If you could start a new career

[speedog]

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I only would if you had plans to own a business. Doing those trades until you are 60, pass. Especially plumbing. Hvac is probably the best bet out of those, AC/refrigeration.

I suppose as a subcontractor I do own my own business - slid into carpentry almost 3 years ago and it's probably the job I've enjoyed most over the decades and go figure, my summer jobs when I was going to SAIT was carpentry. Not necessarily the cleanest occupation but money as a sub can range from $35 to $120 an hour depending on the work. Yeah, there's the outlay for tools but it is a bonus because I have more tools to play around with at home.

[msommers]

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30 ain't late dude.

With at least 5-8 years of schooling still ahead, it's a hard road and that's if I even get accepted on the first go. But it's what I really want. In grad school I'm already the old guy so at least I'm used to it now

[HiTempguy1]

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I suppose as a subcontractor I do own my own business - slid into carpentry almost 3 years ago and it's probably the job I've enjoyed most over the decades and go figure, my summer jobs when I was going to SAIT was carpentry. Not necessarily the cleanest occupation but money as a sub can range from $35 to $120 an hour depending on the work. Yeah, there's the outlay for tools but it is a bonus because I have more tools to play around with at home.

For the vast majority of people... I don't want to say trades are a dead-end, but unless you work for yourself (which you do, as a subcontractor) you basically get stuck topping out at $40/h. Which isn't bad money, but it certainly isn't what it used to be either.

I see it a lot, both up north and back with the construction trades down south. And it usually takes a toll on the body. I didn't say it wasn't fun. I'll be doing a lot more work on cars soon versus sitting in the office all day, but its not the main focus of my business, just one subsection.

In the end, OP asked for recommendations. From what I've seen, its tough to recommend from a lifestyle/health perspective unless you do it right and really think about how to plot it out as a career.

[bjstare]

Starting over again, I'd do a different undergrad to prep for law school. I did my undergrad in engineering, and didn't get interested in law until after I graduated... but I screwed the pooch too much in engineering to have a competitive GPA (only 3.2). I did well on the LSAT, but my undergrad grades are largely what kept me out of law school (and not wanting to travel to the UK where almost anyone can get in).

Only thing I might change at this point is getting an executive MBA, but it's taking some time to psych myself up for the jump from 50hr work weeks to 80hr+ work weeks haha.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

I would have gone into driver training and education, hopefully more performance oriented if I had the chance.

[zhao]

I would probably go in to what I started, which was finance. CFP, or securities related... possibly insurance.

If I could redo, power engineer or trades, ride the oil and gas boom and bank every spare cent, and i'd be semi-retired right now.

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I would have gone into driver/training and education, hopefully more performance oriented if I had the chance.

Terrible pay if it's performance oriented. I happily do it for free.

I do think owning a defensive driver school would be awesome, but there are some serious barriers to entry on that market. Basically you need to be an employee of some jackoff's school making shit money for 2-3 years from what I remember before you can open your own, at least if you want it recognized.

[corsvette]

I'd love to go into Equine dentistry. Pays very well, get to work with horses, and actually in demand as not many people do it.

[Ben]

I left IT when I packed up and moved away from Calgary in 2007. Lived the life of do whatever I wanted in New Zealand, soul searched and and blew my life savings on seeing the world. When I finally came back home in 2009 I went into law enforcement, got through the whole year+ application process and been doing it 7 years now. Sure it doesn't pay "rigger pay" where everyone brags about their massive pay and yet don't have 20 bucks to put diesel in their $100,00 truck when the economy slumps but I still make it on the sunshine list after putting in my time and getting my raises etc, and I know every day I wake up I have a job. That and with the schedule I'm on I only work 166 calendar days a year before annual leave and family related leave and sick days. I have 200+ days off a year to do whatever I want. heck I can work another job doing something else I like if I want, but mostly we just catch a flight somewhere for a few days and get away. Sure there are some days that are awful, just awful, but most days its good times. It's not for everyone and you have to have a good home life to help you through some rough ones but I would definitely say it was the best decision I ever made as I personally just hated Monday to Friday office life, having a phone always attached to me putting in long days while salaried and fixing stupid shit just to have to repeat it again the next day. You'll never be absolutely rich doing it but you'll always be able to live comfortably.

