Wanting to Swap Jobs, What Are The Ethics in Telling My Current Boss?

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  [Deactivated] on 22/05/2017 - 08:08

  I always look for jobs while at a current job, take a day off when you need to go for an interview, then resign when required.
  Can't really comment on jobs in the country, but in the big smoke I've been able to get a job within a week of applying.

  • 

    goodcopbadcop on 23/05/2017 - 11:11

    Gee what sort of work do you do? And what techniques to you use to get a job within a week of applying? That's amazing….

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 23/05/2017 - 11:33

      -2

      i have a resume that has the skills required for the jobs i apply for.

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  chumlee on 22/05/2017 - 08:28

  +7

  You have to look after your own interests. No one else will

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  garetz on 22/05/2017 - 09:00

  +13

  finish your trade, at least you will have something to fall back on if your future plans fizzle out. A tiler in sydney can easily make 2k a job over 1-2 days work.

  • 

    PVA on 22/05/2017 - 09:03

    +3

    Agree, finish the trade. Good tilers can make a lot on big sites.

  • 

    Wampus on 22/05/2017 - 09:22

    +3

    Agree as well, finish your trade so you're a qualified tiler. Even if you move into something completely unrelated, a qualification in anything is good.

    • 

      altomic on 22/05/2017 - 09:28

      +4

      Being a tiler is a grout job.

      • 

        Roqua on 22/05/2017 - 09:31

        Oh boy..

  • 

    Roqua on 22/05/2017 - 09:30

    It's been something I've thought. I've got a few friends that quit their apprenticeship on the 3rd or 4th year and I continue to scratch my head asking why.

    Ods are I'll stick out the last few years and having something big to ad to the resume. Right now, there's very little on it worthwhile.

    I might not enjoy it much, but it's better than nothing.

    • 

      goodcopbadcop on 23/05/2017 - 11:20

      And that's the thing…. better a bird in the hand than one in the bush… in other words be grateful for the apprenticeship that you've got as the grass is NOT greener elsewhere and heaps of young people there keep applying and applying to get an apprenticeship in anything. Getting through an apprenticeship requires commitment for the full 4 years. The same for a uni degree. You can't drop out of one of these with no piece of paper and then expect to be paid well and the best kind of work by moving to another career. Unfortunately you'll think that another career will be better - but which one and why are you sure it will be better than this one? If you are working for a small business that has lazy tradesman working there - you could easily outperform them and be the star. Make your work more interesting by becoming the expert in something specific that your boss you brag about you to clients. This is what you are looking for - the recognition of the good work you do from your boss. So put some effort into practising something very specialised and very trendy and make that skill your own. You can bet your days will improve and so too will your skills and your speed and your boss will thank you for it. Just a thought…

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  railspider on 22/05/2017 - 09:34

  +6

  I'm currently in my 2nd year wall and floor tiling apprenticeship

  I'm not enjoying it. It's not fun, it's repetitive

  What were you expecting?

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  slow on 22/05/2017 - 09:35

  +3

  Unfortunately most jobs aren't fun. A year or 2 to finish your trade is not that long in the grand scheme of things. You will then have a lot more options.

  But if you want to move, that happens - if your boss is a good bloke as you say he should understand that you have decided that this career is just not for you and you want to do something different.

  But the grass is not always greener on the other side, particularly if as you say options are limited. Maybe if you feel you have more to offer than your fellow employees you can talk to him about this and he can give you some more interesting work??

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 22/05/2017 - 10:10

    -1

    a floor tiler is the same everywhere

    • 

      slow on 22/05/2017 - 10:25

      Yes but if you are good, working for yourself tiling mansions in Brighton for lots of $$$ in a few years time is probably a lot better that tiling industrial toilet blocks? I see a lot of very bad tiling around

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  ash79 on 22/05/2017 - 10:21

  I am not sure if this answers your question and the situation might be subjective to me. Here is my case if you can relate with yours:
  I was in the same mindset as you are in today but everything changed couple of years ago for me when I was made redundant even after a long service of 9 years in the same organisation. The business still runs today, it was not dying still no choice was given.

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  BigTed on 22/05/2017 - 11:31

  This is entirely unhelpful to you OP - sorry - but is a tiling apprenticeship really 4 years?
  Please don't take this the wrong way but how much could there possibly be to learn that it takes 4 years?
  My wife tiled our bathroom - did a great job - and I think she watched a Youtube video - probably took her a couple days to get the hang of it.
  So I'm not super surprised that you're finding it a bit dull after two years.

