Camp Job?

[weezy00]

Would you work a 7/7 or 14/14 for 50k more a year?

[btimbit]

At the moment I definitely would. Be nice to get out of town for a while. But I also go through spurts where for a few months I want to do nothing but put my head down and earn.

[Darkane]

Fucking rights. Camp can be pretty awesome

[a61z]

camp life is definitely not for everyone. depends a lot on the camp as well... can be huge differences.

[msommers]

Depends. Are you going from 50k->100k or 200k->250k?

[HuMz]

I would, that's a pretty gravy shift.

[HuMz]

I should add that's assuming they fly you up and its a decent camp.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by HuMz
I should add that's assuming they fly you up and its a decent camp.

Exactly. Plus no, I wouldn't.

There are two types of people really; those who don't care about missing family events/special occassions/time with friends and those that do. At the end of the day most people work a schedule where their time to do somethingis for a hour or two in the evening of a weekeday, or a Friday or Saturday night. I hate it when it's the middle of the week and some friends end up not being busy and say "hey, lets go have some beer and hotwings tonight!" and guess what? You're in fucking camp, freezing your bag off up north.

Also, consider that you'll be getting paid for a 12 hour shift. What about the time you spend traveling too and from camp and site? what about the fact thatat minimum one full day of your time (unpaid) is spent traveling from where you live to site?

At the end of the day, you get paid that extra $50k not because the job is worse or harder, but because you are actually working much more of the time. And if you aren't good with money, you get stuck in a never ending cycle of NEEDING to work up there to afford the expensive lifestyle you've become accustomed to.

And finally, anyone who thinks they can raise a family while working weeks at a time away from home need their heads checked Imo.

[The BMW Guy]

I'd do it in a heartbeat. I wouldn't do it forever, but right now it could really help out the wife and I in getting a home to raise the little one. Once that is in place though...i'd rather spend time with them.

[ExtraSlow]

For people who haven't started a family, this is an awesome deal. If you are dedicated, these kind of jobs also allow enough free time to do something like an online MBA, or other academic upgrading.

Some camps have awesome gyms, and guys get in awesome shape.

For someone with young kids, I do not recommend it. Most of the time it ends in family dysfunction and divorce. I'd have to make that extra $50k/year for a lot of years to pay off the house my wife would get in the divorce.

I know guys who do it successfully, but AFAIK, they are the exception, and not the rule.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by The BMW Guy
I'd do it in a heartbeat. I wouldn't do it forever, but right now it could really help out the wife and I in getting a home to raise the little one. Once that is in place though...i'd rather spend time with them.

Easier said than done, chances are after a few months you would either A: come home to her fuckin someone else or B: an empty house.
It's not easy to go up there while having a family to raise.This happens to more guys than you think.

[CompletelyNumb]

I'd even be willing to throw out a made up statistic here that 80% of the guys over 30 I've worked with in camp have been divorced. It happens more than often.

Do it while you're young if it's a good way to make the money. Just don't forget to have a life too. Camp is tough.

[bitteeinbit]

I applied for a job as a train conductor for CN. Worst job ever. Essentially, you're always on call (2 hours notice) for your whole career. So despite it not being a camp job, it's probably worst than a camp job. I walked out of there ASAP, lol. Myself being single, I LOVE camp-style jobs. I like being somewhere secluded for a while and making big bucks. No need to think about much, just work. Life is simple. But as others have said, it's only something you can do temporarily. Do it too long and next thing you know you'll either:
A) Have no life. Work will be your only life
or
B) The life you HAD will be gone (divorce, no friends etc.)

If you're young and single, then I'd say it's worth it, but only for a set amount of time. Say 1-5 years. Otherwise, screw it. Quality of life is more important. That being said, at the moment I'd kill for a camp-style job as I'm highly motivated to make money.

[danno]

For the guys that do it how hard is it to come back to a 80k a year job instead of 150k. I've seen a few guys that can't come back and make regular money because they think they deserve more.

If your good with money I'd go up north for 5 years max, buy a house with the cash then focus on relationships with friends and start a family. Life is to short and only goes by faster as you get older to worry about money.

[weezy00]

Reason I am considering it, is because I currently wake up at 5 and don't get home until 8pm at the earliest. It is a long day.

msommers it would be 140K->200K

[Redlined_8000]

Originally posted by weezy00
Reason I am considering it, is because I currently wake up at 5 and don't get home until 8pm at the earliest. It is a long day.

msommers it would be 140K->200K

If you are currently not married I would say go for it! People seem to be scared of camp but as long as you are smart about your money you will not become dependant on it. You can work there for a couple of years or however long you want and come back to Calgary and find a job. No harm in trying it I think.


Whats your job if you dont mind sharing?

[r3ccOs]

what is the lure of working a camp job? It seems the same people who crew a rig, or a site often work trades, if they are not working the patch.

Is the "Pay" much better than doing a trade in the City? Are the rates really that high?

I mean I get making $150k a year, but I still would rather do that, working m-f 40hrs a week instead?

[kaput]

.

[FraserB]

7/7 sucks, just because of the way the averages for OT work out. 10/4 is where the $$$ is at.

[lellowrx7]

Camp life isn't terrible.
If you think about it like this,

Your food is made for you, transportation is free and takes a couple minutes. all you do is work 12 hours during the day or night (shift defendant) and then go back to camp. Watch some tv, hit a gym, get some sleep.

When you work 12 hours in the city, you wake up early to drive to work. You work your 12 hours. Now tired, you have to drive home. When you get home you need to cook yourself dinner, prep yourself for the next day, i.e. making lunch, so on and so forth. maybe you like to go to the gym, that takes much more time then walking down a hallway or some stairs.

For putting up with working 14-24 days in a row or whatever your rotation is, the time off following feels really nice. i much prefer 7 days off in a row than 1-2 days on a weekend.

When your at work you don't spend money. unless your an online shopper but even then how much can you piss away?

If your the type of person that can handle being away from your regular social circles for periods of time, and you've got no responsibilities to attend to at home, fuck it makes the $.