I am looking for a career change.....something where I can do on the job training and earn at least £13500 a year whilst doing so.

I cant afford to drop out of work and go to college and recently ive been exploring the different options available to me......not much!

Majority of jobs posted on jobcentre and other job sites require either experience or already qualified, mainly because of the "credit crunch."

Im interested to know if anybody can think of anything I havent looked at already or provide any different jobsites/courses that dont cost an arm and a leg.

Looked into becoming a police officer but my chequered past means this isnt possible.....something along those lines would be interesting though, thats a starting salary of £20k as a trainee with no qualifications!

Got some compo coming through in the near future so if anyone knows any short courses that can lead to good well paid jobs with a not massive outlay for the course im interetsed in that too.

Would also be interested to hear from anybody whos been in my position and found work/training......

So you want something for nothing?

Best job I was ever offered was with Rolce Royce - starting pay was around 25K more if your with an agency. I will ask my father-in-law which agency provides for them and let you know as soon as I can if your interested.

As for me, I went college and am doing a Btec national diploma in childcare, leads to many avenues in the profession of childcare, although it will never be that lucrative.

Good luck! I know how it is to want to change but not have the opportunities.


You can also look in to going college at night - that's what got me started!

Become a professional footballer!

Put in some hard work for a while and the opportunities will come flooding in.



(Still at school so this is still beyond my (wanting of) understanding)

Was in that position till last week (as you well know adam) when i landed myself a job.

Just got to hang in there and get lucky eventually.

Mate why do you want to leave many are clinging on to their jobs at the moment.

Its very hard at in this day and age i would suggest you look for secure jobs ie not ones that are first in line for redunduncy, small businesses etc.

Research councils are pretty good 17k - 20k

Railways are good hours and work

cant really help you a great deal as i dont know your location and things.

However there are some good sites around that will email you back matches for your chosen specifications take a look

John- I wouldnt mind getting in at Royces but as far as I know, there is nothing going at the minute....i know a couple of lads there who say so anyway...

as for something for nothing, yes and no! lol. I am willing to fund myself through a course provided its not unreasonably expensive and it will lead to work...i know plenty of people who have done these short courses in various trades and then got no work out of it due to lack of experience!

Im on £20k where i am now as a FLT driver but for my 12 hours a day i have 6 hours where there is literally nothing for me to do, not even a brush to sweep with...lol....they have a geezer on a sweeping truck who does all that kind of work.

I dont mind taking a pay cut as long as the job keeps my brain active, Royces would suit me fine.....i worked round the corner until my recent transfer so i know where im going!

Niall- The best contract i got offered was only £30k a week at Chelsea and with my footballing skills i had to turn that down....then my knee went....blah blah blah.....lmao!

Sam- Life doesnt work like that mate, your lucky if your parents are willing to provide for you whilst your doing college and uni. If i can get on a night course, ill do it, its just making sure it leads to something afterwards as i have bills to pay. Its not for a want of working hard that im in this position, more bad desicions in the past coupled with lack of opportunities!

Col- Cheers, im hoping so, bloody Gordon Brown i blame!

Lmao mike...sure Chelsea are rubbish anyway, can't even beat Hull...hope your knee gets better

I didnt want to leave my original job, i was offered redundancy or transfer and opted for transfer, a desicion i half regret now, though it does pay the bills.

My job is more than dull, without being there its hard to explain but the new supervisor doesnt help! Hes on the verge of an "accident" our shift reckons....

Obviously, im looking for a secure job, im not walking out on this 1, however much i hate it, until i have found something worthwhile.....councils were one of the first places i looked but most jobs available near me at the minute (location= Nottingham) require experience and/or degree. Coupled with the fact when Gordon Brown realises hes wrecked the country and goes to the rest of the world to bail us out, council workers will be first to be laid off! If a council job was available though, id take it as long as when they lay me off after the recession properly hurts us, i can take those skills to a private company...railways would be sound but they arent hiring at present, if you know they are, a link would be ace!

