If you were to completely restart your career...

kthomas

kthomas

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 17, 2009
8,333
11,490
37
Tucson, AZ
#1
What would you do?

I just put in my notice for my job, ending my career as an engineer/company man in a very large fortune 500 oil & gas (O&G) company, specifically I was working rotational on drilling rigs as a "company man" for the operator. Came at a crossroads with my company, and it was time to part ways.

Going to take a few months off before I transition into my new career, thankfully the wife has a great career so I really don't have to jump into anything right away. I'm going to enjoy not having anyone to answer to for a bit, do some traveling, shooting, getting some stuff done around the house and also will be helping my brother in law out for the entire month of June with some commercial salmon fishing in AK.

After that, I really have no clue what I'm going to do. I'm starting from a completely blank slate. Part of me wants to finally be my own boss, start up my own company and do something that's a lot more rewarding then just generating value for the shareholders while eating shit sandwiches. What exactly I would do? I'm not sure yet. Thought about possibly dabbling in the alcohol/distilling business, create my own product I'm proud of. I think there's some interesting opportunities in that industry, but also a lot of BS red tape to deal with. Keeping my mind open to the possibilities that are out there. Or perhaps there is a career out there in another industry that I would enjoy and find satisfying, that I just don't know about yet.

With the way the industry of O&G is headed, I don't see it as a forever career. I've rotated for about 8 years now, and ready for a more consistent and stable life at home. I got great experience from my career which I'm grateful for, with operational experience with horizontal shale gas wells utilizing MPD, as well as offshore deepwater experience. I can always jump back in and capitalize on the great money they are paying people in Texas for my job with my experience, be a nice injection of capital to fund other opportunities, but I definitely see that as a short term thing.

If you were starting off from a completely blank slate, what would you do? What industry would you look to joining? Would you join an established company or start your own? I'm excited about having a completely blank slate to start from, but of course it's also a bit nerve wrecking to completely start fresh.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The D, MotorOilMcCall, 1J04 and 2 others
#2
I am in your same boat. Was law enforcement for a decade after the military. Decided after being "the man" for 1/3 of my life that it wasn't for me. I'm in the tail end of my "few months off" portion which is why my daily post count has skyrocketed ?. Working a few connections, plans etc. Been reloading and shooting a shit ton though ?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smith10mm, Bender, Edgecrusher and 4 others
#4
Like age 17 and all the bullshit jobs that came after start over? or adult profession start over?

I think I would do something I actually like... outdoors. Maybe a biologist so I could make six figures hiking through the forest counting spotted owls or some shit. Or maybe work for fish and wildlife so I can do it with authority.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nikonNUT and HeavyAssault
#7
I followed my heart and was a timber cutter,/logger and then stone masonry contractor. Hard work but rewarding and a lot of time out doors.

If I had it to do over?

Investment banking, with a law degree, steal billions from the ignorant and innocent, let suckers take the fall, buy and sell politicians to gain even more power. ?
 
  • Like
Reactions: x_789, Laseredge, Gasgun and 1 other person
#8
2aBaCa said:
Like age 17 and all the bullshit jobs that came after start over? or adult profession start over?

I think I would do something I actually like... outdoors. Maybe a biologist so I could make six figures hiking through the forest counting spotted owls or some shit. Or maybe work for fish and wildlife so I can do it with authority.
Click to expand...

Haha I guess "adult profession start over". Not really interested in flipping burgers or stocking shelves. Would love to do something that pays the bills while simultaneously providing a lot of job satisfaction.
 
#10
I can feel where you're coming from a bit. I started with my employer at 23 after getting out of the Corps. I'm 41 now and still at the same company. Its comfortable and I've worked my way up to an Account Manager for international sales.

BUT... I don't really have any experience outside of a niche industry so as much as I might think about doing something new I can't imagine trying to start over...
 
  • Like
Reactions: lht645, blbennett1288 and PinesAndProjectiles
#12
WestDesertPRS said:
I can feel where you're coming from a bit. I started with my employer at 23 after getting out of the Corps. I'm 41 now and still at the same company. Its comfortable and I've worked my way up to an Account Manager for international sales.

BUT... I don't really have any experience outside of a niche industry so as much as I might think about doing something new I can't imagine trying to start over...
Click to expand...

I'm right there with you on the niche industry part. Worst part is that I have a niche college degree to match - petroleum engineering.

Spending 4+ years and tens of thousands of dollars while not having any income is not appealing to me, so I'm really not interested in going back to college to get another degree.

