good luck mate, its bloody tough out there at the moment.
Lots of options… you could always do what I did, ten years contracting in London and the decline in work was enough for mortal man so I applied to Uni as a mature student. The government give me a reasonable amount in grants, and I’ve spent the last four years sat on my arse eating bacon sandwiches. It’s not for everyone, but if you have an enduring interest in any subject uni’s are often keen on recruiting mature students.
All good info here - there is a way forward!
This age ‘glass ceiling’ is an arse - I had it in the IT profession, but at 45 not 30 thank gawd…
Spent a whole year wasting time at interviews telling me I was ‘too experienced’ …how the **** can you be too experienced???
In other words my potential boss was 35 and he wanted a 25 year old under him that wouldn’t threaten his job.
On Youtube is a vid of the old Meridan Triumph works circa 1978…lots of older guys puffing rollups whilst assembling gearboxes etc.
Fast forward to the vid of the new Triumph Hinkley factor when it fist opened circa 1992.
Nobody under 30!
…and the voiceover kept on banging on about the “YOUNG vibrant workforce” and the “YOUTHFUL atmosphere”… Ernies in flat caps had been airbrushed out.
Tis the way of the bleedin world I’m afraid
im 37, in a very low paid job as an IT and CAD dogs body. been there for 17 years… and we had 10% paycuts 6 years ago, not reinstated. i tried to get away in a job id enjoy in IT (i am bored in doing CAD) took a CDL loan of £10,000 and half way through a IT CCNA course the “company” went bust and took our money. that really screwed up my job outcome and potential wage i wanted
i really want to move onto a new company, im so bored but am scared to move on as i have many monthly outgoings and im skint before end of each month despite living with my mum still. the country is is a mess IMHO at the moment. nothing is secure
all the best on your career search Toby…
Mate have you considered getting a bus license & perhaps driving London buses (or trains!) - apparently it is good money & they train you up etc. Then in future you can move on to HGV - I don’t know much about driving anything bigger than an estate car but just some food for thought.
Cheers all, sorry for the whinge just tried to drink some fun back into the experience, and you know me booze and keyboards… bad combo.
Back on track ,now pi$$ off and leave me alone you orrible lot (Grump fully restored 
I’m in a similar position, look on the bright side, soon it’ll thaw out & we can annoy the wage slaves by enjoying our freedom whilst they can but gaze enviously out of their prison windows at us free spirits heading for another ride in the sun as they sit in their soul destroying offices beavering away at some pointless task to make ‘The Man’ richer! 
I’m looking for something else too, but sod driving a bus/truck, I try to avoid using the car unless I absolutely have to, having to drive anything with 4 or more wheels for a living (particularly in London) would do my head in!
Woozy don’t give up on the ccna there is plenty of really cheap/free simulators available and you can get the ccna incd1 and 2 on kindle for about a tenner each. The 5 day wonder courses are just that, most leave you wondering what you were doing on them. Self study takes longer and the exam costs a 100 quid and if you know where to look theirs plenty of test papers about to help.
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Just bit of advice (don’t care any-more if will be used or not) when you looking for work be kind enough to put some more details (look at Jamie post in Jobs).
I’m looking for work - can program any language and have these certificates, or can do any refurbishment building work or experienced driver clean driving licence for buses.
As long as I can see everyone is waiting for employer letter with sentence like: " I dare ask your majesty to come over and look at available work position … for 2x market valued salary, I’m very sorry to interrupt your majesty daily schedule with this letter."
R
Coded stick welders is where the bucks are just now £30 + per hour been seen recently . The reason …,everybody went running to the metal mastic gun and now there is a shortage of guys who can use and are coded for stick .
Arc as opposed to Mig or Tig, or are the M and T’s what you’re talking about… Just a welding course and was wondering what the job prospects were like. Is this your field of sexpertise Num Num?
Got be said though… Oxyacetylene welding is FECKHOOLEY awesome fun!
I am a heavy plant fitter with the general fabrication duties and wear parts maintenance added on ,so welding is an inevitable side part of my job , some of the things I design,build and repair have welded on parts ,so if they need replaced …I need to weld em . Always work for welders , but from what I heard today Arc is the one to have at the ASME9 quality or equivalent and be willing to work where your needed .
UK based, or is this the kinda thing where you only make money with big projects abroad?