Fantastic write up I wish you all the best in your new adventure man.

I will still be MWDing for a while yet. I am on salary which I still get through out spring break up and during the quiet summer months.

I am hitting up New Orleans for a bit come April and then when I return I will try get as much welding experience in before I quit MWDing (go off salary).

I anyone can detail the best path into welding I would very much appreciate it -courses to take, gear to buy, best type of apprenticeship.

Looks like I will have to go back to the beginning of the thread and start again for the welding info haha.

Ha that's true man hopefully you will get all the info you need you deserve it for all the help you have given to this thread.

Hey guys anyone know the ins and outs of dual journeyman status? From what I hear if you get a pipefitting journeyman ticket they'll knock off a year or 2 towards your welding journeyman.

Is Edmonton the go rather than Calgary ?

They're equal in job opportunities but Calgary is a 'nicer' city.

I chose Edmonton because I don't like Calgary's mini Toronto mentality. Edmonton is just a gruff city, featuring 19 year sluts with 40 plus cocks under their skirts.

My kinda town.

Well gents, I have taken the plunge. After 3 weeks of thoughtful consideration and planning I am driving to Edmonton tomorrow. I will be trying to obtain employment as an electrician starter or an apprentice helper, and then hopefully I can secure an apprenticeship.

The trip is roughly 40 hours by car. I have decided to spread this across 5 days. So I will leave Monday and be there for Friday. I have enough savings to last me for 1 solid month (and rent for the 2nd). And then I'll be in trouble after that.

Coincidently my friend is going there now so I plan to arrive at his family's house Friday and look for a new place over the weekend where I can rent most likely in a family house. That will be about $450-700.

Adios my Toronto brethren, I will not miss thee. If you want a change from the drama and torture that is known as Toronto then you know where you should be heading. The office environment is toxic to my health. Maybe I will revisit in my 30s or 40s.

Thank you to Scotian, VP, Irishman, TS, etc, and countless others who have provided a wealth of knowledge.

If all fails, I will come back to this shitty city, borrow some cash, do a pre employment course, and then head right back West! I am in it for the long haul.

I will keep you guys updated on my progress.

Best of luck alphaspiration! Keep us updated.

anybody know any recruitment agencies that hire drivers for cat 457 machines up in fort mac in the oil sands

Hey everyone. Another Torontonian here looking for a better life out west. I want to thank Scotian, Atlantic and all the others posters who have made the move and were nice enough to give us advice. This thread has really given me hope that I may some day achieve 6 figures in 6 months!!

I've read the entire thread and made notes. Currently saving up and waiting to see if the Toronto based company I'm currently talking to will sponsor me for a plumbing apprenticeship. If not then it looks like I might be saying good bye to Ontario, friends, family.

Scotian I'm hoping you could answer a few of my questions. How common are multi-ticketed tradesmen and how difficult is it to get multiple tickets? I'm asking because I've heard a plumber can challenge the steamfitter ticket and then do steamfitting work. How does this work if the plumber hasn't done the schooling for steamfitting? Will that plumber be employed as a steamfitter and maybe also a welder later on?

I'm asking because I'm not sure which career path I should follow. Which path do you think would make the most money in their career? I'd like to be able to save a large portion of my income for retirement and have it grow via compound interest. Which career path would you consider to be smarter?

Option 1. 4 yr apprenticeship for Journeyman plumber, then challenge the steamfitter exam (another possible 3 yr apprenticeship here to get experience??) then get my welding tickets (should be easy after steamfitting experience). This way I can work shutdowns/out of town as a steamfitter/welder (and make bank) and when I get older work in town as a plumber.
Option 2. 3 yr apprenticeship for Journeyman steamfitter and then get my welding tickets after.

I'm asking because I'd really like to make as much money as fast as possible and it seems like Steamfitting would be the route to go, but I'm worried how cyclical the oil industry is and being able to do plumbing during down times sounds like a good alternative (stability).

I'm also thinking electrician but that's impossible to get into here in Toronto so I put that idea on the back burner for now. Does electrician have as much diversity as plumbing?