While I have a niche degree and experience in a niche field, years of experience managing teams of people (across multiple companies and disciplines) in order to achieve safe and reliable operations in complex and dangerous environments must count for something I would think? The hardest part about that would be selling that to other industries, almost all industries are looking for industry specific experience and education.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MarinePMI
#15
It’s hard to start over outside of the field you already have experience in. An example would be like a physiologist or (general) doctor trying to go into the field astrophysics. Nobody cares that he has a degree. He doesn’t know shit about astrophysics. If you want to start your own business, then I would look hard at what you would want to deal in, how well small business’s do where you live, and everything you need to start one. Then get familiar as shit with strategies of how to execute it. If there is a form of independent contractor in your prior field, that could be an option as a business and keep you in a similar field maybe... unless you are dead set in completely going a different direction..
 
  • Like
Reactions: kthomas
#16
Matches Malone said:
It’s hard to start over outside of the field you already have experience in. An example would be like a physiologist or (general) doctor trying to go into the field astrophysics. Nobody cares that he has a degree. He doesn’t know shit about astrophysics. If you want to start your own business, then I would look hard at what you would want to deal in, how well small business’s do where you live, and everything you need to start one. Then get familiar as shit with strategies of how to execute it. If there is a form of independent contractor in your prior field, that could be an option as a business and keep you in a similar field maybe... unless you are dead set in completely going a different direction..
Click to expand...

I could do contract work and stay in the same industry. Caveat is that it would require me to continue to work rotationally, generally 2 weeks on/2 weeks off which I've been doing for the past 8 years. Money is excellent, and lot's of opportunities in Texas right now. I would definitely consider doing it for a short period to build up capital in order to pursue something else. It's very cyclical, and there's not a lot of job security, especially as a consultant in that field.

If I want to stay close to home, in Tucson AZ, there is no oil & gas industry. There is a mining industry in the area, which is another non-renewable resource industry in which there is some cross-over from my field.

And I agree with your assessment of starting a company - there is A LOT of groundwork that needs to be laid in order for it to have any chance of success. Apparently there's a daunting statistic in which something like ~90% of new companies in the US fail within the first couple of years. If I go this route, I would be doing my due diligence and then some, not rushing into anything without doing everything I could to have a smart, sustainable and feasible plan.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matches Malone
#17
kthomas said:
How many of you have successfully jumped across industries? What did it take to do so?
Click to expand...

At 37 I jumped from the signage and graphics industry to commercial HVAC service in the local Union. 5yrs in the apprenticeship going to school 2 nights a week while working. It's not my dream job but damn it pays well and the benefits for me and the family are unreal.

My wife's salary could support us and if I ever decided I wanted a less physically demanding job I would look at a park ranger, work at a gun shop, local range, or look into working at a gunsmith.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TACC, blbennett1288 and kthomas
#18
I’m doing this literally right now, chasing the dream of being a heli pilot. Taken us almost five years, but I’m on the cusp of finishing up instrument instructor and getting a gig. From there, sky’s the limit.

The fixed wing side of things is booming. The long-heralded pilot shortage is here, and the airlines (at least the feeder lines) are dying for pilots. The heli side isn’t there yet, but with a ton of folks jumping ship to the airlines, we may get there.

If you’re healthy and have ever wanted to fly, now’s the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: simpletoms, Edgecrusher, Last Chance and 5 others
#19
Basher said:
I’m doing this literally right now, chasing the dream of being a heli pilot. Taken us almost fuve years, but I’m on the cusp of finishing up instrument instructor and getting a gig. From there, sky’s the limit.

The fixed wing side of things is booming. The long-heralded pilot shortage is here, and the airlines (at least the feeder lines) are dying for pilots. The heli side isn’t there yet, but with a ton of folks jumping ship to the airlines, we may get there.

If you’re healthy and have ever wanted to fly, now’s the time.
Click to expand...

Interesting that you bring that up, my wife really wants me to get my pilots license and for us to get a small fixed winged aircraft. Her dad has a pilots license and they have joint ownership in a plane.

I'm 32 years old and "perfectly healthy" according to my last doctors checkup, so that in itself wouldn't be a hangup.

Can't say I've thought much about doing it for a living though, but maybe it's something I need to consider. I thought it would be cool to be a drone pilot for border patrol, there's a huge border patrol contingency in my area. The criteria to be a drone pilot is a lot higher then I ever imagined though, they are looking for already very accomplished pilots.
 
