Bahtatboy

Ditto, except probably 2 years and a tad () older.

Study: perhaps go back to uni full time and do a masters, probably Renewable Energy.
Contract work: definitely -- to keep my mind active, and for pin money (mainly for two-wheeled and four-wheeled expenditure). Holidays already built into the basic calcs, but upgrades from pin money sounds like a plan.

Millhouse

Then change... I started to get bored and grumpy around then - totally changed the sector I worked in and it was like starting out all over again. Will do the same in another 10 years

Bahtatboy

Precisely. I've fulfilled basically the same function throughout my career (except for a 3 1/2 year stint, which was still about 50% of my basic function) within the "built environment", but in varied sectors. Changing from one sector to another made huge differences, but I was still deploying my same basic skills, training and experience.

Not only does a sector change result in different projects / products / services, but it also usually results in colleagues (and clients and a supply chain) from different backgrounds and with different outlooks, which then totally transforms your working environment and the processes in which you're involved.

The sectors I've worked in have ranged from underpinning (with an army of squat Paddies manually digging under house foundations), through installing security systems in places I'm not allowed to mention, to building sulphuric acid plants in Iraq. Same basic skills from me, wildly different environments.

Millhouse

you could probably swap wheels for legs in this sentence too.

Bahtatboy

Beast.

Millhouse

Well, I was thinking of dogs, horses and hunting.

Wouldn't recommend bareback riding with the two legged investments.

scrubbedexpat141

I'd like to change sectors one day.
Difficulty is I actually really enjoy this sector and the types of people (mostly) and being involved in projects from the start, albeit from a different perspective (take Expo - If I ride it out, I'll be one of about 4 from us who have been there from the start).

That being said, Construction attitudes towards so many things / areas can be just totally backwards, archaic, old fashioned and painful at times. Very much an old boys network and the negatives are multiplied by this region.

I wouldn't mind working in a tech / start up type environment. Or somewhere less 'stuffy'. Hard to describe, maybe just an industry that's better at not trying to crush every ounce out of every soul, that invests in it's people and sees modern ways of working and ideas as positives not negatives.

DXBtoDOH

I like what I do. I can't see myself changing profession after achieving all these qualifications. I like my firm. I just don't like the current location.

Millhouse

Those industries probably don't source their people via recruitment agents though...

scrubbedexpat141

Alright, I'll bite, it's Thursday and nearly lunchtime.

What I do now isn't just volume paper pushing. It's very low volume compared to many in this sector, it's filling specific roles that aren't going to be just anyone and need to fit in different, intangible ways. Thin cultural, attitude, personality, behavioural, intelligence.
Yes, some are easy, square peg square hole type hires, but many are about the 'fit'.
Any business worth working for will think along those lines for some / all / most hires. Even more so 'those industries'. They sell themselves based on their culture, environment, values etc.

mrken30

For some people the change of job every 10 years or so is not their choice. There is a constant round of layoffs in some sectors. Several old work colleagues have been laid off around the 55-60 age.

Johnnyboy11

I've changed employers 7 times in a 30 year career, and in hindsight I should have changed more often. With one of those employers, I worked for 13 different General Managers, each lasting an average of 8 months in post!

Rule Number 1: There is no sentiment in business. Rule Number 2: See Rule Number 1.

littlejimmy

That's the best thing about our profession. It does give you the chance to work in different disciplines and in lots of locations. I just wish some employers would get this. I hate seeing JDs specifying "15 years minimum in oil and gas/highways/goat snogging", whatever it is. Our skills are transferable. The technical stuff can be picked up or advised on by...you know...technical people like Engineers!

Millhouse

Average of 4 years per job is about right. I'm 7 years into this employer, quite a long stint for me - thankfully was able to totally change the job 2 years ago.

Bahtatboy

10 employers in nearly 40 years, with durations from 6 months to 11 years. Some I left of my own volition, some not...