Wheres the best place to work????

[Polarkraft05]

I am 28 years old, working for family owned construction business. Schedule is pretty good, pay is decent, freedom is good. Benefits (insurance, retirement) do not exist, stress is high, very labor intensive, finding workers is becoming impossible.

 

Looking for a "dream" job to go to. I won't quit the family business for a typical job. It will have to be something that is promising and really gives me a reason to quit where I am. I know if I am going to make a change the sooner the better for benefits, experience,  salary raises etc. Also I am well aware of if you enjoy your job you will never work a day in your life. I honestly have no clue what I would enjoy everyday, I get bored with anything and like to switch it up whether it is a hobby or work. What I do enjoy and always will is money. With enough money I could put up with anything as long as there is enough off time to enjoy that money. There is not a job out there that I enjoy enough to make a small amount of money. 

 

Looking for something that starts at $17 plus an hour and goes up from there fairly quickly. Has retirement, vacation time, insurance, etc. Don't want to be forced to work 60 hours a week or be away from home. 

I am sure there will be plenty of people say I am dreaming and if it existed everyone would be doing it, but I know there are plenty of people with these types of jobs, and sometimes we don't realize what those jobs are unless someone talks about it or recommends it. I could be a great asset to any company, but starting to feel like the younger generations          (mine included) are becoming unreliable, and its becoming harder to find good jobs because of this. 

 

 

I have a bachelors degree in wildlife ecology, but in Missouri I have yet to find a job in that field that pays decent. Moving might change that, but don't want to leave family behind. If I could find something science, wildlife, fishery, outdoors, related it would be great. 

[68camaro]

Wow, where do I start. I have a 21 yo and 14 yo. and will tell you exactly what I told them or would tell them.  

 

Here are quotes from your statement above and I ask you to read them and ask yourself how do you come across and is this who you really are?

 

*"Schedule" is pretty good

*"freedom" is good

*stress is high, very labor intensive - this comes across as you are saying it is a negative

*finding workers is becoming impossible 

*I honestly have no clue what I would enjoy everyday,

*I get bored with anything and like to switch it up whether it is a hobby or work. 

*What I do enjoy and always will is money. - trust me on this, money motivates only for a time.......

*Looking for something that starts at $17 plus an hour and goes up from there fairly quickly.

*Don't want to be forced to work 60 hours a week or be away from home. 

*don't want to leave family behind.

 

Then you say the following:

    "I could be a great asset to any company" - My question to you is HOW? I re-read your post several times and you don't ONCE say what you have to offer an employer or your skills except for a degree. You say you work in family construction company but don't say what you do ....bookkeeper, framer, generalist, roofer, mason??? Why can't you grow business or take in different direction? 

 

 I wish I knew a field that fit your needs but I can't imagine it exists...maybe work for local municipality, state or federal gov't.  

 

 

[volzfan59]

My wife and I were both in law enforcement. For me, I made it almost 35 years total, she did 32. More of a calling however. I'll say this, it was something different every day! I'm not sure about where you live, but the starting salary should be close, if not more, then your figure. Most agencies have good, if not great benefits (insurance, sick time, vacation, personal days). Your not tied down to one place for the most part, your always moving. Pretty much a 40 hour a week gig, although the days off aren't great. Depending on the department, days off and shifts tend to rotate.

 

I made it to Lieutenant before retirement and was making really good money. Could have made Captain, but it was a political appointment. Didn't want to go there. Hope it helps.

[Polarkraft05]

Fair enough reply, For the record my post may sound snobby, but I am just trying to be to the point and straight forward. I wasn't trying to talk myself up or make a resume, just trying to quickly hit on the perks and negatives of my current position, so it would make sense of what I am looking for in a job. 

 I kept all of this short as possible (still too long if you ask me) as I know people on a fishing forum will lose interest in a subject like this especially if they have to read a long essay. 

 

I'll try to hit on all the points you brought up.

 

My first point was describing the pro's and con's of my current job. So yes the "schedule is pretty good". by this I mean I can make my own schedule however if i decide to have a day off it means the company may or may not be making money while I am gone. So that to me is a pro and a con or in other words pretty good. 

 

"freedom is good" again describing my current position pros, this touches on the schedule a little as well as having the freedom to choose what type of work I will be doing that day. 

 

"stress is high, and very labor intensive job" yes this is a huge negative. Stress is never good. I can deal with it yes, but doesn't mean it is good to have. labor intensive is very hard on the body. Causes un repairable damage, makes everyday life diminish more and more every year. I can see slight evidence of wear and tear already at my young age, and can see significant life altering effects to the older people working around me. 

