Major/career advice needed (actually skiing related)

[My Pet Powder Goat]

oh, my fault... i meant to call you an asshole

[systemoverblow'd]

At least this cunt can see an idiot who knows jack when he sees it. Your thought that your tenure on a website somehow makes your opinion (or lack there of) important laughable. Why not Instead of talking shit to me you actually contribute to the OPs question? I have seen you talk shit to me to
Todd based on my join date (ps I was there with him on cinco de mayo the day his son was born). It's sad your contribution to this site is hate and pompousness. Do you suck Pat and SFBs cock as well?

PS- id like you to tell me how what I said in this thread was wrong.

[zion zig zag]

Been here long before your fucker. Designed skis for people who have been here longer than you. Know your roll before calling out someone moron. You may not like my opinions but calling me a Jong is laughable.

That's cool, you're still a douche though.

[systemoverblow'd]

Someone who has been an 8 year junkie of a website, why am I not suprised there is no wisdom only hate? Let me guess, you prefer poop jokes over other things?!? Zzzzz is right. Don't help anyone, just continue to perpetuate the laziness of our society. And while you are at it you may as well hate on anyone trying to make a better life for themselves.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

You never said anything about company take home. Fact of the matter is that any grown person who hasn't only worked at McDonalds doesn't say what their take home is. The standard issue and it has been for years is what you make without benefits package pretax. Any smart 16 y/o would understand that. Maybe you're better off pumping gas idiot.

So you're all of 21 with 3 years into school? Don't hesitate to take advice from someone 10+ years your senior, has lived and worked in 7 different states in the US and has seen more action than your mommas asshole.

You want to ask stupid questions with stupid "facts" go ahead. But be smart enough to understand you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground. I wish I had someone who was a straight shooter and told me how it is 10 years ago. You're a product of the "I'm special and important" generation and until you wake the fuck up youll be occupying some tent because life didn't provide for you what you think you deserve.

Don't hate me because I'm harsh, hate me because I am right and you're lazy.

And PS... You're the lamest of the lame. You're not asking how your passion can turn into a career you are asking how to fleece the system to make yourself happy. Why not parlay what makes you happy into a career you can be happy with and affords you your private time? I guess those great dreams don't come naturally to early 20-something idiots...

^^^level of dickishness is unparalleled. way to go back and edit it to be even more of an asshole

Sorry if judging an alias by his post date, and the stupid shit he says is wrong.

Hmmmm...someone with a hard-on for Pat and SFB, why does that sound familiar???

Does this mean you won't design me some skis?

[Climber Joe]

[systemoverblow'd]

3 posts and not one has to do with the thread topic. Congrats utard, you're par for the course.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Our apology...I'll just step aside and let you continue to judge people's character and motives based on a few posts you read on the internet. helluva a talent you got there.

so true, but would you look at the smile on that face!

[DRZmaui]

Don’t count out nursing. I feel it the best profession for one whom is keen on perusing one passions. It’s been the best choice in my life I ever made. Don’t get uptight about the shit, piss and gore. It’s not that big of deal after a while. Also, there are other aspects of nsuring that don't involve the 'icky' stuff.

Nursing allowed me a surf bum life for 16 years in Hawaii, now live in Reno, and only 35 minutes to Squaw. 5 weeks a vacation a year, $80,000 year, ability to ski 4 days a week, additionally have the ability to transfer to anywhere in the US, or even Europe/Asia (I work the VA).

Back in the late 70’s, was ski bumming in Aspen. Was tiring to figure out what I need to do to live comfortably in Ski town. The only professions that seem to exist, were teacher, policeman or Nurse. After spending time with a traveling nurse, I started to think this was the ticket. She would work an assignment for a couple of months, take off a month’s (skiing, traveling, ect), then work her next assignment.

When I returned back to Calf, I had an EMT from my attempts to join the Ski patrol. Started work on an Ambulance. Eventually this lead to me getting my RN. Right now, my specialty is mental health.
No regrets what so ever becoming a nurse. It’s allowed me to ski, travel and surf around the world.

[LongShortLong]

OP - I say you're on the right track. I saw your title and thought "geology." I wish someone had told me that geology meant outdoor field trips in college and and outdoor job in/near mountains for a career. Several times I've been out backpacking and run into geologists "working." Camping out in the woods, studying ancient earthquakes by looking at cracks in the granite - sounds good to me.

