a mate of mine trained as a gas fitter a few years back, worked in London for a year after training to get experience. He went self-employed and started his own company back in the north-east after that and has to constantly turn work down, he's that busy.
I'd planned to do an electricians night course at college but health problems have put pay to that for the moment. I think all us who were schooled in the late 80s/early 90s were $%&#ed over by this "IT is the future" bollocks. I should have listened to what my heart was telling me, I always had a natural interest in electrical engineering but changed courses after a year to IT - the careers people were selling the IT route heavily though telling us that traditional skills/trades were dying out and we'd never get any work. I was a different person back then at 16/17, very young for my age and low on self-confidence so I took notice when I should've stayed true to myself. Live and learn eh.
I know what you mean, if I could go back in time with the life skills and confidence I have now I'd do accounting
someone asked what I did, I was doing admin for a big haulage middle man type company, basically filing, post in and out, and finding and sending out proof of delivery notes, but it's not as simple as it should be because you rely on other people and other companies
growing up in a cr@p town with little opportunity has made me really competitive (I don't even like people who are taller than me!) and I try to market myself is the best possible way, too much wikipedia on social engineering and advertising techniques helps in that department but having to travel for work does seem to go against you for some employers
the way some people market themselves, even people with degrees, is awful!!!