major career crisis

[*bunty*]

Hey all,

I am in the throes of a major career crisis. Here's what I want:

part time work (or full time within school hours if that makes sense)
reasonably stress free but stimulating
no work in school holidays

Here's what I am qualified in:
BE (mining engineering)
BSc (Geology)

My major problem is returning to engineering is quite stressful. I didn't work long enough full time before I had the boys to be a well rounded engineer. There are so many gaps in my abilities that I need an incredible amount of hand-holding and in my experience in the last few years it is mostly not available (ie I have worked part time and it takes me 3 months to do a job that would take a 'regular' engineer a week to do - I end up being the running joke in the workplace).

What to do? I am a great communicator. I love to talk! I can write well. I am creative. I need to find my career. Any advice would be appreciated.

[jodiemiller]

Life coach! Seriously.

[Kathryn]

The best suggestion I have is to use your contacts. Call people that you have worked with before to see if they have any ideas or projects that you can help out with. People who know you and your work are far more likely to hire you on flexible terms than people who are recruiting in general. I don't know about engineering, but in software I was told full time or nothing in Brisbane. And 4 weeks annual leave ain't going to cut it for school hols and when you want to see your kids between 7am and 6pm!

You might be able to find something that you could move to working from home during the school holidays. I've not had any success in finding any project-based work or office-based 'professional'-type work that is available on a part time basis, especially with the ability to take leave in school holidays. Hence the fact I started retraining last year before I was offered my current job.

Like you said, you could make a fresh start. But that means pay cuts if you are used to jobs with responsibility and/or needing technical expertise, and you might figure out that a combination of pay cuts and reduced hours means there is little point going back!

I think that ramble means I agree with Jodie!!! Good luck hon. It ain't easy.

[lizlea]

sorry to be brief but I can sooooo relate (although a different career path). Hope you get some inspiration soon

[Kathryn]

Could you fashion yourself as a technical writer? That's something that you wouldn't need to be 'on-site' to do. You could set yourself up as a consultant or something?

[emd]

Or perhaps university or TAFE lecturing or tutoring?
If you don't live in a place that has a uni/TAFE with courses in your subject areas, check out options with the universities that have courses on offer through Open Universities (http://www.open.edu.au) as a distance education tutor.

[random]

sorry to be brief but I can sooooo relate (although a different career path). Hope you get some inspiration soon


yep, me too. Watching this thread with interest :)

[cherish]

what's your passion honey?

My aunt works as a life coach.. however business isn't great at the moment for her..

Educating others might be a good option, you would probably need to do some training so you have the quals to do it though..

put it out to the universe- and it will come to you honey!

[Eilleen]

I can relate to this! In the end I stuck it out and got through it. Perhaps you are just needing to find your groove in your job? I think returning back to work is soooooo stressful and its easy to lay on heaps of expectations. The thing I realised is that I needed to accept my own limitations and also accept that my skills-emphasis are now elsewhere.

Its been 2 years now since I returned to work and I think its only now that I'm finding my groove again. It took having to negotiate that I go down a level because I found operating at a higher level too stressful - especially trying to balance time with my kids and the demands of the job.

Perhaps as well as considering a career change, you can consider what you can do within your job/company to make it less stressful for you?

It sounds like you might need a better mentor/boss for one if he/she is not helping you meet your company's expectations!

[moo]

Eilleen, how is the "demotion" working out?

Bunty-what kind of money do you want for your efforts??

[Nyree]

You could set yourself up as a consultant or something?

That was my thought, too :)

The TAFE idea is good also - DH earns a good amount from tutoring (mainly distance ed students), which for him is basically marking assignments and sending them back. There is some face-to-face teaching, but as he works full-time elsewhere, he doesn't take a lot of that on.

[Joey]

I am right there with you, kids growing up, time to work more, want a proper job but no idea where to go or what to do. I am seriously thinking of more study in a sort of get straight into a job related area but that costs money which I don't have... and I have no experience and too long out of the industry that I got my degree in-(biotechnology) to go back to that without more study

So I will be watching this thread with interest as 2010 is going to be the year where I sort my career out and stop living week to week.