CV is uploaded with various places inc Sky for installation and monster etc.....cheers for thoughts so far everyon

I hope you get lucky m8 something will come soon just sit tight at least you have a job.

How far are you willing to cumute and where abouts do you live again ill keep my eyes pealed for you

They actually won 4-0 but arent announcing it to the world until tomorrow a-la Arsenal and Arshavin, makes Liverpool feel more comfortable hence Rafas 5 defenders!


John- I am applying for a couple of Leicester based jobs on monday......leicster UNI, Leicster college and loughborough college doing various office things (just wanna get away from warehouse work tbh) and also a citizens advice style job in the city centre......any tips on whichever of those places your at? Ones a clerical assistant at which i have no experience and the others an examinations officer, organising timetabling and invigilation and so on....know anyone i should name drop

Cheers mate, ill commute anywhere in the midlands if the money is right mate, possibly further! Just need to be able to cover my bills and the petrol to commute to and from work.......im in nottingham and mainly hunting in notts, derby and leicester but anyhting considered to be honest!

Theres always the forces? I dont know whether thats in your interests or not but i know a few people going into the RAF with little more than GCSE's

yes hightops is absalutely right

RAF my father went in with only 2 O levels

Not bad pay you can rise up the ranks if you want, good hours, great pension.

Good idea topsy

I work at Leicester Uni!
(Although refer to them as the University of Leicester, they're very hot on that for some reason)

I had no experience as a Clerical Assistant at all - just lie (ooer) about it, say you have got loads and know exactly what your doing!


Plus when you work there, you can be on and off Funkypool willy nilly. What job did you apply for? They're rather hard to get so I'm told, I got my through pure luck.....

Have you ever thought about manual labor? Lots of distribution centers here in the US offer tons of jobs for tons of money. Just some lifting, really, and you have machines to help most of the time.

From what I know, it's paid hourly here, but some start at like $16.00/hour. you might want to research it a bit for the UK.


Now, this is for the US, but we have something called the Occupational Outlook Handbook - basically a website where they project the popularity of jobs for the next few years. Here's the link: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm



Like I said, it's for the US, so you'd have to look up something similar for the UK. But this can show you what jobs are more available to you and thus help you decide what is worth going for.

Topsy- If i joined the forces, id be away from home a lot and the main reason im wanting a career as opposed to a job is so im in a position to start a family....i dont want to have kids i cant support and see all the time.

I did consider it, as i could join up for a couple of years and get a trade through the army, then leave and come out as a civilian with a good trade but my missus was dead against it!

John- the leicester uni job is http://jobs.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.pl?selection=931222191&src=search

An alumni relations officer, no idea what this is and i cant ring up til monday as i only found it last night but from the advert you need no experience or qualifications......i did get good GCSE results though, just couldnt afford to carry on my education at the time. Put in a good word for me and ill see you right, im ringing up on monday

I take it you do clerical work there then? Any jobs going in your department?

Katie- Manual labour is my thing at the minute i guess, warehouse and distribution is my job, and this is what i want to get away from as over here the prospects and pay arent so good. Im on what id guess is about the equivalent of $16 an hour at the moment but its not the money im after really, i just want a job that challenges me a little more. Im going to google the second thing you mention but i havent heard off anything like that. Our prime minister isnt as good as your president...lmao

You're married to me now, me and my daddy will support ya

LMAO, im travelling to canada at the minute to get some vidocin so i cant see anything! My last wife took it quite well, but i refuse to let this go off-topic unless your dad actually sends me a cheque!

pmsl...well I'll see what I can do

I'll post something genuine for once in my life...

I can't imagine getting a new job is particularly easy right now, so like you have already mentioned, it's always best to stick out what you're doing until you have something definite lined up. You're a smart bloke (well, kinda), so a more challenging job should be right up your alley, and in my opinion, if you put your mind to it, you could get a very decent, rewarding occupation, whether you have qualifications or not.

Best of luck with it! x