Ironic as i was verge on posting something similar a few days ago, i work offshore and all of a sudden i effing hate it…a mixture of missing the kids growing up and i suspect moving rigs from the warmth and sunshine of West Africa to the pits that is Shetland. Im a Registered Nurse and im seriously considering going back to the NHS, which after 6 years im really missing, despite the prospect of a 60% paycut to do so. Nursing itself is great despite the bollox that accompanies it, and being offshore can be good, but recently its been sh1t.

If i had the time again though i’d train to be a PC Plod.

When I was younger I wanted to be an Astronaut or Deep Sea diver.

Went to college and did business studies as it was quite general. I should have done Astrophysics or some science, but didnt get proper advice.

Left college, built a racing car and got sponsored for two years. Was crap at racing. But I ended up working for lots of motor racing teams. Sounds fun, but the money was pants, pay cheque would bounce or you would be laid off at the end of the season.

Then worked for a company that built handmade racing cars you could use on the road. They went bust in the 90’s recession.

Then I got in to accounts / finance, as it was more stable. Did years in that as using excel and double entry book keeping is logical.

Got bored, left and opened a motorcycle shop. Hated dealing with the public and suppliers so sold it. Took almost a year to run out of money.

Got back into finance. Had good and bad jobs, ended up being paid off from one and took about two years out with a massive chunk of cash.

Became a dive guide in Egypt for a year. Brilliant fun, but no money. Then worked as an expedition leader for a marine conservation group for a year. No money but sort of rewarding. Then went diving off Sudan for months and months looking for wrecks till my money ran out. Flipping exciting and flipping expensive.

Now Im working in a brilliant company doing finance.

Ive done lots of different things and realise that my ideal job wont pay me any money to live on. So Ive found a proper job that does, but its also a great company to work for. So that pays well enough to live well, but keeps me interested at work.

Sure, its only finance, spreadsheets and stuff, but compared to the 30 odd jobs Ive had its pretty good.

You have to be realistic. Change jobs till you find a good one, they are not all crap.

Also working at what you like as a hobby may end up killing why you liked it.

Spent 3 years in college training to be a salesman and vehicle parts specialist. No jobs and ive never had any real interest in it so now im going back to college to study law.

Too late to change for me, plus I don’t have the ‘hunger’ to change. I’ll probably die in this rut I’m in! Quite happy pootling along in life though. No dependants – it’s just me.

How is it too late to change if you’ve no dependants? I’d like to do something different from what I’m qualified at, but have dependants and unless someone is going to offer me £40K p.a. + for something I have no skills or experience in, I’m pretty much stuck doing what I do, whether I like it or not.

As it happens, I don’t hate what I do, or who I work for, but it would be nice to feel there were options….