Career Change

[Mardoo]

Aw, we all think we're mature at 24

 

[Cervantes]

Aw, we all think we're mature at 24

I'm 50 and still don't know what I want to do.

I have a pretty good idea of what I don't want to do though.

 

[DU99]

i started last century with electrical apprenticeship,completed that,then the army said we need you (national service).next job..railways left after 17 years (derailment's and no social life) moved onto the current position,looking after Live Theatre's and other equipment..but all the training and skills where paid for by the company's i worked for...

 

[jeddog]

I had a change of Career at 40. My main career was establishing and running Vineyards and got completely over it after 13 years. Then tried my hand at driving heavy machinery. Then got the chance to go the the Pilbara and build a mine for Gina as a T.A (trades assistant) for an electrical company. Working a 5 weeks on 9 day off roster was a killer after almost a year. I came home and landed a job as a T.A 5mins from home for a large construction mob. After a month I was offered an electrical apprenticeship. All I can say is I nailed it. The schooling was a piece of piss apart from putting up with the ********* in class. While I was in my 2nd year I started my cert 4 in electro tech (PLC programming) as well as my cert 4 in telecommunications and nothing less than distinction in all subjects. This coming from a guy who way back in the 80's failed every subject in year 10. I think having an older head + family + mortgage made me put my head down and do it.
Now I'm 46 and I'm having to learn a new field. ****** domestic electrical!! WTF
So what I have learnt is your never to old to do what ever you want.

Want a career change? I highly recommend giving it a go..

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

i started last century with electrical apprenticeship,completed that,then the army said we need you (national service).next job..railways left after 17 years (derailment's and no social life) moved onto the current position,looking after Live Theatre's and other equipment..but all the training and skills where paid for by the company's i worked for...

What State...which Depot..?....I did 17yrs with NSW Railways...

 

[glenos]

After a month I was offered an electrical apprenticeship. All I can say is I nailed it. The schooling was a piece of piss apart from putting up with the ********* in class. While I was in my 2nd year I started my cert 4 in electro tech (PLC programming) as well as my cert 4 in telecommunications and nothing less than distinction in all subjects.

Want a career change? I highly recommend giving it a go..

How do you find the work? Can your body cope?
I am 12+ years into working in analytical chemistry laboratories and over it. I am quite interested in PLC and electrical inductry. We use a lot of automation in labs and I have always been more interested in how they work than the chemistry we are doing and definately more interesting than quality systems. Trouble is being a team leader in a lab pays quite well.

I've thought a few times about enrolling in the Electrotechnology Cert for the sake of it.

 

[spog]

I'm 50 and still don't know what I want to do.

I have a pretty good idea of what I don't want to do though.

Ha ,better you by 1 year,but I do now know what I no longer want to do,mid life crisis? For me dunno.
But what I do know and have decided to do is move on....the sun comes up each morning so it's a brand new beginning each and everyday,for all of us
Holy ****,now I am a wise old bastard or perhaps just a dreamer?. Seize the day. Or to borrow the Nike quote, Just do it !

 

[spog]

How do you find the work? Can your body cope?
I am 12+ years into working in analytical chemistry laboratories and over it. I am quite interested in PLC and electrical inductry. We use a lot of automation in labs and I have always been more interested in how they work than the chemistry we are doing and definately more interesting than quality systems. Trouble is being a team leader in a lab pays quite well.

I've thought a few times about enrolling in the Electrotechnology Cert for the sake of it.

DO IT ! ,challenge your self.

 

[djar007]

Funny this should come up. Just sitting in another mining camp wondering why I am not at home learning to dance with my wife. Hard to make a break from fifo back to city life. But i think i am going to have to do it. I once had a soul.

 

[spog]

Hmm,fifo is one of my considerations,our youngest is off to uni next year so the bills will start to flow and working away has never been an issue.so many decisions....

 

[Mattress]

I left school at 16 because I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do and couldn't see the point in staying at school when I could be out earning money.

Had a few unskilled jobs along the way before I scored a position as a wardsman at a local hospital which I really enjoyed.

Turned up to work regularly, put some effort into what I was doing, and I got promoted to a middle management position.

That's when the enjoyment stopped.

Ended up running a department with over 50 staff, responsible for a budget of a few million and a **** load of responsibility
.
I was making good money, but I woke up everyday dreading going to work. Middle management in the health industry is similar to hitting your head on a brick wall for a living. I could see the problems and even work out a way to fix them, but there wasn't the resources/money available that would allow me to do what was needed. I was a very unhappy person and my personal/family life was suffering.

Made the decision to undertake a career change at 44 years of age and joined the ambulance service in the non-emergency area. Took a big pay cut, but started to enjoy life again, as did my family.