If you're goal is simply to ski a lot, lots of careers will get you that. Beyond the dentists hanging out here, I've met everyone from electricians to chefs to gold miners to engineers. The gold miner got the most days in (180ish), and made the least money (25k, before machinery repairs, he was living on 10-15). If he's still around, the gold miner should be in fat city with the runup in gold. The electrician had a good gig - bid his own jobs for commercial electrical in a ski town. He skied the powder days and worked the other times.

[charles martel]

Lots of good advice here.

Geology and nursing each have their advantages. Nursing is about as portable a degree as you can find. From what I've been told by people who do it, you can go almost anywhere and get a job. It is high stress, though, with a lot of responsibility and, compared to the docs, relatively low pay. Geology is going to become even more important as: 1) Not as many people go into it as they used to. 2) We are entering the age of "peak oil," which makes extraction more important than ever--i.e., we need brain power in this field.

Part of what I do is counsel people on careers. My advice:

1) Accept no external limitations imposed by anyone or any institution on what you want to do with your life. Set your own goals and decide what you want to do. Don't decide on the basis of some cliche, like, "go for the bucks and bennies." I know people who make a lot of money and are unhappy, plus they are assholes, mean spirited, etc. I know people who do what they want with just enough to get by and they are fulfilled.

2) Study what you like, what is inside you. I've seen people 40 years after working in a field they don't like because of the money and they are unhappy and have regrets.

3) It's okay to change your mind and go in another direction. Most people do that in their 20s and some in their 30s.

3) Decide if it's going to be a destination resort, which is expensive, or if you could live in Boise or Pocatello and hit the nearby hills.

4) When you have a family, if you do it right, you will have to devote a lot of time to that, part of which can be on the hill. Your kids may not like skiing or snowboarding (Point #1 above). Be prepared for that.

5) Study hard now, regardless of what you decide to do. I've seen people forego learning when they are young, only to be the first layed off because they really aren't essential to wherever it is that they work.

6) You may get better advice or discover something other than this that works better for you. Follow that.

[GBB]

4 years is a long time in the resource world.

Just wanted to call attention to this again.

[nfaust]

I am getting a major in Mechanical Engineering Technology. When I graduate most companies will hire me as an ME since I will have passed the FE exam, at Engineering wage (50-80K) and I will have experience with all kinds of welding, machining, and design experience.

I planned on getting a job with a ski company, or just going full bum and wasting my degree. Sounds pretty good to me. Maybe a part time engineering job?

You sure about that? Not sure how it is in Montana, but generally on the east coast most Engineering Technology programs are not ABET accredited and therefore not eligible for EIT/PE licensure. I'd also think you'd have a hard time hitting those kind of salary figures in the ski industry, especially at an entry-level position. Part time engineering gig would be sweet though.

[TeleTahoe]

Yo, Look into Elko,Nevada tons of mines in Nevada in General. I work all summer doing exploratory geology. At the end of the field season, around September, I meet with some bosses show them the projects i worked on. I mean i have to work during the winter, but its all from my computer. Unless i want to go to south america, or mexico to do more field work.

[Dickeymotto]

The reason I would like to stay in SLC is my fiance. She just moved here in January after graduating as a PA and finally has consistent work with a company she is really stoked about. The company is small but growing rapidly and if she plays her cards right, she could really be high up on the totem pole in a short amount of time. I don't want to take that away from her. That being said, I know quite a few people that do field geology in Nevada/Wyoming/wherever and still live here in Utah. They live out of a tent while in the field (2 weeks on 2 weeks off kind of thing) and like TeleTahoe said, do the computer work over the winter. This seems ideal to me.

TeleTahoe, so what is it you do? Petroleum? Mineral? Mind sharing some more details?

[Dickeymotto]

Oh and no medical stuff. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I absolutely can not handle blood. I certified as an EMT a few years ago and worked for a while in it. It was terrible, I'd get light headed and sick any time we had a nasty trauma call. Besides that, I'm just not interested in it.

