Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Also to ad to my oringnal reply be 100% sure the advice you take from this site be it mine or others that advice has come from others who know the in and outs of your descison EG know whats its like to work 7 days a week for £14 K a year ETC. Others can view this life with a air of romance from the outside. Its very easy to give advice saying go for it from the comfort of your PC this chap is making life changing descison . Cheers OTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian750 Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 I think the doubts you may be having could come from a feeling of security you may or may not feel you have in your current job, you've worked hard so far on your career path and are pretty much set on where you go from here, until this came out of left field and blindsided you. This is just my opinion, and it's also largely based on what's happened to me, so you may think it's irrelevant and if so, that's fine, I won't take offence! Sometimes you can be too good at your job and end up not getting the promotions you deserve because you're more valuable to the company on the 'shop floor', then there's the economic climate to consider, redundancies are commonplace. What I'm trying to say is there is no such thing as job security any more, you are and always will be at the mercy of not only the market, but also the people above you, so whatever you do, take promotion promises with a pinch of salt. The whole last in first out thing can be daunting if you change jobs, but as Duncan rightly said earlier the change itself is the scary bit. Consider this, how many jobs with alternative employers do you think you would be able to hit the ground running? There will always be a period of learning even if it's exactly the same job you were doing previously. If this is the life for you, and it will be a hard life no doubt, then go for it, you will probably never get another go at this one. Best of luck whichever way you choose, I wish it was my decision to make, I would love to enjoy what I do for a living! All the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Fox Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 It is a huge decision to make & OTH has made some valid points. It would be lovely too make a hobby pay, however sometimes the romance is short lived when You are in it full time - some of the top keepers I have met on the Moors have a big big responsabilty and look every bit as stressed on occasions as any other job. I have met people who have become underkeepers & only lasted a season, infact the last one chose to go back into a factory in the end. I would be very tempted all that aside - I wish You the best whatever you decide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian750 Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Also to ad to my oringnal reply be 100% sure the advice you take from this site be it mine or others that advice has come from others who know the in and outs of your descison EG know whats its like to work 7 days a week for £14 K a year ETC. Others can view this life with a air of romance from the outside. Its very easy to give advice saying go for it from the comfort of your PC this chap is making life changing descison . Cheers OTH Spot on that man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordhardup Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Yeah I know, I have thought about it, all in all if I work hard I can earn about 25k in my job. Im 23 and by the time im 25/26 I will be a branch manager on about 40k. But I will be stressed and have to work alot. I do really want to go for it. But like I said, its something and I cant put my finger on it which is stopping me! I dont think any one becomes a keeper for the wages. If you take into account the unpaid hours, feeding, foxing and rabbiting in all weathers 7 days a week your hourly rates works out at about 75p. Also take into account the fact that you and your family will be living in a tied cottage, lose job lose house. Now that is alot to think about. Me..... I would take the job ATB Clynt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willxx Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 its worth considering why you do your current job, do you do like the majority of us and simply work to get to the weekend, struggle through the week waiting to get out shooting or into the countryside? I've always wished I'd developed a vocation so that the 5/6 days a week I work would be more like the weekend where I was doing something I enjoyed rather than trying to do something I don't really have any "love" for but have to actually "work hard" at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds chimp Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 I would say take it as your still young and if you have no committments like mortgage kids etc then its your life and do it....I am now doing a job I enjoy after leaving the insurance rat race after going travelling round europe for 7 months..earning less in the last few years but its a job that I enjoy. I would go for it at least you have experiance to fall back on if it goes wrong or its not what you expected with rose tinted glasses on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Reading your post I would say go for it, you have already built up a decent CV in estate agency which you can fall back on if the keepering goes tits up. Keepers are generally poorly paid, and generally work hard, but not all are poorly paid (good tips plus a few little earners on the side), and not all work hard 24/7/365. There are some **** jobs in keepering but there are also some good ones, give it a go it sounds like this may well be a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillmouse Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Well if it is as good as it sounds then you have a chance of a lifetime in front of you. For every job advertised there are usually a minimum of 100 applicants, (about 10% of whom