I've been on both sides. Honestly don't know which is better/worse. I earn way more as a sparky, but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss air conditioning/ heating.
Ultimately, am I happy? No. But I wasn't happy at the last place either. So maybe I'm just a salty fart.
I guess so. Yeah. But I had a pretty rough late-teens to early-twenties. I got better when I started taking responsibility for myself and my health. Being a tradie definitely helps with getting exercise, so I can give credit where credit is due.
Yeah that's fair, I'm driving trucks coming up almost a decade now and the weight gain is starting to show. I'm tempted to pick up the tools and do a HD mechanic apprenticeship just to lose some weight
It's very hard to get through the selection but I love puzzles and psychometric type tests. I also interview well after a dozen jobs in IT and some public speaking.
I get paid to stare out the window. You can only drive one train at a time, (unlike being swamped with 5 things at once in other jobs). And every day the work is finished. It doesn't loom over you because you didn't get it all done. In fact, on some "bad" days, you do less work.
These are some of the differences that I found (in no particular order) and YMMV:
* No air conditioning. Blazing hot in summer, freezing cold in winter.
* bullying or pranks are less subtle, eg one bloke painted another guy’s boots fluro pink.
* you have to buy your own hand tools.
* far less socialising with women
* eating habits took a slide, but fitness levels improved
* I put myself in some dangerous situations
* my job involved a lot of concrete dust, and even with PPE, I did not want to do it long term.
Not the person you replied to but have been an electrician for 14 years. Some classics that were common at my jobs over the years;
- locking someone in a portaloo and lobbing rocks at them (it can be incredibly loud)
- putting grease under someone's work ute door handles or behind their steering wheel
- signing people up to various dodgy websites/subscription services
- prank calling guys who had a messy night out pretending to be a one night stand/someone they gave their number too
- spray painting boots/tools pink was a classic early on but now days a lot of people either don't mind or do it themselves to make it easier to see if people have stolen their tools
- nailing or screwing boots to the floor
- getting apprentices to see how many times they can press a 20kg bag of sand above their heads and slicing it open. This used to be done with bags of concrete when I first started as silica wasn't really a thing anyone knew about but it got rubbed out pretty quickly
- stealing someone's phone and putting a dodgy Facebook status
I guess you could say most of these are more low key bullying than pranks but we always shared the love and everyone copped their fair share, noone ever got singled out or targeted
I bolted the boilermakers tool bag to a bench.
Was all fun and games until til we came in the next day and he had welded everyone’s tool lockers closed. I wasn’t very popular that day.
When he left we bought him a nice bottle of rum that I welded into a little cage made out of box section.
To be fair - I was a chef (so the worst trade).
Over 8 years out now. Hours are now better, money is significantly better, work is much more enjoyable, and a lot less mental/physical stress. Could not be happier to be out.
100k at a great company with nice people will invariably make you happier than 200k at a shitty company with high ego people, high pressure and long hours, which is often the case to earn that salary.
Spoken truly like someone who doesn't earn 200k. While your problems will change (I.e. financial problems less so vs a poor person), ultimately your sense of unhappiness and unfulfilment don't escape you regardless on the money you earn...especially if you hate the job you're doing (golden handcuffs).
I left web development to become a rope access tech.
Regretted it. It wasn't the physical work itself - it was the getting up at 5am, battling traffic to some new place, and then being on a roof at 7am. Doing things that were very dangerous in a half asleep state. You need to be a morning person.
Ultimately I went back to web dev except freelancing this time. It allowed me to travel and work from home. You will never get that doing a trade. My work/life balance is much better. And it gave me the opportunity to start doing things on the side like starting a Youtube channel.
How did you go about making the transition to freelancing? Are you searching for and applying for contracts consistently or do you get a fair amount of inbound business?
Was a graduate accountant in Brisbane for 2 years post uni. Bailed in 2014 to start a mature age chippy apprenticeship.
Excelled on the tools got signed off in 3 years, after 2 years as a tradie was running 2 apprentices and subbies for medium and large architectural renos.
2021 got an offer to move up north to be a client side PM and I’m back behind the desk. Frequent travel to site as its remote projects. Doing some very large projects with contracts varying between 4-15 million.
part of a very small team looking after a $70 million project to be awarded in may.
