I need a job

[BrianB]

A friend once told me that if you do ANYTHING 40 a week or more, you['ll eventually get sick of it. Get some work that gives you SOME flexibility in your schedule and pays you fairly. An excellent alternative is to get creative and entrepreneurial. Go add some value to the world and charge people for it.

This economy isn't one of luxury (if it ever was). I'd take whatever I could get. Another hint I've read" Dirty jobs are usually easier to get, since almost nobody likes that kind of work.

Best,
Brian

 

[Claude Clay]

google ' ccw texas'......

nra instructor probably will not pay all the bills but can be profitable.

the class time is when you schedule it and 10 students with a net of $500 goes a long way towards supporting my hobby.
and the students, other club members and instructors you meet--many networking opportunities become available.

do 2 classes a month, some do weekly.

 

[chaim]

Are you single or married? Do you have a degree? Do you have enough savings to take a year or two off and get retrained or do you need to start getting a paycheck ASAP? How much do you need to get by?

It seems many gun related jobs and outdoorsman type jobs don't pay much. Forget the worries about making your hobby a job and becoming tired of it, be sure it pays enough before even thinking about that possibility.

Personally I think the military is a great idea. Right now the Army will even take you up to 41 years old (if I lose the weight I need to lose fast enough I may go back in the Reserves myself). Lots of jobs to choose from, paid training, and if you have a degree you can become an officer. The pay isn't bad these days, the benefits are terrific, and retiring after 20 years is hard to beat (just imagine- join at 30, retire with a 50% pension at 50 and you will be young enough to start another career).

Police may not be a bad suggestion either. Sure, being into guns may not be a good enough reason- how many CCW holders think about their guns constantly, I have a feeling that the gun on the belt would quickly come to be thought about as part of the gear. However, you seem to like the outdoors, and it sounds like you have tired of the desk job. Police work will have you 'out and about' interacting with the public, in your car and not an office (most of the time), on foot at times, possibly on a bike at times, possibly on horseback or on a motorcycle in some departments if you want that, and even sometimes doing gun training. After a few years you could try to join a specialized unit based on your interests- SWAT, armorer, search and rescue, whatever.

If you like working with your hands, becoming a mechanic or welder of some type is probably a good idea. I'm a well educated teacher soon to start grad school. A student who graduated in 2008 makes more money than I will anytime in the next several years- he is a welder with an in demand specialty and a union job. To train for many of those jobs at a vocational training school may take you less than a year.

I don't fully agree with those that say that whatever you do 40hrs a week (who only works 40hrs a week anymore) will become work no matter how much you like it. There are jobs that change up enough on you to stay interesting. As a teacher, I hate the meetings and paperwork, but working with kids is never the same day to day and keeps me on my toes and interested. I'm sure quite a few other jobs are like that- including/esp. public safety type work.

 

[xmanpike]

I have a degree in Economics and a minor in Business from Texas A&M Univeristy. I am shorter on money now than I was a year ago, but getting by.

I appreciate everyones input. You have given me lots to think about. Just not sure where and what I am supposed to be doing.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Shooting = good hand/eye co-ord
Reloading = attention to detail.
Hunting = observational skills.

My advice- one of the emerging 'alternate energy' occupations that is springing up. If you have no problems with heights and a reasonable command of mathematics you might consider the installation of wind generation towers and impellers.

If you want a secure job that allows you to be a complete PITA, apply to the Indiana board of health as a meat inspector.

 

[Aw4g63]

Sell hotair balloons, mainly racing types. Tons of money in that line of business.

 

[chaim]

Degree in econ with a business minor, so you are probably good at math. Enough money to train for something else. Have you thought about graduate school? Another year or two to get an MBA or MA could be enough to put you on the other side of the recession when you start looking for work again and give you some more qualifications for jobs.

If I was 30, had a degree, and liked being outside and around guns, I'd seriously consider the Army and OCS (Officer Candidate School). Pay is decent, you get a food and housing allowance (untaxed), training, good medical and other benes, and you can retire at age 50. Many of their jobs will have you working with guns, and/or outdoors. If you get bored and need a change in your job it seems like you have a lot of opportunities to do several different things over the course of a career.

I just saw the National Geographic Channel show about the Alaska State Troopers. Seems like if you are an outdoorsman that it might be a good place to become a cop. Apparently they have a division dedicated to wildlife that really looks good for hunters. I guess they enforce wildlife laws, and one of them was out walking the woods and another got to patrol in a boat all day. Seemed pretty cool to me, and might make a great job for a hunting enthusiast. I just checked out their website and the pay doesn't seem too bad either. So, how do you like the cold?

