Considerations of a Detective

[Buzz Burrows]

Greetings one and all.

 

Like many who post on this site, I’m after advice, please.

 

I am London based Police Officer of 13 years service (and a sprightly 34 years of age). For a public servant I would consider my salary of £43k as very generous and yet, for many reasons* my feeling of commitment, sense of duty and empathy is, at times, being severely tested.

 

*Just a few of the reasons: Uncertainty regarding how the goalposts to our pension and retirement age will be moved; regular pantomime like vilification received from the national press; worrying privatization of our service; ludicrously tedious statistics driven culture and so on.

 

I’ll be honest and say that when I first joined the Police Service I was committed to doing the full thirty years service. Since that time, things have changed dramatically - I shan’t bore you with the whys and wherefores but essentially, it is no longer the job I joined.

 

This has made me consider preparing for a second career.

 

I have a Wife and young daughter to provide for and so - obviously - I’ve no intention of jacking in my job before I’ve thoroughly researched my areas of interest and am completely satisfied that I could make it work. One such area, amongst perhaps three or four, happens to be arboriculture. Another is countryside management.

 

I’ve spent a good amount of time on this site, reading many of the insightful comments and threads posted. I see the disparity in how some of you describe a buoyant industry whilst others only paint a fairly woeful picture regarding prospects, pay and how [under]valued you feel. I’d be grateful if you could spend a few moments sharing your thoughts and answering the following questions, please;

 

1 - Which is the better? Obtain a bachelors degree in countryside management & technology, which provides an insight in to arboricultural work but gives a broader grasp of environmental management OR specialize in arboriculture, gaining qualifications via the likes of Fast Track Tree Surgery Course : Proclimber Professional Arborist Products Online, Supplies for the professional arborist

 

2 - How do you view the current and projected UK arb-industry?

 

3 - What is the longevity of a climbing arborist? I’m 34 now, fit and healthy but my concern is if I stepped across in say three or four years time, how long would I have before the work became too arduous?

 

4 - On the back of question 3, how viable is a career in arboricultural consultancy?

 

5 - What would you describe as a typical (net) monthly take home (£)? Is it realistic to think that I could earn something in the realms of £20-30k per annum?

 

Thanks for reading and thanks for any comments.

 

Buzz.

[toprotter]

I would consider sticking with it and hit the 30yrs if possible,

If it is unlikely that your pensions safe maybe a move to security

Private / banks etc. obviously we don't know where you transferred

after your initial beat but if you have experience in close/royal protection for

example the above transition in the above would be easy.

 

Maybe the thing you are looking for is staring you in the face?

As for arb age is not the problem it's experience and you would be pushed

To get your wage, you seem to have been promoted at some point for that wage

So you must be good at what you do.

Maybe investigating war crimes or the like as many ex coppers do and get well paid.

Can you not take a new direction in your job or move to the country side ?

Get out of the smoke drive a landi and still have your blues n twos and be more part

of the community rather than a number in the met?

Who knows... Only you but I'm sure people on here will

give you good advice on all your questions

Good luck

[Rich2484]

It's been said before but I would get your basic saw ticket, then volunteer for a company or do some weekend work, be a good introduction to see if it's really what you want to do.

 

At the moment you are bringing in a reliable income compared to self employment or arb work that really works from job to job. If you finish one job in arb and there is not anything lined up next you are out of work simple as, could you afford to be like this?

 

You need to get out there and see a few companies about some part time work. Even if it's dragging brush you will get a good insight into the work and get a few questions in on sight.

[HCR]

If you are committed to leaving (and it sounds like you've been thinking long and hard about this) I'd recommend doing a degree in arboriculture/urban forestry. You'll be late 30s by the time you are ready to start trading whether you go arborist or consultancy, and while people do start at that age there's a fair chance you'd want to move into consultancy after a few years anyway.

 

You can do the various CS units whilst studying for your degree, and learn the business from the sharp end to begin with - this will be invaluable experience as a consultant later.

[WorcsWuss]

Looking out of the window at this time of year a career in arb seems awful tempting.

But when it's sleeting and you're slogging your guts out to scrape by it's maybe less so...

I think 20 to 30k would be optimistic unless you could bolster it with other income streams.

Eggs in one basket it will be tough to make a decent living straight out of the box, maybe if you could get onto relief shifts while you learned the industry and built up some contacts and experience you could get close to your target earnings.

