Hello Brian. I'm from UK but now the US and my mate does the same as you. He works for Higgins construction. He's 30 and loves running the sites. some of which run into the $20+ million figures. He has a lot of responsibility like your self and wonders if he is taking the right direction for the future. He used to work for a guy doing these sort of projects but on a smaller scale and he loved getting his hands dirty. Like him you should think twice about giving up a job of that scale. He would love to leave the UK but his job is a once in a lifetime offer. But it's upto you. I love working on my own and wouldn't want his job for anything but everyones different.
what do i do
hi i'm a carpenter I,m 24 i finished collage 6 months ago but have worked in construction for 10 years i had a job roofing before i started with the company i work for now but took the job to go to collage i love carpentry framing most of all but i ended up running jobs as things would be disorganised and it drives me nuts. I crave order.
so it started with extenshions which went well i have allways finnished on time, on budget and at the end of the job had clients really happy with the finish. Now I an site manager of a job thats huge in comparrason its an existing building I have to demo all the walls and floors move all the floor levels raise the roof to put an extra story on the building then put in a retail unit and three flats i am half way through and have 6 flats to do when this one is done i have loads of work on but dont know if this is damageing / slowing me in advancing my own carpentry skills or if its the direction I want to go in i spend my day talking to with supplyers, arcitects regulating authoritys and organising labour, paperwork genral running of the site.
I am thinking of emigrating to Canada or US as a framer any thoughts at all I would be very greatfull sorry to have gone on a bit but i am at a loss
so it started with extenshions which went well i have allways finnished on time, on budget and at the end of the job had clients really happy with the finish. Now I an site manager of a job thats huge in comparrason its an existing building I have to demo all the walls and floors move all the floor levels raise the roof to put an extra story on the building then put in a retail unit and three flats i am half way through and have 6 flats to do when this one is done i have loads of work on but dont know if this is damageing / slowing me in advancing my own carpentry skills or if its the direction I want to go in i spend my day talking to with supplyers, arcitects regulating authoritys and organising labour, paperwork genral running of the site.
I am thinking of emigrating to Canada or US as a framer any thoughts at all I would be very greatfull sorry to have gone on a bit but i am at a loss
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Thanks for the reply how did you find the move to the us different regs ect i have been mulling over the it for a while and am going to keep on doing so for a while yet but need some fresh imput
Brian no one can give you an answer to that problem its whats in you and what wants to come out.
As a kid I learnt the trade of a ships Carpenter.Loved every minute of it, them old guys had well forgotten more than I know now.They always said "go for the office job thats the best way".
Well I didn't get the office job I had the whole office, kit and kabudle belonged to me and then I walked away from the whole thing.
Was I happy short story "no" am I happy now 100% ,but no one can tell you which way to jump thats up to you.
One thing to think about is life is not a dress rehearsal you carn't come back and say I didn't like the first go can I have a norther it doesn't work like that, it's up to you my friend. billy
As a kid I learnt the trade of a ships Carpenter.Loved every minute of it, them old guys had well forgotten more than I know now.They always said "go for the office job thats the best way".
Well I didn't get the office job I had the whole office, kit and kabudle belonged to me and then I walked away from the whole thing.
Was I happy short story "no" am I happy now 100% ,but no one can tell you which way to jump thats up to you.
One thing to think about is life is not a dress rehearsal you carn't come back and say I didn't like the first go can I have a norther it doesn't work like that, it's up to you my friend. billy
Thanks for the reply how did you find the move to the us different regs ect i have been mulling over the it for a while and am going to keep on doing so for a while yet but need some fresh imput
The move was hard work and i had the easy way in. My wife is from the US and we got married in the US after doing a K1 Visa. It took over 2 years in total and quite a few thousand $ and a lot of paper work. Their are other ways to enter the US but none are easy. Don't get to set on coming here as most people cant. You may have better luck with OZ but i have heard they are on a 2 year back log for Visa's also. My mate has just finished taking all the tests in the UK and just found that out. He is staying in UK now.
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