# I need advice on Plan B



## ollienoclue

I know there are a lot of serious businessmen and employers here and this forum is one of the few I am a member of where I would consider it friendly enough to ask these kinds of questions.

I would appreciate any advice you can offer me really. For the past 2 and a bit years I have been chasing my dream of studying medicine but so far it hasn't exactly gone to plan. Due to geography I can only realistically study in a 2 or 3 Unis locally and commute to them. My wife is in a full time professional job and our oldest starts school next month so moving is out of the question.

Assuming I do not secure a place to study in the coming years, I need some kind of back up plan. I would like a career that is going to offer an on-going challenge and let me develop myself as far as I can.

With this in mind I have been considering the following.

Royal Navy- away from home a lot but this would not concern me. If anyone can offer any HM forces advice for someone joining at an older age I'd appreciate it.

Merchant marine- again I'd be away from home but plenty of study and qualifications to gain over time. I understand the shipping world is pretty borked due to Covid however but qualifications take a few years to get so perhaps the world might be on a return to normality by then?

Quarrying/mining industry. Our county (Somerset) is littered like the moon with quarries and I like big toys. Have an appreciation of sorts for the management and logistics involved as I have worked in a company moving bulk materials before. No idea about the industry as a whole but I did know a guy who is an operator for one company and her earns very good money.

Any other suggestions really? People say I should be an engineer but that is also 3 years at uni and I understand a fair few of them do not get the big jo they all dream of? I'm quite interested in things like nuclear power, or just the electrical grid in general.

Put simply, what careers should I consider that would let me learn something new and earn good money if I am prepared to put the time and effort to it?

Bit of a sad story I know and I hate complaining at the best of times.

Thank you in advance.


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## Deathstar

So working for an extremely large multinational with fingers in many industries from Aerospace to Energy and Chemical. 

The areas of be looking at would be engineering biased, with either a Nuclear or a renewables focus. 
Pharma could also be an option. 

Engineering can be studied remotely, so that could help in your situation, followed by a business course, with a finance. 
Software and IT is saturated at the moment.

How does industrial Automation sound?


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## Brian1612

As an engineer myself I would strongly advise studying a branch of engineering you have a particular interest in. The amount of jobs available makes it a no brainer for a logical thinking mind, just ensure it's in a discipline/industry you have an interest in is my advice.

That's the decision I took. I decided nearly 3 years in my auto electrician apprenticeship that it wasn't for me. At the time I was told by family etc it was a bad decision but it's worked out well in the end & they now admit I made the right choice. I was a little older when I graduated at 22 but in that time I've spent over 4 years in the oil & gas industry, 1 year in a manufacturing role & now working within a projects team designing & building gas handling systems for ships. I've thoroughly enjoyed the challenges with each role & for my age (29) I'm quite pleased with my working life so far. It's certainly challenging & rewarding with decent pay & plenty of scope for progression I've found. I've gone from Construction Engineer to Project Co-ordinator & now a Projects Engineer. Slowly working my way up.


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## ollienoclue

Thank you for the replies so far.

I have zero experience of software development and only a general level of knowledge of IT in fairness so I don't think I'd be hot on anyone's recruitment list.

I don't think pharma would be for me in all honesty. I used to work as an agronomist where chemicals were my forte but my interest was in playing the game not just studying the players if that makes sense?

I know a lot of engineering is just walls and walls of maths, I had a difficult upbringing and turbulent school life as a result so my confidence with maths is not the greatest. I don't especially 'enjoy it' if that makes sense?

I completed an Access to HE diploma (science) last year and gained distinctions for all units and all submitted pieces of work or exams. This probably does not mean much to many here but it was a serious undertaking when you have two kids and you're working part time as well.

Oil and gas as prospects scare me to death as it seems to be boom and bust a lot?

Put simply, I don't mind doing something difficult or unpopular but I'd like to be paid properly for it. What careers or employers are going to look at a mature student who knows how to graft favourably? I feel I'm just being drowned in a horde of 18 A levellers who happen to have good exam results. It's so frustrating because I've sat with and been with these kinds of young people on work experience placements and they are too scared to even talk. Patients, customers, staff, they are ghosts. I assumed I would be sucked up by the admission system because here is a guy that knows what 100 hours a week in a position of responsibility looks like and he knows how to talk to all kinds of people regardless of their level of technical awareness.

