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Career change from finance to outdoorsy work in mid 40s

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  • 07-09-2020 7:14pm
    #1
    tdf7187
    Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭


    Hi. I am just throwing around some ideas. After a career break I have no motivation whatever to return to any form of office job. Does anyone have any practical suggestions regarding moving to outdoorsy type work? Landscape gardening, bricklaying, etc. I am in my mid 40s so no spring chicken but physically fit.


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    #2
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Have you given thought to how long you'd be able to work at that?


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    #3
    tdf7187
    Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭tdf7187


    Anyone else?


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    #4
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    This seems apt...

    https://youtu.be/wczkA_cULYk


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    #5
    phormium
    Registered Users Posts: 3,293 ✭✭✭phormium


    Are you any actually any good at gardening? On the local FB page there is a post nearly everyday looking for people to cut lawns, tidy gardens etc so who knows you might get something like that up and running if you are handy at it.


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    #6
    Feisar
    Registered Users Posts: 6,597 ✭✭✭Feisar


    There is a good living to be made power hosing driveways/cleaning gutters and windows.

    As regards construction I don't know of anyone that picked up a trade at that age.

    First they came for the socialists...



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    #7
    TheBlackPill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 321 ✭✭TheBlackPill


    tdf7187 wrote: »
    Hi. I am just throwing around some ideas. After a career break I have no motivation whatever to return to any form of office job. Does anyone have any practical suggestions regarding moving to outdoorsy type work? Landscape gardening, bricklaying, etc. I am in my mid 40s so no spring chicken but physically fit.
    Even if you are fit, office to real work is gonna kill you


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    #8
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Why not go for it. You've only one life, and you'll never be this young again.


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    #9
    LuasSimon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,208 ✭✭✭LuasSimon


    tdf7187 wrote: »
    Hi. I am just throwing around some ideas. After a career break I have no motivation whatever to return to any form of office job. Does anyone have any practical suggestions regarding moving to outdoorsy type work? Landscape gardening, bricklaying, etc. I am in my mid 40s so no spring chicken but physically fit.

    Wouldn’t mind a change myself , probably wishful thinking but it would be great if there was an accelerated brick laying one year course or plumbing etc for mature students . Often heard people doing courses at night in London back in the day but not sure do such things exist here


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    #10
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    TheBlackPill wrote: »
    Even if you are fit, office to real work is gonna kill you

    I dunno about real work. But yeah if you are not used to it, its takes its toll. Worse with age.


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    #11
    Man with broke phone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,201 ✭✭✭Man with broke phone


    Mad idea altogether. Most lads your age still on the tools in construction are counting down the days to when they bend down and cant get back up. Its hard work in the cold under pressure timewise in dusty atmospheres and now you have to do it all in a face mask.

    Its not like a hobby class where you make something with wood and varnish it and everybody stands around saying how nice it is. Starting out you could be given a drill that weighs a couple of kilo and be told to drill 1000 holes in a concrete ceiling. After a few weeks of that you might be told to cut and make up 1000 unistrut brackets.
    Then you might be told to drill another 1000 holes on the next floor of the building.

    I was about 5 years at it before I started hoping that id have somebody to do my grunt work. Im near 20 years at it now and still have to get on the drill occasionally. You should listen to a chopsaw cutting steel all day before making any rash decisions.


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    #12
    StupidLikeAFox
    Registered Users Posts: 7,698 ✭✭✭StupidLikeAFox


    A park ranger would tick those boxes for you I'd say


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    #13
    lsjmhar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 399 ✭✭lsjmhar


    tdf7187 wrote:
    Hi. I am just throwing around some ideas. After a career break I have no motivation whatever to return to any form of office job. Does anyone have any practical suggestions regarding moving to outdoorsy type work? Landscape gardening, bricklaying, etc. I am in my mid 40s so no spring chicken but physically fit.


    You could always move your desk outdoors. If you like it, you could stay out permanently!


