Post: #1

I'm an 18 year old working in Home Improvement for a Real Estate Investment group making 10 dollars an hour (been here since the beginning of the year). I got suspended from college last semester and I have no plans on going back since I hated it so much. I was totally new to construction when I joined, but luckily, I made friends with the foreman and was the only employee besides him and one other guy who didn't get axed last week. I live with my parents, and they charge me 500 dollars a month to stay with them. After taxes, I bring home between 310 and 350 hours a week (that'll become more steady around 340 as the boss has started clamping down on everyone getting to work and leaving at the same time). Although I'm friends with everyone at the job, I really need to start making more money. I go home exhausted every day, so working two jobs would really not be possible for me. Mostly, I'm wondering if you guys know of any opportunities or jobs to start making more money as a young guy with only a High School Diploma and a semester of college.

Post: #2

Hustle. Use your trade skills to work directly for homeowners. Boom. Double the money.

If they've recently axed a load of guys you'd better have other irons in the fire anyway.
Don't sweat the lack of education. If you've got real world skills and work ethic the world is your oyster.

Post: #3

If you're going to look for business working directly for homeowners, consider ordering business cards from vistaprint and maybe creating a simple website and a resume to show your skills and experience.

Post: #4

If you live in the US and do not speak Spanish, start studying it in your free time. Like the others said, get some business cards and hustle it on the side for private clients. You can find them by putting cheap ads in those Greenpages-type magazines, on Craigslist, by hanging out at or near Home Depot-type stores, volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, etc. If you are too tired to do this on the side of what you're currently doing, quit what you are doing, get a job at Lowe's or some place that will constantly put you in front of potential clients, and really believe in yourself while ramping up. Tell your clients it's cash only or if they want to pay with checks, tell them there's a cash discount so you can have it tax free. You can make a lot of money under the radar.

As you learn Spanish, you can take on guys under your wing and pay them hourly better than what they would get elsewhere but at a rate where you still are making more than half of money billed (ie: interior paint job that costs 300 and takes 5 hours, you pay him 15/hr which is 75, and the rest goes to you for orchestrating and working alongside as well). Look for guys that may not seem like hustlers so they won't out-hustle you and bypass you eventually. The type that will value having a funnel of work for them in exchange for a steady pay rate.

You are at an excellent age to start doing this and can very easily make what you currently make in a week in one day by doing so. Don't worry about just having a diploma/semester of college. If you do the above you will be educating yourself (economics, business, math, communication, sociology, psychology) in the real world while getting paid at the same time and will be up in the clouds while all those dummies at college are still chained to the ground letting other dummies tell them about life. Get that four year head start. Good luck man.

Post: #5

Get apprenticed. Talk to the guys outside of labour.

$10/hr is insanely low for construction, even labour. Where are you located?

If you plan on doing this for just a couple years, you should be making at least $15-$20 an hour as an apprentice; plumber, electrician, HVAC especially.

Post: #6

Tough it out for a few more months until you can figure out what you want to do.

Then become an apprentice electrician, plumber etc.

Even if you don't want to do it for the rest of your life, it will be a lifelong skill and something to fall back on.

If you are 18 now, apprentice programs are a few years, after you're you should be able to make decent money and if your smart your money you should have a decent nest egg by your mid 20's.



Or like other people have said you could hustle and try and start your own business, that being said if you're 18 and look your age a lot of people won't take you seriously.

Post: #7

(04-11-2016 07:13 PM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:  Or like other people have said you could hustle and try and start your own business, that being said if you're 18 and look your age a lot of people won't take you seriously.

This could be a serious problem.

It's not only that but this kind of work requires sales and people skills. Lots of them.

Great if you've got 'em. Not so great if you haven't.

Post: #8

(04-11-2016 06:50 PM)Laner Wrote:  Get apprenticed. Talk to the guys outside of labour.

$10/hr is insanely low for construction, even labour. Where are you located?

If you plan on doing this for just a couple years, you should be making at least $15-$20 an hour as an apprentice; plumber, electrician, HVAC especially.

Good advice but the flag says USA so he'll have to put some effort in.

Find the part of the work you do you like the most for now. Keep working and why are you exhausted?

Post: #9

(04-11-2016 07:19 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  

(04-11-2016 06:50 PM)Laner Wrote:  Get apprenticed. Talk to the guys outside of labour.

$10/hr is insanely low for construction, even labour. Where are you located?

If you plan on doing this for just a couple years, you should be making at least $15-$20 an hour as an apprentice; plumber, electrician, HVAC especially.

