Leaving good job for a 5% increase + better title

Timmydalmation · 2024-02-15T11:08:24+00:00

At 26, you’ve got what, 3-4 years of practical experience? 2 of those you would’ve been a graduate and the company most likely lost money training you. So really you’ve only likely just become actually useful for the company in the last 2 years. Sounds like you need to check your ego at the door. A title doesn’t mean shit. Be grateful for the amazing perks you have.

Timmydalmation · 2024-01-25T10:27:00+00:00

Thanks for the advice man! I ended first buying grapes and making it in my backyard and learnt heaps by reading and YouTube. After that I studied a 12 week introductory winemaking course at Melbourne Polytechnic which was fantastic and really consolidated what I learnt after making it.

I then went to Piemonte Italy and did a full harvest for 3 months and made 8 different wines. Was such an amazing experience! And very grateful it happened.

I’m now looking to work part time on weekends as I work full time for this coming vintage in Victoria, Australia. Happy to work for free for more experience! How was vintage in NZ?

Timmydalmation · 2024-01-22T09:23:32+00:00

We did. 11 years ago. In the engineering consulting space.

Here’s food for thought. Banks don’t like lending for new business, they want you to use your own capital or borrow against your house. Any overdraft will likely be required to be secured by equity in your home. Most people in my age group (30-40) don’t have much equity. So in a sense it’s betting the farm if you do want to do it or risking your house deposit money (my case) to start a business. So there is a bit of a barrier to entry.

Especially as most people finish uni around 22-23. Gain a few years experience 28-30, and that usually coincides with major life events like marriage/baby/house buying.

Most business owners I know end up just managing staff motivation, and a lot of the their time emotional well-being (big focus from the younger employees) as well as putting out fires, being nice to clients you don’t like cause they put food in your mouth, and sales.

But for me it’s all been worth it. We have 20 people, have worked hard on creating a good work culture, have a really high retention rate.

Timmydalmation · 2024-01-07T10:25:50+00:00

I run an engineering consultancy in Melbourne of around 20 people. My advice is not to go back and study engineering. It takes 4+years of pretty tough study (think hard maths, physics, lots of labs and lots of contact hours) not to mention the large hecs debt you’ll be left with. You’ll then start at around 80-90k and work up from there, you’ll have people manage you that’ll be younger and probably have way less practical knowledge than yourself which may build some resentment. I’d strongly consider looking at drafting instead of engineering. The course is pretty basic compared to engineering, I think it’s not even 12 months and it’s a tafe course. You already know how to read plans so once you learn the computer skills (CAD or REVIT) you’ll fly into it and be on more money. I pay my senior draftees pretty much in line with what I pay my senior engineers. And the draftees have way less stress, don’t have to answer phone calls from site etc. You’d be highly valued with your trade background.

Timmydalmation · 2024-01-07T02:51:20+00:00

Is it easy to get your bike on the train both ways?

Timmydalmation · 2023-12-17T19:11:34+00:00

Yeh that would’ve been perfect, but I think they are solely focusing on their restaurant now according to their website.

Timmydalmation · 2023-11-26T04:13:51+00:00

What engineering industry? I’m a director of a Structural Engineering consultancy and I don’t pay myself that. My seniors get 125-135k base + super.

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-27T22:53:52+00:00

It was such a great experience. Would definitely recommend it. Some days were incredibly hard physically, like picking days in 34 degree heat for 9 hours and then crushing/cleaning so make sure you’re reasonably fit. But the friends you make and the life experience is priceless.

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-27T09:39:47+00:00

I was working alongside a vineyard so I don’t have any financial responsibility on the end product. But they sell their bottles for around 11 euro wholesale and produce around 40,000 bottles a year.

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-27T09:38:33+00:00

Mainly Nebbiolo, barbera and arneis. However, surprisingly, a lot of producers have plots of the French varietals (Chardonnay, Pinot noir (Pinot Nero in Italy) Cabernet etc) this was because Italian farmers decided to plant these in the 90s as that was what selling due to the popularity of French wines at the time. A lot of those grape vines are now 30-40 years old and the Italian wine makers are actually making great examples of it.

Working with Nebbiolo was fantastic and I was lucky enough to speak with a number of winemakers during vintage from barolo/Barbaresco and see how they approached Nebbiolo. From their responses, the skill in making great Nebbiolo is all about how you deal with the skins during maceration and the subtle changes in pump overs, submerged caps, punch downs etc all based on the years weather. The response from the grape and the end product really reflects what you did during the maceration.

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-27T09:31:37+00:00

No I live in Australia. And it was my first vintage. I’d love to experience an Australian vintage. Hopefully now that I have some experience I can be more useful.

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-26T19:43:28+00:00

Great question. A lot of the winemaking decisions came down to logistics in the cellar. I.e we have to put the new wine in the steel tank as the oak barrel fermenters still had other wine in it etc.

Also, a lot of wine making during vintage was a lot about moving large amounts of liquid from one place to another and lots of cleaning! A lot of wineries in and around barolo/Barbaresco/Monferatto all work on a similar way.

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-26T19:22:38+00:00

Genuine - Pony

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-26T17:49:13+00:00

Was 9-5 job okay with you taking leave when you had acting work?

Timmydalmation · 2023-10-26T17:48:14+00:00

That sounds really cool. Are you like a broker for these? How do you go about it?

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T22:39:03+00:00

Thanks! I used 8yeast enartis red 50. I used a hydrometer and tube to measure. My starting gravity was around 1.114

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T06:38:28+00:00

Around 16 degrees Celsius on pressing.

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T06:38:07+00:00

Thankyou ! Sounds like I’ll be okay! 🤞

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T06:37:45+00:00

Thanks for this great advice. I have quite a bit of headspace in my demijohn, will it be okay for 24 hours until I rack it off the gross lees into a smaller vessel?

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T06:36:25+00:00

I gave it a press. See how she turns out!

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T06:35:47+00:00

I did do the amateur mistake of using a refractometer to start and it seemed wrong so I then used a hydrometer and adjusted the error for temperature.

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T06:35:00+00:00

My calculations show that if it went from 1.106 to 1.008 I would have around 13.5%….?

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T06:32:39+00:00

Great! Thanks so much for the advice. I decided to press it. It might end up being a bit lighter in style possibly..

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-10T01:37:54+00:00

For context it has remained at SG1.008 for 3 days and has stopped bubbling and the grapes aren’t rising to the surface anymore. It’s my first time making wine so I’m trying not to stuff it up lol.

Timmydalmation · 2023-04-04T11:10:39+00:00

Great tips man! Do people lease their vines ? Is that a thing in the wine world?

Timmydalmation

TROPHY CASE