anyone learnt a trade later in life?

[exposed]

Im pretty fed up of my IT job, sure the salary is pretty good but i'd rather just get the politics and boredom gone.

Being 45 isn't the best time i guess to do something new, but I do have a collection of tools and machines, enjoy woodwork and making stuff. was thinking something along the lines of joinery or possibly decorating as i have an unhealthy obsession with spraying.

Has anyone done this? my big concern is paying my bills, the salaries advertised are IT level, but i do see a lot of tradesmen driving shiny new cars which leads me to question that (i'm not into cars)

what would be the best route to get into a trade at my age?

cheers

 

[crystal ball]

I know two guys who were boffins set up a furniture making business, does ok but nothing spectacular

 

[Wayners]

Start working doing jobs in your spare time. Join forums and watch YouTube and get going. As for money it's not great and I've always worked 55+ hours a week with no benefits like holiday pay or pension. Grass ain't greener but if its what you want to do have ago.

 

[durhamplumber]

Im pretty fed up of my IT job

What exactly do you do each day?... Everyone gets sick of their job and suffers grass is greener syndrome.But if you have a passion for something try not to let age stop you..The support and understanding of a partner makes all the difference.

 

[Diver Fred]

Well woodwork covers a mulitude and more of skills and products. If it is your hobby at present then expand on what you do for now - e.g. if you are making jewelry boxes start to make coffee tables and sell those on-line or at boot sales.
If you've done some interior woodwork learn what is needed to do second fix.
If you are serious - find a college that does Day Release woodwork of the type that interests you and sign up for that.

Decorating is a job many people progress into (at least 2 people I worked with at my last employers did so - 1 is back in his original trade as he couldn't make it pay).

Try making the the job out and pay in the first place - cut your working week down to 3 days per week and then 2/3 days on the new trade. When you think you can make it pay then go full time.

As for people driving shiny new cars - it's called PCP so they don't own them.

Lots of info on utoob.

 

[exposed]

What exactly do you do each day?... Everyone gets sick of their job and suffers grass is greener syndrome.But if you have a passion for something try not to let age stop you..The support and understanding of a partner makes all the difference.

I work with large network storage systems by the likes of EMC and Netapp. my day generally consists of walking downstairs and logging in to the systems, zoom meetings, ticketing systems. I am now a permanent remote worker so going outside is optional. it all sounds great but there's a lot of boredom, background politics, management nonsense like every corporate i suppose.

A couple of people I have spoken to who jumped the office ship to become handy-people? handymen? have never looked back, they are much happier.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I'm in a similar-ish position, slightly older than you, work in IT, decent enough salary & pension but I feel as though I need a change. Unlike you however I don't have something else I'm driven to do

As touched on by Wayners, I'd suggest dipping your toe first. I used to have a work colleague and when he was in his early 50's he put himself through various courses to obtain relevant electrician accreditations. Note he'd always been interested in this field and had a background in electrical engineering from his earlier days, so it wasn't something he just plucked out of thin air. He started doing jobs 'on the side' sometimes for other work colleagues and started to build his name and reputation that way. Eventually, aged middle 50's, he left his employment and set up as a sole trader electrician. However, bear in mind he had 30+ years of work behind him and pensions from his various employed roles before he went for it, mortgage also possibly paid off although I'm just surmising on that point.

You need to weigh the whole thing up. Unfortunately as we go through life, we often get 'trapped' by responsibilities such as mortgage payments, maybe having a decent salary and pension, family responsibilities etc. If you feel the need to change paths and it's not just a whim, I say go for it ... but cautiously. And don't give up your current job at least initially just in case things don't work out as planned.

 

[Brigade77]

I like watching those YooToob vids of folk who gave it all up to collect driftwood & turn it into £10,000 sculptures or furniture art.

Deep down in my semi-sub-conscious, I desperately try to keep my firm grip on reality that tells me it's just a way of generating YooToob views & the actual reality of giving it all up to live in a £3/4 million beach front property that enjoys a regular supply of driftwood that can be turned into £10,000 objet D'art is just pure & utter ******.

I enjoyed 3x very lucrative careers, each inextricably linked, yet somehow totally different to its predecessor. Be VERY careful about that which you wish for. If you feel your life is **** in this job, then changing jobs won't make your life any less ****.

 

[exposed]

Well woodwork covers a mulitude and more of skills and products. If it is your hobby at present then expand on what you do for now - e.g. if you are making jewelry boxes start to make coffee tables and sell those on-line or at boot sales.
If you've done some interior woodwork learn what is needed to do second fix.
If you are serious - find a college that does Day Release woodwork of the type that interests you and sign up for that.

Decorating is a job many people progress into (at least 2 people I worked with at my last employers did so - 1 is back in his original trade as he couldn't make it pay).

Try making the the job out and pay in the first place - cut your working week down to 3 days per week and then 2/3 days on the new trade. When you think you can make it pay then go full time.

