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Could you possibly point me in the direction of any decent web development courses to try?
[url= https://www.codecademy.com/ ]codecademy.com[/url] wouldn't be a bad place to start. But there's loads of stuff if you google it.
Also currently I only have a Chromebook which I guess wobble great for this sort of stuff. Any recommendations of what sort of power/memory etc is needed from a computer to be useful for web development? As if I like it then obviously I will need s tool for the job.
Computing power really isn't too important for most stuff really. A nice sized and crisp screen can be nice. I hate working on less than two monitors myself, as you tend to have a few windows open, and it means you can look at output and code at the same time.
Really though, that's all personal preference. You can easily learn web development on some ropey old 10 year old computer. Although you'll want your browsers and whatnot up to date.
It's not something that is as easy to get into as it once was. It is becoming increasingly complicated with people focusing more on specialised areas. And it's not something you will learn in a matter of weeks. But if you have a real interest in it, it's certainly something you can learn yourself, and it can be quite rewarding.
Any potential employers will be more interested in your work than any courses you've been on. So build your own sites, etc....
Don't go for anything that can either be outsourced to someone in a cheaper country or feasibly done by a robot.
Not just robots, but bots as well. A lot of service industry jobs could be going that way soon enough.
You like problem solving and have the aptitude for code etc. Why not look at IT security. It's an undersubscribed growth area and and there are usually heaps of junior analyst jobs.
Thanks I'll take a look at that site, seems good in that I can learn in my own time and build up a bit of a portfolio without huge expense (just time/effort) and then I might be in a position to make it a full time job.
Seems worth at least trying considering I've apparently got the right mindset/aptitude for programming/coding.
Maths access course, Statistics BSc, take your IMC over a summer holiday, get a basic 30k job in financial operations in London, study for your CFA I/II in the evenings. Move up to 50-60k, get some experience in a client facing role. Do a quantative masters at the LSE and learn some programming. Finish CFA III, become a quant trader. Get massively ****ing rich and blow your money on coke and hookers.
Go big or go home OP.
Or, start a naked ironing service.
I'd start training as an electrician at night classes, then attempt to get experience with one of the larger local firms and build from there.
I think there's more scope in electrical and wiring skills in the next 15 years than there is in Gas
A bit out of left-field!
If you don't time away from home and can take 3 years on a lower income what about [url= http://www.clydemarinetraining.com/content/why-become-merchant-navy-cadet-and-have-career-sea ]Merchant Navy Officer[/url]?
Once qualified, plenty of earning potential.
Even with a family it can work, as you get much more quality time with your kids when your home. Most ferries and offshore type vessels give 6 months leave a year.
OP I think starting your own buainess at 25 is risky, especially as you don't have a firm isea / opportunity in mind. Training (say) as an electrician whilst earning money and then having a look round for a "gap in the market" makes more sense. As I posted beiore my ex-BIL was an electrician, then worked in high-tech manufacturing, then moved to self employed doing house electricals. Another relative went from electrician into IT and eventually started his own business which he sold for a few £ million, now retired at 55 and drives round between golf courses in an Aston Martin.
I know someone who became a train driver. Two or three years training and then a fairly good wage.
I've read / heard lots of folk suggest becoming a tiler. Demand apparently outstrips supply and pay is good. Might depend on how active your local housing market is though. Seems to me that there's a fairly basic skillset to develop and not a massive outlay on tools.
Royal Navy - they are desperately short of decent recruits, and those who are a bit older/more sensible tend to do really well.
Having seen the calibre of some of the younger ranks (absolute muppets) you won't need to try too hard to succeed.
"Even with a family it can work, as you get much more quality time with your kids when your home. Most ferries and offshore type vessels give 6 months leave a year."
as someone who currently works away for long periods frequently- young kids forget you - based on what my colleagues im working with in various countries around the world on 5 on 5 off
significant chance of older kids resenting you - based on my wife working in a school with a high % of kids with FIFO fathers.
Its not something i would pursue and im following this thread with interest to get OUT of working away before i have kids. I dont buy this "quality time" thing at all.