 

"I honestly have no clue what I would enjoy everyday" this is the most negative sounding point, but is true. There is no career path that I absolutely love, or else I would already be there. 

 

"looking for $17 plus an hour" A simple guideline as to the pay range I am looking for. There are plenty of jobs out there that provide everything I could ever want in a job, but they only pay $10-$15 an hour.  I can't afford to live the way I am currently living on any less than that. Can I survive? absolutely, I could survive on pennies, but I am not looking to just survive i am looking to prosper and be able to provide for my family just like the majority of people are.  And everyone has a different allowance they are happy with making, mine happens to be $17 plus, someone else may be $10 or maybe $40. This isn't meant to put anyone down everyone has a different wage, and different lifestyle. 

 

"don't want to be forced to work 60 hours a week, be away from home, or leave family." 

Would I do it if I had to? yes Would i choose a job (such as over the road trucking) if i knew I would be gone from home for 5 days at a time or longer, and working 60-80 hours a week. NO Again a simple guideline for the type of work I am looking for. 

 

Why didn't I post my skills? Because I am not applying for a job, or looking for a specific job. I am merely asking a large group of people what type of job they have been particularly happy with. I wouldn't care if it was modeling, marketing, book keeping, ups driver, quick trip employee, secretary, hospital, maintenance etc etc. 

Just looking for input from all walks of life as to what job they have experienced in their life that would meet my desires. 

 

the reason I said I could be an "asset to any company" is because I can be, but nothing I type on a computer is going to prove that, nor do I need to prove it right now. I have a good understanding of the working world and am quickly realizing what the younger generations are being seen as, and know that I stand out from the crowd. That being said I am just looking for other peoples work experience and maybe a recommendation of what field to look towards. Now maybe if I posted a professional resume, and proof read everything I am writing I would get lucky and someone would get on here and offer me a job. Would that be great? yes but that is not what this post is about. If i was looking for that I would get on a job posting website, not the off topic of a fishing forum. 

 

And as for my skills, I am proficient in several of the trades needed for remodeling/home building. electrical, plumbing, painting, tile, rough in carpentry, trim carpentry. I also have experience managing customers and workers, scheduling, bill paying, vehicle and large machinery repair and maintenance. 

 

 

Maybe I should just say, 

I am looking for career options in any field which provides to following: retirement, vacation, good pay scale, good hours. also please post your positive experiences with the job or why you would recommend it. 

  

52 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

My wife and I were both in law enforcement. For me, I made it almost 35 years total, she did 32. More of a calling however. I'll say this, it was something different every day! I'm not sure about where you live, but the starting salary should be close, if not more, then your figure. Most agencies have good, if not great benefits (insurance, sick time, vacation, personal days). Your not tied down to one place for the most part, your always moving. Pretty much a 40 hour a week gig, although the days off aren't great. Depending on the department, days off and shifts tend to rotate.

 

I made it to Lieutenant before retirement and was making really good money. Could have made Captain, but it was a political appointment. Didn't want to go there. Hope it helps.

Great information, thank you. 

 

[Bluebasser86]

I'm in the same line of work as volzfan. Been doing it over 10 years now and it fits most of the criteria you're looking for. It's stressful at times, shift work so schedule isn't always ideal. It has everything else you're looking for though. I have about as good of benefits as you can get, great retirement, vacation, chance for advancement, and the department I'm at starts a couple dollars more than what you're looking for. It really is a job that either you're cut out for, or you're not though. That's why there's such a high turnover ratio. Something you might look into though if you're interested. Not sure where in KCMO you're located but we have some guys that drive from there to work every day. 

[slonezp]

Find a job with a Fortune 500 company. In what capacity...I don't know. I drove a truck for 10 years, spent 15 years as a refrigeration mechanic until I got a career ending injury. I'm currently working for a Fortune 500 company. Pay is decent, all the benefits you listed are top of the line. I've had more vacation time in the last 3 years than I had in 15 years of turning a wrench. The health insurance is as good as it was when I was in the Pipefitters union. I have 401k and profit sharing for retirement. Lastly, stress is caused by the way we look at and deal with the cards we are dealt. The work is not what is causing you stress. It is the way you handle the tasks that are thrown your way.

