Where Am I Going?

I keep having these “Where am I going with my career
thoughts”.

 

And then I forget them and get on with plodding along.

Yesterday I was prodded into thinking again by some bullshit shenanigans over
bonuses (changing the structure to one which will likely mean no bonuses, on 1st
December but not telling us until 20th May – a whole 11 days before
it is due to be paid).  Yeah, thanks, glad I worked so hard.

So if I write a blog about it then I will probably
have thought about it properly, and channelled my anger into something
productive and have an answer other than eat more gravy (I had over a pint last night).

I do not want to be a credit controller forever. 
Earnings are fairly limited – a credit controller of 30 years’ experience is
unlikely to earn more than me.  To be a manager you need to study an ICM
qualification which I have no interest in.

Credit control can be a rather negative environment as customers tend not to
want to pay – it is full of arguments and conflict – it must have an effect on
my general levels of positivity and my willingness to have an argument.

Potentially I could get a job as a credit control
supervisor/senior credit
controller as a step up,
without a direct qualification, which would be slightly higher paying – but the
downside would be then having to commit to another 2-4 years of doing credit
control, with also some added uncertainty.

Currently I have a very good manager, some really nice
colleagues and can listen to music, no questions asked.  Too much work but
I like it that way.  Having had jobs with no work, having worked for
complete witches and had miserable music-free jobs, these aspects are very
appealing.

However I do waste far too much time commuting. 
And I am pissed off right now.

What I really want to do is get into web design/development
which I am studying towards but I don’t have that much time to study. 
From 630am until 645pm is spent getting ready for work, commuting and
working.  And commuting again.  To study I either need to get up at 530am or study later –
learning computer code is not exactly not of my to-do list at 7pm, tired and
hungry after work.  Waking up at 530am is not exactly appealing most
mornings.

One option is to get a job in Reading to cut out the
commute.

There is also the London factor.  I might move to
London next August/September – I keep talking about it and have done for, oooh, nearly 10 years now.

But if I do I would need a significant pay-rise, which is
possible doing credit control
in London – if I still want to do it.  I could get around
£30,000.00 a year in London doing credit control which is enough of an increase
in salary to pay for the increase in rent.

The other option would be to take a
junior/trainee web development job in London but I would be lucky to get
£20,000.00 and said jobs are not as easy as you might expect to find.  Plenty of jobs and loads of money if you are
well-skilled – not many and little money if your skills are still at the
beginning stage like mine are.  I could
live on £20,000.00 in London but that would be it – rent, food, bills – no going out, no
holidays, no clothes, etc.  Gosh that would be boring.

It would only be temporary though, for a
year or two.

So I have
two questions, what to do now with my career, and what to do in 18 months.

I am no closer to answering my questions!  But at least I know I have two questions.  I shall keep thinking.

I do need a plan.  And maybe a horse made out of money.