My brother was a driving instructor. Hated it. Worked 60-70 hours a week for very little money. I think he packed in and just went on the dole in the end because it paid better. Might sound good on paper, but after all the outlay and cancellations (after you've driven to them)... Etc. I don't think it's something you do for more money.
I agree with most of that.
It works for me but I've no kids, house is paid for so its more of a lifestyle for me. Would I have done it if I had ? No way, it's too much of a risk.
Its not something i would pursue and im following this thread with interest to get OUT of working away before i have kids. I dont buy this "quality time" thing at all.
It works for some, not for everyone. Horses for courses.
he issue is he has probably already taken most of the customers around here and I just don't have the funds to start something like that up.
depends really - but you know your turf. down here its not densely populated apart from a few towns and there are at least 4 guys doin similar. 3 specialising in in mtb within a 30 mile radius. i know at least 2 get work subbed to them from bike shops, so thats possibly another revenue stream, and several are currently working from secured sheds/garages at their homes. so very little outlay. oh, and only one does pickups for lazy people afaik.
As another thread just prompted.. PAT testing? bit boring but I believe it's paid well enough!
timber - MemberLook for a trade with a housing trust. Know a few guys have done this, the Trusts have had funding for apprentices new to industry, once ticketed they have set up solo, mostly contracting back to the Trust plus other jobs.
Alternatively, there seems to be a lack of timber wagon drivers in South Wales when we chat to them. Know a guy with a wagon sitting in the yard because the last driver didn't like heights and couldn't handle sitting in the crane chair. Even with that wagon back on the road, he won't be able to shift timber quick enough.
Not Brian Amos?
As @freeagent says a forces career can be very attractive and many specialisations exist which can provide excellent training. Friend's son has done helicopter maintainence as his trade in the Army Air Corps which will see him well set when he is back in civvy street.
In Scotland we have an Electrician Adult training scheme. You get paid a labourers rate (£8?) rather than an apprentice rate and you attend college for one Friday a fortnight (paid) for the first 2 years. 3rd year is one week at college and after 3 years you'll be eligible to sit the final trade test.
It's a good way into the industry and you finish with the same experience and qualifications as the normal mainstream apprentices.
Or curve ball.. what about starting your own bike shop or becoming a bike guide / instructor?
Seriously. South Wales is obviously a mini hotbed with the trail centres and the Carpenters in residence.
Or armed forces. As an older recruit you'll have a better head on your shoulders and be in demand.
As @freeagent says a forces career can be very attractive and many specialisations exist which can provide excellent training. Friend's son has done helicopter maintainence as his trade in the Army Air Corps which will see him well set when he is back in civvy street.
Other option in this vein is reserves - see how you like it, and you get paid. During my brief spell infanteering there were plenty of others that were using it as a gateway to other skills (one lad wanted to get into the paras, another wanted to get into logistics to learn to drive; I just liked assault courses, learning new skills, sleeping in fields and firearms 😉 )
wiggles - Member
never had any experience of project management
Doesn't seem to have held back some of the "Project Managers" I've come across 😆
It works for some, not for everyone. Horses for courses.
+1
A friend works on the rigs. He gets paid a very good wage and then has lots of time with the kids when back. If he can time it with the school hols he's onto a winner. Kids are 9 and 11.
Thanks for all the help guys, not really interested in forces/working away type stuff as don't really want to be away from the kids...
First project is fix my laptop and start looking at some free online courses and give some coding/programming stuff and go and see how I get on, in the mean time I'm looking into apprenticeships if there is anything that will pay me enough to live on for now.
Are there coding/programming jobs in your part of Wales ? Whilst I can imagine there is some remote working I am a bit sceptical.
Chapeau for wanting to remain near the kids but you may have to take a tough decision in order to take a reasonable step forward money wise
It's easy for folk who have never worked away for long periods to see the £££ signs and think all is rosy . (I do 2 weeks -3 months away at a time )
Good to see you sticking round for your kids. It will be better for them long term than the money.
I've been away for the odd 2 week course etc and didn't like it(neither did the kids) plus it make things difficult with childcare as the missus works part time so I look after them to cover most of that.
Their does appear to be a reasonable amount of jobs available around Cardiff or Bristol which isn't too bad of a commute if I had to.
