Career Change

[Camo6]

Aiming for electrical apprenticeship. Just finished a cert 2 which seems mandatory unless you know someone with some pull. Blitzed all my exams and pracs but there's new government increases on mature age wages so they're not overly desirable atm. Seems the industry's having a slight lull too which doesn't help. Still early days though so won't give up easily. Missing my craft beer though.

 

[Mardoo]

Good on you both! I have spent life pursuing what I'm passionate about, and although I'm not rich in cash, I'm rich in happy.

 

[fraser_john]

Not a full change, as I stayed within the IT sphere, but jumped from the technical stream to the business. It has been difficult to say the least, interpretation, writing, people and a myriad of other skills I either did not have or had let rot whilst programming on the mainframe.

At least being on the business side keeps me out of the BS that occurs when something goes wrong. I get paid less, but now have a 10 minute commute into Geelong instead of a 1 hour commute to Melbourne.

Four years after the change I am actually reasonably "happy" with my role.

 

[welly2]

I'd like a career change into a career where I could make something (beer? cheese?). My line of work (web design) has enabled me to see a fair bit of the world so no complaints but I think in a couple of years time I'll be ready for something entirely new.

I'd best get working on the beer and cheese production.

 

[sp0rk]

I'm most likely looking at a career change mid next year when my wife finishes her teaching degree and gets allocated a teaching job as part of her scholarship, somewhere randomly in NSW
Seriously considering studying (preferably food science) but will wait and see
A mature age apprenticeship is on the cards if I won't be studying, most mates are telling me chase up an electrician apprenticeship, which I think I'd enjoy and be good at
29 and still NFI what I want to do for the rest of my life :blink:

 

[StalkingWilbur]

29 and still NFI what I want to do for the rest of my life :blink:

Haha. That was me until very recently. Now I'm going to be 30 and starting at uni.

I did try to get into the electrical supply industry because it was a good job and would've afforded me time to study external and get me back home. After being knocked back three years in a row (second year I made the final stage of interviews and assessments and got knocked back because I broke my ankle a few days prior and couldn't climb a ladder properly) and getting a pep talk from the GM about people being scared to realise their true potential, I decided to chase a dream of getting to med school which I thought was out of reach. I've ignored all the apprehensions I have about being broke and am going for it. The sacrifices will be worth it eventually.

Good luck, guys. I hope you find what you're looking for!

Edit: completely agree you need at least a pre apprenticeship or cert II in electrotechnology or something. I had some pull within the company, but this year they weren't taking on as many people and I didn't make the grade, even though I did the year before.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

A mature age apprenticeship is on the cards if I won't be studying, most mates are telling me chase up an electrician apprenticeship, which I think I'd enjoy and be good at

A couple of days crawling thru roofs, underfloors, digging trenches....you may want to re think that bit....

But then again, someone has to do it....

After 20yrs I was sure over it...but in some ways glad I did it.

 

[sp0rk]

Well the other option is a plumber (ignoring the fridgie trade), and that entails shovelling and crawling through poo
So either one is going to have it's down sides

 

[Camo6]

Did all that as an electricians labourer at nineteen and while it wasn't pleasant sitting in a roof on a 36 degree day, it was still better than having hands impregnated with grease and a crook back from leaning over a quarter panel all day.
"Why the **** would you wanna be a mechanic?" was the question I was asked on the first day of my apprenticeship. I laughed then but later repeated that question to every apprentice I had the pleasure of training. Hindsight's a bitch.

 

[dave81]

A couple of days crawling thru roofs, underfloors, digging trenches....you may want to re think that bit....

But then again, someone has to do it....

After 20yrs I was sure over it...but in some ways glad I did it.

Being an electrician isnt always crawling through roofs etc, get into the right field eg mining and its a whole lot more worth while.i know I have crawled through roofs under floors dug trenches and im much happier with my trades now (electrical instrument nowadays)
It's all about courses courses and more courses, oh and some experience but lots of contracting mobs will give you a go

 

[Dave70]

A couple of days crawling thru roofs, underfloors, digging trenches....you may want to re think that bit....

But then again, someone has to do it....

After 20yrs I was sure over it...but in some ways glad I did it.

That someone is generally called the apprentice.

