who has gone to school Gruaduated,and have a hardtime?

[mrsleeve]

I hate to say it but hard work is the only thing that really pays off unless you're the 1% of Americans who've had everything handed to them from birth.
A degree really just lets you get in the door, it doesn't guarantee anything.

Why would you hate to say that, is it because every person that has gone to school since 1970 has been lied too, and brain washed that a degree is the only way to earn a decent living and is the only gateway to a secure life style?????

There is NO SUBSTITUTE for hard work period,


I have a little traditional institution post secondary, but I have lots and lots vocational and specialized training and class time. 1-2 times every couple of years I go take 2 weeks of class work that that crams a 3-4 credit equivalent class into 40 hours. All paid for by my employer, in my life time I have paid about 2500 bucks for education out of my own pocket and that was right after H/S at the local Community information emporium.

I hold my income numbers close to my chest, few people know what it actually is but its safe to say I am in top 20%, with out any fringes or extras, and I had about 8 weeks off last year. The catch is, its hard work, with long hours very long hours, generally 2000+ miles from home for months at a time with out seeing my house (longest stint has been 13 months out) . Its dirty and can be dangerous at times, mostly outside in most all weather, not many people are willing to do this kinda shit or make those kind or sacrifices. I have busted my ass all my life to get where I am at, and its the only thing I know of that will actually pay off in the long run is a hard honest days work.

Op: If you want to work on the RR you need to be willing to move or travel to where you can get hired. BNSF is hiring like mad in the dakotas and E Montana, because they are not the only game in town anymore with a good pay scale, and lots of their long time hands are dragging up and going to work in the oil fields. Not to mention BN is really busy in that district as they are hauling so much oil outta there by rail. After you have time in you can work on transfers to where ever else you might want to go. If thats your dream then you should be willing to do what you need to make it happen. I know moving across the country away from all you have ever known can be a scary prospect but sometimes you have to do what you need to do to make things happen. Fortune and dreams will not come to those who wait for opportunity to come to them, sometimes you have go out and make your opportunity happen. I am going to close with 2 quotes that have shaped my life for the last 20 years, and have more and more significance as the days go by.

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. - Thomas Jefferson.

Nothing worth anything comes easy - Sleevs Grandpa.

That last quote gives me a lot of solace in my life. Its also one of the greatest bits of wisdom I got from a very wise man.

[Ray Smoodiver]

OP, Y U NO SERVICEADVISOR?

/realtalk

Service Advisor for BMW is soul destroying, fyi.

[xxx-Lost-Soul-xxx]

OP, Y U NO SERVICEADVISOR?

/realtalk

Good question?

Op: If you want to work on the RR you need to be willing to move or travel to where you can get hired. BNSF is hiring like mad in the dakotas and E Montana, because they are not the only game in town anymore with a good pay scale, and lots of their long time hands are dragging up and going to work in the oil fields. Not to mention BN is really busy in that district as they are hauling so much oil outta there by rail. After you have time in you can work on transfers to where ever else you might want to go. If thats your dream then you should be willing to do what you need to make it happen..

To Mr Sleves, BNSF Doesnt allow you to transfer seniority from one Service unit to the other.
so if i was in Minot for five years,and found a job in Los angeles,on the six. Id get kicked back to that of starting pay.

[e30kawi]

I went to school, it was a great time, and in a time of recession its hard to beat a vocational job like AC repair men, plumber, electrician, or lineman. Look to joining your local IBEW.

I went to school and graduated with a double major in crim j and sociology. Couldn't find a job as an officer. Decided to look into a trade, now I'm making double what I would as a cop (in some places) and I don't have to deal with the stigma that society places on them.

[mrsleeve]

^

IBEW is not bad unless you live in a training local. You get in with their apprenticeship, those years you will work almost year round till you break out as a journeyman. Once you do that you are too costly for labor and only hire as many as they need. they will keep running the school with 50-100 a year coming though to keep the cheaper labor on hand for the contractors even when there is little to no work to be had. The IBEW frowns highly on your soliciting your own jobs from contractors and is very strict on hiring off the book. If your a company hand / service call guy then its a little different but in the slow times the contractor OWNS you. My BIL is a IBEW industrial journeyman out of the last 7 years hes been broke out hes worked maybe 3 of them in total.............



According to a buddy of mine that works for BN, you can can transfer seniority districts you just lose all the seniority you have built up . You keep the same pay rates, as they are defined in the union contracts. You might even get a raise as going back to a district with a higher cost of living would dictate a higher rate in pay. You will lose your ability to pick your work as easily or easily hold working out of a particular depot with in that district until you regain your seniority again.

I have tried to hire out with BN, to get more home time but its not going happen, they are using the depot in my home town (the most desired posting in one of the most desired districts in their entire network) to lure guys on that will just have to work out of the eastern depots for years trying to hold work. That and I already am in the business that is poaching all their help, and fear I will not make enough money and drag up and go back to it.

[e30kawi]

^

IBEW is not bad unless you live in a training local. You get in with their apprenticeship, those years you will work almost year round till you break out as a journeyman. Once you do that you are too costly for labor and only hire as many as they need. they will keep running the school with 50-100 a year coming though to keep the cheaper labor on hand for the contractors even when there is little to no work to be had. The IBEW frowns highly on your soliciting your own jobs from contractors and is very strict on hiring off the book. If your a company hand / service call guy then its a little different but in the slow times the contractor OWNS you. My BIL is a IBEW industrial journeyman out of the last 7 years hes been broke out hes worked maybe 3 of them in total.............

