(no subject)

[rosiedoes]

I need a career change.

I've resolved to get a new job in the New Year, but I'm thinking about getting into something that would allow me to be rated as a Skilled Worker, perhaps, so I could work internationally in the future.

I've thought about becoming a tattooist, because it's obviously something I love and I do have some skills with regard to drawing and shading - it's something I've always loved. I'm also not too bad with the blood aspect or dealing with other people (having been described by my manager, yesterday, as 'one of the best customer service staff I've ever met'). But that's hard to get into and would take a long period of training/apprenticeship during which I suspect I would be on really shit money.

Totally, totally different careers interest me, too - I mean, I'd be happy to become a plumber, even, if I could get the training. I suspect that the majority of women would be pretty happy to have a woman, er, checking their pipes (shows my kind of social circle, actually, that).

Does anyone have any suggestions? At the moment, I'm a National Account Co-ordinator for a charity; I manage the training for mega-huge companies, solve all their problems, deal with all their queries from, 'When is the next First Aid at Work Course?' to, 'How many First Aiders do we need?', to 'WTF is this on my invoice?', to 'Mavis has got a bad back, can she do the course?'. We're talking the parent-companies of high street banks, here. Companies that huge. And in the last year or so, I've had two of my contacts leave and go to new companies, and contact us from their new jobs to ask if they can have an account and please can Rosie be my account manager, plsplspls?

I'm good at what I do now, and I know that. But it's time to do something else.

The only thing is, I don't have parents or anything to support me in this. Nothing to fall back on. And damn, have I seen my friends pull some amazing feats when it comes to getting out there under their own steam and going for what they want (and I am so, so proud of one person in particular; they know who they are) so I shouldn't complain... but man. It's a daunting prospect.

But I know I have to do this sooner rather than later and now is the perfect time.

Comments

[moondarri.livejournal.com]

i have no advice, but i have a hell of a lot of admiration. you sound like you have enough confidence & drive to succeed in whatever it is you go for, & missed opportunities are the worst things. (tattooist sounds brilliant.) also, there should be more women plumbers. that would make me pretty happy. it does sound like an incredibly daunting prospect, & i'm in no position to suggest anything either way, but you have unwavering support from my side of the 'net.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. That actually means more than any practical advice ever could. *hugs*

[nikitaquincy.livejournal.com]

I'm so proud of you for wanting to do this. ♥ You're going to be awesome, no matter what you end up doing, and I totally applaud and admire you for taking the leap. I have total faith that you're going to succeed, because you're awesome and anyone who fails to see that is an idiot. ♥ *hugs*

You have my total support. :) <3

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon *hugs*. I know I can rely on your support on pretty much anything. ♥

[nikitaquincy.livejournal.com]

You definitely can :) ♥ *hugs*

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

Yeah, changing careers can be a daunting prospect. I'm currently trying to find a way to get back into work, but I don't want to go back to doing the shit I was doing before. And my choices are going to be fairly limited by who will employ me. So I'm off to the volunteer bureau tomorrow to find something to do that might inspire me and that I might want to do for a living.

Obviously not an option for yourself, requiring paid employment, I assume. But definitely good for you to move on - no point in doing something when you are unhappy doing it. And you've said you're unhappy a few times now.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The money part is always going to be a nightmare.

I just can't stand the prospect of being on really, really awful money, you know? Because I suck at saving.

I know that as soon as I tell my nan and uncle they'll be all negative and say "Ooh, don't. How are you going to fund that? Aren't you silly?"

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

Money is such a constraint on doing stuff like this.

I know exactly what you mean. This is one of the issues I have with finding employment here and after two years of not having references I'm going to be screwed for getting anything other than a basis wage. Which is another reason I'm going into volunteering for a while.

Family members suck for putting their input in and ridiculing what you want to do in life. Sometimes I think it's down to jealousy that they don't or didn't have the strength to do the same thing.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

I'm from a small town in the suburbs - no one really ever leaves, you know? No one does interesting stuff.

Going out on a limb to do something different is OMGSCARY for them.

[fredtheguava.livejournal.com]

I have found that if you want something badly enough, there's always a way. My experience is slightly different from yours, though, so feel free to discount that : / But, what I know of you is an incredibly determined, incredibly dedicated person who could achieve anything she wanted, if that was her desire. Honestly, I don't know of anyone more fiercely independent, and capable of something like this.

Good luck.

[vampyreranger.livejournal.com]

If anyone can succeed at those jobs, you can.

[elethe.livejournal.com]

It is sometimes hard to do training when you need money, but I would definitely suggest going for it! Have you checked out your local adult education colleges to see if they have any part time courses that appeal to you?

There's a starting point - http://www.hotcourses.com/careers/plumbing-courses.html

I agree with the admiring the particular person (if it's the same person I think you mean!)

I am only just now trying to work out options myself (hopefully if I get this job Monday and go on the part time course next year and continue to get as many gigs as I can manage then I will start to make some progress in the plan that has so far not been going as well as I had hoped. Maybe because I am not great at planning.)

Good luck. I am certain you can do anything you set your mind to.