[TOXIC]

Everybody chooses their path in life according to their own needs and wants.  I spent the first few years of my working life hopping from job to job trying different things and career paths.  I trained thoroughbreds.  I did the trades, I was a certified Union welder/painter/assembler by the time I left a plant where we rebuilt rail cars. I determined that was not the field for me after seeing the end point.  The $$ was great but mentally I would have collapsed.  I then went into the business world and finance.  Started at a Finance Company, then a Bank.  I ended up in a Federal Government job and soon realized that if I stuck with it, I could retire well and have great bennies along the way.  That was 33 years ago and I will retire comfortably in another year.  There's always going to be downsides to every job and IMHO, there is no "perfect" job for most but I will say that if you haven't planned for your dream job by 28, you need to determine what is important to you.  My biggest concerns were job security and the ability to retire comfortably while still young enough to enjoy it.  I have had some downsides to my job like 4 relocations, some extend time away from the family (1 year to Kansas City, 2 years to Florida) and I've been detailed to some pretty bad locations but I worked my way to DC (headquarters) and the payoff is right around the corner.  

[fishwizzard]

On 12/17/2017 at 8:29 PM, Polarkraft05 said:

 

I have a bachelors degree in wildlife ecology, but in Missouri I have yet to find a job in that field that pays decent. Moving might change that, but don't want to leave family behind. If I could find something science, wildlife, fishery, outdoors, related it would be great. 

The "no moving" part could kill this idea, but there are a lot of jobs in the environmental research/testing field.   Almost every bit of new construction/infrastructure work requires an impact audit and there are a lot of companies all over the country doing it.   I have a buddy in the industry and he seems to say that there is always a shortage of people to do the field work.  The romance of "working outdoors" tends to fade once you spend a summer lugging an electrofishing rig through a mile of tick-infested brush in 100f/99% humidity weather, so the turnover can be pretty high.  My buddy's main job criteria was "not be indoors all day" and he has been at it about 15-17 years now and still loves it.  

[flyfisher]

I'll agree with SlonezP on this one.  You need to go find a job at a major corporation and work your way up the ladder.  Sounds like you don't want to own your own business or be in charge but want to do the minimal amount to get the maximum pay with no regard for the actual work being done.  

I left a job for a major bank as a process engineer where i worked my way up from a call center representative to a Sr. process manager in about ten years and more than doubled my salary in the process.  You may be asking yourself, well why did you leave and the answer is because it was work and i wanted a career and something i cared about and enjoyed and while i enjoyed the work it wasn't what i wanted to do for my life.  I became an elementary school teacher in one of if not the most difficult schools in the state and couldn't be happier.  Sure it has it's issues and i took a very substantial pay cut but i'll take it.  

Ultimately, it doesn't sound like you know what you want to be when you "grow up" and until you figure that out, you will be asking yourself these same questions every few years when you get bored.

[A-Jay]

On 12/17/2017 at 8:29 PM, Polarkraft05 said:

I am 28 years old, working for family owned construction business. Schedule is pretty good, pay is decent, freedom is good. Benefits (insurance, retirement) do not exist, stress is high, very labor intensive, finding workers is becoming impossible.

 

Looking for a "dream" job to go to. I won't quit the family business for a typical job. It will have to be something that is promising and really gives me a reason to quit where I am. I know if I am going to make a change the sooner the better for benefits, experience,  salary raises etc. Also I am well aware of if you enjoy your job you will never work a day in your life. I honestly have no clue what I would enjoy everyday, I get bored with anything and like to switch it up whether it is a hobby or work. What I do enjoy and always will is money. With enough money I could put up with anything as long as there is enough off time to enjoy that money. There is not a job out there that I enjoy enough to make a small amount of money. 

 

Looking for something that starts at $17 plus an hour and goes up from there fairly quickly. Has retirement, vacation time, insurance, etc. Don't want to be forced to work 60 hours a week or be away from home. 

I am sure there will be plenty of people say I am dreaming and if it existed everyone would be doing it, but I know there are plenty of people with these types of jobs, and sometimes we don't realize what those jobs are unless someone talks about it or recommends it. I could be a great asset to any company, but starting to feel like the younger generations          (mine included) are becoming unreliable, and its becoming harder to find good jobs because of this. 

 

 

I have a bachelors degree in wildlife ecology, but in Missouri I have yet to find a job in that field that pays decent. Moving might change that, but don't want to leave family behind. If I could find something science, wildlife, fishery, outdoors, related it would be great. 

 

Interesting 'want list' - as you alluded to and as mentioned above - 'challenging' comes to mind.

 A degree can be beneficial - might even assist in 'getting a foot in the door'.

After that success or failure is often predicate on what one is willing to do. 