It was just a suggestion, the op wouldn't have to go union. I am a non union journeyman and love it. I am no longer a contractor so I am home every night and draw a great wage. But like you said in prior posts, I busted ass and work in extreme weather conditions to get to where I am. Plus it really helped to get a good job with very minimal debt. When I graduated I had about 5K in loans to pay back. That's what's screwing most young graduates today, massive student debt and a slow economy.

[E30NJ]

go to North Dakota, they are sure to have jobs there.

[mrsleeve]

They do, but many of the companies there are banking on people with no knowledge of the industry, and short change them. Yes they pay them but not nearly as well as they could be paying them or what people that know how the game works are getting. In short ND is getting cheap on paying hands, and you have to be weary of this fact when you hire out, its one of the reasons I turn down at least 3 jobs a year there.

[xAZxE30x]

I have a bachelors in Housing and Urban Development, minor in Urban planning

Owe about 29k.. Not worried about that though

I'm a loan officer currently. There are a few jobs id like to persue in the future but for now I like what I do


It's all about your major! I have a few friends with art degrees. And they wonder why they don't have jobs???

My job doesn't need a degree, unless you want to be a branch manager or higher. People are always shocked if they find out I went to school. I wanted to be an LO since high school and I wanted a college degree. Eventually I will get my masters too

[xxx-Lost-Soul-xxx]

where do you guys find these want adds?
Maybe im looking at the wrong section?

[xAZxE30x]

Post your resume on linked in, and other job websites. I get atleast 5 emails a week asking if I'll call for an interview. Mostly garbage but there's been some good ones

[decay]

I definitely don't feel like working a minimum wage job with a college degree. Have been thinking of applying for OCS (officer candidate school) for the military but I don't think I'd be able to get in with a degree in Communications.

I can only speak for the Army, but they don't care what your degree is in, and it will have no bearing on what unit you're assigned to. They just want you to have one.

1LT I deployed to Iraq with was a business major, in a commo unit.

[einhander]

1LT I deployed to Iraq with was a business major, in a commo unit.

Respect.

OP, follow this plan -

1 - make two lists, one with your skills and one with what makes you happy.
2 - write down where you want to be in five, seven, whatever years.
3 - work backwards from your goal to develop a few benchmarks that you can meet using your skills and doing what makes you happy.
4 - turn off the computer and get to work.
5 - never complain about how much things suck.

Learn to write clear and cogent sentences. No one will hire you for anything if you write like English is your fifteenth language. You can practice on R3v.

Don't rely on want ads. Look up phone numbers of managers, call them, tell them what you want to do and ask if you can buy them a cup of coffee. Ask questions, ask how they got started, ask if they can introduce you to other people. Most people are willing to help, but they aren't going to make the first move.

If you have facial piercings and wear black and smell like dank - knock that shit off. No one is going to hire someone if they look like they're going to steal from them.

Finally, stop acting like anyone owes you anything. You make your own opportunities and misfortune. If you can't work on anything except old BMWs, learn to work on new things or work only on old BMWs. The world won't adapt to suit you. The world does not care about you.

Good luck.

I'm done with OT. Bye.

[kendogg]

I went to Tech school when i got out of High school. I was a BMX rider,and my mom told me to go become a Mechanic because they make ALOT of money. well i go to UTI not knowing a damn thing about a car. I graudaute and ive had a hard time keeping a Job.I tell them going into the job, my skillset is that of BMW and they get upset when i tell them ive been doing this for only 5 years. They tell me
"WELL ISNT UTI THE BEST OF THE BEST?"

So all i ever get is LOF shit,and maybe a brake job here and there.
Then when i tell them i want to do more,i get told no we have someone else for that. So i get bored and i end up quitting.

I got fired for the first time ever earlyer this month,because i wouldnt sign something.



My dream job was to work for the railroad,ever since i was a kid.
that job has always been who you know and bamn your in.

well now some MBA in Nebraska goes threw all the applications,and IF your lucky you will get a interview,and that doesnt even mean your offered the job. You get three interviews and then you pass a Drug test.
they like to hire millitary people,because Railroad hours suck,and i cant go to the military because i have health issues that wont allow it.
The most ive made as a tech is $12,and that was three years ago,I cant find anyplace that comes near that now.

So now im trying to get a job where i can make just something to survive.
get a taste not asking for a lot,just sumthing. Id like have a Newer daily,I cant daily my M535i for ever.

I went to UTI. If you can't fix anything but a BMW after attending UTI, then you didn't pay much attention. Did you work in the field like they told you to while you were there??

I'll admit, I often regret going to UTI. I could have gotten a better VALUE at a community college, and gotten an actual degree. I still got a good education at UTI, but it was expensive, and 1k miles from home. I wrench on the side now.


tl;dr: Don't go to UTI. If you wanna work on cars - go to a community college witha good automotive program instead.

[kendogg]

Post your resume on linked in, and other job websites. I get atleast 5 emails a week asking if I'll call for an interview. Mostly garbage but there's been some good ones

Funny, I've been on LInkedIn for a few years, and never once gotten anything. I know people that have gotten jobs via LinkedIN. No idea how.