changing career at 40?

I’m very tired with being constantly skint

Been looking at future prospects and things aren’t looking great

Engineering technician aka cad monkey, the fact that I have a HNC doesn’t seem to alter things status or wage wise

I’m thinking a total change may be the way to go, but what fields would be my best bet

I’ve thought about learning a programming language, like Java, or doing something in I.T.

Basically I want something that will give me enough prospects of a moderate wage in the future. Nothing astronomical, but around 40k

Any areas to look into or strictly avoid?

i would avoid programming unless you want to spend a few years getting poorly paid, unless you are really good and have a decent portfolio already don’t forget you will be competing with the 1000’s of IT grads for jobs as everyone thinks it’s where the easy money is.

I think people look at websites and apps and think ‘how hard can it be to learn?’.

The reason that developers are still relatively well paid is that what they do is complex and there’s only a small subset of the population that can do it – not through lack of training (all kids learn to code a bit at school now) but through lack of aptitude.

I don’t want to put you off but you’ll be giving away 20 years in terms of experience to your peers who are probably being paid what you’re looking to achieve. You’ll be competing with kids out of college who have a portfolio of ‘stuff they’ve done’ for the £15-£20k ‘starter jobs’ and who’ll be looking to spend 5-10 years getting to that sort of salary.

If it’s your dream then pursue it but I’d keep the current job until you have a very clear idea of whether a career as a developer is for you.

re: other IT jobs – I guess a lot of the above applies to those too.

In summary;

Best bet may be to get a job at a company that builds the type of software you use – either in support or testing. You can build your IT knowledge and then use that to move into a more technical role as time goes on. You have a skill that has value to them initially and that’s important to get the best role and pay that you can.

What about the BIM/Revit gravy train? I work for an engineering consultancy and have come across many CAD people who are now coining it in doing BIM stuff on contract.

If you want CAD work, your in huge demand..
If you know anything about Mobile Comms, and site design?- You can just about name your price… or if you can draw what we produce on surveys..

You should be able to make £40k as a CAD monkey. Are you employed or freelance? What software?

I’m kind of doing the same thing… trying to change career at (almost) 40, that is.

On Friday, I sat my first TEST in, well, almost 20 years. The other 11 candidates were probably early 20s. 😯 Bright, eager eyed, groomed and possibly quite capable. Plus, they obviously had way better memories of tests than me. Damn them all.

Changing career a tough old business. And it makes you feel old.

Retrain as a plumber or electrician. Find a niche market by building a reputation for turning up when you say you will and doing high quality work for good quality customers. You’ll never go hungry.
Rich.

Retrain as a plumber or electrician. Find a niche market by building a reputation for turning up when you say you will and doing high quality work for good quality customers. You’ll never go hungry.
Rich.

Easy to retrain, Rich? Out of interest, how long would it take? And how full up would the career changer be after the training period?

Becoming an electrician is relatively easy but the difficulty is more to do with gaining experience.

My background, ironically, is in IT, latterly as a Java Developer (which was a career change from Systems Analysis etc. as I got fed up talking pure bullsh*t and went back to my roots).

Having moved to West Wales there’s no IT jobs so I retrained as firstly a driving instructor (I had started this before quitting IT) and then as an electrician.

I was probably around 46 when I decided to become an electrician (almost 53 now).

I had a mate who was a sparky and I went to the local college with him and did the 2nd and 3rd years of the 3 year City and Guilds 2330 course. Another guy on the course and I decided to set up an electrical partnership and we registered with one of the governing bodies (NAPIT) who if I remember correctly only required us to have done the wiring regs. exam and to be on the 2330 course. We also needed to pass the Inspection and Test exams (C+G 2391) within 12 months of registering. We passed, but we know electricians who haven’t.

