To think about quitting my WFH job to re-train as a plasterer?

[confusedlady10]

Would I be stupid or unreasonable to consider quitting my job and re-train in a new field as a plasterer? I am a 29 year old single mum WFH in a dead end call centre job. It’s quite niche as it involves investigating specialist fraud cases but is still mainly a customer service job. The pay isn’t that great (£2k pm after tax living in London) and I’m fortunate to be able to live in cheap accommodation through family, but it’s not sustainable.

I’ve had applied for hundreds of jobs to try in earn more money and elevate, even paid someone to re-write my CV and do an extra qualification in my field within finance. But I don’t have a degree and regardless, I’m struggling to stand out. Hundreds of applicants, countless ghosting's and unfortunatelys after an odd interview. Finance, admin and banking sectors seem to be too saturated whether remote, hybrid or office.

So I was thinking to quit my job, apply for universal credit of some sort (started doing research on what they can support me with) and then hopefully retrain as a plasterer in a course to try and better myself as I heard that there’s good money if you are a skilled labour and could hopefully work for myself or another company. I would hopefully be able to work it around my son and less competition for the jobs I am not getting. Am I wasting my time and dreaming? (I have no experience in this and trying anything to earn more at the moment, whilst still applying for jobs like crazy, pls be nice!) 😣

Or.....and it may be a leap and prob less expensive than the courses, HGV driving they are paid well. Lots of jobs just doing mon to fri set hours. Petroleum is better paid and in London youll just be going round refuelling petrol stations etc

You might benefit from going along to the college that runs these trade courses and explaining your situation. They'll be able to talk you through any financial help, day release, apprenticeships etc....

I always think jumping in as a s/e tradeswoman is the way to go- it avoids the conundrum of sexist firms being reluctant to take you on. And there will always be a demand for women in the trades to work in private homes.

My friend got into painting and decorating because a client asked her roofer husband if he knew anybody. She happened to be at a loose end and jumped in, and that was the start of a great career for some years. She was never short of work- again, mostly from private homeowners. She's stopped now because her back is knackered, but she's in her 50s.

I appreciate the feedback which makes sense. Seems like DIY, plumbing or electrician are a better fit for me then! Thank you.

You should probably go down the apprenticeship route, UC will expect you to increase your hours/be looking for fulltime work. They will also likely sanction your for 91 days for leaving your fulltime job. How many hours were you looking at working and how much would you need from UC to top you up?

Another suggestion for you OP - train driver. All training on the job. Probably very competitive but worth considering.

There's also tiling. Closer to the floor!

I must tell my ex colleagues about this. They'll be delighted and queuing up to find out which part of the CS you 'work' in so they can transfer.

Another option if you want more money is to look for a second source of income ?

Rent out a room in your property
Rent out to foreign students
Pet sit
Child mind
Work unsocial hours which pay more eg nights or work an unsocial rota
Teach something to children

What about gardening? My Gardner is female, it’s still physical but nothing like plastering, she’s always fully booked.

Have you looked at training to be a teacher, social worker, nurse ?

Female builder here, I've been in the business 17years. I learnt everything on the job. Plastering is a skill developed over many years, I can do it never qualified but jesus, it's hard graft. Id look for an evening course and give it a go before you really take that plunge it's not as easy as it looks. If you want to PM me for any other ideas for going into the trade you're welcome to. I love seeing how many women do it now. When I first started we were few and far between.

I do 40 hrs pw. So I'd have to do a weekend job or night job (would have to be remote) while doing my course part time during the weekday. I have considered the sanctions, still trying to navigate that and getting another job while employed. Unless I worked my notice, got a part time job and then sucked it up for a few months and went on UC. (I have a bit of savings not a huge amount).I don't think I'd quit without having another job lined up to help supplement me.

How much did this tray and trowel weigh? Your plasterer was obviously highly skilled but I don't see how being slightly weaker would have slowed him down.

Thank you!

I work in the industry and take on trades for projects all the time. If I were you OP I’d look at carpentry. A good chippy is much harder to find than a plasterer in my area, and there’s a huge variety of work.

Without a degree? I doubt they'd even read the CV!

With your experience in fraud possibly being a private investigator could be worth looking into.

Big companies like Blue Flame and British Telecom take on a lot of female apprentices (because they're big enough to have proper equality policies I guess).

Prisons are desperately for people. No offence. Female officers often do well in male prisons as they tend to diffuse aggression.

My role are hiring internally for more jobs but on the same pay. They claim we should be trying to increase our skills and widen our knowledge for career progression but that doesn't pay the every growing bills! Then to become something like a team leader we are expected to have taken on the extra responsibility roles first for years on the same pay and then hope we get a chance down the line.

I did apply for 2 roles and got rejected in the past. Will have another look! Thank you.

I have known a couple of female electricians that worked for big companies.
The job involved lots of travel

Plus being on call on a rota, which included working weekends & nights This included lone working.

Well paid

Strong personality in a very male dominated environment

This was not domestic, but Business electrical maintenance

Having another job lined up first is a good idea. Do you have the money to pay for the course? If you're living with/renting from family they are unlikely to pay for your housing costs so all you'd be entitled to would be £400/month, this would then reduce by 55p for each £1 you earned. Would this cover your costs?

I’m 43 and did a 6 month plastering course at my local college 10 years ago. It was great, I really enjoyed it and would have liked to take it on FT, but I had back issues.

You can definitely make good money but it’s very physically taxing. Lugging about bags of plaster and doing ceilings is not for the faint hearted, plus you will more than likely be wrecked in fifteen years of doing it full time.

That's not something to boast about