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Ok, its a sob story we have all heard daily, hate my job, etc etc. Well im in that train of thought now 🙁 I cant complain too much, 1st world problems and all that, I have a good job that pays me well (over 40k but below 50). Its many people's dream job. I work away/ abroad every week, fixing satellite communication systems on ships. But that's the problem. I have a young family who miss their daddy. A mortgage etc etc. I have spent the last 5 years looking for a job in the west midlands so I can have a normal 9 to 5 job and go to my own house at night, but my skills are so specific, that their are no jobs in my current line of work.
I can't move because my lad has issues that require alot of family support ( the reason we moved back close to family when he was born).
anyway, have any of you who have been in a similar situation to me said to hell with it and followed your dreams. As in set up a business, gone of your own and taken a risk. Those of you whose family depend on your income, have a fair mortgage and all that.
I know whoever you are, and whatever your circumstances its a tough call to totally change and risk it all on changing, but as a 39 yr old family man I dont want to risk the roof over my families head. But it may work out. Ahhhhhh
Apologies for the drunken ramblings/speaking out loud. But I know that just occasionally; some good advice is dispelled on here 😉
as a 39 yr old family man I dont want to risk the roof over my families head. But it may work out.
In my opinion, that's the key.
How big is your 'risk appetite'?
Good luck whatever.
Is there an option (can you afford) to reduce your hours to spend more time at home?
geologist?
tough to do with a family but an msc conversion course get you into the oil industry
Well the good news is you already have a mortgage, so as long as you keep paying it, nobody has to know you've chucked your job in (that's how I played it anyway). Bad news (only if it really has to be bad) is that you have quite a bit of financial and familial responsibility now, so risk taking becomes, well, riskier. So, yeah, go for it, you can't buy time with your little ones and wife. Maybe cut back for a while, see how little you can live on, put some savings aside as a cushion so bills can be paid and then go for it.
So in short, go for it, but prepare first.
well lets start by saying if you earn between 40 and 50, you're a pauper by stw standards. Some of these guys have audi quatros!!!
You don't really say what your skills are. IP/Sat/networking?
You can get good money onshore being a network engineer, tried that?
The only thing that is going to make things hard is having to stay in the West Midlands...
Houses can be rented out, people moved.
My change was moving to Oz, stopping all of the tings in the UK that we were subscribed to and resetting it all when we got here (both now working part time)
However not an option for you so... Bank everything you can short term to get yourself a buffer if required. Broaden your horizons, I've never really ever got a job I was qualified for but got jobs based on the skills I had and picked up the rest.
but my skills are so specific, that their are no jobs in my current line of work.
Make a list of what your skills are, basically a CV but without mentioning what you actually technically do. You will have a lot of transferable skills just when you get to a specialist position it's hard to see the step backwards.
Speak to the [s]devil[/s] recruitment people and get the ball rolling. Pray for redundancy perhaps.
Is there any work for you [s]outside this rubbish country[/s] in another country which would pay decent money and enable you to have a good family life together?
I cant really reduce my hours, when a ships comms fail I get called out, hour reducing cant be done really in that situation. Its in my terms and conditions. The trouble is ships break down daily.
Working offshore means im still away from home, which is what im trying to achieve. I must sound like a right whinger to some, but its driving me mad.
Thanks for the suggestions anyhow:)
I agree, its the west midlands living that is the factor restricting me. Untill my lad is older we cant move from family support.
if anyone is looking, my skills are mainly rf, satellite comms integration, antenna control, high power amps, block converter, that sort of thing. Im also ccnp, so all round comms guru really 😉
the name geologist comes from that the fact I did engineering geology at uni, and still have an interest in geology. Its a long story how I got into what is electronics essentially 🙂
Working offshore means im still away from home, which is what im trying to achieve. I must sound like a right whinger to some, but its driving me mad.
Not at all, I spent probably 10 of the last 14 years travelling for work to some degree and it's a pain. Good money too but sometimes it gets tough. The only thing is it can be a bit addictive (I still travel just not as much)
The other options are to look up in your own organisation, find a way to get into management rather than ground work, might be able to reduce your travel that way (not get rid but it could be a start)
I was in a similar position 18 months ago working for a bio-tech company as a commissioning engineer/ validation engineer.I ended up moving into technical sales where I could transfer my existing skills. Sales has given me much more flexibility and the long stints away has reduced to the odd day each month.
I need to to do something totally different. My companies office is in Stevenage, I live in ludlow. Even an internal transfer to a desk job would mean being away mon to fri still.
I have an idea about setting up my own business ( kiddies play barn ). Im just lacking the balls to go for it I think. My wife had said she would support me, so no issues there.
I left a job paying £40k in the late 90's with no idea what I was going to do. 2 kids and wife with no income. Best thing we ever did, the situation made us work our tits off to start a new business. Sold it years later and ended up on a £100k salary, lasted 1 year then walked out of that job wrote a couple of cycling books then set up a new company, currently on about £10k. Point is that its down to YOU and your attitude, if you have the right one you will survive? if not you're ****ed. Look long and hard at yourself and talk to your wife, if you have the right drive and attitude then your kids barn will fly and you should do it.
I have the perfect solution.
I pretend to be you and go and work offshore, you stay at home with the kids. Split your salary 50/50...
Only slight issue is you will have to teach me everything about your job as I have no relevant skills.