Post: #1

Ok so Im 26 and I have not done shit work or income wise, I thought about college, military and some sort of trade, college I would only do if I absolutely know its something I want and can make money from, Military seems cool in some aspects but I perceive a lot of negatives as well, then we have tade schools/jobs.

I have heard around here the mention of working on oil rigs, I want a job where I work hard, I am not the sit at a desk type, travel would also be preferable, I really have to start making moves because these minimum paying jobs in small downs is not doing shit for me, I am not progressing forward.

Post: #2

You should check some lineman trade schools. Lots of local community colleges offer programs that are about 1-2 years long then you got fast track trade schools like Northwest Lineman College or Southeast Lineman Training center. It's a great outdoor job and depending on who you work for you can be home every night or gone for weeks on jobs all over the US and even overseas.

I've had friends go to auto trade schools like wyotech and UTI but they cost almost $30k and when they got out they got jobs only paying $10-$12 an hour. Some of these line schools run about $14-$16 k and you have much higher starting pay and much more further on into your career. Can't have any fear of heights.

You could also try to get some crane operator certs and then try to get some simple jobs it's a real tough road but again if you break into the industry you can go anywhere there is large construction projects just don't let it flip over like the recent one in NY

Post: #3

Military and Oil Rig are both great options but keep in mind those types of things are not just a job or career, it's a lifestyle, your living away from home, traveling, etc. If you like that great but just realize its not like a 9 to 5 where you come back to your comfy house and friends at the end of the day.

Those are great options, you may want to look into apprenticeship or journeymen type jobs in the trades. There's some great medical type programs that are pretty short term but pay well and have a bright future. My mom who works as a social worker says the people who do hearing testing and make hearing aids make a fortune, its a relatively short program and supposedly not a lot of competition. Also with baby boomers aging the industry is only going to grow.

Post: #4

(02-11-2016 12:57 PM)jamaicabound Wrote:  Military and Oil Rig are both great options but keep in mind those types of things are not just a job or career, it's a lifestyle, your living away from home, traveling, etc. If you like that great but just realize its not like a 9 to 5 where you come back to your comfy house and friends at the end of the day.

Those are great options, you may want to look into apprenticeship or journeymen type jobs in the trades. There's some great medical type programs that are pretty short term but pay well and have a bright future. My mom who works as a social worker says the people who do hearing testing and make hearing aids make a fortune, its a relatively short program and supposedly not a lot of competition. Also with baby boomers aging the industry is only going to grow.

Yea military is one that I have an interest in, Army or Marines, infantry is what I would like to do as the lifestyle seems like something I would enjoy, tons of training, traveling and what not, obviously its gonna suck in many ways but it seems like there are some great benefits.

Thing is I also want something that could leave me with skills, I am sure it is cool to learn to become a beast in infantry and learn to be a badass but at 26 I really need to start learning some skills that transfer into money making jobs.

So if I join I may have to push for something that I can get some real world skills.

I usually dont mention regrets and what not as it usually just makes you feel like shit but I regret not going when I was 20-22, I would be out with the experience and have money for college and at least have more clear sight of where I am going.

Post: #5

(02-11-2016 01:29 PM)TheDuncan Wrote:  Yea military is one that I have an interest in, Army or Marines, infantry is what I would like to do as the lifestyle seems like something I would enjoy, tons of training, traveling and what not, obviously its gonna suck in many ways but it seems like there are some great benefits.

Thing is I also want something that could leave me with skills, I am sure it is cool to learn to become a beast in infantry and learn to be a badass but at 26 I really need to start learning some skills that transfer into money making jobs.

So if I join I may have to push for something that I can get some real world skills.

I usually dont mention regrets and what not as it usually just makes you feel like shit but I regret not going when I was 20-22, I would be out with the experience and have money for college and at least have more clear sight of where I am going.

Take it from someone who was a grunt in the Marine Corps ('03-'07): you DO NOT want to be in the peace time Marine Corps, especially in a Victor unit (grunt battalion). You missed the war, nothing personal, but it is what it is. I was lucky because we were always deploying to Iraq and when in CONUS preparing to deploy. So we didn't have to play all the games: uniform inspections, base beautification, etc, etc. And at your age, you're going to be in for a rude awaking. You'll have 19-year-olds as your squad leaders treating you like a piece of shit.

