Career out of High school

Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
Sounds like a trade school recruitment commercial. No blue collar job requires formal education. Its unwise to spend time and money for education if its not required or even valued. The number one most important thing is your relationship with the owner or boss. Without nepotism status, you are just competing amongst the other slaves. Its the same way in white collar environments. For example, I have witnessed guys who were told that they needed a bachelors degree for a promotion, then were told it didn't count after they got it. All the while this manager hired and promoted his nephew and neighbor! This happened at a large defense contractor! So do whatever is YOUR sure thing!! Formal education has, by and large, become someone elses "sure thing".
I agree a general Degree from a 2 year or 4 year college does not guarantee anything. But a degree or education in your particular field is a win win along with OJT...........
 
Something I have found is when you turn a passion into a profession, it quickly stops being a passion. Don't kill something you love by turning it into something you have to do, the love for it will die very shortly down the road. I do a lot of powersports tech on the side and love it, but only because I can choose when I want to do it. I left it as my profression because not only did it not pay well at all, but after working on everyone else's gear all day long, I had zero desire to even think about my own and let the maintenance schedule slack big time. I don't know of anyone that wants to do the same job all day long 7 days a week every week for the rest of their working life. Keep it as your side gig and do the big dollar income job as your primary, you'll appreciate the powersports tech work a lot more and will invest more effort to do an amazing job for people rather than just enough to get it done and onto the next one.
 

long beach local

long beach local
Location
Az
I’m a lineman out here in Cali. Best damn job in the world! Takes up a lot of your time but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else
Me Too , I’ve had a long career never got laid off Always been busy answered the phone in the middle of the night go get that double bubble working all night weekends call outs whatever. Mostly scheduled overtime the last 10 years or so now I just work 5-10s No Weekends anymore I’m on the way out I hope. Great Job Super FUN can get a little sketchy especially being a Contractor but the money is excellent. Definitely is a career you have to be ALL IN its not easy work!!
 

long beach local

long beach local
Location
Az
I read all your advice again and it still got me thinking do I stay in hvac and work my way up? Should hobby’s be hobby’s? Life decisions are a lot harder than I ever thought they would be!
My advice to you is Go West Young Man. If you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you want to be a Lineman go to a state that you can get into a Union apprenticeship. IBEW JATC That’s were the money is retirement,benefits, high wages etc etc. I have worked with many guys from all over the country and Canada a lot have passed thru Cali to money up. You can PM me and I can share some #s and tips for you. And Get that CDL it’s a must. Once you get your ticket you can go anywhere you want. You just gotta do it!
 
My advice to you is Go West Young Man. If you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you want to be a Lineman go to a state that you can get into a Union apprenticeship. IBEW JATC That’s were the money is retirement,benefits, high wages etc etc. I have worked with many guys from all over the country and Canada a lot have passed thru Cali to money up. You can PM me and I can share some #s and tips for you. And Get that CDL it’s a must. Once you get your ticket you can go anywhere you want. You just gotta do it!
My dad owns his own grade services business so basically foundations for houses, drive ways, tractor work. He has a dump truck and has had his cdl for 20+ years. I’m studying and my plan is to get it. I’m going to stick with the commercial a/c and see where it takes me until fpl or peace river (power company’s near me) have a journeyman opening. Maybe in a few years I’ll become a journeysmen in a big company and work my ranks. If that doesn’t work I’ll work my ranks with hvac and work my hardest to make top dollar or own my own buisness. I’m in Florida so a/c is a must and it comes easy to me, but the only way you make big money is either owning your own buisness or being very patient.
 
Me Too , I’ve had a long career never got laid off Always been busy answered the phone in the middle of the night go get that double bubble working all night weekends call outs whatever. Mostly scheduled overtime the last 10 years or so now I just work 5-10s No Weekends anymore I’m on the way out I hope. Great Job Super FUN can get a little sketchy especially being a Contractor but the money is excellent. Definitely is a career you have to be ALL IN its not easy work!!
Trades are definitely where they are at! I’m gonna continue hvac and study for my cdl and get it. Once i have it I can always have the opportunity to put a application in
 
I recommend getting into electrical industries. There are tons of different jobs! I work for a utility company in upstate NY. Look into line, splicer, or relay tester. Relay tester is the best paying job without living at work like the lineman do.
 

