Re: Dream Job

I would like to have gone Self Employed.

Not easy to do, once you are locked into a career, as you need to build your time, and family life, around that career.

Those who seem to have the best life style (in the South ) are those who have, it seems to me, made their money being self-employed and moved on.

Also, in this modern Technology world, there seem to be so many opportunities!

Just a look at who has set up a business in eBay is testament to that!

Re: Dream Job

Re: Dream Job

I started off doing the job I wanted which was graphic design and I loved it, did it for about twenty years but eventually computers took over my type of work so have retrained a few times.

Re: Dream Job

Not really. For the most part I was self employed. I was happy with the jobs I had but it’s sometimes nice to ponder about other choices

Re: Dream Job

The Besoeker story.
I applied for my first job and got it. A student apprenticeship in the electrical field. Sandwich degree, employed and paid during the vacation periods. Four years of that. And there were two of us doing it at the same time. The company where I was employed wanted one of us to spend time at one of their suppliers to learn about the kit they were installing.

The other guy was initially chosen but didn't want to go as his wife was expecting their first child so, by default, I went. I enjoyed the experience and learned much.

A couple of years later when we got our degrees, the chief engineer called us into his office to explain that he didn't have positions for both of us with the level of qualifications we then had. I, as the younger, was "invited" to go. All very amicable and polite.

The chief engineer of the company I'd visited got to hear of this and offered me a position as a development/commissioning engineer. Well, I got sent all over. Probably because others were less willing and I had no family.

Then a consultant approached me to join him. Initially I declined - I was about to do a commissioning job in Durban. I was there for three months and the job offer remained open at a significant increase in salary. I took it.

A couple of years on, 1972, we started our own company.
We designed and built equipment mostly for industrial plants all around the world.

Eight months in Taiwan, Turkey, weeks in Spain, the Sahara, Malaysia, Hong Kong......and lots of others.

More places than many people will see in a lifetime.
Dream job? Pluses and minuses I guess.

Would I do it again?
In a heartbeat.

Re: Dream Job

Amazing how people who make it seem to keep getting "Breaks" which can appear out of negative happenings, like missing out on jobs, etc., and those "seemingly" lucky breaks lead onwards and upwards.

I say "seemingly" but I'm guessing that you had few "lucky" breaks and your career was more about putting yourself, skill wise, where it could all happen.

In other words, you had all that was needed when it was needed.

Not wording it very well but you might know what I mean!

Re: Dream Job

Thank you TedC.
Yes, I get what you mean.

I don't mean to sound boastful but I think I was/am fairly knowledgeable/respected in my field.

One thing that saddens me is that fewer young people are getting into it. Still, it keeps old pharts like me consultancy fees.........

Re: Dream Job

Tedc
re your post no 11

Going self employed which we did. You really have to be determined to make a go of it, no half hearted effort.

As for being in the South East I and my family moved up to the West Midlands, a completely unknown area and unknown job. Yes we had our own dogs but running a huge boarding kennels and cattery is something else. (119 dogs and 42 cat licence). The mortgage had to be paid each month let alone living costs etc

The kennels was a mess as was the cattery, not only that but only had 350 clients on the books. Daft and balmy definately but I knew we could turn it around. Took 8 years in all to get it up to a reasonable standard,and nearly went bust several times.We even had to borrow money from family members, it was that close to going under.

The risk factor of giving up a secure job with BT into the unknown is something was really looking back on it plainly stupid. Absolutely a mad thing to do.

However being fed up with idiots out of university telling a trained engineer how to do my job was the breaking point.

So the time came to break free and do things the way they should be done. Hence buying a run down boarding establishment which is all we could afford.
This is what some have to do first before thinking about how great it is having ones own business. Oh and I was already 48 years old when we bought the kennels

Long hours loads of paperwork and waiting for clients to pay, just one of the worries, but the stress is what one puts on ones self, not what some moron thinks that you can do more than 8 hours work in a day.

So going self employed starting out and getting established is enough to put most people off. Once committed to doing it one can't turn back if you want to make a success.

Me I am one of the most stubborn people and hate giving up without trying everything, and this is how you have to be.

Ok now the plus side

Every thing you earn goes into your pocket not some elses You can control how the business is run without some numpty telling you how to do it.
Doing it right straight from the start and determination and you can pull through.

In our case as I said we only took over the boarding establishment with only 350 clients on the books. When we sold roughly 4+ years ago we had 5500 clients on the books from as far away as Cornwall and even some from Southern Ireland

Needless to say all that hard work paid of big time, or should i say enough to retire comfortably on with investments etc.

Getting the "breaks" as you say is not down to luck, it is down to doing something if you really want to get on in life. it is putting your heart and soul into it

Sitting back in the same old job pays the bills but that is all, no chance of earning a few bob for yourself.

So was all this effort really worth it? every time and would do it again, but you have to have the right mind set at the beginning or you will fail.


one of our kennel blocks I refurbished with new kennel fronts- runs -lighting and floor tiles I did myself. Photo taken half way into the block. Bbefore just rough croncrete on the floor and only half the kennels had power for heat lamps



Another example is our grooming parlour

when we took over the place this has 3 ft of straw and goats mess in it and a concrete floor. Again I completely refurbished including a step in shower unit for the dogs at the back. not to even mention the tiling lighting and power upgrade



This may give some idea of what was needed and this is only about 20% of the work I carried out at the premises

The cattery was only half this length we added the nearest end. No grass just broken concrete and a rickity home made pen for 6 cats, all ripped out for this. New roof - new floor-new electrics - new lighting -new cat kitchen and alarmed. I even laid the turf. The pens were professionally built and installed to match exisiting ones



Not to mention new security systems and security lighting everywhere even a new front wall

Re: Dream Job

That's absolutely fabulous, RS, and you must be really pleased with what you achieved.



Well Done!

Re: Dream Job

Thank you

Yes I am without trying to sound boasting. Raised two sons and both with degrees , supported the family even though I hated working for BT in the latter years. and nearly had a complete breakdown with stress. That is why I left, and made the best move in my life

so what was the result of doing all this?

h my home, and I love the place to bits