To Continue Trade or Do Postgrad?

L1jo on 21/01/2018 - 01:23
Last edited 21/01/2018 - 01:26

Currently 23 years old, and been working in the construction industry for over a year now after completing university in 2016. Studied a Bachelor of Health Sciences but midway through my degree I lost motivation to focus on studies as I didn't know what to do with the degree so it became a matter of just passing my subjects in order to graduate.
After graduating I decided to give a trade a go, and ended up working with a relative who is a self-employed tradesman.
Initial reason I got into my degree was to study a postgraduate in physiotherapy as I was really interested in the rehabilitation/hydrotherapy aspect of the job. Having experienced university and the trades, I feel like I can see positives and negatives of pursuing a career in either industries.

I've applied for postgraduate physiotherapy at Macquarie University and the University of Canberra but am not so sure of being offered a place since my GPA was just over the minimum requirement.
Given the high numbers of physio graduates, is it worth pursuing given that there are alot of graduates as compared to jobs available? Or am I better off just continuing doing a trade? Despite the good $$$ in the trade I struggle to find meaning in the work I do - hence the question of whether to go back to uni or work to be financially stable.

Education & Work

Comments

  • iforgotmysocks on 21/01/2018 - 02:18
    -5

    … Any bargains?

  • afoveht on 21/01/2018 - 03:02
    +6

     I struggle to find meaning in the work I do

    Personally, this was the most striking bit of your entire post.

    All the best to you with your decision.

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 08:55
      +3

      I don't enjoy the work as I would like to be in a career where I can help others/make a positive difference to their lives - which I think is more achieveable by working as a physiotherapist or somewhere health related. Should I be making my decision based on job satisfaction? I would hate to be waking up every morning realising I'm in a job that I dislike.

      • afoveht on 21/01/2018 - 10:20
        +1

        Should I be making my decision based on job satisfaction?

        That's only your call.

        You have big questions to consider but IMO, at 23yo, assumedly also plenty of time for taking chances and making mistakes less sticky.

      • Love a bargain on 21/01/2018 - 13:06

        I would hate to be waking up every morning realising I'm in a job that I dislike.

        Haven't you already answered your own question?

  • [Deactivated] on 21/01/2018 - 06:33
    +11

    We are in a time of skills shortage. Trades based work is more plentiful. Example: My two kids, both pretty average. One went to uni for a degree, the other got a trade. Uni kid still flicks between jobs, is always looking for that value add course to make them stand out. Trade kid has never been out of work, always get paid above award, and just applied for 4 jobs and got 3 of them and gets to choose which one is the best to forward his career. At 23 the bank is hinting trade kid should buy a house and he has an amex. Uni kid struggles to get enough work to pay off the fancy car they bought thinking a degree=employment.

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 08:58

      Thanks for your comment! You make some good points to consider.

  • poboy on 21/01/2018 - 08:31
    +2

    It's hard to make a decent buck as a manual therapist. You often need to move out of the major cities as they are saturated. If you're in private practice, you are paid in treatments and not wages, so income fluctuates. After 10 years, your friends will be earning a lot more than you as they rise in seniority and you stay at the same level with no sick leave our annual leave.

  • toniyellow on 21/01/2018 - 09:42

    Have you done work experience or something in physio to make sure you are not idealising it?

    Like anything working with people I would imagine it would be mixed. Helping some nice people recover who listen to your advice. Others may not listen or may not be nice. You may have to turn over a large number of patients a day and get very tired.

    I don't actually know anything about physio but I think many people tend to idealise finding the perfect job and it may not exist. Every job has some good and bad.

    If your aim was just to do the most good the utilitarian way of impacting the most people would be the job that earns the most money, and donate some of it to an effective charity.

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 12:58

      A few years back I helped a family member with language translation in the hospital when she was recovering after an operation. It was there where I saw what the physios were doing and found an interest in rehabilitation.
      I've come to realise that you can't have the "perfect job" as there will always be other factors depending on your personal situation. Just having a hard time weighing up different options since it is a big decision.

  • TChalla on 21/01/2018 - 09:47
    +1

    Stick to trade.

  • barbarella on 21/01/2018 - 09:50

    Are you doing an apprenticeship in this trade? If so, I say finish it (so you always have it) and then go back to Uni if you want to. You have heaps of time - plenty of mature Uni students out there - and they always score better than the young ones :)

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 13:00

      Plan was to start an apprenticeship this year, should I decide to continue a trade. Working in the field last year was more of having a go and seeing if it is for me.

  • Mozz13 on 21/01/2018 - 10:04

    Going from your post, the reason you want to take the postgrad is to get a new line of employment. Coming from someone with postgrad (even though I am in a completely different line of work), you might want to stick to trade. I guess depending on your line of work but having that postgrad on your belt doesn't really offer better employment. Finding the work that is fulfilling or "meaning in your work" is something a lot of people is trying to get (inc me) and it is hard to come by. Best of luck man.

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 13:05

      I guess the main thing employers are looking for are experience rather than just the fact that you've graduated with a degree. Hope everything works out with you too and best of luck in your field :)

  • Randxyz123 on 21/01/2018 - 12:01

    Stick to the trade if you are unsure about post grad.