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    #14
    salmocab
    Registered Users Posts: 11,283 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    Try and get a job with a small builder as a labourer for a while, see if it will actually suit you. Is your career in finance something you could drop back into in 5 years without too much trouble?
    What about setting up as a window cleaner, if you got going right you could probably do alright money wise.


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    #15
    Thespoofer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭Thespoofer


    What I would say is if you're willing to step out of your comfort zone, research what you're going into and willing to give things a go then you would do well.

    Outside of all the obvious typical certified trades ( electrician, plumbers etc ) , there's plenty of opportunity for someone who can do a trade well ( without qualification on paper) to just do it.

    I know plenty of people , brickies, carpenters, internal finishers, roofers ( my trade ), plasters etc etc who never actually officially qualified for the trade but just kind of picked it up over time , you just need a bit of a neck on you though at the start ( I say this with respect to the people who went the apprentice route in these trades ).


    I'm roofing almost 30 years ( cant believe it's that long ), have had highs, lows, met some sound people and people not so sound. It tends to attract a more ' free spirited ' type of person and to be honest if your mind is set on it, there's always work for someone with a good work ethic and surprisingly a bit of common sense.


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    #16
    MerlinSouthDub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,612 ✭✭✭MerlinSouthDub


    The particular example you mention - bricklaying - doesn't seem ideal at your age, and would take some years of training to get into. Gardening is perhaps more feasible, though you will likely need to start with basic work (cutting, mowing etc).

    There are, of course, loads of other jobs that are not office based. Possibly energy assessor might be one to consider - growing market, mix of desk based with site visits etc. But that's just one option, it's worth looking through a list of careers and thinking about what might suit.

    I'd also add that "office" work is going to change quite radically, I think. Employers will need to allow people to work from home long into the future, and if it's the office environment you don't like, that may not be such an issue - you can work on your laptop in the park :)


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    #17
    Thespoofer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭Thespoofer


    LuasSimon wrote: »
    Wouldn’t mind a change myself , probably wishful thinking but it would be great if there was an accelerated brick laying one year course or plumbing etc for mature students . Often heard people doing courses at night in London back in the day but not sure do such things exist here

    This. The UK does seem to be ahead of us in terms of training TBH.


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    #18
    tdf7187
    Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭tdf7187


    TheBlackPill wrote: »
    Even if you are fit, office to real work is gonna kill you

    Office work has killed my soul. Not even the work per se, but the politics, backstabbing, timeserving, cliques and so on.


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    #19
    Man with broke phone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,201 ✭✭✭Man with broke phone


    Thespoofer wrote: »
    This. The UK does seem to be ahead of us in terms of training TBH.

    Haha no. The Irish trade system is streets ahead of the uk system. Its not even up for debate.


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    #20
    Thespoofer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭Thespoofer


    Man with broke phone wrote: »
    Haha no. The Irish trade system is streets ahead of the uk system. Its not even up for debate.

    Ok, should have said variety.


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    #21
    MerlinSouthDub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,612 ✭✭✭MerlinSouthDub


    tdf7187 wrote: »
    Office work has killed my soul. Not even the work per se, but the politics, backstabbing, timeserving, cliques and so on.

    It happens to many, the corporate world is highly unpleasant. If you're ok with the work itself, then perhaps consider contract work. You won't need to worry about office politics so much, as you're clearly not there to work your way up the greasy pole.


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    #22
    El Tarangu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭El Tarangu


    StupidLikeAFox wrote: »
    A park ranger would tick those boxes for you I'd say

    It does. But depending on where the OP is based, could require relocation (and I believe these days you might need to go to college for a couple of years).
    Thespoofer wrote: »


    I'm roofing almost 30 years ( cant believe it's that long ), have had highs, lows,

    Mainly highs though, I'd say...


    OP - first things first - your mortgage is paid off, or you have a partner who can take the slack financially for the first few years? This being the case, I'd say go for it.

    While I would echo some of the other posters who say that working outdoors may not seem all it's cracked up to be once you hit your first winter in the job, I'd still say go for it. Worse comes to worse, in 12 months' time you will be back in another office job with a few stories and a new perspective on things.


