Ok, folks.
Times nearly here so starting a new thread on what hopefully will be start of operation career change.
I have always strived to keep training but have now hit the wall at work and particularly don't enjoy what I do. I earnt fairly well last year despite being out of work for nearly 8 weeks.
My job is fine, fairly easy and pays well but has no satisfaction and not much common sense above me in management. I work far closer with the client and there requirement and things seem to work very well like that.
I am a qualified gas safe commercial and domestic heating engineer, electrical installation qualified and f-gas qualified also. I have fell into positions where I can keep training in industries I don't really enjoy. I have always been in the service industry and field based.

Now it's time to pick something I do enjoy , I am currently looking at courses within the I.T industry. I know it's done to death but really enjoy many aspects, a slightly obsessed hobbies so to speak.Just gotta find where I fit.
This is due to my brother, a systems builder and support getting into the industry when he was 16 with Evesham micros or vale as some knew. I often work at his company, system building and solutions when required.
What is your experience of the industry, I want to thrive , happy to train while working and most importantly enter a career I enjoy and can get my teeth into.

Let me know your thoughts? I like to here people careers and experiences as it does help motivate and helps which path I may take.

Ruben,

If you want to get into IT, you're probably going to have to start on first line / helpdesk / service desk and do all the boring fixes and listen to users moaning, get some experience then progress you're way up. For me, when I was younger, I wanted to make games, so did a BTEC, HND and MSc in computer studies, but trying to get into IT was a bit troublesome back in 2001/2 as everyone wanted experience, but I couldn't get it, so I worked in Thailand for 6 months pretending to learn IT (whilst in reality I spammed the forum a lot ).

I then got my first helpdesk role. That bored me to tears after nearly 2 years, so managed to luck into a a system admin (AD, backup's, GPO, etc)role looking after the whole company with only a single manager to report to. This bored me again after 2 years and got a role for a managed service company, where I stayed for 5 weeks before I got a job less than 2 miles from home, where I would be dealing with SQL even though I had no experience, but my personality was a better team fit. Here, I learnt some SQL / DBA stuff (along with Sharepoint and some custom S/W) but was bored again 3 years, but only got a job slightly further away from home another 2 years afterwards that initial 3 and I'm now where I am 2.5 years later.

I'm now a SQL consultant for another managed service company (and discovered my SQL knowledge gained from my previous place wasn't all that good), where I occasionally get pimped out to tell people how to set SQL up. Since I've been here I've also been thrown into SCCM. I've also since being here been offered a Technical Account Manager role, but decided against it, as I'm not one for documentation

So basically, you're going to have to work up the ladder. If you can get into a managed service company you get to play with a lot more technologies than working for just a normal organisation where you'll learn what you can and then start doing the job blindfolded.

What about jumping ship to Neil's company?

Thank you Begbie , gives a good insight into the reality of it. This is what i thought, i don't want a helpdesk role. Last thing i want really.
Neil's place doesn't have the capacity for me really plus i need to earn for the moment. I work there where i can but they are mainly hardware supply and support.
Computer studies is what i was looking at but unsure if that positions me any better than a specific course for in the industry/networking etc.
i can go straight onto a hnc i believe.

IT industry is dying in the UK. Here all our IT work is being transferred to TCS (TATA) in India. I have probably 18 months before our dept goes. This is a common trend amongst UK companies and one of the options being "sold" to us is to re-locate to India! Not wishing to put a dampener but it is happening. Of my current team of 20 I am the only UK resident and company employee and have 2 people here on short visas the rest are in India.

Is there no mileage in your gas skills/qualifications, going self-employed? There's money to be made if you have the right contracts/work.

Im sure there is jonny but my heart is just not in it. Looking for some job/career satisfaction.

As i thought Bockers,its good to here first accounts of what's happening front line.
So where from here. Along hard think as something needs to change.
I want to enjoy or at least reap the rewards of hard work. My industry is very thankless and just seen another body. A senior role came up and which i went for and later found out i wasn't considered as i was too useful in the position i am now.
Not how the company sold itself prior to tupee, progressive and promote within.

A pretty short-sighted directors' mind set in your present company then. I can see why you want to move on.

A self employed heating engineer earns a good living . Experience and job satisfaction comes along when things go right.
They go right when you live,breath and sleep every job/contract.

Self employment is no easy street and the weak willed soon get found out but it does bring job satisfaction mate.

You seem to be on a bit of a career merry go round every 18 months or so.

I'm seeing companies bringing their IT back to the UK. HMRC being one example, other government areas too I assume. My theory is that things like this go in cycles.

I think a lot of blagging goes on in IT. I've worked with a fair few supposed specialists that have been far from special.

Good luck with whatever you go for!