Career options

[CorbLand]

Hard to beat State jobs for the work/life balance. I got a finance/economics degree and work for a university managing the finance of a couple Federal grants. It can be stressful but overall its good for the amount I make.

CPA isnt a bad route as most of your work is December to May.

 

[marktole]

I spent 8 years working in the corporate world. The pay was great, but sitting at a desk/computer all day and night was killing my soul. I am now a firefighter and love it. I work a 48 hours, then have 96 hours off. By taking one set (48 hours) off, I get 10 straight days off. It's rewarding (and stressful work) with an amazing schedule.

I will second the fire fighting gig. I’m 28 myself and work 3 out of 5 day, every other day, and then get 4 days in a row off. Example: work M W F, get Sat Sun Mon Tues off. Work W F Sun, have the next four days off. Cycle just repeats. If I take one set off I get get 13 days in a row at a time. 2 sets is 3 weeks off, planning to do that next fall for a good elk tag I should draw. Only work like 121 days a year. I have lots and lots of time to hunt.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I'm a forester by schooling, but my full time job is a firefighter/paramedic with the local fire department. We work 24hrs on, 48 hrs off. Every 13th shift, we get the shift off without burning vacation days. I earn 10 shifts off a year of vacation days and we can shift swap without using vacation days.

This job allows me alot of days off to hunt and allows me to do forestry work on the side.

The medical field ain't for everyone. I'd rather piece people together in the field and en route to the hospital than I had do long term care in a hospital.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[brettdunn7]

Thought about that one a few times. Totally unrelated haha, but I started to get a nursing degree a couple years back, but have been thinking power lineman lately

Why not nursing then? And technical skills in IT or anything?


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[Zbot]

RN in the ED here.....great pay and lots of time off if you want it. Sucks getting there but once you make it you will have a job anywhere you go.

 

[wyosam]

Another nurse chiming in. Most of my career, I have been an ER nurse working nights 6 on 8 off. So basically 2 weeks off every month. I loved that schedule, but I never got where I could enjoy the ER during the day. Just too many extra people around. I have recently switched to management overseeing an Oncology unit. I'm straight days now, currently on the traditional 830-5 m-f. I'm hoping to transition to 4-10s at least part of the time. I get 6+ weeks of vacation a year, and make a nice salary. Would I do it over again? If that meant starting in my 30s again- absolutely. If I could go clear back to my first round of college, I would buckle down and go to med school- but the thought never crossed my mind at that point in my life.

 

[Teaman1]

I currently have a job that works twelve hour shifts that adds up to half the days out of the year rotating shifts every 2 weeks. I like it a lot, but with their on call policy it is screwing with some people trying to take vacations. If they don’t figure it out, looks like nursing is the way to go

 

[ianpadron]

Every single one of my buddies that are firefighters seem to think they have the best gig in the world. Can't say I disagree!

48 on, 96 off is the norm out West. Benefits, great pay, exciting work, and a brotherhood in the workplace.

I love being in real estate, but the non-stop hustle mentality takes a toll on ya.

If I had to have a "normal" career (aka not self-employed) being a Firefighter would be tough to beat for a dude who loves to hunt and fish.

 

[Teaman1]

Are these guys city fire fighters or forest fire fighters?

 

[Top147]

Trades man. Go back to school and get a ticket. So useful outside of your job. Industrial electrician or millwright. I am a process engineer and have it pretty good as well. I work alongside the electricians and millwrights and if I were to do it again, it would be an electrician. (I’m in Canada FYI. Hard to get away from shift work though.

 

[Julius K]

Nurse here as well. Went back to school at 29 (previously studied wildlife). Turns out I mostly really enjoy nursing. In 20 months at the local technical college I started out making very good money. Working 3-12s is the bomb. ER is where I currently work, and while it’s not the physically toughest thing I’ve ever done, you will learn how to critically think on the fly and work with a semi clear mind in some very intense situations.

Lots of avenues to explore in nursing from working on a telephone all day, traveling to people’s homes, management, consulting, and working the floor.



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[banded_drake]

Be a firefighter/paramedic. Not sure everywhere else, but where I'm from in Texas, a 48/96 schedule is pretty common. It's what we're on, during hunting season, I pretty much hunt every 4 days I have off. It's also easy for me to fly out my first day off to Colorado for a couple day scout trip. When I'm ready for a long hunt, I take 1 tour off (48 hours) and I have 10 days to do what I want. Take 2 tours off and you get 16 days. Our new guys get 7 tours a year worth of vacation/holiday to use

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[Coach529]

I have been an electrician for 20 years. 7 week of vacation a year.

Started with 2 weeks. Plus we almost always for 4 -10's.

 

[Lowg08]

Yea not a power lineman. I’m 18 years in and I do make good money but weather can effect all your time off.

 

[Jimss]

I got my degree in Range Management. It's exciting being able to work outdoors preserving natural resources and the wildlife I love! There are quite a few options available with a Range degree. I've worked for the feds, state, and county for the past 30+ years. They pay ok and have decent benefits but I certainly would have made more $ working for the private sector. I work 4 x 10 hour days with my current job so always have 3 day weekends. I see deer, elk, and other wildlife nearly every day and stay in great physical shape doing my work...which is pretty fun!

 

[wentright]

I work for a railroad make really good money but you don’t get much vacation starting out and it’s hard on social/ hobby life.

 

[MuleyFever]

Firefighter.

 

[Marble]

I might just have to pick back up on that path then. I’m kind of an odd duck. Not overly mechanically knowledgeable but I enjoy physical labor. I do well with school work and for some reason, most people tell me they think I’d be a good nurse

If you could see yourself 10 years from now, where would that be? Marriage, job, kids, location etc. Is there any one field you have always thought of and never did? Or is your current profession something you can build upon or change slightly and turn it into something you want to do?

Everything can be immulated. What I mean by that is there is nothing you will need to recreate or start a new path. There are people that will have done what you end up wanting to do and can then help you make the choices you need to make to get there.

There are probably a few on line tests you can take that may guide you to a profession. And dont forget family members and friends input on what they think.

 

[Marble]

I work for a fairly large law enforcement agency. It's what I went to school for and have always wanted to do. I make around 150k after overtime and get 30 hours monthly of vacation time. No sick time.

But LE isn't for everyone. It sits me rather well and I've change positions to be a detective which took me out of a cruiser.

Point being, it's where I imagined myself being when I started down this path. You can do the same thing. Especially at 28.

 

[Fullfan]

Not for everyone. Law enforcement, my last 9 years of work I made a 6 figure salary. And at the 20 year mark I had 5 weeks of vacation. Plus able to retire at 49, with a pension that is more than most ppl make a year. But like I said, it is not for everyone..