From supervisor to tech without starting over?

Community Careers, Journeys, and Stories
1

Hi there,

I am a 28-year-old Swede, living in Scotland for the past 3 years. I currently work as a logistics supervisor, as I quickly worked my way up the ranks at a food production company. The thing is, I am sick of my job, the people, the corrupted management and the constant issues that never get solved.
It could also be that I did not actively choose this career, but I had to get a job as quickly as possible to support my partner and his son. Since then I have been stuck. I dabbled with the idea and took courses in AAT bookkeeping until I was promoted and learning the swings of the new role completely took the energy out of studying after work.
Back as a teenager, I used to code simple blog posts with HTML and CSS because I wanted hot pink letters in a cool font. My previous job experiences have also taught me what I like and what I am good at.
I like to solve problems, as I am very analytical and like to get to the root of an issue, not just plaster over it. I like to build fail-saving systems that minimize future problems. When I left one production department for another I literally made a manual on what do to and on what days to keep the basics in check and free up time to deal with the big stuff. I can break down processes to math that looks like algebra or visualize what I want my outcome. I get a “high” when things work, and then another one when there is a chaotic issue, and I hold the key to solving it.
I am struggling now with a second push for a career change. I currently earn 27K per year and I do not want to go back to an entry-level salary. I think I also would like to learn either software engineering or data science.
Which direction would you recommend and is there a way to go into this career with a higher salary outcome?

Thank you for reading.

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Hi there!
Wow, I see that you’ve been making a huge effort and you should be very proud of yourself, and I am sure your partner and your family are too! :grinning: I am sorry to hear that you have to cope with non very pleasant circumstances at your current job. I am just shocked to read about corruption, one wouldn’t imagine situations like that in the far North (I live in Spain)

I am going through the same, as I am a qualified Classical Musician, but, although my job is extremely fulfilling I would earn more cleaning…so, there is no any real prospect of improvement working at a private Academy, as I am currently, and earning a decent living. Fortunately I live with my partner, whose salary is decent. Nevertheless I feel the need for a career change, and apart from learning in Codecademy, I am starting to find out about some local live Bootcamps here in Spain. I had an interview with one of the advisors for one of this bootcamps, and actually, made a lot of sense what she told me: that I shouldn’t just “erase/ignore” my past experience and skills, as it constitutes “added value” to my profile, and I think it is very true…

What I could tell you is TO VALUE all that VAST experience you’ve got in your sector, and re framing it like “soft skills” and “organisational skills” (and of course “logistic skills”) that you have in your set of uniqueness. Which, I think, any organisation would LOVE to have in their business!

Wishing you lots of success!

Best regards

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You really have so many valuable skills!

I decided that I was burned out of my decades-long career as a paralegal, so during the pandemic I took courses on Codecademy and other platforms to shift my focus to data. I ended up in my current position as a data specialist at a law firm. I no longer do paralegal work, but my experience greatly helps in my work helping paralegals and others at the firm automate documents and processes. I love my job now - it’s like solving puzzles everyday. So, while I didn’t completely pivot away from the law field, I found a job where my new skills and my old experience could merge together in harmony.
Never stop learning. Good luck!

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