Looking for some advice

[Archery Athlete]

What’s going on everyone, I’m looking for some advice and figured here was a good place to start. A little background, I am 25, currently live in NJ and I am getting married at the end of 2025. Me and my future wife rent an apartment, no kids and no debt, just a well trained dog and a cat that rely on us, so nothing really holding us back. For years I have wished to move to the west, and I feel as though I am the luckiest man on earth to have a woman who is willing to follow me anywhere and is just as eager to get off the east coast and move to the mountains. Here is where my dilemma comes in.

I currently work in LE, been in for a couple years now. While I like my job, I feel as though it’s time to make a change due to political climate, inconsistent schedules etc etc. I wouldn’t change my time in the field for anything, but as I am looking to start a family soon I feel it’s time for a change. So here I am, with a girl who’s willing to move with me anywhere in the country, a 4 year degree and the desire for a career change. The prospect of leaving LE and searching for something new has been daunting, so with that does anyone have any advice on what I could be looking for? Some top contenders for the move are Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Utah, but again anywhere is open. Colorado is probably the leader at the moment as it’s the only place off the east coast we have some friends and family already residing there.

Thanks for reading and any responses I get on this thread.

 

[cnelk]

Here’s a link from last summer you might be interested in

Laramie County Sheriff's office billboard tries to lure officers from Denver

CHEYENNE — As the Denver Police Department braces for an expected $8.4 million in budget cuts, or 1.9%, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office is taking advantage of the potential marketing

www.wyomingnews.com

 

[KHNC]

Best advice is never get married during hunting season. Also, make sure no pregnancy during Sept-Nov time frame. Nothing else matters.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Narrow down potential areas starting with Colorado and go visit. See if it fits you. That’s what we did 3 years ago with 3 kids, a horse, 2 dogs etc.

 

[Speaks]

Of all the Western states (not on the coast) CO is most likely to end up with problematic gun laws. This would prevent me from wanting to put down roots there even though it is beautiful. I have not spend enough time anywhere else there outside of Utah to give a well informed perspective outside of this though.

 

[CorbLand]

Well, you are at one of the easiest times in your life to move. No house to sell, no kids to worry about, not settled in a career. I would say, make it happen.

The hard thing with the West is that its gotten expensive to live and LE for the most part, is low paying. Make sure that you run the numbers to make sure its feasible. Pretty hard to be happy when you cant pay the bills regardless of where you live.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

If you're worried about a political climate, CO might not be for you. And definitely stay away from WA, OR and CA.

 

[Archery Athlete]

Thank you for all the responses. My apologies if I wasn’t clear in my original post, but my main question is what other areas for jobs / careers would yall be looking into.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Private security of some sort, either corporate or personal? Lots of rich folks moving to WY, MT, ID, etc.

 

[Jimmy]

What jobs is the million dollar question... What else are you good at, or like to do and could get good at?

 

[Archery Athlete]

What jobs is the million dollar question... What else are you good at, or like to do and could get good at?

Love everything outdoors and anything where I can help people. I honestly feel as though I could get good at anything I set my mind to, it’s just a matter of where to start.

 

[JFK]

Make the career change part of the equation for sure. It would suck to land somewhere you really like and then not have the means to make a living. I’d start by figuring out what the career change looks like and then seek out areas that have opportunities in that field.

I have a buddy who used to be LE and left it to be a fireman. He’s much happier now. Something to think about. It’s similar enough but without a lot of the BS of LE.

 

[Flyjunky]

I’d start by figuring out what the career change looks like and then seek out areas that have opportunities in that field.

This is the correct answer.

 

[displacedtexan]

What's your degree in?

What does your fiancé do?

 

[cbat]

Game Warden ? Flexible hours and no set shifts.

 

[Marble]

Thank you for all the responses. My apologies if I wasn’t clear in my original post, but my main question is what other areas for jobs / careers would yall be looking into.

You may narrow it down to a state and look at the state LE options. That is, if you want to stay in LE potentially. With a state job, you have the option of living in multiple locations within the state, keeping seniority and your career trajectory.

I did this in CA. Some areas I worked were horrible politically, some were as conservative as any place you'll find in the US.

As far as the political climate, that will swing back and forth in ~10 year periods. Right now it's trending more towards law and order. Even with the crazy political BS at the state level, my job was very rewarding.

So my advice would be choose a location first, then start on jobs.

Don't discount northern new mexico and Utah.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[KHNC]

Game Warden ? Flexible hours and no set shifts.

Joe Pickett doesnt get paid crap!

 

[RadialJett]

Game Warden ? Flexible hours and no set shifts.

This! My sheriff buddy complains the “fish cop” never does anything but you can guarantee he knows the best spots for every kind of fish and game.

 

[TaperPin]

Unfortunately you and I were blessed with very similar personalities and what you said is about what I would have said at your age. We’re generalists and figure we’ll think about a wide range of things until something comes along and feel no desire to be locked in to just one thing. Whoever told us how to select a career lied to us. It’s my biggest complaint about “career education” and retraining. There is no substitute for focusing on one career, one town, one family, and faking excitement about it around others if need be. When you’re excited people will go out of their way to help. You don’t need to make the perfect choice - if you’re sharp, any number of careers will be successful, but you have to pin a career down and focus on it and if it doesn’t fit you well, focus just as hard on another. Stop talking about 6 states, random jobs, and stop flirting with old high school friends on FB.

Specialize in something that’s in demand or you’ll have to take what you can get. For a specialized career that means more school. Colorado is full of guys your age trying to work into a job just like you so just trying hard isn’t enough. Colorado has VERY high out of state tuition, but job placement within the state is very good. Don’t go to school in Wyoming if you want a Colorado job and visa versa. I’ve done both.

You’ve got some hard work ahead of you and there will be some hard choices if your gal isn’t up for up. However solid you feel the relationship is, there are 10k couples in your same boat in CO and many aren’t going to last long enough to get settled. When our son and his gal moved across country I suggested he decide now what to do if she wants to move home after 6 months or a year. Pick up some stress management skills - moving is a big stress, career change is a big stress, your relationship changing into a marriage in the middle of all this is a big stress, being broke is stressful, and it’s easy to forget all these big things stack on top of each other so you’re biting off a lot. Many couples have not made it with less stress then what you’re signing up for.

You’ve outgrown your 20s already, so buckle down, make good decisions and make it happen.

 

[CorbLand]

Thank you for all the responses. My apologies if I wasn’t clear in my original post, but my main question is what other areas for jobs / careers would yall be looking into.

I would suggest picking a few areas you are interested in living in and then finding out what jobs are available there. The opportunities in Salt Lake are going to be far different than they are in say Milford, UT. Narrow it down to a few for Utah and shoot me a PM. I can help with what I know.