OCD Solutions

Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
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Location
Rentz, GA
We just hired a grad from Louisiana Tech with a 4yr Systems Controls Engineering degree.
All of his classmates had jobs lined up prior to graduation. Starting rate is around $75k/yr.
It took me a decade and a half to work up to that rate and these little entitled f@ckers won't entertain anything less than $70K a day out of school.
 
We just hired a grad from Louisiana Tech with a 4yr Systems Controls Engineering degree.
All of his classmates had jobs lined up prior to graduation. Starting rate is around $75k/yr.
It took me a decade and a half to work up to that rate and these little entitled f@ckers won't entertain anything less than $70K a day out of school.
That’s great money out of school! I want to make a plan and stick with it. That’s my biggest thing!
 

smokeysevin

one man with a couch
Location
Houston
We just hired a grad from Louisiana Tech with a 4yr Systems Controls Engineering degree.
All of his classmates had jobs lined up prior to graduation. Starting rate is around $75k/yr.
It took me a decade and a half to work up to that rate and these little entitled f@ckers won't entertain anything less than $70K a day out of school.
Its what the market allows, loads of us have bought into a line of bull that our employers will take care of us if we do good work. The only time I have gotten a raise is when I came in with a list of accomplishments/skills and market information and basically demanded it.

Im damn good at my job but my company makes more off me if they don't pay me more than they have to to keep me around. I would be asking for more if the market wasn't in the crapper right now.

It's not about being entitled, its about knowing what you are worth.

Sean
 

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The entitlement comment was based on a specific attitude of one of the grads that seemed to be the head of their class. Typical young person who knows everything already except how the real world actually works, lol.

I always fall back on one statement I like for these conversations.
"It's your attitude, not your aptitude that will determine your altitude".
The kid we hired is incredibly intelligent, very humble and has a "go get it" attitude you just can't teach, especially these days.
His degree actually didn't weigh in for much as nothing they taught him in school has any bearing on the work we do other than a basic understanding of terms and concepts.
He isn't currently worth $75k/year but he will be and that was the current price was admission.
 

smokeysevin

one man with a couch
Location
Houston
The entitlement comment was based on a specific attitude of one of the grads that seemed to be the head of their class. Typical young person who knows everything already except how the real world actually works, lol.

I always fall back on one statement I like for these conversations.
"It's your attitude, not your aptitude that will determine your altitude".
The kid we hired is incredibly intelligent, very humble and has a "go get it" attitude you just can't teach, especially these days.
His degree actually didn't weigh in for much as nothing they taught him in school has any bearing on the work we do other than a basic understanding of terms and concepts.
He isn't currently worth $75k/year but he will be and that was the current price was admission.
Got it, it seems I read myself into that comment a bit. I really need a vacation...

I had the opposite path initially, I was started low then worked my ass off to show I knew my stuff. I consistently hit above my pay grade but was not given market rate until I finally convinced management to review with me. It was a whole ordeal.

Sean
 

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I had a similar trajectory so I'm a bit jaded when it comes to those who seem to thing they should get everything right out of the gate.
I've been doing this for 30 years now and have a pretty solid and diverse range of expertise that is seldom found in a single package.

From your comments, I gather you worked your way through the ranks in one company or organization? That has to be tough and is something I have never done.
In my experience, you get a raise when another company tries to steal you away or when an employer is trying to keep you from getting stolen.
Making a move for the sake of making a move is typically a lateral move in regard to status or pay.
 
Location
Wisconsin
I had a similar trajectory so I'm a bit jaded when it comes to those who seem to thing they should get everything right out of the gate.
I've been doing this for 30 years now and have a pretty solid and diverse range of expertise that is seldom found in a single package.