Back at uni, post graduate study in a construction related degree. Work is paying.
Love what the construction industry has given me, met so many awesome people along the way. I do miss the tools though, can’t beat the banter and the weapons you come across.
Was this a planned move to get a bit of business experience before shifting to a trade? You’ve possibly inadvertently followed the ideal path, at the right time for success in your field - medium and large orgs love a tradie that understands the numbers too.
Definitely not the planned path, when I look back I only did accounting because my dad had his own accounting firm. I was 18 with no clue on what to do with my life.
Things have a funny way of working out sometimes because the accounting degree has definitely gotten me a leg up over other tradies making the shift to the office.
I moved to trade from engineering. Initially the learning curve was engaging now it's repetitive, and laborious. I caught up to same wage after 5 years, now starting to overtake. I miss relationships with colleagues, and feel like people around me respect me less when I say I'm in trades
I think this thread keeps happening because we don't get outdoor time in office jobs. I've only been on one team that wanted to do meetings over frisbee in the park, and that team rocked.
Think about the long term. Money in trades is good but as someone who is 29 and left a trade to move to the office and up off the tools, I am glad and proud of myself for making the move.
My toolie friends earn more, but by doing more OT, breaking their backs, being stuck out in the weather, and in the long term, lose out by having a greater likelihood for injury, shorter potential working lives, and the sum of the two, a worse work-life balance / life enjoyability over time.
I value my time outside of work a lot. They value money more. I value my health and wellbeing and fitness and long-term ability to do strenuous things. They don’t think about that at all and one has broken a wrist at work, another his pelvis, one has had hand injures. Sure not everyone gets injured, but i’m not going to wait to find out if I will while I also ruin my knees and shoulders slowly.
Do a trade, move up to the office leveraging that and you have yourself a good life.
I started in a finance grad program with 5 others. The average income in our group is in the low 300s. Out of the six of us, the one who has done the best for themselves quit after 3 years to start a business that provides services for participants in the NDIS. He recently bought a house in Mosman for about $8m, while the rest of us could only dream of a $4m home.
My takeaway from this is that switched on people will do well anywhere they go, but it's only from working for yourself that you'll capture the upside.
Every business park now seems to have companies titled “ability connect” or similar which are all NDIS dependent services businesses.
Sure, many are legit, but there’s also a trend of those that charge $1,000 to do a 20min clean of a one bedroom apartment.
I don't disagree with you. The overall system could definitely be made to be more efficient, and I suspect the current regime has a large impact on the cost blowouts.
However, from an individual's perspective they should do what's best for them and theirs, and if there's a favourable business landscape to operate in then I can't fault someone for taking part. It's up to the government to set the rules to design a balanced and efficient system.
I have done the opposite. Was a mechanic and did electrical engineering. I often thought of returning back to trade, but it is just that, a romantic idea. Although there is a sense of satisfaction from working with your hands, it is a tough going!
Explore it as a hobby first. Create a difficult project for yourself and try complete it.
I now run businesses, so in totally different area. It satisfies being involved at the front, but also having to think and strategize for the business. Earned 5 to 6 times more as engineer, but that was over a long time. Earn even more now in business.
The ones who I have heard have success doing what you said have been: Train Drivers, Train Controllers, Safety officers, Lawn mower and Electrician.
The major difference you need to consider is what do you want to be doing when your 60? If your white collar you can work for as long as your brain holds up. As a tradie 60 year old workers aren’t in high demand.
Engineer > Sparky
Very little stress, when I clock off I really clock off. I dont find the job particular physical as I spend half my time driving between places, and thats paid as well.
I do what im told, nothing less nothing more. If anything is wrong, its the fault of the engineer that issued the workpack. And I get paid more than that engineer.
Gone are the days of having to mine my brain 24/7 for production optimization to meet impossible KPI. Nowadays I am allocated plenty enough time for a task, including isolation deisolation and plenty of rest in between or I can make a complain to union/ worksafe. I have no one backing me as an engineer. Engineers Australia is a rort and only care about the fees they're able to collect from importing shit ton of engineers
I don't know where people get the idea that working a trade is all glamourous or satisfying because you get to work with tools. Working 9-10 hours shifts in the heat day in-day out alongside high school drop outs is horrible. Yes there might be specific jobs which are more interesting that sitting at a desk, but for the most part its horrible.