Clearly, there are the 'I fell right into it' jobs - but there may be less of those to go around. 

What you listed above may be more of a goal than the starting point employment.

Base line pay, long hours and at least some sacrifice comes with most any worth while position- especially in the beginning.   Degree or not. 

Best of luck to you on your search and although you're right on the line as far as age in concerned, serving our country can be very satisfying.  Unfortunately, most everything you're looking to avoid is part of that job description.

btw - I did it and retired at 47 years old. 

 

A-Jay

 

[roadwarrior]

Well, here is an easy solution: Big rig driver, local. First year $50-$75,000 and you may decide to

own your own truck down the road. You can simply take the money and run or grow your business

by owning more equipment over time.

 

 

 

 

[Dtrombly]

Entry level jobs in the beverage industry are typically pretty good, depending on your area. (Coke, Pepsi, 7up). I work for Coca Cola here in Ohio. We are union and merchandising positions start at $18.45/hr. Health, life, dental, vision, vacation, 401k, tuition reimbursement, paid and voluntary time off, ect. 

[senile1]

In my opinion, you should find something out there that uses the skills you now have, or uses skills that you would enjoy acquiring.  Good luck in that endeavor.

 

You asked for us to tell you about our jobs/careers.  I can tell you about my career but the skills piece is paramount.  If you don't have the skills you can't do my job, or even start on the path to it, and you can't acquire these skills in a short period of time.  I'm sure you are aware that you have to make the choice that you are going take a certain path and all that it entails (stress, etc).  And that applies to most any job that pays well.  You will have to dedicate time to acquire the skills necessary to get your foot in the door.  Then, to continue receiving raises you have to continuously improve those skills, and acquire new ones.  It is not easy to choose, which is why 95 percent of us work in a career that maybe provides satisfaction in some ways, but is not what we would be doing if we didn't have to provide for our families.

 

As for my career, I am a Senior Network Engineer specializing in Cisco converged networks and call center programming.  My job pays very well, has good benefits, good vacation time, and the company understands that time with family is important.  It can be very stressful at times though.  While I have the freedom to set my work hours I have customers whose entire corporate networks depend on the work I do and the buck stops with me.  I have to satisfy them, so to avoid disrupting their operations a lot of network events have to be performed after business hours, or during slower periods which tend to be weekends and nights.  Simpler activities are performed by lower level engineers.  Complex activities are performed by me.  When it is slow I will work 40 - 48 hours a week, but when it is busy I don't get to walk away and forget about it every day as a project can last for months and the day can end on a huge problem that needs to be resolved and can't wait until tomorrow.  

 

As for the path to my position, I didn't start at this level.  I have a bachelor's degree in business administration with two majors.  I was in middle management for a trucking company but changed careers at age 39.  At that point I started studying and obtained my A+ and MCSE IT certifications which was enough to get me in the door at my current employer, but I took a tremendous drop in pay from my previous position because of my lack of experience in the field.  I then acquired my Cisco certifications:  CCNA, CCNP Routing and Switching, CCNP Voice, CCNP Collaboration, CICCEP, etc.  Many of these certs are 4 or 5 tests that are not easy when you obtain them the first time.  Then they have to be renewed every 3 years by taking a single test.  These certifications would be the equivalent of a Masters degree in networking at a university.  I have been in this field for 17 years now.  

 

I provide all of this to you to point out that you don't get to high pay without a great deal of effort.  On my career path, if you acquire the minimum skills you can start out above the $17/hour figure you mentioned.  But you have to have a minimum set of skills first.  From there, if you are willing to study in your off-hours you can make a great deal more.  Unfortunately, very few people get a job that pays well with good benefits and raises without making some sacrifices. Unless you know someone who is going to give you a leg up, you will have some work in front of you.

 

 

  

[12poundbass]

4 hours ago, slonezp said:

Lastly, stress is caused by the way we look at and deal with the cards we are dealt. The work is not what is causing you stress. It is the way you handle the tasks that are thrown your way.

You hit the nail on the head! My line of work will chew you up and spit you out if you don't approach the job like you described. Year in and year out we retain our "core techs." As my boss calls us. Everybody else quits by the end of dig season.

 

To the OP you have a construction background as do I. I'm guessing you enjoy working with your hands, being outside, and using your brain. I would look into the utility industry. I'm a contractor for a large gas and electric supplier here in Michigan and I absolutely love my job. I'm actually trying to get into the utility supplier as we speak. As a contractor the money could be better, but who doesn't say that. Getting into the actual utility company you'd be set. 

