How do I escape my endless cycle?
Posted by EquivalentLast7277@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 89 comments
Hi, I will most likely get some negative replies to this but oh well. I’m a 24 year old electrician, me and my partner have our own house with our 2 year old son, and expecting our 2nd son soon. I am grateful for my life and I love my family, and on paper I have a good life. But the truth is I really cannot stand my job, but I really see no way out of it. Yes it pays the bills, but I am out the house for over 12 hours a day, I am always tired, and I have started becoming irritated quite quickly. Also my partner still has to work as I don’t earn quite enough to live off just my wage. But I really don’t know what my options are, I can’t afford to change careers and take a pay cut, since we have children and bills to pay, and even still I have no idea what career options I even have. Has anyone been in a similar situation and manage to escape? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
fringe_eater@reddit
How much are you earning and which part of the country are you in? One of my best friends exited the electrician life for a completely different career and got a pay rise. It’s not impossible but is difficult in the current market. FYI I think we’re all burned out
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
I live in the Midlands and my wage can vary, it can go from 500 a week or 1000 a week, it depends on the job, days or nights, etc
seven_green_toes@reddit
Being tired is just part of being an adult as is hard work.
You are young with a young family and only just starting out and yes it is going to be tough as the early years are but seeing as you are working 12 hours a day shows you have a good work ethic I would say carry on doing what you are doing and things will change and better opportunities will come.your way just be patient and good things will come.
Nice_Back_9977@reddit
Working 12 hour days isn't normal unless you're only working 3 days a week, in which case he wouldn't be so burned out and tired.
seven_green_toes@reddit
Lightweight
lukusmaca@reddit
Nonsense… stop normalising poor mental health for the sake of having a job. It doesn’t HAVE to be like that.
Nothing will change if nothing changes. The person is reaching out for help and you’re just advising they bury their head deeper into the sand and get on with it.
jonschaff@reddit
And rich people wonder why the birth rate is declining. A generation ago, there was nothing at all unusual about having multiple children in your early twenties on even a single household income.
KonkeyDongPrime@reddit
Get some specialist tickets like MV. You will end up working more weekends but it’s not that consistent and the pay uplift makes it worthwhile.
Get an HND, move into design.
37728291827227616148@reddit
What's an HND?
KonkeyDongPrime@reddit
Higher National Diploma or HNC, I always forget which one is electrical and which one mechanical. Highest qualification you can get through the vocational route. One level below a bachelor degree and you can get your incorporation cert with it.
37728291827227616148@reddit
Cool! I'll look into it
Intelligent_Put_3520@reddit
Try changing companies it could be the environment you're in. Electrics is such a diverse field you could find something you're interested in
jackinthebox1968@reddit
This is the answer. Also 12 Hours a day, it's obvious, you're burned out.
luckless666@reddit
Especially with kids added on top, that’s a tough gig for anyone.
boadle@reddit
People who think its an easy job don't know watt they are talking about.
powpow198@reddit
Yeah they'd get quite a shock i think.
Evening-Temporary910@reddit
i see what u did there
07ufarooq@reddit
I think changing is a start. My first in the same field was horrible. I just felt hamstrung and constantly seconding guessing myself because the environment was like school where you’d get scolded for every little mistake. My current job is very much own your area of work and just make sure you are on top of things and nobody bats an eyelid.
In your shoes, you already hate your job so moving to another job is a no brainer because you haven’t lost anything if you also your new job. It could a few moves before you find something right for you
Randystarbuxx@reddit
Join the railway. Good shift patterns and well Paid.
Senhora-da-Hora@reddit
You've done too much, much too young
lavender_cookie_@reddit
I don't understand how you struggle financially with the first and then continue to have more, completely beyond me.
xcxmon@reddit
You’re 24 and you’ve already got 2 kids?!
You didn’t really give yourself a chance to be young and live your life. Now you’ve got major responsibilities and it’s gonna be hard to change career.
