Diving into the Fishing Industry
After getting bored of building, Marlborough-based Tim Barnett began working as a contract diver and now spends big, long – but rewarding days – working in an industry he loves. The carefree days of being an employee are behind him though. Now, he’s the boss, and the juggle to keep everyone happy means a whole lot more stress, so he’s had to find ways to cope.
As the business owner, it’s a juggle to keep everyone happy. There’s a lot of planning, orders, and compliance paperwork to do, and that’s on top of the perennial problem of sourcing the quota that will bring security. But Tim believes that diversifying is the key to spreading risk and that people should grab any opportunity to upskill, by getting a skipper’s ticket, for example.
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If you put in the effort, you get out the reward. There’s a ton of opportunities still out there. Take them – don’t get stuck in a rut.”
- Tim Barnett, Commercial Diver
When he thinks he’s in danger of burning out, Tim knows it’s best to take a bit of time off. He might spend some time alone, but being really present with his family is also important when things are tough. Despite all the challenges and roadblocks, the good times make it worthwhile for Tim and he’s certain that it’s a cool industry to be in, which means he’ll carry on doing what he’s doing until he can’t do it anymore.
FirstMate is here to help
Managing the day-to-day stress’ of balancing your job with family life is not always easy. So if you need some advice or just someone to listen get in touch today. We are here to help.
Call 0800 ADRIFT for support any day between 7am and 10pm or email info@firstmate.org.nz to access the support you need. We also have a growing library of free resources available for you to access on our website.