Well the other option is a plumber (ignoring the fridgie trade), and that entails shovelling and crawling through poo
So either one is going to have it's down sides

A fridgie was my second choice next to regular shit kicking plumbing. Clean (er), well paid, nice uniforms. Plus they use that expensive 15% silver solider..

With the prevailing - leave high school - gap year - attend uni - start on 100k per year salary delusion dream of today's yoof, I can see many a happy young (or old) tradie sitting in the Hi-Lux counting out the cashies and checking his full work diary whilst his peers comment on facebook how far beneath them doing a 'trade' is.
Ask anyone. Good tradesman aren't exactly choking the highways.

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

With the prevailing - leave high school - gap year - attend uni - start on 100k per year salary delusion dream of today's yoof, I can see many a happy young (or old) tradie sitting in the Hi-Lux counting out the cashies and checking his full work diary whilst his peers comment on facebook how far beneath them doing a 'trade' is.
Ask anyone. Good tradesman aren't exactly choking the highways.

Good point. I went the Uni route (no gap year though), and then further Uni, and then travelled (and worked) overseas, and then finally landed a real (permanent) job when I was about 32. Mortgage a couple of years later.
Most of the blokes I played cricket with when I was 17-22 were tradies and most had a house paid off or close to it by the time I was about second year Uni, living on campus and drinking as much VB as I could at the Nottinghill Hotel.
I'd never look down on a trade, but it just wasn't what I wanted to do...each to their own. I admire those guys for doing the work and getting just rewards. Equally, I'm happy with my job and wouldn't have gotten here without doing the Uni.

For the posters thinking about study at 30ish. My wife did exactly that: Bachelor Degree, then an Honours Degree, and then a PhD. Had two kids along the way and also had to keep me out of trouble.

If it's what you want to do then have a crack. And good luck with it.

 

[Dave70]

By the same token, there's no way in hell I could submit to the prolonged information processing university scholarship demands.
My wife is in the final stages of completing her masters in education. When deadlines loom, 1 am + bedtimes aren't unusual. She passes constantly with distinction or high distinction, so I guess that's the price you pay. Conversely, her husband was more of a '51 out 100, Ha, thats a win!' kind of student..
I'm not sure if the increasing university drop out rates are corrected against enrollment rates, but I suspect plenty have the idea its more like a hedonistic piss up wonderland as described by Kumamoto. From where I sit, it looks some ******* hard graft. If you can nut it out, you deserve to be compensated handsomely.

 

[StalkingWilbur]

Yeah, I'm certainly aware I'm in for a hard slog. Especially because I'm determined to pass with distinctions at worst. I'm giving up a very cruisey, well paid job to do this. I'm an allrounder (a coveted position, only one on each crew), a paid safety rep, fill in as captain sometimes for emergency response team training. Everything here is good and I am a little apprehensive about leaving. But, I know this is the right decision and as such am going to put the appropriate amount of effort in to make sure I do well enough to justify leaving this job.

Now I'm just hoping I can score some part time work that doesn't suck. That would make everything much more enjoyable.

 

[StalkingWilbur]

Also, anyone that would look down on someone for being a tradie is probably a wanker, a pseudo intellectual, or both.

 

[spog]

35 years in housing/ commercial and light industrial construction and I'm getting out.
Had a gut full of the industry,more paper work than time on the tools these days, all the OH&S is strangling the industry,no other qualifications to speak of but I have made up my mind to find some thing else,might be some studying on the horizon.
Been a hard decision but its time to move on. A lower income is expected but at least I will be less stressed and happier.

 

[Midnight Brew]

Just jumped into plumbing at 24. Little harder to get a job as a mature aged apprentice then I expected but got one none the less. I like the work and the learning but hate the traffic haha. A bit of change and hard work is good for the soul.

 

[Blind Dog]

Just jumped into plumbing at 24. Little harder to get a job as a mature aged apprentice...

24, mature aged?

WTF does that make me?

 

[spog]

24, mature aged?
WTF does that make me?

If 24 is mature age I'm a Fckn dinosaur .

 

[Pogierob]

You can do anything you set your mind to. I'm 2 qualified trades in and don't expect it to stop here. Find what you love and make it happen.