Consultancy, as with anything, demands experience. If you want to follow that route you should explore what and how things are done and carve out a niche in a fledgling field, perhaps looking into new methods of coppice management and biomass production for energy generation maybe, something which has the potential to grow [pardon the pun] rather than an already well established strand of the discipline.

 

It's still a buyers market out there, so you're going to need to be realistic in your aspirations, you'll be going up against guys & girls who have lived & breathed the industry since they were 16 or 18, if you're going to compete with them and make a decent living you're going to need to do something special.

 

And on a separate note, I doubt very much whether anything you can get working in the private sector would be better than the pay, conditions and pension you get in the public sector. Even if the government do manage to sort out the mess that is the public sector [and god knows they have an uphill battle on their hands with the bloody Labour led unions making it difficult for them] and inject some sort of reality into it, you're still going to be incredibly well off compared to the private sector which funds you....

[treequip]

1 - Which is the better? Obtain a bachelors degree in countryside management & technology, which provides an insight in to arboricultural work but gives a broader grasp of environmental management OR specialize in arboriculture, gaining qualifications via the likes of Fast Track Tree Surgery Course : Proclimber Professional Arborist Products Online, Supplies for the professional arborist

 

Depends on where you want to be and finish, the degree will help you later when you can't climb and need a job with a chair.

 

 

2 - How do you view the current and projected UK arb-industry?

 

It,s just fine for me but I have plenty of experience, I wouldn't want to be entry levell

 

 

3 - What is the longevity of a climbing arborist? I’m 34 now, fit and healthy but my concern is if I stepped across in say three or four years time, how long would I have before the work became too arduous?

 

I am 47 and have been climbing for more than half of that. I don't see retirement anytime soon but I know people who have got out on health grounds with much less time in.

 

4 - On the back of question 3, how viable is a career in arboricultural consultancy?

 

You will probably be self employed and like any freelancer it can be patchy.

 

5 - What would you describe as a typical (net) monthly take home (£)? Is it realistic to think that I could earn something in the realms of £20-30k per annum?

 

Depends on your area and skills but its safe to assume it will take you time to develop the skills.

[Buzz Burrows]

Thank you for some excellent advice and comments.

 

Looking out of the window at this time of year a career in arb seems awful tempting.

But when it's sleeting and you're slogging your guts out to scrape by it's maybe less so...

Agreed, it's definitely part of the appeal and certainly links in to my thought process. I'm an ex-soldier and when not working in my day job (indoors) spend most of my time outdoors - it's something that I've enjoyed since being a nipper and something that is important to me.

*Though not as important as being able to provide for my family, mind..

 

It,s just fine for me but I have plenty of experience, I wouldn't want to be entry level

Can you give me a feel for how you started out and progressed, please?

 

Can you not take a new direction in your job or move to the country side ?

Get out of the smoke drive a landi and still have your blues n twos and be more part

of the community rather than a number in the met?

I really do appreciate that I'm fortunate to have the security and options that I do. However, if I can strike a balance between income and job satisfaction, I have a sneaky feeling I'll be decidedly more content than I am now. As for living in the sticks, I live in Hertfordshire - lovely part of the world. Unfortunately, the wife won't entertain the idea of a Defender..

[Rich2484]

Defenders are overrated. Hilux are better. Lol.

 

Its not an easy path and the work will be hard, I would say harder than an army carreer as no one will be telling you what to do and you have to have a drive like no other.

 

When day are hard and you are soaked, freezing, can't feel your feet, but you have a tree to take down, chip and clear, you will wounder why you are doing it. Mentality to do a hard job is vital.

 

Are you the type of person who will do a job regardless of what others say to you?

 

Study in your spare time, still do your job as a copper, but start to build up any kit you need. Having an income and building kit now is a lot easier than quitting and trying to start with some severance pay when the kit will cost thousands.

 

If you are truly unhappy in your job can you go part time and start working in arb on a part time basis aswell?

[treequip]

 

Can you give me a feel for how you started out and progressed, please?

 

I don't think the paths took is open to you age wise

 

I started young burning brash off for a tree surgeon who's tipped off at the farm, then progressed to brash rat and from there to climber.

 

I worked arround a lot of places mostly Europe and North America for six years.

[john p]

in this economic climate if i was on 42k wiyh security id stick where your at!but good luck whatever you decide (what does your wife think about it??)