Vendor of The Week

'I want to better myself. I'm taking exams'

Iain McDonald
Age: 28 
Pitch: Princes Square, Glasgow

The thing I'd really like to do would be to work in construction. Working on a building site would suit me fine. I've worked in warehouses and in kitchens, so I know all about hard work. But the thing I enjoyed the most was working as a landscape gardener. I did that one summer in Larch Grove in Edinburgh. Working outdoors, working with your hands; it's great. Especially when the weather's good.

Getting a full-time job is the hardest part. It's the old story. When you've not got a house, it's hard to get a job. And when you've not got a job, it's hard to get a house. But I've made a real effort to get the proper training for construction work. I decided I wanted to take it seriously and so I sat the tests for the Construction Standards Certificate of Safety.

I'd been away from school and exams for a long time, so it took me a while to get back into it. School was a no-no for me; I left when I was 15. But I've always been a reader, so it didn't take too long to get into the studying and I revised pretty hard for about four weeks. The exam was difficult; it's a bit like a driving test. It asked 30 random questions and they really try to catch you out. But I managed to get about 26 or 27 right and I passed and now I've got the CSCS qualification. I've also got a health and safety certificate.

I want to better myself, and books can help you do that. It's mainly biographies I read; crime and sport stuff. I've read books by Reg McKay, and by footballers like Gazza. True-life stories by people who've had a hard time are more interesting to me than fiction because real people have got a story to tell. Their experiences can make you think. I was fascinated with the Krays. But you grow up, read about them, and it gives you a bit of perspective. You realise they're not really worth idolising. I've fallen into the drink and drugs scene too many times. It's hard to avoid when you go to certain areas and always see certain people. Last year, I got to a point where enough was enough.

Ever since I straightened myself out my life's been totally different. Nowadays I enjoy doing my weights, keeping to a good diet of carbs and protein, and I'm back together with my girlfriend. I'm not the best at taking orders, so it'd be great to have my own business one day, to be my own boss. It's up to me to make the best of things, to do things for myself.

John was talking to Adam Forrest