[midgethumper]

this is what my roomate is doing, basically it trains you how to run a ski resort, and be like a raft guide and stuff

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Oh and no medical stuff. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I absolutely can not handle blood. I certified as an EMT a few years ago and worked for a while in it. It was terrible, I'd get light headed and sick any time we had a nasty trauma call. Besides that, I'm just not interested in it.

i'd pursue the geology degree/job If That is what you want to do, Utah is an ideal place for it, But just throwing this out there; have you considered Firefighting? There is some trauma but I don't think you'd be "hands on" with it., thats the EMT's job..it's not quite the boom industry it was a few years ago, but It does afford you a great ski schedule. my FD buddy works in PC, does 48 straight hours then has the rest of the week off , and you get good deals on passes.
It's also a job you can take anywhere, like your wife's RN job, if you guys decide to move at some point.


Just throwing it out there for anyone wondering about a good skibum/career combo

[zion zig zag]

i'd pursue the geology degree/job If That is what you want to do, Utah is an ideal place for it, But just throwing this out there; have you considered Firefighting? There is some trauma but I don't think you'd be "hands on" with it., thats the EMT's job..it's not quite the boom industry it was a few years ago, but It does afford you a great ski schedule. my FD buddy works in PC, does 48 straight hours then has the rest of the week off , and you get good deals on passes.
It's also a job you can take anywhere, like your wife's RN job, if you guys decide to move at some point.


Just throwing it out there for anyone wondering about a good skibum/career combo

There are no paid depts. that I know of in UT that hire FF's only, everyone is an EMT as well. And to have the best shot of getting hired and/or promoted, paramedic is handy.

[.jon.]

have you considered GIS?

it's a booming field right now, pays pretty well, and is fascinating (at least to me)

it's not entirely specific to mountainous regions, as it's applicable nearly everywhere, but it's such an employable major that i don't imagine you'd be hard stretched to have a decent say over where you end up

[Scott~]

have you considered GIS?

it's a booming field right now, pays pretty well, and is fascinating (at least to me)

it's not entirely specific to mountainous regions, as it's applicable nearly everywhere, but it's such an employable major that i don't imagine you'd be hard stretched to have a decent say over where you end up

If you make sure you have the programming knowledge to back it up, and that isnt necessarily paired with the department program.

[blueyceman]

I agree, I say stick with geology. I graduated with a geology degree in 2008, and landed a job shortly after with an environmental consulting firm in a ski town. The pay was average ($45k), and they worked like robots and expected that from all of their employees (once I worked for 72 hours overseeing a monitoring well installation without any sleep, 65-70 hours/wk all the time was a constant expectation)...I was sort of in a tough position though because I truly loved where I was living, I tried seeing if they would offer me more flexibility and they wouldn't, so at two years I made a tough choice and moved on. This job was still good though, I learned a lot of new skills, and spent ~30% of the time in the field...and I was minutes from endless mountain biking, bc skiing, etc.

My current job is as an exploration geologist for a company in Mongolia. I moved here in May, and spent ~3 months this past summer doing general field work in the Gobi. I've been living in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, when not in the field. This city of 1.5 million has the 2nd worst air quality in the world (its also the coldest world capital), and I wear a P100 respirator walking to and from work in the winter time. However, I'm coming back to the US for the next 3 months (including 9 weeks of paid vacation). Hopefully ski a lot then. The pay/benefits here have been very good(I started over six figures), and although I live in a crowded polluted city, its still a wonderful experience being immersed in such a foreign place....and the people are very hospitable. Its still no substitute for being able to ride your bike every day or go for a run, so its been a compromise. We're trying to work out a new contract that will allow me to do office based work remotely from the US, and only have to be in Mongolia for field work. That would truly be the ideal situation for me, that is what I'm hoping for.

I've contemplated the master's degree as well, I may end up going back to school one of these days but so far there have been plentiful opportunities without it. If I have any advice its that the world is a very competitive place, and it starts in school. Study hard, always strive for a quality product. Don't burn bridges with professors, never know where those will lead. Connections are huge, but if you have the drive/skillset, you ultimately will be the one to make things happen.

[Dickeymotto]

^Awesome information, thanks for that.

[char]

65-70hr/wk @45k is like working for an hourly wage of $12-14. Sounds like a no brainer to move on to me.

[theshredder]

Dude I kinda feel bad for you. If you're not a rich kid you're in for a rough time when reality really starts to sink in. Just finish your degree and have a wicked time while you're there or you'll be really fucked after.