should i change career

mk1esc

ive been an arch tech since 99, was let go in in feb 09, still finding it extremely difficult to get any work. my life and my families life has just stalled. ive been doing a few courses etc but still no joy with work...

my questions is should i stay in what i know or move onto another area and completely retrain?

the other problem is i dont know what i would like to do in life, id like to do something around mechanics, panel beating etc but nobody is taking on in this area...
im sure there are plenty of you out there in similar situations...
any opinions????

wrmwit

Hi mk1esc,

I feel your pain. I'm in the same boat. I've been an arch tech since 2004, was laid off in 2009 and I haven't opened cad since! I've even gone into architects offices looking for work and all I get is that sympathetic look. I've done a couple of minimum pay jobs since then hoping it would lead to something better but it hasn't. The only place that are recruiting arch techs is London. I'm getting married next year and we're thinking of moving there after. Anyway enough about me.....

I've been looking into doing courses too but there's no work from them so I see it as a waste of time. However if you're passionate about mechanics and panel beating there's no harm doing a course because you never know what could come up. It'll mean you have more qualifications with a better chance of getting a job.

I'm a firm believer that things will come good again but they won't be as good as they were before. I've been keeping up to date with trends and construction techniques by reading various magazines so when the time comes and I'm offered an arch tech job I'll be up to date. I'm now doing bar work on a part time basis and that'll keep me going until then.

A lot of my mates have set up their own arch tech companies after being let go but all of them have very little to no work at all so if you're thinking of going down that route I'd stay well clear! You're entitled to the dole for two years when you set up alone and a lot of my mates are gone past two years.

So to answer your question, yes, change career, but remember whatever career you start will not pay as good as an arch tech in the good times but a minimum pay job has it's benefits in terms of keeping the mind focused and social aspects.

Heads up, good luck.

Slig

Unfortunately, its something you'll have to decide for yourself I can only tell you what worked for me and you can decide yourself whether to read it or not.

Like nearly everyone thats gonna post here, I'm an Arch tech since about 2001 and I was let go 3 years ago. I had a mortgage, car loans, gym membership etc. so my redundancy got eaten up pretty quick. I did the usual thing of looking for similar jobs, arch tech, cad technician, site foreman etc. before necessity meant I look for any job that would bring in some money. I'm married and we considered moving to Canada or Scotland, retraining in a completely different industry and trying to start again, selling our home and going back to college etc. but everything we thought about just sounded like we were throwing away the last 10 years.

I did a couple of evening courses while working min wage for an established Irish "family restaurant." The best course I did was a "start your own business course" by the enterprise board. I really only did it to put in my CV but ended up starting my own practice. I used any excess money I earned in the chipper:D to pay for HGV driving lessons (it sounded like an industry there would always be some work in) and got my driving tests.

Right now I drive an artic during the weekend (Saturday, sunday & monday) and work on the few arch tech jobs during the week. I earn a weeks wages for 3 days work and am still available on the mobile to my clients. My wife is also a ret. arch tech so she does alot of the work at home around her part time job aswell.
There is still work out there if you are experienced, flexible and are prepared to take a hit on fees. It wont make us rich by any means (I think we have about €12.72 in the business account at the min:D) but it leaves us in a good position for when things do pick up and allows us to keep up with the industry in the interim.

My life is completely different now than 3 years ago, I'm driving a €1K car instead of a 4x4, I havent seen the inside of a pub or restaurant in 6 months and I'm away from home for nearly half the week but for the other half of the week I'm relatively free to do whatever I want. I appreciate the time abit more, instead of coming home from work, eating dinner and turning on the tv I spend more time outside or in the garage restoring an old bike i found (the garage that was so messy I couldnt even step into it 3 years ago)
I even enjoy the arch tech work more as I can work to my own standard.


Anyway, thats what I did and its working for me so far, its not a conventional path and its something that I never would have considered 3 years ago. I suppose that like yourself I had an interrest in something different (for me it was trucks instead of panel beating) It wasnt easy getting my licenses or finding my first job but I could make a decent living if I were to do it full time, more than I was making as an arch tech but the hours would be alot longer and the work more manual.

If nothing else try the "start your own business" course it might show you something you never thought of before or at least close off a potential path.

DOCARCH

Fair play to you Slig.

Your doing pretty o.k. if you've that sort of balance in your business account. You should see mine. :eek:

martinn123

Hope you guys don't mind me butting in as I am not an Arch Tech.

Definately start your own business if you can,and in another area, if you have an interest, and can get training.
FAS is gone from today, new outfit so hopefully better training facilities for unemployed.

Fact is no one in any area of Construction is hiring, but there is work out there.

I was sitting here two hours ago, wordering how I would meet the D/D's at month end, ( 12.72, haven't seen that much in my account for ages ) and just landed a nice job which will keep me in funds for the next couple of months, ( plus I can go for a pint, to celebrate ).

So keep the head up, things will get better, and best of luck, to you all.

Slig

Its not too difficult to set up a small "trading as" company and as previously posted you wont automatically lose your Social Welfare. Find something that your interrested in and go for it. Its not as big a jump as you might think to go from a weekly wage to sporadic lump sums.

Plus it gives you something to aim for and work towards instead of just surviving day to day, I know how hard it is to wake up every morning realising that you arent living any more just plodding along hoping to make all the repayments at the end of the month.

No6

I've been running my own buisness as an arch tech for 10 years, I didn't make a fortune during the boom but I was ok. The last few years the work load and income has dropped about 75% for the peak. I am still going just about, I am breaking even just about. One gopod thing about being self employed working from home is you can write off some of your expenses, travel, heating electricty, telephones against any income you might get. The drawback to it is your are permanetly scraping to meet each months payment. I find the best thing to do is try and specalise in everything!! I did a PSDP course a few years ago and now i do PSDP work for both my own Jobs and other practices that I work with. Same with BER's. I am currently looking at retraining under the springboard scheme as i have been signing for credits for the last year and am looking at some enviornental or energy engineering courses which are available on a part time and online basis. I would say the best thing you could do is find something where what you already know will sill be useful, move sideways rather than start at the bottom again!!

Slig

Now is the time to be innovative, if you are anything like I was you are probably stretching every euro to make the outgoings. TBH at this stage anything that you try that brings in abit of cash will be a small success. If you can build on it all the better.

Myself and my wife were seriously considering moving for work but knocked it on the head after some research, the common experience is that if you are emigrating to another country it should be for the life aspect not work

Morelli

hi there
i have being working as a arch tech for the last ten years but found my self out of work for the last two years, involved in an accident and when i went to return to work there was none, i have done a number of other work since like gardening , painting and other bits and peices but nothing reliable... i built a house at the peak and got married as ya do.. now with a wee fellow at 9 months, my wife is a teacher...how ever .. i really do not know what road to take now as i am going up the walls trying to see if i can pay a few bills..
my self worth and esteem is at a all time low and wish i could find a bit off work somewhere...i'm self employed selling insulation which half the country is att and i am really struggling to make ends met..and am spend anything i get on fuel, phone etc etc...no social life at all.
there has being alot of dark days where i cant see anyway out of this rat race and really don,t know wot to do..retain...stay self employed and pray for a prolonged cold winter.... i really dont know wot to do...like everyone else its a constant pressure from day to day to keep everything going.
only for my wife i would be [EMAIL="f@*Ked"]f@*Ked[/EMAIL]...

No6

Morelli whatever you do don't get sick with depression over it, have a look at doing some part time courses if you can, keep your self busy and enjoy your time with your Baby, have of us had children we didn't see growing up we were so busy working and it wasnt worth it at all!!