Engineering career change, where now????

[rorys]

Another career change thread! Not sure if this one has been done before, apologies if it has.

I have been working in Oz for a few years and the wife is beginning to miss home and family so we are contemplating the move back. Problem being that we have got used to a quality of life that is probably out of reach back home due to my poor career choice many moons ago!

I started out life in 1999 as a civil / structural engineer and worked my way up in the uk to an associate of a small practice back in 2008. Then decided to head for oz as I wanted to broaden the horizons, get out of what was essentially single discipline work and head more down a PM / multi disc design management role. I joined one of the large consultancies out in oz and have managed to achieve this. Did well and made it into a study / engineering management position working on development of mine sites. To be honest I love it, and the money is 3 times what I got in the uk and I’m at the bottom of the ladder. Back home I might have put 10k on the salary in 15 years if I was lucky.
Bottom line is if we do make the move I really do not want to go back to engineering consultancy.

Has anyone been in a similar predicament? What industry did you move to and how did the skills transfer?

Thanks

R

[Buffalo]

Friend of mine worked in MOD as a mechanical engineer and has since moved to project management. She works from home and appears to be making a good coin. What about that sort of work?

[davepoth]

Easy answer is to not jump until you find something that suits, at a salary that is good for you. Obvious markets where decent salaries are available are defence and offshore.

[a311]

Nuclear Industry.

If you're willing to contract you can make some silly amounts of money.

[Landlord]

rorys said:

Another career change thread! Not sure if this one has been done before, apologies if it has.

I have been working in Oz for a few years and the wife is beginning to miss home and family so we are contemplating the move back. Problem being that we have got used to a quality of life that is probably out of reach back home due to my poor career choice many moons ago!

I started out life in 1999 as a civil / structural engineer and worked my way up in the uk to an associate of a small practice back in 2008. Then decided to head for oz as I wanted to broaden the horizons, get out of what was essentially single discipline work and head more down a PM / multi disc design management role. I joined one of the large consultancies out in oz and have managed to achieve this. Did well and made it into a study / engineering management position working on development of mine sites. To be honest I love it, and the money is 3 times what I got in the uk and I’m at the bottom of the ladder. Back home I might have put 10k on the salary in 15 years if I was lucky.
Bottom line is if we do make the move I really do not want to go back to engineering consultancy.

Has anyone been in a similar predicament? What industry did you move to and how did the skills transfer?

Thanks

R

Are you sure the desire to return is not a case of "familiarity breeds contempt"? As in, you're (or she is) just so used to Oz now that the rose-tinted specs have come out.

I spent 2 years in Oz and, for broadly similar reasons to you, came back to the UK. I spent the next 5 years bitterly regretting it - which only ceased upon the birth of my eldest son. I say ceased, actually it was only tempered by the fact that our respective families would be so upset by our return to Oz (missing the grandchild) that it forced our hand.

Given the choice, I'd be back there in a shot.

[rorys]

Landlord said:

rorys said:

Another career change thread! Not sure if this one has been done before, apologies if it has.

I have been working in Oz for a few years and the wife is beginning to miss home and family so we are contemplating the move back. Problem being that we have got used to a quality of life that is probably out of reach back home due to my poor career choice many moons ago!

I started out life in 1999 as a civil / structural engineer and worked my way up in the uk to an associate of a small practice back in 2008. Then decided to head for oz as I wanted to broaden the horizons, get out of what was essentially single discipline work and head more down a PM / multi disc design management role. I joined one of the large consultancies out in oz and have managed to achieve this. Did well and made it into a study / engineering management position working on development of mine sites. To be honest I love it, and the money is 3 times what I got in the uk and I’m at the bottom of the ladder. Back home I might have put 10k on the salary in 15 years if I was lucky.
Bottom line is if we do make the move I really do not want to go back to engineering consultancy.

Has anyone been in a similar predicament? What industry did you move to and how did the skills transfer?

Thanks

R

Are you sure the desire to return is not a case of "familiarity breeds contempt"? As in, you're (or she is) just so used to Oz now that the rose-tinted specs have come out.

I spent 2 years in Oz and, for broadly similar reasons to you, came back to the UK. I spent the next 5 years bitterly regretting it - which only ceased upon the birth of my eldest son. I say ceased, actually it was only tempered by the fact that our respective families would be so upset by our return to Oz (missing the grandchild) that it forced our hand.

Given the choice, I'd be back there in a shot.

Seems a common problem from people I know out here. I have friends that returned for the kids / grandparents, and in 2 years were doing everything they could to leave again. They got lucky and managed to sort out the visas and return. Not a mistake I want to make!
At the moment it feels like I might be making the career or extended family choice. Saying that, we do still manage to get home twice a year on holiday!

[unclemark123]

a311 said:

Nuclear Industry.

If you're willing to contract you can make some silly amounts of money.

[rorys]

unclemark123 said:

a311 said:

Nuclear Industry.

If you're willing to contract you can make some silly amounts of money.

I like this idea. As always the problem is getting a foot in the door without any specific experience. Anyone made the jump?

[a311]

rorys said:

unclemark123 said:

a311 said:

Nuclear Industry.

If you're willing to contract you can make some silly amounts of money.

I like this idea. As always the problem is getting a foot in the door without any specific experience. Anyone made the jump?

No specific experience required really for the sort of role you’d fit in to. If you were hands on then maybe but otherwise plenty of work for civil and structural engineers, and plenty of project manger roles required on a contract basis. I’m on a full-time contract the money isn’t as good ‘cash in your pocket’ as contracting but time you factor in holidays, pension and other T&C’s it works better for my circumstances.

Depending on where, and more specifically in what area you will work it can take a while to get security clearance. If they eventually start building new reactors there will be even more demand. I’ve always been in the industry so can’t really comment on making the jump, but know plenty of people who have worked in engineering and PM roles outside of the industry.