Career choices

[Flyway Stalker]

Have you ever considered the Fire Service? Good pay, benefits and retirement program. I spent 20 years as a Fire Fighter / EMT and found it very rewarding work.

[Woody]

What branch of the military are you in?

The Coast Guard. I'm an Information Systems Technician.

If you're unsure about what you want to do now at 18 you might consider the military, a 4 year tour will allow you to grow up while gaining real world life experiences and not to mention you will learn a marketable trade to use if you choose to get out at 22.

Do you get credit for recruiting guys online?

[Olly]

What branch of the military are you in?

The Coast Guard. I'm an Information Systems Technician.

If you're unsure about what you want to do now at 18 you might consider the military, a 4 year tour will allow you to grow up while gaining real world life experiences and not to mention you will learn a marketable trade to use if you choose to get out at 22.

Do you get credit for recruiting guys online?

Dude I repeat that shit so much at work it just flows out without me even thinking about it.

[Steele22]

At your age go to your local power company and tell them you want to build fucking power lines. If you don't mind heights or electricity that is. Damn good money and benefits. Wish I'd started it younger. Good feeling too when you get people back on after a storm and they really appreciate it

[Olly]

At your age go to your local power company and tell them you want to build fucking power lines. If you don't mind heights or electricity that is. Damn good money and benefits. Wish I'd started it younger. Good feeling too when you get people back on after a storm and they really appreciate it

Will they allow him to start an electrical apprenticeship as most places? I always tell my applicants in the recruiting office to consider EM (Electricians Mate). Being an electricians is one job that will NEVER go away. It's 2015, we need electricity.

[Steele22]

Yea man your right, and what your telling them is a great idea to start learning. The power company I work for will hire without schooling because we have an in house 5 year apprenticeship. You have to pass a test which is basic math and shit. They give you a set of climbing tools and climb your ass off after they see who passed the test lol.

[Olly]

Yea man your right, and what your telling them is a great idea to start learning. The power company I work for will hire without schooling because we have an in house 5 year apprenticeship. You have to pass a test which is basic math and shit. They give you a set of climbing tools and climb your ass off after they see who passed the test lol.

Sounds like a great deal to me.

[Flightstopper]

What branch of the military are you in?

The Coast Guard. I'm an Information Systems Technician.

If you're unsure about what you want to do now at 18 you might consider the military, a 4 year tour will allow you to grow up while gaining real world life experiences and not to mention you will learn a marketable trade to use if you choose to get out at 22.

Do you get credit for recruiting guys online?

Lol was gonna say, must be below the quota this month.

[Kerrywhite30]

At your age go to your local power company and tell them you want to build **** power lines. If you don't mind heights or electricity that is. Damn good money and benefits. Wish I'd started it younger. Good feeling too when you get people back on after a storm and they really appreciate it

I didn't think they'd just let someone straight out of school do that.

[Kerrywhite30]

Have you ever considered the Fire Service? Good pay, benefits and retirement program. I spent 20 years as a Fire Fighter / EMT and found it very rewarding work.

Yes, I've considered fire fighting, I'm also pretty interested in law enforcement. But I can't do law enforcement until I'm 21, that's the legal age to carry a fire arm

[Capttrae]

Aight listen, I see the y'all's in the op, so I'm figuring southern. To answer some questions, 1) if you are going to continue your education, go now, don't take time off between high school and college, 2) while you're in college have a blast but mind your p's and Q's.
Welding, very good trade, pipe fitters and boiler makers make damn good money, I know a bunch of guys that do that and make good money, I wouldn't suggest underwater welding simply bc of the very short life expanctancy.
2) Oilfield, go out there w/ the attitude you're there to work and get w/ it. Wether it's boats or rigs the only person limiting how high you climb is you.