are actually able to meet the job criteria). Being offered the job on a plate is something you won't get again. I have been in this job for 30 years so can tell you a bit about it. You WILL be working every weekend and bank Holiday. You WON'T be getting paid for it. You WILL be working from dawn till dusk 7 days a week with few or even no breaks when you are rearing for at least 8 weeks solid, probably more. You WON'T be taking days off between May and 2nd February except perhaps to go and help beating on other estates. Even then it will be at the Headkeepers permission. If they do 15,000 birds and rear then forget wandering about shooting for yourself as there won't be a lot of time left after you catch up, repair pens, set up the rearing field, get day olds or incubate, rear chicks (18 hour day minimum and thats if it all goes well) Then release to wood, look after pens from first light to after dark, dog in, feed, plan and set up for shoots, run beaters, sort and dispose of shot game. You cannot stop if the weather is pants either. Factor in losses to predation, disease, wandering, human disturbance and think how you will cope with that. Will you keep getting up cheerfully every day when you know that some evil microbe is killing them in their hundreds despite the best efforts of yourself and veterinary science to control it? Will you cope with the pressure of a shoot day? No room for error and those guys on the pegs are paying a grand a day to shoot at birds not hear why they are not there. Can you cope knowing if things don't pan out you lose your house? When your mates are planning a lads weekend and you cannot go along because you are sitting out in the hissing rain for a fox will you still be a happy chappy? It all sounds very negative but if you have been free to live without the constraints being a full time 'keeper places on your life then think very hard about how you will cope with the loss of freedom. If you honestly feel you can, then go for it with your eyes open. It is a fantastic opportunity and if you can take the strain a wonderful and fulfilling lifestyle awaits you. I have no regrets but it is not for everyone. See the house, see the vehicle and get it all in writing in a formal contract. If you go for it, Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docholiday Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Also to ad to my oringnal reply be 100% sure the advice you take from this site be it mine or others that advice has come from others who know the in and outs of your descison EG know whats its like to work 7 days a week for £14 K a year ETC. Others can view this life with a air of romance from the outside. Its very easy to give advice saying go for it from the comfort of your PC this chap is making life changing descison . Cheers OTH well said doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulf Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 I think I would go for it on the basis that your still young and the older you get the less likely a situation like this will present itself. If things don't work out then you can go back into estate agency in the knowledge that its what you actually want to do rather than thinking what if and if only 15 years down the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troosers Too Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 Jimbo Tough decision and only you know how much you want to be a full time keeper. Really look at what Hiilmouse has to say as he's the man who's doing it and has the tweeds to prove it. There's a lot of commitment required so if you go into it thinking, "Oh I can always go back to selling houses", I don't think it will work. If you look at what he has to say and still think that it is what you really, really want to do then go for it. A word of warning, though - turning a passion or hobby into a job has its problems too. A long time ago, I was a very keen skier and fell into working in the ski industry, initially working in a shop, then instructing and eventually working for one of the big ski & binding manufacturers doing demos and skiing for their promo videos. Eventually skiing became just a job for me with no more satisfaction than driving a truck or working in the tax office. When I eventually got out of the business, I didn't ski again for ten years - I had no interest in it any more. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do. TT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 Jimbo,if you really wanted to turn this dream into reality you wouldnt be asking on here would you By taking the LIFE because that is what it is and not a job or hobbie,you will eat sleep and drink being a servant of a servant for at least 5 years 24/7 and when others around you are building a career and investing in the future you will be stagnating in your dream job sitting in your tied cottage with a quad you can only use on the farm.You will not be able to pick and choose when and where you are going to be keepering this will be decided for you,unlike a hobbie. When we met,you struck me as a typical estate agent and had the gift of the gab to get on in that business,with the potential to drive a nice car,own a nice house,earn a decent wage,have a good pension and health care,with the added bonus of deciding when you want to play keepers in ya big bmw with ya fancy gun having fun with your............. 