Finally found my path (I think)

[Rabs]

So as most of you know ive been unemployed for almost a year and a half now :o

 

I haven't had one single interview even though I have sent my CV out to like 10 companies a week.. It seems that its a combination of my age and the economic state of things and the fact that ive been out of my own industry for about 4 years now (computer games industry) and anything else I can do that's similar they have people applying with exact experience so I loose out each way..

 

Anyway. I have now had to totally give up my career (that I spent almost 20 years building) and have come to the decision to leave it all behind and re-train.. Its a tough thing to do, turn your back on your career... But I am totally banging my head against a brick wall trying to get back in so enough is enough.

 

SOOO.. what have I decided to do...

 

With my recent guitar building that I really enjoy I decided to find some sort of carpentry path and get a physical hands on job rather than another office one (cos im sick of office politics and all that).. At first I thought that I could learn joinery and go work on building sites.. But after a long think and looking into all the options I decided that wasn't the best idea in this country (as its miserable and raining most the year). So the next one that really appeals to me is antique furniture restoration which I think is sticking.. I can go do some courses on it and I think its a really good skill to have that you should be able to make a living from..

 

Also on the side I want to make and sell guitars and if I can ever get that going I will be a happy man. And once im good enough maybe I can even try going into vintage guitar restoration. Of course its early days yet.. I gotta find the right course and see if im good at it (which I think I will be).

 

So... wish me luck.. If all goes well I should be on a course in the next few weeks and hopefully it will lead to a whole new way of life for me.. Heres hoping

 

Anyone do this sort of thing.. or have advice? Who else has had to change career mid life? Whats your stories about starting again?

[Versatile]

Hi Rabs...good idea to 'ask the forum'...there are peeps hereon who will have similar stories to tell...

 

The 'world of work' has changed out of all recognition in the last 5 years

 

Working with wood etc has many potential off-shoots...furniture restoration, instrument set-ups, repair and building etc

 

Networking around music venues can result in business opportunities...

 

Good luck...!!

 

V

 

[Rabs]

Hi Rabs...good idea to 'ask the forum'...there are peeps hereon who will have similar stories to tell...

 

The 'world of work' has changed out of all recognition in the last 5 years

 

Working with wood etc has many potential off-shoots...furniture restoration, instrument set-ups, repair and building etc

 

Networking around music venues can result in business opportunities...

 

Good luck...!!

 

V

 

Thanks for the reply man.

 

And yeah I ask cos its a scary thing changing career so suddenly. The light at the end is distant but at least there is a light instead of a big black hole with nothing at the end which is what its been like for the last year.

 

And yes im more than aware there are others that have been through the same. So I thought id ask and see how other people coped.

[charlie brown]

Good for you, Rabs! Sounds promising, and I think you'll probably enjoy that, once

you get where you need to be. Cheers, and Good Luck, to you!

 

CB

[Valeriy]

It's tough, of course. But good luck, Rabs.

[Markini]

I can relate.

 

1st Career: Electronic Technician 12 years

2nd Career: Sales Engineer 5 years

3rd Career: Energy Engineering 22 years.

 

I was unemployed for 9 months in 2004, went back to school got my Microsoft professional cert. Lol it didn't help me get an IT job but did help me secure another Energy Engineering Job

 

Mark Faulk CEM, LEED, MCP

[sellen]

Good luck man! Hope you find a good solid job, and remember there is no bad weather just bad cloths Man i have gone through some shitty weather offshore and onshore in my 21 years as a working man.

Don't be afraid to go outside your comfort zone you might like it. I did that with industrial climbing couple of years ago, met some really cool people and i have never been so fit. Sadly my firm wouldn't keep doing the climbing thing anymore. But when i think of it now it was really hard work so...

 

Anyway hang in there

[Pin]

Best of luck and my best wishes Rabs.

 

I am sure of two things:

 

1) That working with your hands is immensely satisfying.

 

2) That if you develop to become a top tradesman / artisan you will never be short of work.

[Rabs]

Thank you one and all for the support, your comments are appreciated.

 

IT feels daunting at the moment but im sure as I wade into it, it will all get a lot clearer.

[Rabs]

Good luck man! Hope you find a good solid job, and remember there is no bad weather just bad cloths Man i have gone through some shitty weather offshore and onshore in my 21 years as a working man.

Don't be afraid to go outside your comfort zone you might like it. I did that with industrial climbing couple of years ago, met some really cool people and i have never been so fit. Sadly my firm wouldn't keep doing the climbing thing anymore. But when i think of it now it was really hard work so...

 

Anyway hang in there

Lol.. yeah I hear you but I have worked outside on many occasions in my life (market stall worker and pizza delivery driver and paper boy when I was even younger).. This is how I know :) its really not nice.. ive driven and stood outside in hail, rain and snow.. Im getting too old to be bothered with all that :)

[Rabs]

Best of luck and my best wishes Rabs.

 

I am sure of two things:

 

1) That working with your hands is immensely satisfying.

 

2) That if you develop to become a top tradesman / artisan you will never be short of work.

