All change on the job front
Primary school teacher Gill Vigus used to spend her days surrounded by young children. Now she spends her time checking out the rippling six packs of buffed and toned men.
The 47-year-old quit her day job when she had an idea for a business she wanted to set up, hiring out topless butlers for hen parties and other events.
Gill started teaching in 1995 and has worked at schools in Hampshire, West Sussex and London. Her most recent teaching post was at Saxon Shore Infant School, in Paulsgrove, but she ditched the day job at Christmas and hasn't looked back.
'I'd always wanted to be a teacher and I loved it,' explains Gill. 'In recent years the reason I started thinking about doing something different was my own kids had grown up, so I no longer needed the school holidays to be with them.
'Also, as time goes on in teaching you become more senior whether you want to or not. You find you're spending quite a lot of time away from the kids.
'My life had started to get out of balance and I didn't really have the quality of life I wanted with my family or husband.
'The final thing that did it for me was the fact that the government was constantly moving the goalposts. It was always bringing in new targets. I really started to think there'd got to be something else.
'
A recent survey conducted by an online recruitment company revealed that Gill's not the only one longing to try something new.
Its poll revealed that 58 per cent of the UK workforce is considering a career change. And according to another survey by Reed Consultancy, a whopping 71 per cent of us are unhappy in our present jobs.
But there's a big difference between dreaming of changing your career and actually doing it.
Gill took a leap of faith after getting an idea to bring a buff butlers service to the south coast – but following her dream has meant she's lost the security of her salary.
She'd tried to find a butler to wait on her son's fiancee on her hen night but the nearest she could find was based in Bristol. When he failed to turn up she was disappointed and decided there was a gap in the market locally.
With the help of her family she's set up a website – www.butlers2go.com – and her butlers can be hired to serve drinks and canapes. Bottom-revealing aprons protect some of their modesty and the lads will dress in smart black trousers if the hostess doesn't want to shock her guests.
'The reason we'd wanted one was that it's not a stripper,' explains Gill. 'Women don't want strippers any more – it's not very tasteful.'
Gill, who lives with her family in Havant, adds: 'I really do think it can work. I know a lot of people think I'm bonkers but I believe it will work. It's a scary thing to lose a salary. My daughter says most businesses don't even break even in the first year and that stops me getting down-hearted.
'If the worst came to the worst, if I gave it up, I'd have to go back to teaching. I don't want to have to do that, I really want to make it.'Neil's now got a new perspective on work
Neil Shearer thought his career in the army would be for life. When he signed up as a teenager he planned to complete his 22 years of service and collect his full pension at the end of it.
But after seeing action in the first Gulf war and Bosnia with the Royal Artillery he decided to leave army life behind him when his regiment moved to Thorney Island.
Neil, who left the army in 1996, says: 'After a while I decided it wasn't for me any more. I lost all interest. There was no motivation for me.'
He adds: 'We got treated like kids and we were grown men. I needed to get out. I thought I'd do the 22 years but I ended up doing 13.'
The 43-year-old had to give a year's notice to quite the army so had plenty of time to decide what he wanted to do instead – and the transition from soldier to civilian went quite smoothly.
'Civilian life is completely different,' he adds. 'You have to re-educate yourself to a certain extent. You are brainwashed within the forces then coming out is completely different and can be quite scary. I was pleased – coming out was right for me.'
Neil, from Waterlooville, wanted to do something more creative but ended up working in the electronics industry for 10 years.
It was during that time that he started getting interested in the Japanese art of Reiki, a natural healing technique.
After qualifying as a Reiki practitioner he set up a small business offering treatments and workshops and enjoyed doing that alongside the day job for a number of years.
Ultimately though it was his passion for art and framing pictures that he wanted to pursue most so he quit the electronics work and stopped doing the Reiki as a business to head off in a new direction.
Neil's just got a new job at the Frame Studios in Waterlooville and is looking forward to his future.
He adds: 'The army was a great experience that I will never regret and I've met friends for life. I thought the army would be it for me but life changes.'
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Monday 06 February 2012
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