After a few months I got the opportunity to apply for a student paramedic position, which I was successful in getting. Four years of study and learning paid off and I now have the best job on the planet. (for me anyway)

I'm now earning as good a wage as I was before, but with so much better job satisfaction and conditions. I actually look forward to going to work, which in my experience very few people can say.

Thing is I would have been happy to stay in non-emergency with a lower pay rate, but you never know what opportunities are going to pop up along the way.

We spend way too much time at work to be unhappy in what we do.

 

[Edak]

We spend way too much time at work to be unhappy in what we do.

Amen to that!

 

[Cervantes]

Middle management in the health industry is similar to hitting your head on a brick wall for a living. I could see the problems and even work out a way to fix them, but there wasn't the resources/money available that would allow me to do what was needed.

I think that's the same in any industry.

I'm in Oil & Gas Design and Construction. Middle Management. I've had enough.

My next job will be back where I started as a designer. That's the last time I recall actually enjoying my work.

 

[Cervantes]

Hmm,fifo is one of my considerations,our youngest is off to uni next year so the bills will start to flow and working away has never been an issue.so many decisions....

I work FIFO and like the life style. I just don't enjoy my actual job.

I've been working FIFO for years now and every now and then crack the ***** with it and threaten to get a job in town. Then my wife reminds me how much I hated commuting and how I'd just get home from work late after the kids were in bed and fall asleep on the settee. Then be up and gone for work before anyone else was up.

We had more time together but it wasn't quality time.

At least now when I'm off rotation we get a reasonable chunk of quality time together.

Or so she tells me h34r:

 

[StalkingWilbur]

I work 2/1 and there's a lot of positives. But there's also two weeks without being in bed with my girlfriend. Game over.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I don't know about university degrees, they are only useful if you can find work, I had a young Chinese girl working for me with a Bachelor degree in economics with 1st class honours, I employed her as an accounting clerk. As for me I did my apprenticeship as a fitter / machinist / welder, never really got stuck into it, when I was 25 met a guy from Manchester in Hong Kong who talked me into going to China and sourcing goods for overseas buyers, 7% kick back on price of goods ordered and once I got into the corrupt side of business in China I could almost double that, absolutely loved it, adrenaline rushes everyday, did it for 7 years, pulled the pin and sold my business when I saw how many businesses were going under in China.

 

[StalkingWilbur]

Yeah, there's always stories of people not being able to find work. But 71.3% are employed within four months of graduating.

I think if you consider the amount of people studying things like screen writing and anthropology then that statistic is pretty good. I would have to assume, though I have no idea, people with commerce qualifications out of work would have to be the minority.

I'm not expecting to struggle to fond work if I get into med school.

 

[jeddog]

How do you find the work? Can your body cope?

I love the work but im now giving domestic ago and im not built for climbing through cielings

DO IT ! ,challenge your self.

+1 to that
It was the best thing Ive done apart from going all grain

 

[StalkingWilbur]

It was the best thing Ive done apart from going all grain

Haha. I love it.

 

[madpierre06]

It all comes back to mindset and the desire to chllenge/better yourself and find something which gives job satisfaction. Igot into the public service just out of school and then ended up in a cadetship in farm water supplies which had great possibilities (a contemporary eventually managed Australia's biggest cotton producer). And this is where it comes back to us. I more than had the ability, but without the dedication, combined with a life spent pissing, porking and punting away cash, friends and jobs there was never going to be a happy ending. The next 9 years had many jobs before I sorted out the porking and punting and settled down somewhat which led to increased job dedication and results where I end up managing the Qld distro warehouse for a major Aust company.

I found that I loved stores work and was very good at it. But being on the receiving end of business politics cost me aforementioned job and left a nasty taste in my mouth, to find out that simply being good at your job and dedicated meant nothing and that no matter how good I was my and my family's future was completely out of my hands. I came to and embraced a faith then shortly after had an idea come to me to study so did a Cert III in Community Services the followed that with a Dip. in Alcohol & Drugs and a Cert IV in Mental Health with the idea of working in that field. The faith I came to seemed to germinate a desire to be helpful to others which I did feel compelled to follow and evidence of an ability and enjoyment in counseling whcih I discovered while studying previously has led me to currently undertaking a Bachelor of Counseling and 10 months ago having a job in in-home disability support literally land in my lap.

Money is still short but we have our needs met and are resurrecting a marriage which was all but two shovel loads of dirt away from being done. Good money earned in the past in all reality meant nothing when nothing was achieved with it. So there is more satisfaction in doing what I am now knowing that I have what I need and my studies will make me less reliant on the goodwill and at the mercy of the ill-will of others in the workplace. I've always had the knack of upsetting those who may be of self interest as I feel compelled to call out things which I see are not right and impact negatively on others. This cost me a 4 year job at a homeless men's hostel 3 years ago. I am more content now than ever before and find that having the whole-life picture is essential if genuine contentment is going to be had.

At 52 it almost seems as if life is just starting again.