Post: #1

I have been thinking on changing how I make a living. I am quite a Nomad and want to get into a field/discipline/market/location where I can have 6 months of intense work, even isolated from everything, and 6 months of free time to spend where I want.

I have a background in Industrial Engineering, a MSc in Management & Energy experience in Oil&Gas and in UAVs/drones. I am entrepreneur with the drones.
I speak English, French and Spanish (native). Mid 30s and healthy.
I want to gear all my resources and energies now to have a career that pays well initially (min 50k/y) and very very well in 5-10 years (250k/y), but that from the first year allows me to take 6 months off.

I imagine something in the Mining or O&G sector in remote areas. Geology scouting in Antartida or Long ship missions researching resources.

The first year (25k in 6 months and with no expenses at all) live the next 6 months with 25k wherever I want. Poland comes to mind
Every year repeat while increasing my experience, knowledge and pay. If the opportunity presented a given year is good enough, I could do 8 months in, 4 months out, but ideally is 6x6.
Where can I manage to achieve this? Any ideas or people doing this?

I wonder if this is realistic, which employer would allow me to go an take so much time off? Recommendations and similar experiences very welcomed.

Post: #2

Read this: /thread-9826.html

Post: #3

(10-14-2014 03:08 PM)scotian Wrote:  Read this: /thread-9826.html

First step of that is to move to Canada, boots on the ground?

Post: #4

College professor/lecturer is an option. Depending on the research/teaching focus, you may end up teaching two 15-week semesters out of the year, which leaves you 20 weeks (5 months) of time to travel. The pay is shit and you're always on the clock, but otherwise it's not a bad gig.

Post: #5

I'd also recommend something in the oil/mining field. Basically you're only going to find a schedule like that for gigs that happen in places that are simply untenable long term. I'm in a very similar boat to you. I currently work 2 weeks on, 1 off, and before that abroad was 8 weeks on, 3 off, then 2/1 again before that.

I too am an engineer. The problem I'm finding now though, is that people with big fancy degrees are supposed to be career minded, driven, willing to go the extra mile and 'do what it takes' for the corner office. I'm honestly looking for the job that gives me the most free time. The default assumption in society is that you work 40+ hrs a week, and you spend everything you make. So you get a good degree so you can work as much or more than everyone else, and live a fancier life. I always felt that the gift of this was to earn money more efficiently, but live a regular life, thus giving more free time.

What I'm honestly looking at now, is having worked hard for the better part of a decade, is to take a few years off. You can still do an 'equal time' rotation, but it needs to be on a slightly different time line. Think more 3 years on, 3 years off. After one cycle though, if you're skills are still relevant and you still employable, that's another question....

Post: #6

(10-14-2014 10:06 PM)Seadog Wrote:  I'd also recommend something in the oil/mining field. Basically you're only going to find a schedule like that for gigs that happen in places that are simply untenable long term. I'm in a very similar boat to you. I currently work 2 weeks on, 1 off, and before that abroad was 8 weeks on, 3 off, then 2/1 again before that.

I too am an engineer. The problem I'm finding now though, is that people with big fancy degrees are supposed to be career minded, driven, willing to go the extra mile and 'do what it takes' for the corner office. I'm honestly looking for the job that gives me the most free time. The default assumption in society is that you work 40+ hrs a week, and you spend everything you make. So you get a good degree so you can work as much or more than everyone else, and live a fancier life. I always felt that the gift of this was to earn money more efficiently, but live a regular life, thus giving more free time.

What I'm honestly looking at now, is having worked hard for the better part of a decade, is to take a few years off. You can still do an 'equal time' rotation, but it needs to be on a slightly different time line. Think more 3 years on, 3 years off. After one cycle though, if you're skills are still relevant and you still employable, that's another question....

I also think the Oil&Gas / Mining is where is at. Man dominated, still, and somehow became stable rich since the 90s (Oligopoly or Resources in phase Depletion?)
I also think that my desire of finding a 6x6 "job" is somehow out of fear that I am rapidly becoming unemployable.
BUT I have the skills to leverage and continue being my own boss and making money. Create myself that 6x6 schedule, from scratch.
Interesting to put these ideas in the open.

Post: #7

Don't bother with oil and gas right now, the price of oil has been dropping and those shale wells aren't going to be as profitable as they once were.

Post: #8

(10-15-2014 02:44 PM)frenchie Wrote:  Don't bother with oil and gas right now, the price of oil has been dropping and those shale wells aren't going to be as profitable as they once were.

so what? it will slow down a bit, then cycle back around. it's not like anyone has figured out how to power cars on unicorn farts yet.

Post: #9

(10-15-2014 03:16 PM)komatiite Wrote:  

(10-15-2014 02:44 PM)frenchie Wrote:  Don't bother with oil and gas right now, the price of oil has been dropping and those shale wells aren't going to be as profitable as they once were.

so what? it will slow down a bit, then cycle back around. it's not like anyone has figured out how to power cars on unicorn farts yet.

