Gas? Mining? Work for laborer type in mountains?

[ill-advised strategy]

[QUOTE=EaglesPDX;4386325]

Wanting to make nursing money is absolutely not the same as being motivated to be a nurse. Did you read what yetiman wrote?[/QUOTE]

But it is absolutely the same thing as wanting make money as an oil field worker so he can ski and bike and have free time to do it. Not really doable as an 80-120 hour oil field worker in a remote man camp. Doable as a nurse (or other job available with two years of schooling) working 36 hours in ski town like Denver or SLC.

Did you read what the OP wrote?

No it fucking isn't, stupid. You don't have sacred ethical and moral obligations to care for an oil rig the way an RN has sacred ethical and moral obligations to care for clients, society as a whole, and anyone they encounter in an emergency situation.

It's not the same, you're wrong, shut the fuck up dummy.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Dude! What question are you even asking? You've got a bunch of reality in this thread. I'll clarify:

$60K = 60,000/52weeks/40hours = +/- $29 hr. before taxes. Benefits will vary by employer. I interpreted your questions as "how do I move out west somewhere fairly warm by a hospital that my girl will work at and make $29/hr. full time with my skill set and experience?"

I, and other posters, gave you some ideas and got to the brass tacks that it's fuckin' hard. Let's talk about a few thinks.

Expectations - refine your "60K". What do you actually mean?

Experience - express it as if you had to write it on a resume or communicate it during a job interview

Sacrifice - "multi million family business" I have no idea what this means nor do I need to. Are you being trained for management? Are you going to get an ownership stake? What makes you something other than an employee of a multi-million dollar business?

Paycheck job vs. self employed - they each have their pluses and minuses. most people who've never run their own businesses love to only see the benefits of "being your own boss".

Mining - check the price fluctuation of moly, copper, nat. gas and oil and get back to me. These are boom and bust industries. To make it on the labor side of these industries you've gotta be fuckin hard!!! Mentally and physically. Like ex-military. I have friends making $100K plus out in the patch and they wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's a means to an end, not a career. You do it till you snap.

Short story. Blue collar jobs in the rural west pay relatively high compared to what they pay in the city. That said, $60K by my definition is a stretch. It may be more common in communities with higher costs of living. I'm unclear if your experience means shit.

If you want my honest advice I'd be telling you to get going on being a plumber or electrician. Unfortunately, to make good money, you'll need a state licence that is not reciprocal.

I suppose 60k was an abritrary number. At 60k here in NJ I can live pretty comfortably, but can't put much away and buying a house is out of the question unless you live in the hood. I think 40k is a much more realistic starting point, and that includes working well over 40hrs/week as I get situated and work a couple different jobs at first.

Experience wise I have worked for the family businesses for over 15 years (I am 30 now) working weekends and summers through high school and college. We have been in the fuel/heating oil/propane business for almost 70 years. We have over 10,000 residential customers and hundreds of commercial accounts. From painting propane tanks as a kid, to boiler installation, to large scale concrete/masonry projects and everything in between.

I also have held various positions at our other company, which is a chain of 13 car washes between NJ and PA. We wash well over a million cars each year. I started as just a car dryer at one of our full service locations when I was 14 and have worked my way up over the years. In the process I have learned a great deal about the maintinence and installation of car wash equipment. I can sweat pipe, setup hydraulic lines, etc. I have been a location manager and project foreman for new construction for the past 3.5 years. Looks like I will become more of a district manager in charge of 3 or 4 locations starting Spring 2015.

As far as sacrifice goes my dad is president of both companies and handing over the reigns would be likely if I decided to stay in for the long haul. Its just not the life for me. I was jaded by over 7 years out of NJ, its damn hard to come back here and turn a blind eye to the back stabbing rat race mentality. I like crisp mornings out on a job site a whole lot more than sitting in an office.

I have run my own small (very small) business before, so its not something I am totally unfamiliar with. That said, I am a very different person than I was then and do know being a business owner means a hell of a lot more work than many people think.

[Foggy_Goggles]

OK, now we are getting somewhere. $40K is realistic for a paycheck job without benefits to start, its about $20/hr.. You've lived in mountain towns so you know that promotions always come from within and due to the transient nature of the workforce, it takes a while to move up the ladder.

I'd say your experience, your best bet would be to start as a plumber's apprentice. Plumbing can be a little nasty and it is the opposite of being a craftsman. That said, it has the most service work of any trade and is less reliant on new construction. Where I live, plumbers charge about $100/hr. for licensed guys and the good ones are always busy.

I thought you had a background in residential construction? Do you know how to frame? Tile, flooring at a professional level?

Unfortunately, one of the things you've got going against you is that your experience and references come from a family business. A reference from your dad don't mean shit. If you're serious about moving you might want to consider picking a trade and getting some experience outside of the family business.

[EaglesPDX]

You don't have sacred ethical and moral obligations to care for an oil rig the way an RN has sacred ethical and moral obligations to care for clients, society as a whole, and anyone they encounter in an emergency situation.

Nurse or MD or anyone else is not obligated by law to help in an emergency situation. As far as the "sacred", unless one has some religious belief, that is meaningless and even then best to keep one's religious beliefs to oneself if providing medical care. "Ethical" and "moral"? Whose ethics? What morality? No more or less than the guy running the car wash or the gas delivery man. You seem uneducated about licensed medical care providers.