I’d say look into Open University or a part-time college course to retrain. It’ll be difficult because you’ll need to start from the bottom but the good thing is you have your partner’s salary as well.
Scared-Room-9962@reddit
He's 24 not 14
xcxmon@reddit
…yeah, he is…?
Scared-Room-9962@reddit
He's an adult. Mid twenties.
"You didn't live your life!"
As if having a family isn't living your life.
PatchcordAdams@reddit
Average first time father age is 33.9 uk now.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting he ditch his family to go raving or travel to Thailand or Auz.
But that he’ll probably still have the energy and time to do something extra/different if he’s feeling a bit stuck.
The reality is he’ll just need to knuckle down. His kid will be looking after themselves by the time other blokes are changing their first nappy. Thats when you switch it up.
Defiant_Put_7542@reddit
His kid will be having kids by the time he thinks he's going to get to switch it up, so instead he's going to be pitching in as a 44 year old granddad.
People that have kids whilst still wet behind the ears just model for their own children that that's the normal thing to do.
The newspaper articles about food banks or being stuck in a too-small council house are full of said 44 year old grandparents who are clearly hardworking people but didn't think hard enough about family planning.
Scared-Room-9962@reddit
Yeah I agree with the reality of the situation.
He should get another employer imo if he can, but other than that, he's laughing by the time he's 35.
xcxmon@reddit
Oh wow, you and I have a very different outlook on life!
To me, 24 is still incredibly young. Most people I know didn’t have kids until early 30s (if at all), once they’d enjoyed their youth, got some decent life experience, established their careers, and could properly afford to raise them.
OP’s predicament is exactly why starting to have kids in your early 20s is a bad idea. He’s now painted himself into a corner and hates his life!
You say “having a family” but I think you mean “having children” (we all have families) - I’m sure that’s great but there’s way more to life than working 12 hours a day to support two kids in a job you have. When I say “live your life” I mean give yourself the chance to make mistakes, to try different things, to travel, to meet people, to learn things, completely unburdened… all the things that are gonna be 100x more difficult for OP now.
Scared-Room-9962@reddit
I think we probably just have different lived experiences.
I spent my 20s "living my life" but I look back and think what a waste of time and money.
OP predicament is that he doesn't like his job. The kids are irrelevant to that.
You paint his kids as a burden, actually using that word but being a father of two myself I don't see it that way at all. The opposite actually.
And you keep saying he's so young but he's 24, he's an adult, with a house, a career, a family. He's an an adult, he doesn't need infantalising and told he's ruined his life because he hasn't been travelling.
How old are you put of interest and what is your experience in relation to the advice you are giving?
xcxmon@reddit
Mmmm you’re starting to twist my words now. I haven’t called his children ‘a burden’ or said that he’s wasted his life ‘because he hasn’t been travelling’ at all.
I’m not gonna continue this conversation if you’re not going to do so in good faith. I’ve stated my personal opinion and given OP some advice.
Let’s just agree to disagree 😉
Scared-Room-9962@reddit
"When I say “live your life” I mean give yourself the chance to make mistakes, to try different things, to travel, to meet people, to learn things, completely unburdened… all the things that are gonna be 100x more difficult for OP now."
I must have misread this bit mate. Maybe it was something else that burdened him?
Nice_Back_9977@reddit
24 is very young to be married with 2 kids these days. It was even 30 years ago tbh.
