ExRabbit
Club Champion
I'm pretty sure he just asked for help on a new career and never mentioned his current financial situation with regard to whether he could just retire or not.
I don't get your point at all.
Career Change
- Thread starter Jasonr
- Start date
I don't get your point at all.
PhilTheFragger
Provider of Entertainment for the Golfing Gods 🙄
Well his current financial position will have a direct bearing on what he does next. , see my earlier post.
Dependent Kids, uni, mortgage etc will all be things to consider when looking at options as it’s the difference between doing something you want to do v doing what you have to do.
At 57 I found myself out of work after 20 years of being self employed due to my customer base evaporating when I was unable to work for 3 months due to surgery.
I was also back living with my 80 year old Mum after 31 years of marriage, no savings, decent pension pot, which I didn’t want to touch.
Landed an admin job in Aylesbury, on a small margin above minimum wage, met a new lady and started again.
Now 4 years later all is good, so it can be done
Voyager EMH
Slipper Wearing Plucker of Pheasants
What I'm about to say is of little use to your need for a change of direction right now, but...
Now that I am retired, although a few years to go to before state pension kicks in, I think too many of us invest too much in our jobs.
Do I enjoy it? Does it give me a sense of importance? etc.
We earn money.
That's all.
Then we retire.
Jobs are unimportant compared with family.
I had a major career change in my 40s. Loads of uncertainty at the time to deal with. Part time work and evening classes to get adult- teaching qualification, but glad I did it.
Working in a prison was very different from the commercial world.
Gave me a better outlook on the important things in life.
Now that I am retired, although a few years to go to before state pension kicks in, I think too many of us invest too much in our jobs.
Do I enjoy it? Does it give me a sense of importance? etc.
We earn money.
That's all.
Then we retire.
Jobs are unimportant compared with family.
I had a major career change in my 40s. Loads of uncertainty at the time to deal with. Part time work and evening classes to get adult- teaching qualification, but glad I did it.
Working in a prison was very different from the commercial world.
Gave me a better outlook on the important things in life.
cliveb
Head Pro
It was intended as a somewhat light hearted remark.
But hidden there is the message that if you afford to retire, just do it.
I was able retire at 57 (not rich, but comfortable) and it's the best thing I did.
need_my_wedge
Has Now Found His Wedgie
Just had a similar experience. I relocated to Scotland at the end of January and two weeks after moving was made redundant at 58.
I’ve worked in IT for 42 years, and for the same software company for the last 23 years. I was pretty burnt out work wise, not enjoying my job, and was pretty much hanging in there for retirement.
The redundancy put paid to that, got a small payoff all statutory but not a lot. The saving grace was the move, the mortgage here is about 15% of what I had down south, which meant that I didn’t have to try and find a similarly paid job, lucky for me.
I now work at a golf course in the golf operations team, it’s seasonal and minimum wage, but i pretty much go home with a line drawn on the day and nothing to carry over for tomorrow. Every day is different, work with a good bunch of guys and am enjoying being out in the sunshine all day. Instead of sitting at s desk all day my step count is up to between 13K - 18K a day, beer belly is a lot trimmer, weight dropped a bit, tanned and pretty much always in a good mood. Wife is loving the new me, as am I.
No idea what I’m going to do in October when the course closes, but I’ll deal with that then.
The gist of it being that I have changed my “career” in a big way. Yes it was forced on me rather than by choice and yes it affects money, but it has been more positive for my general well being, am currently loving my Fife life.
I’ve worked in IT for 42 years, and for the same software company for the last 23 years. I was pretty burnt out work wise, not enjoying my job, and was pretty much hanging in there for retirement.
The redundancy put paid to that, got a small payoff all statutory but not a lot. The saving grace was the move, the mortgage here is about 15% of what I had down south, which meant that I didn’t have to try and find a similarly paid job, lucky for me.
I now work at a golf course in the golf operations team, it’s seasonal and minimum wage, but i pretty much go home with a line drawn on the day and nothing to carry over for tomorrow. Every day is different, work with a good bunch of guys and am enjoying being out in the sunshine all day. Instead of sitting at s desk all day my step count is up to between 13K - 18K a day, beer belly is a lot trimmer, weight dropped a bit, tanned and pretty much always in a good mood. Wife is loving the new me, as am I.
No idea what I’m going to do in October when the course closes, but I’ll deal with that then.
The gist of it being that I have changed my “career” in a big way. Yes it was forced on me rather than by choice and yes it affects money, but it has been more positive for my general well being, am currently loving my Fife life.
Crazyface
Tour Winner
Jack it in immediately and get a job in a supermarket. They're all pretty useless but if you find one with fun staff it's a great place to finish your career with. Plus 10% off food!!!
stefanovic
Medal Winner
I can recommend books by John Parkin, who was once in a similar position to yourself, burnt-out in the city.
John C. Parkin: books, biography, latest update
Follow John C. Parkin and explore their bibliography from Amazon's John C. Parkin Author Page.
www.amazon.co.uk
And no, you don't want to do Word and Excel.