It's not a great time to be chasing this I know because lots of people are being sacked left, right and centre but I've been moving toward my goal for 3 years now.


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## mand

Optometrist? More places to study it now, 3-4yr course.
Then you can do further specialist courses after.
Usually lots of jobs all over, esp as a locum which means you can work to your own schedules.


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## ollienoclue

I have sat in lots of ophthalmology clinics and I'm not sure doing that all day would really appeal. I'm not a great fan of eyes in some ways.

Are there engineering firms who take people on and train them, and if so, doing what and where? I will have to investigate what can be studied part time. I'm just aware of people who have completed engineering degrees and then gone and done something else. Any kind of full time study will be a big financial commitment from my savings so I need to be sure there is a tangible career at the end of it.


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## jdquinn

As someone else said automation engineer isn’t a bad choice. There is a lack of good engineers / machine programmers that can be well paid depending on experience. I’m in the electrical controls industry and there’s a lack of people with a willingness to learn and progress in my experience. Most people only want to do what they know and don’t want to put in the effort to ‘engineer’ new systems. I get what you are saying about young students as well. Actually quite difficult to work with if you get one with a bad attitude. (This is generalising but poor work ethic is a real thing nowadays)

Engineering isn’t all maths (depends what field you go into) but does require a solid foundation in it. You can study to gain grades and prove you have the ability to learn and an aptitude in the subject. You will then need to learn on the job semi apprenticeship style which will take time. Again, depending on the field, pay is lowish when starting out but as you gain experience and show you can work it will rise accordingly. The big bucks would be in management whether it’s project coordination or full blown project management which would take you away from hands on ‘engineering’ to a certain extent. This takes time to realise in any career.


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## ollienoclue

Ok, which companies are involved in these automated processes, are they national and how does one approach this kind of work? I am not going to slot myself on to an engineering degree without demonstrating a commitment to the field/work as I have none of this as yet.


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## suds

Hello Ollie, you seem to be looking at jobs which will inevitably mean being away from home for extended periods so why not consider continuing to pursue your dream? Why not, if necessary, consider studying medicine away from home? Sounds like medicine is the one for you - alternatively, consider nursing locally with the option of studying medicine later if that remains the end goal. Or what about radiology, or engineering technical jobs in NHS areas.

Basically, stick with your preferred field/interest and see what a plan B career could be - have a look at...
National careers service, explore careers, healthcare.


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## Coops

Everyone will no doubt throw in the industry that they work in, and when I left college/university I was in a similar position, heart dead set on going the RAF. I went for officer selection at Cranwell but walked out on the 2nd day - not for me.

I've ended up in Logistics (specifically 3PL via a parcel carrier) and have worked up to a senior position. 

There's some big hubs and RDCs up towards Bristol and also near Swindon. Might be worth looking at. Happy for you to PM me if you want to discuss anything specific.


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## ollienoclue

suds said:


> Hello Ollie, you seem to be looking at jobs which will inevitably mean being away from home for extended periods so why not consider continuing to pursue your dream? Why not, if necessary, consider studying medicine away from home? Sounds like medicine is the one for you - alternatively, consider nursing locally with the option of studying medicine later if that remains the end goal. Or what about radiology, or engineering technical jobs in NHS areas.
> 
> Basically, stick with your preferred field/interest and see what a plan B career could be - have a look at...
> National careers service, explore careers, healthcare.


The living away from home wouldn't be an issue apart from the sheer cost of it. Studying at uni for a second time will cost me about 50K (there are no loans for people doing it second time around). I can stump that up and some fuel (or electricity if an electric car is in the picture), but throwing in student rental and it gets out of hand fast. I can get some work in return for a room somewhere possibly but I don't know how demanding the course is yet.

I'm still pursuing the medical dream at the moment. Radiography is out, I've seen a lot of that field and it doesn't appeal. Same goes for physio/OT type stuff. I just wouldn't have the same level of interest or passion for it.

Engineering does interest me as I mentioned earlier, certainly in nuclear or electrical fields. That kind of thing.


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## eibbor

Buy a camper and study in Scotland? 

I would focus on the field you have set your goals towards and let it grow from there. 

I always wanted to be a car mechanic. 3 years in I hated working for a dealership. Moved from there to an opencast coal site and I'm now an electrical engineer for a food manufacturing company and love it. I've done 2 full apprenticeships, all while getting married, having a mortgage and 2 kids. 

