Career change?

PGM

I've got to a milestone 1,000 posts! And as people often try and post something different...

I wondered how many people are or would consider a career change? I've often toyed with the idea of doing something exciting, some sort of family business, or just something to force me out of my comfort zone!

Has anyone else? Or is it a crazy idea for us to pack our calculators away

jilt

Oh PGM I think of packing my calculator away at least once every month! Something exiting yes, but without the headaches and hassles of accountancy.

Suppose I've had a change going from employment to self employment (well I'm half way there) but I think it may a bit late in the day for a complete career change.

AK002

I'm changing from Practice to Industry as of Monday.

Oh and moving from Glasgow > London, lol.

Craig9

I've found from the years I've been working (not many, 25 years old) that a lot of people seem to change career around the age of 30. I've seen folk go from Cashier to Uni to do I.T. and move from admin work to become a valeter. Is this the real mid-life crisis age?!

Monsoon

I do sort of fancy running a different business but accountancy is what I know, and nothing else has grabbed me.

So I'm scratching my entrepreneurial itch by running my business as a business with the end result of it earning me money by me not being the main technical fee earner. Having just taken on another accountant, I've taken another step towards it, but it's going to take a while. For a long time now I've wanted a business not a job, and now I really feel like I am getting there.

PS I'm 31, dont know if this counts Craig?!?! Wouldn't mind switching from Accountant to Wife-and-Mother at some point soon-ish!

Gem7321

I did it! I went from accounting to recruitment and now I'm back to accounting. And I'm only 21

Richard

Craig9 wrote: »

I've found from the years I've been working (not many, 25 years old) that a lot of people seem to change career around the age of 30. I've seen folk go from Cashier to Uni to do I.T. and move from admin work to become a valeter. Is this the real mid-life crisis age?!

I started AAT when I was 30, and got my first accounts job at 31!! Had worked in a bank from the age of 18.

guinea pig

career change?

Been there, done that, got lots of t-shirts!
I started my own retail business when my kids were small, and ran it successfully for 15 years, I didn't earn a fortune, but it gave me the flexibility that I needed. I then sold it just before the recession started, studied a bit, and got a job in finance. I am now half way through the AAT course. My job is very challenging, due to the cutbacks, but lots better than being a self-employed retailer in a recession. I think the key is to be flexible, and open to new ideas and training, as we live in such changing & challenging times.
GP

burg

I started by getting some basic bookkeeping training from my mumnat aroundbage 16. Seeing her do long hours as a newly self employed bookkeeper at the time made me look at other options. I left school not wanting to carry on for A-levels and studied pharmacy. I worked as a pharmacy technician for a few years before deciding it was too limiting as a career.

I started studying AAT (intermediate) at 21ish by which time already owning a house and having 2 kids. I sold my house (to fund my career change) and left to work in practice around 6 months later.

I left practice 2 years ago to run my own practice and be able to spend more time with my kids. Have managed all this and I'm not 26 until later this year.

I'm very happy running my own practice with my wife and wouldn't want to change the flexibility of working although I have a few ideas I would liken to have a dabble at.

anniem

At 42 this IS my career change!

Spent the first 24 years doing secretarial/admin earning peanuts, had my babies and done 20 years of voluntary work - 12 in the special constabulary, 8 in various school, playgroup treasury and now I'm having my career. I've played and had fun, now I need to knuckle down and hopefully it isn't too late.

Some people may think I've got it the wrong way around, but my 4 year old starts school in September, so things can only get easier now. (I Hope!)

Rinske

anniem wrote: »

Some people may think I've got it the wrong way around, but my 4 year old starts school in September, so things can only get easier now. (I Hope!)

I'd say you are doing it the right way around!

You got the important things sorted and now you're focussing on the career.

I suppose this was my career change as well, I started off in admin and payroll work and am now working in accounts and finance. I know it is not much of a change, but it's a change.

Still wondering if my bigger change will come though, it wouldn't suprise me either if I do give it all up and start in something completely different.

PGM

I do have an option to buy into a family business. Downside being I don't think it'll be particularly profitable, without a decent amount of work put in. Upside is it puts my eggs in more baskets, as the say..