The biggest kicker, nobody gives a fuck when you get out. So you'll be 30/31 if you do four years and you'll have to start all over again doing something completely different. Some grunts get out and work at Apple Stores, some go be cops, some to college, but it won't prepare you for any job (other than police/private security) and no employer is going to give a fuck.

If you truly want to serve your country and be an infantryman, go for it. But it's not going to be pretty.

Quote:I have heard around here the mention of working on oil rigs,

Have you seen the price of oil? You can probably just cancel that dream right now.

Get an electrical certificate (community college), CDL, and a welding certificate. This is your ticket to becoming a signalman in the railroad. Want tough work and want to travel? As an assistant signalman you'll probably end up in a "gang," (railroad) slang for construction crew. And you'll travel all over. The best part, unless the world ends, you'll have a guaranteed job for 30 years and unlimited overtime during those 30 years (there's so much work it's not even funny). One of the best pensions around. But you'll earn it.

Or

Google apprenticeships in your area. Might not travel in the trades though, unless you look for work in a different state. And I think the oil

Post: #6

(02-11-2016 07:02 PM)Monty_Brogan Wrote:  Get an electrical certificate (community college), CDL, and a welding certificate.

This is solid advice. This will qualify you for all manner of skilled trade work, not just railroad. If you can add something like an associates in industrial engineering it will help you stand out even more, as these 3 certs are becoming a fairly common trio of credentials. The trade school near my home has a 2 year program that get you exactly this training. You can then take 2 semesters are the nearby large university to finish the associates in Industrial Eng if you choose. There is also a year of machine tool (mills, lathes etc) classes they offer as well.

Post: #7

While not exactly a trade, programming bootcamps are an excellent way to a high salary and an amazing job.

Post: #8

I would stay away from trades that are specific to one industry in particular such as anything that is oil specific (rig worker, fracking, etc), sure you'll make a lot of money when times are good, but when the market goes sideways, you could be fucked, as a lot of us in the oil biz have learned in the past year. Instead you should look into a trade that is used in a variety of industries, here's a few examples:

Welder: You can work in oil/gas, nuclear, aviation, commercial, pipelines, city utilities, shipbuilding, fabrication, etc.

Electrician: Similar to the above but you can also work in residential, which is a big plus.

Crane operator: Same as above, you'll see cranes all over the place whether its downtown commercial sites building skyscrapers or at oil refineries.

Carpenter: Residential, commercial and industrial sites all employ carpenters.

Remember, just because you start a trade and reach the journeyman level, it doesn't mean that you'll be "on the tools" for the next forty years, although if you want to be then that's fine. After you have at least five years of experience then you can advance up to a foreman, then general foreman then site supervisor and eventually superintendent. If you have other skills such as the gift of the gab then you could go into things like sales and marketing. You could also open your own private contracting company and make a ton of money, as most guys on here know, a residential plumber or electrician with a few guys working for him can make some serious coin.

A journeyman ticket in a trade with relevant experience can open a lot of doors for a guy, I would say that it is better than having a bachelors degree in management because you'll know a specific industry very well. Of course, you'll want to make sure that you have other skills such as proficiency in MS Office, be well spoken, presentable, etc. I know many guys who work regular office jobs as managers who have no post-secondary education and some of them are even high school drop outs but they got on with a good company, learned the ropes and when they got sick of being on the tools, they moved into the office, its actually a relatively smooth transition.

Good luck.

Post: #9

Awesome thanks a lot guys, a buddy of mine went into the Marines and his job was a lineman, when he got out he started working for a TV company and has since been there, makes close to 6 figures.

He went in at 18 though.

One thing I have to learn is to pick something and go with it, I find myself going back and forth a lot weighing the pros and cons of things and end up being suck in a rut, time to take action.

Post: #10

Good luck with welding in the US, a lot of welders are looking for work.

Actually most tradesmen in Texas all claim to be pipefitters, welders, firewatch men, helpers, laborers....all in one, and two years of experience.

Go do linemen work or join a railroad gang. To work for Union Pacific you need to join the union tho.