  • 

    Roqua on 22/05/2017 - 20:26

    +2

    Waterproofing, that's a pretty serious thing to know professionally in wet areas.

    Youll be surprised what different kinds of grouts there are, and there are actually standards you follow. Nobody does and most if all grout easily meet standards.

    Screading shower bases. This is a big one.

    Understanding substrates, and the glue to use on them, what's in the glue etc.

    Set outs and workouts. This is pretty simple, once you understand the math behind it. Tiling a bathroom is nothing compared to outdoor pillars, open floor plans, outdoor floors etc.

    This is just a little you learn. It's Jo licensed trade, but we understand concreting, planing and some electrical work. It's not to bad!

    • 

      sghetti on 02/06/2017 - 13:17

      Agreed, we've just had our balconies re-waterprooofed and re-tiled by a family friend. He's extremely thorough and would explain everything he was doing.

      Talked about all of the products he's used/trialled and through learning from mistakes, has perfected his trade. Different products and methods for different applications (wet areas, outdoors, bathrooms etc.). Even the 4 years isn't enough to learn everything you need to know.

      I definitely don't envy a tilers job!

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  try2bhelpful on 22/05/2017 - 14:46

  +1

  Have you thought about a sideline cottage industry to keep up your interest and make a couple of bucks - e.g. mosaic birdbaths, bowls, etc you could sell locally or at markets.

  • 

    Roqua on 22/05/2017 - 20:27

    I'm not very arts and craft gifted!

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  ms_caz on 22/05/2017 - 20:22

  +1

  Australia has an incredibly high drop out rate for apprentices and it is costing us a fortune.

  I don't know the specific details of your particular situation OP so I can't say for sure that it isn't awful, but I believe that you need to look within yourself to develop resilience, to stick with it. Nobody says that you will have to do this forever, but for now, if you are able to stick it out then do - you will gain in many ways, not just financially. As you progress in your apprenticeship you should be given more responsibilities and opportunities to manage bigger projects etc. Perhaps make that the focus of a discussion with your employer.

  As you say, it is a small town and you are likely to feel pressure if you leave him. You can do that - go and sit under a palm tree on a tropical island and meditate or whatever floats your boat - after you have finished.

  In the meantime make sure your work-life balance is up to scratch - make sure that you have interests and passions outside of work, but at the same time make sure that you focus on your work enough for it to give you a sense of satisfaction for a job well done. If you are a tiler, I would imagine that you will feel satisfaction with work that is neat and precise. Challenge yourself to make each job perfect - and reward yourself when you get to that standard. Even if nobody else notices, you will.

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    Roqua on 22/05/2017 - 20:32

    How does the high drop rate cost the taxpayer? Just curious!

    Im pretty sure I'll live put the next 2 and a half years to gain a qualification. It's sill not to.

    It's hard to want to continue my work when not many people only my boss, sometimes and one other guy in the team of 7 appreciate the work I do. I grit my teeth and deal with the people that are ass holes or just never positive.

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      [Deactivated] on 23/05/2017 - 10:56

      +2

      Apprenticeships are funded and regulated through a government body. Government bodies are paid for by the taxpayers. Every apprentice that drops out means another one has to take his/her place, so the costs increase.
      For every one of 'You': thinking of dropping out because you don't like it right now, rather than cannot make the grade, I could find 5 that would give anything to have a job.

      • 

        goodcopbadcop on 23/05/2017 - 11:25

        +1

        Employers are paid a commencement incentive from this Govt body - once they take on an apprentice. So that is paid for with tax payers' $'s.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 24/05/2017 - 11:26

        @goodcopbadcop: They also receive staged incentives at intervals during the apprenticeship period and when they finally complete. They also receive payroll tax concessions.

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        goodcopbadcop on 24/05/2017 - 12:22

        @4sure: Unfortunately NO the scheme has changed and the Fed Govt pays out the Employer Incentive Scheme payments for apprenticeships so that employers only receive two incentive payments - one on commencement and another slightly larger incentive payment on completion of the apprenticeship. And nothing in between (it used to have payments along the way. The Fed Govt also have separated out those trades that are on the National Skills Needs List (NSNL) and those that are not and pay the higher amount for being on the NSNL; and also the payment is slightly less if an existing employee takes up an apprenticeship than a new employee. The maximum incentive payment for commencement and completion is $4K and goes down to $3K for an existing employee.

