From Desk Jobs to Trades: 8 Women on Quitting Corporate Careers for Skilled Work

It’s easy to get swept up in the ‘typical’ education and career trajectory. Growing up, we were often told to go to school, head to college or university, find a job, work your way up and, one day, retire – hopefully without regretting the path you chose when you were fresh-faced and in your early 20s. But in a constantly shifting social and economic landscape, coupled with a growing sense that the traditional career ladder isn’t what it once was, it’s perhaps no surprise that many women are walking away from the careers they thought they’d spend their lives in and retraining for something entirely different. And there’s one sector in particular that’s catching their attention: skilled trades.

A new study by insurance experts at MoneySuperMarket found that 45% of UK university graduates would swap their degree for a trade-based role if they had the chance to start again. This figure reached a whopping 50% when it came to global graduates. The survey, conducted among 3,600 degree-holders across 14 countries, found that while degrees are still considered highly among younger generations, those in their respective careers would consider retraining in hindsight.

Of the Brits seeking to retrain, 41% revealed it was because they wanted to be their own boss, while not being sat at a desk all day ranked in second place (35%), followed closely by the potential to earn more over time (34%). Some industries were more likely than others to be considering a switch, with graduates working in IT and technology topping the list (17%). They were followed by those in education (14%), healthcare (13%), the government and public sector (12%), and finance and banking (8%).

But what does making that leap actually look like? We spoke to eight women who left their nine-to-five jobs to retrain in skilled trades and asked them what it was really like breaking into traditionally male-dominated industries. Here’s what they had to say.

Jade Sammour was a children’s heart transplant nurse specialist before retraining as a jewellery maker

I worked as a children’s heart transplant nurse specialist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for around eight years, caring for some of the UK’s sickest children. It was an incredibly rewarding career, but also emotionally demanding. After having my first daughter, I found myself questioning whether I could continue to give everything to such an intense role while also being the kind of mum I wanted to be.

Jewellery making actually started as a creative outlet during maternity leave. I completely fell in love with the process and began teaching myself before taking formal jewellery courses to develop my skills. What began as a hobby quickly grew into a business, and today, Dainty London is a multi-award-winning jewellery brand stocked across the UK.

One of the biggest challenges of retraining in jewellery making – a centuries-old skilled trade involving techniques like granulation, sand casting, forging and hand-engraving using electrical tools – was walking away from a stable career to start something with no guarantees. I also entered an industry where many traditional workshops and manufacturing environments are still male-dominated. I had to build confidence, earn respect and learn every aspect of running a business, from design and production to marketing and finance. Learning to use professional tools and equipment and building credibility from scratch took real grit.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that the skills you develop in one career are often far more transferable than you realise. Nursing taught me resilience, attention to detail, empathy, problem-solving and how to perform under pressure. Those qualities have been invaluable in building my business.

If I could give one piece of advice to women considering a career change, it would be not to wait until you feel completely ready. You’ll never have all the answers at the beginning. Start small, keep learning and trust that each step will build your confidence. Sometimes, the biggest risk is staying somewhere that no longer fulfils you.

Veronica Kandekore was a retail worker before retraining as a gas engineer

During maternity leave for my second child, I realised I didn’t want to return to retail and began thinking about how I could build a long-term career. I’ve always been a caring person and got stuck into my work, so I felt a hands-on career in plumbing and heating was the right course for me. After a few knockbacks, I saw a Cadent Gas van and started to look for opportunities to work in the gas industry. Initially, I was turned down for the role I applied for, as I wasn’t experienced enough, but the managers who interviewed me saw my potential and offered me an apprenticeship to begin what has become an amazing journey to become a gas engineer.

I was definitely nervous at first. I had two children and was going back to college while many people around me were progressing in their careers. Thankfully, everyone I’ve worked with during my training has been incredibly supportive and welcome, which made the transition easy. Looking back, I now realise that by taking a step back, I was taking a huge step forwards and don’t regret it at all.

My biggest challenge is when I arrive at customers’ homes. They can often seem surprised to see a female engineer at the door, but I just smile and get on with my job. There are moments when I feel I need to prove myself, but I trust my skills and abilities and know I can do the work to a high standard.

My role has been everything I’d hoped for and more. It’s more challenging than I expected – I’m constantly responsible for assessing the situation and making informed decisions – but in the best possible way. That level of responsibility has helped me grow and discover new qualities in myself that I didn’t know I had. I’ve since learned that I thrive under pressure and enjoy solving my customers’ problems.

Amy Lister worked in food retail before becoming an electrician

After working as a store manager at Co-op for 14 years, I knew that if I didn’t do something, I would be stacking tins of beans on shelves until I was 70. I didn’t fancy the idea of sitting at a desk and, coming from a family who work in trade, it seemed like a natural step to consider becoming an electrician.

