Reskilling - and how to decide what to do?

[RichTheRoadie]

I haven't been happy in work for a long time now and, if I'm honest with myself, previous attempts at doing anything about it have been half-hearted at best. I kind of 'fell into' all of the roles I've had since my Australian work visa was approved 9.5yrs ago. When we first arrived here I wanted to import unique UK bike brands, but I lost the courage to get it going - I've been fumbling along ever since, all the while wishing I was doing something else but never knowing what that 'something else' was, or even what it could be.

I've recently been through a mental health episode (anxiety & depression) which is my second in the last 12yrs - both were, in part at least, fuelled by my job situation.

I want to take decisive action now and actually commit to making a change. It is likely I'll need to reskill, upskill or do something where my skills are transferrable; but I don't know what I want to do to know what to reskill/upskill/transfer into.

For reference, my education was creative-focused. Career-wise, I've always worked in the packaging arena in some capacity - originally as a Graphic Designer, then a Studio Manager (of sorts), then Operational Excellence, then Account Management/Client Service, then Consulting on packaging change & NPD, then a Packaging Change Manager... at which point I took a career break and managed a bike shop in London.

Since moving to Sydney I've only worked for 1 company. I spent way too long doing Account Management/Client Service roles again (because jobs fell into my lap) before moving into a Consulting role where Marketing Operations is my focus (process improvement, streamlining operations, optimising workflows, setting up ways of working with new clients, improving our own internal operations, project management, change management), all still related to packaging, mainly.

A key focus for the last 2yrs or so has been sustainability. Not the entire breadth of the topic for the most part, but focused on what we can offer as a company to our clients & prospects, plus how we rank as a company in terms of what we actually do ourselves (and what we could do better). Again, packaging-focused, so mainly Environmental Sustainability (recycling, recyclability, pack optimisation, CO2 footprint reduction etc.).

I occasionally enjoy my current role, but I'd say that's about 30% of the time. I enjoy the sustainability work, but I only really got into that because I saw it as a possible career solution from here onwards - I'm no longer convinced that is a solution in itself; but I would be perfectly happy if it continued to be a part of whatever I do moving forwards.

Perhaps my biggest challenge and the reason I haven't made a change yet is the dichotomy of feeling part of something, being in a company that I like and enjoy being a part of, being known and respected within that company (a global company of 6,000 employees and yet the CEO knows me by name) and being a trusted go-to SME; yet not being paid particularly well for it (I'm doing ok, don't get me wrong, but my salary is about 60% short of the 'going rate' for my role).

I'm not good with numbers or spreadsheets, but I can muddle through if I need to. I don't like project management or change management (despite having done a lot of both), but I can do a reasonable job of them if I have to. I'm not LeanSigma/SixSigma or Agile trained, but I understand both methodologies. I like the variation that consulting brings. I like the sustainability stuff. I like being able to use an Apple Mac. I like bikes...!

My wife has suggested I'd be a good Business Analyst, which I like the sound of - it fits my transferable skills quite well and I could probably upskill on the job. Beyond that idea, though, I'm clueless.

My dream job would probably be bike painting, but I don't have any capital to set something up and I'm not good at being my own boss - plus I'm not keen on the idea of working all day every day with paint dust and chemicals. Judging by how busy bike shop workshops are here I could probably do reasonably well running a small workshop out of my home garage, but I'm not brave enough to try (and I'm bad at being my own boss).

This is part a cry for help, part seeking advice, part using the VSalon crowd as a potential opportunity to network... but if anyone has any advice I'm all ears. And thanks in advance, as ever!

[Peter Polack]

I think a Career Coach is what you need. That's a real term, a real business, and they're in Australia, too. Google it; I did.

[RichTheRoadie]

I’ll be doing that too, but I’ve tried before and it was a disaster; so I need to find one I can trust.

Trying to get ideas in the meantime.

[bbillington]

Deleted

[RichTheRoadie]

Totally get it - if it helps you, it helps to know I’m not alone.

Keep your head up; and maybe this thread might help you too.

[jimcav]

use caution on that career coach idea--make sure you have several good references. I had a buddy who was dissatisfied with his career and went that route. He ended up out thousands of dollars; the coach never really got him anywhere with discovering aptitudes, opportunities, contacts or anything.

That said I wish you luck. I felt like an intellectually unchallenged cog in a great machine for 85% of my military career (planned, relatively easy replacement is really why the system ''works''). Now I have another repetitive, unchallenging job. If my house was paid and kids done with school I'd do something I love, like woodworking.

If you are in the financial position to shift, then why not do so. If not, then I'd advise discretely getting resumes out there--you're more likely to get poached while currently employed than to be hired as a middle(plus?)-aged unemployed person.

[RichTheRoadie]

use caution on that career coach idea--make sure you have several good references. I had a buddy who was dissatisfied with his career and went that route. He ended up out thousands of dollars; the coach never really got him anywhere with discovering aptitudes, opportunities, contacts or anything.

Yeah, I’m cognisant of that as I’ve previously found one far too easy to manipulate (not long after we arrived in Sydney I wanted to prove to my wife that writing was an option worth pursuing, and it was way too easy to get the ‘career coach’ to buy into that), and I’ve heard way too many stories like you mention. I think too many of them take a formulaic approach to their process and don’t deviate far enough from that to get meaningful results.

If you are in the financial position to shift, then why not do so. If not, then I'd advise discretely getting resumes out there--you're more likely to get poached while currently employed than to be hired as a middle(plus?)-aged unemployed person.