From your comments, I gather you worked your way through the ranks in one company or organization? That has to be tough and is something I have never done.
In my experience, you get a raise when another company tries to steal you away or when an employer is trying to keep you from getting stolen.
Making a move for the sake of making a move is typically a lateral move in regard to status or pay.
I've always been told that you basically have to move companies to get a real raise. Either that or get the offer in your hand and give your boss an ultimatum & see if they will pony up. Kind of annoying, but its the way it goes I guess.
 

SuperJETT

So long and thanks for all the fish
Location
none
I had a similar trajectory so I'm a bit jaded when it comes to those who seem to thing they should get everything right out of the gate.
I've been doing this for 30 years now and have a pretty solid and diverse range of expertise that is seldom found in a single package.

I seem to remember we had similar skills at one point. I went from nuke electrician on subs to industrial electrician to automation engineer to IT manager over the course of 20 years or so. I was called the 'unicorn' that companies wanted but didn't exist by a recruiter once.

Good controls people are hard to find and hard to keep around too. Add in one that knows the IT side and the wiring/hardware side too and it's a strong combo.
 

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Close, I started out wiring houses, nothing nearly as glamorous as Nuclear submarines, lol. That's badass!
So, residential electrician, industrial electrician/Instrument tech, process control engineer to CNC specialist to now Capital Project Superintendent. I leaned enough IT to get by but nothing accredited.
I've worked in Sawmills, OSB, Plywood, Open pit gold/copper mining, oil and gas, Aerospace and finally back to Sawmills.

Our group is headed up by a man that I actually went to high school with. He has assembled a team of us unicorns to execute his will. Payroll is huge but it's amazing what just a few of us can accomplish together. He claims it's way easier to train us in the ways of Project Management than it ever would be to educate PM's with even a fraction of what we all know.
 
Location
dfw
People are extremely subjective. When the boss likes you, every skill you have and everything you know fall into place like magic! Its entertaining to watch management tout the accolades of "their" chosen ones then turn around and scapegoat anyone they dont like. Its really funny when a union guy publicly rubs their face in it.
 

long beach local

long beach local
Location
Az
It's also really fun to watch useless sacks of chit keep their jobs because the union protects them.
I will not work union again, ever.
I know this is true in alot of trades and I have seen it myself at utilities I have worked at years ago but it’s no different than HR departments protecting sacks of chit . You can’t just tell somebody they are worthless and need to find another line of work without being nice and documenting what a PIA because you can get fired sued whatever society has ruined things. However I strongly disagree with You. Your experience must not have good. Not all unions are bad I owe it all to working Union. The apprenticeship is the key My salary probably tripled working union ,Pension is amazing Compared to non union Benefits health care WAY better. And we can easily can worthless sacks of chit because they can’t cut it. Unions have the best training too seems like I’m always going to training .Theres a lot of Non union companies out there that are getting more competitive but I have that Journeyman ticket in my pocket that has made my life way better. I will always work Union it’s better for me in my trade on this side of the country.
 
Everybody has had great advice, however, I would still advise whatever you choose learn to love it and if not (goes back to that attitude thing) , move on. I am doing something totally differently than what I went to school for (aerospace-airway science) . Even though what I do for a living (professional photographer) is no longer a hobby that I pursue on my off time, I still love going into the studio every day and making a mark in helping others capture times in a certain way. I do believe the phrase "love what you do and never work a day in your life". Again attitude! In the course of the 20 years in business, sure there have been times that i felt uninspired. Am I making tons of money--far from it. Will my retirement years be a challenge--probably. Still, I feel I made the right choice, and would do it again. My bills are paid and if I had tons of money, I would probably just want more of it.
I honestly think a key ingredient to long term success in business is passion!!! With it the rewards will come later. I'm sure someone like Chris from Jetmaniac Rick Roy from rrp or others in motorsports technology that have been around a while and exude passion, would probably agree. Heck, this forum has been around for a while and probably wouldn't exist if not!
 
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