Why every HSE Professional needs to start a side business today – Important

81 / 100

Have you ever thought that your HSE career will be evergreen? Have you ever believed that you will never have to look for another job? Of course, the affirmative only happens in the perfect world which doesn’t exist, so don’t make that mistake. If you want to constantly win and reach the greatest height of your career, this is some good info to help you to rethink your career life strategy.

Table of Contents

The Unequivocal Fact About the Job Market

The unequivocal fact is that, we are not in the perfect world. The world in which we are is imperfect and full of uncertainties. There is always going to be the boom and bust cycle, the good times and the bad times. There is always going to be a time in your career when you will have to look for a better job, a time to move on simply because you are not so satisfied with your current job or you want a bigger challenge.

How HSE Career Begin for Most Professionals

So a quick glance at how the HSE career begins for almost every professional. You are inspired by somebody who is an HSE professional. You do your research about the profession. You like what you are hearing. You are perhaps guided by a mentor who has told you all there is to know about the profession and of course the great salary you can potentially earn. That certainly whets your appetite and so you hit the ground running like the wind in pursuit of your dream. You are instantly taken aback by the amount of time and effort required, you first need to pass your NEBOSH exams and go through the hustle of looking for an HSE job. Internships even become rare – You realize it is never an easy journey. You then decide to go the extra mile to overcome competition because you are told there is no traffic on the extra mile.

You finally land an HSE job, lucky you. You don’t mind the meager salary, all you need is the HSE job, learn on the job and build some good experience. So the excitement is great – I used to be there.

How HSE Professionals Always Sing the Same Tune

Shortly after a couple of months or years, you begin to sing the same tune of most HSE professionals – The safety culture is poor, there is low management commitment, there is lack of resources to facilitate your job, you need a more challenging job, your salary has never been increased, etc. You begin to look for another job with the hope of a better opportunity, an opportunity that is commensurate with your level of qualifications and perhaps the great experience you have acquired now. You could be lucky to get another job sooner or you could spend years still searching.

The Giant Switch is Always the Best

It gets to a point in your career when you have to make a giant switch. You switch from permanent employment to a project based job. Because, you have heard most project based jobs pay about 3 to 5 times the regular salary of most permanent jobs. So you ply that tangent and you are lucky to grab one – Your dream has come true. You are 3 to 5 times better off. Great news. Happy you!

When the Reality Sets In

Sooner or later you are faced with the reality – Every project has an end. So you are made redundant. You spend time at home looking for another HSE Job, permanent job or project based. Now, that is the LEAN season. The lean season could entrench for months or years depending on how prepared you were during your good times.

The Boom and Bust Cycle of the HSE Profession

This is the boom and bust cycle of the HSE profession. HSE professionals who see this cycle as unacceptable and are able to predict and make conscious effort to avert or evade the cycle are the ones who truly win. They are never complacent, they constantly assess their employment situations and implement barriers to prevent or mitigate the risk of loss of livelihood in lean seasons – that is applying the Bow Tie Risk Assessment in their personal life. They are forward looking and they make hay while the sun shine. They invest in training and development to stay relevant and to increase their employability. They invest in a side business to diversify their income to keep themselves afloat until the next good job comes their way.

Conclusion

As an HSE professional, you need to constantly develop yourself in order to stay relevant and channel your skills in a growing business to stay afloat in your lean season. Venture into a business you already have the flair for. There are tons of opportunities to grab. A lot of up-and-coming companies need HSE help. You can find solutions to their problems to start your side business today. Never stay complacent or else you’ll stay unemployed.

Our List of Pre-Built Safety Dashboard Templates

Sel 💫 at SHEQXEL. Connect with Sel 💫 on LinkedIn

If you like it, sign up, comment or share and check our reviews.

2 comments

Augustine kojo Anquandah

September 23, 2019 at 6:58 am |

You are definitely right my brother, we usually think our jobs will last forever. I believe there are so many problems in the HSE industry waiting for solutions which are idling in our minds. All it takes for us to assess our terrain and look for gaps and try to fill them with our solution.
Thank u my brother Selorm, u r indeed an asset to our industry, more grease to your elbow.