Brainstorming for jobs

[General Lee 01]

Well, Mom keeps asking me "have you thought of anything you want to do?", well I have but I need some advice.

 

 

 

-General Contruction work (Question, what can guys with no CDLs or operator's liscences do in this field? ALSO, How old do you have to be to get a CDL or Operator's liscense?)

 

-Mechanic @ Dealership (A friend of mine who's younger than me is doing this and he said I don't need to be certified... But this is a F*rd dealership )

 

 

-Fire Fighter(Question, how much training is involved with paid fire-fighters, how long would I be a cadet? If age is a factor, FYI: I most likely will be 18 before I "Sign up". )

[RyanbabZ71]

have you thouht about like a home depot or lowes?

 

They pay pretty well and dont require any previous experience

[Shaners]

Have you considered going to a trade school and getting some experiance in HVAC or Electrician?  Both pay very well and there will always be jobs in those fields.  Fiber Optics is another way to go...

 

If I had to do it over again I wouldn't be in my field (machinist).  It's interesting, but it is no longer rewarding.  I should have pursued my options when I graduated from college with a BS in Comp Science.  But I needed a job with good pay and benefits and I ended up at GE.  I'm fortunate now that I can make the kind of money that I do...  It is very rare to find a company that will pay $20-$25 hour anymore.  I guess that is why we accepted over 5000 resume's 2 weeks ago for 45 available jobs!!!

 

Look at the big picture and follow a path that will fill your life with rewards!!!  It sucks getting out of bed every morning to go and do something that you don't enjoy...  

[MountaineerTom]

I know you've mentioned not wanting to join the military, but they will give you all the training you need for whatever job you choose, as long as you get a garunteed job before you enlist.  For the AF, you can go in with an "open" career field, which I wouldn't advise doing.  They will put you where they need you, and that could be any job at all that has a shortage of people.  Military pay is definately not the best, but it could be worse.  I joined at 18.  At 38, I can retire if I want to, get a retirement check, and still be young enough to get a good job somewhere else until I retire again.  

[HillHound]

General I don't know how old you are but when I was in high school and college I did odd jobs for people and made a surprisingly good amount of $$.  Here's some of the things I did:

 

Mowed grass in the summer.  Mowed lots and lots of grass !   Lots of private yards then when I was in college I got a job mowing grass at two businesses and a cemetary.  Even made enough cash to buy a small riding mower and a trailer to use with my dad's truck.

 

Helped a few local farmers do sesonal work on their farms.  Things like putting up hay, maintenance on equipment and taking car of some livestock when they were away for a few days.

 

In the fall/winter I got work at a few neighbors homes cutting and hauling away brush, trimming trees and shrubs, raking and removing leaves and a few snow removal jobs with an old atv with a plow.  Get an old used snowblower, fix it up and with a way to haul it and you can make a fortune after a big nowfall!  :thumb:  

 

I don't know what your situation is but maybe that will help at least until you find the job or career you want.

[DigUout]

With no experience in construction, they'd start you as a general laborer.  Basically the clean up and go fetch it guy.  Probably start you at $6-$9 per hour.  Not a bad gig and you could learn a lot.  That's where all of the foremen started.  Regarding a CDL, probably 18 and you have to go to school for awhile and it's not cheap.  If Chev4Ever were ever around he could fill you in better about that field.

 

As far as the mechanic gig goes, the service techs at our dealership make good money.  Same as the guys in the bodyshop.  But most of the techs are ASE certified, which takes time too.  We have a guy who just does oil changes now, but they're paying for him to take classes to become an ASE certified tech.  Be worth considering.

 

Firefighters go through an exhausting application and interview process prior to the training.  Once accepted, the training can take 3-6 months.  Firefighters do a world of good, but ask one about the divorce rate or their bank accounts and you'll hear some real horror stories!

 

I have to agree with Shaners and recommend a trade school.  Phone company guys, electricians, surveyors, plumbers, water treatment plant guys, etc.  They make mad money and have great benefit and retirement packages.  My Dad suggested a job with a utility company years ago and I should've tried to pursue it -

[sincityZ71]

Firefighters go through an exhausting application and interview process prior to the training.  Once accepted, the training can take 3-6 months.  Firefighters do a world of good, but ask one about the divorce rate or their bank accounts and you'll hear some real horror stories!

Firefighting is a good job, I have looked into it myself.  While the pay is bad in some places, it is really good in others.  Out here it is pretty good, most departments start you off near the $40,000 mark, with good increases, which is great for that type of job.  Our police departments out here also make some good dough (Henderson starts you at 42k+).  You should see some of the sweet trucks that some of the firefighters out here drive with the money they get.  But the training is usually a few months, same as police training, and is tough.  But the work weeks are pretty good, out here they work three days and get 4 off (somthing like that).  Not to bad IMO...

[99silveradoz71]

Firefighters go through an exhausting application and interview process prior to the training.  Once accepted, the training can take 3-6 months.  Firefighters do a world of good, but ask one about the divorce rate or their bank accounts and you'll hear some real horror stories!

