Job

[SPECIALIST]

Anyone know how to gain employment in ohs .After completing cert 4 in ohs im trying to obtain a position in a company but everyone expects a history of ohs emploment which i dont.Im even trying to volunteer my the time to get experience but no ones interested due to insurance.Any suggestions cheers

 

[24alpha]

Anyone know how to gain employment in ohs .After completing cert 4 in ohs im trying to obtain a position in a company but everyone expects a history of ohs emploment which i dont.Im even trying to volunteer my the time to get experience but no ones interested due to insurance.Any suggestions cheers

For most companies, OH&S reps are volunteers. I can't see why I would be so hard to help out in that area.
For dedicated positions, you'd need to look are large organisations.

 

[Bermshot]

Anyone know how to gain employment in ohs .After completing cert 4 in ohs im trying to obtain a position in a company but everyone expects a history of ohs emploment which i dont.Im even trying to volunteer my the time to get experience but no ones interested due to insurance.Any suggestions cheers

I think alpha might have had 24 brewskies.

I see it like this. Oh&s is now linked to Unionism. OH&s is stronger than any Union.....Morality, the single worker and his immediate environment is as important as all the other elements of the work force. Solidarity of the work force assists the single worker! (oop, I've shown my left hand)

If I was you I would look for anyone Scottish or Irish in a decent Union and explain your your angle, personally I think you will do alright. Do you like sneaky? No! You will learn, and damn good Ed too.

Sniff around, they hang at certain pubs.

 

[Fatman]

Like somebody on this site you may have to find someone already in a position like what you are after, volunteer and then pay for your own insurance. As with many things and as you are already experiencing it is just trying to find someone to give you a start.

 

[Bermshot]

Or find a good job you like and go from there. Like I said Oh&s rules. Now it is I use it.

 

[Bermshot]

Like somebody on this site you may have to find someone already in a position like what you are after, volunteer and then pay for your own insurance. As with many things and as you are already experiencing it is just trying to find someone to give you a start.

Sorry mate, yes, as this^

 

[Knut]

I think you need to have a real job first. To understand the balance between common sense and revenue, against safety. If you don't have this experience you will be seen as a PITA. The unions have destroyed the link between manageable and sensible OH and S guidelines. My suggestion would be to stay away from their militant approach. Gain an understanding of what the company needs to achieve and then work out the best way to protect the workers with minimal impact on production.


Above all. Don't be a walk-over or a Hitler.

 

[dunndog]

I think you need to have a real job first. To understand the balance between common sense and revenue, against safety. If you don't have this experience you will be seen as a PITA. The unions have destroyed the link between manageable and sensible OH and S guidelines. My suggestion would be to stay away from their militant approach. Gain an understanding of what the company needs to achieve and then work out the best way to protect the workers with minimal impact on production.


Above all. Don't be a walk-over or a Hitler.

i agree with you here but the problem is you need to apply to the lowest common denominator. IE you will probably need to be Hitler like due to the 1 percent ( this percentage seems to be growing by the way) of too cool for school young blokes on site who are too busy looking at their iPhones and going on about oh mo god how fully sick is mo caah to really give a shit about the safety of themselves or others. In order to reach these wankers you need stringent methods of application, penalties for not abiding, and regular primary school style meetings to spell it all out in idiots terms.
Good luck with it though, sounds like you've got your head screwed on right about it. A knowlegable and practical ohs officer is really appreciated as opposed to some little germ who just likes the sound of their own voice and thinks their job is to make yours unnecessarily difficult.

 

[Bermshot]

It's been along time since I was on building site, in fact there are that many bongs in the walls of a certain Hotel in Canbs that I worked at, it is beyond funny and I'm only telling this for perspective. Dad worked on the "new" Parliament House. Only a teenager back then enamoured by their strength and conviction of the truth....smoking bongs in the ducts, side rooms at smoko, beers for lunch. Heaps of Bongs sealed inside the Priministers Office walls! They have been laughing about that for years (plasterers).

Yes OHs is important.

 

[BLKFOZ]

I think you really need a background in the area you plan on working in OH&S.
Case............
A bloke I went to uni with was a decent enough guy, not brilliant but not dumb - got pass-credit marks in his science degree then worked as a lab rat testing soil samples and the like for a pittance. He did his OH&S degree at nights while working and earning shit all. After finishing his OH&S masters degree he got a job at a huge paper/cardboard manufacturing plant down in the snowies as the OH&S manager of the chemical plant as he had both degrees and a background in lab work with chemicals. He's now moved into a much more cushy job at a large hotel in the city and seems to be on a decent crust. His OH&S management position lead to the ability to change fields I guess (chemical specific to general OH&S).

 

[Kojarena]

I'm the regional head of Risk Management for a large US company - WHS is part of my group. There are jobs going in the industry (it is red hot at the moment due to legislative changes) but experience is the key. To get experience (and it is easy to come by) you need to sit on a committee first and at the same time try and find work as a WHS Coordinator, HSR or DWG representative.

As others have said - do not see it as a means to oppose management - and you will find the work challenging but a career path will resolve itself fairly quickly. In the five years WHS has been part of my group I have seen a lot of knuckleheads and liars try their hand but at the same time I have worked with committed staff and managers who really want to make the workplace safer for everyone. Those types are fantastic to work with and usually get poached for better paying jobs as WHS leaders eventually. The same can happen for you.

Happy to take this off line - PM me for more information.
t

 

[SuperSix]

different boat, same direction

So essentially, how do you gain experience in your preferred area of expertise without experience?

Catch22 situation I think, and I've tried working for shit pay good company, but the company only grows you to their economic interest and if your professional goals lie outside of that, the tough luck.

It's outright frustrating to do the shot jobs no one else will do because you're a FNG. Qualifications really mean nothing anymore these days and it all boils down to experience.

I have experience dealing with difficult situations-> It has no market value.

 

[harmonix1234]

Just keep pushing. Keep sending out applications.
Just don't give up.

I know it is disheartening getting constant rejections. I just spent a year trying to get a Gov job.
Rejection after rejection. And the apps take f'ing ages to do as well. But don't give up.

How I got into the job I wanted? I registered for the casual relief pool.
This way, when someone takes three months long service, or six months maternity leave or any long form of leave they call upon the casual relief pool.
They expect these casual employees to have no or limited experience so that they can be blank canvasses to teach in each role as they become available.
If you register with your local gov to get on the admin casual relief pool within the OHS/Human Resources section you'll get a call. It's just a matter of time and persistence.

Getting the job isn't the hard bit, it's getting the interview.
If you can get the interview you should be fine if you show a genuine want for experience and are passionate about the work like you have here.

Good luck!

 

[kgunzer]

Sent in an interest for job pooling with a government branch since last September, but it seems like they either will keep their staff or there is no growth at all in their sector. I got nothing so far since September last year and the just sent in a fresh request for expressions of interest.

It sends a mixed message as to what sort of talent are they looking for in as far as skills are concerned. Further, some recruiters from recruitment companies are a tad lazy and snotty as to ask their candidates to conform to their standard to make things easy for them to understand and interpret their skill base. I could imagine having to maintain eight different profiles just to satisfy that kind of mentallity, so I think I'd rather be as lazy as they are put my details accross in the manner that I believe is its proper order.

In the mean time, I'd be spending my time skilling up from TAFE... sadly, not every college has everything I need.