(02-23-2014 08:08 PM)Zauber Wrote:  I'm also thinking electrician but that's impossible to get into here in Toronto so I put that idea on the back burner for now. Does electrician have as much diversity as plumbing?

I'm an electrician and my instructor at school counted 96 different jobs an electrician can do, that's NOT on the tools. I think its the most diverse trade.

Yea I am an electrican also soon to be red seal I think it's a pretty good all round trade. And when your finished you can go and get your duel ticket with instrument tech. But also keep in mind other trades such as heavy mechanic company's are crying out for these skilled workers.

Has anyone been out to NAIT in person? Can you show up and talk to people about courses, apprenticeships etc.

Should be back in town soon and want to get some advice.

(02-22-2014 09:31 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  

(02-22-2014 07:04 PM)killongy Wrote:  I am interested in hearing your reason for making the switch since mwding is what i am going after it might help me adjust my plan since welding is another interest of mine.

First off MWDing is a great job. I haven't misrepresented it. If you want great cash off the bat its one of the best gigs possible. In fact its known as the comfiest gig in the patch.
At the moment I am making close to $600 a day for very little work. Which is one of the reason I want to switch.
The reasons I list are MY reasons for wanting to switch. Anyone working towards or already an MWD should make up their own mind as to what they seek in a job and what their long term plan is.



In no particular order:

I don't have a natural aptitude for the rigs.

I can force it and try my best but my mind is not naturally drawn towards drilling. I tend to zone out, not pay attention and sometimes just don't care when I have a chance to be learning something new.

I have been able to pick up a lot of information and do my job satisfactory but working a job I do not enjoy is starting to wear me down. What I have been enjoying is the easy cash and lots of downtime. After a while though money doesn't fill the void.

My mind doesn't want to learn drilling and is telling me to switch to something it is drawn towards.

This post over at danger and play about Arnold Schwarzenegger really hit home:

Quote:When I was ten years old I got this thing that I wanted to be the best in something, so I started swimming. I won championships, but I felt I couldn’t be the best. I tried skiing, but there I felt I didn’t have potential. I played soccer, but I didn’t like that to well because there I didn’t get the credit alone if I did something special. I just avoided team sports from then on. Then I started lifting through the other sports and I enjoyed it the most. I won the Austrian championship in 1964 but found out I was too tall. So I quit that and went into body building. Two years later I found out that that’s it-that’s what I can be the best in.

Maybe welding will be more satisfying, maybe not. But I know its not drilling. SO I need to start looking for a switch.


I am my own man and I like being in charge of my own business

When in University I was in a leadership role in most of the clubs and societies I joined. When I worked during the summers I was in charge of the sea sports centre I worked at. When I worked in the café last summer I quickly become the general manager.

I work and feel a lot better when I have a direct say in how I do things. I like having ownership over my work and calling the shots. Being an MWD does not give me this satisfaction.

To use welding as a comparison I would much rather have to work my ass off outside in the freezing cold but claim ownership over my work and be in charge of my own hours.
I want a job where I make my own standard and produce my own results independent of other people. Its just the way I am wired.



I want a transferable, practical and expandable skill

MWDing is very easy and is basically babysitting a computer system. Although it can lead on to directional drilling it is, in of itself, kind of a useless skill. Once you know what you are doing (about 2 years in) it never changes. Their is no mastery and no real job satisfaction.

I would rather work with my hands and learn a skill. I come from an artistic family so I need to work with something I can feel, design and create.

I also like areas where you can expand once you have mastery. Again using welding - once you know what you are doing you could hire on some guys, buy some trucks, start your own shop and create your own little empire. I would enjoy the challenge of watching the fruits of my labour grow into something. A kind of legacy as such. This is not possible within MWDing.


I want freedom

The freedom to accept or reject work. The freedom to work as hard or as easy as I want. The freedom to expand or downsize. The freedom to travel and use my skills elsewhere.