Firefighting is a good job, I have looked into it myself.  While the pay is bad in some places, it is really good in others.  Out here it is pretty good, most departments start you off near the $40,000 mark, with good increases, which is great for that type of job.  Our police departments out here also make some good dough (Henderson starts you at 42k+).  You should see some of the sweet trucks that some of the firefighters out here drive with the money they get.  But the training is usually a few months, same as police training, and is tough.  But the work weeks are pretty good, out here they work three days and get 4 off (somthing like that).  Not to bad IMO...

Opted for the pd side myself, but as they said my first day at roll call, "It's not too late to take the fire test."  Most of the civil service lists are good for 2 years.  The tests aren't tough, it's all general knowledge and there are only a few different test companies out there, so it gets easier with time/more tests.  Our police academy was 14 weeks.  Then we had 10 weeks of FTO training.  Probation lasts for 1&1/2yrs from academy graduation.  I know the pd work is rewarding.  You have your bad days like any other job.  The fire guys seem to have things somewhat easier.  Some do the squad runs and such, but a lot of the others just hang at the house and wait for the big 1.  They do have pretty good equipment.  They usually do 24hrs on, 48 off, so you have a chance to start your own business(trees usually) if you want.  I'd give it a look.  I know fire you can begin testing at 18...pd is 21.

[sincityZ71]

Opted for the pd side myself, but as they said my first day at roll call, "It's not too late to take the fire test."  

LOL...I just love all of the good joke that come out of the competition between police and fire guys.  

 

Both job are rewarding in their own ways, General.  When I complete my CRJ degree I am going to go police myself hopefully, at least for awhile.  Then I am running for office... :thumb:

[chevy4x4trucks]

Out of curiosity have you given any thought to a 2 or 4 year college?

 

Is construction what you want to do, or have you given any thought to something in the computer field?

 

With that said, my dad is a Plumber, went to a tech high school and was top of his class.  You can make some good money and if you're good you get to do a lot of the better jobs and not so much of the general construction and get stuck out in the cold rainy weather.

[hogger999]

Hey General, What do you want to do. Are wanting something to make you a few bucks or are trying to decide a career.

 

BTW, If you want to give Railroading a shot. The Union Pacific is doing a lot of hiring.

[RyanbabZ71]

Our police academy was 14 weeks.  Then we had 10 weeks of FTO training.  Probation lasts for 1&1/2yrs from academy graduation.  I know the pd work is rewarding

 

Is the training paid?

[CapnDean]

Gotta add my 2 cents to this one:

 

For starters....go to your local community college and ask them if you can take the interest inventory called "CHOICES".

 

It is a computer program that career counselors use to determine what you may be best suited for.  It won't make you an engineer....but it'll sure help you see where your interests lie.

 

Second:  I suffer from the same disease you have...I call it the American problem...too many options.

 

CapnDean Served 4 years in the USNavy on an aircraft carrier.

A VERY good place for a 17 year old who likes to drink beer to grow up.  Better than flunking outta college at mom & dad's expense.

 

After that, I went to college nonstop for 5 years til I got a Philosophy degree.  Worked for American Airlines for 7 years.  Now I am a school teacher with a charter boat for summer fun.

 

Whatever you do...DO IT!  Wanna drive a truck?  Then go get your comm license, wanna skipper a boat? Fly a plane? Scuba dive?  You can do it...do not allow LACK of education in ANY area, to prevent you from getting a job.  If you gotta have a degree to do it...get a degree. If you need a license, permit, letter from your mother, degree or a certification to do something.....then get with it!

 

Good Luck!

 

CapnDean

[99silveradoz71]

Is the training paid?

With ours, we were making regular salary.  Some other places(Cleveland I believe being 1) will pay you at a much lower hourly rate- $8 sounds around right when I was taking other tests.

[BlueRado]

General, I think the career path is one of life's toughest issues to deal with, and unfortunately, sometimes these critical decisions come early in life.

 

Anyway, dispensing w/ the philosophizing,    CapnDean had good advice, as did others.  I followed the path Hill mentioned, and I had the advantage that my Dad was in construction, so I usually had a summer job, etc.  

 

Sounds like you have 2 issues; how to make some money now and get experience, and then the larger looming question of career.  For the first part, use your contacts; maybe someone you know can help you get into a job that will give you some experience and let you learn along the way, plus make some dough    too!  Ryan's suggestion is excellent.  It's not so much what you do, at your age, but that you have had a job, demonstrated professional responsibility, and did your best - that's what counts, trust me.  Unfortunately, there's usually no way to buck the system, so you gotta start somewhere (unless you're independently wealthy!!).

 

For the 2nd part, that's the tuffy.  I'd take the advice of the poster who mentioned the career aptitude test - I wish I'd had that option in my time.  Talk to guidance counselors (not high school - usually they're useless, in my experience), even professional ones, talk to friends/contacts in fields you might be interested in.

 

My final bit of advice is to determine a path that you think you'd like, then go for it.  And remember, you can always change now before you get too many responsibilities and get "stuck" down a path that is interesting, but not rewarding, as Shaners mentioned.  I'm in that boat now also, interesting, but not rewarding.

 

End blathering!