Careers that give you adequate time for pony cuddles!!

[Roanioponio]

Hello, I've come to that part in my life where we're all finishing college and friends all seem to have their minds set on what they're doing except me and it's getting me down!! My only passion is horses, however I've just done my equine management extended course and I've come to realise that whenever I spend time doing other horses it makes my horses a chore and I hate that as I adore my horses(life revolves around my little pets, lol)
So I've come to the conclusion that I need to find a career other than horses, but I'll still have a good amount of time with mine!

What does everyone else do around their horses?

A physiotherapist was a dream but I just can't cope with intense uni course

Would anyone have any ideas please? I'm pretty open minded about it (and doesn't have to be overly well paid either, I just want to stop my mum going on about how a primary school teacher would be ideal as id rather fall in an endless hole )

(Thank you too all especially sbloom on my old post that I ended up forgetting about!)

 

[Leo Walker]

I work for Network Rail. They are the best company I have ever worked for! I work 35 hours a week but do compressed hours so I only actually work 4 days, and I do a whopping 8 and a bit hours for those 4 days. I dont have proper flexi time as I have to do my hours every day, but there is huge flexibility in start and finish times and my boss is flexible about time off for horse stuff.

I've massively fallen out of love with what I do currently but thats not an issue as its relatively easy to move sideways into something else. And to be fair, my job is pretty awesome, I just get bored easily!

I worked with horses for a long time and I wouldnt change that for the world as I loved it and learned so many transferable skills, but if I'd gone into my current job straight away then I would be much better off career wise! But I'm doing ok, and I'm catching up quickly

I'd do what makes you happy while you are young, just with one eye on future career plans. Work is not the be all and end all of life and nothing is set in stone. I'm nearly 40, which seems almost unbelievable to me as I feel about 18! But honestly, I'm lucky to work for my employer and I'm doing ok

 

[cloverpenny]

I work in home care which can be demanding but the pay is good plus the hours I work mean that I can do my horse in the morning and if need be in the late afternoon / early evening before I go to work.

 

[indiat]

I'm an author. Very flexible but the pay is terrible! And I get paid every six months so it makes lasting to pay day an art form. But I work in the evenings and have plenty of time during the day for my ponies and kids. I love what I do, I basically get paid to lie all day long.

 

[kateandluelue]

Im a Health Visitor which is a nice 9-5 job however does involve going to uni twice so if uni isnt for you its not the greatest option. But hours are good and flexible!

 

[chaps89]

I fell into insurance by mistake- started in a call centre and was basically paid to sit and talk horses all day. Worked through various roles and recently changed company and found that throughout money has (mostly) been reasonable, as have the hours. My role now is completely unrelated to equine but is now closer to home and paying more which allows me to enjoy my horses more than before.

 

[Shay]

Without a career specific degree (or in your case a course you don't want to pursue) then your choices are going to be limited. You have reached the important decision - that you don't want to continue to work with horses. Beyond that - take what you can find. It might be the new love of your life - or it might not, in which case change. The new higher level Apprentice offering for many firms is quite good at the moment. So what about finding a management type apprenticeship? Whether that is John Lewis Partnership (Great employer) or your local building firm, the Civil Service or something else. Management skills are management skills and they apply everywhere.

My daughter is only a year or so younger than you so as a Mum I would suggest looking for something which has the potential to go somewhere. But beyond that - don't worry about it. We ask our young people to make firm life choices very early.

 

[hollyandivy123]

Without a career specific degree (or in your case a course you don't want to pursue) then your choices are going to be limited. You have reached the important decision - that you don't want to continue to work with horses. Beyond that - take what you can find. It might be the new love of your life - or it might not, in which case change. The new higher level Apprentice offering for many firms is quite good at the moment. So what about finding a management type apprenticeship? Whether that is John Lewis Partnership (Great employer) or your local building firm, the Civil Service or something else. Management skills are management skills and they apply everywhere.

My daughter is only a year or so younger than you so as a Mum I would suggest looking for something which has the potential to go somewhere. But beyond that - don't worry about it. We ask our young people to make firm life choices very early.

hi agree with the above, please choose something that will provide transferable skills if you want to move into other lines of work. Uni isn't for everyone, but choosing a job which will allow you to grow if you wish is important. What is important to you now might not be in 10yrs time

 

[Michen]

I completely disagree with this, you are much less limited WITHOUT a career specific degree. If you do a nursing degree then you are only really qualified to be a nurse. I did a geography degree and could go into basically anything, finance, teaching, oil, I actually went into sales!

If you have a good degree from a good uni it doesn't really matter what the subject is, your options are much more open if don't do a career specific degree particularly if you don't really know what you want to do in life and are then stuck with a specific qualification.

