The Job Thread

[discostig]

It can also be a fairly recession proof industry as people always need their computers working

That's what I'm hoping! Work for a small family business in IT, doing a mix of home and business support. Pay is okay (over 600 in the hand pw) and hours are easy (4 days 9 - 5:30), great crew, low stress levels. I know there's megabucks out there but it's hard to walk from this job knowing I risk losing the fun factor and ending up hating getting up every morning. Definitely going to need to find a nice girlie to settle down with and have the dual income happening if house ownership is to become a reality though. Damn house prices!

In the mean time it's share housing to keep the payments going on the T

[YPURV4]

I left school at 16, smoked and sold drugs for abit.

Then I did and electrical app finished that, company went redundant. so I left smoked some more drugs.

Now I was 21 gave up drugs, So I went and worked with a mate doing pre fab walls mad awsome money then had fight with the boss and left.

Then I realised all those frcking years I wasted doing stupid sht and throwing away a good caree (sparky) I am now starting from the bottom again as a plumber but im already on 4 th year wadges as im pretty skilled etc, so yeah im loving it and now I have a second chance at a caree and a real life.

[druxr6t]

Then I realised all those frcking years I wasted doing stupid sht and throwing away a good caree (sparky) I am now starting from the bottom again as a plumber but im already on 4 th year wadges as im pretty skilled etc, so yeah im loving it and now I have a second chance at a caree and a real life.

Exactly the same here mate.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Im 29 and started my apprenticeship at 17. Have worked my way up from a heavy duty mech on the shop floor to a site supervisor/maintenance planning role. I go home from work more tired (mentally drained) than i did when i was doing heavy physical work all day. I work for a contracting company so it a very dynamic environment and you have to think on your feet and make decisions (hopefully the right one... ) at the drop of a hat.

You also have to deal with personel issues which is probbaly the worst part of job. I spose the point of my rambling post is that my job means i own all my toys, can afford to have a life pay and the mortgage and have been able to work hard to get myself into a position that i can still pay my mortgage if i was to loose my job.Most heavy duty mechs that work there way up too supervisor/superintendat levels earn before 130/150k a year on site or 110 to 120k around the city. All the supervision on my site are between 28 and 32years of age but we are all lifers in the heavy equipment game.

What ever you choose to do, listern to those that are more experienced than you and suck as much info from them as you can.

[turbo.vixen]

iv been a plasterer making $1000+ in the hand for the past 7 years. I never did an apprenticeship but am fully qualified just without the paper work. I have recently decided to change career due to building industry dying in the ass so my quest to become a firefighter has begun

[Ryan]

I am 23 now..

I had no idea what I wanted to do in school, stuck it out went and got my HSC and UAI.

Straight after year 12 I fell into a Fitter & Turner apprenticeship, finished that and ran a crew of 5 in the workshop and 3 on the road doing service work and manufacturing Oil/water Separators, rain tanks, grey water systems etc etc, pretty good for a 22 year old.

Cracked it with the boss and the sh*t conditions and had a few jobs on the side (panel beater, detailer, spray painter, landscaper) while looking for something more rewarding and career based.

Got a start with the Dept. Corrective Services as a correctional officer and loving every day of work so far! still have a casual job at kennards hire as extra $$$ but sh*t easy work that is.

NSW DCS wise long term plans are getting into EHS transport unit, the base grades there is a shat load of O/T out there and it's not unusual for a probationary officer to take home 100k per year (double on, single off, double on etc) but I am more interested in the career move..

"I can also be a fairly recession proof industry" quite true, country goes into recession, crime goes up = ,ore gronks in gaols = more officers needed = more shifts and $$$

[Under-Pants]

I finished school (doing uni entry subjects) last year & got straight into rail which I had already been a part of casually for a couple of years.

It's one of those industries where you're success & how quickly you move up depends on who you know, who you're with & of course how well/hard you work.

I've found so far that ~90% of people who work on rail are total drop kicks, no other way to say it really. I've just finished up after a brief stay on a project in the WA goldfields where the blokes clear about $1500 a week and probably keep only half that, despite living expence free - just cause they pretty much piss/smoke it all up . It's quite easy to spend $500/week just doing some light drinking where the usual carton of Jack's is ~$130+.

If you're switched on & have at least some basic generic tickets though (HR, track accreditation, blue card etc) & are willing to work, there's no reason why you can't CLEAR $2,500-$3,000+ per week if you're working a long 4&1 style roster on one of the major rail projects in WA. Those sort of jobs are horrendous on you're body, but I don't know too many other places around where virtually un-qualified people can earn $150,000.00 a year IN THE HAND.

Rail is also fairly recession proof, with the government funding so many of the projects around the state. Where I'm hopefully going to move soon, a private company is funding the double-tracking of a railway line from Port Headland to Newman in NW West Aus, but this is going ahead despite the downturn simply because it's required due to the problems caused by the blocking of a line for whatever reason.

Get into the best part of nearly any industry doing the right kind of work & you can make an absolute killing

[YPURV4]

I also would like to add, that another thing I did wrong in my first app was I didnt ask enough question's and when some told me some thing, even if I didnt understand I would just say "yep go it no worries" then 5 mins later id be standing there going "what was I supposed to do again".

But never had the balls to ask again. BIG MISTAKE, I always ask questions now and even if its some thing simple ill ask again if im not sure. And I tell ya its amazing how much more you learn when asking the question. :poton:

[JWM]

Thanks heaps for all the advice everyone, I really appreciate it

I'm thinking of being an electrician now...

But I don't really know what area's there are?

There are house electricians, auto electricians... high voltage... and probably a lot more than what I know of...

So I'm just wondering if people can give me an idea what area I should try and get into... and how I should do it... look for an apprenticeship? go to TAFE? go to UNI?

If there are any electricians on the forum who want to tell me what they think about it?

Man-Pants, that also sounds good... Is there somewhere where I can find out more about it?

86gav, where did you work? and what type of electrical apprenticeship were you doing?

Thanks again everyone who has replied

[turbo.vixen]

good luck buddy hope it all goes well