Careers

[ericacymcdonald]

Are you currently licensed in any state?

No I have my LSIT and 3 years. I have multiple coworkers who have gotten it at 6 years. I'm honestly confused, you shared the BPELSG requirements that said 6 years why is that not correct?

 

[gbflyer]

No I have my LSIT and 3 years. I have multiple coworkers who have gotten it at 6 years. I'm honestly confused, you shared the BPELSG requirements that said 6 years why is that not correct?

I’ve never met an older PLS that wasn’t bitter. I think maybe because the camaraderie of the 3 man crew is mostly a thing of the past.

My oldest son is on track to have his WY license by the end of the year. It’s a decent gig I guess. He’d make way more money as an operator.

 

[mntnguide]

Lineman has been mentioned... Been a good career for me. I work remotely from home in WY inspecting california powerlines via drone photos for issues (new aspect of the industry), and make more than i ever did working in the field. IF I was in my 20s, I would be contracting in cali making 400K+ a year easy, and investing the hell out of it for 10 years, then be set. I know guys who make 300+ and work 8 months max a year and take all hunting season off. Im happy with my gig now, i take as much time as i want off when i want to, and am an independent contractor basically with zero overhead. I will always have my IBEW card, and can chase a storm or go contract quick if i need to make some big money fast ever. I spent 10 years guiding, and didnt get into linework till my late 20s, you can always make a better life for yourself no matter the age.

 

[Customweld]

Lineman has been mentioned... Been a good career for me. I work remotely from home in WY inspecting california powerlines via drone photos for issues (new aspect of the industry), and make more than i ever did working in the field. IF I was in my 20s, I would be contracting in cali making 400K+ a year easy, and investing the hell out of it for 10 years, then be set. I know guys who make 300+ and work 8 months max a year and take all hunting season off. Im happy with my gig now, i take as much time as i want off when i want to, and am an independent contractor basically with zero overhead. I will always have my IBEW card, and can chase a storm or go contract quick if i need to make some big money fast ever. I spent 10 years guiding, and didnt get into linework till my late 20s, you can always make a better life for yourself no matter the age.

My daughter has a friend that is down in Cali, he's 25 and makes a killing down there! He's down there about half the year and home the rest of the time goofing off. My son in law's dad has a heli business contracting linework, he does alright too.

 

[txjustin]

Become a plumber or hvac apprentice. Work for a company until you become a master and start your own company. Build that up and you will be forever in demand. Also buy rental properties every chance you get.
You’ll be rich AF by the time you’re 40.


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[David Gough]

I'm a CPA and my dad and I have a tax firm. We're hands on with our clients and have work coming out of our ears.

If I were to look at our clients that doesn't take a decade of schooling/training I would recommend commercial real estate investment (not development).

 

[mntnguide]

My daughter has a friend that is down in Cali, he's 25 and makes a killing down there! He's down there about half the year and home the rest of the time goofing off. My son in law's dad has a heli business contracting linework, he does alright too.

I hung off helicopters all over the country my first year in, but got tired of living out of hotel rooms doin hitches all over. Still miss the excitement of heli-work from time to time no doubt!

 

[Miflatlander91]

I’m a union pipefitter I can be home every night and still make a good living or chase overtime jobs like I did in my 20s and make a killing. When I want time off I just tell them I’ll be gone these days not a big deal if I want a lot of time off I just ask for a layoff and call the hall when I’m ready to go back to work. That said my cousin is a lineman he does very well for him self especially when he does storm work and like others have said a buddy I did my apprenticeship with doesn’t work as a fitter anymore and is full time on the fire department and started a lawn care business that he doesn’t even mow for he has all the guys on his department working for him on their off days. Plenty of jobs afford you the ability to take time off I just recommend you find something you enjoy doing then find the job that pays the best with the ability to get time off in that field. I always loved to weld so I found the career that would pay the best and give me the most flexibility in my schedule and went with that


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[GSPHUNTER]

What ever you do, be the best there is. I worked ACR. What I did along time ago was pick one specific area of the trade, for me it was actually two. I worked low temp. cryogenics units capable of minus 150-275 degrees. The other area was centrifugal units. From 50-1500 ton chillers. If work was slow in one area there was always work to be done in the other. We did a lot of work for the aerospace and pharmaceutical companies. If you are in demand because of your knowledge, you can name your price. I started out doing little of everything until I had enough knowledge to move on to specific areas of the trade.