Without a career specific degree (or in your case a course you don't want to pursue) then your choices are going to be limited. You have reached the important decision - that you don't want to continue to work with horses. Beyond that - take what you can find. It might be the new love of your life - or it might not, in which case change. The new higher level Apprentice offering for many firms is quite good at the moment. So what about finding a management type apprenticeship? Whether that is John Lewis Partnership (Great employer) or your local building firm, the Civil Service or something else. Management skills are management skills and they apply everywhere.

My daughter is only a year or so younger than you so as a Mum I would suggest looking for something which has the potential to go somewhere. But beyond that - don't worry about it. We ask our young people to make firm life choices very early.

 

[Deltic Blue]

I work in an office based job, doing Procurement.
It's a nice 9-5 type job, but flexible so I can do anywhere between 8 and 5, so I can start work at 8 and finish at 4 etc. I've also got flexi time, so I can use that should I need to. So tomorrow I've got the vet coming at 2:30 and I can leave work at 2 as I've built up a good amount of flexi time.

I used to work in retail, but the hours were not really suited to having horses, when you could be working until 10pm some nights!

ETA: I studied horse care in college and came to the realisation that if I wanted my own horse, I didn't want to work with them, as I wouldn't want to do mine after work. So I left after a year, and went into full time work. Got my horse and haven't really looked back. Never went to uni, as I didn't really want to go and didn't want to be in that much debt.

I'm happy in my job in that it pays the bills for mine and my OH's house, the horse, horsebox and allows me to work a nice office hours type job.

 

[TheSaddleLady]

I don't agree with going to Uni and just doing something. You'll be left with huge debt and Uni degrees don't mean a whole lot nowadays (I don't think, unless you want to become a Doctor of biology or something!).
I work for a huge design consultancy company in central London (8:15-4:15 Mon-Fri) and also in the process of starting my saddle fitting business specialising in Iberian and soft tree/treeless saddles. So not much time for the horse right now but I earn enough to keep him on (almost full) livery mon-fri.
Once I am doing saddle fitting full time I'll have more time for him.

But I must say, the money is great but I am utterly miserable. If you want to do Physiotheraphy look at part time courses or courses that work around a job and do that. There are lots of things to look at doing on a part time basis

(sorry for the essay!)

 

[acorn92x]

I don't agree with going to Uni and just doing something. You'll be left with huge debt and Uni degrees don't mean a whole lot nowadays (I don't think, unless you want to become a Doctor of biology or something!).
I work for a huge design consultancy company in central London (8:15-4:15 Mon-Fri) and also in the process of starting my saddle fitting business specialising in Iberian and soft tree/treeless saddles. So not much time for the horse right now but I earn enough to keep him on (almost full) livery mon-fri.
Once I am doing saddle fitting full time I'll have more time for him.

But I must say, the money is great but I am utterly miserable. If you want to do Physiotheraphy look at part time courses or courses that work around a job and do that. There are lots of things to look at doing on a part time basis

(sorry for the essay!)

Agree 100000% about not going to uni. 90% of my friends who went to uni and did nothing, wishy washy subjects and are now struggling to find work. Fair enough if you want to become a doctor, nurse, dentist etc but I wouldn't go to uni if you paid me!

 

[Paint Me Proud]

I am a Science technician in a school. Pay isnt amazing but I work 8-4 mon-thur and 8-3 on friday and have all the school holidays off.
If you can write a good CV and give a good interview most schools will take on inexperienced people and train them. I advise finding someone who already does the job to ask them what buzz words to put on the CV personal statement
It is also a great way of getting into working in education as once you're in you'd be amazed at how many other jobs may open up to you as schools love recruiting internally.

 

[AppyLover]

I didn't go to uni but almost all of my friends did. At the age of 25 I have a nice car, moved out to a nice flat with my sister and we both have a horse each and decent paying jobs. Where as our friends that went to uni don't have degree level jobs they had to take the first thing that came along because they needed money, they all still live at home and only 2 have cars and were pretty much in the same place I was at 18 but they were 22/23. I work as a systems and finance office 3 days in the office 2 days at home 9 - 5 everyday. To me uni is pretty overrated unless you want to be a Doctor, nurse etc etc it leaves you with thousands of pounds worth of debt and doesn't really help that much these days from what I've noticed. 😊

 

[Crackerz]

Not going to uni isn't a limiting option at all. In fact, if you can get in to a office junior role and work hard, you'll easily end up on more money than your friends - when they come out of uni they have to find a job and still start at the bottom. Plus you will have no debt to pay back.

The highest paid, most successful intelligent people i know didn't go to uni

I work in Payroll, worked my way up from an office junior filing position when i left Equine college and now i am a manager. I've had some stumbling blocks on the way (been made redundant 3 times!) but i've always had office hours and fitted in competing and horses easily.

Good luck in what ever you decide!