Cheers man,, and yeah I really hope for that.. I guess you just have to do it and go through the motions first.. Feels a long way off but still better than just waiting for someone to want to hire me. :)

 

I saw a TV show the other day where one of the characters said.. To make decent money in this life you either have to win the lottery or be your own boss. Working for other people you wont (generally) get more than your wage and maybe a pat on the back if your lucky.

[milod]

It's a really rough marketplace nowadays.

 

One point from some of the other responses is that doing something creative and taking the ball into your own court is itself not only rewarding, but also a message to the whole world, including yourself, that you're not a drone stuck following the same path.

 

Secondly... doing something creative, regardless of what, is good for us all - and in ways IMHO is vital for maintaining self.

 

Best of luck whatever and however things may happen.

 

m

[pippy]

Good luck with the shift, Rabs.

 

Sounds like a good move. Being 'handy' with ones hands is a dwindling ability these days, it would seem.

 

One of the most skilled photographers I ever assisted became so fed up with the biz ten years ago he re-trained as a woodworker even to the extent of learning how to build Elizabethan-style timber-framed buildings from scratch.

He's built himself just such a building at the bottom of his garden as a workshop (14' x 12') and with very little by way of advertising has been working in that 'woodworking' field pretty much every day since!

 

Also read Izzy's thread on luthiers. There seems to be universal demand for good luthiers with good attitude and good prices.

From personal experience in London I've come across more bad luthiers than good. With your own recent projects in mind?............just a thought.

 

P.

[Rabs]

It's a really rough marketplace nowadays.

 

One point from some of the other responses is that doing something creative and taking the ball into your own court is itself not only rewarding, but also a message to the whole world, including yourself, that you're not a drone stuck following the same path.

 

Secondly... doing something creative, regardless of what, is good for us all - and in ways IMHO is vital for maintaining self.

 

Best of luck whatever and however things may happen.

 

m

Thank you sir :)

 

And indeed.. Ive been made redundant eight times now in the last 16 years or so.. And ive never seen it this bad in my life.. Pretty scary out there..

 

And yes being creative is what im all about.. I sort of fell into computer games by accident, I didn't ever really want to work in an office BUT making games (I was a designer and producer) that millions of people play was very rewarding and back in 1995 it was a lot of fun too.. previously to that I was a sound engineer in central London recording studios (in soho, I worked in the studio where the video for All You Need is Love was recorded) and have been a video editor at the BBC.. And before that I went to college and learned general engineering and electrical installations (even though I don't really remember much of that, but always wanted to work with my hands).. So its a shame after all that I have to give it up.

 

However as people have said a manual creative job is even better.. So I really look forward to it and just hope it pays off.. I just hope I have what it takes cos I don't think its for everyone. But with my past I think I should be able to do it well.

[vangoghsear]

I can relate too.

 

Mechanical Systems Draftsman for 14 years, during that time Computers came along and with them CAD (computer aided drafting) replaced manual drafting. The Engineering company where I worked went out of business. I went looking for a drafting job and it was all CAD. Unemployed a few months.

 

Switched to engineering design, since I knew a bit more than just how to draw the equipment. I've since moved up to Undegreed Engineer.

 

My dad did cabinet making/furniture restoration for many years to make money on the side. He was an educator by trade and taught woodworking for a while too. Actually my whole family on his side worked in antiques refinishing, reupholstering, rebuilding, restoring and sales. My dad was the best at rebuilding/restoring. He has work in museums, grandfather clocks, tables, chairs, cupboards, shellback corner cupboards the whole family brought the tough projects to him.

 

You can make money at it if you can find an antiques dealer who likes your work (like my dad and uncles), a hotel or casino that needs furniture repairs (like some of my uncles and cousins), or even a new furniture store repairing damaged pieces or assembling/modifying new pieces for customers (my brother in-law does that).

 

Good luck.

[Rabs]

Good luck with the shift, Rabs.

 

Sounds like a good move. Being 'handy' with ones hands is a dwindling ability these days, it would seem.

 

One of the most skilled photographers I ever assisted became so fed up with the biz ten years ago he re-trained as a woodworker even to the extent of learning how to build Elizabethan-style timber-framed buildings from scratch.

He's built himself just such a building at the bottom of his garden as a workshop (14' x 12') and with very little by way of advertising has been working in that 'woodworking' field pretty much every day since!

 

Also read Izzy's thread on luthiers. There seems to be universal demand for good luthiers with good attitude and good prices.

From personal experience in London I've come across more bad luthiers than good. With your own recent projects in mind?............just a thought.

 

P.

Yes I have thought of all that already :) Its why doing a restoration course rather than a making course appeals more.. But I may even do both. I am making my own guitar but its all just being done in my own ways, not necessarily the most efficient ways or best [practice.. So it would be good to learn both. But one thing at a time I guess :)

 

If I could make a living doing just guitars.. It would make my life :) Id be a happy man. I don't want to be rich 9even though it wouldn't hurt :)). I don't have a family to support and don't really intend to.. So I now just want to be happy doing something I have passion for.. That's all I really want.

