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  • Time for a change?

    I am at a point in my life that I think I need to make a decision and go for it. I am 27 and expecting our first born at the end of Oct. I have 2 college diplomas in Motorcycle and small engine repair and Auto collision technology. Neither of these have developed into a career. I am have trouple finding any full time work (factory or with above diplomas in my area) and am considering going back this fall for Auto Tech.
    I know it can be done with a little one and thats not what really worries me. What worries me is that in two years will I be able to have a Career? I DO NOT want a job, I want a career. My wife has a very good job so we really would not like to move.

    I am just curious on your guys thought? Is there still enough need for wrench turners?
    Jeff
    Follow My Build

  • #2
    I have a very good friend that ran a small business for many years that unfortunately failed. He too wanted a 'career' and not just a job and it ultimately cost him his marriage. He was not content to just work and provide for his family. Do what you must, but stay realistic. My friend was not and his kids will pay the price of his selfishness for the rest of their lives.

    My thoughts: The best way to make those a career is it get on the other side of the fence. As in -> own you own business.
    Last edited by BBR; August 4, 2011, 09:05 PM.
    Life is short. Be a do'er and not a shoulda done'er.
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    • #3
      I gave some thought into the same subject a number of years ago, I was just working jobs, no real career path, maybe its my a.d.d. but I get bored with what I do very quickly BUT then I stumpled upon a job at Caterpillar and over the past 4 years of working heavy machinery it finally dawned upon me, there will always be a need for heavy machinery, whether its building, clearing, or destruction, it takes a big ass yellow machine to do or finish the job. Im a 3rd generation heavy machinery operator / mechanic It just took me 20 years to finally figuire out my true calling
      Charles W - BS Photographer at large

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      • #4
        Feeding a kid doesn't wait for a career to show up. Not in this economy. With kids, you have little to no choices in that department. Take the job to pay the bills and buy diapers, but keep on the look out for that career opportunity. It'll be easy to get wrapped in life working day to day; but you got to keep at that career hunt cause before you know it; it'll be twenty years later.
        BS'er formally known as Rebeldryver

        Resident Instigator

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        • #5
          Scott, that is pretty much hitting it on the head.

          I spent 8 years working day to day in an industrial distribution gig, running a warehouse, and handling customer service, tech, quoting, order entry, jack of all trades, master of none.
          Job I have now, I'm still doing technical support/sales, but long hours and stressful at times.
          Frankly, I get tired of a service industry mentality...I wish I was able to just work on restoring vintage iron, but the autobody deal never panned out.
          Also, my body at this point, damn I have abused it with alot of automotive paints, use of air tools where I swear I have ligament/nerve damage {it took the better part of 8 years for my hands to heal from 6+ years of abuse from laquer thinner exposure}.
          I'm in my mid 30's and I've gotten too content wanting to sit in the AC, as opposed to getting off my ass and learning a real skill like running a CNC or similar.
          Tired of breaking my back so I've had an office gig for a while.

          Too much to ask for a deal where I don't get mentally fried or abused, is it?

          I'm just happy to have a job right now.
          Andrew
          1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport and other FoCoMo problem children

          2020...year of getting screwed by a Narcissist and learning hard lessons into trusting the wrong people on a business venture.
          2021...year of singing "99 problems but an asshole ain't one"

          Moved cross country twice on a role of the dice...I left Nebraska and came back to Nebraska.

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          • #6
            Tough call in this economic climate.

            Since your bride has a good job with hopefully good insurance (sometimes having babies gets really expensive before you even bring them home)...

            Which will keep you in the driving to work from where you live now area....

            Perhaps the best thing to do is take a good hard honest look around at what there is demand for where you live.
            Look at the local want adds, look up monster, linkedin, etc for your area and see who's hiring and for what skills they are in need of.

            You might graduate from tech school the best in your class - but if nobody around your town is hiring techs - how have you improved your situation?

            If there's a big tool and die operation around - and they've been looking for a good welder / cnc operator / etc - then perhaps it's best you learn one of those skills?

            If there's nobody hiring for anything in your area - then - well - more creativity may be required if you're going to stay put.


            High end audio stores that sold turn tables, music stores that sold records, and Video rental stores made lots of money for a while... now not so much.

            Make sure you're not being trained in a skill you enjoy - which is unemployable in your area - that's the bottom line.

