Which way now???

[Gringoking88]

Hi all,

I am hoping for a little direction during my mid life crisis lol!

Let me tell you guys and girls little about me; 36 years old, living in South West London, always worked in retail (mainly food but also DIY) in different roles all management, currently earning around 40k. I have completed a domestic installers course, got my 17th edition (latest), completed building regs City and Guilds and am now registered with NICEIC as a domestic installer. For the last year I have also been working with a local electrician on my days off probably about every other week to gain practical experience, however, I do find this to be of limited benefit as I tend to do a lot of chasing and repetitive tasks rather than actual learning, I do understand however that there needs to be a fair balance!

I have worked hard in my retail career and have achieved the salary I have because of this, however, retail is becoming more and more demanding e.g. working conditions, working hours and physical demands, I am also a little concerned about the sustainability of high street retail given the huge movement towards online shopping (including food), hence why I am now trying to move across to being an electrician. I have always wanted to learn a trade and the idea of building / fixing things / working for myself has always appealed.

What I am after is any advice from you guys / organisations about a direction that would be suitable for someone in my circumstances? I don't mind doing evening / weekend courses etc (if need be) but what I can't afford to do is take a huge pay cut. Is there a way I can gain the experience / qualifications I would need whilst maintaining a reasonable salary?

Any advice would be great!!!

Thanks again,

Martin

 

[Andy78]

All I can say is that if you rely on having most of your £40k salary, then starting up as self employed electrician is going to be a huge financial shock for you.

Employed won't be much better as salaries are usually awarded on qualification and experience levels.

 

[haptism]

"what I can't afford to do is take a huge pay cut". Your earning £40K, and want to change career at 36

Are you having a laugh

 

[hightower]

Got to say, the pay cut is something I've least been looking forward to in my near future transition, but something that has to be done never the less. Start at the bottom and work my way up, unless you know a mate of a mate there's no other way to it.

 

[Adam W]

Despite what a lot of people seem to assume, there's more to being an electrician than tightening screws onto 3 wires. Trying to break into a new trade at the age of 36 will be even harder. Trying to do it all part time will be harder still. I don't know many experienced electricians earning 40k, never mind part time trainee ones in their mid 30s.

Any talk of a 'massive skills crisis' you may have heard in the press is exaggerated - what the media mean is they think too many people are going into the media while at the same time a shortage of trades apprenticeships; there has never been any shortage of people wanting to fast track into a lucrative career driving around in a van with their name on it.

It sounds like you need to be more realistic about what starting again will involve. I say 'start again' because I can't imagine there are many transferable skills to be gained from working in a shop, in fact in my experience anyone who has previously worked in management is much harder to try to teach.

 

[PEG]

Hi all,

I am hoping for a little direction during my mid life crisis lol!

Let me tell you guys and girls little about me; 36 years old, living in South West London, always worked in retail (mainly food but also DIY) in different roles all management, currently earning around 40k. I have completed a domestic installers course, got my 17th edition (latest), completed building regs City and Guilds and am now registered with NICEIC as a domestic installer. For the last year I have also been working with a local electrician on my days off probably about every other week to gain practical experience, however, I do find this to be of limited benefit as I tend to do a lot of chasing and repetitive tasks rather than actual learning, I do understand however that there needs to be a fair balance!

I have worked hard in my retail career and have achieved the salary I have because of this, however, retail is becoming more and more demanding e.g. working conditions, working hours and physical demands, I am also a little concerned about the sustainability of high street retail given the huge movement towards online shopping (including food), hence why I am now trying to move across to being an electrician. I have always wanted to learn a trade and the idea of building / fixing things / working for myself has always appealed.

What I am after is any advice from you guys / organisations about a direction that would be suitable for someone in my circumstances? I don't mind doing evening / weekend courses etc (if need be) but what I can't afford to do is take a huge pay cut. Is there a way I can gain the experience / qualifications I would need whilst maintaining a reasonable salary?

Any advice would be great!!!

Thanks again,

Martin

Hi dude,sooner or later,i am afraid lads are going to put those two highlighted phrases together,and ask you to answer your dilema,yourself.

One of those phrases,should,mean the other,but we know how things are,in the real world.

I,for one,would never ,and have never,degraded any person,for wanting a change in career,at ANY age.

That comes from a man,whose mother gained her English Lang/Lit Masters,in her late 60s'.

What you will have to do,is accept the acerbic wisdom,from those perhaps, in the trade,which will invariably contradict,those who you encountered on your learning journey,so far.