Although these examples exist in varying amounts in the drilling sector they are not at the level that I would prefer.

I would like to have a skill that I am free to use anywhere and free to evolve. In welding I would be free to change fields: underwater welding, skyscrapers, my own projects (house construction etc.), cars etc.


I can't go 'all in'

Again from Mikes post at dangerandplay:

Quote:4. Go all in.
“

The difference between those who adapted and those who didn’t, Gorton said, was a willingness to totally commit….If you want to turn a vision into reality, you have to give 100% and never stop believing in your dream.

So you’ve quit everything that you sucked at to find your true life purpose? Now go all in. Don’t be a beta boy living aimlessly and without purpose and direction. (The saddest secret is that many of us are doing just that.)

Commit yourself fully to your cause, raise your standards, and do whatever it takes to succeed.

I was guilty of not following this rule. Victor reached out to me to say:
“

You need to be a man. Either go all in with your blog and make it work, or shut the thing down. You’re embarrassing yourself and being a hypocrite by having a half-ass blog. Fix your design, make these tweaks, and start writing again or else go home to mommy for milk and cookies.

Well, that’s not quite what he said, but if he had said that, he would have been right.

Either do something or don’t do something. Be committed and go all in or stay home watching TV and playing on the Internet like a little boy.

There is a lot more that I would like to say but I don't have the writing skills to express it fully. Its a core gut feeling that I am in the wrong area.

From what I have seen I think welding will be the best switch for me right now. It is a big pay decrease but it isn't about the money for me anymore (although down the road welding does pay a lot).

I have kind of come to except that even though I have a degree and could easily get a desk job I would much rather work with my hands and body. I want to experience life firsthand and not behind some computer looking out a window.



It won't be easy to leave behind something that I worked so hard for but I guess that's life. Knowing when to quit and start again.

I hope my post doesn't discourage those who have worked hard towards being an MWD. I have been quite prolific on this thread about all the great perks of the job. They are still valid. This is unique to me and for those who are working towards or already on the rigs you will have to weigh up your own values and goals.

iatlantic one of my biggest fears with MWDing is the option of not being able to transfer a teachable skill back to my country and you made the point very clear.

However I could transfer to trinidad and tobago thats basically in the caribbean not far from jamaica but that is complicated and for the electrician trade I like the theory but I am not sure of how the work is but my best bet is mwding or welding.

I am really going to look at welding because all the signs are there.....
I rather the material science classes , industrial design and processes and quality control. I heavily researched welding but was scared by persons talking about welder lung/arc flashetc....but its time to man up and give my all for something I am interested in and if I end up not liking welding then there must be some trade out there that will match up with me.


As for the whole being your own boss thing I hate people telling me what to do in a sense of having a boss breathing down my neck.

IDK if you have ever had the feeling of standing still while life passess you by thats the feeling im going through atm...I wasted 4 yrs acting like a boy its time to go be a man up , make the move and star making some good money and building the lifestyle i want to live.

You still need someone that knows about welding Atlantic?

(02-23-2014 10:44 AM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  They're equal in job opportunities but Calgary is a 'nicer' city.

I chose Edmonton because I don't like Calgary's mini Toronto mentality. Edmonton is just a gruff city, featuring 19 year sluts with 40 plus cocks under their skirts.

My kinda town.

hahah they sound like wife material.

Now im sure it has been mentoned before (?) but what are the good times to apply, Scotian did mention Jan/Feb and when are the cut of dates ?

I cant but notice so many of you are hitting up Calgary/Edmonton without any tickets or experience. Not that theres anything wrong with that but being from Australia Ive heard the stories of people rocking up even with relevant tickets and being shown the door because they dont have the appropriate mining experience.

Ive got the impression from the this thread that landing a job is relatively easy, somehow Im not so sure ? I could not crack a proper job in the mines in Australia why would the oil sands be any different..I have worked on Mine sites just not as an Operator or Tradie.

(02-24-2014 12:14 AM)Tresdus Wrote:  You still need someone that knows about welding Atlantic?

Ya for sure.