It isn't so much about cars actually. From what I understand gas and diesel for automobiles is actually a very small percentage of the oil used. A big chunk of it is powering the electric grid. If I remember correctly, coal powers something like 30-40% in America, Nuclear, solar and wind is something like 8-10% and the rest is either oil or natural gas. It has been awhile since I looked it up, so my numbers may be off. It also depends on where you are locally. Some places just can't have wind farms or solar.

I think jet fuel is a much larger problem than car fuel. It has to be refined and can only be taken from the top richest 10% or so of the oil harvested. I think they take the stuff that they refine out of it and use in plastics and other things.

That aside. I am interested in this topic too. I am finishing up a degree in IT focusing on Information/Cyber security. I am planning on getting some certificates in various areas, like the Ethical Hacker cert and Sysadmin and hopefully some social engineering Certs, and using that as a way of traveling, and banging, my way across the world.

For those of you guys in this thread that have engineering and other stem degrees, you might think about going towards my direction.

A little background on me. I am a gen y who just hit his 30's. I took several years off after HS and then went to a big state university. I had to take a few years to catch up on classes from HS and what not but then I majored in Physics and Math. A bunch of personal shit happened in my life around this time and I took some time off from school. I didn't flunk out or anything but I was starting to struggle. So, I started going back and changed my major from Physics to Philosophy. I was taking a few classes each semester and also skipping some semesters while doing shit work off and on. Around this point I realized that the economy wasn't recovering and what the fuck was I going to do with a degree in Philosophy. Especially considering that some of my friends who finished their physics majors couldn't find jobs. Some are working at places like labcore, they make barely above minimum wage to sort and catalogue medical samples.

So, I heard about an online program focusing in a number areas at another school that I could transfer into. As a transfer student I went in as a senior and my GPA went from lousy to a 4.0 because the school only counted my previous hours as Pass or Fail. So, here I am about 3/4ths the way through an online IT program and I have nothing but As. Having done some research on it, Cyber/Information security is one of the few fields that year after years runs a deficit in employment. The US gov. needs 30k jobs that they can't fill at this moment. Some of that is due to needing people with advanced certificates and degrees and experience but even new entries into the field start out at 70k or more a year.

It isn't just the government either. Just look at the stuff that has been happening in the last two years. Every other week there is some big hack like home depot or target or (hehe) the fappening. Companies here and abroad need information security professionals.

There are actually a number of colleges that have teamed together to create fast-track programs to try and help the need. So, my hope is to finish this and turn it into a way of making money while traveling or maybe setting up my own company and doing penetration testing or security analysis or something...still working on that part.

If anyone here is interested, if you have a degree in Engineering then you could definitely do my type of program and you can do it online through the school...it depends on the class but I haven't found any of them to be all that difficult, hit me up on PM and I will give you the details of the school I am doing this through. There are others if you do some googling.

Post: #10

You can become an IT contractor, these contract range between 3-6 months. This is my plan b to go and work as a contractor. Daily fee is more than double for a contractor than for a normal employee, so you can get 1 year of salary for 6 month of work.

Post: #11

(10-17-2014 06:56 AM)Glaucon Wrote:  You can become an IT contractor, these contract range between 3-6 months. This is my plan b to go and work as a contractor. Daily fee is more than double for a contractor than for a normal employee, so you can get 1 year of salary for 6 month of work.

I'm also preety interested in getting in on the IT game. How much IT experience do u have?

Post: #12

(10-19-2014 12:07 PM)Kaebs Wrote:  

(10-17-2014 06:56 AM)Glaucon Wrote:  You can become an IT contractor, these contract range between 3-6 months. This is my plan b to go and work as a contractor. Daily fee is more than double for a contractor than for a normal employee, so you can get 1 year of salary for 6 month of work.

I'm also preety interested in getting in on the IT game. How much IT experience do u have?

little more than 4 years. Senior positions start around 5 years of experience, next year when I hit 5 I start looking around abroad. In the UK I have seen a lot of good contract jobs in my field.

Post: #13

(10-15-2014 02:44 PM)frenchie Wrote:  Don't bother with oil and gas right now, the price of oil has been dropping and those shale wells aren't going to be as profitable as they once were.

Do you see oil and gas companies laying off people? Are you in the industry?

Post: #14

In the US, become a tax preparer. 4-5 months on for tax season, 7-8 months off. I know two older guys that clear 60 to 90k in these 4 months. The rest of the time they are in florida or driving around in an RV.

Post: #15

Well shit I need to look for those contract jobs then, I've got a little over 10 years in IT.

Post: #16

Basically you have to have a special skill that is in constant demand, and can't be easily learned.