 

[DD265]

To enter a career at a moderate level you'll either need a degree or relevant experience. Given that you don't have a career in mind right now, I'd suggest starting at the bottom and working your way up. Don't spend a fortune doing a degree that you don't want to do; 1) it'll be harder than it needs to be if your heart isn't in it and 2) you'll question whether the debt is worth it. You can do a degree later, if you find something that you want or need to do. I'd suggest an office based job of some sort for now; avoid retail.

It doesn't sound like you have rose tinted glasses but just in case; the majority of people I know don't love their jobs. I do but I'm in a minority. My job interests me but it's not something I'd ever do as a hobby. You may find that you can do a job you tolerate, to have a good work-life balance.

There's no longer this expectation of keeping a job for life, so if you aren't a huge fan of the first job you aren't stuck there forever.
I see people changing career all the time at any age; my Dad in his 50s is off to work in a different country.

 

[Lintel]

I'm currently a Nursing Assistant on A&E I work 12 hour shifts 3 days a week for 3 weeks, and 1 week of 4 shifts.

Thankfully I have a good network around me and the days that I work my boy is either out and I tend to him after work at 8pm or if he is inside I get someone to skip him out in the AM.
My previous job was 7 hour shifts dayshift or backshift and it worked in alot better with the horses but I was bored senseless!

Find something you enjoy!!
I can sympathise as I did an apprenticeship with horses and began to loathe going upto my boy after so I career changed

 

[LHIS]

If you have a good degree from a good uni it doesn't really matter what the subject is, your options are much more open if don't do a career specific degree particularly if you don't really know what you want to do in life and are then stuck with a specific qualification.

This ^, and this is what I did. I went to a 'top 10' university and did a generic degree - English Language & Linguistics. Bar going into speech/language therapy, or becoming a teacher, this degree means I could have gone into lots of different sectors. I have been in the Police, worked in the Wine industry, and now work in the Construction industry.

However - Uni is not for everyone, and its certainly not a 'must' if you want a job with a good salary. You do really need to work out what your skills are, and more importantly what you enjoy, and go from there.

 

[teapot]

I think the days of 'generic degrees open numerous doors' days are decreasing in favour of specific subjects, or at least that's what nine months of job hunting has taught me.

I would think very carefully op and there's absolutely no need to rush off to uni aged 18.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

My career means I'm well paid and in a sector that is probably always going to need people, I work in Regulatory Affairs for Medical Devices.

I did need a science degree to get my specific role (I did a generic Chemistry degree), but plenty work up through admin assistant roles at pharma companies. It's fairly interesting, always something new keeping us on our toes, but pays me enough that I own my own house, two horses, a car, a horsebox and the extra for competing. If I didn't have the horses I'd be rolling in it :lol:, well not really but I'm not doing bad for my age (26). It's also a fairly 9-5 job, if there's lots on or tight deadlines then yes I may work later but I can also work from home so have the flexibility to work anywhere (such as in my car at the yard waiting for the vet )!

Uni is not for everyone though it is still a useful tool on the career pathway if you choose it, but equally not essential to make the most of yourself .

 

[Umbongo]

Is there anything you are actually interested in?

Any career could give you the opportunity for free time with your horses, it all depends on what hours you agree to, the type of workplace, whether the job requires some work/studying at home, whether you are starting at the bottom or have worked your way up and can afford to go part time etc etc.

I am a veterinary nurse and have zero time for a horse due to the hours/times of day I work. However my friend is also a veterinary nurse and manages to only work 3 days a week, but they are extra long days to make up the hours. I studied part time, one day a week at college for 2 years, whilst employed in a veterinary practice.

I would agree if uni is not something you are interested in then do not rush into it. I did when I was 18 and do regret it. I wish I had taken a year out to go and volunteer in some areas that interested me, to get an insight in to what the jobs were like and if I wanted to pursue anything.

 

[meesha]

I did a pa course for a year then a psychology degree (PA course meant I could earn good money temping in holidays) I then worked as an it trainer, office manager in advertising then marketing assistant. Hated the 9 to 5 thing of getting in car, driving same route every day so took over parents business when they said they were retiring and now train people on accounts and payroll and do accounts for people. For me it's about meeting different people, working for myself and dictating my own hours. I do enjoy the job but more the lifestyle. Think about what you like, is it stability? Is it change? Is it working outside, meeting new people? Then look at the jobs that fit!

Just to add I did my degree years ago so it didn't cost me much if any thing, I think now if you are doing a degree you need to pick one with a well paid job at the end, so a "job specific"degree !!

 

[spike123]

I work in adult social care. I work mon to thurs so get weekends off and although i start work early at 7am i'm done by 2pm so have afternoons free for my horses. I really enjoy what i do which is basically working in supported living but jobs in care are hard to find with such good hours especially if you're starting at the bottom. However there are many care jobs out there which allow either doing early or late shifts or condensing your hours into a couple of days giving you more days off overall.

