Career Choices - your experiences

[VS 5.0]

About 12 months ago I graduated from uni with a commerce degree (accounting and management majors),

For some reason I thought you were already studying in the mechanical / engineering field...go figure.

Anyway, FWIW I graduated year 12 with an average mark that didn't really get me into much at uni and studying wasn't really my thing so I went the well worn path of the time and joined a bank. Started as the trainee proof clerk (i.e. typing numbers into a machine and pushing cheques through said machine). You reckon looking at numbers & reports all day is boring ? Try that for a while. It was positively mind numbing. But hey, at 17 I had a job and a princely income of $150 pw !!

Moved onto becoming a teller for a while and then asked my manager at the time to teach me about lending. She (the first female bank manager in WA at the time back when bank managers were the real deal, not the retail shop assistants they are today) said no worries, but you will have to go back to the proof machine so you have time to learn.....one step forward, two steps back.

Worked in doc prep for a while, did a few different branch lending roles but dealing with credit card, personal loan and home loan deals also got boring in the end so I chased a position in the commercial field. Landed a role in the small to medium enterprise business unit managing a SME portfolio. Then moved to a credit role (analyst and decisioning). Then back to a portfolio role ending up in a corporate business unit managing a portfolio of combined assets and liabilities in excess of $230m.

Post GFC, the way the bank treated both staff and customers appalled me so in late 2011 I had had a guts full and turned my back on a 25 yr career.

Spent the next 8 - 9 months playing Mr Mom, helping out at the kids school etc when I got a call from a friend of my in-laws. He was owner building his new home and needed another labourer. He knew I wasn't working so asked if I wanted some work. Sure why not. I had made a commitment to myself that irrespective of what happened, I was never going back to banking so took the labouring job to give me some cash flow until I could find a role that was interesting while being able to use the skills I had gained over the previous 25 yrs.

After a couple of months of labouring, the same guy came to site one day, pulled me aside and asked if I would be interested in meeting with the MD of his business to discuss a possible role. Sure, happy to.

Here I am, nearly 5 yrs later as the commercial analyst for a national distributor of construction equipment (yellow goods), primarily involved with contract reviews and negotiations with both customers and manufacturers/suppliers as well as overseeing our compliance with the Franchising Code for our sub-dealer network, our national waste management program and other numerous side projects.

Very different industry and role to my previous life yet I have been able to apply most of the skills I had learnt, plus learnt plenty more.

I have friends who have also ended up in roles in industries that are very different to where they started.

One guy was a jewellery salesman out of high school. Over time he has worked many many sale rep roles, in a commercial kitchen, become a qualified vigneron and is now the GM of a winery in the Margaret River region.

Another started in banking, did his accounting degree PT over way too many years and now runs his own settlement agency.

TLDR: Progression doesn't necessarily happen overnight. Take every opportunity to learn on the job skills and put your hand up / chase the opportunities. The more you can learn from your employer while getting paid, the more skills you will have to transfer to another role or industry. Try not to think that you will be stuck reading reports for the rest of your life. The world is full of opportunities.

Good Luck.

 

[EYY]

Gtr, I've had similar thoughts - that I should keep my hobby as a hobby. I'll probably keep tinkering away anyway and see what opportunities arise anyway. Someday I'd love to have my own machinery (lathe, mill, valve seat and boring machines etc) and work for myself in that field.

VS, funny you should mention the banking thing. I've actually applied for a few positions in banking and have made it through to testing stages (psychometric and maths etc.) but ended up being unsuccessful. Possibly for the best?

I have the opportunity to gain experience with a home-loan broker and he's suggested that I get my broker's license which is only a short course (post grad). I've been thinking about it more over the past couple of days and it's starting to look like it may be the best (and most convenient) option for me. At least I'll have a good excuse for moving on from my current position.

 

[VS 5.0]

Possibly for the best?

From my experience yes....having said that 10's of thousands of people seem to be happily employed in that industry.

 

[Dayvo]

I started a fitting and turning apprenticeship after leaving school . Back in the day ( 1970s ) there was no such thing as pre apprenticeship, you filled out a form with your 3 top choices and sent it in to the apprenticeship commission in Melbourne and waited for approval . Then you would head off to the CES and they went through their roladex ( no computers back then ) and picked out a few jobs and rang the prospective employer and organized an interview for you . I ended up working for this really old german guy who was an ss officer during ww2 . That lasted 2 years as he passed away. I suspended my apprenticeship as it was hard getting a job for a 3rd year apprentice and ended working at gmh in Dandenong . I started as a MIG welder then progressed to dent knocker then lead loader oxy and arc welding . I became a leading hand working at the end of the production line driving cars out to the holding bay , cars like SLR 5000s A9Xs and all model commodores from vb through to vl when i left as the Dandenong plant was due for closure. Had various other jobs working sometimes working 2 jobs 7 days a week and now I'm a forky storman . Not a very glamorous history but it paid the bills and paid the mortgage off and managed to squirrel a few bucks away so i can retire in a couple of years

 

[Drawnnite]

Yeah id keep your hobby and your job separate, although if you can also do that on the side at work that isn't too bad.

