Im falling apart!!!

[BillyTheSparks]

I'm only 29 but I don't know how much longer I can go on with this job.

The reason being that my knees are knackered, my back is shot, I keep getting stress related migraines; due to trying to get money in and customers with their job being the most important thing in the world. (I know that the customers are important, and they are concerned about thier job, but no-one seems to understand that I have other jobs to do).

I just wondered if anyone knows what else I can do with the qualifications I have (NVQ L3, 17th update, PAT testing, I tried the 2391 before it change to 2 seperated exams, but didn't pass the written part); which doesn't involve site work or getting down on knees lifting too much etc. I do love my job and I'm not a slacker in any way, but I don't know how much longer my body will hold out!

I've been thinking maybe electrical drawing/CAD. I've thought about teaching electrical theory/practical.

Any ideas would be great

Thanks for reading

Billy

 

[Sintra]

Supervisory roles for large contracts are not an easy way out by all means. You might not have too do as much physical work but the stress of running a large job can put many a man down. You will find that at times you can not shut yourself off from work and your brain is constantly on the go.

Also to get a supervisory role with a contractor i would reckon they would want someone with a proven track record, most firms i think would be inclined to bring guys up through the ranks rather than brining a man in at the top.

 

[Paul.M]

what ticket do you need to do the sparky teaching then ?

The C&G 7303, here's a link City & Guilds 7303 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS). Not rocket science compared to the technical information we have to know to carry out our jobs. Have a read and see what you think but getting work as a tutor is not as easy as you may think. A lot of sparks just like us trying to go down the same route.

 

[truckster]

Mogadon / Prozac, you can’t beat it!

Prozac/Nicotine=Protein

 

[BillyTheSparks]

How about working for one of the part P organisations to assess/visit potential sparks and see if they're up to scratch?

 

[vaughant]

Hi mate,if you think your up to it technically,as it`s a very different ball game,then I`d suggest becoming a factory/industrial electrician as it would be very unlikely you`ll be doing a massive amount of "on your knees " stuff,you get your pay every week or month without fail,GENERALLY ok working conditions,usually a chance of overtime/promotion etc.
Also,with your domestic experience you can get a lot of hobble`s or "homers" as their called in Scotland to boost your pay if you want to boost your wages a bit.
I`ve done it for the last 16 years bar a a 2 year spell mixed with running my own firm (non electrical) and 6 months "official" unemployment,I`ve done very well out of it,I`m 35,live in a 4 bed house in a nice part of town and my house will be paid off in 7 years,we`ve been on great holidays,driven/own decent cars and generally been able to live my life to the full,my only regret was my own business and the money I lost through it,I took my eye off the ball and ended up doing something that I wasn`t that experienced in and got shafted,I`ve just got back into my old game of control sparking in March and I reckon I`m doing ok so far,it`s like riding a bike really!!!

I`m not sure of your background but if you haven`t done any control stuff before it`s a very different animal to domestic,but the same fault finding principles apply,I can give you as much help with buzzwords etc as you need.

I`ve been told in general that when the goings good,the domestic lads can earn a fortune but it`s quite a seasonal thing and it sound`s to me that your generally a bit fed up with it all and if your struggling for work in the South East of England then you can imagine how hard it is in the South of Wales where I come from,hence I`ve moved 600 miles away to get a decent job in Aberdeen,loads of work up here for you mind?

It won`t do you any harm to get a bit of industrial work under your belt anyway and if the domestic game picks up then of course you can always go back in as a supervisor etc to save the old bodywork!!!

 

[Doomed]

So would you do it again, if given the choice?
Or perhaps a waste of time?

I have a ONC and a degree and I'm back on the tools - life is one big adventure!

 

[topquark]

You could try for something like a quantity surveyor in one of the bigger electrical contracting firms. But at the end of the day it's a desk job and will do your nut in after a while

 

[jase]

If you have your CIS and CSCS then just get on site as a subbie, It.s not as physical as you are on site as part of a crew of blokes so the workload is shared, i.ve been doing it 11 yrs now and am trying to get out and go it alone as the H+S is killing it, 8 hours a day dressed in hi vis, boots, goggles, gloves, and sometimes mask, also seem to spend more time moving scaffold towers around these days than actually doing anything!! Billy i am too in Tring and havent long set up myself, so could do with a few starts, if you wanna share the work load sometime give us a call!! lol, - Home