As a 36-year-old with a mortgage, it was a huge step, so I enrolled on a night course for two evenings a week alongside working my day job. After a year, I realised it was the career for me so began looking for how to make the switch full-time. I found a local employer who, after reading my cover letter, decided to take a chance on me. He contacted JTL, an apprenticeship training provider, and we went from there.

College itself was a challenge. I was older, so going into a classroom environment with a few people half my age was different. On site, more challenges awaited – I was handling tools I’d never used before and the job was more physically demanding than what I was used to. As it was just me and my boss at the time, I learnt everything from him, which made my training consistent and I felt really comfortable asking for support.

Personally, I didn’t find many challenges with breaking into a traditionally male-dominated industry, which I know may be a different experience to other women. My approach was to just get on with it and never be ashamed to ask for help. If I struggled physically with something, I wasn’t afraid to admit that.

Looking back on the experience, I’ve learned that it’s never too late to make a change. I jumped from one career into something entirely different at a massive financial risk, but it was worth it. Now, I’m an electrical manager as part of a senior team and every work day looks different. The absolute biggest reward is that I feel I’m valued as an employee – my efforts are noticed and that makes me want to do better every day.

Karen Matthews used to work in advertising before retraining as a heating engineer and plumber

After working long hours at the same advertising company for 20 years, I was ready for a new mental challenge and started looking for a hobby. We needed a new bathroom at home and I fancied having a go myself as I’ve always loved working with my hands. Even as a child, I loved building stuff out of random bits of wood and nails so, after considering a language or drawing course, I settled on a basic plumbing course to get back into doing what I loved.

I was 36 when I was accepted on to a two-evenings-a-week, entry-level plumbing course at Leeds College of Building. At this point, I had no intention of pursuing it as a career and just had home improvements in mind. But after completing the first year, things were becoming increasingly uncertain with my full-time job and I figured it wouldn’t do any harm to have another trade to fall back on if things finally went south.

As I was coming to the end of my training in 2008, my advertising company had another round of redundancies and asked for volunteers, so I took the leap and was lucky to find voluntary work with a local company to complete my ACS portfolio. I subsidised this period by doing freelance work until I transferred full-time into plumbing once I had built up a reasonable customer base.

Although there was another female student on my course, we were still a relatively rare breed. It was considered a novelty for customers to meet a woman doing what had historically been seen as a man’s job. Nowadays, the numbers are steadily growing and I see more women taking up the mantle in heating and plumbing, although I still feel we have a long way to go.

I’ll be honest: the work can be demanding, especially as you get older, and it takes resilience to succeed. But there’s no reason why any woman with determination can’t build a great career in the trade. I love that you never stop learning in this job. If my body is willing, as I’ll soon be 58, I’m looking forward to my first heat pump installation and I relish the opportunity to prove myself every day. I can’t see myself retiring any time soon.

Julieta Tully worked in hospitality and is currently completing a gas apprenticeship with Logic4training, employed by CSD Gas

I’ve worked most of my life in hospitality, juggling multiple jobs over the years and, just before lockdown, I began working as a co-ordinator for a plumbing and gas company. The future was looking good, but sadly I lost that job and spent three years over Covid home-educating my son. Once he went back to school, I had a bit more time on my hands and felt ready to take my own career plans more seriously.

I was looking for a more secure career, with a stable flow of income and job security, and discovered an apprenticeship opportunity with CSD Gas. The company had so many applicants for just two positions and I felt like my interview was a bit of a mess. But they must have seen something in me – maybe my drive and commitment, or perhaps that I have the right personality for the work. Whatever it was, I was thrilled to be chosen and haven’t looked back.

At first, breaking into a male-dominated industry was rather challenging, as some male workers struggled to adjust, but the more effort I put in, the more respect and support I gained. Completing a gas apprenticeship has been everything I hoped for and more, as it’s opened many doorways for me and my future. I love that every day is different and that I’m putting down roots in a career that feels worthwhile. Each job has its own challenges and I enjoy figuring things out and feeling part of a valued team. I have many female friends who have already joined the trade and would highly recommend more to do so.

Holly Mason worked full time in the fitness industry before becoming a firefighter

Before joining the fire service 15 years ago, I worked full time in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, gym and Les Mills Group instructor. One day, one of the members asked me to put a poster up in the staff room that was advertising an upcoming recruitment process for the fire service. As much as I enjoyed my job, I wanted to keep challenging myself and after finding out more about the job, it sparked an interest to consider joining part time while also keeping my fitness industry job.

Back then, the application process was done with pen and paper – there were no online applications! I remember printing out pages and pages of forms to fill out. Once my application was sent, I was invited to take part in a practical session, a written test, an interview and, once I was offered the job, a medical and criminal record check. Once I passed each of those stages, I went on a 14-week training course to learn all of the basic skills required to become a firefighter. The real training started afterwards, once I was placed at a station, as every new recruit is required to complete a three-year development and probation period.