[Rabs]

 

You can make money at it if you can find an antiques dealer who likes your work (like my dad and uncles), a hotel or casino that needs furniture repairs (like some of my uncles and cousins), or even a new furniture store repairing damaged pieces or assembling/modifying new pieces for customers (my brother in-law does that).

 

Good luck.

Those are some good tips.. Thank you very much for your reply :)

 

Gotta get trained up first.. But those are great ideas

[Greybeard]

After almost twenty years in the aerospace business I found myself suddenly unemployed in 1992 when the company decided to get out of the part of the business that I was associated with. During those fourteen months of unemployment, I discovered that there are a lot of small jobs that someone handy with their hands could do for the elderly. It seems that contractors around here don't want small jobs and the elderly often can't find help for their handyman type of problems. After getting a few carpentry and electrical jobs for a few folks, word of mouth was all that was needed to keep me busy for most of time while I was out of my main career. It all started with a few recommendations to thier friends from my parents and inlaws and that started the ball rolling on a good side business. The good part of it was that most of the work was indoors.

 

Just something to think about while you're discovering your next career Rabs. Best of luck in whatever comes out of it.

 

GB

[Rabs]

After almost twenty years in the aerospace business I found myself suddenly unemployed in 1992 when the company decided to get out of the part of the business that I was associated with. During those fourteen months of unemployment, I discovered that there are a lot of small jobs that someone handy with their hands could do for the elderly. It seems that contractors around here don't want small jobs and the elderly often can't find help for their handyman type of problems. After getting a few carpentry and electrical jobs for a few folks, word of mouth was all that was needed to keep me busy for most of time while I was out of my main career. It all started with a few recommendations to thier friends from my parents and inlaws and that started the ball rolling on a good side business. The good part of it was that most of the work was indoors.

 

Just something to think about while you're discovering your next career Rabs. Best of luck in whatever comes out of it.

 

GB

Thanks man..

 

And actually yes my father also mentioned that about elderly people who need help with stuff like that.. So it does seem that if I can work my way in and get some jobs as you say let the word of mouth spread then theres a good chance I can make a living out of it..

 

Also I have been watching a local luthier on youtube. He was saying about how he has way too much work and is moving into a warehouse soon etc.. I looked on his site and indeed he has an 18 month waiting list for new builds :o And hes charging about £1600 for a new guitar.. So again there does seem to be a market.. BUT obviously I need to get good at it first (and finish my first two builds) and get some experience under my belt so id imagine it will be a few years before it really pays off. We will see :)

[feldkeen4]

9.5 million people out of the work force since late 2008. Soon, with immigration reform there will be another 57 million people competing for american jobs. It's bound to turn around soon.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

I feel for you, Rabs. The computer games industry has changed so much with mobile play and delivery. I think it's a good idea to change tack if you're finding it that hard to secure a job. I wish you luck.

 

I've been through a similar rough time and a change in tack recently. It's a tough decision but I think it has to be made at some point.

 

I think people need to realise that this recession isn't a recession at all, it's a tiny step closer to reality. The worst is yet to come IMO. Part of the problem is that we feel the need to grow economies and increase GDP every year. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that's not sustainable and is actually very damaging in the long run.

[fretplay]

9.5 million people out of the work force since late 2008. Soon, with immigration reform there will be another 57 million people competing for american jobs. It's bound to turn around soon.

 

Rabs we live in difficult times, I am so sorry to hear you are out of work.

 

I think the luthier idea is a good one. There is certainly a shortage in London and the UK generally and an area that you could dip your toe into carefully without too much capital outlay. Once you get started there is work traveling with bands as well as working with retailers themselves,You will have to knock on doors but if you keep at it it will snowball.

 

Just one point, keep trying on the games IT it's a growing business and something will come along in time. Two strings to your bow!

 

Good luck my friend.

[CindyC]

Good luck Rabs, It's sounds like the way to go! What could be better than making a living doing something you actually love. I wish you all the luck in the world!

[saturn]

Good luck to you Rabs. Lots of people start over again these days and I can relate.

 

I worked over 18 years for the airlines, holding many different positions. When that career finally ended, I took what I thought would be a temporary job at a friends machine shop until I found something closer to my previous experience. Well, over 6 years later I guess I can start to call myself a machinist now.

 

Hope everything works out for you.

[Rabs]

I feel for you, Rabs. The computer games industry has changed so much with mobile play and delivery. I think it's a good idea to change tack if you're finding it that hard to secure a job. I wish you luck.

 

I've been through a similar rough time and a change in tack recently. It's a tough decision but I think it has to be made at some point.

 

I think people need to realise that this recession isn't a recession at all, it's a tiny step closer to reality. The worst is yet to come IMO. Part of the problem is that we feel the need to grow economies and increase GDP every year. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that's not sustainable and is actually very damaging in the long run.

Yeah I know you been through it too.. it sucks.. And I also agree that we have been living in a money borrowing dream for however long and now its time to wake up and smell the beans...

 

Like companies who moan that they have a billion less than last year which is some how seen as an issue? YOU STILL MADE 5 Billion you greedy bunch of *****s how much to you effing want... idiots!!!!