Recommend me new career, before I go crazy. New to the forum and long time reader but you people seem knowledgeable.

This long but it tough to explain.

I’ve been struggling with this for a couple of years, I dislike my job but don’t know where to go, its pretty dead ended, I’m not really qualified for anything, I do a few things but none very well. I know life is hard and many people don’t like their jobs but that doesn’t mean because someone has it as bad or worse aiming to and making positive step be happy should be given up on. The best I get is periods of tolerating my job at best to sitting in the toilet feeling sick, it affects what little work I can do. I’d like some ideas from the singletrack massive as to some job ideas, I don’t really know what is out there and anything I look at seems impossible to get into. I’m 32 BTW, no dependents as of yet, willing to take a big wage cut to train but still need to be earning (I don’t earn a massive amount at the moment, national average or thereabouts).

I’m going to say what I for work now, what my background is, skills outside of work.

I’m not a programer by nature but I fell into it. I currently work programming niche software in Fortran, unfortunately its legacy Fortran not modern Fortran so little chance of moving job. I have a little C++ and python experience but not enough to get a job with. Done a fair amount of matlab to about 10 years ago (disease modeling). Also I’ve written quite a few Bash scripts before previously. The programming I have done (numerical / modelling) is largely useless and not in much demand. Applying for jobs never goes well neither do programing tests.

My education is in applied maths, specialising in fluid dynamics up to research level, didn’t quite finish my PhD. I did applied maths because I wanted to do engineering but didn’t want to do the management modules at uni, everything else looked similar on the course but with some more maths thrown in. Kind of wish I’d just done engineering now!

What I like about current job.

Its in oil and gas which an interesting industry if you ignore the politics. I occasionally meet some interesting people. Short commute.

What I don’t like about current job.

The 9-5 nature and office bound / lack of physical activity. I’m more accustomed to being outside and working, it why I find it very hard to practice outside of work. It never feels like real work, add to that the inefficiencies of working 9-5 (ish). I’m not really a programming either, its a useful tool but more of a means to an end, I haven’t done enough general purpose programming to do that. I find the theory of how a computer works interesting but the practicalities of using one all day mind numbing. I’m not learning anything, nor am I in a job where I can become self employed.

I’m relatively practical but by no means pro-standard at anything, I prefer to be doing something real. I’ve always maintained my own car, fitted about 4 kitchens with positive comments from people who thought some else fitted them. Re-felted and tiled a house. Hold a 17th edition wiring regulation cirt (got for a possible job that never happened, rewired one consumer unit with a sparky checking my work). I play around making rustic furniture for fun. Odd bit of electronics at a very basic level.

In an ideal world, at some point in the not too distant future I’d like self employed / possible small business, but I just don’t have clue what I could do. I’d love to be making stuff but I know that is not realistic in today’s age unless you are exceptional, plus I have nothing to make! I’m not money obsessed but after gaining some experience would like to earn a half decent amount (more than I am now!) that I could look after a family with. I think this may be my last chance as my girlfriend would like to start a family soon and if that happens I will be stuck in this or similar dead end job for years. I’ve ended up useless without realising it. So I’m looking for idea of where to head.

Police officer? Big change from the norm. . .

663sqd – Member

Police officer?

That would be brave.
Maybe best to get Cameron out before heading down that path…

Where are you based, and are you tied to that area?

That would be brave.
Maybe best to get Cameron out before heading down that path…

He’s right.

Assassin first. Then Police Officer

He’s right.

Assassin first. Then Police Officer

😆

Try teaching, do a pgce and get into a school and inspire and be inspired. It should pay enough and the kids will make sure everyday is different. Do you want to be challenged?

I don’t teach this is just from my experience working on educational stem courses.

Your OP sounds like the personality profile on an ISTP could try Googling that for suitable careers.

With your experience if computers are out (DBA or Sys Architect, data analyst) perhaps self employed bathroom or kitchen fitter, custom wind vanes?

Bregante – Member

He’s right.

Assassin first. Then Police Officer

😆

When I was a wee nipper, I asked my Dad what he wanted to do when he grew up.
“I want to kill all the bad people.”
😯

Personally I would stick with IT but look to retrain in another area that’s more interesting and pays a bit better. With applied maths you would probably do well with the business intelligence side of database development – if you can get your head around set theory and swallow anything written by Itzik Ben-Gan you”l be able to get a nice well paid 9-5 job and then spend your weekends away cycling 😀

[Typical STW Saturday night response]

Fluffer.

[/Typical STW Saturday night response]

How about working on offshore survey kit. You get to play with lots of expensive scientific kit from water samplers, ADP’s, air guns, sonar arrays etc. etc. You would probably get the opportunity to work offshore on boats. Working offshore is well £40-80k tax-free. However, it can make relationships difficult (works for some, not for others).
Gardline and Fugro are two big companies in the industry. Alternatively what about offshore renewables? They are desperate to get people with engineering/mathematical skills.
Sounds like you’ve got a good skill set.

This sounds quite sad to me. You’re clearly a very intelligent and capable individual who could quite probably turn your hand to anything you wanted but that desire simply isn’t there.

Normally I’d say do what enthralls you.

Surely there is something that makes your heart beat faster? Something that occupies your thoughts, that you wish you could spend more time with now?

