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xtrmecat
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montanagonia
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 11, 2009 - 12:43pm PT
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I'm sorry to go off topic and there are a lot of OT threads and I do not wish to make it worse, but the thinkers on this forum are pretty unique, and I need to come up with something within one to seven days.
The problem is my field of work went down the tubes with no hope of recovery. There are four other manufacturing facilities that also are shutting down. The little communities that are here are too small to support the 30% of the workforce that has recently become unemployed. The State and Uncle Sammy have offered to send me to school, but there are some limitations as to field of study, time to go, etc.
The new work related fields should yeild a workable skill, must result in a 1. lisence, 2. a certification, 3. or an associates degree. Almost every manufacturing facility is not even an option for employment so my skills are no longer a valid means of making a living. I am a mechanic, millwright, class 1 crane operator, a class A CDL experienced driver, and have a strong electrical background. The problem is there is a huge surplus of unemployed locals with the same backgrounds.
I need to find some new way to pay my mortgage and feed my family of two. I have two years to complete this. I have tons of experience with the outdoors here but cannot see a viable way to make a living either on the rivers(fishing or whitewater), guiding backcountry trips, climbing guide( not that I'm of the level needed), or any of the other many things we do here as a matter of recreation.
Help with direction is hard to ask of strangers but Supertaco seems to have some great original type thinkers and I have already wasted a couple ounces of brain cell on this and have no idea what direction to go. I'm really locked into this area with grandkids, house, very aged parents, and others in the community that rely on my being here for help. Moving out of the area is not a pretty option. I'm also pushing 50 real hard so whatever I end up doing needs to last the next 17 years so I may retire. Anyone got any ideas? Please!
Bob
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Nohea
Trad climber
Aiea,Hi
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Jan 11, 2009 - 05:14pm PT
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With your CDL and being a mechanic a University will likely give you some credits so it should not take 4 years for the BS. Have you thought of teaching? I am in the middle of changing from boat captain to HS teacher and with a BS you could be certified. Or....here's whats on Monster...
01/10 OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVES - SALES CardPayment Solutions Job location not provided salary action
01/09 Outside Sales Professional Professional Recruiting Inter. Missoula, MT, 59802 salary action
01/09 STORE MANAGEMENT Walmart Western/Missoula salary action
01/08 Retail Customer Support Rep Verizon Wireless Missoula, MT, 59801 20+ map video salary action
01/08 Pharmacist Career Opportunities Walmart Pharmacy Job location not provided salary action
01/08 Sales Representative-Grow Your Relationships, Grow the Business!-Missoula, MT Rotech Healthcare Missoula, MT, 59801
20+ map salary action
01/08 District Manager/Multi-Unit Manager: WA/MT/ID Banfield,
The Pet Hospital Seattle, WA, 98101 salary action
01/08 Retail Store Part-Time Sales Associate PETCO Western/Missoula salary action
01/08 Retail Assistant Store Manager PETCO Western/Missoula salary action
01/08 Retail Store Associate Dog Trainer PETCO Western/Missoula salary action
01/08 Retail Pet Groomer/Pet Stylist PETCO Western/Missoula salary action
01/08 Retail Store Manager/General Manager PETCO Western/Missoula salary action
01/08 Retail Store Full-Time Sales Associate PETCO Western/Missoula salary action
01/07 Outside Sales Representatives Needed Now! Central Payment Corp Western/Missoula, MO salary action
01/07 Real Estate Sales Associate CENTURY 21 Western/Missoula, MT salary action
01/07 Ship-to-Shore Crane Engineer or Service Technician (m/f) with focus on electronics/electrics Flohr GmbH Lagos,
Nigeria salary action
01/06 Audit Seniors and Managers Blackwell & Company, LLC Multiple locations salary action
01/06 Director of Critical Care BE Smith Inc western, MT salary action
01/05 Outside Sales Representative George S. May Missoula, MT, 59801 20+ map salary action
01/05 Customer Service Associate-Kalispell, MT TeleTech Holdings, Inc. Kalispell, MT, 59901 20+ map salary action
01/02 Mortgage Loan Officer Live Well Financial Multiple locations salary action
01/02 Store Manager Toys'R'Us & Babies'R'Us, Inc. Saint Peters, MT, 63376 salary action
01/01 Satellite / Cable Technicians SWS Missoula, MT, 59803 20+
Good Luck,
wil
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wtfd
climber
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Jan 11, 2009 - 05:34pm PT
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im going into solar instalation, I dont know much about montana, but here in cali it seems like a logical line of thought to me, the guiding ive been doing localy simply wont afford me a diamond ring, and by god, thats the direction im headed....