When it came to entering a traditionally male-dominated profession, I can honestly say the only challenges I encountered were the ones I made up in my own head. When I first became a firefighter, I was the only woman at my station. I honestly thought I’d have to work twice as hard to prove that I was just as capable, but the men I’ve worked with over the years have been incredible. They’ve never treated me any differently because I’m a woman. At the end of the day, we all have to pass the exact same tests to become a firefighter – nothing is made ‘easier’ because you’re a woman (and rightly so!), so my ability to do the job was never judged.

I’ve learned that I’m just as capable of doing this job as my male colleagues and the public don’t care what sex you are when they call 999 – just as long as you turn up to help them. If I could offer any advice, it would be to work hard. If a job needs to be done, volunteer to do it – don’t wait to be asked. If there’s something you’re too scared to do, do it anyway and learn how to get better. Most importantly, reach out for help when you need to, as there will be some difficult moments along the way, but no one will ever judge you for needing support.

Olha Kulyk was a training manager for Costa Coffee before retraining as an electrician

After 11 years working as a training manager for Costa Coffee, I was made redundant. I didn’t want to go back into hospitality, so I decided to make a change and secured a job as a maintenance manager for a private landlord. I’d always had an interest in electrical and mechanical stuff and would often find myself doing minor electrical maintenance jobs, such as changing fuses and rewiring plugs. Then I met Rachel, a part-time trainer at Logic4training’s centre in Northolt.

Rachel came to fix my boiler at home and I was so blown away by her expertise that she inspired me to take the New Entrants Domestic Electrical Installation course. I’ve always loved working with tools, so I was keen to get learning and immerse myself in an area of the job I found particularly interesting.

The process of retraining was very intense as I was still working part time during my studies. The amount of new information was overwhelming – I loved the practical stuff from the start but found the theory much harder – but I was determined to complete the course. In the beginning, almost no one took me seriously – neither men nor women. Tenants would constantly question my skills, so I’d have to explain my electrical qualifications and walk them through the repair process step by step, just to reassure them. I also had to put up with uncomfortable ‘jokes’ about women belonging in the kitchen. It took a lot of extra effort just to gain basic trust, but over time, things fell into place. I was also very lucky with my employer, who encouraged and believed in me every step of the way.

This experience has taught me that you are never too old to learn, and I want to encourage anyone who has doubts about making a career change to give it a go. If you have a goal, don’t look back – you can do whatever you want to do. Gaining knowledge and skills is the best investment in yourself. For me, one skill has led to another – I’ve picked up some general plumbing skills and I’m considering doing plumbing and welding courses in the future.

One piece of advice I’d offer is don’t let fear hold you back from a career change, even if it’s in male-dominated fields. If you have the curiosity and the interest, listen to your intuition and take a chance.

Jen Openshaw worked for the National Trust before retraining as a software engineer

I was working in the heritage sector at the National Trust and very much enjoying it, but during my maternity leave, my family and I moved to the other end of the country, so my old job was off the table – and honestly, I felt ready for something new. A friend mentioned ‘bootcamp’ courses that teach non-technical people like me how to code. I’d never once thought about retraining to become a software engineer – my background is in heritage and history – but I was curious, so I started looking into it. After trying a few online courses, something just clicked.

The retraining process was intense. For the first year, I taught myself at home using online courses, all while looking after two children under two. Once our youngest was a bit older, I signed up to a part-time bootcamp with Manchester Codes, which was designed to be completed in the evenings and over weekends. It covered the practical skills you actually need as a software engineer and I landed a role at BAE Systems soon after I finished. Five years on, I’m still here, writing code, building applications and helping to lead a team working on important tech projects.

Nothing can prepare you for being the only woman in the room and, sadly, this was often the case when I first entered the industry. I once heard a senior female leader talk about needing to ‘put your armour on’ before walking into a meeting, and that really rang true for a while. Thankfully, things have moved on so much in recent years – I’m no longer the only woman in the room and that matters more than I can say.

Starting your career again from scratch in your 30s is hard and requires a big leap of faith. Impostor syndrome is very real, but I’ve realised that it’s OK not to know everything. Over time, I’ve learned to trust what I do know and have the confidence to admit what I don’t. Ever since retraining, I honestly haven’t looked back. The move has given me an interesting, rewarding job that I can balance alongside my family life. I get to do important work I care about, all while learning and being the mum I want to be.

What would I tell women considering a similar career change? Go for it. You’ll doubt yourself at times, everyone does, but the skills you already have will carry you further than you think. Businesses across different industries are really starting to recognise just how much career changers bring to the table, so there are more opportunities out there than you’d expect. Trust what you already know and back yourself to learn the rest.