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Career change for an outdoor instructor
Rank: Forum user 
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Good evening all,
I've hit the wall so to speak. Currently I am employed as a facilities manager at an outdoor activity centre. I fell into this role when the previous guy retired. I'm also an outdoor activity instructor with qualifications in climbing, canoeing, sailing archery etc. My role still involves a fair amount of instructing but alongside that I'm also doing health and safety stuff, risk assessments, ssw, mandatory inspections, h&s training for staff. Along with facilities management stuff, well I think that's what it is, I arrange contractors, source equipment, make general repairs, basically do anything and everything. It's only a small place with only about 10 staff and it's always been a case of something needs doing, then get on with it!
Anyway, I did the NEBOSH NGC in 2013 which was an excellent course and I'm hoping to do the fire cert before the 5 year cut off to avoid resorting NGC1. I hold TechIOSH status and I'm wondering where I go next.
Option 1. Leave the industry I'm currently in and look for a H&S role in a different sector.
Option 2. Stay where I am (the pay isn't great and money is pretty tight with a child and my wife working part time)
Option 3. I've been considering this for a while, I've worked at several centres all of whom have had pretty terrible background health and safety systems in place. So I had wondered about setting myself up specialising in this particular field. My concern is it may be quite a limited market. And also would I be taken seriously without a higher level qualification. I am looking at doing the diploma but my current employer is unlikely to fund it and at the moment I can't afford to do it myself.
Maybe there's an option 4 that I haven't thought of.
A lot of h&s jobs seem to require a construction or engineering background which I don't have. A lot also require you to drive which unfortunately I'm unable to do due to a visual impairment.
Im not really sure what I'm asking to be honest but maybe someone has a similar experience or some helpful advice.
Thanks everyone,
Nick
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Nick
I'll offer some high-level tips because at the end of the day no-one else should tell you what to do! If possible, try to stay in your current employment whilst undertaking your Fire Cert if that's your next step in terms of quals. Have you thought about doing a Diploma or similar level qual - as this will help you no-end when it comes to future employment? Ideally, if you could study and continue in your current position whilst also looking for another role, I would advise this. There may well be the odd role out there that you could jump straight into so its worth looking - I would still suggest doing a Dip qual or equiv however going forward.
I personally wouldn't go down the consultancy route just yet - get a Dip level qual and a couple of years of purist H&S experience and then I would look into that area. As you say, its a niche market but that might not work in your favour. Also, if you wanted to register as a consultant via the OHSCR, I believe you would need to be Chartered. You mention construction/engineering - I would say it depends what area of H&S you would like to go into. Its certainly a 'nice to have' as a generalist H&S professional lets say, however if you did want to go into construction safety or large civil type industries, it might be worth looking into the constrcution cert, coupled with any experience or shadowing opportunities you can seek.
My advice, stick where you are given the current climate, try to study for your fire cert (or Dip if possible) whilst working and on the side, look for H&S roles that would fit your experiences and competencies. Jamie
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 1 user thanked JayPownall for this useful post.
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Rank: Forum user
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i have no idea why my posts come out as one big block of tex, but thanks for reading and replying. I think that's what I'm thinking at the moment is my best option. Just looking for a fire cert which doesn't include the first module, as I've already done that.
There are several upsides to my current role, along with a few downsides but that's the same anywhere!
Cheers
Nick
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