u/JM117616

Mid 20s, working a business development role on a decent base. Already picking up Amazon shifts on weekends for extra income. Running a debt snowball. About to clear my second debt, six to go, roughly £21k left. Plan has me debt free by September 2027.

The plan works. Smallest balances first, momentum builds, freed up payments stack onto the next one.

Question I keep going back on is what to do next. Two paths.

Path one. Push harder on the weekend shifts, throw every extra pound at the snowball, knock six to twelve months off the timeline. Debt free earlier, cleaner cashflow, but still in the same career.

Path two. Start funding a career pivot in parallel. Looking at a trade qualification, around £7.5k in course fees across two levels. Better long term ceiling and a skill I actually own. Risk is dragging the debt timeline or burning out trying to do both on top of the weekend work.

Where I've landed in my own head is late 2026 or early 2027 to start the course, funded from the Amazon income rather than touching the snowball. Want to pressure test that.

Few things I'd like input on.

- If you've stacked a second job alongside full time work long term, what actually worked and what burned you out
- If you pivoted careers in your mid 20s, did you wait until debt free or run both in parallel
- Is snowball the right call or am I leaving interest savings on the table going avalanche
- Is ring fenced side income realistic or does life always eat into it

I’m 25, currently in a business development role. Decent job, but I’ve been mapping out a move into the trades for a while. Leaning toward City and Guilds 2365 Level 2 and 3 electrical.

Why I’m drawn to it:
• I want a skill I actually own
• Better long term earning if I go self-employed or specialise (testing and inspection, EV, solar, industrial)
• Genuinely interested in the work, not just running from a desk

What’s holding me back:

•	I’m on a debt payoff plan targeting around September 2027. Dropping to apprentice wages mid-plan would hurt

•	Starting from scratch on tools while peers progress in their careers

•	Getting actual on site experience as a career changer seems to be the real bottleneck

Options I’m weighing:

1.	Finish the debt first, then go all in on 2365 with savings behind me  
2.	Start Level 2 evenings now while keeping the day job, transition once debt is clear  
3.	Look at refrigeration and F-Gas instead, which I’ve heard is a faster route to qualified earnings  
4.	Stay in sales, climb the ladder, just stack money

Questions:
• Anyone made a similar pivot in their mid 20s? How brutal was the income drop?
• Is 2365 the right starting point or are there faster routes I’m missing?
• For self-employed sparkies, how long from Level 2 to actually making proper money?
• Electrical vs refrigeration/F-Gas, which has the better runway?
• Any middle ground engineering routes I’m not seeing?