I would agree that the pay versus education required is a good ratio especially for where I came from, but that's not to say you can be a dropout either. And we're not a bunch of hothead bullies that got picked on in school either with a superiority complex , lots with amazing life stories and experience before joining the thin blue line. And a lot with many letters after their names too that decided to follow their passion instead of their educations.

And don't get me started on the kinds of toys you get to play with

[Buster]

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I still make it on the sunshine list .... and with the schedule I'm on I only work 166 calendar days a year before annual leave and family related leave and sick days. I have 200+ days off a year to do whatever I want. heck I can work another job doing something else I like if I want, but mostly we just catch a flight somewhere for a few days and get away. Sure there are some days that are awful, just awful, but most days its good times.

You know, considering this forum is full of people who are successful, bust their asses for big hours at high stress jobs, and pay a shit ton of taxes.....you might want to go a little light on this talk.

[Masked Bandit]

If I had to do it all over again I'm thinking accounting. Seems like low stress, good to great income potential and the beans always need counting, even if there are few beans this year than last year.

[Ben]

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You know, considering this forum is full of people who are successful, bust their asses for big hours at high stress jobs, and pay a shit ton of taxes.....you might want to go a little light on this talk.

I don't know if that's meant to be funny or a slam, could be either or, and since I've been on both sides, hey, we all made our choices, some people choose to create their own stress and scrape for money and power in the only way they know how. So I guess I need clarification here. Light on what talk? I've worked harder for less, harder for more, less for less and less for more. this isn't my first job, this isn't even my tenth job. I've seen and done a lot. Hell I threw my lawn mower in the trunk of my old ass Volkswagen and drove across the city to mow rage2's lawn one time because I wanted the cash for some camera gear.

I work full time hours compressed into 12/13 hour shifts not to mention donated time and such. And I don't have stressful days? I guarantee most would fold like a cheap suit given some of the things I've seen and done. I've looked death and evil and horror right in the eyes at the 11th hour and fought for my next breath and come out the other side calm and collected and with lives saved because I had a job to do so those opinions are not even entertained by me.

Beyond is full of ballers and millionaires. Everyone here is doing everything right. Most of these people thought I was crazy to dump my job and move across the planet because Calgary was the Be All End All of prosperity during the 2007 boom.

Also, define successful? Very subjective. I used to think looking out my office window in downtown Calgary with a prox card and blackberry on my belt and a pleated pair of khakis with 4 monitors and a docket of systems updates was successful. Now, looking back I see my old self as just a fat rat in the big race of life where everyone stepped on and over everyone to move up. That wasn't successful, that was stupid. In my opinion anyways.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

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Terrible pay if it's performance oriented. I happily do it for free.

I do think owning a defensive driver school would be awesome, but there are some serious barriers to entry on that market. Basically you need to be an employee of some jackoff's school making shit money for 2-3 years from what I remember before you can open your own, at least if you want it recognized.

Well there goes that dream. I guess I'll settle for people asking me for tips and ridealongs at auto x.

[vengie]

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I'd just do what I do now, but start earlier. Took me to late 20's, 30-ish to find out what I liked.

Genuinely curious, What do you do?

[Buster]

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I don't know if that's meant to be funny or a slam, could be either or, and since I've been on both sides, hey, we all made our choices, some people choose to create their own stress and scrape for money and power in the only way they know how. So I guess I need clarification here. Light on what talk? I've worked harder for less, harder for more, less for less and less for more. this isn't my first job, this isn't even my tenth job. I've seen and done a lot. Hell I threw my lawn mower in the trunk of my old ass Volkswagen and drove across the city to mow rage2's lawn one time because I wanted the cash for some camera gear.

I work full time hours compressed into 12/13 hour shifts not to mention donated time and such. And I don't have stressful days? I guarantee most would fold like a cheap suit given some of the things I've seen and done. I've looked death and evil and horror right in the eyes at the 11th hour and fought for my next breath and come out the other side calm and collected and with lives saved because I had a job to do so those opinions are not even entertained by me.

Beyond is full of ballers and millionaires. Everyone here is doing everything right. Most of these people thought I was crazy to dump my job and move across the planet because Calgary was the Be All End All of prosperity during the 2007 boom.

Also, define successful? Very subjective. I used to think looking out my office window in downtown Calgary with a prox card and blackberry on my belt and a pleated pair of khakis with 4 monitors and a docket of systems updates was successful. Now, looking back I see my old self as just a fat rat in the big race of life where everyone stepped on and over everyone to move up. That wasn't successful, that was stupid. In my opinion anyways.

