To ask for retraining ideas for dyslexic DH?

[pandarific]

DH is severely dyslexic with a reading age of 9.5 (was diagnosed very late as a child). He currently earns 30k p/a working as a graphic designer in a very niche area.

As we want to move in the next couple of years he'd like to retrain to something more future-proof - could I ask for some ideas please, which wouldn't mean a big pay cut and don't rely on e.g. doing a university degree? That's just out of his ability.

Moving into standard graphic design is an obvious answer but would mean starting again at approx. 23k, and we can't afford that pay cut.

• He'd ideally like to be with other people during the day, not off on his own
  
• He is incredibly handy, and has remodelled our whole flat singlehanded
  
• In an ideal world he'd like to have colleagues he fits in with (as we all would) - he's not a particularly 'blokey bloke' if that's any help.
  

Thanks very much for any help!

[MumsOnCrack]

DH designs restaurants for a large UK chain - more interior design but also CAD trained. He is also dyslexic.

[pandarific]

Thanks so much MumsOnCrack! How does your DH find the maths element of the CAD? Do you mind me asking if he's numeratively dyslexic too?

[Groupie123]

I'm severely dyslexic diagnosed in adulthood. I'm a qualified investment analyst (means I do uni level maths for a living & often explain my solution via a 10k word paper). I can read and write heaps better online/via a screen than on paper - so effectively above the reading age I was given during my assessment. Your DH shouldn't let his dyslexia limit him.

As for graphic design - there is a massive market for online/virtual graphic designers. It wouldn't take long for him to be trained and he could probably get work straight away.

[pandarific]

Thank you Groupie, but your job would absolutely not be within his abilities. I've been honest about his limitations, they are what they are, and he can only work within them.

Agreed he could get a graphic design job, but as above it would mean too large a pay cut, so not possible, hence my asking for ideas on different jobs.

[MumsOnCrack]

He doesn't seem to struggle with numbers as much, but his written English was a struggle and still is sometimes. He seems fine with dimensions/plans as I think they're real, if that makes any sense.

If you think about it, everything needs to be 'designed' so I think it's a fairly flexible career.

[MumsOnCrack]

If he's very hands on has he thought about interior design work for high-end clients? Or perhaps garden design? My DM paid a hefty price for someone to design her garden and then label where all the plants should go so perhaps he could do some research and this could work?

[MumsOnCrack]

Sorry for the multiple replies but I keep thinking of things - could he learn the 'web' element of website design? If he already has an eye for design he could give that a go, training part-time in the evenings and then do this alongside his regular job while he gets some experience?

[pandarific]

Thanks MumsOnCrack, we have talked about kitchen design / fitting and that kind of thing - perhaps it's something to look deeper into. He'd be good at it, not sure what the salaries are like though. Anyone have any info?

[ScruffyLookingNerfHerder]

Graphic design for websites is good, regular, varied work - look for a good agency (try Lightmaker perhaps) and there should be no pay drop.

If he can handle volume he might be able to make a go of things like fiver.com, or use it to top up a drop in salary?

[Groupie123]

I don't mean as an employee. Contractor rates for graphic designers can be as much as 200/day as employers prefer to hire them for specific projects. A bit one is UX where big corporations will often hire people with graphic design experience to make their sites easier to use/accessible/get more clicks. Plenty of courses around that specifically focus on the digital skills graphic designers need to get into the sector in programming or testing.

[Groupie123]

Kitchen design takes a lot of planning and organisation. How is he with that?

[NinonDeLenclos]

Computer design (ie virtual) is an obvious growth market. Building up computer skills are useful for any kind of design Could he train while he's working?

He's unlikely to be able to start anything new without taking a pay cut comparable to the shift to standard graphic design, unless he trains up before shifting.

[NinonDeLenclos]

For kitchen design you'd have to competent at maths to provide detailed scale drawings and be able to read product specifications of al kinds.

[pandarific]

No worries, multiple replies are fab, thank you all!

On the web stuff, it's a definite possibility - I suppose it would be a case of training in the most up to date software programs? (Can you tell this is not my area, haha!) I know it's a lot less 'writing code from scratch' nowadays, which is the bit he might struggle with, but he's a demon with the whole Adobe creative suite bar the video stuff, so is more than capable of technical stuff.

[ScruffyLookingNerfHerder]

Web agencies often split the visual design entirely from the construction - so being able to build a web page wouldn't be necessary, but it might be useful to know how to slice images for that purpose

[pandarific]

NinonDeLenclos He is competent at maths and is very careful about measuring and scale etc - but he does have numerative dyslexia. I think he would be comfortable once familiar with the CAD system perhaps?

Groupie123 Possibly due to his difficulties, he is very careful to do things in the correct, most logical order.

[NinonDeLenclos]

If he has no experience in kitchen design he'd be starting from scratch.

Personally I would be looking to build on the skills he already has.

[cowgirlsareforever]

Perhaps he could train as a barber then open a high-class barbers shop? It's quite lucrative if you are prepared to work hard and he could rent out chairs to other barbers for extra income?

[pandarific]

Ah I hadn't seen the newer posts!

Thanks NinonDeLenclos - have you worked in kitchen design then? Any insider knowledge you could share?

Thanks cowgirls that's definitely something different! Not a bad idea but I'm not sure he's keen.

[NinonDeLenclos]

Nope - but I've designed a fair few myself and we're having our kitchen redone so I've been having detailed discussions with 10 (literally) different kitchen design firms. We've whittled it down to 3.
I provided my own scale drawings and which they advise on and tweak.

He'd need to be able to read through detailed product specifications of units, appliances, flooring, lighting etc - quickly and accurately to make relevant choices for clients. Not saying he couldn't btw.