seems to me that with the green fad, some sort of energy based job would take me somewhere.
i dont know about the economy up there but its worth a thought.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jan 11, 2009 - 05:46pm PT
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I was in that position and used the training option to get a teaching credential for High School. It's a lot easier to pull of if you already have a degree in something.
It might be worth consulting your local adult university type schools (like National University or Phoenix or places like that) and see what feedback they give you. They're used to working with the way the system is set up.
Nursing might qualify as well. Both professions can give you time off to climb.
Seems like there's always work for mechanics, plumbers and other trades. How stuck in your location are you. Sounds like it's going to suck there for awhile.
Peace
karl
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xtrmecat
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montanagonia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 11, 2009 - 08:32pm PT
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Thanks for the feed back Tami. Yea I'm the second of four generations, and the older and the youngest rely heavily on me, so moving would affect them a lot. The State and Feds will train/educate me if I can find a field of study, which is my problem. Blue collar is full up to the hilt and then some. The wife took all the slack she can take up, so I am open to education. Nursing here pays poorly, about what retail sales pays, so it almost isn't worth the work needed to get there.
WTFD, energy or utility related fields would seem to be the best direction to head, but no, solar is not really a good direction to go here, we get less sun here in the valley than you would think. Wind power is coming on hard and fast, but not here. I can survive in the spot I am in for now. I just cannot dream up what to teach myself to do for the next couple of decades. Thanks all for reply's, and I'll check in on this as time allows.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Jan 11, 2009 - 09:17pm PT
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Another vote for teaching or nursing, there are always Special ed teaching jobs going unfilled; reasonable pay for the time, Excellent benefits. I'm sure there is a nursing job near where you are as well.
I got my teaching credential through Chapman, they have campuses almost everywhere, like Phoenix and DeVry, maybe. But I already had a B.S. and more.
I am fiftytwo and a half today, and planning to work until I perish.
Good luck.
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Kupandamingi
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jan 11, 2009 - 09:25pm PT
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It is remarkable to me that there is still such a heavy demand for nursing. I know so many people who are in that field - making good money (some well in excess of 100k), some smart, some dull as they get and still getting signing bonuses. It seems all the green jobs that appear on the horizon would be a good bet, but still just a bet as its unclear how much that 'vision' will actually be fulfilled and whether the sub-field you specialize in will prove to be one of the winners in the end. Nursing seems a sure bet by comparison. Most I know doing it like it. Most teachers I know are less enthusiastic about there work.
edit - if you have a BS already, there are 1 year crash course nursing programs that do yield a full fledged equivalent of a 4 year degree (I know of Hopkins, but there must be others)
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jbar
Ice climber
Russia with love.
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Jan 11, 2009 - 09:53pm PT
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Scary thread. I believe I am heading in your direction. I'm an electro mechanic working on automated equipment. I love manufacturing mechanic work but it's all heading out and nobody seems interested in trying to recover it. I'm currently moving my manufacturing plant over to Singapore and when I'm done I may be looking for a job. I was offered a decent paying job last month but I would have had to move to TX. I was thinking of going into network admin but those jobs are soon to be outsourced. Maybe something in network security?? Teaching would be a perfect job because of the long break to go climbing but it all depends on the area you live in. Where I live the good schools have waiting lists and teachers working as subs.
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