'hobbie'. I and friends and relations, have all been in tied cottages,this is not a freebie or a leg up in the world more a handicap. My advise to you,would be that YOU will make the right decsion,my opinion would be to stick with estate agengcy,but get more strings/qualifications to make yourself more market proof,and keep your hobbie seperate so that it stays a hobbie,but what ever you do no one is going to slam the door shut and if you havent burnt bridges you will have a way back in Good luck mate,let us know what you decide to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddoakley Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 A wise man once told me...."find a job you love and you will never have to work again!!" Wise words. If you take the cost of running a home (rent council tax etc) plus a vehicle out of your POTENTIAL salary staying where you are then the wage as a keeper looks a lot better I would take the chance while it was there. I have never worried about work as I have always been able to walk into jobs or find work (i'm a carpenter by trade) so maybe my views are a little optomistic but whats the worst that could happen? You could always go back to being an estate agent in a few years if you werent happy. But knowing a little about the property market (I'm a landlord) I rekon now is as good a time as any to get out of the property business in any aspect. except of course if you have plenty of cash to buy up all the cheap property, even then it will be a long time before you see a return ATB in what ever you decide. Edd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdboy Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 I am a self employed commercial estate agent and have been in the property market for 20 years. The market is very poor at the moment as we all know and personal income has reduced greatly. Im late 30's now and set my business up 8 years ago and havent looked back. That said, i would also love to be a gamekeeper or thouhgt i did until i actually read hwo many hours a week you have to work ! Anyway, the point i think im getting at is go for the gamekeepers job - whilst the market is still bad, and if it doesnt work out, come back to estate agency in 2-5 years when it hopefully picks up. Estate agency jobs are plentiful - gamekeepers arent - and in particular so close to where you live. Good luck making the right decision. BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12borejimbo Posted January 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 Ok everyone, thanks for all the replies. Ive had a chat with the keeper I help out at the moment, and another good friend who is also a poult dealer, as soon as i told them about the job, they said ok, then I told them who for and on which estate and they said steer well clear. Wise advise, they said what I was being offered wouldnt amount to it and I will fall flat on me bum and wouldnt want to see it happen to me. Looking at it he has had 3 underkeepers in 5 years. So I will just be another replacement and graft my nuts off to be booted out when I jeapordise his position! Thanks for the replies everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Ok everyone, thanks for all the replies. Ive had a chat with the keeper I help out at the moment, and another good friend who is also a poult dealer, as soon as i told them about the job, they said ok, then I told them who for and on which estate and they said steer well clear. Wise advise, they said what I was being offered wouldnt amount to it and I will fall flat on me bum and wouldnt want to see it happen to me. Looking at it he has had 3 underkeepers in 5 years. So I will just be another replacement and graft my nuts off to be booted out when I jeapordise his position! Thanks for the replies everyone. Happy days OTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Ok everyone, thanks for all the replies. Ive had a chat with the keeper I help out at the moment, and another good friend who is also a poult dealer, as soon as i told them about the job, they said ok, then I told them who for and on which estate and they said steer well clear. Wise advise, they said what I was being offered wouldnt amount to it and I will fall flat on me bum and wouldnt want to see it happen to me. Looking at it he has had 3 underkeepers in 5 years. So I will just be another replacement and graft my nuts off to be booted out when I jeapordise his position! Thanks for the replies everyone. Happy days OTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmooney Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Go for it. It's a steady income and you get a place to live included. You really can't beat that. Not to mention you know the work and there are prospects for advancement to Head Keeper. At your age you can give it a go and if for some reason it doesn't work out you can always change paths in a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gloker Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 You can get stuck unhappy in a job because you are tied to the salary. Money is important but as you get older you really will know that other things are more meaningful. If I was in your shoes I would bite the keepers hands off. An old school friend is an estate agent. Proper boring he is! Can't talk about anything else. Go now before you become (nasal whine) an estate agent with a porsche and a rolex. (but no real friends and an expensive wife that's boffing her personal trainer) (he is called dan.was quite a good laugh at school ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Duncan Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Ok everyone, thanks for all the replies. Ive had a chat with the keeper I help out at the moment, and another good friend who is also a poult dealer, as soon as i told them about the job, they said ok, then I told them who for and on which estate and they said steer well clear. Wise advise, they said what I was being offered wouldnt amount to it and I will fall flat on me bum and wouldnt want to see it happen to me. Looking at it he has had 3 underkeepers in 5 years. So I will just be another replacement and graft my nuts off to be booted out when I jeapordise his position! Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds like the right career for you but wrong position mate. HArd lines, but better safe than sorry. Good luck and I hope that something a bit more promising comes along. ATB Duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12borejimbo Posted January 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Cheers Duncan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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