[IndianaMallard64]

I was considering welding, any opinions on welding postitiona and payment? It just seems terrible to just be getting out of school and jumping right into more school! But i would like a more hands on job, I'm
Not sure if I could sit behind a desk everyday, I'd like a job that varies what your doing day from
Day. I think I'd go nuts sitting
Behind a desk all
Day

Its a fact if you want to make real money. Or even having the option of making real money its going to be going to college and sitting behind a desk (at least at first). It really depends on your look on life. Sitting behind a desk does have a lot of benefits: job security, chances to travel for business and meeting people from all realms of life and opportunities to get inside looks at companies and potentially starting your own. At the same time a blue collar job has benefits too. You will most likely have new stuff to do everyday. You will be able to work with your hands and stay active. The cons are: not always job security (example: in between jobs), most likely doing the same job for your entire life. Its really all up to you. Our country needs blue and white collar folks. Just do what makes you happy. My two cents

[SpinnerMan]

I also think you need to ask yourself how much is money important to you? Seriously. I see so many guys get caught up in trying to make more money just so they can have what they think is a better life that they forget to live in the first place.

I'd rather make 25k a year doing something I love than 100k a year doing something that I hate. Life is so short that no amount of money is going to make me sell what little bit is mine.

But if you live on 25k, you don't have to work that many years making 100k before you can retire and live out the rest of your life on your 25k life style.

Money matters a lot, but it is not everything. When you are young and healthy, you can live dirt poor and enjoy life. The older you get. The harder that becomes.

There is a vast gap between love and hate. Going to a job you hate for a couple decades is a miserable life. However, most jobs are tolerable if you have a positive attitude. Especially when you understand what that extra 75k in your example will buy for you and your family. 20 years down the road you can always take a step backwards if you are unhappy, but if you do not have the skills to make good money, you can't simply step up to that 100k job.

Error on the side of making too much money, saving too much money, etc. It simply gives you a lot more options.

Nothing wrong with physical labor, but it gets a lot harder when you get older and it puts a lot more wear and tear on your body. Engineering is a good degree if you have the aptitude and discipline because you can do hands on work in the field when you are young and then have the option for a desk job when you get old. It is a very flexible field and it pays quite well.

Here is an example of a program for a person interested in welding with the aptitude for engineering. Something like this is an option to error on the side of being over prepared for someone interested in being a welder.

https://engineering.osu.edu/graduate/welding

[Steele22]

At your age go to your local power company and tell them you want to build **** power lines. If you don't mind heights or electricity that is. Damn good money and benefits. Wish I'd started it younger. Good feeling too when you get people back on after a storm and they really appreciate it

I didn't think they'd just let someone straight out of school do that.

They will. College is great for most trades and like Olly said learning basic electricity is a good start if you don't get hired on now. Power companies have their own apprenticeship programs. I played baseball in college for 2 years and well played ball and fucked off 2 years didn't do much of the school part but I wouldn't make near as much money with a degree as I do now. I'm not knocking it cause it's a great idea in most cases but school wasn't for me and I was gonna be a game warden which is far from a triple digit salary

[The Duck Hammer]

I was considering welding, any opinions on welding postitiona and payment? It just seems terrible to just be getting out of school and jumping right into more school! But i would like a more hands on job, I'm
Not sure if I could sit behind a desk everyday, I'd like a job that varies what your doing day from
Day. I think I'd go nuts sitting
Behind a desk all
Day

Don't know if anyone's answered you yet but welding is a very good choice if you're ok with oilfield work. At least it was. I work oilfield when I'm not at college and you can make a ton of money of you're ok with following the lines. Outside of the oilfield there are still plenty of options but that's just what I have experience with.

[duckdreamer]

It takes a little more of an education, but if I were just out of school and loved the outdoors, i would go into game biology or something of that nature. I know a couple of them and they work for game ranches and the Texas G&F dept. Both love what they do and although they have to work while most of us hunt they are outdoors and get the opportunity to hunt places I never will. Two of the local game wardens stopped by my place the other day to talk for awhile and one said he had access to a lake nobody else gets to fish. I am invited. Huge bass and pan fish. I could keep on with the stories, but if I had it to do over again, I would do something like that or be an outdoor writer. Also, knowledge and education in anything is one thing no one can take from you. Get all you can while you can.