Steve and I were both reasonable DIY types and were quite academic – I have Maths, Physics and Geography “A” levels and a logical mind. We had no problems with the technical stuff, although there is a lot you don’t realise you don’t know. As we weren’t doing an apprenticeship it was very much a case of relying on each other to verify what we were doing and assuming you’re able to pick up the technical bits, this is going to be where your problem will be. I was extremely lucky to have a good bloke to work with, but if I’d have been on my own I would have struggled big time.

You’re not necessarily going to need to do college – NAPIT require 2330 (or the latter day equivalent) but will accept you if you underake a test of competency. This enables people with experience but no qualifications to become registered. You will however still have to do the wiring regs. exam.

You could teach yourself – there’s plenty of books to help – and then get yourself registered. Getting experience is the difficulty, but you could do small weekend jobs to build up your knowledge before going full time at it.

The reason I suggest electrician or plumber is that if you’ve got a trade, you’ll always have work. However, trades are generally very price sensitive and it’s sometimes difficult to make good money. Electricians are two a penny and to be able to command higher rates you need to differentiate your business somehow.

Where I live there is the “Pembrokeshire Promise” – it makes the Spanish mañana seem like a rush job. 9am Tuesday could be any month and often any year. The amount of people who said to us “…but you turned up!” was just phenomenal. Add in good customer service, specialism in green energy stuff, the ability to wire central heating systems – whatever it takes to be “Marks and Spencer” rather than “Lidl” and you can crank up the day rate.

I’ve stopped doing “electrical contractor” stuff now as I’m getting too old for crawling around lofts and breathing dust. I now specialise in Inspection and Test work and fault finding. I do a bit of easy domestic stuff but my circumstances mean I am only looking to do a couple of days work a week now at most.

If you’ve got any questions, I’d be pleased to talk it through with you on the phone.

Rich.

Nothing astronomical, but around 40k

That’s a jolly good wage that is!

My 2p worth…
I am 40 and quit from a lifeless job in vehicle diagnostic sales tech drudgery working for people who had no interest in me or developing me. So I took the plunge and a paycut and went back onto the tools and started working for a heating engineer mate at the beginning of June… It’s tough and very physical but the variation on the work is fantastic and the experience I am gaining is essential. Some of the courses you see advertised are not worth the paper they are printed on TBH you need to be hands on day to day.
Its a calculated risk and I have the support of my family and friends and the money will come but on the whole I am much happier and don’t work for people I resent in a dying industry.
Do it and Good luck.

Cheers Rich for the insight. I’m certainly going to look into this.

Retrain as a nurse.

Apparently we’re on the gravytrain for life.

How much Gravy’s on your train, exactly? Personally, I’d like lots of gravy.

Add a bit of engineering to your CAD – electrical or civils you’ll be printing money before long

I’d have a long hard look at where the money goes as well. Removing TV package, take always, booze, buying your lunch instead of home made, cut up credit card, never have an overdraft. Made a big difference to my cash flow. Not suggesting being a hermit but efficient money manager can help.

I would not go down the programming route personally unless you love it. While there is well paid work out there it is in particular niches, a lot of average programming is not that well paid unless you’re freelance. I’ve got a fair amount of experience and do engineering related programming, i.e. stuff most programmers can’t do because of the required subject knowledge and don’t get £40k.

If you don’t mind the CAD can you go freelance and offer some extra services to make a decent wage?

I’ve got HNC civil engineering, using autocad 2014, trained in 3D cad

Employed as staff by a company

I’ve not used revit or bim, but I was considering a revit course recently, although no idea how I’ll pay for courses

Don’t go out drinking, don’t eat out, basically working and at home and only just breaking even. Any unforseen expenditure (tyres for car etc) just aren’t possible and I can’t live like that the rest of my life

I have experience of structural, civil (drainage, roads etc), telecommunications (mobile phone installations), some architecture, sports stadiums, prisons, domestic properties

I would not do Java in your position, too much competition. Find out what well paid programming jobs are available in your area. Good SQL Development/Report writing jobs would give you what you are after and is a relatively simple logical language than anyone with an engineering background and the correct working attitude could become proficient inside a year.