Even if you think and want something badly, sometimes it might not be the right decision.
I worked with a mate for 10 months last year, they continually tried to get me to move into a particular section which I didn't want to do because I knew I wanted a particular job.
After chasing that one thing for more than 3 years and having had experience in that area I got a start in it this year, in a place I had tried to get into for all that time. I lasted 3 weeks. It was what I wanted, but I wasn't happy as it was nothing like I had imagined, well it was, but not in that way.
Am now back at the place I was at previously, and am actually being trained in that role (which required knowledge in about 4 different trades).
A few years ago I never would have thought id be doing what I am doing.

Unfortunately where I did my apprenticeship (sparky) was amazing. Learnt so much and had a variety like no other, but they don't exactly exist anymore. I went in and out of a fair few places just to try finding something I enjoyed and although I did like some parts it was always missing something (which was what I was chasing). And the one I did enjoy was only short term.
Also turned down a few others because after some thought, did realise it wouldn't be the right option.

So yeah, don't stress if you cant find that exact role. It might not be what you originally thought it would be, but you'll eventually find it.
I know I still want to get into that other role, but have actually found a completely different pathway that can open up a lot of doors if the cards are played right. At this stage, gaining experience in specialist areas of my trade and getting knowledge in others while in a specialist area of the Petrochemical Industry is pretty cool.

 

[EYY]

I've taken the plunge. Resigned from the job I hated and then started applying for more jobs. Had a couple of interviews and was offered a job in a graduate/management position.

During the interview for that position, we found out that the positions offered would lead to store management positions, and the pay would be dependent on the performance of the store. Long hours (50-80 hours a week) and weekend work, combined with uncertainty of remuneration led me to decline - realistically there was no need to have completed an undergraduate degree to be eligible for the position. After all, I didn't go to uni for 4 years to start in a stressful job in an uncertain location with an unspecified wage and poor work/life balance. The employer in question was a large furniture/electronics retailer. Just frustrating that the ad for the job was deceptive. If they'd been open about the job description, I wouldn't have wasted my time applying.

Now I've just started back at university studying mechanical engineering - which I should've done from the beginning. Not the end of the world though, commerce and engineering seem to go well together anyway.

 

[gtrboyy]

Ended up getting a job back to where I used to work & was made redundant...different position with less money.more physical but whole lot less stressful.

Nice to be able save some coin & blow it on cars now just sucks only get a few hours every week or two to do it with shiftwork.

 

[figjam]

Long hours (50-80 hours a week) and weekend work, combined with uncertainty of remuneration led me to decline.After all, I didn't go to uni for 4 years to start in a stressful job in an uncertain location with an unspecified wage and poor work/life balance. The employer in question was a large furniture/electronics retailer.

Wise decision. That sort of work is for suckers, work long hours , get paid stuff-all, burn out, get put off.
Only the owners of small family businesses work hours like that, but they usually get the rewards for it, eventually.

 

[commodore665]

started out after leaving school by joining the South African Navy , did 6 years , then joined the South African Police , after 7 years there , we moved to NZ , where I did my training to become a NZ Police Officer , climbed the ranks to Senior Sergeant, and a couple of years ago took early retirement , I am now driving for Fonterra New Zealand as tanker truck driver , i'm a lot happier and I have a lot less stress , apart from dealing with the occasional idiots on the road .

 

[losh1971]

EYY have you thought about opening your own business in accounting? You could do it part-time and from home. With the net nowadays you don't even need to see an accountant. I was in business for myself for years and for the last 6-8 years I have just emailed through my tax docs and my accountant process' through the net and mail. Might be enough to top you up when you need it. I started as an apprentice baker over 25years ago but because I had a horrible manager and another horrible one above him, I chucked it in. Ended up finishing trade school and worked for a lot of years as baker but really didn't enjoy it, much like yourself, mine was because of all the wankers that think they are sht hot. I went to uni at 30 years and got a Social Science degree and now working helping out the poor and love it. Money sucks compared to when I was in Youth Resi Care getting 1000 bucks a week. Now I get less than half of that. I've got some talent in building and landscaping and did that on the side and am starting to think about starting back up over here in Tas. Now that I have almost finished building my house I am starting to feel like it's time sell it and move on to another project. Once complete I should walk away with $140k aft paying off the loan. I'm considering opening up a bike wreckers or a bakery, well toying with the idea anyway.
My point is since you know your way around cars there is nothing stopping you from making some coin out of it. Just gotta make a start and get your name out there. My father in law to be, started out as a detailer and then opened up his business from home doing repairable write-offs and all sorts. As you know tax breaks for small business is great. I never made a profit on paper but that because I claimed everything. I kitted out my shed with over 15k in equipment over 5-6 years of being in business. Reckon with your skill you could start out small and work up to having something pretty good. Be surprised how many people want to do up cars.