throbscottle
Well-Known Member
Bit of a life story here (sorry), but I'm looking for a way back into electronics as a career having missed the boat by very many years, and I'm looking for advice as to what I should be doing. I'd really appreciate any (positive!) comments and realistic advice.
(deep breath...)
I did 2 years of a 3 year City & Guilds in electronic servicing back in 1983/1984 or thereabouts, but when mum insisted I get a summer job, I found and started a 4 year mechanical engineering apprenticeship (being young and wanting to make mum happy) when I should have been starting the third year of my C&G, which I was good at but made me thoroughly miserable so I left after 6 months, far too late to go back to my 3rd C&G year, so I went and did voluntary conservation work; couldn't hack it going back to college when living on my own at the time, was generally a hippy and hobo for years, tried my hand at a few things, during which I abandoned everything from my former life and started over, twice, eventually got my act together and trained as an office admin twelve years ago, before finally realising all I really want to do is work in technology in general, but electronics in particular. I've always done electronics as a hobby apart from a gap the last few years until recently, and I've never stopped doing small repairs, so I haven't forgotten everything!
So now I'm working as a market researcher, and started building up my electronics hobby again, with my eyes firmly focussed on a job of some sort in electronics. I've been looking for jobs in technology companies, but can't even get interviewed for a job wiring panels or basic assembly work, so I'm thinking my best option is to go back to college. So my questions are, if I do this, what sort of course should I be looking at (I was thinking HNC/HND but having doubts about that now), and if I don't go back to college, what's the best way to approach companies to "give me a chance", and given the level I'm at, what sort of jobs actually are there that I can do with my out of date qualification and years of hobbying?
Many Thanks In Advance, sorry for long winded post!
throbscottle
(deep breath...)
I did 2 years of a 3 year City & Guilds in electronic servicing back in 1983/1984 or thereabouts, but when mum insisted I get a summer job, I found and started a 4 year mechanical engineering apprenticeship (being young and wanting to make mum happy) when I should have been starting the third year of my C&G, which I was good at but made me thoroughly miserable so I left after 6 months, far too late to go back to my 3rd C&G year, so I went and did voluntary conservation work; couldn't hack it going back to college when living on my own at the time, was generally a hippy and hobo for years, tried my hand at a few things, during which I abandoned everything from my former life and started over, twice, eventually got my act together and trained as an office admin twelve years ago, before finally realising all I really want to do is work in technology in general, but electronics in particular. I've always done electronics as a hobby apart from a gap the last few years until recently, and I've never stopped doing small repairs, so I haven't forgotten everything!
So now I'm working as a market researcher, and started building up my electronics hobby again, with my eyes firmly focussed on a job of some sort in electronics. I've been looking for jobs in technology companies, but can't even get interviewed for a job wiring panels or basic assembly work, so I'm thinking my best option is to go back to college. So my questions are, if I do this, what sort of course should I be looking at (I was thinking HNC/HND but having doubts about that now), and if I don't go back to college, what's the best way to approach companies to "give me a chance", and given the level I'm at, what sort of jobs actually are there that I can do with my out of date qualification and years of hobbying?
Many Thanks In Advance, sorry for long winded post!
throbscottle
