Are you among the thousands of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) employees considering a working life outside the mining industry? Perhaps you are thinking about retraining for a complete career change? Or, maybe you hope to use a redundancy pay-out to fund a path that allows you to dictate your own working roster?
Chances are, you may be part of a groundswell of resource industry workers – particularly those with young families – researching options to either buy a business, a franchise or a license.
The number of inquiries from people exploring earning opportunities which allow them to be more present in their families’ lives grows weekly, says Paul Antonelli, chief executive and founder of Australia’s biggest property inspection company Resicert.
These people, many of whom no longer want to work in positions involving constant travel, seek licensing opportunities with the company which has delivered over 20,000 property inspections Australia-wide.
Resicert licensees control and work in their own designated territories while the company provides ongoing technical support and handles all the administrative aspects of the business.
Attracted to the prospect of a six-figure income while enjoying a better work/life balance, potential licensees complete an extensive due diligence process before their application is progressed.
Paul says due diligence identifies if the business is a suitable fit for the applicant and Resicert, while giving the applicant a clearer idea of what they want from their future working life.
“Our process helps applicants work out what they are looking for and how well placed they are to go into business, Paul says.
“While the average licensee earns a six-figure income, our process encourages applicants to consider how the business will fit into their life. We ensure applicants are really clear on what they want before we move forward.”
Paul says Resicert licensees come from all walks of life including information technology, the building industry, engineering, teaching and health care.
Although there is no hard and fast rule about the age of licensees, most successful applicants are over 30, have sufficient work/life experience, great people skills and are proficient with information technology.
Licensees access a support framework that begins with extensive classroom and practical training on conducting property inspections, as well as coaching for building relationships with clients and real estate agents.
Licensees are given processes to follow which are set up for success, however they choose their own working and leisure schedule.
“Our licensees do have control over their schedules, but we don’t glorify this. We remind people that their responsibilities as a business owner are ongoing,” Paul says. “It is quite different to a FIFO rotation where you have complete downtime.”
But spending every weekend with family and having the choice to schedule time out for important events is a priceless comfort, says licensee Jason Cotton.
Jason bought a Resicert license over four years ago after leaving an executive position in medical sales where 12-hour days and weekend work were his norm.
“In my former working life I felt like I was missing out on too much and really wanted to set my own agenda,” Jason says. “I was tired of the knot I felt in my stomach each Sunday afternoon when I started thinking about the week ahead.
“I responded to an advertisement about becoming a property inspector, had a meeting with Paul Antonelli and after learning about the company’s culture applied for a license. At the time it seemed like a risk, but it was a risk I was willing to take. As it turned out the training and support systems exceeded my expectations so I needn’t have worried.”
Jason says having more control over his working life has also opened opportunities for the rest of the family.
He now takes every Wednesday off work, schedules his diary to ensure he can attend events at his daughter’s school and enjoys his working life much more.
“Working normal hours has given my partner greater freedom to pursue her own goals and grow as well. I hadn’t realised just how limiting my previous inhospitable working schedule had been for the whole family until I stopped. I have done over 2000 property inspections since I started with Resicert. It’s so rewarding to provide a home buyer with the full picture about a property and the confidence to proceed with what is usually their greatest investment.”
To learn more about licensing opportunities with Resicert, visit www.resicert.com/lifestyle.