Thought it was funny that some were saying nursing (high paid, high mobility, flexible schedule job) was "dirty" due to having wipe people's "butt cracks" while recommending plumber's assistant cleaning out stopped up toilets.

As for the OP, a kind of bizarre tale, in a multimillion dollar family business, but wants to work the Dakota gas fields vs. managing a good sized business that would pay six figures in any real world scenario with a ski condo in CO in the winter and house on Long Beach Island in the summer. Must be some family issue with parent or siblings to run away from that for the "gold rush" of a fracking man camp.

[ill-advised strategy]

So what's your background in nursing? Where's all this insight and expertise coming from exactly?

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

As for the OP, a kind of bizarre tale, in a multimillion dollar family business, but wants to work the Dakota gas fields vs. managing a good sized business that would pay six figures in any real world scenario with a ski condo in CO in the winter and house on Long Beach Island in the summer. Must be some family issue with parent or siblings to run away from that for the "gold rush" of a fracking man camp.

This JONG doesn't have many reading comprehension skills, huh?

[ill-advised strategy]

I'm guessing we're dealing with a youngster.

[skifishbum]

I'm guessing we're dealing with a youngster.

home schooled and fed lead paint chips

[ShoNuff]

But getting into "Mining" or "Gas" for the money is a good idea?

Yes it is, why else would you do it? Sense of purpose? Job satisfaction? I am an industrial contractor. I am only in it for the scratch. I know plenty of folks who barely scraped out a GED and make 100K plus. It isn't for everyone. If the OP is interested. Make as much as you can, save as much as you can and have an exit strategy. Compounding interest is amazing...

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

OK, now we are getting somewhere. $40K is realistic for a paycheck job without benefits to start, its about $20/hr.. You've lived in mountain towns so you know that promotions always come from within and due to the transient nature of the workforce, it takes a while to move up the ladder.

I'd say your experience, your best bet would be to start as a plumber's apprentice. Plumbing can be a little nasty and it is the opposite of being a craftsman. That said, it has the most service work of any trade and is less reliant on new construction. Where I live, plumbers charge about $100/hr. for licensed guys and the good ones are always busy.

I thought you had a background in residential construction? Do you know how to frame? Tile, flooring at a professional level?

Unfortunately, one of the things you've got going against you is that your experience and references come from a family business. A reference from your dad don't mean shit. If you're serious about moving you might want to consider picking a trade and getting some experience outside of the family business.

Yes, I have done a fair amount or residential work. Many of the jobs I did for our businesses were actually done while working for a private contractor who has done work for my dad for over 30 years. When not doing commercial work for our businesses I helped with residential additions and new construction. We did it all from laying the foundations through framing, siding, insulation, flooring (hardwood and tile), sheetrock, moldings, cabinetry, etc.

[mtngirl79]

"Ethical" and "moral"? Whose ethics? What morality? No more or less than the guy running the car wash or the gas delivery man. You seem uneducated about licensed medical care providers.

Thought it was funny that some were saying nursing (high paid, high mobility, flexible schedule job) was "dirty" due to having wipe people's "butt cracks" while recommending plumber's assistant cleaning out stopped up toilets.

if you fuck up as a nurse, someone could die. If you feel lazy and ignore your patients they could be anything from mildly uncomfortable to near dying from neglect.


Mess up at the car wash job.. ruin someone's paint?

[xyz]

Make as much as you can, save as much as you can and have an exit strategy. Compounding interest is amazing...

This.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Well, I'm single again so the timeline might be changing. Much less reason to stick around here now.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Dude, where are you at on this? I know you change your life plan like most people change underwear, but now is the time. At least in the Colorado mountains, there is a shortage of tradesman and laborers. Everyone I know, is more or less booked for the summer. If I were you, I'd be looking to get established before the economy slows down. The low-on-the-totem pole hacks and get-rich-quit-new rims on the truck losers are the first in long and smelly.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Dude, where are you at on this? I know you change your life plan like most people change underwear, but now is the time. At least in the Colorado mountains, there is a shortage of tradesman and laborers. Everyone I know, is more or less booked for the summer. If I were you, I'd be looking to get established before the economy slows down. The low-on-the-totem pole hacks and get-rich-quit-new rims on the truck losers are the first in long and smelly.

Looks like I will be in NJ at least another year. Really gotta get my health stuff figured out. Crohn's has been fucking me up pretty good this winter with 3 days in the hospital. Luckily I have good insurance right now. I will be getting a bit of a raise and taking on some sales projects with commission as well. Will see what I can save up over the next year or so and go from there.

Even if I was in perfect health right now I have nothing in savings to move and get a business started.

Note to self/every other dude out there: Don't help put your girlfriend through nursing school and pay all the rent and all the bills for over 3 years no matter how awesome things seem and how much she says it will pay off when she is making 80k, because she is gonna bail on you and you will have no money left.

[Ski to Be]

You need to PM Tedski. You guys could swap stories

[splat]

Based on everything I've read, you should be a lumber miner in the forests of Oaksterdam.

[fatnslow]

Why don't you buy a piece of shit motor home, drive to the desert and cook meth if you want to get out of the car wash industry ?

[splat]

Why don't you buy a piece of shit motor home, drive to the desert and cook meth if you want to get out of the car wash industry ?

I believe that's how you get into the car wash industry if I recall correctly.