As for people driving shiny new cars - it's called PCP so they don't own them.

Lots of info on utoob.

I think thats my plan, I recently moved house and theres some projects i want to look at, I have built a number of coffee tables and boxes but it made me realise im more interested in built ins and interior joinery.

 

[exposed]

I'm in a similar-ish position, slightly older than you, work in IT, decent enough salary & pension but I feel as though I need a change. Unlike you however I don't have something else I'm driven to do

As touched on by Wayners, I'd suggest dipping your toe first. I used to have a work colleague and when he was in his early 50's he put himself through various courses to obtain relevant electrician accreditations. Note he'd always been interested in this field and had a background in electrical engineering from his earlier days, so it wasn't something he just plucked out of thin air. He started doing jobs 'on the side' sometimes for other work colleagues and started to build his name and reputation that way. Eventually, aged middle 50's, he left his employment and set up as a sole trader electrician. However, bear in mind he had 30+ years of work behind him and pensions from his various employed roles before he went for it, mortgage also possibly paid off although I'm just surmising on that point.

You need to weigh the whole thing up. Unfortunately as we go through life, we often get 'trapped' by responsibilities such as mortgage payments, maybe having a decent salary and pension, family responsibilities etc. If you feel the need to change paths and it's not just a whim, I say go for it ... but cautiously. And don't give up your current job at least initially just in case things don't work out as planned.

Indeed, I have no intention of just switching off my current job, i think i will just dip the toe and try and get some local jobs and see how it goes.

 

[exposed]

I like watching those YooToob vids of folk who gave it all up to collect driftwood & turn it into £10,000 sculptures or furniture art.

Deep down in my semi-sub-conscious, I desperately try to keep my firm grip on reality that tells me it's just a way of generating YooToob views & the actual reality of giving it all up to live in a £3/4 million beach front property that enjoys a regular supply of driftwood that can be turned into £10,000 objet D'art is just pure & utter ******.

I enjoyed 3x very lucrative careers, each inextricably linked, yet somehow totally different to its predecessor. Be VERY careful about that which you wish for. If you feel your life is **** in this job, then changing jobs won't make your life any less ****.

We like watching "Sarah the odd" as we call her on money for nothing and it's just like morbid curiosity, the level of detail and care in many cases is shocking to me....and yet they make a lot of cash from this crap.....or is it just TV magic?

I dont feel like life is sh*t so much as work is boring and now sadly political, and if i have the tools and some competence, why not try something new and make a bit of extra cash doing something that interests me? if i can turn it into something more thats more fulfilling that would be great....im not going to know unless i give it a whirl though.

 

[JohnD]

We like watching "Sarah the odd" as we call her on money for nothing and it's just like morbid curiosity, the level of detail and care in many cases is shocking to me....and yet they make a lot of cash from this crap.....or is it just TV magic?

some people make a fortune out of buying a lottery ticket

this should not lead you to suppose that you will do the same.

 

[exposed]

some people make a fortune out of buying a lottery ticket

this should not lead you to suppose that you will do the same.

oh i have no intention of that, we watch it purely for gasp factor.

 

[durhamplumber]

couple of people I have spoken to who jumped the office ship to become handy-people? handymen? have never looked back, they are much happier.

I am 57.Have been self employed for 20years...unhappiness in a job is a big cause of stress but so are financial worries.. Partners sometimes do not stay around when the money drys up..I went to work for years with pains in my chest,my jaw ached with the desire to cry.. and depression.I was a nervous wreck..Eventually I walked away and thought fuk the finances.....I have been skint for years..had years of CSA shte . Divorce .. Everyone is different..With hindsight it is best thing I ever did...Life is bloody hard at times..But can be so wonderful..I also went off to Florida to learn to fly planes.Sailed the Atlantic both ways...Luv cycle touring now. Get out and follow your heart is my advice...Everyone falls down....Keep getting back up.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

We like watching "Sarah the odd" as we call her on money for nothing and it's just like morbid curiosity, the level of detail and care in many cases is shocking to me....and yet they make a lot of cash from this crap.....or is it just TV magic?

I dont feel like life is sh*t so much as work is boring and now sadly political, and if i have the tools and some competence, why not try something new and make a bit of extra cash doing something that interests me? if i can turn it into something more thats more fulfilling that would be great....im not going to know unless i give it a whirl though.

I share your pain on that one. The cliched term that possibly (at least in part) describes what you're going through is mid life crisis, certainly I think that of myself. You're neither young nor old and find yourself reassessing what you're doing with your life.

You're right in saying you won't know until your try. Without getting all deep and meaningful, your next decade marker is 50. What you need to determine is are you content to trundle along as is for the remainder of your working life, getting to retirement and thinking 'well that wasn't bad.' If you're not content, then definitely give it a go. We get one shot at this thing they call life etc etc.