Working in an Office V Working on a building site

WhiteWalls

Hi everybody,

I'm soon emigrating to Australia. My question is relating to what type of work to seek. The lads I'm going over to all work with a company that do concreting so I'm pretty much guaranteed a job with them. This would be hard work with long hours but good pay. On the other hand, I have a law degree and a masters in law. People from my class are working with solicitors and other office work in OZ and I may pick up some office work if I tried.

I just don't know which one to concentrate on, I'v done labor intensive jobs before but I'v never really worked in an office.

What do people think?

Thanks

wazky

Whatever you pick, watch out for the Kangaroos.

The real predators in Australia.

Titzon Toast

Office.
Shag the hot secretary.
Move in circles with more money.

Sky King

Site, then injure yourself and use your law expertise to extract money from your employers, then live like a queen for the remainder of your time there.

Office, they have air conditioning, it can get bloody hot outside in the summer.

Stained Class

OP. Your qualifacations don't define your life or you as a person.

Do what feels right for you at the time.

Bear in mind though, at 50 where would you like to be?

WhiteWalls

Not sure would office work suit me if I was under pressure though, I'd sooner be busy at work that is labor intensive than something not going right for me at a computer, also the hard work could make me manlier and sexier(If that's even possible)

WhiteWalls

Stained Class wrote: »

OP. Your qualifacations don't define your life or you as a person.

Do what feels right for you at the time.

Bear in mind though, at 50 where would you like to be?

Thanks, at 50 I don't want to be on a site, does that settle it?

Sky King

Stained Class wrote: »

Bear in mind though, at 50 where would you like to be?

Doin your.................son?

urabell

You should probably use your law degree, the one you paid all that money for

WhiteWalls

urabell wrote: »

You should probably use your law degree, the one you paid all that money for

I know very little about the law, like most of my class, all I did for four years was learn something off and reproduce it on a piece of paper

urabell

WhiteWalls wrote: »

I know very little about the law, like most of my class, all I did for four years was learn something off and reproduce it on a piece of paper

I'm a second year law student, I'm in pretty much the same boat but so is everyone else. 10 years down the line you'll be moving up in the legal world and making more money than you would be on a site and if things pick up here the skills in the Australian legal world will be easily transferable if you decide to return, not the the skills on the site won't be but there'll always be jobs for experienced lawyers here

WhiteWalls

urabell wrote: »

I'm a second year law student, I'm in pretty much the same boat but so is everyone else. 10 years down the line you'll be moving up in the legal world and making more money than you would be on a site and if things pick up here the skills in the Australian legal world will be easily transferable if you decide to return, not the the skills on the site won't be but there'll always be jobs for experienced lawyers here

A solicitor here can't work in Australia can they?

SEPT 23 1989

you have the knowledge now go and get the life experience on the sites for a few years

it will stand to you when you get back into your chosen career

WhiteWalls

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

you have the knowledge now go and get the life experience on the sites for a few years

it will stand to you when you get back into your chosen career

Thanks but I'm sure I could get life experience in an office too?

urabell

WhiteWalls wrote: »

A solicitor here can't work in Australia can they?

No not without sitting the exams here I believe but the legal systems are broadly similar and someone with experience in a corporate firm in Oz would find it easy enough to get a job here

Stained Class

WhiteWalls wrote: »

Thanks, at 50 I don't want to be on a site, does that settle it?

No.

Here's my story.

I got a Diploma in Mech Eng back in the '80s .

Emigrated & did the buildings aswell.

Came back in the early '90s & took up a job in a toolroom with a major manufacturing firm.

Thought I'd get something better later on......

Saved the pennies & bought a house single-handed. Hired out rooms to meet the mortgage. Grand.

Met a great woman & had a kid in short order.

Kicked out all my tenants & am now very happy.

Still working in that toolroom though, but see the value in the security of it.

That & the fact that it's a job that I can physically cope with beyond 60.

RobbingBandit

Building site cat calls at passing women is banter with the lads.

Office cat calls at passing women is sexual harassment, appointment with HR department.