I have no doubt,with determination and further hard work,you could one day position yourself,to change careers,and keep a similar income.

But,it will not be next week :bow:

Your admissions so far,do you credit,and be prepared for this discussion to take a turn towards the lynching scene,in Shrek...but in the midst,will be honest,sound advice,possibly hinting to a more patient approach.

Keep positive,and remember,this forum could at best,only give you a bit more of the puzzles' answer :stooge_curly:

 

[Gringoking88]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your response and yes I know that it may be a financial shock, but I can sustain that for what I believe would be a long term gain. It's guidance on the qualifications that I guess I am looking for and how I gain really useful experience?

Thanks,

Martin

 

[Gringoking88]

Haptism,

No I am not "having a laugh" what I am trying to do is move into a career that I would enjoy and something that could perhaps offer me a better work life balance (starting at 0600 one day finishing at 2230 the next randomly, working weekends etc). I also don't believe the retail sector is sustainable which is also why I think being a sparks would be a good choice. I maybe 36, but given that I am not even half way through my working career is it such a crazy idea??? If you knew there was not going to be electricity and people were going to be using gas would you not look at a different career no matter your age?

Any thanks for your constructive reply.

 

[Andy78]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your response and yes I know that it may be a financial shock, but I can sustain that for what I believe would be a long term gain. It's guidance on the qualifications that I guess I am looking for and how I gain really useful experience?

Thanks,

Martin

The best way to gain experience to be a competent person capable of running their own business would be to work under experienced electricians in a varied range of installations for a few years.

Working for yourself you will have to have a large range of skills to gain work and keep customers coming back to you. Without a high standard of workmanship and different strings to your bow you will struggle to gain a positive reputation for your business.

Back to the finances, please don't think that it is nailed on that you will ever reach, let alone surpass your current salary working as a self employed electrician. It is certainly possible but by no means guaranteed, please ignore any promises or examples given made by training centres.

I'm really not trying to be negative but would hate for you to jump into this career change without both eyes open. It sounds as if you are already quite committed to this path though.
Can I ask why you are registered with the NICEIC if you are not already working as a self employed electrician ?

 

[Gringoking88]

The best way to gain experience to be a competent person capable of running their own business would be to work under experienced electricians in a varied range of installations for a few years.

Working for yourself you will have to have a large range of skills to gain work and keep customers coming back to you. Without a high standard of workmanship and different strings to your bow you will struggle to gain a positive reputation for your business.

Back to the finances, please don't think that it is nailed on that you will ever reach, let alone surpass your current salary working as a self employed electrician. It is certainly possible but by no means guaranteed, please ignore any promises or examples given made by training centres.

I'm really not trying to be negative but would hate for you to jump into this career change without both eyes open. It sounds as if you are already quite committed to this path though.
Can I ask why you are registered with the NICEIC if you are not already working as a self employed electrician ?

Andy,

That is my challenge it's finding someone or a company who does do a varied range of installations to allow me to learn from. There are countless courses that teach you "the electrical bit" but it's the learning the practice side that I need to learn.

I agree completely about pholosophy you take regarding the business approach and its bang on, exactly the approach I want to take and believe any sustainable business needs to take to succeed!!

I get the salary is not a done deal and am fully aware that it is basically how good I make my business to be that will allow my earnings to grow but do believe I have the passion and strategic sense to allow me to maximise any potential there maybe!

The reason I registered with the NICEIC was to try and do a couple of small jobs to build my confidence and to gain experience. I have been doing small things such as replacement ovens to existing circuits, replacement lights and I also did my own consumer board for my NICEIC inspection. I was to be honest, surprised at how easy and quickly I got these jobs which also made me think the potential is there. I had no idea about pricing structure so did a bit of research on the net and charged 60 quid per hour, I never took more than an hour to do any of the jobs and if I would have and believed it was down to my inexperience I would have amended the price to reflect this, e.g. If it should have taken an hour and took me to I would have charged the customer for an hour only. The few jobs I have completed have also basically paid for my registration.

Thanks again,

Martin

 

[Jay Sparks]

Andy,

That is my challenge it's finding someone or a company who does do a varied range of installations to allow me to learn from. There are countless courses that teach you "the electrical bit" but it's the learning the practice side that I need to learn.

I agree completely about pholosophy you take regarding the business approach and its bang on, exactly the approach I want to take and believe any sustainable business needs to take to succeed!!