[Eilleen]

Eilleen, how is the "demotion" working out?

FANTASTIC Moo! Was just asked this question today at work actually. In short, its the best thing I've ever done. Everyone in the team is adjusting to it beautifully too.

Another thought just occurred to me Bunty - it seems that you're in a highly specialised area at the moment is there any chance of you doing a stint in a more general area in the company? I know that our specialised officers often do short stints (1-2 months) in other areas where their knowledge is valued but don't have as much depending on their expertise (they're in the general areas to give us a better idea of the technical aspects and in turn, they get a better idea on how that technical aspect is applied in the policy/management/administrative sense).

This could be a good way for you to get a break from your specialised area and go somewhere a bit more generalised.

[~kaoss~]

I will be watching this thread with interest too. I also feel that I didn't get a really good stint at full time work to really round out my skills before I had the kids.... I wonder if I'll return to my profession due to my lack of confidence, but also the long days and the stress of it all.... I'll be watching your journey in the meantime :)

[*bunty*]

I had a fabulous talk with a friend who is in the same profession as me. She was wonderful, and really, she sometimes isn't so, but she has gone through some major life changes recently and has come out a much better woman. So we spoke for an hour. She is trying to get me into her team at work. Babysteps, full training to get my confidence back. No need to choose a career right now, just get back into the old career, see if I do like it after all and bring in some money while I do. Work within school hours, minimal hours in holidays, and from home when necessary. Pay is good, hours very flexible. Also in talks with an old lecturer of mine at the University of Queensland. There may be some tutoring work there, and in time the chance to commence a PhD and eventually become a lecturer. So the planets seem to be lined up well enough to ease my career crisis worries and just see where it all takes me. I just got a bit freaked out for a moment there so thank you all for listening and helping me plant my feet firmly back on mother earth :D.

[´*~·Meje·~*`]

Sounds fantastic! :D

[SpringMumma]

Sounds brilliant. Best of luck with it!

[Madi]

Wonderful! Good luck with it all.

[Nyree]

Great news! :yipi

[cherish]

wonderful- sounds like a great plan!

[jodiemiller]

Isn't it funny how opportunity falls out of the sky once you put your wishes out there?

[Ethereal]

Sounds wonderful!

[mamma]

sounds great :)

[Sam]

Sounds like its all falling into place nicely

[Eilleen]

That's wonderful Bunty! Here's to getting back into paid workforce smoothly!

[emd]

Sounds like wonderful opportunities, I hope things work out and that you have some fun with it.

[cass]

I can absolutely relate.

I was 27yo studying Electrical Engineering at uni when I realised that, despite the empowering 'women can do anything' stickers everywhere, I could not be both an engineer and a mother. I did the math regarding time to finish the degree and establish a career and I just couldn't do it.

My husband suggested I become a teacher. I already had a computer science degree, so I only required 18months of university. I didn't like the idea initially, but after some consideration I switched to teaching. It turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

I do make jokes that it was a 'fall back career', but only because I couldn't imagine being happier doing anything else. I taught for 3years before taking my maternity leave. In that time I became very well respected. It also means I have a great job to return to when the children are in school.

Teaching is definetly not for everyone, and I get very annoyed a people who do take it on just because they think it is easy. However I love my days. I love interacting with adults and students. I love the intellectual requirements, as well as the sheer skill of motivating classrooms full of students. I love that I am not stuck at a desk for 9hrs per day. I love the buzz of teaching a good lesson, or inspiring some students. I love when I can see I am making a difference in their lives.

It did take me a year to stop saying "but I was studing engineering" because I did feel like I had taken a step down. Yet, my attitude is so different now. When I see 'bad' teachers who do not make an effort, and I realise just how damn good I am...well I get a real kick out of that.

Anyhow, just posting my experience so you can see another option.

[Karena]

That sound wonderful for you C.