elliejoness@reddit
Go self employed - you have the trade for it, you'll have more control of the hours you work and earn more money
Abject_Interview5988@reddit
So I was in a similar position, starting in trades and moved to an office job because I was afraid if I kept at the trade I'd end up disabled by middle age (I'd already sustained serious injuries as a kid that were being made worse):
Firstly, I want to commmend you for recognising work is causing you problems and seeking help to remedy this. A lot of men just bottle this up and take it out on their partners/kids
As you say though you can't really afford to take risks due to the commitments you have so your options have been narrowed by taking this on at such a young age. I also think you're probably a bit restless just being a lad in his early 20s in general - if you didn't have kids I'd tell you to take a year off to go live it up and travel
I would, personally, recommend sticking at being a sparky. The risks of career change are big with kids and, frankly, the grass is rarely greener. (Office jobs for example are far more alienating, and although less physiclaly demanding leave you feeling even more mentally exhausted)
Whoever you work for is clearly taking the piss with those kind of hours, so to start I'd be keeping an eye out for similar level jobs elsewhere and get applying.
I know it's not what you want to hear but if you think you're tired now it will only get much, much harder in your 30s so try to use this time now to get ahead - build up your skills, experience and (most importantly) CONTACTS
The ideal situation for you is to work for yourself in your 30s onwards, or to be managing bigger jobs, where you have control over the hours you work and are getting paid more than enough for it.
You can achieve this by building that experience and knowledge until you're confident enough to not only take on jobs yourself but to build up a network of potential clients. Every home renovation that requires electric work needs a spark and if you can make yourself the port of call for a number of middle class homeowners you'll always have a pipeline of work and you'll be able to pick and choose (they'd much rather wait for someone they know and trust to do a job)
This is the path many of my friends from school took: start as a tree surgeon/plumber for someone else, learn the trade and then once you've got familiar enough with a number of clients move to work for themselves and take the clients with them. They had to graft hard in their 20s but now they're very comfortable in their late 30s - and you will appreciete this breathing space more as you get older!
Lastly, you may feel you're missing out by having kids and a mortgage now (and possibly seeing your mates without responsibility having fun) but think of all of this as money in the bank. You can make the rest of your life so much easier by giving up a little now and your kids will also appreciete this more once they're teenagers wanting to scrounge money off you!
Good luck to you
Educational_Corgi809@reddit
Hey nate, im a few years older but feel exactly the same including the getting irritated quickly. I sat myself down with a pen and paper, yes I'm old lol, and wrote down everything that made me feel the way I was. For me I realised that I was on my way to burning out with work, f you can try to work less hours but I know that is easier said than done. I spoke to my boss, luckily she is a good one and helped me cut down hours, that maybe not viable for you. I did start looking at other companies as well, can you cut down your commute? Is there an option for you maybe start your own company but that brings its own stress. Have you spoken to your mates you'll be surprised how many are in the same boat. Have you spoke to your partner I know as men we try not to discuss ourselves because we feel like we have to be strong but don't be. We both decided to each have two hours at the weekend for either of us to do something for ourselves I started running again I know its hard when tired but it helped me be less irritated. As others have said life is tiring and the current climate outside of our lives is worrying and tiresome every day waking up to another issue that affects us financially and socially. Don't let this affect your relationship i did and it taken a while for me to fix things. You sound like you have a good head on you and want to do what's right for your family. You'll be ok and if you need anything in box me I'm happy to chat
No_Appearance8683@reddit
love this answer for both it's wisdom and it's emotional openness
Educational_Corgi809@reddit
Thank you
boringfantasy@reddit
Wow I’m the same age and our lives couldn’t be further apart (not in a bad way). 2 kids and a house is impressive af
chaingaurd@reddit
Make cable looms for motorcycles. Noone is doing it. I'm wanting one with waterproof connectors and a few extra ports to plug extra lights USB charger a lanyard to kill the engine when I fall of it. Could be an extra income.
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the idea, it sounds quite interesting. What actually are these, are they for extra accessories etc as you said?
chaingaurd@reddit
Yeah my current bike some kids tried to nick it could not start it set it on fire. Got to it before any major damage was done but enough to need a new one. The OEM cable loom don't have extra fittings for anything so you either splice it into one or have load of stuff coming of the battery. It's so untidy, could I do it myself? Probably but it'll take hrs as I dont have time and I know enough to be dangerous about electronics.It's not just me that'll be wanting something like this other people like to have backup cable looms for adventures. With extra things for charging cameras ect.
yorkspirate@reddit
Interesting, that could be a decent side earner for someone electrically inclined
chaingaurd@reddit
Yeah it's a fair point.