[Kerrywhite30]

Everyone's advice is great! I've taken the time to read every post, as I really appreciate every one! But when y'all say oilfeilds, what do y'all mean? I'm not very familiar with these.. I'm imagine it's working on a oil rig, but more detail might help a little bit. What are th risks of welding? I believe someone on here said earlier you are almost gaurenteed to get lung cancer? Is this true??

[Rick]

...or be an outdoor writer.

Pretty much need a real job to support that one today.

[Slingshot]

Get into the plumbing field , you will never be without a job and will make a good living.It was the best thing I ever done when I was a young man.

[Capttrae]

Everyone's advice is great! I've taken the time to read every post, as I really appreciate every one! But when y'all say oilfeilds, what do y'all mean? I'm not very familiar with these.. I'm imagine it's working on a oil rig, but more detail might help a little bit. What are th risks of welding? I believe someone on here said earlier you are almost gaurenteed to get lung cancer? Is this true??

Oilfield, I work the oilfield in the gulf, there are all kinds of options when it comes to working the offshore oil and gas fields. Me, I'm captain on a 205 foot crewboat/ fast supply vessel. That's just me, I love boats, being on the water and the money. I don't like being gone from my son so much but it's just part of it. There's so many oilfield related jobs, boat jobs like mine, drilling rigs/ production platforms, there's shoreside support jobs, just pick your poision. There's land rigs up in North Dakota, I've heard it's a wild place up there right now. There's a lot of money to be made for a long time yet, so it's a good job for the long term as well.

[The Duck Hammer]

Everyone's advice is great! I've taken the time to read every post, as I really appreciate every one! But when y'all say oilfeilds, what do y'all mean? I'm not very familiar with these.. I'm imagine it's working on a oil rig, but more detail might help a little bit. What are th risks of welding? I believe someone on here said earlier you are almost gaurenteed to get lung cancer? Is this true??

Welding on the pipelines. Welders don't work on rigs unless they don't go in as welders. I've never heard the lung cancer thing before. All the guys I went to high school with that went north to weld were putting in new lines.

[bill herian]

Not sure if anyone has asked, but have you been accepted to colleges? Did you get good grades in high school?

[Goldfish]

Everyone's advice is great! I've taken the time to read every post, as I really appreciate every one! But when y'all say oilfeilds, what do y'all mean? I'm not very familiar with these.. I'm imagine it's working on a oil rig, but more detail might help a little bit. What are th risks of welding? I believe someone on here said earlier you are almost gaurenteed to get lung cancer? Is this true??

You aren't guaranteed to get lung cancer. Nobody has it at our welding shop, and there are plenty of old guys.

[Kerrywhite30]

Not sure if anyone has asked, but have you been accepted to colleges? Did you get good grades in high school?

Yes, I have been accepted into a few, I've got accepted for fish and game, I made A and B in school

[Fowlplay]

Have you looked into becoming a lineman? Dangerous work but the money is there in most places

[Fowlplay]

Have you looked into becoming a lineman? Dangerous work but the money is there in most places

Didn't know there was a second page to this. Clearly I'm a little late to the party

[Steele22]

Have you looked into becoming a lineman? Dangerous work but the money is there in most places

Didn't know there was a second page to this. Clearly I'm a little late to the party

Are you a lineman too?

[Fowlplay]

Have you looked into becoming a lineman? Dangerous work but the money is there in most places

Didn't know there was a second page to this. Clearly I'm a little late to the party

Are you a lineman too?

working my way there. i went to lineman school a year ago and am currently on a right of way crew for the local emc. just waiting for a spot to open

[Steele22]

I heard that. I worked for pike contracting for 2 years before I got on at the power company here. Was good experience but traveling sucked. When you have to wait on a man to retire to get a open spot the job speaks for itself lol. Good luck man

[Fowlplay]

I heard that. I worked for pike contracting for 2 years before I got on at the power company here. Was good experience but traveling sucked. When you have to wait on a man to retire to get a open spot the job speaks for itself lol. Good luck man

yea we contract a lot of stuff out to pike. they work hard ill give them that. yea hoping to move to line crew in the next few months. till then ill be cutting the hell outta some trees. i appreciate it man. stay safe out there