Good luck
Sounds horrible, I'm not surprised so many serving cops want to get out!
Transfer to the police force of an overseas British Territory or a Commonwealth country might be a reasonably straightforward option.
When I lived in the Cayman Islands there were always British exchange coppers in the mid level/senior positions. If I remember correctly it was a two year exchange. Once the time was up I would be very surprised if your local connections didn't enable you to stay on an try for residency. Ex pats often socialise together; I was only 25 when I went out, but regularly drank late into the evening with the Chief of Police (a Brit) and the Head of Internal Affairs, simply because we were all members of the sailing club.
Bermuda and Canada definitely do exchanges too. Other countries to consider would be; British Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, Bermuda, Antigua, Belize, Trinidad. All speak English and have a vaguely British legal system.
The options for meeting people from different walks of life in that environment might easily lead to an interesting alternative career opportunity if the foreign move didn't offer enough satisfaction. Successful entrepreneurs who have sold their company, often move to these places for retirement and tax purposes. 9 months later they get restless and start coming up with new business ideas and chat to their mates about it over a drink... That would be the way to avoid climbing a career ladder and go in at a senior level.
When I lived in the Cayman Islands there were always British exchange coppers in the mid level/senior positions. If I remember correctly it was a two year exchange. Once the time was up I would be very surprised if your local connections didn't enable you to stay on an try for residency. Ex pats often socialise together; I was only 25 when I went out, but regularly drank late into the evening with the Chief of Police (a Brit) and the Head of Internal Affairs, simply because we were all members of the sailing club.
Bermuda and Canada definitely do exchanges too. Other countries to consider would be; British Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, Bermuda, Antigua, Belize, Trinidad. All speak English and have a vaguely British legal system.
The options for meeting people from different walks of life in that environment might easily lead to an interesting alternative career opportunity if the foreign move didn't offer enough satisfaction. Successful entrepreneurs who have sold their company, often move to these places for retirement and tax purposes. 9 months later they get restless and start coming up with new business ideas and chat to their mates about it over a drink... That would be the way to avoid climbing a career ladder and go in at a senior level.
There are lots of jobs that would appreciate Police skills. An example would be environmental health or licensing departments of local authorities. Or investigating claims for insurers. Advising companies who use SIA staff in their liaisons with the Police and so on.
The main problem recurring in these threads is Police officers realising that the pay in the Police isn't actually that bad compared to similarly qualified roles in the private sector.
As someone who's been in sales all my life I have similar issues, in that starting from the bottom in any new career will bring an almost inevitable loss of 2/3rds of my income.
The main problem recurring in these threads is Police officers realising that the pay in the Police isn't actually that bad compared to similarly qualified roles in the private sector.
As someone who's been in sales all my life I have similar issues, in that starting from the bottom in any new career will bring an almost inevitable loss of 2/3rds of my income.
I was in the Police for about 3 years and left due to a back injury. I loved it to start with, unfortunately that didn't last very long and I am so glad to be out.
People rave about the pension but is that really worth 30 years of you don't enjoy it? I think not. I have a mate who transferred to BTP as a dog handler and that sounds loads better, but career progression wise not so much.
It took me about 3 months to find a job, no paycut and no regrets AT ALL.
Good luck if you jump.
People rave about the pension but is that really worth 30 years of you don't enjoy it? I think not. I have a mate who transferred to BTP as a dog handler and that sounds loads better, but career progression wise not so much.
It took me about 3 months to find a job, no paycut and no regrets AT ALL.
Good luck if you jump.
Centurion07 said:
KFC said:
Being a train driver looks horrifically boring, for relatively low wages. What possible interesting thing could happen in your day while you're driving a train along a set route that you never deviate from?
chilistrucker said:
if your interested have a look on trucknet, or try the company direct maybe, 99% its called, 'db schenker'
btw, its all freight train work.
Here it is by the look of itbtw, its all freight train work.
http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/careers/vacancy-T...
Interested in the train job but the contract seems to say that they can get rid of you and you will then owe them £52K.
http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/careers/docs/Lear...
http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/careers/docs/Lear...
un1corn said:
I need something different, but exciting. I wanted to be a train driver (not exactly exciting I know), but the money is good and all that, however nobody is recruiting.
Edit: I see already mentioned, but http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/careers/vacancy-T...Get in there quick (and says they are interested in ex-police!)
Edited by Hub on Thursday 12th June 14:53
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