FrostyImplement9565@reddit
If nobody is doing it in this economy surely there’s not a viable market for someone to do it full time?
Nice_Back_9977@reddit
Is that 12 hours 5 days a week? Are you actually getting paid for all those hours? That's not sustainable at all.
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
It’s usually 8-10 hours working with anything up to a 3 hour drive each way
Nice_Back_9977@reddit
You need a new job then. Something local and in one place.
Slugmum1@reddit
What’s wrong with the job ? Thought electrician was regarded as a fairly good trades to learn
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
When I started I loved the job and it was the only thing I had ever been certain that I wanted to do. I’m a commercial electrician, mainly doing installation and maintenance, but since I’m just a standard electrician and not specialised, I am still quite inexperienced compared the a lot of older guys, for me to earn good money I have to work quite a lot, which is time away from the family
LocalMendicant@reddit
Can you get into domestic ? A gas/plumber mate of mine makes good money and doesn't work excessive hours. Is it a different qualification or just a case of familiarity with houses rather than commercial ?
Jayatthemoment@reddit
A lot of young people get pushed into stuff like this because of the dominant right-wing anti-(traditional) education narrative, when it’s not really for them.
CreativeAdeptness477@reddit
No one likes their job. They just shut up and do it. You're in a far better position than most folk your age, and most folk a lot older too, and still you're complaining? Yeah you should expect a negative comment or two. Just get on with it m8, same as everyone else. Jfc
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
Brilliant advice mate cheers, that’s exactly what I needed, as if I hadn’t thought of that before
CreativeAdeptness477@reddit
Sometimes folk just need a bit of a reality check. Harsh but necessary. You have your solution. Pop off and get to it. 👍
Alien-lifeform666@reddit
Are you employed or self employed? Self employment is scary to start but more lucrative and much more flexibility.
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
Just thought I’d add some extra information for everyone. I’ve only been qualified for just over a year, and mainly do commercial work, a bit of industrial but I’ve never touched any domestic work.
As for people who have said that I have started my family too young,
I have travelled, I have partied, I have been on lads holidays, I have done a lot of stuff you’re ’meant’ to do in your 20s. My family are not the issue at all, the issue is simply that I DON’T HAVE enough time with them, and the time I do have is being affected by my fatigue and attitude. Having children has brought me more joy than anything I have ever done in my life, so the idea that I haven’t enjoyed my early years causing me to feel burned out is nonsense. If I were to wait 10 years to have kids, I would only be older, more tired, more drained, and more bored of the endless cycle of work.
Behold_SV@reddit
I had a mate in high voltage division always keen to learn and supported by employer. He somehow never overworked and had a great life work balance and a budget to buy stuff and go on holidays abroad. I also had a mate who had papers for industrial commissioning and he did standard shift at a factory mostly doing cushty position and going to smoking room talking to colleagues. He used a factory job for business socialisation and new potential clients. Out of work he did twice more money doing jobs and commissions for equipment as a self employed. Not sure what is your specialty but seems you either spend too much or not earning enough / not skilled enough.
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
I do commercial mainly, not specialised in anything, just normal installation and maintenance
Automatic-Plan-9087@reddit
You’d maybe get better career advice if you could be a little more specific.
“Electrician” is a very broad description. House basher? Commercial? Industrial? I was in the same field and found the money was in industrial sparkying with an emphasis on control and automation.
Sharpening your skill set and taking courses to improve your qualifications will help. Maybe look for shift work too. Sure, it’s still 12 hours, but 3 on / 3 off days and nights about gives more downtime and a huge pay bump.