Post: #11

(02-11-2016 01:29 PM)TheDuncan Wrote:  Yea military is one that I have an interest in, Army or Marines, infantry is what I would like to do as the lifestyle seems like something I would enjoy, tons of training, traveling and what not, obviously its gonna suck in many ways but it seems like there are some great benefits.

Listen to Monty_Brogan. No. No. NO!

The wars are over bro, the peacetime military blows. I was in pre- and post-9/11; it's two completely different animals. I'll never forget my deployments and the friends I've made but if I could do it all over again I would've used my initial stint to get some good technical skills on the government's dime then get out and make $ in the civilian sector.

The military is a great way to get paid training and experience in certain skills. Right now I would look at satellite communications repair/installation/maintenance, language interpretation/signal interception (if you have a proclivity for languages), maybe some of their cyber skills stuff but admittedly I'm not spun up on how the mil trains initial entry people in that skillset. Also medical would be a good one, but don't be a combat medic, go towards Xray tech, respiratory tech, things like that. Alternatively use the mil to pay for RN, PA, or MD (if you're into that commitment) training and licensure.

Don't be cannon fodder for a government that could care less about you. Use them 'cause they'll use you. Paid training, experience, free college, then get the fuck out.

Feel free to PM me with any questions you have about this route.

Post: #12

(02-11-2016 09:06 PM)scotian Wrote:  I would stay away from trades that are specific to one industry in particular such as anything that is oil specific (rig worker, fracking, etc), sure you'll make a lot of money when times are good, but when the market goes sideways, you could be fucked, as a lot of us in the oil biz have learned in the past year. Instead you should look into a trade that is used in a variety of industries, here's a few examples:

What would be your take on the pipefitter trade? Would that be a trade to avoid as it is mostly related to oil industry?

Post: #13

(02-12-2016 12:22 AM)deuce Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 01:29 PM)TheDuncan Wrote:  Yea military is one that I have an interest in, Army or Marines, infantry is what I would like to do as the lifestyle seems like something I would enjoy, tons of training, traveling and what not, obviously its gonna suck in many ways but it seems like there are some great benefits.

Listen to Monty_Brogan. No. No. NO!

The wars are over bro, the peacetime military blows. I was in pre- and post-9/11; it's two completely different animals. I'll never forget my deployments and the friends I've made but if I could do it all over again I would've used my initial stint to get some good technical skills on the government's dime then get out and make $ in the civilian sector.

The military is a great way to get paid training and experience in certain skills. Right now I would look at satellite communications repair/installation/maintenance, language interpretation/signal interception (if you have a proclivity for languages), maybe some of their cyber skills stuff but admittedly I'm not spun up on how the mil trains initial entry people in that skillset. Also medical would be a good one, but don't be a combat medic, go towards Xray tech, respiratory tech, things like that. Alternatively use the mil to pay for RN, PA, or MD (if you're into that commitment) training and licensure.

Don't be cannon fodder for a government that could care less about you. Use them 'cause they'll use you. Paid training, experience, free college, then get the fuck out.

Feel free to PM me with any questions you have about this route.

I concur with what both of them said. Stay the fuck away from the military unless you are going to get a directly transferable skillset (IT, linguist, certain medical stuff, etc) that you cannot afford or get easily as a civilian.

If you go in as a grunt, you will be worthless on the outside and get treated as such. A lot of this "Support the Vets" stuff you hear in civilian America and with help finding work is bullshit PR except with a few specific businesses that traditionally hire veterans. Even getting a job with the Feds as a vet (where vets are suppose to have a leg up) is a pain in the ass.

If you go the grunt route, you will be right back where you started except maybe a few bucks in the bank and a GI Bill post-service. Good chance your body will see some wear and tear too and might even preclude you from certain physical jobs when you get out. AND you will be that old enlisted guy; which generally sucks ass since you have junior enlisted and officers younger than you telling you what to do.

Also keep in mind they are allowing women into fucking combat positions now. Believe me, I have seen women just in training combat missions and they all talk a big game and act hard but when shit goes down JUST IN TRAINING, they almost all fall apart and become a liability rather than an asset. Do you really want to be part of a politically correct military where PC-ness can actually get you killed? Fuck that.

Post: #14

Elevator repair. Highest paid and most in-demand. Also has the best union in the country. Even the apprenticeship pay is nice. If I could go back in time and look into trade work thats what I would do hands down.