Good advice but the flag says USA so he'll have to put some effort in.

Find the part of the work you do you like the most for now. Keep working and why are you exhausted?

Because millennial.

Post: #10

You could probably save money just by moving out of your parent's place. Rent a room somewhere for around 300.

Post: #11

The young age is an issue. However, there are jobs that people are comfortable with hiring a young person to do. Mowing lawns, window washing, landscaping. If you do these as an independent contractor, you should be able to make at least $20/hr, and in some cases, much more. You get a bigger job, that will take a week to do, and you can charge $300/day for your labor, plus materials and expenses. Look for tasks that have to be done repeatedly over the long term, rather than one-shot installations or repairs.

You will have to hustle for work, and that's the hard part. I'd recommend going door to door for work. Go to businesses and look for contract work with them, rather than homeowners. If you pay for advertising, you can easily find yourself working half the week to cover the ads, before you start paying yourself. If the week is slow, you might work 2-3 days, and keep none of it. I've been there.

The alternative, as mentioned, is to suck it up in your current job, and get a few year's experience. Focus on learning skills, and move up as quickly as you can to become skilled labor. Learn to install windows, doors, trim, plumbing, wiring. Learn to do fancy tile, and other specialty, high end finishes. Spend a couple of years becoming truly skilled, and making contacts, then go out on your own. Build yourself a nest egg first, but don't go out on your own until you have already talked some of your contacts into giving you enough contract work to be able to start off making regular income. You want to be able to hang onto that nest egg when you go out on your own, not blow through it. Also, have a paid-for truck and tools when you go on your own. Saves a lot of money while you're getting started.

Post: #12

what do you want to accomplish?

Post: #13

where do you live? there's tons of jobs that you can do with just a high school education, they're niche you just need to dig.

Post: #14

Go wait tables or bartend. When I was younger I worked two waiting tables jobs at the same time making around 60-70k per year. More than that if you're a bartender or work at a super popular place. Easy money and low barrier of entry.

Post: #15

Just start going around to bigger job sites ready to work. Ask for foreman who need help. 10 dollars an hour is bullshit.

If that doesn't work put an add on craigslist.

Aloha!

Post: #16

(04-11-2016 04:52 PM)ModernMaleficarum Wrote:  I'm an 18 year old working in Home Improvement for a Real Estate Investment group making 10 dollars an hour (been here since the beginning of the year). I got suspended from college last semester and I have no plans on going back since I hated it so much. I was totally new to construction when I joined, but luckily, I made friends with the foreman and was the only employee besides him and one other guy who didn't get axed last week. I live with my parents, and they charge me 500 dollars a month to stay with them. After taxes, I bring home between 310 and 350 hours a week (that'll become more steady around 340 as the boss has started clamping down on everyone getting to work and leaving at the same time). Although I'm friends with everyone at the job, I really need to start making more money. I go home exhausted every day, so working two jobs would really not be possible for me. Mostly, I'm wondering if you guys know of any opportunities or jobs to start making more money as a young guy with only a High School Diploma and a semester of college.

Given that you're only 18, that's a bit cold of your parents, especially since you're not just bumming around and you're struggling trying to get established...

Post: #17

If I could do it again I would of joined the Army doing Intel or a skilled job with a TS clearance. You will have to do 4-5 years and in the mean time you can sign up for school and knock out courses on the army's dime without even touching your 9/11 GI Bill which is fucking gold by the way. Get out go to DC with your experience and you will be making close to or over 6 figures. Or you can go contracting which is guaranteed mid 6 figures for Intel, few months a year off time, travel the world.

The military if done the right way can bring you from lower class to upper middle class real quick.

Post: #18

I'm familiar with your parents' position and this is what you should do to negotiate the rent down. When they're in a good mood, make a request. Mention how hard you've been working, how much you've been saving, how much less a single room costs in the local area, etc. Of course you've been helping them as much as you can, right? Cut the grass, clean out the garage, whatever you can when you're not too tired. Acknowledge verbally how much you appreciate all they do for you, if your mom cooks your meals and does laundry or whatever (and only if you really mean it). If they're worried you will never move out, hence the high rent, assure them you don't want to be a burden and have a plan to move out in x months. But it's hard to save up when your expenses are so high. Show them the budget where you track all your expenses and income because you're so responsible.

If they like you around and are charging rent because they're short on cash, that's another story but you can still deal with that a different way.

On the income side, lot of good advice here, and I'd add ask for a raise after the investment group has made some sales.