#20
At my current age I would stay in the same field and jump to a different application.

If I could turn the clock back I’d go after a doctorate in virology.
 
#21
kthomas said:
Interesting that you bring that up, my wife really wants me to get my pilots license and for us to get a small fixed winged aircraft. Her dad has a pilots license and they have joint ownership in a plane.

I'm 32 years old and "perfectly healthy" according to my last doctors checkup, so that in itself wouldn't be a hangup.

Can't say I've thought much about doing it for a living though, but maybe it's something I need to consider. I thought it would be cool to be a drone pilot for border patrol, there's a huge border patrol contingency in my area. The criteria to be a drone pilot is a lot higher then I ever imagined though, they are looking for already very accomplished pilots.
Click to expand...

@32, you're still young. The world is your oyster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 47guy, seansmd and kthomas
#23
Man that’s tough. Even at 27 I think about that constantly. Like what if I did this that or the other.

As cool as it would’ve been to get into law enforcement right away, I’ve always thought I did good by getting into the electrical world after the Navy. With that it would’ve been to go right to school and become an electrical engineer for transmission and protection.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kthomas
#24
If I had to do it over again, I’d be a firefighter/paramedic for a small to medium city. 24hr on, 48hr off, plenty of nights they don’t have more than a few calls and there’s a chance they get to sleep right through the night. No working midnights and having to go to court in the daytime, short of the firefighting side working as a paramedic is pretty safe (scene gets secured while you wait down the block).
Best of all, (almost) everyone likes the firefighters...
Probably not the direction you’re looking at, but you asked what I’d do.

2aBaCa said:
Like age 17 and all the bullshit jobs that came after start over? or adult profession start over?

I think I would do something I actually like... outdoors. Maybe a biologist so I could make six figures hiking through the forest counting spotted owls or some shit. Or maybe work for fish and wildlife so I can do it with authority.
Click to expand...
If you enjoy hunting/fishing, don’t ever consider Fish & Wildlife/DNR role. No time during hunting season to enjoy your own season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BOISCOID, kthomas, gunman_7 and 2 others
#25
Well @kthomas I don't know how old you are, but if you have your health, do something you will enjoy. Make a living first, but do something you love if you can. Be cognisant of ruining that thing you love to do, because it'll eventually feel like a job. Work for yourself if you can, no one likes to be a whore.

Ronnie Milsap said "nobody likes sad songs", and they don't.
I'll tell you some of my story, but don't imagine it to be a sad one.
If I had it to do over, would I do it different? Well now.....many suppose they never had a choice. Fate, karma, divine Providence...I reckon I was gonna end up right where I am anyway. No, I wouldn't be who I am, had I not done what I done, when I did what I did.

I had big plans for retirement. Wife was a school teacher, I retire, get on her insurance, we start enjoying life and taking those postponed vacations and eating steak instead of beans. I was going to start farming mushrooms and making knives, and become a professional tinker, and competition shooter.
That plan came crashing down when she died suddenly from a cardiac arythmia at the age of 40. My health failed rapidly from early 2015 till now.
30+ years of shift work have took the "goody" out of me. Bad knees, bad cervical spine, busted right arm, arthritis, HBP since I was 14, carpal tunnel and trigger middle fingers so bad I can barely make a fist with my right hand, it's all I can do to hold a fishing rod a few hours most days.

The best laid plans can come crashing right down, and if they do, you gotta get back up and walk, or crawl if you can't stand. Keep crawling, don't give up if that happens.

I have to move to a warmer climate, I have no choice. My house is on the market, soon as it sells I have to retire. Unfortunately I'll have to also file for SSD, I'd rather have my ass scrubbed with a turpentine soaked wire brush.
I keep telling myself I'll figure out something to make Pepsi money. With my productivity level, I doubt my dreams will rise above hobby level.

With my water background I thought maybe I'd raise koi, I have my doubts.
Mushrooms are labor intensive. Sure my science and lab experience would be huge but, handling substrate and spawn requires able bodies. Knife building is way gone, that was done when I screwed my neck and right arm.
I'll learn to be happy with whatever I can manage to do. Maybe I'll write a book, "Adventures of a Cultured Redneck", not sure anyone would read it.

Keep an open mind.
Live TODAY, tomorrow isn't guaranteed.
Don't break your neck following a dream, but do set a goal to do something you'll enjoy.

Good luck and God speed my friend.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Samuel Whittemore, Smith10mm, IronicTwitch and 9 others
#27
kthomas said:
Interesting that you bring that up, my wife really wants me to get my pilots license and for us to get a small fixed winged aircraft. Her dad has a pilots license and they have joint ownership in a plane.

