Author Topic: A Good Profession for a Man These Days (Read 3144 times)

Tiffany · « **Reply #5 on:** January 27, 2013, 12:14:47 AM »

My son is still young but we had this convo last week on which vo-tech program and he picked electrical technology. Thanks for the tip on going commercial.

JohnGrey · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2013, 01:50:15 AM »

Quote from: Cato

If I was your age and interested in a trade, I'd go with electrical or plumbing. Get your license and then work for the government (a college, VA hospital, school district, etc). The key is to work for the government: you'll get great benefits and be able to retire early. When you're 40 years old retiring with a fat pension, you'll thank yourself.

Er, no. The absurd government employee pay premium/benefits/pension/early retirement model exists only so long as government can get away with tacking on $1t and change to the deficit every year. Also, it's payments to medical expenses, of which there employee benefits make a huge chunk, increase at an average of 9% YoY. Last year, the federal government paid $850b in medical expenses. In 10 years it'll be $2t; in 35 it'll be over $16t. The age of government largesse is coming to an end and the last thing you want is to be lashed to the mast of a sinking ship.

JohnGrey · « **Reply #7 on:** January 27, 2013, 01:54:26 AM »

Quote from: Alex117

Hello friends,

I'm 20 years old now, and I still haven't really chosen what I want to do with my life. I'm thinking about picking up a skilled trade, like carpentry or something, but I'm not sure what. Do you fellows have any suggestions?

It's very commendable that you want to do something productive. Just be aware that, as a skilled tradesman, you'll have to endure a lot of crap. Apprenticeships, local guilds and unions. Incipient communism, nepotism and graft.

Renzo · « **Reply #8 on:** January 27, 2013, 03:08:31 AM »

Quote from: Alex117

Hello friends,

I'm 20 years old now, and I still haven't really chosen what I want to do with my life. I'm thinking about picking up a skilled trade, like carpentry or something, but I'm not sure what. Do you fellows have any suggestions?

Trades are fun at your age, but they get tougher the older you get.

ShepherdofSheep · « **Reply #9 on:** January 27, 2013, 09:00:41 AM »

If you are more agriculturally minded, there is still a great demand for sheep shearers, believe it or not- depending on where you live, you can make very decent money. There is a shortage of shearers in MI and many other places. You have to be willing to travel, but that could provide great opportunities for jobs all over the country and possibly the world if you are interested.

As a shearer myself- it takes a lot of endurance and practice to become good at it. But as long as there are wool sheep in the world, they will need their fleeces removed. And it's the type of job where there are few do-it-yourselfers.

There are shearing schools scattered around the country, or do what many shearers did and go to Australia, New Zealand, or even Ireland to learn. Or apprentice with an experienced shearer.

I also hear that there's a shortage of good farriers in many areas, also saddlemakers.

There are also professional cattle hoof trimmers out there making good money.

You could look into becoming an artifical insemination technician. That's all the dairies use nowadays. Obviously you have to be in a dairy region like MI or CA to be productive, but it's a great job, needed year-round, and the training is not very expensive. Some AI techs become embryo transfer techs for veterinarians, or even embryologists (these typically have a bachelors degree though).

Just a few ideas that weren't mentioned.