Do that.

Huge segment on BBC world news last week about how big the shortage of programmers is going to be especially in North America, they were saying that the opportunities that are going to become available will be fantastic and big steps will be made to take up the shortfall. I imagine with a bit of retraining and maybe getting a job in a great location would perk you up a bit

I used to be a self employed kitchen fitter, loved the work but hated being self employed as I always felt skint, when earning you don’t want to take time off so don’t spend it and when not working don’t want to spend it as you don’t know when you will work again, went back to being a mechanic which I hated but I love getting paid and knowing I’ll get paid again next week, used my job to emigrate to Canada and as shit as my job is my life is fantastic as I only give a toss about the time I’m not at work anyway and that time is now amazing so I never sit around sulking about work

Mi6 just don’t tell anyone if you do get in.

Could you finish you PHD. That would niggle if I were you. Get that under your belt and who knows what will come along.

join the army, (think they’ll still take you at 32, just) do that for a few years then go work oversees as a “security contractor” for lots of money and pretend your life is a James Bond film.

Guy at work has just chucked it all in to become a jobbing gardner, mowing lawns, general up keep perforning other tasks as required by young unattended housewives in tunbridge wells.

Start by doing whatever it is you want to do part time in your current spare time, at the end of the day if you work for yourself you’ll have to work longer hours inevitably anyway so, you can kind of get used to it.

Er what region are you in currently, any web hacking experience?

I do like the film Leon so maybe an assassin is a an idea.

loum – Member

Where are you based, and are you tied to that area?

South coast at the moment. Not overly tied but to the area but have family near by.

Try teaching, do a pgce

Partner is a teacher so I’ve got an idea of what involved. Although I’ve enjoied the passing on of knowledge when I did a little lecturing the crowd conttrol that you need puts me off.

tinribz – Member

Your OP sounds like the personality profile on an ISTP could try Googling that for suitable careers.

Interesting thanks.

BigEaredBiker – Member

Personally I would stick with IT but look to retrain in another area that’s more interesting and pays a bit better. With applied maths you would probably do well with the business intelligence side of database development – if you can get your head around set theory and swallow anything written by Itzik Ben-Gan you”l be able to get a nice well paid 9-5 job and then spend your weekends away cycling

Well I did a fair amount of set theory for undergrad but that was sometime ago. I’ll take a look at this guys website. There are so many jobs like this with random names that I just don’t know exist, and searching for them is tough.

How about working on offshore survey kit.

Sounds intersting. How do you get into it. When I’ve looked at off shore jobs it seems to be a catch 22 of need off shore experence.

desire simply isn’t there.

Normally I’d say do what enthralls you.

Surely there is something that makes your heart beat faster? Something that occupies your thoughts, that you wish you could spend more time with now?

I think there is a certain amount of this is true, I’m very esially destacted and tend to be working on several thing outside of work at once in fits and starts.

What occupies my thought is in essence making and developing all sorts of random items that are just outside my area. Its finding a way in which I can make a living out this!

Could you finish you PHD. That would niggle if I were you.

It does especailly as I got very very close to finishing but I effectivly lost 50% of my work in essence due to an error not picked up by myself or my supervisor plus falling out with supervisor plus the fact I wasted enough time on it and it making me quite ill so finishing it is not realistic.

Er what region are you in currently, any web hacking experience?

south coast, no web hacking exp other than openinga few tunnels to bypass firewalls.

deserter – Member

Huge segment on BBC…

Good points in your post. I think a change would do me good in almost anything. Where about in Canada are you now? I have family who moved to Alberta but man that place is so coldin the winter I’ve never experenced anytihng like it before!

Someone one here mentioned teaching..

I left Engineering and retrained as a Maths teacher 5 years ago. Absolutely love it. With your industrial experience you would be able to negotiate to start higher on the pay spine and with 18 months experience in Maths you can take a second in department role easily.. be back on decent money in no time.

It’s really hard work in school time but VERY rewarding, I only teach GCSE and A Level and the kids that age are a right laugh!

Can’t recommend it enough, and you get 13 weeks off a year paid 🙂 I’ve just spent two weeks riding all over and only worked 1 long day to get my marking done etc. My degree was in Engineering and with your qualifications you could teach Maths no problem (9 months PGCE qualification first). I keep saying Maths, Physics would also be a possibility for you, but Maths teachers are in the shortest supply. You can land a job anywhere in England or Wales that you want if you are a half decent Maths teacher.

Let me know if you want any info in more detail, but I got out of a similar rut by moving into teaching. I’m currently spending my Saturday night trying to write an application for a job that has come up locally (director of Maths).

Paul

You sound very bored. Try this

lol I’m in Alberta, Calgary to be exact, the last 3 Winters have been great with above zero temps for most of the Winter in town and only the odd week of really cold………
if you could stick with the programming and the report was accurate I would presume you could go somewhere really nice like California or Oregon or Colorado or Vancouver………..lucky you
Teachers are supposed to be in high demand in the US so it could be a winner all round as the other half could find something too

Maths teacher

Next to no essays to mark – awesome idea.

What do you do in the Oila nad Gas biz if you’re down south? Anyone with a bit of maths ability who can take a guess at what’s in a rock formation would be superstar wages in Aberdeen.