Career Advice Required

[DaveS]

Well here's something that's come in a bit left of field.
I've been asked at work if I'm interested in Voluntary Redundancy.
Because I've worked for the bank for 20 years I get quite a lump sum for going.

So I have a nice secure job paying a good salary with an excellent top rate pension (final salary non contributory), I prefer security and I like the salary rolling in each month, but I know that I'm worth more. e.g. I have 13 contractors working for me that earn £120K per year, and I know that I can do their jobs standing on my head. Although I am considering going back to college to say learn to become a plumber as there's good money in that!
So it should be a no brainer but I'm nervous! Anyone else been through this.
I'm very lucky to have the safety net I guess so that I don't have to work for a year or so unless I want to.

Sensible thoughts please. No, take the money and go travelling round the world for 2 years!! I know what you lot are like.
And no I don't want to invest in any of your scams!

[iswoolley]

...contractors working for me that earn £120K per year...

You need to be telling me what they do!

[Lumiya]

After 15 years in IT I personally got sick and tired of all the idiotic users so thought sod it and left. Best thing I ever did, now Jen and I do something we enjoy. Yeah IT can get you lots of money, but for me I'd rather be earning a modest wage whilst enjoying life.

Perhaps then it should really be a case of searching deep inside and seeing if you're fianacially and mentally stable enough to change careers and follow a sensible but "what you want to do" career.

In the end it's your choice, all I can give you if my own experience.

Kymmy

[Whealie]

Take the money and travel the world, Dave.
Sorry, someone had to say it

[Simon]

You got to make a list of what dependancies you have, eg mortage etc, cause i reakon that the more you have then the more stree you will have during that time at college. cbrpaddy has recently started training to be a plumber also. Not sure what i would do. You know more about the money side of things i guess with your current job.

I would be nervous too.

[Jenna]

much as kymmy said really, walking away from decent regular wages into the unknown is very much a leap of faith. Dont expect it to be easy and its incredibly hard not to let your life slip and just do nothing... on the flip side there is nothing like doing a job you enjoy and getting the satisfaction it brings regardless of what happens to the bank balance!

I walked away from top flight motorsport ( car builder and race tech for 3 world rally champions) as at the time it felt like the right thing to do, unlike you I walked away with a months wages and a good reputation only!

at the end of the day money isnt everything!

[Lord Vader]

much as kymmy said really, walking away from decent regular wages into the unknown is very much a leap of faith. Dont expect it to be easy and its incredibly hard not to let your life slip and just do nothing... on the flip side there is nothing like doing a job you enjoy and getting the satisfaction it brings regardless of what happens to the bank balance!

I walked away from top flight motorsport ( car builder and race tech for 3 world rally champions) as at the time it felt like the right thing to do, unlike you I walked away with a months wages and a good reputation only!

at the end of the day money isnt everything!

I would not even have a good reputation

[squirrelciv]

For my 2p worth....... Go for it
Missed my chance a while back and regret it to this day, and their is nothing worse than sitting down and regretting what you didn't do
Sure its a bit scary, if it wasn't there would be no point in doing it, but if you've crossed the I's and dotted the T's and the maths holds up for a 6 month stretch, then whatever the problems, you should be able to ride them out.
Easy for me to say I know, but I'm guessing your pretty sure yourself and just need others to have a little faith in you too. Whats the worst that could happen?? Back to square one and start again?? Well you did once, so that shouldn't prove too hard

[squirrelciv]

Sorry forgot Is there a Mrs DaveS?? If so, is she supportive?? cos without her backing you could be in for a bit of a bun fight and consequencely (spell?) forget everything I've just said. Stay where you are, and die a bored but un-nagged man content in the knowledge you avoided the constant drone of a wife reminding you of all you had before you threw away a perfectly good job

[Whealie]

I had just got a new job, negotiated the salary, signed the contract and handed in my notice. I'd also recommeded a mate to replace me, who had been itnerviewed amd offerered the job. We worked out my leaving date so he could start as soon as I left.
Then my son was born - and that very evening the company rang up to cnacle the job offer, leaving me working my notice on a job already filled by a mate who was also working his notice.
So made the plunge into the freelance world and have never looked back.
So you can do it. There is a temperment required. Th ability to not panic when there is no work and still turn down stuff when you are too busy (and we never get either of those exactly right). You have find ways of coping with working alone and at home (don't work just come on this site) but gettting the balance right (that's where I have been going wrong ).
It is possible to do this after 20 years withthe same employer but you have to feel confident that you are the sort of person who could cope with this.
On the plus side, I spend a lot of time with my kids that I might otherwise have been working.
Plumbers, I am told, are not earning anywhere near so much since the poles got in to the EU - so think carefully about that option.