Post: #1

I just found that the head aches I was getting some days were due to my sinuses getting affected by air conditioning. My doctor recommended I try to find an out door job.

My long term goal, which I am slowly working towards, is having a location independent lifestyle.

Until that becomes sustainable I obviously need a source of income. I am looking at going for a blue collar job, maybe getting into construction so I can learn how to evaluate real estate (spot problems) and fix up properties for investment.

Anyone here blue collar? How does it affect your game? What jobs are the easiest to get into? What jobs could I turn into a career if my long term plan fails?

What skills pay the best?

What do you take in terms of supplements and diet to get the most energy with working hard all day?

Post: #2

Honestly man I've been working a warehouse blue collar labor job in California and all it's gotten me is endless fatigue and physical strain on the body. Prepare to get worn down, like an old statue, if your doing hard blue collar work. Now if you are a machinist or electrician, that's a whole other story. All I can say is get out of the hard physical labor and go for something technical, look at trade schools that can teach you welding or lathe work. Lots of blue collar jobs pay well.

Post: #3

As an Australian, you have tons of options as its one of the best countries in the world to get into a blue collar, trades type job. There's so many options out there it will boggle your mind but as Arcais suggested, you're better off getting into a skilled trade as opposed to doing the labour intensive grunt work.

That being said, a lot of trades type work happens inside too in less than ideal conditions, especially if its clean air that you're looking for. I've spent quite a bit of time working in stinky oil refineries that spew out carcinogens which I"m sure aren't too healthy for my body, but then again smoking a pack a day isn't either.

One line of work which requires a guy to be outside almost 100% of the time is pipelines and there is a ton of work in that field in your country. Some of the trades involved in pipeline construction and maintenance are; heavy equipment operators, welders, weld inspectors, pipefitters, industrial insulators, etc.

Post: #4

Go for electrician or instrumentation i did and i never looked back

Or another great trade is NDT look it up serious coin to be made

Post: #5

Diesel mechanic is another trade I heard is really good and in huge demand around the world. You can get a job anywhere in the world where heavy machinery is used, which is everywhere! you can work on oil machines in norway, tractors in brazil, etc. Duno about the pay but I have a friend who's brother works as HD diesel mechanic thats clearing 250k+ in alberta. So if you can get that coin in another country you can be living like a king.

Post: #6

Heavy duty mechanic is a serious trade but the work is very hard i have changed starters and alternators in diggers in ireland and it was a tough ass job cant imagine what it would be like in -30 of fort mcmurry. But good luck with it since your in oz the weather wont be soo bad i am still gonna push the electrical route as i am a sparky and its a great job. get into the underground mines and your laughing all the way to the bank

Post: #7

These guys are on point. Learn a trade that's in demand. Pipe fitters and welders can go almost anywhere and work. I know a guy who learned underwater welding at Chino and made a ton of money working oil rigs in the gulf of Mexico.

Post: #8

(04-01-2013 06:12 PM)salmonfella Wrote:  Heavy duty mechanic is a serious trade but the work is very hard i have changed starters and alternators in diggers in ireland and it was a tough ass job cant imagine what it would be like in -30 of fort mcmurry. But good luck with it since your in oz the weather wont be soo bad i am still gonna push the electrical route as i am a sparky and its a great job. get into the underground mines and your laughing all the way to the bank

Can't work in the mines with my sinus issues either.

I am almost ten years older than most guys starting out their apprenticeships and trades - whats the best way to make up for lost time?

Secondly, I hope to only be doing this for a few years until I am self sufficient of my second income so I was looking at becoming a climber (saw another thread on here about it) or something else with a relatively quick learning curve/no long term study required.

Post: #9

When I worked heavy duty construction there was a heavy equipment mechanic with one of those big ass work trucks with a hydraulic lift, welder/generator and all the tools, basically a garage on wheels. He would get to the job site at 5am, grease the machines, check all the fluids and start fixing the stuff that was broken down. A bulldozer breaks down way out in the field? He'd just drive right up to it and start fixing the thing.

The guy charged the company at like $80 or $90 per hour and we worked 70 to 80 hours per week. He was making around $5600 PER WEEK and was the most in demand guy in the entire company. If nothing was broken he would fabricate stuff from shit lying around like welding a utility trailer from scratch or something.

Obviously it takes some money and a lot of experience to get to that point but that's a $250,000 job a year basically as your own boss.

Post: #10

(04-02-2013 01:06 AM)Lazarus Wrote:  

(04-01-2013 06:12 PM)salmonfella Wrote:  Heavy duty mechanic is a serious trade but the work is very hard i have changed starters and alternators in diggers in ireland and it was a tough ass job cant imagine what it would be like in -30 of fort mcmurry. But good luck with it since your in oz the weather wont be soo bad i am still gonna push the electrical route as i am a sparky and its a great job. get into the underground mines and your laughing all the way to the bank

Can't work in the mines with my sinus issues either.

I am almost ten years older than most guys starting out their apprenticeships and trades - whats the best way to make up for lost time?

Secondly, I hope to only be doing this for a few years until I am self sufficient of my second income so I was looking at becoming a climber (saw another thread on here about it) or something else with a relatively quick learning curve/no long term study required.

If you're not afraid of heights and want to get into climbing things, check out this certification: http://www.irata.org

Post: #11

But do you not have to do a trade first and then do that course?Like in Ireland we usually do a 4 year apprenticeship and then progress on to rope access if it was something a person wanted to get into. is it different abroad?