job

[twain]

im growing very tired, very quickly of my current job. sat in an office, 8:30 to 5pm everyday.

been doing it for over 4 years now.
ive pretty much reached the ceiling in terms of earning capacity (in the lower region of 20-25K) including any bonuses handed out during the year).
the jobs getting more stresfful (im taking work home these days) and despite their efforts to try and get someone to help me, its really not going to get much better. there arent many people around that can do my job down here in the saaarf.

its at the point where i wouldnt mind a cut in pay if it meant i got more time with the family and got me out of an office environment.

im 30 now and dont want to be in this job when im 40 or 50 and realising im wasting my time getting no real joy from a job where the responsibility far outweighs the benefits.

seriously considering shift work. i prefer working solid for short periods of time then having a block of time off.

trying to consider my options. care work is plentiful around here, but its really not for me. looking at Gatwick airport for jobs too. most of which require a CSCS card.
anyone else going through/been through this sort of thing recently?
just venting a little, fondling for some advice.....

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

cscs card is very easy to get, should cost about £30
There are contracting opportunity's around but to do well you need to develop a very specific set skills, and have a well developed network, and I am not talking twitter linkedin etc, I mean real people.
Happy to talk about the pros and cons if you want to give me a call

 

[DA-EVO]

What is it you do?

Down here is actually pretty good (depending on industry) to do contracting and so on as TheGreenRabbit has said, I am sure he will agree (as I would) that 'doing your own thing' can be rewarding in many ways.

 

[Barneyballbags]

I'm in a very similar situation to you twain, and personally I'd love to be able to find a job which enables me to work from home (not necessarily self-employed) so that I can spend more time with my soon-to-be first child (due in March), my girlfriend and my Beagle.

I work 8-4 Monday to Friday and although I enjoy the job, I hate the fact that I'm out of the house all day every day. However, with baby "Alan" (his name until he pops out) due soon, I'd be silly to quit now because of the financial stability that the job is currently giving me. At the moment, having money coming in regularly is more important to me than finding a better job, but in a year or so I think I'll start looking for something else.

Good luck

 

[JeRkY]

Without knowing exactly what it is you do, as someone who made the switch from full employment to contracting just over two years ago, I can safely say I have no intention of going back just yet. Higher hourly rates and all sorts of tax benefits mean my take home has risen considerably and at the same time, within reason and by arrangement I can work the hours I wish.

A word of warning, I started with the grand thoughts of earning the same money by working fewer hours, however I have fallen into the trap of working the same (or more) hours for the extra money. It works for me, but could be problematic if you don't control it and lose out on family time.

Any questions on the practicalities of going ltd give me a shout, depending on what it is you do I may also be able to direct you to some work.

Rob

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

I'm in a very similar situation to you twain, and personally I'd love to be able to find a job which enables me to work from home (not necessarily self-employed) so that I can spend more time with my soon-to-be first child (due in March), my girlfriend and my Beagle.

I work 8-4 Monday to Friday and although I enjoy the job, I hate the fact that I'm out of the house all day every day. However, with baby "Alan" (his name until he pops out) due soon, I'd be silly to quit now because of the financial stability that the job is currently giving me. At the moment, having money coming in regularly is more important to me than finding a better job, but in a year or so I think I'll start looking for something else.

Good luck

The first mistake of working from home is to think you can spend more time with your family, you still have to work and you cant do this when you are stopping every half hour to deal with a wife and or baby, I have seen many people try and many have failed. Keeping the money coming in is important first and foremost.

The other big mistake is thinking you can get out and ride when you want, and you can't I think DA-EVO will back me up on that !

 

[DA-EVO]

I'm in a very similar situation to you twain, and personally I'd love to be able to find a job which enables me to work from home (not necessarily self-employed) so that I can spend more time with my soon-to-be first child (due in March), my girlfriend and my Beagle.

I work 8-4 Monday to Friday and although I enjoy the job, I hate the fact that I'm out of the house all day every day. However, with baby "Alan" (his name until he pops out) due soon, I'd be silly to quit now because of the financial stability that the job is currently giving me. At the moment, having money coming in regularly is more important to me than finding a better job, but in a year or so I think I'll start looking for something else.

Good luck

The first mistake of working from home is to think you can spend more time with your family, you still have to work and you cant do this when you are stopping every half hour to deal with a wife and or baby, I have seen many people try and many have failed. Keeping the money coming in is important first and foremost.

The other big mistake is thinking you can get out and ride when you want, and you can't I think DA-EVO will back me up on that !

Shhhhh!

Don't tell them that, its all GOOD (except the bad bits).

Working from home, self employed, contract or full-time for someone else, isn't so easy as you are closer to those you care for but are still focused and distracted by work. For example, crying babies in the background when making calls can be frustrating (and in some circles, seen as a little unprofessional). There is also the oft overlooked factor that being at home can actually be annoying to your S.O. who now feels a little put upon as their routine / freedoms are now disturbed by you being there and being 'at work'. Don't be surprised if the idea of you working at home isn't initially greeted with enthusiasm.

That said, it usually sorts itself after a few weeks and some give and take, plus working out of the office doesn't always mean working at home as the rise of coworking spaces (something I think is a great thing) provides a great way of having your own freedom and integrating yourself into a community of like-minded people - referrals can be good too.

As for time on the bike, Depending on what you do, you can get some cheeky bike riding in, just not loads. Our accountant is a triathlete and he arranges client visits on his bike - they don't mind as long as the work gets done well and on time. Turning up covered in the South Downs Way and sheep trrrrds might be pushing it though. I managed a cheeky 15 minutes skive to get on my Turbo Trainer the other day, honest .

It is a good thing and hopefully more companies will see it as a way forward and a way to enthuse their staff.

Even if their boss is a complete c*** eh J ?

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

There will always be well you are at home so you can do the washing/cleaning/etc, I make a point of only being dressed from the waist up when having a hangout or skype meeting, and you cant do that in a office !

Homeworking = pants optional working

Coworking spaces are fantastic, but don't work for me on a regular basis, but I use them when travelling, most you can get a desk, wifi and coffee generally people will let you get on with working, I do find them to be populated by IT consultants, and web designers, not that that is a problem just my observation. one of the coolest is http://www.thesurfoffice.com/ In my first year I managed to get in a few weekly rides, but in my second and third years not a chance, I spend a tleast a day a week networking and talking to people to keep the work coming in.

This is all true http://www.buzzfeed.com/ailbhemalone/27 ... freelancer

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

And you find out the biggest C**t you ever work for is yourself

 

[CTK]

Look out on the local train operators websites. Good money, good pensions, good hours (if you don't mind getting up early)