symzie

Oh yes, I hit the big four zero next August, anyway.........

What I'm planning to do is have a complete and utter nervous breakdown, which will probably start on my birthday and then continue throughout the year.

At the moment I have this crap IT job that I don't want anymore and was thinking of suggesting that my boss shoves it up his bottom in about July.

This is where I need advice. I have a few thousand saved and then some equity in my flat. As much as I love Croydon, I never ever ever want to see it ever again as long as I live.....understand!?

So what to do, I dont have any sprogs or wife, but am holding auditions for the latter (applications in writing), I think I'll go travelling for a few months, preferably somewhere unstable. Then when I get back, settle somewhere sunny, without crime, where poor people don't wear tracksuits.

Am I asking too much?

What would you do, where would you go?

Inspire me, I need help here

sibsie

A friend of mine in similar circumstances just went off to Columbia for a couple of months. He loved it so much he now wants to go back there fulltime.

I've heard great things about Cuba too.

If want sun, no crime, and no trackies forget Spain.

paddythepilot

For something TOTALLY different, try teaching English in either Japan or South Korea!

You will need a University Degree, but if you've got one of those handy then a year out in the Far East is highly recommended, and you will even get paid!

I would hang-on to your equity if I were you, try to work your way around the World rather than spend your way around.

Good luck and pleased to offer advice if you are in this neck of the woods.

Cheers

David Owsley

I hit the big 40 last year and did the whole nervous breakdown bit but with the added stress of wife and children
Would agree with sibsie re Columbia or Cuba or how about cattle ranching in Venezuela or Argentina?

symzie

Sounds good, how would he go back there full time though?

I love SE Asia, well from what I've seen of it (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore) Would like to get back there again and this time go to Vietnam, China and Japan. I don't have a degree though, any thoughts?



Thanks for the suggestion, do you have any information on this kind of thing, is it paid work or voluntary.

Infact a question for anyone, how easy is it to get work outside the EU if you're over 40?

I did want to go to Aus but I can't get in with no degree and by the time I have enough experience I'll be too old, so I'm looking for other options, all ideas welcome.

sibsie

He's planning on opening a business there.

A lot of my friends went to Thailand on their round the world trip and never made it past Koh Samui. A lot of them made money teaching English as a Foreign Language. Not all of them had degrees and it didn't seem to pose a prob. There's an exam you can take. If I get the chance I'll look up the TELF Website.

Mercedes

Yup Columbia is definitely one of the most dangerous places in the world, also why not Mexico, Zimbabe etc etc, Iraq, Afkanastan...........I would go to Iraq you can make quite a bit of money over there also. Work as a bodyguard and you can make 250 pounds a day......though you may also come back in a body bag if you havent had any military training........

Other unstable places have a look at the foreign office travel warning pages they'll also give you some other inspirations of places that are unstable.......Russia is also another good place, plenty of criminals etc over there, Bosnia........

A good idea may also be to pop in to your travel agent and get a round the world ticket to these places.....though I doubt you will get any insurances.....lol.

Have fun, life is always an adventure, as for a crime free sunny place, hear there are few deserted islands around Panama, Australia has a few also.

Take care
Mercedes.

paddythepilot

I love SE Asia, well from what I've seen of it (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore) Would like to get back there again and this time go to Vietnam, China and Japan. I don't have a degree though, any thoughts?

Mate,

From what I hear you need a Degree to obtain the work permit as an English Teacher in Japan. I think things are similar in South Korea, but it is certainly worth checking it out in more detail.

I know you can find adverts for South Korean English teaching posts in the classified section of the Times Newspaper......well worth a look!

There are of course other options in Asia, such as Thailand as someone else mentioned, lovely country and wonderful people but not too sure how easy it is to get immigration approval to work there?

Forget Hong Kong as a teacher unless you are very qualified and have relevant experience as a teacher, but maybe in the area of IT you might stand a better chance?

Working in China is also an option, in particular the teaching route, they are far more relaxed about degrees and things like that.

These days China is prety decent and a very interesting country to work in!

Good luck.

sibsie

What about India? I've heard great things about it.

symzie

Yeah, already spent a few months in India & Nepal, maybe I'll go back one day and go down south this time. Last time I got back I weighed 10 stone @ 6'3" - didn't eat any meat when I was there

ckt21

Yeah, I know it's a bit unsettling, and it's tempting to be insulted...But really, it's a gift. You were unhappy there and planning to leave anyway. It's not worth the effort of getting offended. Besides, their punishment is they have to stay there, while you get freedom, adventure, and a new life! Think of it as the gods giving you a boot in the bum. When you know what you want, why wait? (And the 5K is a nice little bonus!)

P.S. Totally off topic, but how did you get an IT job without a degree? I'm trying to get by doing web sites for starving artists (what a great business plan!) This isn't working and I'm basically trying to figure out how the hell to make a living. Ugh. Anyhow--I'm jealous. Have a great adventure!

symzie

Thanks for your wise words Cricket. You're right of course, it's just that ************, I have been a complete bastartd recently though, I'll admit it.

It's quite difficult for experienced people to get jobs in IT at the moment and people with no comercial experience will find it harder.

You don't need a degree, experience is valued more than qualifications, but having said that, if you can get a qualification off your own back it looks good for you, it shows them what you're made of. That's exactly what I did, I put myself through the MCSE courses and passed the 6 exams, took me 8 months, two days after passing my final exam I had 2 job offers sitting on my coffee table. Things have changed though and it's harder now.

You could try to get a junior helpdesk roll or something like that, it's a very good place to start.

What kind of IT do you want to do, support or programming or networking?

These people you're doing websites for, they're paying you right? Why not register yourself as a company or a sole trader and make it official, then that's experience you can put on your CV

Why do you want to get an IT job, out of interest?