Career change advice

[gash2024]

I am fed up with my current career path and i am interested in becoming a tiler. I have a variety of experience in DIY but when it comes to tiling all i have done is a some grouting and tile cutting. Things are stacked against me as i am nearing 29 so i would be grateful of any ideas that would help me to get a foot on the ladder .

 

[Richard C]

It’s never too late; my current life experience started at 55 & my previous life was far removed from what I do now. But from what you’ve said, my advice is stick with your current job for the time being unless you can get someone to take you under their wing. Laying tiles is not rocket science but understanding the materials & what you need to do to avoid costly failures is far more involved than you would think. It’s not just a case of cutting tiles & sticking them down, it’s not that straight forward these days & requires some thought & experience. If your really serious then you need to do an awful more research, understand the materials involved, lay an awful lot more tiles & get an awful lot more experience or you will never hack it as a competitive contract tiller. Get a few failures & it will cost you a fortune & you could even end up being branded as a cowboy.

The demands for contract tiling can be extreme but I don’t go there; I’m not cheap but everything I do is quality. I concentrate on the refurbishment market & offer an awful lot more than just laying tiles; I also build, plaster, drain, plumb, wire & anything else that may be necessary (even if I don't do it myself) & always to all regulation requirements. I do OK thanks but I think you will struggle or even find it difficult to survive unless you have experience & can offer a complete service unless you have some serious trade contacts or have the benefit of recomendations.

You don’t say what you do now but the grass always looks greener on the other side & most often turns out not to be!

 

[gash2024]

Hi Richard, i currently work in a warehouse, its a career i got into 10 years ago because the money was good and although its might seem hard for some to believe you did have to be a good worker with a good record to get into the better companies. Things have changed a lot now and the industry is a shadow of its former self, i have made an attempt to stay ahead of the crowd but more is demanded for less money and there is never a shortage of people to do it. I spent a little time working in the building trade before i got into warehousing and although i did enjoy it it didn't pay that well at the time which is why i made the switch. I am open to other trades but i would prefer to spend most of the day indoors as the work generally isn't interrupted by the weather so i was thinking tiling or plastering.
It is possible for me to gain some experience in either trade as the brother in law is a builder and he does do some tiling and plastering when the opportunity arises. I would really like to be qualified as a large amount of the family live in auss so to have something i could take to the other side of the globe would be a real bonus. I am pretty sure that what ever happens it cannot be any worst than what i have to do now

 

[big-all]

there was a job advertised for carpenter with own tools and van £6.50p temporary
it shows you what some people expect

 

[WestmidsChippy]

it shows you that there are quite to many people out there taking the **** methinks to the above post.

To the OP, perhaps you could get a day off work and pop down to your local collage and enquire further there.
Never to late to learn something new.

 

[Richard C]

it shows you that there are quite to many people out there taking the p**s methinks to the above post.

Not entirely sure what your getting at

 

[WestmidsChippy]

a carpenter/time served (i am betting), own van/own tools and they are willing to pay 6.50ph

I bet this was advertised through yet another agency.

Is it just me or are they generally taking a dig at the chippy's.
I have yet to see a job advertised for a painter/decorator for less then 9p/h never mind a plumber/a sparkie or for that matter a ceiling fixer!

How i would love for an agency consultant to provoke me in someway...

 

[gash2024]

Before i go any further i would like to say thanks for the response .
Just out of interest it would be nice to know what jobs is considered a good choice in the industry at the moment, there seems to be an ever increasing amount of new jobs that are branching off the traditional ones so i would be nice to know the alternatives.

£6.50 for a chippy is disgusting

 

[tictic]

Before i go any further i would like to say thanks for the response .
Just out of interest it would be nice to know what jobs is considered a good choice in the industry at the moment, there seems to be an ever increasing amount of new jobs that are branching off the traditional ones so i would be nice to know the alternatives.

£6.50 for a chippy is disgusting

gash2024
every trades is getting hit right now mate...if its tile fixing you want to get into,then stick with your job just now and do some tile fixing for family and friends see how you get on,there are courses,but i dont know much about these.
i started off in this as a wee boy..then you need to look into advertising/tools/insurance etc the set up will cost you a good few £££.

do a bit more research bud,before jumping in to anything.
best of

 

[roughcaster]

£6.50 for a chippy is disgusting

That's what i thought too,,,,,,,,,i'd reckon £4.50 an hour,,,, maybe £5 quid at the most, with own van/tools etc,,, but £6.50 an hour,, for a ****ing chippy,, you're 'aving a larf ,, only kidding,,,,,, not!!

 

[gash2024]

gash2024
every trades is getting hit right now mate...if its tile fixing you want to get into,then stick with your job just now and do some tile fixing for family and friends see how you get on,there are courses,but i dont know much about these.
i started off in this as a wee boy..then you need to look into advertising/tools/insurance etc the set up will cost you a good few £££.

do a bit more research bud,before jumping in to anything.
best of[/quote]

One thing i will be happy with is that with a trade its not just something that anyone can do within a few months, if i am to be honest i can't see the wife and i staying in the UK for many more years. Most of her family are in auss now and i would really like to get myself set up with something that would allow me to make the move if the time came. I don't expect to get rich but i would like to have a job that i get some satisfaction from.