Really need advice regarding career

[blip]

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Edited April 5, 2010 by lsdreamz

[Chiral]

Aren't you studying at tafe at the moment..if so what subject...?

You could always join job agencies and just take any work they gave you to suit your profile...warehouse work, labouring, store work, retail sales etc etc...

geeze by 25 I had been working for 10 years ...how comes you have left it so late is also another question...?

But yeah join a job network/agency and just get out there and do anything ..start earning some bucks and it will help with your anxiety...the sooner the better....if you want to work in a particular field you need to study that field and obtain all the required certificates and degree's etc so you can apply for that particular job.

Pretty sure there is work around in mechanics yards...just go around asking...I've gotten a lot of jobs simply by asking the boss...rock up and ask for a job...employers like people who have the balls to get out and look for work...it shows initiative.

H.

[kindness]

again I agree with HK on some points.

rocking up at work places that you are interested in and asking about work is way better than waiting for a job to 'appear' in the paper. Also if you volunteer to work somewhere you are interested in working you are likely to be one of the first in line to get a job should one become available. This is the truth from working for many years.

I guess if you are looking for work and wondering what you want to do... perhaps one of the first questions to ask is - will my work be MEANINGFULL will it serve humanity in anyway, will it serve me in anyway? Or will it just be a way to earn $.

$ as a motivation isn't a bad thing but tends to run it's course much faster than something you actually care about and that helps others.

mz

[blip]

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Edited April 5, 2010 by lsdreamz

[kenny]

You could probably get into a horticulture course at tafe no worries, or even go to uni as a mature age student. Whats another few years of study? Unless your concern is earning a living wage, in which case, you could look around at nurseries ? Even if you don't have a super flash resume, I suppose a demonstrated interest in horticulture with a bit of experience (even if its with your own garden) would be something to make them aware of.

There are always Gardening/Nursery type apprenticeships going too. Most cases they don't expect prior experience, just enthusiasm.

I know how you feel though. After high school I kind of just went off on a tangent with small stints at various workplaces for about 3-4 years. Until I decided to get my ass on track and continue studies. My resume is still a piece of shit mostly though. So getting reliable work is going to be tough for a little while longer.

So yea, if its just money you need for now. Go for a pick packer type job(casual un-skilled labour work). They suck, but they are easy positions to get and the money is good.

Otherwise look into a course which may offer you some qualifications that will be useful. Pick something your really into though, and go hard. I find that being a poor bastard is countered by the fact that the government gives me just enough to survive on while I do something I love. Also if your doing a course and learning about something your into, the whole social aspect of it becomes so much easier (especially if you have been out of the system for a while) because you know the people sitting next to you are going to be like minded. At least to a certain extent. As opposed to riding in forklifts for the rest of your life with some middle aged maltese guy named Habib who looks like he just got out of jail and thinks your stezza is fully sick bro.

Good Luck.

Edited June 2, 2009 by kenny

[santiago]

Your only relatively young, if you can get a muture age apprenticeship by 26 then you will have completed it by 30, for the next 30 years of your life you will have something solid to always back you up and the foundation for a well paid career. You mentioned mechanics, so go on just go and do it and in 4 years you can rock up to parties and when people ask the inevitable question, "so what do you do for a crust?" you can hold your head high and say "im a mechanic"....thats just an example, horticulture or whatever, you make the choice. Mid 20's is the perfect time, your more mature, can get along better with peers and so on, other than thast go to uni and get a degree, sounds like lame ass advice but in hindsight i wish i had done it and now im considering it at 34.....i could have friggin finished ages ago.

[kindness]

Mr LSD speaking from my heart here. It took me a few months of thinking and doing some serious bushwalking and more thinking to decide what it was I wanted to do with my life - this didn't really mean employment but as we live in a neo-capitalist society I needed to also think of how I could make money out of it.

In the end I decided that the biggest buzz I got out of life was in helping others. I looked online a fair bit and spent time meditating on it, through various means. In the end I am now a social work student with a few years experience working with homeless young people.