SpaceCowb0y

Having lived and worked in pretty much every industry you can think of in Australia over a course of about 3 years id say if you can make good money sitting in an nice office with air con go with that! Working on the sites is good banter and most bosses will buy beers when you knock off but it's tough work made even tougher in the hot Spring/Summer months! I worked landscaping in Perth in summer! 44 degrees one day laying grass with no shelter wearing long sleeved overalls and trousers! Not pleasant! But the money can be great! I also worked doing data entry in an office and while it didn't pay quite as well i appreciated the working conditions and also got to meet a lot of really nice people! Take into consideration there are very few women on building sites! After work drinks with the office crew were always good as you're generally heading to the places the Aussies will head to giving you an insight into the real Australian way of life rather then the closest pub to the site with just a gang of lads

Stained Class

Stained Class wrote: »

No.

Here's my story.

I got a Diploma in Mech Eng back in the '80s .

Emigrated & did the buildings aswell.

Came back in the early '90s & took up a job in a toolroom with a major manufacturing firm.

Thought I'd get something better later on......

Saved the pennies & bought a house single-handed. Hired out rooms to meet the mortgage. Grand.

Met a great woman & had a kid in short order.

Kicked out all my tenants & am now very happy.

Still working in that toolroom though, but see the value in the security of it.

That & the fact that it's a job that I can physically cope with beyond 60.

What I should have added to that post, is that I'm very happy now with the choises that I made.

Sure, I didn't have the career that I hoped for.......

But Hey, I've got a steady job.

More importantly, I've got a great home/family life now.

This was something I didn't really expect.

As you get older your priororities can change.;)

WhiteWalls

It's a tough one, I'v worked as a steel fixer with an uncle of mine and labored on block layers. During both jobs I had days where I said 'Fcuk this ', However friends in OZ seem to be making big money with concrete. Suppose I'll just have to see what the story is with the pay at office work and then weigh it up. Definitely don't see myself on a site for the rest of my days, id just see it as a way to make money.

Maybe I should just go with the flow and see what happens!!

SpaceCowb0y

WhiteWalls wrote: »

Maybe I should just go with the flow and see what happens!!

This +100000

That's what a working Holiday visa is all about! Unless you are emigrating? In that case you are supposed to be going over to work in a specific field though, whether that be construction or Law etc it's part of the application process to state what you will be doing for a living.

diomed

When you come back to Ireland I assume you will work in law.
Question: what work experience do you have?
Answer 1: I worked for XYZ Construction Co on a building site pouring concrete.
Answer 2: I worked for XYZ Law Co in the central business district.

WhiteWalls

Ya I think the only good reason to work on a site is if the money is very good. I don't mean to sound old fashioned but a couple of my neighbors went to Oz and had an 'amazing experience', yet are not at home again in the same position before they left

Stavros Murphy

WhiteWalls wrote: »

Ya I think the only good reason to work on a site is if the money is very good. I don't mean to sound old fashioned but a couple of my neighbors went to Oz and had an 'amazing experience', yet are not at home again in the same position before they left

Which is good, right?

WhiteWalls

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Which is good, right?

Sorry, that not is supposed to be NOW

ArtSmart

so, working with hot sweaty manly men, or not.

anything else you want to share with the group?

anyway, kiddngi aside, do both. get fit/tanned for a few months, then get the office job. simples

the_syco

WhiteWalls wrote: »

On the other hand, I have a law degree and a masters in law. People from my class are working with solicitors and other office work in OZ and I may pick up some office work if I tried.

It really comes down to what you want to get out of it?

Money; work on the sites. Be aware once you go home to Ireland, you'll have a law degree and a masters in law from a few years ago.

Experience; work in law, and when you come back to Ireland, you may have decent experience in law from another country. Although it may not be relevant to Irish law, I'd say if you worked with a company that had offices in both Ireland and Oz, you'd be looked upon favourably when you get back.

Maybe a question to put to the people that work in the legal sector; does work experience from a large english speaking country go for or against legal job prospects in Ireland?

TPD

If the site work is a sure thing, try for the office job. If you get that and don't like it, go to the site.

Mickey H

WhiteWalls wrote: »

Ya I think the only good reason to work on a site is if the money is very good. I don't mean to sound old fashioned but a couple of my neighbors went to Oz and had an 'amazing experience', yet are not at home again in the same position before they left

What position? Missionary?

mikemac1

WhiteWalls wrote: »

I know very little about the law, like most of my class, all I did for four years was learn something off and reproduce it on a piece of paper

So is that what my taxes are paying for, rabble rabble !?!

Pug160

It's not making sense to me. You're coming across as someone who likes practical tasks and who has little patience for more cerebral, white collar work, yet you sat and did a law degree. I'm guessing you must have had a blast doing that.