What Did You Start Off As?

[Rpa07]

And I gave up 13 years of registered nursing to do my training - I'm loving every bit, well except for the huge drop in wages. I've only wiped my own bum for the last year - strange but true!

 

[charlie76]

Control and instrumentation engineer oil and gas 5 years
Consultant water and wastewater control systems 2 years
Project manager fire and security system installation 11 years
Just starting out as domestic spark at age 40.

 

[Rpa07]

I was 47 when I changed career, now 49. My boss/ mentor is 42 but looks older than me - we have a laugh with that one!

 

[gazdkw82]

14-16 glass collector local pub + Musician
18-20 music college + bar tender + Musician
20-21 university. Hated it + Musician
21-32- hospitatlity and logistics + Musician
32- present day as above plus started electrical training

 

[Rpa07]

So you're a musician then gazdkw82! nice one and 'respect'

 

[gazdkw82]

I sure am drums mainly but guitar also and sing

 

[Andy78]

"Paperboy, rose budder, cucumber picker, crouton flicker, barman, fish dipper, delivery driver, data installer"

No income tax, no vat, no money back, no guarantee, black or white, rich or poor - welcome prices at your door. . . ."

I thought I'd finish that off for you Andy78 obviously to the music of 'only fools and horses'!

Ha ha, a Del boy I ain't. Most of those jobs were summer jobs whilst at art college/6th form college etc

 

[Knobhead]

A butcher, I still keep the knives honed for when needed.


After that

Indentured electrical apprenticeship

Plant electrician

Production engineer

Engineering procurement

Photographer

Entertainments organiser

Production management

Plant electrician

R&D

Maintenance supervisor

Engineering project management


Retirement

 

[Doomed]

Electronics R&D
University
Building Services (If it broke I had to fix it in a big tourism & retail place)
Management of tourism and retail place
Sparks

 

[GLENNSPARK]

factory worker
then got into fabrications....went to college...became industrial blacksmith

then came away from that...went back to college sparkying....served my time etc...

 

[Leesparkykent]

Born and bred Sparky.....grandad and dad are both sparks so its all I've ever done.

 

[Dave OCD]

My dad and grandad were machine tool setters and recognised as at the top of their game but I'm a sparks, started off with an apprenticeship with the local Health Authority, mostly maintenance in Hospitals, then maintenance/installation in a pottery followed by a sheepskin tannery [smelly]. After that 4 years with a small contractor mostly domestic and new build estates, then 24 years for the County Council as an electrical inspector mostly on street lighting, highway power supplies etc supervising and issuing/inspecting replacement works ['asset management']
I escaped from there while I still had my sanity in May 2014 and went self-employed. Although I'm working really hard a lot of the time and 52 now I wish I'd taken this route much sooner.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

My dad and grandad were machine tool setters and recognised as at the top of their game but I'm a sparks, started off with an apprenticeship with the local Health Authority, mostly maintenance in Hospitals, then maintenance/installation in a pottery followed by a sheepskin tannery [smelly]. After that 4 years with a small contractor mostly domestic and new build estates, then 24 years for the County Council as an electrical inspector mostly on street lighting, highway power supplies etc supervising and issuing/inspecting replacement works ['asset management']
I escaped from there while I still had my sanity in May 2014 and went self-employed. Although I'm working really hard a lot of the time and 52 now I wish I'd taken this route much sooner.

Stoke lad?

 

[Dave OCD]

Stoke lad?

No mate, Cornwall !

 

[GMES]

A twinkle in my dads eye

 

[LankyWill]

Grandad was a steel plant electrician in wales, dads a failed plumber (couldn't stick it) now a suit. Thought id reset the balance and became an electrician. Been doing it for 6 years, qualified 2 whilst training i was a 'Barista' at a highstreet coffee chain.

 

[Rpa07]

Triple shot, skinny, low foam lattes on LankyWill then, interesting thread - how diverse we all are.

 

[Kamikaze]

I’m still working on being a bright spark. Might get that right one day.

 

[Mablec]

Has anyone here say worked e.g. in a factory or has been been in a job they don't like to then go onto an electrician? What ages did you pursue this?

In 1969 I was 15 and working in a bed factory totally bored, during my lunch hour I walked across the road not to a building site, asked for an electrician and by luck the guy I met was the boss of the electrical contracting company, he liked my cheek so took me on. I started there and then first job was to tidy the cable store I never went back to the factory and notepad enrolled in college took 5 years to get my C certificate, love this trade always laughing but looking forward to retirement in 2019

 

[LankyWill]

Triple shot, skinny, low foam lattes on LankyWill then, interesting thread - how diverse we all are.

Haha you sound just like all the bored stereotypical 20 something mums that used to plague the place. If your really 'cool' soya milks the new in. Apparently.......