  • azonki on 21/01/2018 - 12:59
    +1

    I'm old and worn out after leaving uni and going into a trade - self employed - for 30 years.
    That's two biiig mistakes I made:
    1. Leaving uni and not pursuing my full potential.
    2. Being self-employed.

    The last 10 years I have worked for a small company with all the benefits: regular super, wages, sick pay, holiday pay, commissions, car, fuel, phone, laptop, tablet, work from home when I like, overseas travel opportunities, etc.

    And if you are like me, as you get older and your body starts failing due to manual handling - same for a physio or a tradie - you realise that "meaning in the work" you do is being able to support your family and enjoy life at the same time.

    So, my advice is to go back to uni and then seek employment in a role that offers career progression.
    Or, stay in construction and seek a role also with career progression. The large scale industrial/commercial side of the construction industry is a great option.

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 13:11

      That's interesting to hear. What part of being self employed didn't you like? I always thought that the benefits of having the autonomy to be able to work for yourself far outweighed working for someone else.
      I've been pretty open to different opportunities and ideas - could you perhaps explain more of or provide links to the industrial/commercial construction pathways you are talking about?

      • azonki on 22/01/2018 - 08:52

        Being self-employed means creating a brand and reputation in the same way as any other business.
        The difference is that you do not have the benefit of being able to allocate any other resources apart from yourself!
        So achieving the holy grail - repeat business - means you are really at the mercy of the market and certainly not the master of your destiny.
        And this is especially important when things get tight, as they do about every 10 years.
        I never had a period of no work, but plenty of tradies that I worked with did.

        Industrial construction is great. Because of the scale of the works, you can spend a lot of time on one site. So there is no transporting equipment from site to site and no home owners to deal with.

        Entry is usually by tender, but if you specialise in a field, say automation or fire services or office fit-outs, it's not that difficult to get on a builder's preferred trade list.

        A lot of employment is also through labour hire. Hays, for example.

  • Love a bargain on 21/01/2018 - 13:13

    You don't sound like you enjoy working in the trade. My suggestion is don't get yourself pigeon-holed into a job/ career that you don't like. Not to say whether physio is or isn't the answer but it's better to try to find out what makes you tick/ wanna get out of bed in the morning when you're young than to regret it when it's too late to change.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/01/2018 - 13:31

    get a job at maccas

  • SPCTRE on 21/01/2018 - 16:53

    Honestly stick to your trade in construction. This is from someone who got a honours degree. Having a postgrad degree does not garantee you employment nor a higher paying wage.
    If your dead set about going back to uni, buy your first home and at least an investment property before you do. That’s two less thing in life to worry about (house and passive income) while you study.
    If uni doesn’t work out, your still ahead in life because of your early investments.
    I know a lot of uni degree people who only just started buying a house at 30.
    If I could redo my life, I would of done a trade.

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 22:01

      That is the one thing that's keeping me from fully committing to going back to university. I'm worried about not being able to get a mortgage later on the track should I go to uni. Thanks for your point, I'll definitely consider it.

  • Quantumcat on 21/01/2018 - 19:51

    Could you pursue different postgraduate studies if you're not sure about employment. What about psychology, or teaching?

    • 1jo on 21/01/2018 - 22:03

      Haven't really looked into psychology or teaching but are you more likely to be employed post-studies?

      • Quantumcat on 21/01/2018 - 22:25

        You'd probably be guaranteed a job teaching, if you don't mind public schools. With health sciences maybe you can be a PE teacher or science / biology teacher. I don't have any specific knowledge though, you'd need to find out what's required

  • Icecold5000 on 27/01/2018 - 21:57

    Maybe try project management. Constructions with having to faaark up your body. PMs at my company seem to have a variety of backgrounds not necessarily in engineering.

  • [Deactivated] on 16/02/2018 - 21:04

    I don't think you should change careers until you know what your strengths are. You can't be happy anywhere until you know yourself. Playing to your strengths could well and truly make you more internally satisfied. For example, you may be in a secure job with good economic prospects. But what you lack could be seeing immediate results or benefit for the greater good. Physiotherapy does bring results faster and you are the greater contributor to a project/person rather than being lost in a sea of workers. But the areas you want to work in (rehab) has very low percentage opening for new graduates. Need to get great marks in uni. Also the debt is unjustified (FEE-HELP) compared to salary especially in public health. Maybe if you go to England it would be beneficial for more hospital exposure and the area you want to work in.

    In addition, your comment "I lost motivation to focus on studies as I didn't know what to do with the degree" signals your paralysis in a multitude of choices. It is nice to see you exploring your choices but why not start with what makes you fulfilled? "No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Friedrich Nietzsche

    Bonus: Physiotherapists with greater outcome in private practice settings are more so associated with lower neuroticism. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4681138/

  • TimboAus1234 on 21/02/2018 - 18:41

    Stay in the trade, you're only over a year in there are a lot of opportunities in it also if you don't like the type of work you're doing now you can find other tradies and diversify and pick the trade you enjoy the most.

    As someone who has done a trade (chef) and degree (IT) doing a trade gives a huge amount of flexibility, a large number of job offers and most importantly no debt…

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