Neil James (43) - Now An Electrician
For Neil James from Salisbury, changing career aged 43 and setting up his own business was not just about being his own boss. The former infantry solider wanted to be ‘in control of his own destiny’ and retrained as an electrician to make his dream a reality.
Career switch at 43 put Neil in control of his own destiny
Neil, also known by his army nickname of ‘Jamie’, worked as a welder for more than 12 years after leaving the Royal Green Jackets. After working his way up through the company to become a quality engineer, his job had many perks.
“I got to travel to some incredible countries,” he said “places like Malta and Japan that I may never have got to see otherwise. It was a varied job and I enjoyed it but towards the end my role started to change and I started to think about moving on.
“At the time I’d just learned that my wife, Lynn, was pregnant with our first child so that gave me another push. I wanted to be around to take my child to school and spend time with him. I didn’t want to be halfway across the world while he was growing up.”
He knew he had to take control. He said: “I decided to retrain as an electrician, which would give me the chance to rewire my own home, work for myself and possibly even set up my own business.”
Neil, originally from Oxford, came across New Career Skills, which retrains mature career changers for careers as plumbers, electricians and in renewables and microgeneration.
The Porton resident said: “I was able to do most of the training at home and only had to visit the training centre in Southampton for four weeks for the practical side of the course, so it was perfect. It meant I could keep working in my old job until I’d qualified, which gave me a sense of security.”
Sadly, just as Neil was building a new career in order to spend more time with his family, his son, Nathaniel, tragically died five days after being born.
Neil said: “I was part way through my training and it was an incredibly hard time. I found it quite tough to remain focused but I decided I wanted to finish the course and do it in his memory. I carried on and I’m glad that I completed my course with good results. I did it for him.”
Keen to continue with his dream of controlling his own time and with the help and advice from New Career Skills, Neil immediately set up his own firm, Bourne Valley Electrical Services.
Now, three years later, Neil has a large base of happy clients and gets to spend more time with his wife, Lynn, who works with him as the company secretary.
The 46-year-old said: “Some people say they wouldn’t be able to work with their partner but I enjoy it. Our customers like it too.”
Lynn, who sometimes lends a hand on site, added: “My stepfather was an electrician so it’s an easy environment for me to be in. I remember learning how to wire up a plug and change fuses when I was about seven years old! I love working together and he likes it because it’s the only time I do what I’m told!”
Neil is now lending a hand to other career changers as he works with New Career Skills to provide vital shadowing and work experience opportunities to its students. He has joined the company’s ACCESS programme, in which New Career Skills places students looking for work experience with a network of graduates who have their own companies. He has also provided work experience for other electricians in the Salisbury area. He said: “It’s important to get experience on site when you’re training - I know that first hand - so I’m happy to help out New Career Skills’ students whenever I can.”
Neil’s advice to others thinking about changing careers later in life is to go for it, but to be prepared to put the work in. He said: “I work hard and I do long hours but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Nothing ever falls into your lap but if you’re prepared to put in the time and effort you can be your own boss and be in control of your own destiny.”
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