If you use aprenteships to search for you will end up disappointed as you are older. You will be better off diy the training. Doing night courses and trying to get a job any where in the type of business you want to work in, getting to meet people who might take you on. Even if you are working as a general labour for a builder and you want to get? In to plumbing say you will be more likley to meet plumbers and people who know plumbers to get a chance.
P.s have you commuted south Wales to Bristol in rush hour? Might not be as easy as you think and hours mean it is no different to working away.
The Brick's much earlier comment about better paid jobs falling into certain categories is bang on.
I work as a developer and have done for ~15 years. The other day we listed the technologies we need intricate knowledge of to do my job and it was around 30 (which is a bit crazy!). The industry constantly changes and it is a battle to keep up with new frameworks, working practices and whatever fads are around (I have 2 kids as well). I honestly can't imagine doing it from scratch with 2 kids while holding down another full time job ... but don't make my skepticism stop you!
I really enjoy it though. I had a few years being a manager for 10-15 people too and decided that wasn't for me (and moved back to full time development this year - having to play catch up).
The coding thing is interesting, but it's a crowded place and you will need some experience to get into a lot of jobs.
Somebody mentioned about getting in via call centre stuff, doing a project for somebod who used that as a way when moving but had a lot of skills/experiecne to back it up.
From memory down Cardiff/Newport way there are some of the governmnet type places (DVLA & Patent office??) It may be soul destroying but it will probably be decent money and training opportunities if you have the right attitude.
I've been away for the odd 2 week course etc and didn't like it(neither did the kids) plus it make things difficult with childcare as the missus works part time so I look after them to cover most of that.
(tough love advice coming up)
at some point if you want to make a big change you might have to go through some pain, it's how you manage it that will count. Having supportive family who can see your trying to make it better for all of you will be helpful.
Whereabouts are you in South Wales? If you are considering IT then the company I work for have a couple of big datacentres in Bridgend and most of the Service Desk and Engineer level roles are based there (engineers being the junior people that install up to OS level on the Wintel or UNIX/Linux side or do the racking and cabling on the datacentre provisioning side rather than the correct definition of an engineer...).
The pay isn't great and I imagine it's a bit soul-destroying unless you're really into IT and looking for a way to get your foot in the door to start a career. I'm not sure what roles are currently available (if any) or how you apply but will look into it if you're interested.
I really would take the advice others have offered and look for something that interests you to start with (and even if computers interest you bear in mind you could be on the service desk for 1-2 years doing routine stuff initially)
Core - that's him.
You weren't the previous driver were you?
Live in Newport, so Bridgend is not a million miles away. Email is in my profile if you have any info thanks
No one has mentioned Sales! That is a role you can do in various types of organisations and make good money. Obviously not as easy as people think it is, you need to be a people person rather than a mouthy type.
It's how I did it.
The Brick is right. Apprenticeships are not easy to get into unless you are 19 or under due to funding restrictions and the higher minimum wage paid to over 20's. The reality is most employers won't touch an older apprentice when they can get a cheap young boy to abuse! Which many relish with fervent enthusiasm, it's almost a sport in the industry as is job protection! Getting in if you don't know anybody and are a green grass trainee is tough as there's no shortage of out-of-work young lads/labourers prepared to work for next to nothing.
Plumbing is best for fast money if you want to work locally/domestic as boilers are always breaking down.
Electrician is the best trade but only on the commercial/industrial side [b]if employed[/b] and you will be chasing contracts up and down the country like a yoyo. Domestic generally only pays well self employed, as most pisspot companies unsurprisingly don't pay the going rate to their PAYE employees.
Had a mate who worked (I think he paid them for the privilege) for BSM, used and abused is an understatement. He jacked it in to work for minimum wage in a supermarket, so he wasn't working all hours for peanuts, just set shifts for peanuts!
OP, if there are no opportunities within your area then why not consider moving to an area where there are more? I've had to move across the country several times to further my career, just means driving to see family and making new friends. If I'd stayed where I grew up then I'd probably would have been still doing minimum wage stuff.
i'm a software engineer and unless its something you already have experience with its [i]not [/i]something you can just jump into as a career without several years experience.