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[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

This is an oddly serious post for me, something to do with a long day, insomnia, and a general ennui...

If at any point I sound bigheaded, please forgive me, I don't mean to. There is a summary at the bottom...

I'm 27 (just gone, though I maintain I'm only 21...). I did my GCSEs at 16 (as was the fashion among schoolkids) and did pretty well, As in Maths and English, a double B in Engineering, etc. I do seem to have inherited my (late) father's brain for maths and similar. However, I had a couple of bad years (lost my dad when I was 16, though I'm not a particularly emotional person, and we weren't close, it kind of shook everything up in my life, as you'd expect. I must stress I'm not blaming that or looking for excuses.). Added to the fact I was very immature, the typical "weird kid", etc, etc. I don't know why, but I found academia incredibly boring. Is it bigheaded to say that I wasn't challenged enough? If so I don't mean it to be, but my school had to cater for everyone from the absolute high fliers (by best mate at infant and junior school, now doing something incredibly clever)... down to the chavs who had to hold onto each others belts to find their way to detention...
 I then went to college, on a course that was sold to me as being brilliant, cogs and mechanical bits and oil and the things I actually have a passion for. Ended up doing mainly electrical, which the handful of members who know me in real life will testify, I find utterly insipid. Since I was fully in my "rebellious dick of a bolshy teenager" phase, I ended up quitting. Bad decision. Done, past.

 After a year on a mechanics apprenticeship, culminating in getting sacked because when I qualified, I would have cost too much to employ, I stupidly didn't put it to any good use. Ended up working for a well-known catalogue retailer for a few years, applied for the forces, knackered my knee, withdrew said application. Got a job working on the buses (shoosh your lips). Trained my little socks off, reapplied for the forces, aced the selction, got in... four weeks in, knackered my knee again. "You've had problems with your knee before, haven't you Gastro?" "Yes sir" "There's your train ticket, goodbye". Weekend of drinking myself into oblivion, time to crack on with life... got my old job back on the buses. 18 months on, here I am.

MrsGK is looking for new work, she's of an engineering background (funnily enough, we first met on the same college course...). I've been doing a bit of Googleboxing to see whats around for her, and things keep jumping out at me. For example, civil engineering, in highways and such like. I did my work experience in a civil engineering place, and I've got an NVQ3 in CAD (might need a refresher, mind you...)... and the money is far better than I'm on now.

 I'm just wondering what path to take. Career progression in my job is limited, and it's pretty much a case of dead mans shoes - which is a shame, because I do enjoy taking my newbies out and getting them up to speed... I just think that I'm capable of much more. I might have to suck it up and find a way of dealing with the boredom of learning... should I start looking at night classes to do my A-levels? Or is there an Open University type thing that will let me fit it around my frankly ridiculous work schedule? I need the A-level or equivalent before I can totally fry my brain and do something degree-level - I'm thinking maths and physics would be a good place to start?

(For anyone that has an attention span like mine - bored of my current job and want to use my brain which isn't bad at maths. Even though it spends most of the day adding £1.20s onto £2.65s while being sworn at. Think A-levels in something mathsy are the way to go. Help!)

[Vamps]

It's never to late to change, it's finding the opportunity ime.

I left school at 15, followed by some years in the Navy, Engineering and Sales, of which I was considered very successful, but not getting 'something' out of my work.

At a little older than you, about 29 I was in the position to take a total change in career, and a considerable drop in salary, I was 39 when I went to University to qualify in what I now do, it was an ' if you can't beat them then join them to change the system' I was still so naive.......   Now, whilst I love my job there are days when it is the worst in the world and I have been very close to taking early retirement a number of times this year.......

Have I bettered my self? I wasn't wrong in the first place, am I happier, yes, have I been more successful financially then probably not, assuming I was still in work.......

[05omegav6]

I wonder about this myself... there are things I would like to do but which are little more than dreams currently.

The only things that stopped me were/are a handful of stupid decisions and a total lack of self belief

Vamps' post is reassuring, I've just turned 38

Re opportunities, they're more often than not obscure and often of your own making, so keep your eyes peeled

[05omegav6]

Why do you know it all?Can you explain everything for me?

42

[omegod]

I've been pondering similar lately after taking vol redundancy in a field I was burnt out in, I've been looking round and can't pin a career down so am going back into my old field in a lower paid/less pressured role to pay the bills for the next 6 months and with wifeys support will either go into freelance training which pays very well, circa £500 per day minimum or am going to open my own breakers business. A combination of the two will most likely happen for a year or two to fund the yard and get it up and running. I'm fed up of working for others basically and don't know where the last 10 yrs have gone tbh, seems like I've wasted them really. I'm 39 btw!