A doctor could do this.
An English teacher could do this.

Or you could provide so much added value to an employer that would agree to your terms.

Perhaps you could figure out some novel way to use UAV technology on an oil field, whether offshore or onshore, to reduce costs, increase efficient, improve safety.

But 6 months on, 6 months off is fairly privileged. I wonder if a Norwegian citizen working on their oil platforms could get away with that? Maybe get a Norwegian wife? I might try that in 5 or 10 years. Not because I want oil work, but because I would like to have an New Zealand or Norwegian passport.

Post: #17

Merchant Marines perhaps? There's a couple good threads here about that career field you may want to take a gander at. When you gain seniority you work contracts for a few months at a time, take the rest to travel on your own. Set your own needs that way. I'm not in this field, just relaying what I've read and heard.

Post: #18

On Chevron tankers, Chief Engineer & Captain are 3 months on 3 months off. Chief Mates & 1st Assis. Engineers are 3 months on 2.5 months off. All other officers are 15 weeks on 10 weeks off.

But working on tankers is not an easy job. If you like repair and maintenance and troubleshooting and if you can handle high level of temperatures (up to 60 degrees Celsius in some areas) you can go engineering side.

Post: #19

Thanks for the replies.

I am going into a Yachting career, which leads to similar benefits than the Merchant Navy.
Very good pay, rotation after a couple years.

I have started this thread about it:

/thread-43703.html

Post: #20

(11-21-2014 05:43 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  In the US, become a tax preparer. 4-5 months on for tax season, 7-8 months off. I know two older guys that clear 60 to 90k in these 4 months. The rest of the time they are in florida or driving around in an RV.

Do you need a CPA for that?

Post: #21

(11-21-2014 05:43 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  In the US, become a tax preparer. 4-5 months on for tax season, 7-8 months off. I know two older guys that clear 60 to 90k in these 4 months. The rest of the time they are in florida or driving around in an RV.

I know someone who does that.

No CPa needed but he is a manager so he has a degree.

For those who want to work as an income tax prepare you just need to take a class. Though making 60k in 3-4 months is a stretch for those who don't work independently or are not managers

Post: #22

(12-28-2014 03:14 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  

(11-21-2014 05:43 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  In the US, become a tax preparer. 4-5 months on for tax season, 7-8 months off. I know two older guys that clear 60 to 90k in these 4 months. The rest of the time they are in florida or driving around in an RV.

Do you need a CPA for that?

H&R Block offers classes on that, so does your local community college.

Regarding H&Rs Block quality, I cannot comment as I haven't taken their classes.

Post: #23

(12-28-2014 03:14 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  

(11-21-2014 05:43 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  In the US, become a tax preparer. 4-5 months on for tax season, 7-8 months off. I know two older guys that clear 60 to 90k in these 4 months. The rest of the time they are in florida or driving around in an RV.

Do you need a CPA for that?

No CPA needed, no degree needed, no nothing needed besides a $30 PTIN registration from the IRS. The IRS keeps on trying to regulate the profession but then they get beat down in in court (same deal in Canada...no tax preparer standards).

The guys referenced above are self employed, and have 1 preparer working for them each. The preparers make $20k plus bonuses.

You will make nothing in your first year at an HR block type place as a preparer, their turnover is high as such. Find a place where you can train on HOW to do taxes not just how to run HR block's software.

Post: #24

(12-29-2014 02:22 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  

(12-28-2014 03:14 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  

(11-21-2014 05:43 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  In the US, become a tax preparer. 4-5 months on for tax season, 7-8 months off. I know two older guys that clear 60 to 90k in these 4 months. The rest of the time they are in florida or driving around in an RV.

Do you need a CPA for that?

No CPA needed, no degree needed, no nothing needed besides a $30 PTIN registration from the IRS. The IRS keeps on trying to regulate the profession but then they get beat down in in court (same deal in Canada...no tax preparer standards).

The guys referenced above are self employed, and have 1 preparer working for them each. The preparers make $20k plus bonuses.

You will make nothing in your first year at an HR block type place as a preparer, their turnover is high as such. Find a place where you can train on HOW to do taxes not just how to run HR block's software.

I would have to disagree. IRS mandates you need an Enrolled Agent (EA), CPA, or JD designation to be able to sign tax returns and practice in front of them. The decent money people talk about clearing comes from having their own practice or being a manager with the harder tax returns, not your typical 1040-EZ. Firms are always looking to hire seasonal help as well.

I'm going to take it one step farther - I think 2-4 months is a stretch, considering extension pushes some information to september/october for more complicated returns. If we're talking only H/R Block, then yes it would be like 2-3 months. I can't imagine that there's a lot of money there though - you're more of a salesman than a tax preparer.

...I mean, you could work on a tax return, but if you aren't a CPA or EA why would anyone hire you...?