Discuss What Did You Start Off As? in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

14-16 worked part time for fencing contractor weekends & school holidays
16-17 full time with fencing contractor
17-23 big green fighting machine (not so big now)
23-30 Auto electrician/mobile data comms
30-now Senior comms tech & sparking
 
When I left school at 16 I worked for an employment agency that had loads of work, they used to send me to Marshal Tufflex factory to pack drain pipes, trunking etc for 12hrs at a time! Didn't need to do that for very long before I realised I needed to do something a bit better with my life.
I did an electrical/ mechanical apprenticeship with Ibstock bricks.
Then many years later by chance I ended up back at Marshal Tufflex as a subbie and spent a few months repairing and maintaining all the extruding plant so went full circle!
 
The most exotic I go for @LankyWill is a flat white. My wife likes a Starb@cks but is off the milk due to what it does to her skin (bit of advice there boys for the wives!) so now I have to order a Venti iced Americano with 4 pumps mocha, 4 pumps peppermint and 'no ice'. I take it home 1/2 it, add ice and make it last two days - well we all know 'Sparks' don't pay! Shame I can't put it down as sustainance to the HMRC.
 
My first job was at British Steel. Shifting fillings from under a man made river underneath the runners.
 
Left school mid 60s with a few O levels
Joined Post Office telecoms as telephone apprentice (aka Youth in Training). Loved it. Was always playing around with batteries and bulbs and buzzers as a kid.
Got bored with slow pace in what (later) became BT.
Joined part of ITT in London installing telegraph multiplex gear mostly UK-US leased circuits.
Moved more into technical sales selling automated telex systems. Then another 20+ years in various IT companies.
Got to being 50, remarried, TTC junior expected and Dotcom bubble burst ( 2000ish).
Wanted to work for myself, knew what a screwdriver was for. Did 3 years at night school (236 course) while learning the trade, mostly on my own.
Ran own electrician business until recently, now mostly retired, except for the odd little job.
 
The most exotic I go for @LankyWill is a flat white. My wife likes a Starb@cks but is off the milk due to what it does to her skin (bit of advice there boys for the wives!) so now I have to order a Venti iced Americano with 4 pumps mocha, 4 pumps peppermint and 'no ice'. I take it home 1/2 it, add ice and make it last two days - well we all know 'Sparks' don't pay! Shame I can't put it down as sustainance to the HMRC.

What's all this skinni latee stuff I keeps hearing about?

And mocachoka with sprinkles?

It all sounds a bit arty farty to me..

If I wants coffee then I just wants coffee

That's what it is...
 
Age 18.. barman and betterware catalogue man
Age 19.. university and meat packer in abattoir
Age 20.. university and barman
Age 21.. camped in friends field
Age 22.. university and barman
Age 23.. telesales
Age 24.. factory work packing lettuce
Age 25.. travel and scuba diver instructor
Age 26.. university and barman
Age 27.. university and worked at holiday home serving burgers
Age 28.. Health care assistant
Age 29.. Health care assistant
Age 30.. Student Nurse.
Age 31.. Student Nurse.
Age 32.. Nurse
Age 40.. Nurse and Domestic Installer.
 
79- 83 Apprentice heavy diesel fitter. 83 - 86 Diesel fitter with Tesco. 86- 98 Armed forces, auto electrician/leccy tech. 98 - 2004 Industrial mech/electrician. 2004 emigrated and set up own engineering company.
 
@happyhippydad , we seem to share a few similarities - wonder if we were separated at birth! I did my dive instructor course in Tampa Florida when I travelled (when I was 24). Trained as a nurse after 3 years of physio assistant - training electrical now - weird!
 
@happyhippydad , we seem to share a few similarities - wonder if we were separated at birth! I did my dive instructor course in Tampa Florida when I travelled (when I was 24). Trained as a nurse after 3 years of physio assistant - training electrical now - weird!
That is pretty crazy isn't it Rpa! It's good to have explored life a bit isn't it! Are you still nursing or have you given it up now? I still work as a nurse but my heart is not in it anymore, obviously I still give good care but I don't enjoy it or feel fulfilled with it as I do the electrics.
 
Same as with the feeling - I expect it would be difficult to do both at the same time as you are doing. I just didn't pay my fees when my renewal came up and after 13 years of paying, did they check to find out why or if I was ok? I guess nurses have less feelings about giving money away to a 'scam' as electricians do - 'the nursing and midwifery council at £100 a year' to anyone who doesn't know what we're talking about. Think of the number of registered nurses who pay to be on the register then multiply by £100 - that's a fair amount made by them.
Well done for making the change and truly glad you are enjoying it HHD.
 
I did a second job in Leeds as a teen to bump my money - Yes I was a Usher at Showcase Cinema when it first opened in Guildersome... best gig of my life, had no concern about losing it and got to wtch lods free movies all for tearing tickets and making and serving popcorn :)

No way! I am from Drighlington I went to Bruntcliffe High and spent many a day down at showcase and the Pizza Hut when it opened!

When it comes to jobs I'm not an electrician obviously but I have been working in housing for the past 11 years. I didn't intend to I started off working at Leeds airport which I loved but then I moved to stoke so I had to leave! Got a job in a call centre before ending up in housing!
 
£120 now! Just had mine through.
Wow - it went from £72 to £100, 5 or so years ago and now £120, that is a huge increase each time - guess they are needing the money to take the Ebola Caffrey nurse to court - they do have their priorities don't they!
 
No way! I am from Drighlington I went to Bruntcliffe High and spent many a day down at showcase and the Pizza Hut when it opened!

When it comes to jobs I'm not an electrician obviously but I have been working in housing for the past 11 years. I didn't intend to I started off working at Leeds airport which I loved but then I moved to stoke so I had to leave! Got a job in a call centre before ending up in housing!

Although I'm not a Drig bloke myself, I have plenty of mates from Drig' and quite possible you may have gone to school with some of them, age dependent, most of my Drig friends are based around music and bands/gigging locally.
 
Ha! I don't believe it! Usually no one has heard of the place I grew up in. I lived there all my life until I moved to Staffordshire in 2004. It would be strange if I knew your friends!
 
Although I'm not a Drig bloke myself, I have plenty of mates from Drig' and quite possible you may have gone to school with some of them, age dependent, most of my Drig friends are based around music and bands/gigging locally.
And only come out at night judging by the pics I've seen :D
 

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