            I know someone with tons of education in historical architecure, architectural design, etc.... she's bound and determined to stay around here - and she's gone from dead end to dead end job staying here - none of which have anything to do with the student loans she's still paying off and will be for many years - PLEASE don't make that mistake.
            There's always something new to learn.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by 1trickpony View Post
              I am at a point in my life that I think I need to make a decision and go for it. I am 27 and expecting our first born at the end of Oct. I have 2 college diplomas in Motorcycle and small engine repair and Auto collision technology. Neither of these have developed into a career. I am have trouple finding any full time work (factory or with above diplomas in my area) and am considering going back this fall for Auto Tech.
              I know it can be done with a little one and thats not what really worries me. What worries me is that in two years will I be able to have a Career? I DO NOT want a job, I want a career. My wife has a very good job so we really would not like to move.

              I am just curious on your guys thought? Is there still enough need for wrench turners?
              IT'S A NICE THOUGHT,, I was schooled in auto repair (6 years) and been turning wrenches at the family station since 15 and taking anything mechanical apart since I was able to walk, (parents did not like) but auto tech is a thankless job, and with todays cars, you will have comebacks. and as a flatrate monkey that can be a free bee!!!! and you need more than a basic set of tools, figure on at least 5k in tools to start, not including the box to put it in..
              doing auto repair as a hobby and doing it as a job (career) are to totally different animals..
              only good thing is the economy is forcing alot of cars to stay on the road and require repair, but at the same time tons of people are fixing their own junk..
              I did the dealership deal, I liked it. but there was no health insurance offered, and the part time job was offering full time with health, and thats the only reason I'm in the career I'm in..
              good luck with it..
              but now and for the next few years having a job is really all you can ask..

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              • #8
                I have seen dudes older than you join the service...you want a career with decent pay..there you go.

                But really man, careers/jobs...it is all the same to me...put food on the table some money in the bank and set enuff aside to have fun.

                With your diplomas and experience have you considered opeining a small gas engine repair shop? From bikes to weed eaters man...could be good...could be bad...but you never know until you try.
                If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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                • #9
                  who's raising the kids ? the felons down at the day care ?
                  my life has been in the crapper since we had kids , but at least we have ourselves to blame for the way the kids turned out - brilliant but evil

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by JOES66FURY2 View Post
                    I have seen dudes older than you join the service...you want a career with decent pay..there you go.

                    But really man, careers/jobs...it is all the same to me...put food on the table some money in the bank and set enuff aside to have fun.

                    With your diplomas and experience have you considered opeining a small gas engine repair shop? From bikes to weed eaters man...could be good...could be bad...but you never know until you try.
                    fat pay , cheap housing lotsa days off

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by JOES66FURY2 View Post
                      With your diplomas and experience have you considered opeining a small gas engine repair shop? From bikes to weed eaters man...could be good...could be bad...but you never know until you try.
                      That's what my father-in-law did after he retired from the Navy. He makes pretty good money at it, but it's by no means an 8 hour a day job.
                      Formerly Shannon (aka: HillbillySailor). 2549 posts.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by SpiderGearsMan View Post
                        who's raising the kids ? the felons down at the day care ?
                        my life has been in the crapper since we had kids , but at least we have ourselves to blame for the way the kids turned out - brilliant but evil
                        x2
                        no kids yet but , it'll be no day care , a few days of grandparents house, and interaction at parks,

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by SpiderGearsMan View Post
                          who's raising the kids ? the felons down at the day care ?
                          my life has been in the crapper since we had kids , but at least we have ourselves to blame for the way the kids turned out - brilliant but evil
                          so they're a chip off the old block


                          Do what you're best at - not what you think people want you to do.... many times it's far better to have a hobby your good at and a job that supports your family than a hobby that supports a family but nothing to fall back to when you really need to step away
                          Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                          • #14
                            Dude throw an ad on craigslist for custom window tent. $200 a car here is cheap. Do the same with small engine stuff do it on the side untill you make more$ doing that than your day job.
                            http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...-consolidation
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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by SpiderGearsMan View Post
                              fat pay , cheap housing lotsa days off
                              what fantasy world do you live in...fat pay? lmao! where is it? tell me? I want some of that action.

                              lots of days off...well..that may depend on what branch, where you work and who you work for. I was in ALaska for 4 years and rarely got time off for anything unless it was my own vacation days and I worked 50% of the weekends a year. Dont forget long deployments to war zones, poor treatment, no respect, no civil liberties...its give and take...
                              If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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