Anyone changed career direction completely?

i was made redundant from the steel works, as soon as we new i was going to be redundant arranged myself training and now have a good growing buisness doing something i enjoy and with no gaffers to annoy me. it is tough bieng self employed but it is worth it knowing that you are in control.

throughout my training we were struggling and are still repaying some of the debts we incurred, the wife got a job after bieng at home with our daughter for 2 years. she works funny hours and i have no idea when i'll be home most days, childcare is expensive as all the grandparents work but what the hell i look forward to going to work, i do not have sick days(not that i used to have many before) and if i want a holiday or day off i just dont book work in for that day. and the highlight of bieng self employed is that you always get on with the boss!

For 15 years I worked in warehousing and never seemed to be going anywhere I would train people that would move above me within months! I eventually found out it was because I was so good at what I did they wouldnt promote me! I moved into a call centre (small one at the time) over the last 10 years or so I have worked in a number of call centres & again had the same problem I got refused promotion because I was too good at my job, last year I went back to that first call centre & I am now the quality manager best move I ever made x

Glad i saw this thread although its an old one, I'm looking to change completely but i dont know what to go in to, I want something that gives me control over my working hours and ive thought about the beauty industry but is the market already flooded out there?

Glad i saw this thread although its an old one, I'm looking to change completely but i dont know what to go in to, I want something that gives me control over my working hours and ive thought about the beauty industry but is the market already flooded out there?

Self employment will give you little control over your working hours.

Self employment will give you little control over your working hours.

Really?? if you are self employed you are doing it wrong:o work smarter not harder.

Really?? if you are self employed you are doing it wrong:o work smarter not harder.

Quite. But surely as a start up in a fairly crowded sector you can't afford to pick and choose your hours that much.

Give it a try!

I've been self-employed for 8 years after a successful career in big corporate organisations.

If I go back to my first ever job, a shop assistant at Cole Brothers in Sheffield, I'd have never thought for one moment that I'd be doing what I do now.

What I've learned is that you actually can't plan out a career path. Things change and you get washed along with the tide. But what you can do is try and swim in a different direction. Some do, others don't. They let themselves get washed up somewhere they don't want to be.

I've worked in several different industries, in different jobs, at many different levels.

Self-employment is probably the toughest thing I've ever done. It has its advantages, but its also very difficult and quite lonely at times, especially if you've been used to working in a big company.

The hours are not shorter, they're longer. But the difference is, you can choose what you do (usually). If you're smart you can also develop more than one income stream.

Most of us spend most of our lives working. So, if you aren't enjoying it, then change it. Otherwise you'll spend most of your life unhappy.

Unfortunately money binds a lot of us to doing things we don't really want to. But it is possible to break free from that. My advice is don't think in terms of "jobs". Think in terms of what sort of things will be interesting to you and make you happy. Then find a "job" that gives you some of those things. Not the other way round.

started in 1971 at The National Coal Board at Orgreave Pit, moved on to many years in steel rolling mills, then in mid 30s i went back to "school.   

+just retired after almost 25 years in education as teaching assistant, learning Mentor,  and working in special education in Lincolnshire for 11 years.   Now in Skeg by the sea....

enjoyed everything i have done and learned good lessons in industry that helped me in education.  

Over 25 years as in civil service to opening my own bar/restaurant a complete change in an area I had not previously worked in.  Business is in it's second year and is going well.  You have to take risks to follow your dreams, life is short.  Good luck.