/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1739700
>>age
25
>>trades/skills
land surveyor
>>job
land surveyor
>>salary
40k
>>are you happy?
mostly, yes

>age
26
>trades/skills
none
>job
none
>salary
none
>are you happy?
I sleep on a cold floor and it's cold as fuck, I would appreciate some tips on how to make a bed frame out of cheap/free materials.

>34
>carpentry, plumbing
>plumber
>60k
>not really

>>1739736
What do you have available in terms of bedding? My cousin made a couch out of wood pallets he found lying around once, pretty easy to grab a few of those for free and then just attach pillows. I bet a layer of insulation between the wood and the pillows would soften it up a bit too

>>1739700
32
hazardous waste disposal
same
33/hr
happy when i get to do my job, unhappy when i have to deal with unhappy wagies.

>>1739700
>>age
29
>>trades/skills
electrical
>>job
1st year apprentice
>>salary
40k
>>are you happy?
mostly no

>>1739700
36
Plumbing
Plumber
$32/hr
I’m fairly happy I guess, for a guy who goes through spells of heavy depression.

>>1739700
>age
24
>trades/skills
Microbiologist mainly along with some other bullshit I've been lucky enough to stumble my way through.
>job
Sustainability project manager and microbiologist for a new botanical garden
>salary
60k
>are you happy?
Mostly just saving up some cash to get my architecture degree and license the following year.

>>1739745
Where do I get wood pallets?

>>1739700
>>age
34
>>trades/skills
electrical, welding, it networking, ansi c, automotive repair, food prep
>>job
delivery driver
>>salary
50k
>>are you happy?
Neutral, hard to change jobs into something that pays as well or better, so currently stuck.

>>1739700
>age
27
>trades/skills
woodworking
>job
milling wood for store fixtures and sometimes building store fixtures
>salary
35k
>are you happy?
not really

>1739700
>age
33
>trades/skills
software programming, hobby welding carpentry, household efficiency in plumbing, electrical, and auto work, /ham/.
>job
Glorified data entry
>salary
$65K
>are you happy?
Career wise? Hell no. I spent 16 years in school to be able to be bossed around by crazy, borderline retarded menopausal women. I'm one 'go fuck yourself' away from working retail the rest of my life.

>age
26
>trades/skills
Pretty decent backyard mechanic
>job
Mobile Auto Detailing (that counts as diy right?)
>salary
~$70k before taxes so far
>are you happy?
It's getting better but I'm not fully there yet

>>1739700
>age
43
>trades/skills
Lil of column A, lil of column B
>job
Hustler of hustles
>salary
For me to know, for Uncle Sam to guess
>are you happy?
Well I don’t live in The Islamic State of Yurop, so no complaints.

>age
25
>trades/skills
I’m your typical jack of all trades. I’m proficient at a lot of stuff but I’m far from a master of anything. My biggest strength is troubleshooting.
>job
Industrial maintenance technician
>salary
$60k. I could make more at neighboring facilities but I stick around for the benefits. I get 10 hours of pto each pay period and my insurance is amazing, which is important because my wife has a plethora of health issues.
>are you happy?
Yeah, but mostly thanks to things unrelated to work.

>>1739798
Factory maintenance gang. I work for a joke of a company but I do fuck all and get paid. 4hrs of work per 12hr shift is standard. Sometimes I bust ass. I do a bit of line maintenance and a bit of facility maintenance.

>>1739800
Some nights are like that for me. Or maybe even most nights. But then there’s the occasional night where I’m lucky to get 15 minutes to eat and the rest of the 12 hour shift is spent jumping from call to call. I almost went into automotive maintenance out of highschool and I’m so glad I didn’t. Industrial equipment is so much easier to work on. This is one of those career paths they don’t really tell you about in highschool, but it’s definitely one I would recommend to people who like wrenching on stuff.

>>1739752
India I guess

>age
25
>trades/skills
Systems engineer, but my degree was in mechatronics
>job
See above, consulting to government etc.
>salary
$85k
>are you happy?
I think it's a really good field to be in at the moment. The boomers are almost at retirement age and there's a lot of exciting changes coming with the younger generation. It's a slow job that can be boring at times, but it's comfy and stable. I'm thinking about settling down and maybe having kids in the next few years, so it's a good place to be.