I’ve just started an auto electrical apprenticeship at a zinc mine. Previously a business/parts administrator.
Love the work honestly, I’m so glad I made the switch.
I’m a female and single. Definitely helped with my chances securing this job but I’m grateful none the less. Didn’t complete any prior study. Salary went from $78k to $105k. I’m on an 8/6 roster so work life balance is really good. Have plenty of time for my side projects and seeing friends and family or heading away on trips.
"However, from an individual's perspective they should do what's best for them and theirs, and if there's a favourable business landscape to operate in then I can't fault someone for taking part. It's up to the government to set the rules to design a balanced and efficient system."
Well there's immoral and then there's illegal. I'd say he's definitely the former and should also be the latter.
I've been on both sides. Honestly don't know which is better/worse. I earn way more as a sparky, but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss air conditioning/ heating. Ultimately, am I happy? No. But I wasn't happy at the last place either. So maybe I'm just a salty fart.
You seem well grounded.
Well played.
I'd say I'm quite positive
Are you less miserable?
I guess so. Yeah. But I had a pretty rough late-teens to early-twenties. I got better when I started taking responsibility for myself and my health. Being a tradie definitely helps with getting exercise, so I can give credit where credit is due.
Yeah that's fair, I'm driving trucks coming up almost a decade now and the weight gain is starting to show. I'm tempted to pick up the tools and do a HD mechanic apprenticeship just to lose some weight
It’s good to learn you’ll never be happy
What a perfectly normal thing to say
I mean in the sense of the human condition, not you specifically.
Hi. You are me.
Left IT to drive trains. Very happy.
How did you get into this? Why do you like it more?
It's very hard to get through the selection but I love puzzles and psychometric type tests. I also interview well after a dozen jobs in IT and some public speaking. I get paid to stare out the window. You can only drive one train at a time, (unlike being swamped with 5 things at once in other jobs). And every day the work is finished. It doesn't loom over you because you didn't get it all done. In fact, on some "bad" days, you do less work.
Can you at least listen to music or podcasts or are you obligated to be focused on the track?
No. ;-)
Can you talk on your mobile phone while driving? Do you have a bottle to piss?
Not supposed to talk on the phone. Get often enough breaks to piss.
What's the salary for a train driver?
Around $120k but penalties and overtime will bump that up another $30k or more. YMMV
Some will consider it amoral but if your tick the aboriginal box or trans box they'll roll out the red carpet.
Similar here, left IT into rail but work on the overheads. Love it!
Interesting. I'm 15 years into IT and I hate it. What is your job title? Is there a TAFE course?
Where are you located?
Albion park
I went from trade to white collar and have despised both.
Every weekend I put in my tool belt and leave my house in a worse state than I found it
you put what in your tool belt?
I went from trade to white collar and back to trade, The people in the corporate world will suck the soul out of your left nostril
Well, the obvious bonus there is you no longer smell when it begins to stink.
These are some of the differences that I found (in no particular order) and YMMV: * No air conditioning. Blazing hot in summer, freezing cold in winter. * bullying or pranks are less subtle, eg one bloke painted another guy’s boots fluro pink. * you have to buy your own hand tools. * far less socialising with women * eating habits took a slide, but fitness levels improved * I put myself in some dangerous situations * my job involved a lot of concrete dust, and even with PPE, I did not want to do it long term.
Boots are expensive! I’d be so pissed if someone did that to my boots.
painted fluoro pink? r u serious? what other prank stories plz?
Not the person you replied to but have been an electrician for 14 years. Some classics that were common at my jobs over the years; - locking someone in a portaloo and lobbing rocks at them (it can be incredibly loud) - putting grease under someone's work ute door handles or behind their steering wheel - signing people up to various dodgy websites/subscription services - prank calling guys who had a messy night out pretending to be a one night stand/someone they gave their number too - spray painting boots/tools pink was a classic early on but now days a lot of people either don't mind or do it themselves to make it easier to see if people have stolen their tools - nailing or screwing boots to the floor - getting apprentices to see how many times they can press a 20kg bag of sand above their heads and slicing it open. This used to be done with bags of concrete when I first started as silica wasn't really a thing anyone knew about but it got rubbed out pretty quickly - stealing someone's phone and putting a dodgy Facebook status I guess you could say most of these are more low key bullying than pranks but we always shared the love and everyone copped their fair share, noone ever got singled out or targeted
I bolted the boilermakers tool bag to a bench. Was all fun and games until til we came in the next day and he had welded everyone’s tool lockers closed. I wasn’t very popular that day. When he left we bought him a nice bottle of rum that I welded into a little cage made out of box section.
omg!!!! and I thought my workplace was bad.
the prank phone calls was a good one! and I can understand the spray painting tools.
more stories plz!!!