Everything fell into place for me in a way that I could not have designed or hoped for myself. All it took was taking the 'leap of faith'

Previous to this I was a house painter... breathing toxic fumes and working in the cuntarse brickvennerial disease industry.

whatever you choose brother, remember that life is but a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves, (bill hicks)

mz

[blip]

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Edited April 5, 2010 by lsdreamz

[Chiral]

Thanks so much guys

I was wondering when im applying for jobs i could always put down that i am willing to work 2 weeks on a trial basis for nothing to proove im eager to work? OR if im applying for an aprenticeship, that i would work for the younger rates to show how much i want a chance?

Is that legal?

When you put it that way.. as in by the time im 30 ill have a trade it doesnt seem THAT bad. I could always do horticulture (for example) for 4 years and then i can get a part time job while doing my degree and look into botany?

employers will not employ anyone anymore as voluntary workers...their insurance does not cover voluntary work...there was a time they would but Workcover has put a stop to it and it is now illegal to do so.

H.

[Yawning Man]

Dreamz,

You sound like you're in the exact same boat as i am. Except i'm dedicating the next few years to working my arse of in what ever work it may be to travel. Unlike you i consider myself immature when it comes to serious decisions that affect my life.

Maybe you need to understand yourself a little (or a lot) better before you can make up your mind? Just remember man, where there is a will, there is a way. And you my friend appear to have an insatiable will lol.

Meanies - Man, very wise post.

cheers

Edit: Some awesome advice here regarding career i hort. http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/inde...showtopic=21012

Edited June 2, 2009 by peaceful_son

[kindness]

Hk... going through an employment agency.. if you have a centre li N k id # and they put you onto whats called a job network provider. They will happily use there insurance to cover you as a volunteer worker.

In fact that is the way the labor gov is going with it's new welfare system.. Integrating several systems into one.

this might not make a whole lot of sense to many but what used to be personal support program, (psp) Job placemet employment program (jpet) work for the dole (cwc) and disability employment program (den) will all be grouped into one thing... they will have 'streams' of people out of work... with those who are most dis advantaged to those who are pretty well able to work.

One of the biggest deals in this new system - which will kick off in july this year is voluntary work (or work placements...) kinda similar to the old work experience we all had at school.

look it up

edit and fairly boring but hey... this is the world we live in : http://www.workplace.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/E...XEmployment.pdf

mz

Edited June 2, 2009 by meanies

[rogdog]

meh...do what I do....be a pimp

[watertrade]

I'm 30 and wish I had started on getting a decent career earlier - I have a pretty good job at the moment (good in that lots of people would like to do my job - but crap pay & I work my ass off and don't get much back from it) I'm also pretty over it and wouldn't give a shit if the place burnt down overnight. There is also no real career development. I have tried to do things to leave (re educate) but I'm kind of stuck in my job now due to my situation.

Anyway, enough about me - my advice would be to get the anxiety fixed by going to see a doctor and put all your energy into feeling good by the end of the year. So you can start fresh next year. It will no doubt be hard but don't give yourself excuses. Stick it out and it will get easier. Then start a course next year. There are heaps of really exciting courses and traineeships I would love to, not just to get work but to learn stuff. I think it’s most important to just do something, if you don't know what to do, do something you think you might like to do - if you don't like it, change, do something else.

My biggest regret was just waiting - I waited a few years before trying to re train and leave my job, it was wasted time.

Someone I work with (she is casual) called a job agency this morning and is going for an interview tomorrow - they told her she pretty much has the job (only a couple of weeks in July but still a nice chunk of pay) I think jobs are pretty easy to find and keep if you work at it. Of course you need to get the anxiety under control. New work places suck and are very stressful for about 3 weeks. After that, things settle down.

Actually, after finishing this post I'm going to email some people and find myself another job.

Good luck, I hope you can work something out. And I’m sure you are not leaving these forums any time soon so we can keep hassling you for months to come ;)

[ThunderIdeal]

pm'ing ya dreamzmeister

[G*P]

Nurseries..

They are always looking for hardworkers. So many people are simply unemployable. Especially in practical, hardworking areas. A mechanic would kick ass in that area.

Its easy to work your way up doing tafe courses and stuff.