I'd be happier with my own business like Monsoon etc, its really does spread your risk, as any one of your clients going under won't hurt you much. But when you work in industry, you're totally at risk of the effects in your sector.

deborahcarpenter

I spent the last 23 years in the motor trade as a service manager / workshop controller for a main Renault dealership and Mercedes Benz dealers and my career change was at 41, i moved into accounts last year!!!

taskey

i have always had to change my career as my hubby was in the forces and it was a matter of take any job as they are all paid the same. so i have varied from postal clerk, medical records clerk, receptionist etc.

about 4 years ago i took a job as a PA, but was bored, i mean really bored. making brews and booking hotels was not my ideal job. i worked with someone who was doing AAT and decided that was it for me. i then took a huge salary cut and worked in finance and have not regretted it.

as there are still no "proper" jobs in germany for me, i am doing AAT then CIMA, so when we eventually move back to the UK i will have enough qualifications to hopefully get a good job or even work for myself.

i am now 37 and i think i have done it at the right time, as my girls (11 and 16) are now old enough for me to be selfish in what i want. when they were younger i did fit everything around them and my hubbies job, but now it is my time to get what i want.

Tracy

PGM

taskey wrote: »

i have always had to change my career as my hubby was in the forces and it was a matter of take any job as they are all paid the same. so i have varied from postal clerk, medical records clerk, receptionist etc.

about 4 years ago i took a job as a PA, but was bored, i mean really bored. making brews and booking hotels was not my ideal job. i worked with someone who was doing AAT and decided that was it for me. i then took a huge salary cut and worked in finance and have not regretted it.

as there are still no "proper" jobs in germany for me, i am doing AAT then CIMA, so when we eventually move back to the UK i will have enough qualifications to hopefully get a good job or even work for myself.

i am now 37 and i think i have done it at the right time, as my girls (11 and 16) are now old enough for me to be selfish in what i want. when they were younger i did fit everything around them and my hubbies job, but now it is my time to get what i want.

Tracy

Hope the forces pay enough to take into account the effect it has on your career, not being settled in any location for long.

taskey

oh you do make me laugh!!!!!

no the pay is pathetic really - but hubby's job does come with a house, a car and a schooling allowance - so not too bad

annefreeman

face painting and accounts.........................couldnt be more different

kazflan

I have been in dilemma for months as to the career path I wish to follow. At 47 I have a good job in finance and had hoped to carry on with CIMA or ACCA. I was originally advised to follow CIMA ( which I did ) after completing my AAT studies but due factors I had to give up during the first year. That was back in 2004. One thing led to another and after relocating several times I am now in a position to start to study again. I prefer ACCA to CIMA but now feel too old to start studying as I have left it too long. I would love to take on work for myself and do book keeping and accounts for others but have lost the confidence i once had to do taxes. My dilemma is do I spend the next X amount of years studying for chartership and will it actually be of any benefit to me, or do I build on the knowledge I have and enhance in the areas I deal with. I have seen that many people are gearing towards ATT, I have not had to deal with taxes for a long time but maybe that will be the starting point for me.
Sorry for such a long winded discussion but feel at a loss at the moment. Any advice would be most welcome

burg

Kazflan,

I think you seem to have made up your mind anyway. I would agree with doing ATT and starting your own practice. Why not do a refresher course on tax to bring you up to speed generally. Then start your ATT once you have a bit of your confidence back.

Best of luck

kazflan

Thanks for your response. I know this will sound silly but any advice on the best way forward with a refresher course.

Regards

Karen

Amie1977

Well I hope this will be my career change! I am currently in Admin and although I have dabbled in minor accounts I am now studying AAT - completed Level 2 and hoping to move on to Level 3 when I can afford it (hubby just made redundant) but in the meantime I have ordered the Level 3 books from Amazon so at least I can start studying Level 3 without having to pay the Taining providers fee until I am ready to. At 34 next month I think this is it for me - now or never!!

pirate

I'm 47 and 6 years ago changed career from being in sales in IT software to running my own business in a completely different field.
Despite working quite long hours when working for myself it was amazingly less stressful than the job I had had in IT which was really demanding on my time, quite scary (lots of board level work for major corps) and involved lots of travel to EMEA and the US. Although I didn't earn anything like what I earned in IT (IT being really highly paid at that time) it was fairly decent and not to be scoffed at and on top of that I really enjoyed it.
During my time in working for myself I did all the accounts and found I really enjoyed it which prompted me to start studying accounts 2 years ago with the plan to eventually running my own practice. Almost there now
A friend of mine who was a really sucessful area manager for Nationwide BS decided that she wanted to do charity work and left her really well paid job for a year out in Angola, where she worked with Land Mine victims, she learnt to speak Portuguese and also her project management and general leadership type skills came in quite handy in the building of schools and so on. When she came back to the UK she worked for various charities and now works for the NSPCC. Still not paid as much but she is totally fulfilled.
Thats one of the key things for me, I sort of fell into IT after University and worked my way up earnt good money but am much more fulfilled now and more confident.

Makkusu

I wouldn't mind working as Chef for at least a small period of my life, very passionate about food and cooking (no I'm not fat). Perhaps one day I can open a cosy little restaurant along the beach and serve some nice food.