 

Look into being a lineman for an electric company. There's a nationwide shortage of about 5,000 lineman. A couple years of training you'd be around $40/hr. Great insurance and benefits.

[Choporoz]

If you decide that the 'not being away from home' part is negotiable, I'd suggest that you aren't too old for military (or Coast Guard) service.  Not everyone finds it totally rewarding, but I think that most do.  And I've never met anyone over 25 who joined and didn't find it a good fit.  Pay is decent, job security is very high, benefits are as good as any, and prospect of a pension after 20 years is tough to find any where else.  Your degree may even allow you a commission. 

[CroakHunter]

I had an amazing job working for a mucicipality. No weekends, lots of holidays, played on heavy machinery. But I made 7.75 an hr. But I was able to go to college while doing it. Got my law enforcement degree and I was set right? Wrong! What I thought would be a great job, didn't turn out to be so great once comparing it to my current job. Pay was mediocre unless I wanted relocated, which I didnt, lots of politics in my small county, and no job openings. So I started working for Toyota motor Corp. Started out at 16.50 and am well above $20 4.5 years later and will be close to $30 an hour in a few more years. Work about 50 Hrs a week and about every third saturday. Insurance is great and 401k and pension are nearly as good as the coal miners. Do I love it? No. But I worked my butt off to get the title I have now as mixroom. I do however love the pay and benefits for my wife and kids. 12 minutes from home and a pretty set schedule.

[lo n slo]

i joined the Marines out of high school, went to work for the city water works at 23 and retired 30 years later (7 yrs ago) with insurance til medicare eligible, and a state pension/401K. i now do part time carpentry for cash because it’s what i want to do. i aint rich but i am content and realize that sweetheart benefits like i have are a thing of the past.

 

that being said, there are no perfect jobs imo. i worked nights, weekends, Christmas, kids sporting events, tons of on-call duty, etc. sometimes it stunk and sooner or later something or someone is gonna grate on your nerves, bad. how you handle those issues makes a BIG difference in your overall happiness. that’s something you’re gonna have to bring to the job yourself. good luck brother.

[slonezp]

7 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Well, here is an easy solution: Big rig driver, local. First year $50-$75,000 and you may decide to

own your own truck down the road. You can simply take the money and run or grow your business

by owning more equipment over time.

 

My brother drove OTR for 25 years for other people. Now owns his own tractor and reefer trailer hauling produce, and is talking about expanding. Really not a bad gig for a single guy who doesn't mind driving. Fortunately my brothers 2nd wife(first one didn't work out because he was on the road)came from a family of truck drivers and understood what's involved in the work. He drives and she runs the financials.

[Chris at Tech]

Professional bass fisherman!

 

Next question?

[Polarkraft05]

Lots of helpful replies thank you. 

I will look into several of the posted ideas. 

 

For the record I wasn't expecting to walk into a career and immediately be rich, happy, and doing no work to obtain it. I realize work has to be put into everything, and there will be tough times with any job. And will have to put my time in before I can expect returns. And I realize all of these jobs are not something I would enjoy, or be good at. I was just looking for ideas of good jobs that I may not have thought about. 

 

 

I have considered OTR or local trucking, and believe I would be good at it as i drive a regular truck and trailer everyday now. While it is not a semi, it still comes with similar responsibilities and skill sets like traffic awareness, maintenance, trailer backing, etc.   

[tander]

On 12/20/2017 at 10:57 AM, 12poundbass said:

 

 

Look into being a lineman for an electric company. There's a nationwide shortage of about 5,000 lineman. A couple years of training you'd be around $40/hr. Great insurance and benefits.

I recommend this type of job. I was not a lineman but a cable splicer. A lineman works on overhead lines, a cablesplicer work underground lines. I was there for 41 years, only job I ever had. Starting pay is good and they have great benefits. I was able to keep all my medical insurance, dental vision, when I retired. I also had 5 weeks vacation when I had 25 years. Along with my retirement, Social security (which you may never see) and my 401k I make it along fairly well. You can nearly make as much as you want if you don't mind working overtime. I knew a lineman that worked OT all the time, made about $140,000 a year. You will never get rich but you can make a good living.

[gim]

I know the government often gets a bad rap from the general public but its a pretty good gig if you can get in there.  I used to work for the state government and now I work for the federal government.  Pay is steady, job security is bullet proof, benefits are good, and I get a TON of time off.  I am required to travel on a somewhat frequent basis, though.  Just something to think about.