 

[windand rain]

Best job I ever did and it gave me loads of time for the ponies and my family was as a Postman/person. I loved it I started at 6 and finished at 1 didnt do much for my social life at night as I had to be up by 5 but it meant I had all afternoon and evening to myself. It was well paid outside and on my own. Only downside was if you got weeks of awful weather. Best thing they gave me a van to drive so the only qulification was to be able to read well and drive. I have never ever used my degree for any job

 

[sherry90]

I work in HR now and have just been promoted into a Business Partner role. I wouldn't be able to own my own horse, house and nice car without the pay packet. Would I say my law degree got me to where I am? Possibly, but most likely not. After my degree I didn't fancy a career in law so self funded my level 3 HR qualification whilst I worked in recruitment. I then took a punt on a maternity contract and it paid off as got me to where I am now. My employer is now paying for my level 7.
I work usually 9-5 or 8-4 5 days a week but can work flexibly so on Tuesday could leave at 2pm for the vet.
I think degrees are not the be all and end all of a career particularly not a specialists one. Parts of my degree have assisted with my career but not completely. Do something you love, we end up working for a long time. If you aren't enjoying your job...my advice is to move on to something you will enjoy or you will only begin to resent your workplace and that isn't healthy.

 

[SO1]

I got my degree before tuition fees so only had the student loan for living expenses.

I now manage a customer service team for a charity and also work on projects as well. I manage a 4 million pound budget as part of this role too. I have been in the same job for nearly 14 years now but it is always evolving and changing. I get 34 days annual leave a year plus bank holidays. They have also paid for lots of training for me as well. It is in London though.

I have managed quite a few graduates over the years and some of them have had £20,000 of debt to pay off which must be such a worry.

How much do you need to earn to be able to keep the horses and look after yourself? If you are not sure what industry you would like to go into then it might be worth joining a temping agency so you can work in a few different places and get to know what different role involves.

IT and finance are both areas of work where it is hard to recruit so any skills you can develop in this area would be useful. A lot of companies will provide training and career development opportunities.

If you need 9-5 then you will have less choice of roles than if you can work a bit more flexibly. I had my pony on DIY grass livery for 6 years and it was hard as I did need to leave work at a reasonable time and travelling for work for tricky too as I had to find someone to look after my pony. I moved to a part livery yard about 18 months ago and it has made a huge difference as I can be more flexible with regard to staying late for work or travelling for business, it also means if I want to go out for a drink with my work friends after work occasionally I can do too.

 

[Gottaloveaginger]

I'm a support worker. I work with adults with learning difficulties. I work 8am to 2pm Tuesday so get the rest of the afternoon and evening for horses, start at 4pm Wednesdays so have all morning and afternoon with them. Finish at 3.30pm on Thursday and Friday, then work every other weekend starting at 4pm Saturday so still get all morning with horses then have all day Monday off. I love my job and even take a lady horse riding on a Friday and I sometimes get to ride with her if the riding school has a spare horse in need of exercise!

 

[Mad_Cow347]

I'm an accountant and I didn't go to uni, I went straight in after my a-levels did my AAT qualification and then went onto ACCA. If you work for smaller local firms then generally the hours are pretty much 9-5, I would never work for a big 4 or some of the other bigger firms because they often do work long hours and it just wouldn't fit with my lifestyle (and I don't want to spend the whole of my 20s at work!).

I considered working with horses at 16 but decided that I would rather get a career where I could afford to have my own and keep it as a hobby. I chose the accountancy route as I didn't want to leave my horse to go to uni but wanted a decent career where I could earn good money.

 

[Roanioponio]

hank you very much all!! some of these jobs do interest me but to be honest, my horse course drained the life out of me and that's my passion! So I really want to work my way up instead of study any more.

Does anyone have any opinions on Estate Agency work? That interests me but I'm not sure if I can handle the way you don't earn much if you dont help sell enough houses, also I have no idea if I can work up to the roles. I'm looking it up, but I'm not getting anywhere, haha!

 

[Ahrena]

I chose my job based around having time and money for the horses.

I was a working pupil and currently a freelance groom. I start early but finish at 1 or 2 (although varies, I have busier and quieter periods.) Been doing this 3 years and keep 2 horses, 1 that I event. Also only do an hour on Fridays.

I'm studying psychotherapy part time as like you, my horses just aren't as much fun after slogging around after other people's all day. I also ditched studying health psychology at uni in order to keep my horse so it's similar my original plan.

Once I qualify, I intend to offer private therapy. It's good pay so once it gets going, I'll still be able to work relatively part time hours but be more financially stable and have tonnes of time for the horses

Meant to say, my course involves 1 weekend day a month and work at home (full on near end of year but only a few hours a week the first 10 months) and whilst it's not currently recognised as a degree, I'll be a fully qualified psychotherapist and hypnotherapist by the end.