To think this is still a respectable job?

[Lostatlife]

So I’m 26 years old, I’m a bit lost with my career. I used to be an accountant but hated every second of it by the end. I have myself a temporary job to do with covid, but it pays peanuts and it’ll probably come to an end soon.

I’ve been applying for various administration roles but need something with a decent salary. There’s not many things I’m overly passionate about that are coming up. And then problem is I didn’t go to uni, which I regret now as a lot of jobs need a degree.
I wouldn’t mind teaching but can’t afford to get a degree and not work as I’m paying rent.

I quite like the idea of trade work, something like being an electrician. However my girlfriend said she’d wholly support me however she mentioned that I have great a levels and accountancy certificates, and basically said it’d be a shame if I didn’t use my skills with numbers and basically insinuated that I’m too clever for a trade job - it’s often what people with no GCSEs go into.

Is she right? Should I be using my skills more?

If you want to do a trade choose one that really appeals to you ( and involves working inside sometimes so winter work is less vile) and go for it. You have a huge advantage ,with your accountancy training, that you will know a lot more about the business side of what you are doing/ taxes/ claimable things than someone starting out as a teen. Life is shorter than you think. I went into teaching because it was acceptable to my parents. I did it for 20 years because it fitted in with ending up as a single parent of 2. I hated it but it paid enough to live on whilst my exhusband avoided paying. If I could have my time again I would do what I loved.

OP, I've got a PhD (in a very 'academic' subject but also not one that really has applications to many other fields of work) and I sometimes have pipedreams about retraining as a tradesperson! As others have said, you can never GET one when you want one - round here (reasonably affluent area) tradies can pick their customers and jobs, drive nice cars and seem to be jetting off on unecologically long-haul breaks all the time! Only the fact that I'm 50, have a high-needs child to care for and I'm shit at doing income tax forms really stops me.

I haven't read all the posts so this may be answered upthread but you can do ACCA or CIMA without a degree. We have apprenticeships where we take people after their A Levels, fund their ACCA while training them on the job - very common these days. Actually I think you can also do ACA without a degree.

What does your gf do?

A trade like an electrician is a fantastic career and there are so many job options that come with it.
They’re also on a brilliant income.

However, it’s VERY different from being an accountant and I’m wondering if you’d actually enjoy it.

My advice would be to definitely look into it and see if you can do an evening course or something.
Even if you end up only doing it for a couple of years it’ll be time we’ll spent instead of staying in a dead end job.

If you know of any electricians then ask if you can join them for the day.

I don’t know your gf but I dislike her.
She should be encouraging you to find something you enjoy, not putting you off it.

Just to add, it's not a great idea to allow a GF/BF to influence your career choice where its at odds with your instincts. If she is a similar age, she won't be advising from a position of greater experience, and almost certainly if she sees the relationship as long term, is tempering her advice with what she would prefer; so is not impartial. Often careers outlast relationships. I found this to my cost many years ago, was persuaded down a wrong avenue, and took years to get back to where I wanted to be.

Not to be cruel but your girlfriend is an idiot and a snob.

We recently had an electrician out for two days and it cost us £800

we had someone spray paint our stairs over two days another £750 that is some serious money. People who work in trade jobs are hard to get. We had to wait 4 months for the painter.

I wouldn’t be going back to any job that I was miserable in for any amount of money. You get one life and will spend the majority of your waking hours in work-it should be something you enjoy.

ps tell your GF to earn her own money!

I think electricians earn pretty well.

Its quite savvy to go into a skilled trade - as long as you enjoy it and it’s something you’re good at - as I think it’s one of those areas where there’s increasing money to be made rather than decreasing

Trade jobs are excellent. And can be well paid. Do something that you enjoy.

being an electrician is a perfectly respectable job.

you don’t have to have a degree to have a respectable job.

Have you looked into finances for taking a degree.
you mentioned you have to pay rent so can’t afford it. But all students have to pay rent and if it’s your first degree you get a loan for the cost of the course and another for maintenance.

If teaching is your passion then don’t let finances stop you.

There are lots of videos on YouTube by UK trades people showing you their day to day life the highs and the lows. Have a watch of those to see if any appeal.

My plasterer charges £250 per day, my electrician £240 a day. Some electricians work new build sites, same day rate but same thing day in day out. You could easily apprentice to someone. My plasterer works with the local building college to acquire enthusiastic newbies and trains them up.