Financially we could take a bit of a hit and still survive. My wife is the breadwinner (and my biggest supporter, generally) so if she says we can manage it then it’s all good. The bigger issue for me, though, is having done that once before already (the bike shop gig was a 75% reduction in salary) I’m not sure I can face into that again. I already struggle with not being able to get things done at home without asking my wife for money, which generally means they don’t get done unless they’re critical - I’d like to be able to change that such that we can tick off some of the ‘nice-to-have’ changes we want to do*.

A small reduction now for better future potential does make sense, though.

I’m 43 btw, so still a likely minimum of 17yrs of work ahead of me, if not 22 or more!

* My bike-related purchases are generally from selling other bike stuff, rather than from my income. My bike stuff is constantly on rotation.

[Chik]

A couple of random thoughts that may or may not be helpful.

I think "business analyst" means different things to different people, so it might be better to expand on what you mean by that when discussing opportunities in that area lest you waste time discussing a role that's unsuitable for you. Where I'm from, it means spending a significant portion of one's day faffing with a spreadsheet, which I understand you don't like.

ESG/CSR is a growth sector, as you know. There is also a range of functions within that specialism now, whether you want to be a standards boffin, have more of an external relations type of role, or a combination of both. Because Oz is a huge player in the extractive industries where it is a very serious subject, you could possibly move into what I would consider a more hard core role in sustainability. What I mean is having to deal not only with internal people but also with activist NGOs, government ministries, intergovernmental agencies like the UN or OECD, media, etc. which would likely involve a bit of travelling. In other words, you can possibly be in the firing line or stay off the streets and just deal with people internally.

Another possibility is to join a consultancy that specialises in compliance advisory and audits like SGS, SCS or the like.

Non-profit trade organisations specialising in compliance are probably not so interesting since I believe the pay tends to be lower. However, it's been a few years since I sat on the board of one, and there has been a proliferation of such organisations, all competing internationally to hire qualified people, still a rare breed, so it's entirely possible the rates have gone up.

On headhunters, please forgive me if I'm boring you with the following, but here goes.

As you might know there are two types of recruitment consultants. One does retained search, almost exclusively for senior positions (GMs and directors -- in the UK/European sense, as in management or main board directors, not in the US sense). As the name suggests, they get paid whether or not they find a candidate that the client hires. They are the "real" headhunters.

Then there are those that work on contingency, that is, they get paid only if they place a candidate. Their focus is on mid to lower level positions. They are wont to flog candidates to employers on spec even though there may or may not be an open position. These guys tend to be a mixed bag: some operate ethically, others don't.

The former is also known as "search" and the latter, "selection". Some firms do both ("search & selection"), often small ones that are focussed on one industry.

The important thing to remember is neither works for the candidate. They are not there to find you a job (they are there to find staff for employers, subtle but significant difference) or to give you advice unless it is for an upcoming interview that they have arranged. If someone asks for a placement fee from you, walk away.

Both will accept CV submissions on spec, but do your research first on which firms, or even better the specific consultants, are relevant for you. The contingency guys are usually more inclined to invite you for a speculative interview during which time they may share some thoughts where you might go given your wants and priorities, particularly if you explain to them in your cover letter that you're looking for a possible career change. Again, remember that they don't work for you.

If you already have a good relationship with a retained search consultant or two, ask for a coffee, breakfast or beer and try to explain your situation. They may be helpful and may, where appropriate, speak to a colleague in another practice group within the group to see if there's anything relevant in the pipeline.

Congratulations if you read this far. More seriously, good luck with the search.

[RichTheRoadie]

Congratulations if you read this far. More seriously, good luck with the search.

Thank you for such a considered and helpful reply; and sorry for the tardy acknowledgment of it!

You make some really valid points, not least the bit about head hunters not working for the candidate. Some really useful thoughts on the sustainability front too.

I’ve saved the VSalon email notification of this in my inbox to take action on when I get back from skiing.

[j44ke]

What would have to change at your current job that would make you happy about staying there? Sounds like your salary is below market for your position - what if you were paid more?

I think a lot of people (caveat here is that I’ve come to this appraisal by observing my wife’s work and her counsel to colleagues in similar positions) who reached their positions without the status quo assortments of certifications and trainings feel they can’t ask for more money due to those “holes” in their résumés. But that devalues what they actually do in a job and solves a problem for their employer who is getting your skills without paying market for them on a technicality.

I wonder if you might need to test the waters and do some interviews with other firms and see what is out there, if only because it would give you a better sense of your value on the open market and might reshape your idea of where and what kind of businesses you might work in.

And if you get some better offers with better salaries and benefits, you can always offer your current company the chance to bid on getting you to stay. However, you’d have to be ready to leave that company if you took that approach. Their undervaluing of your services now could continue even when faced with competing offers from other companies.

Edit: Just to add - headhunters can help with this process. But you need a good one who knows your field and knows businesses who need someone like you. And is discreet.

[RichTheRoadie]

More money would obviously help, but I went through a lengthy (and successful) attempt at that last year, so going through the same again so soon - and especially after my recent mental health episode - is likely to be met with derision at best. If it weren’t for that I’d be even further behind market.

Testing the water is a good option, except there’s not many jobs to apply for such that I could do that; and nothing that directly correlates to what I do. Regardless, it could be an option - although my confidence isn’t high enough to apply for stuff right now anyway (see previous notes about recent mental health episode).

I get your point about lower salary due to holes in résumés, but that doesn’t apply here - I’m arguably more experienced and qualified than some of the people higher up the chain than me; which only serves to add to the frustration of my salary!

If I were confident enough to apply for a role, get offered something and not have that matched (or even bridged) by my current company I would be prepared to leave, so that’s something.

Head hunters is another thing I hadn’t thought of - but it comes back to what I want to do. That would help with a change staying in my current field, but I’d need to find a really good one to use my transferable skills to land me something.