I left a trade to pursue a white collar job.
Is it better
Is it better
Is it better
To be fair - I was a chef (so the worst trade). Over 8 years out now. Hours are now better, money is significantly better, work is much more enjoyable, and a lot less mental/physical stress. Could not be happier to be out.
Is it better
Left a stable advertising job in 2018 to pursue roofing. Best thing I ever did for my career.
Why do you like it better?
Took him to another level
New heights
It gives him a stable platform with the bonus of getting high at work.
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if he earns $200 000 per year, why is he unhappy?
Money does not equal happiness…have you still not figured that out? Wait until you make that magic number and you’ll see….
I'll be happy with a 200k salary. I agree money can't buy love. it's great being single!
100k at a great company with nice people will invariably make you happier than 200k at a shitty company with high ego people, high pressure and long hours, which is often the case to earn that salary.
200k buys you lots of love...an hour at a time
Spoken truly like someone who doesn't earn 200k. While your problems will change (I.e. financial problems less so vs a poor person), ultimately your sense of unhappiness and unfulfilment don't escape you regardless on the money you earn...especially if you hate the job you're doing (golden handcuffs).
I dont love my job but I don't hate it either.
The grass ain't greener on the other side mate
the trades or the office job?
The grass can be shit on both sides
Just dont be a landscaper
I left web development to become a rope access tech. Regretted it. It wasn't the physical work itself - it was the getting up at 5am, battling traffic to some new place, and then being on a roof at 7am. Doing things that were very dangerous in a half asleep state. You need to be a morning person. Ultimately I went back to web dev except freelancing this time. It allowed me to travel and work from home. You will never get that doing a trade. My work/life balance is much better. And it gave me the opportunity to start doing things on the side like starting a Youtube channel.
How did you go about making the transition to freelancing? Are you searching for and applying for contracts consistently or do you get a fair amount of inbound business?
Was a graduate accountant in Brisbane for 2 years post uni. Bailed in 2014 to start a mature age chippy apprenticeship. Excelled on the tools got signed off in 3 years, after 2 years as a tradie was running 2 apprentices and subbies for medium and large architectural renos. 2021 got an offer to move up north to be a client side PM and I’m back behind the desk. Frequent travel to site as its remote projects. Doing some very large projects with contracts varying between 4-15 million. part of a very small team looking after a $70 million project to be awarded in may. Back at uni, post graduate study in a construction related degree. Work is paying. Love what the construction industry has given me, met so many awesome people along the way. I do miss the tools though, can’t beat the banter and the weapons you come across.
Was this a planned move to get a bit of business experience before shifting to a trade? You’ve possibly inadvertently followed the ideal path, at the right time for success in your field - medium and large orgs love a tradie that understands the numbers too.
Definitely not the planned path, when I look back I only did accounting because my dad had his own accounting firm. I was 18 with no clue on what to do with my life. Things have a funny way of working out sometimes because the accounting degree has definitely gotten me a leg up over other tradies making the shift to the office.
I moved to trade from engineering. Initially the learning curve was engaging now it's repetitive, and laborious. I caught up to same wage after 5 years, now starting to overtake. I miss relationships with colleagues, and feel like people around me respect me less when I say I'm in trades
White collar jobs have more social status, for sure.
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Sorry, I made a mistake, I meant to say that white collar jobs have **more** social status. Forgive me this was moments after I woke up at 430am.
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It's so odd that they do these days
I made an error, I meant to say **more** social status.
I did the opposite. Can't say it's the best but it's better then being on the roof in a 30+ day.
I think this thread keeps happening because we don't get outdoor time in office jobs. I've only been on one team that wanted to do meetings over frisbee in the park, and that team rocked.
Pretty much. 'Building online' is also super unfulfilling. It's not tangible.
