Following on from when you hate your new job thread I have been doing a lot of thinking of what to do next. My background is in science as I graduated with a degree in applied biology and since then I've worked in various labs and when I leave I always say I'm not going back to lab work. However it feels that its all I know and end up going back into it and getting bored and frustrated. I left my last job as I was wanting to get away from the negative atmosphere and I knew I would stagnate. Taking the current job I was motivated by the fact I could walk 10 mins to work and have the holidays off which also fits in with family life. I'm realising I don't want to do lab teching longterm and want to change direction. So this is where I'm at. I'm 45 and can't afford to go to uni again and retraining is going to be expensive. I feel I'm at a cross roads and don't know where to go from here. I don't want to spend the next 10-15 years of my working life feeling miserable. If you could tell me of your career changes experiences that would be great
You considered Teaching?
What are your expectations in terms of income? I suspect that’ll be the biggest barrier.
I'm the same, 46 now, stuck in a job I hate with a degree that is of no use to any other career. I just want to get out but can't afford to retrain and take the wage cut now that I've got a family to support.
Research into how you go it alone, become self-employed. At this moment I wouldn't even consider teaching!
with a degree that is of no use to any other career
Degrees aren't vocational training. Its a period of academic study. You're not condemned or even expected to spend the rest of your career working in a field that you've studied (or even even start a career in that field). A degree is a demonstration that you can learn things and think.
There are plenty of fields of employment where you might be expected to have a degree but nobody is really fussed about what its a degree in. There are plenty of fields of employment where people aren't really fussed whether you gave a degree or not.
By the time you reach your 40s what relevance is it what lectures you sat through for a couple of years two decades ago? I don't even know where my degree certificate is - nobody has ever asked to see it.
Have a look at the OU. Think cut off date is v soon
I work in the insurance industry and I speak to people most weeks starting new ventures that have nothing to do with their fields. I enjoy chatting to them after the year has past. Majority are pleased with the decision.
What interests you and how much money do you need?
I'm tempted to pack it all in and become a gardener but i suspect it's motivated by the what/need for a van. Hmmm, perhaps i should just get a van. Perhaps like me a van will make you happy. Yes, let's all get vans.
Vans.
In my 20s, I had a successful and enjoyable career in insurance claims - got made redundant along with the rest of the management team after a takeover.
Bit of a hiatus in my 30s relocating, getting married and starting a family, drifted into the civil service.
Spent my 40s in an interesting and varied civil service outpost, but legislative changes and austerity biting have made it a dead end.
Recently turned 50, just been accepted for a new and exciting (?) move over to HMRC. So I bloody hope it pays off and my next 17 working years are productive and worthwhile.
Other than ad-hoc professional qualifications I've picked up over the years, the main core of skills/interest through most of these careers has been an interest in, and ability to apply, legislation and case law; dealing with "customers" in difficult situations; and being to manage and develop staff. Took me 2-3 years to actually spot those themes and find an opportunity that will give me a chance to use them again in a new setting
There are plenty of fields of employment where you might be expected to have a degree but nobody is really fussed about what its a degree in.
Are you a wily, sneaky bastard with no real personality to speak of but have an extremely high boredom threshold and often find yourself possessed by a burning desire to shaft other people out of money?
If so, you should become a Quantity Surveyor. The industry is crying out for new blood......suckers.
Degree in Biomedical Chemistry, worked in labs for peanuts and then was offered the opportunity of a lifetime and went offshore as a lab tech. Nothing like onshore labs and the money was superb. Did that for about 6 years, earned enough of a reputation to switch into production operations and did that for a further 6 years for even more money. Towards the end the politics and general asshattery of those higher up got to me and at age 38 I took VR and retrained to be a Gas Safe heating engineer. The money's nowhere near the same at the moment but I love the job. Interspersing it with a bit of ad hoc offshore chemistry at the moment cos I've got an extension to build/pay for. Being ad hoc means I'm totally removed from the politics and games played so my mental health isn't suffering like it did the last time I was offshore.
To summarise, offshore chemistry wouldn't be the most difficult switch and certainly wouldn't need any expensive retraining. Offshore survival training, medical cert and the like are around £1000 but get in with the right agency and they'll generally pay for it and you repay through your first couple of jobs. Knowing what onshore lab wages can be like I'd imagine you could get away with 6-7 x 2 week trips in the year and end up with the same wage overall, plus you'd have had around 40 weeks off.
Teaching is definitely not an option especially after seeing the work load of my colleagues. I've tried self employment before and it never worked out. Ive done art commissions before but they are very time consuming. I'm not looking to earn mega bucks which is just as well as I'm poorly paid I'm just wanting to be happy in my working life. I also want to demonstrate to my son that you don't have put up with being unhappy with work and if you want to change your situation then do it.
Are you a member of the Royal Society of Biology?
I'm a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and they offer a very good careers advice service and can also provide a mentor. Not sure if the RSB is the same, but could be worth looking in to.
I'll be interested to see what type you go down.
I'm a lab tech but feel I'm stuck where I am due to my specialism and the fact I can't afford the likely significant wage drop. I have it ok at the moment, I walk to work, my t+C's are good, I like my colleagues and I enjoy the actual work, but the politics of the place get me down and there's a possible relocation coming soon and that will really be of detriment to the whole situation.
I only know one former Lab Tech- she's now a farmer 🙂
Whilst you retrain I would do a bit of painting to fund your studies. I just paid a decorator 1k to decorate a flat, 1 coat, 1 person, took him 3 days. I have normally done it myself but did not have time.
Seriously tempted to start this as a venture, I am a bit slow though.
There are plenty of fields of employment where you might be expected to have a degree but nobody is really fussed about what its a degree in. There are plenty of fields of employment where people aren’t really fussed whether you gave a degree or not.
I think that can be easier said or done for people with more technical qualifications. I know I'm struggling myself but it is or seems to be a hard step to take. The longer you have done it the harder it can seem. I'm not saying it can't be done, just it can be very intimidating.