I’d had enough studying with 7 ‘O’ levels and 4 ‘A’s at Bishopshalt Grammar School and decided I didn’t want to go to University. What should I do?
Career advice was pretty limited back in the 1950s but I picked up a brochure on Forestry which sounded like a good outdoor life. However of course I didn’t have the right ‘A’s. My father, who had started as an office boy, and ended up company secretary, said “what about Accountancy?” I shrugged, not realising initially that this meant 5 years more studying!
So my career started without any research or master plan. Looking back this continued for much of the next forty years!!
Rooke Lane – London – 1959-1964
I joined Rooke Lane & Co in November 1959 and left them at the end of my five-year articles.
ACA Qualification
I studied for five years and passed the intermediate and final exams to qualify as a Chartered Accountant so I could put FCA after my name – I’m not sure I ever did.
Price Waterhouse – Barcelona – 1965-1966
I joined Price Waterhouse in Paseo de Gracia 110 in Barcelona on April 26th 1965, returning to the UK in February 1966 after hearing that my father was dying.
BOAC Heathrow – Heathrow -1966-1967
After the death of my father, I found a temporary position with BOAC
Deloittes – Barcelona – 1967-1968
As explained on the BOAC page Price Waterhouse couldn’t offer me an immediate job in Spain but suggested Paris or Milan. Another language? And I loved Barcelona so joined Deloittes
BKS Air Transport – Hounslow – 1968-1969
Returning to the UK with my new family I joined an airline called BKS
Management Dynamics – Heathrow – 1969 -1972
My old boss at BKS then offered me a job with a computer group owned by the Greyhound Bus company, Management Dynamics just by Heathrow. An ideal job for my career.
John Swire & Sons – Hong Kong – 1973-1983
Desperate to get away from the UK I went after jobs in Bangkok, Kobe and Santa Lucia before flying to Hong Kong to meet the Swire Group. Most of that time was spent in a new insurance company, Taikoo Royal, which was created as a joint venture between Swire’s and Royal Insurance.
Royal Insurance – Liverpool and London – 1983 -1996
My close relationship over the 10 years both with Royal Insurance International Executive team in London and the huge Computer department in Liverpool meant when we decided to leave Hong Kong an offer was there. Initially as Assistant Manager in Spain and after we decided against that in Systems in Liverpool. I stayed there for 13 years.
Consultancy – 1996-1999
So to finish my career I moved into being self-employed status for three years until Jo and I married and we emigrated to Spain.
In Summary
Jo also self-employed also retired and we married on August 20th 1999 near Hampton Court. The next month we moved to Spain.
So a career of forty years and a final retirement age of 59.
Although stumbling into computers via accountancy, it was in hindsight exactly the right move for me. So as my career progressed I was throughout very strong in finance but had 15 years of practical ‘hands on’ experience in running insurance company departments, and 25 years of knowing how to use computers.
This meant I was able to communicate easily with insurance company directors, executives and management, which gave me stacks of possibilities to grow into new roles. Looking back on my career it was mostly a series of projects, rather than a standard regular job.
Although of course not a grand plan when I started as an Articled Clerk, it was a highly successful progression, and it meant that I was one of those lucky people who really enjoyed their career.
In 2020 when clearing old files I found this which I must have done when I was working as a consultant and traces my career and successes!
My latest career as an author has not yet produced any real financial success, but I am still trying. I have sold 1,000 books on Kindle without any advertising, but royalties have not been significant enough to interest the taxman!