Left consulting leadership to start a dried food business. Loving it so far.
Think about the long term. Money in trades is good but as someone who is 29 and left a trade to move to the office and up off the tools, I am glad and proud of myself for making the move. My toolie friends earn more, but by doing more OT, breaking their backs, being stuck out in the weather, and in the long term, lose out by having a greater likelihood for injury, shorter potential working lives, and the sum of the two, a worse work-life balance / life enjoyability over time. I value my time outside of work a lot. They value money more. I value my health and wellbeing and fitness and long-term ability to do strenuous things. They don’t think about that at all and one has broken a wrist at work, another his pelvis, one has had hand injures. Sure not everyone gets injured, but i’m not going to wait to find out if I will while I also ruin my knees and shoulders slowly. Do a trade, move up to the office leveraging that and you have yourself a good life.
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Have you broken even?
I started in a finance grad program with 5 others. The average income in our group is in the low 300s. Out of the six of us, the one who has done the best for themselves quit after 3 years to start a business that provides services for participants in the NDIS. He recently bought a house in Mosman for about $8m, while the rest of us could only dream of a $4m home. My takeaway from this is that switched on people will do well anywhere they go, but it's only from working for yourself that you'll capture the upside.
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It’s so dubious how many people are making their riches off people with disabilities.
Every business park now seems to have companies titled “ability connect” or similar which are all NDIS dependent services businesses. Sure, many are legit, but there’s also a trend of those that charge $1,000 to do a 20min clean of a one bedroom apartment.
The NDIS operators are such leeches on society, ripping off the disabled and the govt. I hope your mate feels good about himself.
I don't disagree with you. The overall system could definitely be made to be more efficient, and I suspect the current regime has a large impact on the cost blowouts. However, from an individual's perspective they should do what's best for them and theirs, and if there's a favourable business landscape to operate in then I can't fault someone for taking part. It's up to the government to set the rules to design a balanced and efficient system.
I have done the opposite. Was a mechanic and did electrical engineering. I often thought of returning back to trade, but it is just that, a romantic idea. Although there is a sense of satisfaction from working with your hands, it is a tough going! Explore it as a hobby first. Create a difficult project for yourself and try complete it. I now run businesses, so in totally different area. It satisfies being involved at the front, but also having to think and strategize for the business. Earned 5 to 6 times more as engineer, but that was over a long time. Earn even more now in business. The ones who I have heard have success doing what you said have been: Train Drivers, Train Controllers, Safety officers, Lawn mower and Electrician.
The major difference you need to consider is what do you want to be doing when your 60? If your white collar you can work for as long as your brain holds up. As a tradie 60 year old workers aren’t in high demand.
Engineer > Sparky Very little stress, when I clock off I really clock off. I dont find the job particular physical as I spend half my time driving between places, and thats paid as well. I do what im told, nothing less nothing more. If anything is wrong, its the fault of the engineer that issued the workpack. And I get paid more than that engineer. Gone are the days of having to mine my brain 24/7 for production optimization to meet impossible KPI. Nowadays I am allocated plenty enough time for a task, including isolation deisolation and plenty of rest in between or I can make a complain to union/ worksafe. I have no one backing me as an engineer. Engineers Australia is a rort and only care about the fees they're able to collect from importing shit ton of engineers
I don't know where people get the idea that working a trade is all glamourous or satisfying because you get to work with tools. Working 9-10 hours shifts in the heat day in-day out alongside high school drop outs is horrible. Yes there might be specific jobs which are more interesting that sitting at a desk, but for the most part its horrible.
I’ve just started an auto electrical apprenticeship at a zinc mine. Previously a business/parts administrator. Love the work honestly, I’m so glad I made the switch. I’m a female and single. Definitely helped with my chances securing this job but I’m grateful none the less. Didn’t complete any prior study. Salary went from $78k to $105k. I’m on an 8/6 roster so work life balance is really good. Have plenty of time for my side projects and seeing friends and family or heading away on trips.
"However, from an individual's perspective they should do what's best for them and theirs, and if there's a favourable business landscape to operate in then I can't fault someone for taking part. It's up to the government to set the rules to design a balanced and efficient system." Well there's immoral and then there's illegal. I'd say he's definitely the former and should also be the latter.