Hatch Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 I've been to the Tate Modern a couple of times. Some of the things in it are great. Most of it is utter turd (sometimes literally). Give me a Caravaggio or a Velazquez any day. We bought an old ladder, the type you could find in any back yard for £1m. Just because of who the artist was and his interpretation of the 'ladder'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefunkygibbons Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 I'm a chartered accountant Somedays I wonder if I should give it all up and become a lion tamer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjii Posted 23 March, 2011 Author Share Posted 23 March, 2011 We bought an old ladder, the type you could find in any back yard for £1m. Just because of who the artist was and his interpretation of the 'ladder'. Hatch, I have a plan. I will supply you with miscellaneous household junk and a persuasive cover story. We sell it to your sugar daddy. We split the cash. Deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suewhistle Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 Sue, if you get time could you email me about something, it's nothing dodgy but I can't PM you on here. My emails dellboy07@yahoo.co.uk - thanks Just seen this. Have sent you an email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labibs Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 Well, it's a bit random but I quite fancy being an Air Traffic Control Officer! You are paid to study for around a year (the £10k bit, although I think it might be more like £11k actually). After that you train on the job for two years and you qualify at the start of your third year. Once qualified, the money is comparable to being two or three years qualified in a regional firm doing what I do now (I am currently 1.5 years' qualified). So basically, I would be taking a pay cut for three years to get back to what I am on now. But, the thing I don't like about my current job is that it can follow you everywhere. You sometimes have to cancel plans, you have to work evenings for no extra reward, you might have to work to the small hours then be on a train to London the next day at 07:30 and you don't get any real reward for doing those extra hours. You might get a bonus at the end of the year but once the tax man's had his 40%, the NI has been taken off, the student loan company has had their cut.... the reward is outweighed by the effort and the risk of not hitting targets anyway. The major plus about my job is that after about ten years, if you're doing well, you have the potential to earn anything from £150k-£2m p.a. But, in the current market, career advancement is difficult without lateral moves which carry their own risks and are harder to achieve at the junior level. The major plus of the Air Traffic Control job is the regular hours and the fact that when your shift is finished that's it! You can make plans, you will not have a Crackberry winking at you from the corner of your lounge... etc. You work 6 days and then have 4 days off and of course the main control centre is in Swanwick so it's convenient for the Saints. I am seriously thinking about it. I think I will stick with my current job until late summer and reassess then. That would be quite a change mate! I agree about the out of hours demands from the office being a real pain in the neck. It's why I have chosen jobs so far where once I leave the office, I won't be contacted until I am back in again. I figure that you spend a lot of your time in work and if you really dislike it, your life is going to be pretty draining. Also, given our age and situation (I.e. no dependents) now is the time to make a move if we are going to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjii Posted 23 March, 2011 Author Share Posted 23 March, 2011 That would be quite a change mate! I agree about the out of hours demands from the office being a real pain in the neck. It's why I have chosen jobs so far where once I leave the office, I won't be contacted until I am back in again. I figure that you spend a lot of your time in work and if you really dislike it, your life is going to be pretty draining. Also, given our age and situation (I.e. no dependents) now is the time to make a move if we are going to. Very wise, sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyboy Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 Sorry to hear it didn't work out. That's interesting because academically all they ask for is 5 GCSEs. If the maths test is really that stiff then you wonder why they don't save themselves some time by asking for people with mathematical A-Levels? I have Maths and Physics A-Levels but, blimey, if I sat them now it would be a horror show! My mate got A-levels and then dropped out of uni aged 20. Got a job at Southampton air port about 10 years ago. Next thing is he's on ATC training, moved to work at Heathrow and Gatwick and then Holland, now on megabucks as one in Dubai. Strange hours and misses his family whom havent been given visas to live there yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintscottofthenortham Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 Been working in the Electrical Industry for 7 years now, for a number of reasons still not quite qualified but earning good enough moolah. The thing is... I'm beginning to hate my job. Having two very young kids and a mortgage means I can't just up and move onto something and earn the same money as I do now, and being the sole bread winner this is a problem. To be honest, I don't even know what else i'd like to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyboy Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 Been working in the Electrical Industry for 7 years now, for a number of reasons still not quite qualified but earning good enough moolah. The thing is... I'm beginning to hate my job. Having two very young kids and a mortgage means I can't just up and move onto something and earn the same money as I do now, and being the sole bread winner this is a problem. To be honest, I don't even know what else i'd like to do. Just keep your head out of the way of flying fists and you'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbb saint Posted 23 March, 2011 Share Posted 23 March, 2011 Thanks, there is a clear application process on the NATS website so I think I know what I need to do. They go into a reasonable amount of detail about the various stages of the process. Another big plus is that the college training courses they run appear to start at several different intervals throughout the year so there is no time pressure to meet a 2011 deadline which means I can really mull it over for a while. There's at least 2 Air Traffic Controllers who use this site - I'm sure they can advise, but not all of them can send PMs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmel Posted 24 March, 2011 Share Posted 24 March, 2011 We bought an old ladder, the type you could find in any back yard for £1m. Just because of who the artist was and his interpretation of the 'ladder'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12830964 Does this mean another career change hatch?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 26 March, 2011 Share Posted 26 March, 2011 My mate got A-levels and then dropped out of uni aged 20. Got a job at Southampton air port about 10 years ago. Next thing is he's on ATC training, moved to work at Heathrow and Gatwick and then Holland, now on megabucks as one in Dubai. Strange hours and misses his family whom havent been given visas to live there yet http://uk.travel.yahoo.com/p-promo-3361003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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