Edited September 18, 2009 by G*P

[Coquero]

hi there lsdreamz,

You probably already know all this, but I highly recommend going to centrelink and registering with the job network. you will then be signed up to an employment agency (of your choice) I found that if you attend their "classes" and show you're keen they will go out of their way to help you. I had them ringing up every week offering to buy tools for me (I was looking for an apprenticeship) or letting me know about job ads they had seen in the paper. They even bought me clothes and shoes of my choice to attend interviews.

If you're good with anything mechanical, apprenticeship is definately the way to go - you will have a trade you can always fall back on and get you work just about anywhere!

[Siggor]

But i have ran into 3 problems

1) My age.. I am 25 and i will have little chance getting a job because they will have to pay me adult wages. I would work for junior wages JUST for the chance to gain a few years work experience im that desperate.

2) My Career Choice... Again, i would like something in regards to Botany or Mechanics i guess. Mechanics i know, horticulture i am very interested in.

3) SInce i have not worked much in my life i have a REALLY baron resume Thats what is bothering me the most. I would come across as a dole bludger and i think i have screwed my chances

I was just wondering what people think i should do to get A JOB?

your belief will limit your job search, by saying things like 1) and 3).

one if you want to stay interested in ethno's unless if you really love it wouldn't go for hort job,

about no 1)

there are always nurseries that are looking for labourers to work, and it pays roughly around the $17 for casuals. we have had in so many casuals that didn't know shit about plants or anything. so that to me seems that you already have on foot in the door if thats the path you choose. if you don't think you have enough experience there are always government funded courses and volunteer work that could get you started,

thats where i started after 6 years of no work i got my job at a nursery.

no 3) there are always people that have a full resume doesn't mean that they are good at what they do. i have had one bloke at work that has had 4years at tafe, ran businesses ect... couldn't do shit, terrible at adhereing to instruction, awful at practical work.

i have seen people that have had very little experience in a field that they want to get in to, but cross reference the similarities between jobs.

list every little thing that you have done or are good at. savvy it up a bit.

i was once similar to you 6 years no work, 5 years after the fact i now am manager of that nursery that hired me. so there is hope,its not the job that you should "DO", but what comes to you naturally and have a abundance of within yourself that you are going to find a career

[tardistestpilot]

your belief will limit your job search, by saying things like 1) and 3).

one if you want to stay interested in ethno's unless if you really love it wouldn't go for hort job,

about no 1)

there are always nurseries that are looking for labourers to work, and it pays roughly around the $17 for casuals. we have had in so many casuals that didn't know shit about plants or anything. so that to me seems that you already have on foot in the door if thats the path you choose. if you don't think you have enough experience there are always government funded courses and volunteer work that could get you started,

thats where i started after 6 years of no work i got my job at a nursery.

no 3) there are always people that have a full resume doesn't mean that they are good at what they do. i have had one bloke at work that has had 4years at tafe, ran businesses ect... couldn't do shit, terrible at adhereing to instruction, awful at practical work.

i have seen people that have had very little experience in a field that they want to get in to, but cross reference the similarities between jobs.

list every little thing that you have done or are good at. savvy it up a bit.

i was once similar to you 6 years no work, 5 years after the fact i now am manager of that nursery that hired me. so there is hope,its not the job that you should "DO", but what comes to you naturally and have a abundance of within yourself that you are going to find a career

I have to agree with spudamore concerning saying things like 1) and 3)

due to events when i was 15 i left school and got a job as a bricklayers labourer ...i was a skinny little 15 year old earning 160 bucks a week back then 1982...was not a job i liked all though the money was good ( compare that to what you get on the dole now ) my point here is the boss i worked for said if you can do the work you will get paid like every body else .....the first month i struggled with the physical demands and all the usuall apprentice type pranks played upon me which continued the whole time i worked for that crew man awesome times ...(made me mentaly and physically tough) this my answer to saying 1)