I'm 32 years old and "perfectly healthy" according to my last doctors checkup, so that in itself wouldn't be a hangup.

Can't say I've thought much about doing it for a living though, but maybe it's something I need to consider. I thought it would be cool to be a drone pilot for border patrol, there's a huge border patrol contingency in my area. The criteria to be a drone pilot is a lot higher then I ever imagined though, they are looking for already very accomplished pilots.
Click to expand...

If you get your pilots license seriously consider renting a plane when you want to fly instead of buying. I grew up around general aviation and a plane is a huge money pit.

It's like they say with boats that the 2 happiest ownership days are the day you buy and the day you sell it.

Just think...all that money you spend on hangar space is coming out of your monthly ammo budget.
 
  • Like
Reactions: abn31c and kthomas
#28
Ravenworks said:
I am currently a retired Operating engineer and after a short 2 years I've grown bored.
So
I'm thinking about doing mature pOrn.
Lots of hot 40 year olds that need help with their groceries,Publix is calling my name.
With my weekly Testosterone injections and the help of a Blue pill I should be okay.
Click to expand...

"Karl Ravenworks in: Logjammin!"
You can imagine how it goes from here.
"He fixes the cable?"
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: RMB, BALLISTIC, M8541Reaper and 1 other person
#32
WeiserBucks said:
Power generation, geothermal or hydro .

It's a never ending education if you have a brain, extremely safe, not hard on the body and it's here to stay.
Click to expand...

I've thought about geothermal, that would be a fairly easy transition from O&G as they employ a lot of the same processes. From my little research though, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of geothermal in AZ.

Another interesting field is Helium - apparently Flagstaff AZ has one of the biggest helium reservoirs in the world. They drill and will potential frack for it, which again, is processes and technologies that were pioneered by O&G, so that would be another easy fit. It hasn't really taken off yet, I think there's some opposition to it as Flagstaff is full of hippies, but Helium is becoming one of the rarer and more valuable elements on our planet as it's used in producing electronics and the medical industry among other things.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bender
#33
I did ten years active duty in the USAF, world peace broke out in the early 1990's and global thermonuclear war was no longer a vocation. I was offered a chance to buy GI Bill and take some cash to go on my way. I went to college and joined the Air National Guard, decided to be a teacher.

Graduated from college with honors with a teaching degree, teaching sucked balls, all leftists and lesbians and subbing paid $63 bucks a day. After a few months I chucked it and went to work at a power plant. I worked 10 months my first year and made more than I would have after teaching for a decade. My tasty auburn haired girlfriend dumped me because she wanted a semi-professional husband not some well paid hydroelectric operator with three college degrees.

After 20 years with one organization, I retired with a pension and work for another organization. It worked out to a 100% pay raise with a bit more work. By the time I hit 62 I'll retire yet again and make more money sitting on my ass than working for the rest of my life.

So yeah, it can be done. But after paying taxes every year since I was 16 I'm doing quite well. Fuck Bernie Sanders and the Democraps for equating loser fuckers who would rather smoke dope than work as some noble breed of trash that I should be supporting. I raised my kids as a single dad, bought my own homes and cars and do not owe a dollar to anyone for anything at the moment.

Remake your life, its a bit nerve wracking at times but it can be done and the stress makes it even more exciting when you succeed.

usajobs.gov The fed always needs a hundred engineers, vested in a pension in five years and they pay to move you. If the private sector fails you start looking at PUD's, utility companies, cities, counties and state government. You would be amazed how few people apply for hydroelectric gigs and how well some of them pay. Wind turbines suck, total fly by night operations for the most part, from what I've seen and they pay shit compared to the rest of the industry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OlRed, jcm331, blbennett1288 and 3 others
#36
Two of my hourly wage co-workers own planes, one of the races them at Reno every year, they both own hangars at two local airports.. Everyone is maxing out their company matched 457K. Every guy over 50 in the place,has a fat stack of cash in the bank and no car payment. Most have no house payment or are damned close. Three or four guys fish weekly and they are not sitting on a dock with a $15 dollar Walmart pole, this place looks like a boat show in the summer. I spend my time off competitive shooting and traveling to visit the grand kids everyone has decided to start having.