You could look at what other jobs your finance background could lead you into. Maybe talk to an job agency as it might be a sideways step into something that might be exciting. You could look at both the trade and the where else you can go with your current qualifications.

If you have reasonable manual skills, decent numeracy and an interest in how things work then being an electrician sounds like a reasonable idea - especially if you actually end up enjoying your work!

Many electricians operate as small businesses, so an understanding of accountancy will be a great asset and not wasted. Many otherwise very skilled trades fail as businesses because they lack the skills to manage the business side of things

Did you gf mean it like it isn't a respectable job though? I didn't read the comment like that. It surely was just a reference to the fact you spent time and effort gaining a qualification and it seems a waste to not do anything with that. That might not be true, but it isn't a slight on the building trade.

Life is too short to do something you hate. I'd say train as an electrician and then start your own business...that way you get to combine your new career with a bit of number crunching too!

My husband come from an electrician grade family, himself in an electrical engineer manager, he works for a printer company and his team sort out and repairs the machines, he loves it and makes really good money, go for it, you will have a secure financial future and you will never be out of work, at his work place they offer apprenticeships earning a decent salary and they are always searching for young people like you

The guys I know from school who became tradies are the ones who seem to be the most financially secure (own big houses, nice cars etc)! Whilst the academic types were floundering around in our 20s not knowing what to do, they were getting ahead!

DH retrained as a mechanic in his early 30s. He gets so much more satisfaction from his previous corporate job, makes more money, and gets to be his own boss (I basically get a house husband!). He’s also doing a part time masters - it doesn’t have to be trades or brains!

I'd have loved to get into a trade when I was younger - girls weren't encouraged into such routes when I was at school though. Go for it!

Having a trade sounds like a very respectable career to me, @Lostatlife. Where would we be without the electricians, builders, welders, joiners etc? Society can't flourish - or even operate - without people doing the jobs at all levels, and to me, that makes them all equally worthy of respect.

Female tradespeople are generally in high demand for numerous reasons. You could do well for yourself. Your girlfriend is a twerp.

I knew someone with a chemistry PhD who couldn't get a job. He retrained as a plumber and was so successful that he retired in his 50's. Good tradespeople are very much in demand and can earn a very good income!

A bright tradesman who can run his own business must be right in the sweet spot at the moment! There was a thread on here last week along the lines of “why do tradesmen get slagged off so much?” and the overwhelming answer was that they’re often great at their trade but poor at customer service. If you’ve got the wherewithal to run an electrician business well, you will do very well for yourself indeed…..

Go for it.
Just wondering whether it is necessary to do an apprenticeship to get the necessary practical skills as well as some sort of course.
Probably best to get some career advice as the best way to get in to thid

Agree with others that there may be an option to join a degree course at say year 2 as you’ve already got accountancy behind you.

What is the financial issue??? - you would qualify for finance as you haven’t studied before, could work part time for the academic year and full time for the rest of the time. If you are sharing bills with GF you should be alright.

There other options to reduce costs/increase your ability to earn while studying.

1. open university or distance course online with flexible learning.
2. part time on a full time course (you attend 50% of the course and do on a longer term basis but still get full funding)
3. NHS or similar courses will be funded with no fees.

If you have any sort of disability and/or children the support is more substantial.

Re. Teaching, do undergrad of your choice part time. Then take the plunge for one year and do the pgce.

There are literally tonnes of options open to you….

This looks like more of a “I don’t want to make short term sacrifices in lifestyle for long term gain and/or I am not remotely interested in doing anything academic” as opposed to “It’s not financially feasible”.

Be honest with yourself, if you are more geared towards doing something hands on and not academic then go for it. Be happy.

It does sound like gf was expecting you to be in a professional role and this may be too much of a gearshift for her..

Firstly, anyone earning their own money and paying their own bills is in a 'respectable job'. Secondly, like everyone else here, I have never, ever met a poor tradie! Plumbing is where it's at, plus carpentry and kitchen/ bathroom installations.

If you think you can learn the skills of being an electrician (I haven't got a practical mind set but many people have) then absolutely go for it. You might end up having your own business or being a property developer, and using your accountancy skills as well, so nothing would be wasted.

I am definitely so much happier being self employed rather than having an office job. You have much more flexibility and can decide your own holidays, hours (8-4 or 10-6, for instance), it's so much better. And even if you end up doing something else eventually, you'll save a fortune in your own house repairs.

Btw I know someone who swapped teaching for being an electrician and he earns an absolute fortune!