sarahlou

Just wondering , did any-one start a new career once they settled in Australia, at present i am a support worker in adult mental health which i find rewarding and enjoy but as of late ive been thinking of going in the complete opposite direction and doing something completely different, i quite fancy hairdressing as they seem to be in demand and i do fancy going back to college,
I have gained a NVQ 3 care which i know doesnt mean much in Aus so i will have to re-do them which i dont mind but because i might have to start again im thinking maybe new life - new job,

So is any-one out there thinking of doing the same thing once out there !
sarah

egghead4

hi sarah

yeah I am thinking of doing something different as well, but this is only because my qualification isnt recognised in aus. I am a social worker with 6 years experience of working with young offenders, so I am hoping to head into youth work. I will probably have to retrain, but I l love working with teens, so I will do it in my own time. saying that, I will probably do anything when I get there, as OH is a plumber and gas fitter which also has its own problems in aus.
bec

sarahlou

yer hi bec, thanks for your reply,
i thought it might be a good way of meeting new people and to get out there and try new things,also it might help with home sickness (if there will be any),
i think if we are doing this life changing experience then why not go the whole hog and have a new career as well,
sarah

sarahlou

sorry bec i forgot to mention that my OH is a carpenter and like wise will also have problems like gaining licience/blue card ect to get him started so once we have him sorted and the kids settled then i will think about myself and my new found career !
sarah

markandgill

Hi Sarah,

We are going to Oz under my hubbies skill - he is a spark, I am just a boring administrator, we have a three year old son, so we are hoping that I will be able to stay at home for a while until son is old enough for school. I am seriously thinking of going to college when we get there and doing something different, I am extremly fed up doing admin - I work in the motor trade chasing salesmens crap all day (they are lazy so and sos). Dont know what I would like to do though

Gillian

sarahlou

hi Gill thats why i thought of hairdressing,cos you can meet new people every day and every day will be different,
im up for anything really (well within reason)
actually i think i would be happy handing out flyers on a beach ! (if they do that sort of thing out there)
sarah

minibelle

Hi Sarahlou

OH and I both work in mental health services, we have looked into jobs in QLD but the money is not great, my other half has a NVQ 3 so he will need to retrain , so he wants to retrain in something that will pay more but he still cant decide. I have a degree so i cant really justify changing careers until my OH has trained and is working. i am hoping to open my own children's nursery.

minibelle

sarahlou

hi minibelle,
im expecting a stuggle for work when we get out there as we dont want are expectations to be to high and expect to get it straight away and also a drop in wage, our main reason for emigrating is quality of life and the time we spend with it,
might do a search or if anyone knows what there is a shortage off and then at the end of it there might be a higher chance of finding work,
a childrens nursery sounds a great idea and fun
sarah

Dorothy

Yup. I've changed career paths twice since being here. In Canada I was an ophthalmic technician for 19 years. 4 days after landing in Adelaide I was offered a permanent job at an employment agency. My new job was to head up the Learning & Development department overseeing dozens of students working toward their Cert III or Cert IV. In my 9 months there I also helped get our company involved in a pilot program the Commonwealth introduced to get long term unemployed trained and into work. When needed I worked on large job intakes for the recruitment division interviewing candidates and administering tests. The company was really great in that if an interesting temp role came along they would ask if I wanted it before offering it to others. I did a short stint in Paediatric Palliative care and a longer part-time stint in Paediatric Neurology (mostly because of my background for neuro) along with working at the agency.
When we moved interstate to Perth I got in touch with someone I knew from 100 years ago who owns a migration agency. He asked if I was interested in coming to work for him in the processing department. I am in the process of applying to Murdoch University to do my Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law so I can get my own MARA registration number.

If something sounds interesting to you then give it a try. You can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. And you are never too old to learn a new skill. I'll be 45 in another couple of months - just in time to start university!

Hutch

Yea - started my own computer support business. Going great guns so far ...

Bushpig

I was working in an office full time as admin, but now I am catching dogs and other out door stuff full time.

moneypenny20

Hubby was a firefighter in the UK. Got here and became a mechanic and has now become an Air Con Engineer.

hilary6

Yep my O/H is a tool maker but is currently re-training in aircon and loving it ....well as much as you can love a job LOL

Shakmaty

I was a circus performer in the UK

Now I teach chess in schools

Anything is possible!!!

JoolsB

I'm with your new life/new job attitude completely I do something really dull in property here-I work from home and the money is good but it's mind numbing. When I get to Aus I am going to train as a makeup artist for photography/film/theatre (my OH a photographer so hopefully he will meet some contacts useful for me too)-I only need to earn a fraction of what I have been here so I can do something 'fun' & I can always fall back on a career in property if necessary..