After 3 years of that i became mates with a crew of scaffolders on a highrise site in auckland I then started learning theyre and what would soon be one of my trade then in 1988 i thought fuck this im going to australia to sydney for 2 weeks then goldy for 2 weeks for an holliday ...i ran out of money into the first week on the goldy (yay i have 2 semi trades all ready) I then proceeded to the nearest construction site with tower cranes everywhere ....walked through the fence (you could then )nobody on site ...im like wtf its the 1st monday of the month ...the site office is locked ..... then teuesday wooot then a realised wot a rosterd day was.... got a job as a scaffolder

then there was the recession 1990s and a lot of surfing i started steel erecting climbing walking structual steel

theres lots of gaps

it is now ilegal to erect steel like we did back then thank the fuck .................

anyway back on topic ive allways had to look after myself

but looking back now ive probably been lucky? or do do you make your own luck?

sorry for the rant lsd dreams keep your head up

[incognito]

do somethin u love mate.

u like cars yeah? thats a pretty big field from which career you could chose from.

theres nothing worae than working in a job you do not like.

only prob with hort is the pay is SHIT. big time. across the board really.

i prefer now to have it as my hobby (and true love lol).

my nephew has started a panel beating apprenticeship- $600 first year!!!

but yeah man maybee see a career advisor at ur local tafe??

tafe is great, they really go out of their way to help you.

this is my last year of study EVER, and im 31, changed careers more times than ive changed my pants, and have finally found a field that i really enjoy working in (and the pays not to shabby either).

i agree with WT, get ur anxiety addressed before considering working fulltime (ive done the same thing) \. u hafto try out a few counsellors,psychologists etc till u can find a good one u can work with. tafe has great councillors if ur at class and having a bad time, u can just duck of to have a chat, they speciallise in enabling you to lean more effectively while dealing with ur issues, and have a really good knowledge of local professionals who would be able to assist u in addressing ur issues, and make referrals to them. helped me heaps, when i started my diploma a year ago i couldnt sit in the classroom for more than 15mins at a time, now im in the top 5 students on campus!(yay 4 me lol).

YOU CAN DO IT!

as far as resumes go-just pimp it out. dont let truth stand in the way of a good resume, as long as there elements of truth in it, and you have a couple of good references, these can even be like ur dads mates who work for a bogus company uve made up. as long as ur employer heres some good stuff when they call.

for extra doe have u thought about servicing mowers? great $$

Edited June 5, 2009 by incognito

[Yeti101]

A lot of good advice above. All I can say is try to get some work you like, accept work you are ambivalent about and don't do something that you hate unless you absolutely have to! And education is never a bad thing.

I agree that a lot of hort and ag jobs don't pay well. But education/training experience and skills can open interesting doors such as such as land rehabilitation/reforestation which can pay pretty well if you work as a contractor. The more you broaden your range of skills, the more different stuff you can do. TAFE offers a heap of programs related to horticulture. Some of the things I learnt in my lab technician's diploma were pretty cool too.

As for Mechanics - I don't know much about the trade end of things. At the the other end of the spectrum - professional Mechanical Engineer, well it's 4 years of insane study, but I've never met one who is strapped for cash once they are out in the workforce.

[Korky]

i am 31 and 30 minutes ago i emailed an application that would result in a complete 'career' change, follow your heart brother, if it means you have to work for a bit in an area to just score some cash to fund the beginnings of your new found direction then step on those stones and get the booty moving....

ok well thats what im trying, im yet to see how its going to go myself, ha!

alll the best

[devance]

I always wanted to run away and become a surfer guy.

But since you mentioned being a mechanic you can be both.

A self owned boat can serve as a surf board and you will work on it endlessly to keep it going and other peoples.

Theres always need of a tow and repair.

Must be some sort of small boat opportunitys if in australia.

Unless you want to be engineer on a big boat which is a lifetime commentment and not self employed and people just shout at you but you can't shout back.

Like 'Get back from the line you buggered, blind, dimwitted sod; before I take me backhand to yea'.

And that the polite speech way for paying passengers.

Also theres the seaweed havesting.

Most seaweeds are grown on nets but a tourist snorkling havesting for gourmet seaweed items might be a way.

I would think the japanese tourist might like a ecoexperience in such.

I don't think thats eco-harmful but more like bees harvesting from along way away like plane travel but the same idea.

Edited June 6, 2009 by devance