Hi Tim,
I often get asked ... "What exactly do you do Scott?"
My standard reply is ... "I do exactly what I am told to do, and that is how I have survivied"..
Seriously, I started working for my dad as a surveyor's labourer (chainman) when I was at school. I worked in survey and geololgy jobs in NT and FNQld.
After High School I tried uni full time, and hated it. So I dropped out and did an apprenticeship as a Fitter and Turner, working in Brisy. While doing the apprenticeship I went back to uni part time (nights) and completed my AD Mech Eng in 1990.
Time ticked along and jobs came and went. Aust, PNG, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and past 5 years in Africa. Along the way I did a 2nd trade as a licenced gas fitter, completed a BSc and a bit later a MSc.
That's how it was for us graduating from high school in the 80"s. No jobs around so you got work where-ever and kept studying to get some thing better. Thanks Bob&Paul - not !
If you are interested in FIFO work send me an email and I'll give you some contacts. Be prepared, they can be gruelling if you have a family. I've worked (weeks on/weeks off) 13/2, 6/2, 6/1, 4/1, 4/2, 3/1 and now 4/4.
I currently choose to work away for the time on / time off. I was making more $ in Aust but never got time off to do anything. Contractors will pay big $$ for a tradie but won't pay decent $ for an Engineer / Scientist and they never want you to take a day off. Hence I work as a 'Project Engineer - Mechanical' (Subsea Pipeline Integrity) offshore southwest Africa for an American company.
2 of my mates work in WA and do FIFO 2/2 here from Gladstone. That's a good rotation if you can get it. One's a dual trade sparky/instro the other is a procurement/contract guru.
Pritty soon there will be lots of FIFO work for Gladstone CSG and LNG projects, so the head hunting will get crazy with West Vs East for these big Gas Projects.
Biggest question is what will carbon tax do to all these prospective energy projects?
Like I said before, doing FIFO lets you live almost anywhere. And if that's the tropics with less traffic, more sunshine, less stress, affordable living, and open spaces, then you are in the right place. Just got to find the right job to go with it.
Wishing you the best mate.
Scottz.
ps. Do you still have front and rear suspension fs (260 2+2)? I need some strut tubes to mess with for my lowering experiment.
pps: Interesting data - The Bowen Basin area currently employs 28% of its labour on FIFO contracts. The mining industry predicts this will increase to 40% over the next 5 years.
