Have you changed jobs too?

[Que Sera Sera]

When I was back in the UK, I worked for a trade union for about 20 years then joined the Civil Service and worked as an Employment Law/HR Advisor. When we decided to emigrate to Australia I knew I would be looking at staying off work until my son started High School and we budgeted for that, we also knew that as all my previous skills were on the job training therefore not formerly recognised I wouldn't be able to get a corresponding job here in Australia so I looked for something else . I initially worked as a home help ( first job I applied for, first job I got!) and stayed at it for 10 months. In the meantime, a new friend I met had started a dog walking business and it had gone from strength to strength and she had far more enquiries than she could handle. She has diversified into selling dog and cat toys and foods, pet sitting and home visits. So I started working for her back in August just two days a week and now I'm part time 5 days a week . I absolutely love it. I walk dogs , visit homes, care for animals and could not be happier. I never saw this coming, and it just shows if you're open to new things life, can change in all sorts of wonderful ways. My "office" is now beautiful parks and dog beaches and I love it.

Have you changed your "career?"

[AJ]

Great thats worked out for you, and something you like doing as well! I have started retraining, worked as a project co-ordinator before, now training in childcare - not much difference then, office was full of kids spitting the dummy!

[Que Sera Sera]

Great thats worked out for you, and something you like doing as well! I have started retraining, worked as a project co-ordinator before, now training in childcare - not much difference then, office was full of kids spitting the dummy!

:laugh::notworthy:

[shoegal68]

I was a nurse and health visitor in the uk. I intend to arrange my registration over here, but the shifts are difficult for childcare as my husband is working away, we would struggle to find childcare at 6am or earlier!

 

So I plan on doing the casual shift here and there.

 

However to get a regular income I am just about to do the teacher of swimming course, so I can teach children to swim

 

Figured we came all the way here for a new life, may as well try something new!

[VERYSTORMY]

Left school and started YTS as a welder

2 months later made redundant and joined army

4 Years later came out of army and did a law degree

Did post grad legal practice to work as a solicitor

Hated it

Worked in recruitment for industrial temps for a number of years

Went back to and did more A levels

Went back to Uni and trained as a geologist

Thinking about a MBA in order to shift career again!

[Rupert]

I have only had one career, been in it for 21 years now. In Australia I started work for a particular company 3 days after I landed and I am still there (3.5 years later), but in a different role. Over the next ten years I want to build a portfolio of non-exec directorships and then that will be my full time "job".

[Lindor]

I was a nurse in the UK for 34 years, retired a couple of years ago. I don't want to work full time, nights weekends or holidays any more, so I'm trying to think of something else to do!

[LKC]

I certainly have!

 

I went to uni to study zoology first of all, I love science and got good results in my degree. However, when I left uni I wasn't able to find a job in that field, and after being pressured to move out by my mum, I took the first interesting-sounding thing that I was offered, which was as a receptionist in an optometrists practice. I worked my way up to dispensing assistant (dispensing glasses), and then decided to take myself back off to uni for a second time to study optometry. I completed my degree and professional exams and worked as an optometrist until I had the girls, because we wanted for me to stay home with them. I did intend to return to work, but when I was pregnant with youngest, we decided that we would up-sticks and move to Australia. I have now been out of optometry for almost eight years, and as I would have to take my Australian professional exams in order to practice (and having not practiced for eight years they would be impossible for me to pass), I have decided that optometry will have to be forgotten as a career.

 

About three years ago, when eldest started school, I did start my own business selling wedding jewellery and accessories, and dyeing shoes to match bridesmaids dresses, but as of next Monday I am closing the business. It did quite well, but I am sorry to say that brides have to be one of the most difficult groups of people to deal with, and I just can't take any more unreasonable, abusive and demanding emails. I am good at what I do, but I have come to realise that you can't please everyone all of the time, no matter how much you try to.

 

What next for me? Who knows! I will be taking a year off. I would like to learn photography, there are a couple of free online courses that I would like to take (a maths one with the University of Adelaide, plus a few Coursera courses - these are definitely worth checking out if you are interested in learning stuff!). I have been thinking of doing some non-award study courses at uni, but won't commit to anything like that until 2015. Then once I have done those I may decide to go back off to uni. My real interest is in science (and it always has been), so I would love to go back and do something like conservation biology or microbiology. Anyway, no rush to decide, although at this point I will be a very mature student!

[nicolac34]

Wow LKC that's quite impressive!

 

I haven't changed what I've been doing since coming to Australia, but I am quite bored of it. It's very repetitive from year to year and is quite dull.... but then the idea of changing to do something else is quite scary! I'm only 30 so keep telling myself I have plenty of time to re-train and do something else, and I have looked into doing an Environmental Science Uni course at UWA as I'd love to go and work with the department of environment and conservation - something very different from my office job!

 

But 4 years full-time at university, giving up my very well paid and relatively easy (if very boring) job to just have one salary coming in. It's a lot to ask my husband to support really. And I'd never be able to earn as much as I do now working for the DEC - but then money isn't everything I guess!