Got to make a decision guys - Time for a career change?

[cstorey]

First, a brutal truth : I don't know how far you are up the promotion ladder, but the impression I have had from some of the things you have said is that you are a Constable. If you are not on the promotion ladder after 13 years service then the prospects are not very good , and I imagine that if that is the case, you will gradually become more and more frustrated. Secondly, you plainly want to do something different , and at what I take to be a relatively young age - I imagine you are in your early 30s - I think it would be a great mistake not to heed your inner wishes, because as someone else has said , you will forever be wondering what would have happened if you had taken the plunge. Thirdly, absolutely the worst reason for staying on in a job you are no longer in love with is to collect the pension, particularly when that day is likely to be 20 years or so away . Fourthly, on a more positive note, the job you are aiming for is a highly responsible one and likely to provide satisfaction . My view ( and I changed careers and not just jobs 3 times ) is go for it

[VEGAS]

Ian,

thanks again for the information. Very interesting. I've picked up the PM matey.

Chris,

thank you for the post. Some very valid and accurate points.

Just in response to the things you raise. Yes, I'm a Constable. In relation to promotions; I passed all the Sergeant examinations in 2010. Unfortunately for me, my Force, put a hold on all promotion boards back in 2008.

This was mainly because of funding and the fact there were too many people already qualified and not enough positions for those in the system.

However, the Force cannot stop people taking the exams, even though there are potentially no positions, therefore currently, there are hundreds in the same position as me and its completely clogged up.

On a slightly more positive note, I'm actually due to take up an acting Sgt position at my current station, which is due to commence at the start of July. This is for a minimum of six months and I would revert back to a Constable at the end. Sadly, that won't be happening if I throw my hand in. Too little, too late I guess.

I joined the Police at the ripe age of 25 and I'm 38 now. 13 years service isn't much really and the pension I've notched up in that time will account for very little on paper.

Many Officers I know are staying in the job for the wrong reasons. As you rightly say, its just not right to hang on for 20 years, wishing your life away for a pot of money at the end.

Thankfully, I'm not driven by that. All I want is enough to pay the bills and support my family.

It feels great to have an opportunity to do something completely different, yet just as challenging.

Superb advice from everyone. Certainly food for thought.

Thank you.

[DaveB]

..13 years service isn't much really and the pension I've notched up in that time will account for very little on paper.

That may be true mate but don't think of it like that. If what you get pays your electricity or gas bill or both each year.. that's something you don't have to worry about What I'll get from the Navy when I'm 60 isn't worth a great deal on paper either but.. it will pay for the electric and gas and may pay for the Council Tax too so while it wouldn't on it's own be enough to live on.. it will certainly take the weight off the monthly/annual expenses

ATB
DaveB

[ianhind]

Interesting that quite a lot of the comments have been around pensions.

You might think "what else from a lot of old fogeys?" but it is a very important topic that youngsters tend to ignore until too late.

A final salary pension scheme is very valuable - you know what you are going to get when you retire. No hoping the stock market is ok many years in the future. If all had gone to plan with my career (ie no closure and redundancy), my pension would have been 40/65 of my final salary!

So that's a consideration but ultimately will you enjoy the new job and also will you still think that in 25 years time - of course you can apply that same reckoning to your current job!

Ian

PS try plugging in your numbers at https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... calculator to get a real estimate of your projected police pension

[VEGAS]

A final salary pension scheme is very valuable - you know what you are going to get when you retire.

Thats whats appealing with the Rail Industry Ian. One of the few organisations left to offer such a scheme.

The Police pension scheme is very misleading. What you see and are predicted isn't what you get.

The reason is that the government move the goal posts as and when they need to. Because they can.

And they have done under the new Windsor recommendations. Which are due to go live in 2015.

I would have had 17 years left to do with a decent pension. As it stands now, I'll have 22 years to do, with a butchered pension and not the product that we signed up for at the start of our career.

Another bonus with the Railways is the huge support from the Unions. A proper Union with huge influence as Speedbird previously mentioned.

The Police don't have a union as such. Instead we have the Police federation. Who are completely and utterly useless.

[Filonian]

I can only echo Garry's comments Eddie.

It sounds like you have about made up your mind. It is far better to have a go, in my opinion, than spend the rest of your working life saying, "What if."

I can understand your predicament as I have many friends who left the force because they were no longer allowed to "Police"

Whatever you decide, best wishes for the future.

When I made my choice, it wasn't a career change, merely leaving the company I was with - best job until then - to work on overseas contracts.

Good luck to you too Dave, hoipe it all works out for you. I knew you were about to make a start, but wasn't sure when.



Graham

[WhisperJet]

Hi Eddie,

I understand perfectly how you feel -
I left my job at a radio station last year to start my own (advertising) business. It's a different field, no question - but like yours, my decision was fueled by an inner desire for change and like you I was tossing in turning in bed over the financial aspects and the impact on my young family, my new house and so on. At the end I think it's a horizon thing - when you decide for a new job, your horizon will change automatically after some time. I believe (and in my case I hope and somehow already feel) that in most of the cases this pays off - even if wage is less at the beginning. So as long as you're safe I'd recommend to give it a try. You wouldn't write long postings and ask people for their opinion if you didn't long for that change...

Whatever your decision may be - best of luck for your future!

And cheers from LOWW,

Nick

[speedbird591]

On a general philosophical level - and I'm sure most of the senior contributors will agree with me ( ): I've made plenty of 'life' plans since becoming an adult but not one of them has ever reached fruition. You can torture yourself for weeks or months with 'Am I making the right decision?' but the decision you make can only be based on the circumstances at the time. It's only valid up until today. At some time in the future those circumstances will change (maybe tomorrow) and you have to make another plan based on the new circumstances. That happens several times in life. The only way you will ever know if the decision was right or wrong is right at the end and you look back with hindsight. But then, you still won't know if the other way would have been better

I often sum it up by saying that there are no wrong or right decisions, just different ones. As long as you are satisfied that you have gathered as much information about the alternatives as you can and there is still no obvious 'no-brainer' choice, then follow your heart.

Ian

[ianhind]

Not sure I've ever had a "life plan" But yes lots of forks in the road where you wonder which way to go and then hope it is the correct decision. Ok, I suppose making the decision is a lifeplan. Looking back, I had to make two big decisions when I didn't really know what it would lead to: one was after university whether to take a job in Nottingham (and afford to buy a house), or a job in London (and live in a shed). I stayed in Nottingham but as a result blocked moving to the South later unless I wanted a drop in my standard of living! No regrets but no way of knowing how the alternative would have worked out.

Ian

[Nigel H-J]

Life Plan Ian?? My sister (who was with British Airways as a member of that elite Cabin Crew) sent me the applications forms to apply as cabin crew which I did, had an interview but had also met my wife to be so.........My life plan has never been fully implemented or realised!!.........instead I just go through every day of every week of every month of every year obeying her!!!!

Nigel.