 

[jmez]

The real reason so many small businesses are not selling, most are vastly overpriced.

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[gbflyer]

The real reason so many small businesses are not selling, most are vastly overpriced.

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The real reason is that most of them are jobs someone bought, not a business. Mine as an example. It cannot function without me. So I have a shitload of assets and a bank account but it really isn’t worth anything as a business. That is a hard one for me to swallow.

 

[KWT]

How'd you guys get a foot in the door with the energy/oilfield line of work?

 

[9.1]

If I'm reading the licensure rules correctly you still need 6 years of qualifying expierience to become a surveyor in CA (degree counts towards 4 of them if surveying emphasis). Degree or not, you still need to get past that requirement. Posting this more of a question. I'm a civil PE and often wondered what it would take to get my PLS short of getting expierience with a crew?

Try to get PMs to send you on site visits with field crews for the projects you're working on. Work with the PLS reviewing the surveys and let them know you'd like to help with any of the survey office work you can on your projects and learn how it works because you're interested in getting licensed. Write it all up as surveying experience on your exam application. That's what worked for me. YMMV. Some state boards are more desperate than others for surveyors.

 

[Long Cut]

Firefighters have it pretty good. Usually very good pay, lots of time off with a couple of shift trades..etc

Texas, Cali & Colorado seem to pay their Firemen very well. New York is mainly volunteer, minus the City.

The rest of the country, most of us work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet.
The 24 on 48 off schedule is also not as forgiving as the 48/96 schedule.
We don’t make overtime until we surpass 106 hours in a 14 day time frame.
Most of our training (Paramedic School, Rescue/Rope Tech, Hazmat Tech, Swift Water Rescue, etc) takes place on our off days.

Between Firefighting and my side job Landscaping, I have worked 116 hours from Monday to Sunday during the Summer months. Average closer to 80-85 hours a week May-August.
Then January-March I’m training & taking classes on my days off.

This has been my experience. I love the job and helping people. I grew up in the firehouse, as Dad was a Ladder Captain, Grandpa a Chief, and I’m told Great Grandpa was a fireman as well.

I’ve mixed feelings. The brotherhood and satisfaction in helping others is amazing, along with the adrenaline rushes.. but that doesn’t pay my bills. My Hourly rate is less than that at McDonald’s, Costco and many other places with significantly less training and risk involved.

I hope my rant helps.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

I think making 70ish-k a year with ample time off...enough to have a second career simultaneously... is a pretty decent gig.

 

[9.1]

I’ve never met an older PLS that wasn’t bitter. I think maybe because the camaraderie of the 3 man crew is mostly a thing of the past.

My oldest son is on track to have his WY license by the end of the year. It’s a decent gig I guess. He’d make way more money as an operator.

The average age of a PLS is early 60s. 40 years of being told you're wrong by people who don't understand that measurements have tolerances will wear you down.

 

[Long Cut]

I think making 70ish-k a year with ample time off...enough to have a second career simultaneously... is a pretty decent gig.

I grossed $52k last year at the FD

 

[Rainyday]

Where you want to live is an important consideration. The same job can pay way different from one area to the next

 

[Long Cut]

OP- Become a Nurse and start out raking in ~$80k a year working 3 on 4 off, then vice versa.

You’ll have plenty of time for a side hustle, hunting etc.. working roughly 84 hours every 2 weeks. Specialize in a niche within nursing, and you will be well into that “6 figure” range you speak of.

 

[Shawn Hultquist]

28 year fireman best job in the world. Work 120 days a year if you want too. And get 12 holidays. I never take any personal days I swap with others. Then at the end of the year I sell off all my hours for a nice Christmas bonus.


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