SQL jobs seem to be in demand at the moment as it’s not seen as a ‘cool’ language and generally requires good people skills to deal with management as well the technical aptitude. These are things that an older, non-graduate will do well at as you’ll have well developed people skills. Also you can generally get a job with any background as it’s skills tested at interview but you will need to start with a ~£25k job.

I am biased as it is my field.

Get you CV out there, utilities contractors etc
Morrisons
Amey
Balfour Beatty
Carillion etc

They are always recruiting for designers/CAD techs cos good ones are like rocking horse doodoo. We were shipping lads over from India, not cos they were cheap but because we couldnt get any here.

If you’ve any managerial aptitude you’d be looking 50-60K in a couple of years.

I’ve not used revit or bim, but I was considering a revit course recently, although no idea how I’ll pay for courses

Try a monthly subscription to a online training provider such as lynda.com

I’d certainly consider freelancing with that skill set. £40k will be achievable. It’s a gamble as you won’t get a steady wage so will need to ride out the lulls but there’s plenty of work out there and good freelancers are in demand.

[Nothing astronomical, but around 40k

How some of us wish we could earn anyway near that…

Add some CAM skills to your portfolio. Delcam or Openmind or something along those lines. If you are good on CAD its a walk in the park to pick it up. Skills in short supply within aerospace subcontractors.

rich is about spot on i jumped ship at 43 60k company merc.. and trained as a gas enginner/ plumber

i paid a training company about 7.5k for a course/ exams, they put me with a local authority for work experience.

you need 40 weeks experience and a portfolio of evidence to be able to take the exams then you can apply for gas safe registration..

in reality most folks didnt get enough work in thier portfolio to be able to sit the exams only those of us with housing providors saw anywhere near enough work to qualify for the exams

i got a job straight away from my local authority that i trained with on the understanding that it wasnt my career choice but they did me a favour so i was doing them one. from that i started working contracts for them and became self employed

today i work when i want for who i want, i clear about 40k working very casually, a guy commited working 60hrs a week could easy do 80-100k if you had no scruples and charged the earth..

def the best days work i ever did leaving my old job

Veedub

where are you based we are always on the look out for decent technicians structural / civil engineering consultants but based on south coast

Nothing astronomical, but around 40k

How some of us wish we could earn anyway near that…

I went to a crap inner city school and got thrown out of college – still managed to be a programmer and at the height of a contracting career managed 90k which wasn’t top rates at the time.

Motivation an drive/determination play a big part TBH it’s not easy thou….

I left my corporate nonsense job about 3 years ago? ( voted as winner of worst job award on here about 5 years ago) to become a surveyor / engineer, again. It took my a few hours to get my head around GPS but the principles are the same.

Not looked back since but I don’t have as much time to ride my bike any more but I am healthier, wealthier and wiser (possibly). I’d certainly not go back.

I was 42 when I left.

Love surveying, producing surveys and drawings. Surveying is just drawing 1:1 scale after all. Setting out is a bit stressful but usually because consultants and designers drawings are riddled with mistakes and Numpty errors.

I had a series of rubbish sales jobs before I managed to make the change to IT jobs in my mid thirties.

Lots of study, lots of grief, quite a few shite times and a few lucky breaks and it’s all worked out brilliantly. Currently doing a bit of typing (in C#) and really enjoying it.

I’ve said it before, but every thing you need software wise is available on the net for free – legitimately – and pretty much all the training courses are out there for the same price.

Bog standard comprehensive education, O-Levels are my highest qualification. That doesn’t matter now – being able to read, write and communicate effectively are what matters now.

Good luck – it can be done.

Retrain as a plumber or electrician. Find a niche market by building a reputation for turning up when you say you will

You mean actually speak to customers? Unheard of.