Generating electricity is usually ran by some sort of government organization and it has some odd quirks. I enjoy the post office aspect of it. If I go home for a week, it will be here when I return. I don't sweat management drama since I gave up on that crap in 2016 and went back to an hourly gig and I only work OT when I want too. I have a buddy who is a PA and he makes less than I do and I do not have to squeeze puss out of a hobos ass sores or treat illegal immigrants with herpes.

Utilities might just be the best choice you ever make. Everybody wants to drink clean water, shit and flush and cut on the lights, it is guaranteed work forever.

www.usajobs.gov

Civil Engineer (DEU-NW)

<p>Reclamation is seeking a career professional, recent graduate, or graduating student to serve as a staff Civil Engineer responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing water resources civil engineering design and analysis projects including: hydraulic modeling, levees, canals...
www.usajobs.gov


www.usajobs.gov

Project Management Specialist

<p>Reclamation is a contemporary water management agency. Reclamation is best known for Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River and Folsom Dam on the American River. Today we are the largest wholesaler of water in the country and the second largest producer of...
www.usajobs.gov
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bender, longshooter and kthomas
#37
kthomas said:
What would you do?

I just put in my notice for my job, ending my career as an engineer/company man in a very large fortune 500 oil & gas (O&G) company, specifically I was working rotational on drilling rigs as a "company man" for the operator. Came at a crossroads with my company, and it was time to part ways.

Going to take a few months off before I transition into my new career, thankfully the wife has a great career so I really don't have to jump into anything right away. I'm going to enjoy not having anyone to answer to for a bit, do some traveling, shooting, getting some stuff done around the house and also will be helping my brother in law out for the entire month of June with some commercial salmon fishing in AK.

After that, I really have no clue what I'm going to do. I'm starting from a completely blank slate. Part of me wants to finally be my own boss, start up my own company and do something that's a lot more rewarding then just generating value for the shareholders while eating shit sandwiches. What exactly I would do? I'm not sure yet. Thought about possibly dabbling in the alcohol/distilling business, create my own product I'm proud of. I think there's some interesting opportunities in that industry, but also a lot of BS red tape to deal with. Keeping my mind open to the possibilities that are out there. Or perhaps there is a career out there in another industry that I would enjoy and find satisfying, that I just don't know about yet.

With the way the industry of O&G is headed, I don't see it as a forever career. I've rotated for about 8 years now, and ready for a more consistent and stable life at home. I got great experience from my career which I'm grateful for, with operational experience with horizontal shale gas wells utilizing MPD, as well as offshore deepwater experience. I can always jump back in and capitalize on the great money they are paying people in Texas for my job with my experience, be a nice injection of capital to fund other opportunities, but I definitely see that as a short term thing.

If you were starting off from a completely blank slate, what would you do? What industry would you look to joining? Would you join an established company or start your own? I'm excited about having a completely blank slate to start from, but of course it's also a bit nerve wrecking to completely start fresh.
Click to expand...

If you dont mind me asking, what company you worked for?
 
#39
I left the army at the age of 42, after 22 years of service and all i had to rely on, was a training as machinist and electronic technician.
Eventhough, i wrote a bunch of applications to some of the local businesses and was invited to an interview by four of them and ended up being hired all four places...!
So, i had to decide, were i would like to start and i chose a position as automatition technician and has been there, ever since and has never had two days alike.
Furthermore, i got divorced, six months after i left the army, my ex was a perfect soldiers wife, but she could just not adjust to to my new life, so we parted ways, in a orderly manner.

I found a new girlfriend and we have been sharing our lives for the past eleven years now.

Starting over is not always easy, but sometimes you just has to do it.
I really like my life as it is now and could not ask for anything better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bender, lonegunman762x51 and kthomas
#41
Going federal was the best choice I ever made. Working private fire and EMS was fucking miserable. I went from 3 to 4 24 hour shifts a week to 1 day on 3 days off, and they force me to take vacation on the regular. If you can find a federal job even close to your field, make a run at it. USA jobs has a ton of opportunity, if you need any pointers or want the data they bounce the application off of, just let me know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OlRed, kthomas and krw
#42
kthomas said:
Interesting that you bring that up, my wife really wants me to get my pilots license and for us to get a small fixed winged aircraft. Her dad has a pilots license and they have joint ownership in a plane.

I'm 32 years old and "perfectly healthy" according to my last doctors checkup, so that in itself wouldn't be a hangup.

Can't say I've thought much about doing it for a living though, but maybe it's something I need to consider.
Click to expand...

I am an airline pilot so ill give you my take on the timeline. Ill PM you about the income aspect after you "make it".