If you really want it you will make it work. Wish you all the best on your journey.

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## MrMatt

Have you considered biomedical engineering as a route forward?

Ultimately go for your dream though. I considered a change from electronic engineering to medicine when I was 25 but couldn't make the numbers work and felt i was too old to change.

Regretted that every day for the last 16 years.


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## ollienoclue

MrMatt said:


> Have you considered biomedical engineering as a route forward?
> 
> Ultimately go for your dream though. I considered a change from electronic engineering to medicine when I was 25 but couldn't make the numbers work and felt i was too old to change.
> 
> Regretted that every day for the last 16 years.


As much as I might enjoy studying another subject first, it's simply out of the question to complete another degree before starting the next. I'm 37 so there is a time angle but also I will be financing a lot of this out of my own savings. 3 years of study is gonna be the thick end of 40K before I've set foot in a medical school.

I am still exploring other ideas, if anyone else has some other suggestions regarding careers that might be worth investigating I am all ears.


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## ollienoclue

Coops said:


> Everyone will no doubt throw in the industry that they work in, and when I left college/university I was in a similar position, heart dead set on going the RAF. I went for officer selection at Cranwell but walked out on the 2nd day - not for me.
> 
> I've ended up in Logistics (specifically 3PL via a parcel carrier) and have worked up to a senior position.
> 
> There's some big hubs and RDCs up towards Bristol and also near Swindon. Might be worth looking at. Happy for you to PM me if you want to discuss anything specific.


My experience of logistics was in mostly in bulk materials. I have never had any experience of parcels or the like.


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## Matt_H

Have you considered the apprentice route? 

It may not seem glamorous but its a way into the chemical or nuclear world to study engineering. In my opinion a better route than heading off to uni and then going in as a graduate. Mature apprentices are more common now. 

The right opportunity will result in someone else paying your tuition fees and giving you a job whilst you study. 

I went this route, subsequently studied ONC, HNC, HND, BEng and now working towards my Masters.


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## 20vKarlos

Hey Ollie, 

How qualified are you currently?
GCSE'S? College? any Degrees etc already?

The reason I ask is because I worked at Enterprise Rent a Car and they require you to have a degree (I don't have a degree, but I got the job, based of a colleague recommendation) you start at the bottom and work your way forward and you can earn well in the process.. 

Personally, if you want to stick to medicine, I'd take a year to research a path into your direct line of work or even a plan b route in too.. 

There are plenty of jobs out there mate but just remember the wife and kids are there for you every day (or at least that's the plan) so you should base life around them, jobs change all the time so think outside the box where you can to move forward.

Im not for a minute suggesting you should put your dreams aside, but id tread carefully when it comes to potentially studying away from home... Put yourself in your Wife's shoes... Would you want her staying away from home?


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## Caledoniandream

Have a look what the Civil Service can offer you, organisations like the DVSA offer apprenticeships, and so do other in the DfT.
It’s not really a way if you look for the big bucks, but if you look for stability, benefits and a fair employer, you struggle to do better than that.
I would have gone that way if I could turn the clock 40 years back.
The possibilities and opportunities are endless, you can grow, improve and study while doing a job. 

But again it’s not big bucks, but with big bucks come great expectations, stress and pressure.
I done that, got the t-shirt including medical problems as hypertension etc., money is not everything, life/work balance is the magic word.
It’s worth to chase your dreams, but always think if it worth the price to pay.

Your children are only young once, and that time is very short and is over in the blink of an eye, make sure you enjoy that.
I seen too many people in my work (international logistics and transport) who now say “ I wish I could go back and see my children grow up” 
Money doesn’t pay for happiness, you think it does, but I can assure from experience it doesn’t.

PS edited to add: don’t think apprenticeships are only for spotty 17 year olds, there is a lot of adult apprenticeships even for mature age, while being paid a fair salary.
Have a look and investigate on the Gov.uk webpages.
Good luck


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## rob267

^^^^ very well said.^^^^

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## Gas head

If mining is your plan B then there is only 1 uni really -

http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/csm/

Camborne is the one most recognised in the world for mining and can lead to other offshoot industries that includes tunneling which is my sort of work. 
Can be well paid if you travel worldwide.


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