Off Topic Career advice

[TopCat.]

Cut a long story Short, im 43 ive worked for Caterpillar for 19 years now. 3 years as a Labourer and 16 as a CNC machinist.
I earn roughly around 32k a year.
My job/shifts/personal life and more importantly my mental health is becoming effected seriously by this. I need a new career with similar pay but no experience. Can anybody help please??

Generally I've found that most people working in a role for a long time like that can be ideal candidates to start training people in those very roles. Does your job require qualifications? If so, can you re-train to be the person that trains people? Is that role available in your current organisation? If not, are there similar companies out there?

A complete retrain is a difficult one if you want to maintain your salary

 

[The Berk]

I’m a time served toolmaker doing an apprenticeship in the 80s I then moved on to programming CNC machines and worked in a few different factories till I was furloughed in March last year. I loved the time off on 80% wage and not doing shifts anymore. The company offered a severance package looking to lose around 50 lads up in the north east, to leave in July last year. I never went back except to empty my locker and was furloughed all the way through.
I retrained doing courses as an electrician passing all the exams and assessments to become level 3 city and guilds. It was hard work learning and doing exams in my 50s but I’m loving it. It’s not cheap and not for everyone but if you’re that sick at work get out of it and something else, life’s too short mate.
If you want any more help on the company I went with I’ll pm the details.
Apologies for waffling on anawl.
Good luck

 

[Teessidemackem]

Thanks for the input lads, unfortunately re training would not be possible for me because i live alone and have shared custody of my twin boys so i just wouldn't get the time to do it.
I know that doesnt really leave me with much option does it?

 

[Teessidemackem]

I can put you forward for £32k working from home, full office provided, got to be able to talk the talk or they won’t progress you at the bottom level, pm me if you want a shot

Thankyou mate i really appreciate you helping me. I really am shyte on telephones though and working from home would drive me round the bend

 

[Teessidemackem]

Very good post. Sometimes it's best to have a really good understanding of the company/organisation as those at the top (generally) haven't a clue. Your (Tees) knowledge of the production line will be invaluable to some of them 'upstairs'. Just make sure they know it's your knowledge cos they will pinch it for themselves.

Ive actually been there longer than anyone upstairs and i dont even think they realise that half of them.
Caterpillar treat us all like a number, i feel totally undervalued which is half of my issue

 

[Teessidemackem]

One question mate do you have an idea what you want to do that’s where I would start, you could actually get a job with more money but in 3 months you realise it’s crap. I’ve changed jobs a few times and never had a problem if you are pretty good at using your hands you can virtually blag any job if you are canny in interviews. Good luck mate with whatever you choose

I have no idea mate but open to most tbings really

 

[Teessidemackem]

Im a firm believer if you are unhappy in your job change it. Absolutely no point in being unhappy as I’ve found it spreads to other parts of your life.

100% true mate..

 

[Teessidemackem]

I took a massive career swerve in October last year after I was made redundant. I’d worked in IT for 20 years and was well and truly burnt out.

In April this year I started my own business making and refurbing cricket bats. It went very well over the summer but I’m now taking on a temporary job to cover me across Xmas and into the new year when I’m hoping I can go back to cricket bats full time. I’ve never felt happier or more focused on how the next 20 years are going to go career wise. I’m 41 so a similar age to yourself.

it can be done - me and the mrs looked at our bills and tried to find ways we could trim our outgoings and came up with salaries etc that we were comfortable with and went from there. You might have to take a step back or sideways to go forwards sometimes.

good luck

Thankyou mate and massive respect to you for starting your own business

 

[The Berk]

Thanks for the input lads, unfortunately re training would not be possible for me because i live alone and have shared custody of my twin boys so i just wouldn't get the time to do it.
I know that doesnt really leave me with much option does it?

Where there’s a will there’s a way, I’m sure you’ll come up with something marra. ATB

 

[Teessidemackem]

Where there’s a will there’s a way, I’m sure you’ll come up with something marra. ATB

Thanks mate

 

[Porterfield73]

Thanks for the input lads, unfortunately re training would not be possible for me because i live alone and have shared custody of my twin boys so i just wouldn't get the time to do it.
I know that doesnt really leave me with much option does it?

ask your company if they will re-train you in your worktime to take on another job, shy bairns get nowt. If they won't , then look for summat else and when you find it, **** them off. But ask for redundancy etc first, just in case .

 

[Teessidemackem]

ask your company if they will re-train you in your worktime to take on another job, shy bairns get nowt. If they won't , then look for summat else and when you find it, **** them off. But ask for redundancy etc first, just in case .

Yeah true mate, i can only try

 

[The Berk]

I don’t know about wages but I know few lads that have went into the postal service and loved it. worth looking in to?

 

[Teessidemackem]

I don’t know about wages but I know few lads that have went into the postal service and loved it. worth looking in to?

Ive always said id love to do that mate. Fresh air, exercise and meeting new people daily it ticks a few boxes. Unfortunately i think its around 22k a year which is too much of a pay reduction for me now. Another 10 years and ill be financially secure so i may try then

 

[The Berk]

Ive always said id love to do that mate. Fresh air, exercise and meeting new people daily it ticks a few boxes. Unfortunately i think its around 22k a year which is too much of a pay reduction for me now. Another 10 years and ill be financially secure so i may try then

Aye it’s always an option mate, I couldn’t have done what I did if I didn’t get enough to pay the mortgage off.

 

[rooch 3]

Aye it’s always an option mate, I couldn’t have done what I did if I didn’t get enough to pay the mortgage off.

My mates who work for the post office do garden work on afternoons and pick up a extra £300 a week on top of their post jobs.

 

[The Berk]

My mates who work for the post office do garden work on afternoons and pick up a extra £300 a week on top of their post jobs.

It’s always an option with there finish times.

 

[SAFC2403]

Thankyou mate and massive respect to you for starting your own business

Well it’s gone pretty well but I’ve realised I need to build it up over a longer period of time so I’ve had to take a six month temp job on.

but it’s brilliant working for myself. I only have to answer to one arsehole a d it’s myself

 

[Nig]

What is it you don't like tees ?
The work/job, the company, the shifts, colleagues, ?

If it's the career your in then it's not to late to change, although as you state, retraining may be an issue.
That could impact you training to get up to equal pay your on now in another sector.

But money isn't everything,. Id rather work for less pay in a job I liked rather than one I hated.
It can effect your mental health too much and impact your home life.
I know from experience.

If it's the company, then look for other CNC work. ( I can imagine CAT being shìte to work for since they're American )

If it's the shifts, ask for a different shift or days for your mental well-being, speak to the Union and HR.

If it's colleagues, again ask for a move. I've just had 14 months with a mood hoover and 3 years prior with another. It drags you down like fook and I wouldn't go through that again.


As for HGV as someone mentioned. You could pay to do it and you might like it. But a word of warning. It's not all it's cracked up to be. And these wages banded around seem fairy stories.
The good jobs are usually days but poor pay, ie a builders merchants delivering bricks and sand/gravel etc.
The food industry etc will be weeks away, nights out, black box spying on you, camera in the cab on you. Big brother.
I've got a HGV and hung onto the mood hoover hoping to get split up
Work is much better now

Good luck.


Oh and fùck off ya whingey fanny

 

[Nig]

My mates who work for the post office do garden work on afternoons and pick up a extra £300 a week on top of their post jobs.

The fookin postie we have want's to do English and maths lessons so the fooker can get the house numbers and street names right.
Dopey cùnt.