I get the salary is not a done deal and am fully aware that it is basically how good I make my business to be that will allow my earnings to grow but do believe I have the passion and strategic sense to allow me to maximise any potential there maybe!

The reason I registered with the NICEIC was to try and do a couple of small jobs to build my confidence and to gain experience. I have been doing small things such as replacement ovens to existing circuits, replacement lights and I also did my own consumer board for my NICEIC inspection. I was to be honest, surprised at how easy and quickly I got these jobs which also made me think the potential is there. I had no idea about pricing structure so did a bit of research on the net and charged 60 quid per hour, I never took more than an hour to do any of the jobs and if I would have and believed it was down to my inexperience I would have amended the price to reflect this, e.g. If it should have taken an hour and took me to I would have charged the customer for an hour only. The few jobs I have completed have also basically paid for my registration.

Thanks again,

Martin

Unfortunately, these jobs are a very small part of being an electrician and whilst I agree that when this type of work is available, it can look like easy money but as a lot of people on here will know, this very rarely is the case. You have to plan for the days/weeks that you haven't got any of these easy jobs to do. This means saving the good money you earn, to last at least a month. It can be misleading, for example doing a rewire, you could earn over £1000 for 3/4 days work which sounds great then you might get another rewire the week after, quids in!! But what happens when you don't have another rewire for the next 4 weeks?? Suddenly that £2000 you earned for 6/8 days work has to last you 2 months! Now that doesn't sound to good does it??

There is so much more to being a good electrician and earning £25/£30,000 pa, let alone in excess of £40,000!!As others have said, it is possible but it won't happen any time soon! You might find that you are nearly 45/50 years old by the time you have the customer base, knowledge and experience to earn what you are expecting and along the way, you will have put a lot of hours in, for very little money!!

Of course I am only playing devils advocate here and you may well be the minority of people in your position that make it straight away. And I hope it all goes well for you! But it WILL be very hard work. Good luck!

Jay

 

[badwolf]

Wow £480 a day! Im definitely doing something wrong, mind you I can't change a board in a hour, so that might have something to do with it!

 

[PEG]

Just an addition,to the S/E route,as mentioned,anyone who gives you a figure of what you will be earning...has NOT been S/E.

The one word,which could describe your earnings,if venturing down this path,is "variable".

Never mind the type and quantity of work,there are twists and turns,such as real good luck,and real bad luck,which you will have both of,if you stick it long enough.

The best anyone who IS S/E,can give you is their own experience,and not any prediction of yours to come.

I have a lot of years S/E under my belt,from a quite young age,and have seen the giddy highs of 2K+ for 40 minutes work (Yippee!) ...to weeks of graft,risk and investment...for nowt (marvellous...)

Do not forget,weeks of the promise of big bucks,is no substitute,for a couple of days,for a pittance in your hand :yesnod:

This relates to "cash flow",and backs up what i was told as a kid,that "A tenner in your pocket,buys a lot more groceries,than the promise of a grand..."

I could write a book,and bore you senseless,with the skills and attributes you will require,if it is the S/E route,you desire. But 95% of it,would have rock-all to do with electrical acumen.

Part of the remaining 5%,would include,not hoping to learn as you go along,during paid work.

Once again,i am not squirting vinegar,on your doughnut,just adding another,possibly tangential opinion :thinking:

 

[Welchyboy1]

Any talk of a 'massive skills crisis' you may have heard in the press is exaggerated - what the media mean is they think too many people are going into the media while at the same time a shortage of trades apprenticeships; there has never been any shortage of people wanting to fast track into a lucrative career driving around in a van with their name on it.

.

I think there is a massive skills shortage of properly trained decent tradesmen, but as you say no shortage of people trying to fast track 10 years of training and experience to earn the decent money and become self employed

no one wants to work with their hands nowadays, its considered too dirty, too much hard work and below most youngsters nowadays, that is until they realise coming out of university with a load of debt and a degree thats not worth tuppence wasnt such a smooth move

and when it getting to the point that automation will render their current career obsolete within the next 10 years suddenly a trade looks a bit more promising!

 

[DPG]

Have you got the C&G 2394 and 2395 inspection and test courses under your belt, and do you understand the theory and practise behind testing and inspecting (and certifying) completed jobs? I only ask because there are quite a few 'sparks' out there who will happily connect stuff up (2.5mm for sockets, 1.5mm for lights, switch it on and it lights up, etc.) but wouldn't undertstand what any test results meant. Daz