Definitely not funny.

My point is/was that tax-payers tend to not like to hear tax-recipients brag about the lifestyles provided to them when it involves "sunshines lists", working only "166 days a year" regularly being able to "take flights wherever". As for the horrors and stress...I'm sure, but as you say...."most days its good times."

Take what the system is willing to provide to you in the form of pay and benefits. But when I'm staring at my tax bill (and my accountants bill trying to shave a point here or there off my rate), don't think I'm not reminded of threads like this. When my ex-military friends brag about their retirement benefits, or my cop cousins brag about getting out of the force at forty-whatever to a generous pension, or my firefighter friends are starting side-businesses with their extra time - they all universally seem to forget that someone is actually paying the bill for the extravagances, and they are usually right there.

[jacky4566]

Speaking in a car forum. What does it take to be a high end automotive mechanic at Regal or Coachworks? I am seriously considering switching to mechanics but terrified of being stuck as an oil jokey.

My advice to high schoolers right now would be trades. Go into the industrial side (Millwright or HD Mec) and you might even get to travel the world.

[R-Audi]

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Definitely not funny.

My point is/was that tax-payers tend to not like to hear tax-recipients brag about the lifestyles provided to them when it involves "sunshines lists", working only "166 days a year" regularly being able to "take flights wherever". As for the horrors and stress...I'm sure, but as you say...."most days its good times."

While Im sure there are a lot of perks for certain government jobs, I dont think anyone could pay me enough to put up with the "Awful, just awful days" as Ben calls them that most Police/Fire/Paramedics have to deal with. There is no way in hell I am strong enough mentally to deal with that even if it was a few days a month of seeing the worst humanity has to offer. Think of the worst pubished cases in the media (ie. Kids who are kidnapped/murdered etc) and then being first repsonders... Im sure this is the tip of the iceberg for what details actually get released, not to mention the cases that dont get published. All the power to the people that deal with this stuff on a regular basis so that the rest of us dont.

[revelations]

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I'd go into adult training, coaching, and public speaking.

Cam, are you still doing the Kiyosaki (training others) thing?

[revelations]

OP, getting into first response is definitely not for everyone. EMS and CFD guys and gals deal with the whiniest, nastiest people around, who still need help, and are bleeding or vomiting everywhere.

They cant just slap a pair of cuffs on them either (well, I guess zip ties would work too). The EMS guys I used to know said that it was about a 10 year career for most before they quit. The CFD should offer a better option - but again, your dealing with 70-80% drug-related cases in certain areas.

[suntan]

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While Im sure there are a lot of perks for certain government jobs, I dont think anyone could pay me enough to put up with the "Awful, just awful days" as Ben calls them that most Police/Fire/Paramedics have to deal with. There is no way in hell I am strong enough mentally to deal with that even if it was a few days a month of seeing the worst humanity has to offer. Think of the worst pubished cases in the media (ie. Kids who are kidnapped/murdered etc) and then being first repsonders... Im sure this is the tip of the iceberg for what details actually get released, not to mention the cases that dont get published. All the power to the people that deal with this stuff on a regular basis so that the rest of us dont.

Yeah I don't give cops, EMS, firefighters etc grief. That shit is tough. No fucking way I could do it even with the perks. First pedo motherfucker I'd have to deal with, I'd blow their brains out.

[revelations]

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Definitely not funny.

My point is/was that tax-payers tend to not like to hear tax-recipients brag about the lifestyles provided to them when it involves "sunshines lists", working only "166 days a year" regularly being able to "take flights wherever". As for the horrors and stress...I'm sure, but as you say...."most days its good times."

Take what the system is willing to provide to you in the form of pay and benefits. But when I'm staring at my tax bill (and my accountants bill trying to shave a point here or there off my rate), don't think I'm not reminded of threads like this. When my ex-military friends brag about their retirement benefits, or my cop cousins brag about getting out of the force at forty-whatever to a generous pension, or my firefighter friends are starting side-businesses with their extra time - they all universally seem to forget that someone is actually paying the bill for the extravagances, and they are usually right there.

The guys and gals on the front lines get a pass from me, regarding their "government" job. You should be directing your anger towards those sitting in an office somewhere in nowhere Canada, collecting 60k a year for 30 years, for a simple/menial job that could easily be outsourced to a local contractor, and would result in improved efficiency and employment of people who want to work.