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    #23
    tdf7187
    Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭tdf7187


    El Tarangu wrote: »
    OP - first things first - your mortgage is paid off, or you have a partner who can take the slack financially for the first few years? This being the case, I'd say go for it.

    No to both. However I've discovered since I stopped drinking that I can live quite parsimoniously, even in Ireland.


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    #24
    LilacNails
    Registered Users Posts: 647 ✭✭✭LilacNails


    Stone mansion work?


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    #25
    El Tarangu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭El Tarangu


    tdf7187 wrote: »
    No to both. However I've discovered since I stopped drinking that I can live quite parsimoniously, even in Ireland.

    Grand job - well, given you have already managed a career break, you are probably aware of the financial restraints (I was about to type 'hardships', but I don't that would be accurate, in the end - it's only money).


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    #26
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,617 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    OP to be frank. Yes of you can do anything you want to do. If you're willing

    E.g I know a landscaper who was looking for people and paying good money . Work was garden redesigns . Patios. Small walls. Planting. Usual stuff and keeps getting jokers that aren't bothered turning up or don't answer calls etc etc.

    You could start asking small 2 3 men landscaping companies in your locality. But rest assured. It's tough work and would take you weeks to get into the rhythm of sore hands sore back etc etc. But it also comes with reasonably instant rewards seeing the fruits of your work. Satisfaction I suppose.


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    #27
    milehip
    Registered Users Posts: 733 ✭✭✭milehip


    tdf7187 wrote: »
    No to both. However I've discovered since I stopped drinking that I can live quite parsimoniously even in Ireland.


    "parsimoniously"

    I'd Try and avoid words like this on the sites

    For the first few years at least


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    #28
    smokie72
    Registered Users Posts: 214 ✭✭smokie72


    Why don't you try for a job in a local authority? General operative work cutting grass with ride on mowers or even tractors? Get trained up for it. It can be seasonal work but it is good even to get a regular wage in the winter unlike contractors. Local authorities also employ brickies and might offer apprenticeships? Keep an eye out in local newspapers advertising jobs in your local authority.


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    #29
    nthclare
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,316 ✭✭✭nthclare


    Many a mature student in their 40's and 50's walked out of the Botanic gardens degree course after 3 or 4 year's and became head gardener's.

    If you're creative and have a great eye for colour and perspective then you'll be able to adapt to Horticulture easy enough.

    Learning the plant names in Latin is like learning to read all over again, and applied soil science can be hard.

    But you'll be better for the job than the average cowboys playing dot to dot with plants that blend into one big mess after 3 year's.

    There's always wealthy people retiring who have big pensions and will pay quite well for a day's work a week and if you're really good word of mouth travels fast.

    But I suggest you get a college course rather go out on your own.


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    #30
    tdf7187
    Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭tdf7187


    milehip wrote: »
    "parsimoniously"

    I'd Try and avoid words like this on the sites

    For the first few years at least

    Heh heh.


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    #31
    Feisar
    Registered Users Posts: 6,597 ✭✭✭Feisar


    Man with broke phone wrote: »
    Mad idea altogether. Most lads your age still on the tools in construction are counting down the days to when they bend down and cant get back up. Its hard work in the cold under pressure timewise in dusty atmospheres and now you have to do it all in a face mask.

    Its not like a hobby class where you make something with wood and varnish it and everybody stands around saying how nice it is. Starting out you could be given a drill that weighs a couple of kilo and be told to drill 1000 holes in a concrete ceiling. After a few weeks of that you might be told to cut and make up 1000 unistrut brackets.
    Then you might be told to drill another 1000 holes on the next floor of the building.

    I was about 5 years at it before I started hoping that id have somebody to do my grunt work. Im near 20 years at it now and still have to get on the drill occasionally. You should listen to a chopsaw cutting steel all day before making any rash decisions.

    Listen to this man.

    First they came for the socialists...



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