Is there life after IT?

[sasguru]

If you like maths/stats get a qualification in that. It doesn't help with moving away from a desk, but its a damn sight more interesting than pure play IT and there'll always be demand for such people.
The barriers to entry are higher since most people have not got/cannot get high level mathematical skills.

[conned tractor]

The buyer/book keeper had knocked up debt on 30/60 day accounts and had been generating sales by then discounting stock to less than we had paid in some cases. No wonder we were so busy.

Tell me about it.....when you work out a sale price to actually make it worth doing (and not contractor rates either) and they go and sell it at less than you've told them to. Last week I worked out a minimum sale price, as manufacturing is now sort of running, and he goes and sells it at a price that generates 2/3 of the margin required - bearing in mind we have rent, rates, etc to pay.

It make sales desperately easy when your undercuting everyone, but then no one wins. I've let it go for now, as in I have punched him, as we generate some reputation initially, but i'm gonna rip him a new one if it carries on.

[VectraMan]

If you like maths/stats get a qualification in that. It doesn't help with moving away from a desk, but its a damn sight more interesting than pure play IT and there'll always be demand for such people.
The barriers to entry are higher since most people have not got/cannot get high level mathematical skills.

If I had £500 per day for every C++ job ad I see wanting maths..

All the things I've worked on, as permie and a contractor are actual products, either software products themselves, or software that goes with hardware that the client sells. So I don't really see myself as "working in IT", because to me that means support/infrastructure/internal systems that support whatever it is the client actually does, and to me that's very dull (although I would accept the money if offered).

So "life after IT" could mean using your IT skills in a more interesting way. I've thought about giving it all up a few times, but I'm sure like most of us here, I'm not really good enough at anything else to get the same kind of rewards.

[lukemg]

For me - it's about being able to choose. I got a second chance at contracting and make sure that a good chunk of money is diverted into increasing in value and generating income. That will give me choices later about where and what work I will have to do.
I don't really know anything else and I am quite lazy so would have no chance of picking anything up from scratch. Plus - Have you seen what people with normal jobs get paid !???!

[Churchill]

Why leave IT?

Chicks love Geeks!

[aussielong]

Give up caring

Like many on here I share your problems. Back/neck pain, concerned about skilling up, don't enjoy the working day much, hate gadgets, getting too old for it, etc and thought about bailing out.

But ... I think you could consider spending the some serious effort improving your current setup without ditching it.

For example, give up caring about the work so much. Spend less time at your desk and more in the kitchen chatting. More time in the gym. Leave early. Most likely nothing bad will happen.

If you can get away with it, trade shares from work. Or do spread betting from your desk. Once you give up caring about the work, it frees you up mentally. So much energy is drained from you in hating the situation. Make your day about getting super fit and learning something non-work related rather than about work. You'd be surprised what you can learn during the working day. There is a fine line obviously beyond which you will be out the door fast.

I go to work, because I go to the gym at lunch. That's why I go to work. Three hours before gym time I consider commuting. If you accept it and do some small adjustments to make it better, you may feel happier
without needing a massive change.

On the other hand, I could be living in a dream world.

[PAH]

Chicks love Geeks!

Chicks love geeks, with money.

So yeah, stay in contracting.

[Bwana]

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[TestMangler]

I've just knocked back and extension at Client Co. In 2 1/2 weeks, I will, potentially, not be a contractor any more.

I'm going to do six months at my Plan B (a cafe/bistro that I've owned for the last 18 months) and put all my efforts into that to see if it's a goer. It's currently a 'goer' but want to see if I can make it a 'real goer'.

As someone said previously, contracting is hard to give up. When you're getting £500 a day for not really breaking sweat, then it isn't easy to jack it in. We'll see..................

[conned tractor]

I've just knocked back and extension at Client Co. In 2 1/2 weeks, I will, potentially, not be a contractor any more.

I'm going to do six months at my Plan B (a cafe/bistro that I've owned for the last 18 months) and put all my efforts into that to see if it's a goer. It's currently a 'goer' but want to see if I can make it a 'real goer'.

As someone said previously, contracting is hard to give up. When you're getting £500 a day for not really breaking sweat, then it isn't easy to jack it in. We'll see..................

I wish you all the best.....can I ask roughly which part of the country your in?


fkwit edit: Unless of course you have opened a cafe on the isle of bute as it says in your location.