Consultant?

[bricks]

I've just been offered a job as a hydraulic consultant/ designer, I'll be put back to uni as an engineering student.

At the moment I'm a master plumber, I'm contracted to a company, I get lots of money.

The consultant job intrests me, it pays slightly better than I get now ( insignificant)





Anyone want to give me the pro's and cons.

[davo2310]

I cant give you too much insight mate, but I did look into this when I found out My knee needed major surgey, what I saw was after you do your diploma in plumbing at tafe, which they only do when there are enough enrolments( here in sydney) http://www.tafensw.edu.au/howex/serv...&CourseNo=8082
after that you can apply to do a building degree at uni.

thats about all I can help you with mate, hope it leads you on the right track.

Davo

[DavidG]

Which ever you would be happiest with.

[joe greiner]

I left my job as an industrial designer in precast architectural concrete manufacture at age 30 to return to uni and complete my degree. I figured it was about time to schydde or get off the pot, had GI Bill benefits, and had pretty much max'ed out the challenges. Stayed for an advanced degree and then entered consulting practise. Much bigger and more interesting projects to work on (worldwide in fact, although I never visited some of them).

Consulting practise may be somewhat different in Oz, but generally consulting firms have a different business model than construction, and may be more subject to downsizing. When all is said and done, you are the only one with a vested interest in your prosperity and satisfaction, so make sure you salt some of your income away for the inevitable bad times, and invest wisely.

Best of luck.

Joe

[wonderplumb]

Dunno about Adelaide mate but here in Syd its a pretty full on thing to take up, depending on how you do it. If you can afford to do it at uni in normal hours, by all means do it!
A mate of mine done it, after hours it was 12hrs a week (or 3 nights x 4hrs per week) after working with his old man. I takes four years doing it this way.
He had to go to Nth Sydney one night and Bankstown the other two, and from Sylvania is a long way after work!!!
Mate I say go for it!! If you can do it easily enough do it!!
Let us know when you finish mate, as you will be the only plumber needed on the forum!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best of luck.

[bricks]

I'll be doing the Uni during paid hours, ( after work of not)

The opportunity has come about as here in adelaide I have been involved in design and construct on some of the larger developments (1-6 million dollars in plumbing packages) for the last 6-10 years.

That said I basically do everything a hydraulic designer/engineer does already, without having the engineering degree. At the moment my engineering is done by suppliers and consulting engineers.

The company which has offered me the position is in a bit of a tough point, they have been in adelaide where you can design plumbing as a consultant with little to no qualifications???? They, along with me, would like to broaden the horizon so to speak, by taking on a plumber/engineer.(me)
My uni time will be significantly cut short if I specialise in Hydraulics because of my master plumbing ticket and my practical experience, which has already been assesed by the uni and I'll only have to do a lighter than average load for 2 years, and the regular extra year for masters degree. This will all be paid for by the owner.

Once I'm involved in the company I will be integral to the operation as if I leave; before stated horizon opening will shut, because they won't be able to consult in any other state but S.A. taking them back to where they are now.

I'm mainly after a bit of feed back as to what It is like being in the consulting game and wether others have/ do enjoy it.

With the amount of time and money both the owner and myself will be putting into the venture I'd hate to resign part way through because I just did'nt like it. It would'nt be fair to them, even if it worked out good for me.

As far as I know the company is not in negotiations with any other applicants, they have contacted me, and seem more than eager to secure my services.



I guess it's just that I've always hated consultants here in adelaide coz they are usually pin heads, Just want to see if it's a trait hard earned or just that pin heads want to be consultants?

[Bleedin Thumb]

What ever is more attractive to women....oh thats right were talking plumbing......

[johnc]

I would say that if you like dealing with people, can manage both the organised ones and the painfull ones and find the work interesting then go for it. I completed a degree part time while working full time, it's a bit of a pain having to study when there is something more interesting going on at the time but it was worth it, and life does not totally stop there is still room for a bit of fun.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and the qualification will open doors, rather than restricting you as it does at present to this particular SA work.