I reckon any tradesman who could answer a phone, turn up to appointments and not treat customers like they are doing them a favour could do very well for themselves.

I reckon any tradesman who could answer a phone, turn up to appointments and not treat customers like they are doing them a favour could do very well for themselves.

Yep. Could do with knowing some of them…

And just remember, an extrovert programmer always stares at someone else’s shoes!

Cad monkey come electrical engineer here, also trying to get into the whole BIM thing. I have pretty much self taught revit but only used it on one live project. Would love to retrain as an architect but at 40 this is a huge and very expensive dream which just won’t happen.

DO IT !

Currently thinking about going back to doing electrical work myself, as that was my background, but spent a lot of years working in the Arts, which was really interesting but really ( really ) badly paid.

If you’re an intelligent guy with a technical mind and a work ethic, you’ll easily be able to pass all the exams, and yes, getting started will be difficult and some parts of the job can be dirty, but good trades are really, really hard to find. If you’re good, there is work to be had, especially if you want to do stuff like inspection and testing.

tod, 37.

.

I left my corporate nonsense job about 3 years ago? ( voted as winner of worst job award on here about 5 years ago) to become a surveyor / engineer, again. It took my a few hours to get my head around GPS but the principles are the same.

Now that sounds exactly like what I’m after. I did a fair job of pretending to be a landscape architect recently, which I enjoyed, but not sure it’s something I could make a career of – surveying has to be kind of similar in terms of the rewards, and I’d assume that with an engineering degree and a technical mind that might suit my skills rather better than landscape architecture.

So how do you get into that and what’s the job availability like?

(like many wanting to change career in my 40s I’m currently a software developer / IT geek).

I would not do Java in your position, too much competition. Find out what well paid programming jobs are available in your area. Good SQL Development/Report writing jobs would give you what you are after and is a relatively simple logical language than anyone with an engineering background and the correct working attitude could become proficient inside a year.

SQL jobs seem to be in demand at the moment as it’s not seen as a ‘cool’ language and generally requires good people skills to deal with management as well the technical aptitude. These are things that an older, non-graduate will do well at as you’ll have well developed people skills. Also you can generally get a job with any background as it’s skills tested at interview but you will need to start with a ~£25k job.

I’d second this. SQL is massively easier to learn than ‘proper’ programming and there is widespread demand. Also look at reporting tools like Tableau or Qlikview. Again they’re very easy to learn, in demand, and because they’re relatively new nobody can claim 10 years experience with them.

If you’re very mathematically inclined take a look at R. ‘Data scientists’ (like statisticians, but different) are in incredible demand right now, and there’s an easy way in if you’re talented and willing to work at it – enter some competitions on Kaggle. If you do well consistently you’ll build a reputation and start to get job offers. If you actually win one (impossibly difficult) you’d be looking at over £100k.

How much Gravy’s on your train, exactly? Personally, I’d like lots of gravy.

Not really much gravy in nursing.

Degree level occupation but you do get a bursary to study – Up to £4,395 per year whilst at University but you will be required to work some shifts even at this point and get loans/work elsewhere to top up the bursary.

Once qualified it’s around £21K rising in increments as you become more skilled and take on more duties/responsibilities, so in 7 years you’ll be on just under £28K.

Of course you can move into more senior positions to increase your earnings, although these will have an increasing managerial element and less actual nursing.

If you’re wanting £40K per annum then you need to be at Ward Manager level or above – this role pays £31K to start with rising to £40 with 8 years in the role.

With the revit, BIM training option, I worry that it could lead me to be in the same situation 5-10 years down the line

Do you think there’s enough life in that industry to see me to retirement?

I think in your 40’s it’s kind of getting to the last chance to make a decision…

Bim/ revit is big money now as the recession is over and everyone needs it. Just remember that everyone working is now learning it on the job so in five years it will be a standard skill and probably pretty badly paid. I don’t know this but I have 50 people sitting around me learning revit after using cad for the past 15 years…