Best of luck with whichever path you choose

[aaronjb]

a total lack of self belief

Yup.. in order to better yourself that's really all you need to leave behind.

.. and if I ever figure out how, I'll let you know!

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

This is an oddly serious post for me, something to do with a long day, insomnia, and a general ennui...

If at any point I sound bigheaded, please forgive me, I don't mean to. There is a summary at the bottom...

I'm 27 (just gone, though I maintain I'm only 21...). I did my GCSEs at 16 (as was the fashion among schoolkids) and did pretty well, As in Maths and English, a double B in Engineering, etc. I do seem to have inherited my (late) father's brain for maths and similar. However, I had a couple of bad years (lost my dad when I was 16, though I'm not a particularly emotional person, and we weren't close, it kind of shook everything up in my life, as you'd expect. I must stress I'm not blaming that or looking for excuses.). Added to the fact I was very immature, the typical "weird kid", etc, etc. I don't know why, but I found academia incredibly boring. Is it bigheaded to say that I wasn't challenged enough? If so I don't mean it to be, but my school had to cater for everyone from the absolute high fliers (by best mate at infant and junior school, now doing something incredibly clever)... down to the chavs who had to hold onto each others belts to find their way to detention...
 I then went to college, on a course that was sold to me as being brilliant, cogs and mechanical bits and oil and the things I actually have a passion for. Ended up doing mainly electrical, which the handful of members who know me in real life will testify, I find utterly insipid. Since I was fully in my "rebellious dick of a bolshy teenager" phase, I ended up quitting. Bad decision. Done, past.

 After a year on a mechanics apprenticeship, culminating in getting sacked because when I qualified, I would have cost too much to employ, I stupidly didn't put it to any good use. Ended up working for a well-known catalogue retailer for a few years, applied for the forces, knackered my knee, withdrew said application. Got a job working on the buses (shoosh your lips). Trained my little socks off, reapplied for the forces, aced the selction, got in... four weeks in, knackered my knee again. "You've had problems with your knee before, haven't you Gastro?" "Yes sir" "There's your train ticket, goodbye". Weekend of drinking myself into oblivion, time to crack on with life... got my old job back on the buses. 18 months on, here I am.

MrsGK is looking for new work, she's of an engineering background (funnily enough, we first met on the same college course...). I've been doing a bit of Googleboxing to see whats around for her, and things keep jumping out at me. For example, civil engineering, in highways and such like. I did my work experience in a civil engineering place, and I've got an NVQ3 in CAD (might need a refresher, mind you...)... and the money is far better than I'm on now.

 I'm just wondering what path to take. Career progression in my job is limited, and it's pretty much a case of dead mans shoes - which is a shame, because I do enjoy taking my newbies out and getting them up to speed... I just think that I'm capable of much more. I might have to suck it up and find a way of dealing with the boredom of learning... should I start looking at night classes to do my A-levels? Or is there an Open University type thing that will let me fit it around my frankly ridiculous work schedule? I need the A-level or equivalent before I can totally fry my brain and do something degree-level - I'm thinking maths and physics would be a good place to start?

(For anyone that has an attention span like mine - bored of my current job and want to use my brain which isn't bad at maths. Even though it spends most of the day adding £1.20s onto £2.65s while being sworn at. Think A-levels in something mathsy are the way to go. Help!)

You sound like a man who should work for himself. Think outside of the box ........think the unthinkable.Taking  A-levels at your age is a waste of time in my opinion.

To be honest the only thing I was any good at in my teens and twenties was getting into trouble and making girls pregnant. I was a crazy kid but I can't say that a regret single moment. Back then I mixed with the wrong people. They were fun though.

You are clearly intelligent and articulate. You'll figure it out.

[05omegav6]

a total lack of self belief

Yup.. in order to better yourself that's really all you need to leave behind.

.. and if I ever figure out how, I'll let you know!

I'll take some reassurance, if I may, that it's not just me then

[Webby the Bear]

Yeah I reckon working for yourself.

If you love motors and are constantly working on them set up your own business

[omega3000]

Yeah I reckon working for yourself.

If you love motors and are constantly working on them set up your own business

Thats still my dream albeit a little slower  Live your dream before its too late 

[taitinson]

I'm 45 and after 25 years of working in the same industry have had enough of it.
Self belief has been my hesitation for not doing it earlier, and have now bitten the bullet and handed in my notice, to be able to work for myself.
So i am sure i will be badgering the learned members amongst us for help and advice along the way.

[Marks DTM Calib]

To get anywhere in (proper) Engineering you will need a degree so you need to decide what field to go into and how long you want to spend training.

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

Thanks all - will post more once I'm on a PC, I'm not just being ignorant...