You are 32. If you started tomorrow at one of the big schools like All ATP's(i believe they have a school in Tucson) and went full time, all in, you would be working for them within ~12 months as an instructor. When you sign up for their program they basically guarantee you an instructor job. Since you do not have a degree in the field from an accredited school you would not qualify for a reduction in flight time to get your ATP so you would need 1500 hours. My guess is that would take ~2 years after you become an instructor to get there. I dont know what instructors are getting paid, but plan to eat ramen...unless you have a lot of cash. All ATP's has hiring programs with several regional airlines so you can kind of take your pick. So after 3 years(give or take) you would be at the regionals. The money is shit, like 30k-ish to start, maybe after 2 years you make Captain and then its like 80-90k. It would take you 2-4 years(maybe more) at the regionals to build enough experience to make it to the majors(AA, Delta, Southwest, United, FedEx, UPS). So from start to finish I would guess 7 years to "make it", but could take longer. So you could potentially "make it" to the big show by the age of 40... not bad, cause you still have 25 years left(mandatory age 65 retirement).

Im in the "made it" stage. I am currently working 12 days a month(4, 3 day trips) and life is good, but it took me 13 years to get here. Its a great job, pretty relaxed, only as hard as you make it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kthomas, blbennett1288, lonegunman762x51 and 1 other person
#43
Hi,

I went from .gov to firearms manufacturer and opening ballistics company at this very moment within the past 8 months; so I am done switching, lolol.

Whatever you decide; make sure it is something you enjoy (especially if you are going to be your own boss).

You ever thought of opening up a fiberglass/carbon stock manufacturing company???

Sincerely,
Theis
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Rthur, kthomas, abn31c and 4 others
#44
You are young enough the world is your oyster coupled with a wife that supports this move. I have 2 former skydiving buddies who went into aviation in the late 90's and both are flying corporate gigs very high up the seniority chain both love it. Yet another is about to retire from FedEx and he is not happy he has to stop. I'd of loved to pursue aviation in one of the military branches and moved to flying packages after, but my eyes flunked me out of that career b/f my feet his the ground. It's a journey to get where my friends are, but they love the stink out of it. The FedEx guy flies maybe 8-9 days a month and makes a great living with crazy benefits.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on 'direction of oil and gas' if you don't mind.....if you want to put it on PM that's cool too so as not to derail your thread.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kthomas
#45
If your looking for something that will never go away w/ good pay/benefits, then Electrical power generation is for you. Learn all aspects from fuel to down stream of all breakers, an after a few years you can write your own ticket. You will never be out of a high paying job an can pick an choose the jobs you take, work on. In your retirement years you can pick the consulting work or what dirt you would like to see or not see, with your choice of rides to same.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kthomas
#47
I retired after 21 yrs in the oilfield. While I was there and making good money, I invested some of it to build an auto repair shop. Now I'm a "shadetree mechanic" with more work than I can get done, but the worst day here is better than best day offshore by far.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kthomas and blbennett1288
#48
I'm 5 years into a career restart. I had 28 years in the fire service when I had a pretty bad accident on the job I tried to go back to finish out my career but just could not do it. So I switched gears and went into industrial electrical sales I'm in a pretty hot area for that kind of work so the money is pretty good but the competition is rough also.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kthomas
#49
QuickNDirty said:
I've done it 6 times in 12 years. Each time the task seems impossible and out of reach, but 6mo or so of immersion and I'm teaching people shit.

Lucky, I guess.
Click to expand...

You know vert good and well that luck has nothing to do with it - it is persistence, paying attention to detail, and taking advantage of opportunities,


When I quit my current job I think I want to either do HVAC work or plumbing. I think anyone who is available and does a good job can have a good career. Around here, no plumber or HVAC person can seem to come to my house until next Tuesday, so there must be some opportunities!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bender, Edgecrusher, kthomas and 1 other person
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Smitty192
Rotating shift work - Good, bad, & ugly
Replies
35
Views
664
MrSmith
MrSmith
N
Never work in the cannabis industry..
Replies
59
Views
2K
rockn30809
R
LuckyDuck
For better or worse- things from your past you won't ever see again.
Replies
111
Views
2K
GTOJOSH
GTOJOSH
LuckyDuck
This may lead to an interesting discussion- who have you given access to for your house?
Replies
21
Views
720
roostercogburn98
roostercogburn98
7
Rifle setup & fundamentals coaching around N. IL?
Replies
3
Views
134
748rpilot
7
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Merch
Alerts