EquivalentLast7277@reddit (OP)
I do commercial and a bit of industrial, never touched houses. It always long commutes, and since I’ve only been qualified about a year I’ve noticed not many people want to take me on
kaosskp3@reddit
Routes out of electrical grind:
Service provider route, sub station technician etc... with the likes of SSE
Designer traineeship- will be a hit on income for about 2 yrs... will easily make 50k upwards after on office hours
Facility management- Mitie, Emcor, etc.... been an electricians and plumbers exit plan to better hours for years
Service Engineer - shift work, managing various systems
Cross train to low votlage stuff - BT openreach etc...
37728291827227616148@reddit
How do I get into design traineeships?
kaosskp3@reddit
Look at service provider website...
Bare in mind, due to the government apprenticeship levy a lot have been absorbed in degree apprenticeships, or graduate programs... but they still do happen.
Apprenticeship is also a viable option, with a degree at the end, just low pay for 2 or 3 years.
Think outside the box too, National rail, manufacturing sites, nuclear etc... if you hae valid electrician tickets, they can train you up on system specifics
37728291827227616148@reddit
Wow hey mate, we live the same life. Hope to find some answers in the comments
2014R1@reddit
Join the club pal
Frosty_Leg4438@reddit
I think it will get better, but realistically not in the short to medium term…
Having a 2 year old, and an imminent newborn is pretty much the most tiring situation anyone will ever be in, despite being so young (we’re conditioned to explore and adventure in our early 20s and generally haven’t accumulated any wealth/assets to help by that age).
Explore new companies… but ultimately nothing is going to make you’re situation significantly easier…
BUT!
Try and see it as a life choice you’ve made (don’t regret it) and the benefit will definitely come in the future from the work/sacrifice you’re putting in now.
When you’re in your late 30s (will come way sooner than you think), whilst all your friends are knackered from young kids in their middle aged years, yours will be at an age to go on adventures WITH and a great life to follow.
RedditReader365@reddit
I don’t have much to say , but I think you’ll see from the comments that you’ve done really well.
Not many people have achieved what you have at such a young age. I know you didn’t ask for a lecture but my 2 cents is to try and practice gratitude.
Feels like a dirty word on Reddit but genuinely, spend some time with family and browse reddit. You’ll see people are double your age wishing they had what you did.
Well done and you’ll make it out of this rut soon :)
Nirnroot_Enjoyer@reddit
Isn't this why tradies eventually end up setting up their own business?
Start with something small on the side, keep it quiet, and build it towards something more substantial.
I must say, you've achieved a lot of the classic life goals, at quite a young age. You're doing pretty darn well
msmoth@reddit
I think it is. My friend is a sparky and he took way to long to get out from under a boss who took the piss. Things got so much better when he set up for himself, both in terms of work hours and finances. He still works hard, but at jobs that work for him.
SouthCulture6230@reddit
I can sympathise with this sadly as I was feeling the same way for a long time...
The thing that helped me no end was antidepressants. Oddly, I was prescribed them as I have really bad tinnitus and they actually help with that (It's all about helping the brain ignore the noise apparently, who knew!) but the side effect of taking them is I now just don't care about my tough working environment or the hours I'm putting in. Nothing has changed at work or home, but where before the pills I was stressed and anxious about everything and close to burning out as you sound like you are, now, the edges of everything are just smoothed off a bit, so I just coast along and don't let everything get to me quite as much as I did before.
Reach out to your doctor. They can help, even if it's just giving you somebody to talk too to get things off your chest. If you feel like you can't make a change professionally, maybe something to help you cope is the answer.
Good luck figuring it all out, and just keep on keeping on the best you can. It could be much better, but it can also be much worse
Snoo_62980@reddit
check if you have obstructive sleep apnea
AwkwardTie9427@reddit
Your worst response is perhaps the best: whatever you do, don't change jobs hastily. Employment is extremely hard to find in today's climate. My best advice is to try and think about how you are in this work to support your family, be happy you have this as your main job, at the same time, create a CV and send it to places that are hiring. If you find a company that interviews you and wants you, count the cost and see if you can do just that job or both a new one and your current one. Don't beat yourself up, so many in our country are just grateful to even have one job.
