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Too qualified? Too specialised? Too old?
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Posted By Frank N Johnson
All I am looking for is a few hours a week travelling but working from home in Grantham Lincolnshire, to fill in between trips abroad when I occasionally carry out fire engineering and risk assessments for British government interests.
OK I have to be realistic. Perhaps I am looking into the abyss for a niche and I know I’m not going to spend the next forty years climbing career ladders. Never the less, my glass is half full! I receive a fire service pension and I have some very interesting work across a wide safety spectrum, which keeps me on my toes.
I have an engineering background, 22 years at a senior rank in fire safety, four years as a safety consultant on a variety of government fire and health and safety projects with some environmental management. Perhaps my CPD and CV are too imposing? Do you think I should just mention my NEBOSH certificate? Is this a common problem?
Can anyone remember the thread ‘Quantum Theory Sceptic’ over a thousand hits. That was me. It went on and on.
Is this site censored?
Frank Johnson
MISM,RSP MIFireE AIEMA MinstLM
55 years young.
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By BOB.YOUEL
Without doubt a person can be to qualified, probably to specialised and definitely to old.
Remember it is quite daunting to the 'average'person to come across somebody who has more experience etc etc than they have.
I managed a specialist recruitment company for a number of years and time and again the average prospective employer went for the less experienced etc person rather than the best. Did this have something to do with their needs rather than the job needs?
It was quite noteable that the European, Amercian, Austrailian and Asian companies we dely with looked at the needs of the job
and time and again the nost experienced, oldest etc person was recruited in preference to others.
On the other hand the NEBOSH qualifications are well recognised and give an allround knowledge etc [you can become too specialised as I was re Nuclear]and if you have a certificate etc use it re your applications.
Agencies are a good start re short term working and usually pay selfemployed rates that are better than full time rates.
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Frank N Johnson
Bob
Thanks for your comments. I use the agencies quite a lot and can confirm on one occasion I was told I would have got the job except I would have been more qualified and experienced than my immediate superior.
Frank
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Posted By Nick Higginson
Frank,
It seems strange that prospective employers would be concerned about having a more qualified and experienced person working for them.
There are good safety practitioners, there are good managers and there are good managers of safety practitioners. The skills for all three are somewhat different. Just because someone is good at their job, doesn't mean they would be good at managing others in that job. How many times have we seen this in countless other industries? (Engineering springs to mind).
If I were looking to build a safety department as a manager, I would be looking to get the best team around me to make me look good to Directors!!
I think it was Andrew Carnegie that wrote an epitaph for himself that said "Here lies a man who knew how to get around him people cleverer than himself".
Good luck
Kind regards
Nick
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Posted By Robert Whent
Frank,
if you are still looking and are interested in some adhoc safety/fire training and management system design, drop me a line with a phone number.
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Frank N Johnson
Robert
Thanks for your message.
Yes I am interested in ad hoc work. I will send you my contact details and CV.
I have recently designed a 'management system' for The Office of National Statistics at Southport and more recently been commissioned on a casual employment basis to deliver training to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service officers on applying and enforcing 'the workplace fire precautions legislation'
Many thanks.
Frank
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Frank N Johnson
John
Thanks for your offer re the CHAS Assessment Scheme. Yes I am interested; perhaps you could contact me to discuss.
Regards
Frank Johnson
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By William Baldwin
Well Frank,
I agree with Bob we all can be to qualifiied and to specilised and age may not be the issue well not with me anyway. I have been told i am to qualified to experienced and even to young.
I am 30 10 yrs experience in quality environmental and health and safety. 4 certificated one diploma i degree and working on my masters and ppl run a mile from my cv.
Nick you i have found are unique in your thinking on the manager who is willing to have a strong and experienced person reporting to him/her most fear that the directors will see the potential of this person and promote him/her.
I have been in this position and it let to a very strained working relationship.
just me thinking and experience re the to qualified thing
William
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Caroline Porteous
Dear Frank
Ethos Associates Ltd, a provider of quality Distance Learning Packages, is actively seeking high quality trainers to deliver Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Courses to students in the workplace:
Risk Assessment
Working and Operating Safely
Minimum criteria: CIEH Advanced H&S Certificate or a NEBOSH National Certificate.
Training is provided, flexible workloads and competitive rates of pay.
For an application and further details, please write to:
Cathy Harris, Distance Learning Registration, Ethos Associates Ltd, 1 Winnington Court, Winnington Street, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 4DE
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