 

[MarineOne]

I would recommend this:

- USA Jobs website (www.usajobs.opm.gov)
Got any federal organizations near you? This could be anything from a military base, to BLM, to Forest Service, to USDA inspector, to court clerk.

- Google "top 50 defense contractors"
There are tons of jobs, from general mechanics to HR to computer guys like me. Be prepared to spend some time away from home, but it beats not having a job.

I did it when I saw the signs (IT guys get laid off alot, so I saw this one coming) and hopped on a contract overseas. It's paid the bills, bought us our first home, and I've got a nice nest egg for when (more like if) I come home.

- Look for state government jobs.
Google is your friend. State government jobs are out there, but you'll need to look for them.

- Get online with jot search engines
Dice, HotJobs, and Monster are the top three I use. There are other but do the ground work (and get a resume together) and this will help.

- Local temp agencies
Kelly Services, Volt, Adecco. Call them, e-mail them, send them your resume. The temp jobs are out there and once you're in these companies system, they'll call you all the time. I still get job offer from southern California and I haven't lived there since 2005.



Kris

 

[mptrimshop]

how did you go about finding out which defense contractors were heiring..and what kind of help they needed

 

[22-rimfire]

Two years is a long time to be out of work. I personally hate retail, but places like Home Depot and Lowe's aren't bad places to work. They also need seasonal people in the fall and spring.

I would look into working for a small business that needs temporary help. It could develop into something permanent. Look at the engineering and environmental companies to work as a tech. Visit them in person. Pick the small to medium sized ones. If you are a responsible person, there is a place for you and that business is picking up.

 

[Crash_Test_Dhimmi]

I agree with Shadow, join the Army.

 

[herkyguy]

If you don't mind being frontloaded with a ton of other people's crap, join the military. You will certainly take some hits at the beginning. But if you stay in for the long haul, the rewards can be amazing. It's secure, it pays, your family will be covered, you have a real sense of service, and you're wearing the American Flag on your sleeve. What could be better?

 

[MarineOne]

how did you go about finding out which defense contractors were heiring..and what kind of help they needed

1. Google "top 50 defense contractors" and you'll get a list.

2. Make a list of these companies' websites.

3. Goto their respective "Careers" section.

4. Find jobs and apply.




Kris

 

[Madcap_Magician]

im pretty sure you need 2-4 years of ranger school to be a ranger i wanted to b eone but i seen it was alot of work.

Pretty sure anything in life worth doing is a lot of work.

 

[Tim the student]

Ranger school in the Army is much shorter than 2-4 years.

You even earn a cool tab with that one! Assuming you don't quit, get peered out, and pass all your patrols that is.

 

[Kitchen_Duty]

Well I just got out of the Navy in July and I know we are in desperate need of nuclear operators for the Navy's reactors. It's tough work (as enlisted, don't know if you could qualify as an officer) but with re-enlistment bonuses you could be pulling in 50-70 grand in two years.

Again: it's tough work, in the shipyard during a nuclear refuel i was working 90 hour weeks for a couple months straight but it did pay the bills. Now I'm cruising well with my GI bill, something I also looked forward to using.

 

[armoredman]

Be careful with government jobs. I have 12 years to retire at 55, good job, good pay, great benefits...and my job got sold to a private company, will be out of work/transitioning soon, back to the bottom for retirement, whole nine yards.

 

[EvanWilliams]

Have to agree that welding or mechanics would be a great job.
If you can afford to be in school awhile, you could do what I did.
I started nursing school in 1989, worked as a nursing assistant during school, became an RN. I never put up with a job I didn't like. Could always find a job whenever and wherever I wanted. Moved around, had fun. Then went back and became a nurse anesthetist.
Nursing was such a "gay" job when I went in. I have laughed to the bedroom and bank since the beginning. My first class had 6 guys and 89 girls. When I was an ICU and ER nurse I worked 3 12hr shifts a week. I was frequently able to shoot several times a week if I didn't pull OT. Not rich for sure, but solidly middle class. I work alot more now as an anesthetist but make alot more as well.
Nursing is a good choice. Salaries have gone up alot since I started.
Just a thought.

 

[DAdams]

My .02

Investigate the opportunities with your local Utilities, including, Cooperatives, Municipals and Investor Owned. Electrical, mechanical, water, sewage.

Many positions, many diverse skill sets required. Technical, clerical, customer service etc.

Most all the guys I know in the business, hunt, shoot, reload so you can share mutually interesting avocations.