Jasonr
Club Champion
Thanks for the replies all and lots to think about.
The plan was for me to retire around 55-60, downsize house move out of the south east to somewhere clean, green & friendly. Only between 4-9 years but the way the work is at the moment and the amount of stress and pressure they put on you for the company's exponential growth targets is just quite frankly disgusting. I want to make sure I actually get there and have a few years after to enjoy it.
I suppose it's toilet syndrome when you are desperate the closer you get to it the more you need to go!
The plan was for me to retire around 55-60, downsize house move out of the south east to somewhere clean, green & friendly. Only between 4-9 years but the way the work is at the moment and the amount of stress and pressure they put on you for the company's exponential growth targets is just quite frankly disgusting. I want to make sure I actually get there and have a few years after to enjoy it.
I suppose it's toilet syndrome when you are desperate the closer you get to it the more you need to go!
need_my_wedge
Has Now Found His Wedgie
I moved from the South to Scotland. Thought I’d down size but actually ended up upsizing for half the price. Thoroughly recommend life up here in Fife.
cliveb
Head Pro
Similar thing happened to me and my wife 8 years ago. We were both stressed out to the max, so we analysed our pension pots and asked "why are we still working?"
We visited an IFA with our spreadsheet (which predicted we'd run out of money when I was 99) and asked him to sanity check it and confirm we weren't deluding ourselves.
I then spent the next 9 months covertly trying to get my boss to make me redundant, but he wasn't biting, so I just had to quit in the end.
For sure, the fact I could start drawing a pension at 55 helped - which is not an option for you just yet.
But my advice is - if you can afford to retire, just do it! Play twice as much golf and enjoy life while you're still young enough.
I made a move at 40 and honestly felt more excited than nervous. The shift gave me a fresh start and better work-life balance, which I'd been missing for years.
bobmac
Major Champion
Good to hear.
I too switched at 40 and couldn't wait to get out.
Welcome to the forum
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
Weirdly interesting time this thread has popped up as been taking about this at work today. I’ll be due an effectively enforced career change in about 5-6 years time so starting to look at what I may want to do then. I genuinely have no idea what I want to do, where I want to be or if I can even be bothered with a big change.
Need to take some time to consider my options and transferable skills as I’ll be 30years into the career I’ve had and not sure I want to change but I’ll have to!
Need to take some time to consider my options and transferable skills as I’ll be 30years into the career I’ve had and not sure I want to change but I’ll have to!
Neilds
Assistant Pro
Military?
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
Yup!!
Neilds
Assistant Pro
Did it 4 years ago (mid covid) , leaving RAF after 33 years. Found it quite easy but I was office based and moved to similar MOD job so not the biggest change. Good luck
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
I’m contemplating options of seeing if I can stay a a couple more years and get an office based posting, doing something like yourself get an MOD job so it’s not a massive change or literally cutting ties altogether and doing something completely different. Problem is I love the flexibility I have in my role and the time off it affords me, plus I’m not sure my Mrs would get used to having me around so much
IanM
Journeyman Pro
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There were lots of ex military folk in HM Coastguard when I was there. Not just Matelots either!
As a bloke from commerce I loved working with them, lots of interesting tales to be told.
As a bloke from commerce I loved working with them, lots of interesting tales to be told.
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
Gonna be honest can’t think of anything worse than becoming a HM CoastguardThere were lots of ex military folk in HM Coastguard when I was there. Not just Matelots either!
As a bloke from commerce I loved working with them, lots of interesting tales to be told.
Very important job and hard graft. Just anything that involves being on a boat other than drinking I’m out
craigstardis1976
Head Pro
Not sure how applicable it is to your situation...
But in the last few months the Missus and I both decided to re-arrange our lives. I gave up one of my two jobs, we downsized the house, selling a 2600sq ft house for a 1000 sq ft house on the other side of the country. We worked out the finances and investments and with the money we made downsizing plus savings and inheritance monies now have a little nest egg for the future. I will continue my other job which pays me full time (though in reality it only takes about 15 hours per week - most weeks) and she can do her job from home as long as deadlines are met. It may be worth laying everything out, seeing how you can make the most use of the assets you have and where you want to live. With the help of a financial planner we are both in something like semi-retirement. However, we do not have kids or the demands associated with other family members.
But in the last few months the Missus and I both decided to re-arrange our lives. I gave up one of my two jobs, we downsized the house, selling a 2600sq ft house for a 1000 sq ft house on the other side of the country. We worked out the finances and investments and with the money we made downsizing plus savings and inheritance monies now have a little nest egg for the future. I will continue my other job which pays me full time (though in reality it only takes about 15 hours per week - most weeks) and she can do her job from home as long as deadlines are met. It may be worth laying everything out, seeing how you can make the most use of the assets you have and where you want to live. With the help of a financial planner we are both in something like semi-retirement. However, we do not have kids or the demands associated with other family members.