If you want PM me your details or just drop some info on what ya know/recommend. I'm gathering as much as knowledge as I can to make an informed decision.

Thanks man

It seems as though a lot of people are making the move at the moment, to all of you I say smash it gentlemen, there's no need to wish ye luck. I am still waiting for the Irish visa to be released, I think Ireland is the last country, but no complaints as we're getting 10,700 visa's allocated to our small nation.
Atlantic, it seems as though your in the same predicament I was in in my last job, decent money, respectable, room for advancement and brain numbing boring. Fair play to you for figuring out it's not for you and looking elsewhere. I assume your applying for PR status any idea on the ins and outs of the process?
I'm probably getting a bit a head of myself thinking about it now but PR is my ultimate goal. To everyone else in Alberta, how's it going are things starting to slow down for Spring break up yet?

How ya Sean what's the craic lad? Apply for the pr as soon as ya can I am not even here a year yet and i am going for it soon it takes about 12-14 months depending on what route you go to get your pr.They are in the process of changeing the citizenship requirements so sadly it's gonna be much harder to get the passport .All the best lad.

Salmon,
How are things going for you? Where in AB are you? And which trade?

Good stuff man!

Salmon,

Thanks for the info I hadn't heard that the process is being changed, although it doesn't surprise me, word is out that 'there's gold in them there hills' and it only makes sense that the Canadians want to tighten up the borders.

From what I read about applying for PR status was that all you needed was a minimum of one years employment in a specified job along with the basic requirements of not getting arrested for pissing on a cop car.

How are you getting on over there? Are you in the process of applying for PR?

As a side note about emigration does anyone else think that with Canada becoming the new promised land and so many American's trying to get in that Yanks will become to Canada what Mexicans are to America.

(02-23-2014 01:13 PM)alphaspiraton Wrote:  Well gents, I have taken the plunge. After 3 weeks of thoughtful consideration and planning I am driving to Edmonton tomorrow. I will be trying to obtain employment as an electrician starter or an apprentice helper, and then hopefully I can secure an apprenticeship.

The trip is roughly 40 hours by car. I have decided to spread this across 5 days. So I will leave Monday and be there for Friday. I have enough savings to last me for 1 solid month (and rent for the 2nd). And then I'll be in trouble after that.

Coincidently my friend is going there now so I plan to arrive at his family's house Friday and look for a new place over the weekend where I can rent most likely in a family house. That will be about $450-700.

Adios my Toronto brethren, I will not miss thee. If you want a change from the drama and torture that is known as Toronto then you know where you should be heading. The office environment is toxic to my health. Maybe I will revisit in my 30s or 40s.

Thank you to Scotian, VP, Irishman, TS, etc, and countless others who have provided a wealth of knowledge.

If all fails, I will come back to this shitty city, borrow some cash, do a pre employment course, and then head right back West! I am in it for the long haul.

I will keep you guys updated on my progress.

I would say good luck, but with hard work you don't need any haha. You'll do well man don't worry just be persistent and network like you've never had a friend.

I'm heading to Mexico in an hour but I'll be back on the 6th we should get a beer on whyte! Also if you're looking for a place I know this dope party house, big rooms low rent about to open up a couple rooms. Thinking 425 with utilities. Anyways man enjoy the nice weather it's been pretty mild lately!

-

Does anyone know what the deal is with headhunters and working in and around the recruitment, talent management, and headhunting space for the oil sands in both the US and CAN?

This strikes me as a lucrative opportunity as manpower seems to constantly be a huge problem.

Anyone with the inside track on this please PM me to discuss potential collaboration ideas. I've been keeping a keen eye on this for a while.

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Hey Folks,
Does anyone here know anything about working as a Helicopter or fixed wing pilot up there?
I have a chance to get licenses pretty cheap in Brazil(15,000€)
but want to get work asap after to start paying that off and start making money.

Any info, other forums etc would be greatly apprieciated.
regards

Google ''Av Canada forum''. Big pilot forum. Should maybe have some info for you.