SpacePontifex@reddit
My suggestion would be first to sit down with your partner and tallk about how you're feeling, ultimately you're in this together and you will always benefit from communicating with each other.
Then i'd say discuss a plan on what you want to do to try and tackle how you're feeling, immediate actions and long-term actions, could be anything, a short holiday or different food. Also don't feel too pressured to decide everything at once. But having some longer term plan can often help frame where you are and where you want to get to. Part of that plan could be looking for work elsewhere as others have said.
m1nkeh@reddit
Do you work for yourself? If you’re working 12 hours a day and you don’t work for yourself I think this is an easy problem to solve.
NoCold3997@reddit
I was the same years ago in my late 20s .cycling 10 miles to work each way working in a foundry ( mega hot heavy environment for 12 hours 6 days a week just brought my 1st house on a mortgage yep the money was good but I was completely knackered all the time and like you realised I was getting burned out , then just as I thought I couldn't handle it no more ..I was thrust into retirement age 29.......things can and do change.
No-Structure-8125@reddit
Could you use your skills somewhere else?
I am a health and safety manager in a manufacturing facility. We have electrical engineers who are employed by us to help repair and maintain the machines.
Doing something like that should give you more regular hours.
cankennykencan@reddit
Go out on your own. Advertise. Do a few jobs start building customer base.
Pick your own hours then.
RRW2020@reddit
It sounds like you don’t like you have an ideal about being the breadwinner and your wife not having to work… but this may not be feasible. Is there anything she can do to increase income once she’s back at work? That’s a hard question… she has another baby on the way. :/
w1ckedw1ckedw1cked@reddit
Start your own company and work less hours?
2KCoinsLTD@reddit
You've spelt "more" wrong!
Annabelle_Sugarsweet@reddit
Move companies, if you check your local council website or housing association they hire electricians a lot. If you’re 24 then you may also be able to get a grant and some advice from The Kings fund on setting up your own business and then you can choose your hours.
luala@reddit
It’s really unrealistic for a single income to support a family in the UK these days, so I wouldn’t focus on that.
I’d recommend changing employer, or maybe a bigger shift to something like working for a telecoms company.
KittyHalfEyes@reddit
Just take boys holiday. Work hard for another 6 years, then you can relax see options. This is your time! thrive!
Plenty_Suspect_3446@reddit
Sounds like you need a holiday.
Sandy_Bananas@reddit
Stick with the career - you got skills - but change the job.
I read an interesting post recently about how great tradesmen aren’t necessarily the best at their trade but they keep their clients happy by communicating properly with them.
Work on communication (learn to use paragraphs for a start!) it will help with the business, wife and kids.
Take solace that you’re really not in a bad position.
No one here can offer specific career advice because you’ve been woefully vague about your current role. Understandable, but without knowing what pisses you off at work, it’s impossible to offer an alternative
Things to consider. Who are your friends? Do you have a social life? Do you over indulge in it? Is it lacking.
Do you have a banging drug habit? Gambling?
Are you still ‘a lad’ - and resent not being ‘a lad’
Have you considered speaking to an actual therapist?
You’re just getting started.
Best of luck fam.
Confident_Leg_5520@reddit
Are you a solo electrician or do you work for someone? If the latter, do you think changing employers might help?
If it is just a case of there are too many hours of work but you enjoy the actual work, do you have any wiggle room to reduce hours?
I suppose it can be hard to answer those with a clear head if you're out the house 60 hours a week - that would be enough to send anyone crazy! It's no surprise you are feeling irritable.
Suspicious-Bread-693@reddit
Easy! Vlog your day. Tradie influencers make a killing
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