Take a look at companies that are going to benefit from the impending "stimulus" money coming their way. An example is a company called Itron. They manufacture meters for "smart grid". Anything related to "Smart Grid" is going to be hot for awhile.

Good Luck.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

I've never worked as a gun smith but I do know I used to and sometimes now enjoy cars. Working on cars or modifying them. When I was in high school I tried my hand at working for a repair shop. Honestly, it did away with cars being my hobby. I got tired of working on them and still to this day kind of dread it. When you do it once a month it's fun. When you do it all day 5 days a week it gets old very quickly and the last thing you ever want to do when you get home is work on a car. I'd imagine that being a gun smith would probably be similar

Agree 100%. 25 years as a car dealer mechanic and I doen't even want to wash my car.

 

[sledhead76]

I have a degree in Wildlife Ecology, and not liking the idea of having to compete for a low-paying job, I ended up at the railroad. I see you're in Houston... I'm in train service with BNSF, and there's a LOT of railroading in Texas. I'm not sure what positions are open right now, but if you go to bnsf.com (or uprr.com, they're even bigger) its not too hard to navigate around and find what positions are open. There's all kinds of jobs on the railroad, some are in offices, there's electricians, welders, track maintainers... and the pay, benefits, and retirement are excellent.

 

[Woodstock45678]

When you do it all day 5 days a week it gets old very quickly and the last thing you ever want to do when you get home is work on a car.

I know it's off-topic but I couldn't help but chuckle at this. Reminds me exactly why I don't want to be an OB/GYN

 

[EvanWilliams]

Well, from what the OB-Gyn docs tell me, it is one thing to work on a broken car and quite another to take a spin in a top of the line car at it's performance peak.

 

[loop]

I'm in a similar position with a couple exceptions. First, I'm 58 and was laid off 55 weeks ago. I can't get hired because I have too much experience and the pay scale would be too high. I also am partially disabled from repetitive stress injuries from my former employment, but can no longer receive treatment because I no longer have insurance...

And I am against government getting involved in health insurance!!!

Back around March I figured out I will never get a job in my previous profession again so I did some things.

I was once an NRA certified instructor and a CCW instructor. It has been a long row to hoe, but I will have eight NRA instructor certifications by Nov. 1 and be certified to train CCW and armed security guards in my state by Dec. 1. By Jan. 1, I will be certified to train for CCW in Nevada (which does not recognize any other state's permits, but is only 20 miles from my front door) and Florida non-residents.

The income from teaching will get me back to close to my former income, but I did something else. I love to smoke meat. I've been doing it since I was a kid and we brought home deer or pheasant or whatever.

I bought an 18-foot, 1,800-pound used smoker grill with 22 1/2 gallons of propane heated warming tray space.

It has always been a hobby, but I make awesome smoked ribs, pulled pork and pulled beef, Texas chili, smoked salmon, etc... I also make the world's best barbecue baked beans.

My grub is so in demand locally that all of my neighbors are willing to give me three times the meat if I'll give them back the finished product. My big grill/smoker will be ready to go on the road by Dec. 1 (it is currently up on blocks).

I will combine my love of the shooting sports with my love of cooking.

I'll drag my smoker/grill to shooting competitions where I will also promote my firearms training expertise.

I will offer lessons in shooting and finish them off with barbecue.

It has not been easy and all the details cannot even be summed up here. The NRA is incredibly sluggish. The state and local health departments make my stomach hurt just thinking about them.

But, by the start of the new year I will have two businesses going that are completely under my control. And, they will pay more than what I made before.

The firearms part is not so much related to guns as it is to teaching. I am a good teacher and I enjoy it. It is really a very tedious thing to do, but I enjoy it and get a great deal of satisfaction out of it.

The grilling/smoking part is fun. Food is very personal. We all have to eat every day. The challenge is making that personal interaction enjoyable. My job is to make you want to come back for more.

The two avocations even combine. I have a recipe called "Black Powder Steak." If you think you've had a seared steak before just wait until you've had one that is coated on both sides with black powder!

My advice would be to get creative. Find a way to do something people want and you enjoy.

OK, if I lose my house, my trucks and have eaten my horses by February I'll be singing a different tune.

But, the bottom line is: "Don't wait for something to come to you. Do something for yourself."

If you fail, at least you tried.

 

[Benmc753]

I read the first paragraph and was going to write: "do what you love doing," but it seems you thought of it first. Honestly, there is always going to be something you're good at and you enjoy doing that you can make money off of, it just might take a little thought.