Career options

[Gametracker]

I am a RN, been doing it for 20 yrs. Extra shifts always available, benefits and pay great. Currently making over $90 hr. Gonna ride this out a few more years then getting out of Ca with my pension and 401k.

 

[coloyooper]

I am appreciative of this thread. I've been weighing a career change for awhile now. Have begun looking into process to apply for firefighter in Colorado.

 

[1000yrds]

Marketing or business admin.

 

[jhm2023]

Find something that gives you a 2 week on 2 week off job. I work a 2 on 2 off schedule and while the 84 hour work weeks suck, the 2 weeks off every month and living in Alaska makes for some great adventures and hunting trips.

 

[Billinsd]

I am a RN, been doing it for 20 yrs. Extra shifts always available, benefits and pay great. Currently making over $90 hr. Gonna ride this out a few more years then getting out of Ca with my pension and 401k.

I'm in a similar situation as an engineer.........Do you remember California tried to tax people leaving the state with their pension as though they still live in California? Luckily it failed. Bill

 

[Gametracker]

Yes I remember that. Hopefully never happens.

 

[NDwhitetail]

Process plant technology Or power plant technology

 

[gtj96]

anything with shift work... I work nights a lot but because of that I get 3, 4, sometimes even 6 days off in a row with out using any sick or vacation time. Just how the schedule works out

 

[Aviator04]

If you like sales, then try insurance and make your own schedule. If you want to play in the oil field, they offer great schedule options like 2 weeks on and two weeks off. If you want great benefits and security, then try looking for state jobs.


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[Jordan1292]

Marketing or business admin.

How do you get into these jobs without the college degree?

 

[2dognite]

Check out Instrumentation and Controls. I’ve been at it for 20 years and it’s a great trade to get into. There are so many aspects to this trade that you can go as far as you want. Most courses are 2 years and when you get done you typically start out at $30/hr.

2dognite

 

[Pastatehunter]

Heavy equipment operator. Demand is everywhere. The physical toll isn’t too bad. And you more then likely will have your winters off, weather depending, for hunting. I used to work 60+ hours a week, I recently joined the union. Now I work 40 hours a week and don’t work weekends. For the most part. Great career move

 

[_Scooter_]

Registered Nurse or learn a trade.

Only go the RN route if you really have a passion for it, otherwise you're goin got be miserable and won't be doing your patients a disservice. Depending how you do it, you may have a bit of student loan debt. With a trade you'll be making as much, maybe more than an RN depending on where you live and will have little to no debt to pay back.

 

[_Scooter_]

I know a few nurses, they all get 6 weeks a year pto, sick time and personal days. Physically the work isn’t backbreaking either.


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Not back breaking? I disagree. Many RN's I know have bad backs, moving dead weight around, repositioning patients, etc. Definitely a physically demanding job. For sure not as demanding as other jobs, but it's definitely both physically and mentally demanding depending on what your speciality is.

 

[_Scooter_]

If looking at nursing I’d suggest travel nurse. Make almost six figures a year, can change assignments every 13 weeks, get to see different parts of the country but can stay a resident in a good hunting state. Labor and delivery and med surge are the ones my wife saw the most when she was looking around.

Travel Nursing isn't really what it used to be. Unless it's an assignment that is a crisis staffing contract you dont make a ton these days as a traveler. Usually your hourly rate is pretty low but you do get either free company paid housing or a housing stipend that's tax free as long as your assignment is greater than 50 miles form the address you have listed as your permanent residence. You can do assignments like they're doing in NYC due to the pandemic and many of those RN's are making bank, but many are working 5-7 twelve hour shifts a week. Not easy work. Some assignments are great and you get treated well, other assignments are awful and it can be the worst 13 weeks of your life. You'll also need at least a year experience in your given area of expertise before you start traveling, and usually they require more experience. You cant switch areas of expertise as a traveler unless you have experience in all those areas. For example, you wouldn't be able to get an assignment in an Adult ED if you're a med-surg nurse, etc.

Traveling can be good if you want to check out different cities and parts of the country and figure out where you want to be and do it on someone else's dime for sure. After a few years though it can start to get old, but it can also afford you a certain schedule and lifestyle you can't necessarily get with a regular staff position. Some people I know who are travelers will work a 13 week contract, then take some time off. Others may choose to work 6-8 months straight and then take the 4-6 months off. You have a daily flexible schedule and can, for the most part decide what times during the year you want off. But you need to be solid in whatever your discipline is. As a travel nurse you need to be able to hit the ground running and have solid experience in your discipline. No hand holding, and in some cases I had less than a day of orientation and you're expected to know what your're doing.

Benefits may not be as good as you'd get as a staff nurses. Health insurance plans may be pretty expensive and only offer limited coverage, and you obviously dont accrue sick time or paid time off. Also, not only do you not acres paid leave or sick time and not get paid if you don't work, but if you call in sick you will also be responsible to pay for your housing on the days you called in sick.

Not trying to keep anyone from considering travel nursing, just giving more of an honest perspective and mention the things most people tend to forget to mention.

 

[LineandBuck]

I'm a lineman and you can take as much time off as you can afford as a contractor. Little different if you work for a utility, they'll decide if you get time off or not. Lots of guys in the trade will take all of September off to hunt.

Forest Service would've been a good pick but its too late for me. spend all your time in the woods backpacking in the spring/summer, then take a layoff for fall and winter.