[manoftalent]

Bricks ....opportunities come along once in a lifetime like this, dont doubt your own abilities and at 27, you have done remarkably well .....I know a few plumbers ....and they all complain about one thing ......the knees ...your occupational hazard ....and while you may get through life quite "comfy" at your trade ....do you really want to live your best years with a stick?..you can make it work ...the job we do is by choice and we choose to make it ...or loose faith in it ....with the right frame of mind, man can do anything .....you just have to "choose" to do it ....I think you should go for it ....and stick it out ....if 5 or 10 yrs down the track you feel its not working .....you would have the experiance and knowledge under your belt ....it can only make you as a person better, and at least you could say ...you gave it a go .....

best wishes mate

[bitingmidge]

Bricks,

I've spent a lifetime as a consultant and dealing with them.
Life's good. That's why so many do it.

The best hydraulic consultants in the business are always blokes who've been on the tools. They understand what it takes to get the job done, and how well off they are working every day in an airconditioned space in clean clothes!

The great thing about this opportunity is that you won't lose your plumbing qualifications! If you don't like it you can always go back, and in your later years when you get sick of working outside again, you can come back again.

You'd be mad not to do it, and you won't find it as hard as you think.

Cheers,

P

[joe greiner]

What they all said. Yeah, we've got more than our share of pinheads, but it goes with the territory. As I said, Oz practise may be different. Consulting can be a two-edged sword. Professional detachment can enable higher ideals, but also can make one feel like an unwed father. On one project, I asked the client contact, "When are they going to build that thing?" "Oh, they finished it four months ago."

Sounds like a very generous opportunity. Go for it.

Joe

[chrisp]

Bricks,

You seem to be getting good advice from the replies above. It sounds like a good opportunity and one that is worthwhile pursuing. It seems you are on a good wicket regarding the payment of the course and time-off for the course work.

One consideration though - even if you are not actually paying of the course, you are heavily investing your time and effort in to it. I would suggest you check the reputation of the course and institution before enrolling. Some course/institutions are better regarded and recognised than others. It could be worthwhile checking with some of the engineering institutes, here and overseas, to see if they recognise the course. I don't know if you have any leeway in the arrangement, but I'd be choosy about the course before committing to it.

[echnidna]

If you like being a desk pilot go for it

[joe greiner]

You won't necessarily be chained to a desk. Depending upon the firm's area of endeavour, field work may be needed to establish the scope of consultancy, especially for rehab work, and your existing credentials and experience will stand you in good stead.

Good idea to check the institution's accreditation. Your state/territory/province professional licensing board should have lists of acceptable degree programmes. Professional licensure is worth pursuing, and may be extended to other jurisdictions by reciprocity. Makes both you and your firm more marketable.

Joe

[bricks]

I did some more investigation Re ; the company making the offer,

The offer was good,
The work was real

The company has a shocking reputation in regards to hydraulic design, mainly due to the bosses way of doing things and the level of thought that goes into their drafting.

Found many people that have left the company with a disgruntled attitude because they are forced to issue sub standard work, drawings and designs. This seemed to be an ongoing problem spanning workers for more than a decade.

It seems that they offer this type of deal to attract designers and basically will train you , employ you, and pay well. As far as the contributing to the growth of the company part- that just about dies on day one.

The clincher for me was that when I walked in to the interveiw the boss was severely dressing down a designer, in front of the other staff, for the poorly constructed plans he had issued- the designer was saying that the plans were issued by the boss, under his direction and that he should really take a closer look. The reply was not nice.

I slipped the designer a card from my current employer- looks like he's our new estimator now

I took a look at the drawings during my interveiw also

1. The preliminary information provided to the designer was non-existent
2. The dafting VS final copies were nothing alike
3. The drawing was signed by the boss as a checked document
4. The design would have worked if assumptions had not been made in regard to architectural plans.
5. There was no consultation with a now unhappy client. ( what part of consultant don't they understand?)

The hours of work were described as any amount of overtime to ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget.

In summary, I always complete my projects to the best of my ability. It's earned me a good to excellent reputation among the construction community here in S.A. My motto regarding cost is that I will always do the job as cost effectively as I can, but I'm not about to cut corners because someone else cant tender the quote correctly.

That said I have approached my current boss, while making this decision (it was never a behind the back thing) and he's agreed on a career progression for the next year which will make up the extra money I would have got working as a consultant. Nice guy.