        Bit of a misnomer to be called an Incentive payment.

        Payroll tax concession is State Govt incentive and is dependent on which state you are in. Not necessarily every state offers it and it is mostly calculated as a rebate on the rest of the payroll tax if the employer pays above a certain amount in a one month period.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 25/05/2017 - 10:11

        @goodcopbadcop: Good job I leave it up to my Director of Finance to keep up to date!

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  ChillBro on 22/05/2017 - 20:25

  Guess you've hit a wall.

  But seriously do it if you want to. Why wouldn't you? Usually people only put up with boring jobs if they can't find anything that pays better. If you think that you can, I say go for it.

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    Roqua on 22/05/2017 - 20:34

    It's going to take at least 2 months before a job, pay aside even comes up I could apply for.

    Jobs in rural Victoria are rare, especially for a 22 year old with not much continued working experience!

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  pjcook on 23/05/2017 - 07:59

  +1

  You have a mortgage and a Car loan….. Do not burn bridges, as you are in a small town so word gets around.

  Finish your trade, It will give you options in your future and show you can follow through and complete commitments made.

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  farknos on 23/05/2017 - 10:32

  +3

  i am impressed you are 22 years old and are concerned re ethics, most people in your age group still think the world owes them a living. just reading the info you have posted above would indicate you are self driven. if you can, hang in there and complete your trade. you may never go back to your trade but when you apply for another job in a different trade the first thing a perspective employer will note is you completed a trade so you are reliable. as for your trade being repetitive, most jobs are, of course if your self employed that repetitive job with some satisfaction from doing a good job and earning good money might be a different feel at the end of the week. remember for every good worker there are 9 that range from below average to oxygen thief, so its normal to work with losers. If you end up as a good tiler it will open a lot of doors in the trades as you have mentioned above you learn a bit about a lot of other trades in the housing industry. Its not the same as having a builders ticket but you will be able to earn good money off other trades as well as your own doing refits. Good Luck.

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  Hardlyworkin on 23/05/2017 - 18:22

  Are there any major reasons (eg kids) to stay where you are? Why not move or at least search online to see what's out there in a larger city.

  Would tou stay in the industry if you were working around better people?

  I guess it depends on what your boss is like if they find out that you're looking elsewhere for work and how that would affect your current role?

  BTW, technically not all apprentices need to provide formal notice…. Though that's not to say you don't have a moral obligation.

  • 

    Roqua on 04/06/2017 - 13:23

    Partner of 5 years has family here and refuses to move anywhere with me.

    So I'm stuck in VIC, which i also hate - it's cold and the people are pretty average.

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  Brendoo on 24/05/2017 - 01:45

  How much do you hate this job? I can see you aren't enjoying it right now and co-workers are annoying you (sounds like most jobs). Do you hate it so much that you dread getting up each day and going to work? Is it depressing you? Do you see yourself being a tiler long term? If you hate it and cannot see yourself doing it long term then quit now and cut your losses. No point wasting 2 more years in something you don't want to do. Get a 2 year head start on something else, you are only 22.

  BUT, it's important you have something to aim for that you are as certain as possible you will like and that has a future. I would suggest you take up another apprenticeship in an area you like and that has good job prospects. If you are in the bush it might be a bit difficult to find an employer looking for an apprentice in a field you like, so you may have to be patient. You will still probably have issues with certain people you work with, you have to assume that may always be the case, but you can address the boredom issue with something more challenging and exciting to you.

  If you want to quit just for the reasons you mentioned and you don't know what you want to go to, I would suggest not to quit, at least not without putting more thought into it. You could be jumping out of the frypan into the fire. Also, if you move to the city after your apprenticeship, it's boomtown in Sydney and Melbourne for construction and will be for a while, so you can earn $$$ with a trade that suits residential property development, such as tiling. Tradies kill it nowadays, no matter what trade.

  Oh, and don't tell your boss anything. Your reasons for quitting seem to not really be anything he could fix and would not change your state of mind. Best to not have him thinking you're going to bail on him. If you quit, that's life, every employer has to expect that.

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  Euphemistic on 01/06/2017 - 14:20

  Stick it out. It does cost money to run an apprenticeship and you say your boss is good. There are lazy, depressive and annoying people in every workplace.

  Look to the end 2 years might seem like a long way off, but you will end up with a trade, show that you can stick with a role which will make good on your resume. Think how "I didn't enjoy tiling, but it was important that I finish my trade and that I didn't let my boss down" sounds to a potential employer.