>age
24
>trades/skills
Maintenance fitter (industrial maintenance) - can also do welding, machining and some tool making stuff
>job
^
>salary
Base 90k, because fuckwit management would prefer to overwork us with shitloads of overtime instead of hiring more guys, 130k
>are you happy
Yep, will look to move into the food industry in the future though

>>1739700
>>age
20
>>trades/skills
Sparky apprentice but not really any skills yet
>>job
Industrial maintenance work, really like the work but wish I could do more of it instead of just watching. Going to ask to be put on a different shift so I can do more
>>salary
60k (really good union and work in New Zealand)
>>are you happy?
Becoming happier but it has nothing to do with my job. I do think it's a great field to get into I just think that the people who've been there for 20 years just don't care anymore and do the bare minimum with everything is really getting to me. The tradesman who do care are exceptional at their job. Sadly if I get put with people who hate work like the plague for another 2 years I'll probably try to find another job. Don't think I can take much more of doing nothing and hearing all the negativity from people who've worked together for too long that hate each other to justify the pay even though it's really good.

>>1739927
that sucks man. nothing is worse than a good job surrounded by shit employees who bring all their baggage to work.

>>1739700
Any tradebros have advice about how to get started in a trade? I see a lot of industrial maintenance in this thread, should I try for a union or an entry level job, or do I need some schooling at a technical college first?

I thought I would be a lawyer when I went to Uni and I generally have experience in politics and legislative advocacy (shill for non-profits mostly). Only thing is, I hate that kind of work and don't want to be a lawyer (does the world really need another lawyer?). Any advice would be appreciated. I'm in the US btw

>>1739760
Outside of department stores usually. I think they get thrown out after the shit that was on them sells

>>1740078
i've heard they treat the wood for those pallets with some toxic shit better look into that first anon

>age
38
>trades/skills
Creative
>job
Dildo mold maker / dildo seller
>salary
50k a year
>are you happy?
Yes. Have a nice family and can work when I want to and I'm free when I want to

>>1740059
Go to an accredited tech/trade school that offers industrial maintenance. You’ll spend about as much as you would on a single semester of university and can blast it out in a year or two depending on how mechanically inclined you are. Consider taking welding and machining programs in time as well. Knowing that stuff can make you a fucking godsend when something needs welded or turned to work.

>>1739700
>30
>electronic engineering, carpentry/woodwork, cold metalwork, general trades, property maintenance (plastering, brick laying, drilling & fixing, painting & decorating, glazing, plumbing, lock fitting and minor locksmithing) and many more that I can't remember or be bothered to type because you probably get it now.
>assembly worker in a factory AKA building machines and fixing fuck ups.
>£18k
>yes except my boss is a fucking s0yb0y

>>1739793
i've never seen boomer levels this high before

>>1740184
ok wow, i need to amend that last statement, my boss is still a faggot but this thread made me slightly not happy; most everyone is younger than me and making almost twice as much. i knew I didn't do things right in life but i really resent my family letting me down now. They were all fucking doleites who never worked, and subsequently never helped me into work or knew anything about money or how to make it. I feel super let down by them and this really brings it home. I could have been so much further ahead in life by now. welp. gotta piss with the cock you got.
>inb4 you're just blaming your failures on your family
there's a difference between failure and being completely unaware something existed. could also say my school teachers let me down but, you know, i'd be interested to know, all you anons with >40k income, how did you get there and who helped? did your parents work?

>>1740188

>>1740189
Growing up my dad was on disability and my mom worked at a place that houses troubled youth making $30k a year. We were borderline poor. They never made me or my siblings do chores and nobody cleaned so the house was always filthy. I suppose a motivating factor for me was not wanting to turn out like them.
My dad didn’t really teach me a whole lot about fixing stuff but he encouraged me to do whatever I felt passionate about, even going so far as to save his peanuts to help me fix up my own first car to put around in in highschool.

The only advice I can offer you is to make your skills tangible to an employer and go to some sort of school. See if your production job offers tuition reimbursement or even better some kind of scholarship towards a related field. Here in burgerstan a lot of production facilities offer programs that use state funding to send their workers to tech schools so they can transition into maintenance or low level desk jobs. That’s how I got into maintenance, I went to school for a year on the company’s and state’s dime, and before I even finished school was able to move into the position I have now. Thing is nobody told me about the program for the first 5 years I worked here. Hell, my supervisor didn’t even know about it, an instructor from the school told me about it right before I submitted my paperwork to enroll. Other options include paid internships but you’ll have to seek those out yourself.

Good luck man. It’s never too late to make a change in your life for the better.

>>1739700
22
basic electronics, car maintenance, wood working
Software engineer
$90k
No

>age
26
>trades/skills
ARMY
>job
19K M1A2 Crewman
>salary
27k
>are you happy?
Not really, job is simple enough with plenty of benefit but absolutely no job prospects. Changing to It next year

>>1740189
There are two kinds of people Anon: the kind that doesn't talk about how much they make, and the kind that lies about how much they make.

> 30
> Computer Engineer
> Firmware. Panasonic. Stadium Lighting.
> 120k
> No. I'm seriously considering going to art school for "design". There's no creativity in engineering. Just sit in your cubicle and add IOT bullshit to stuff.

>>1739700
>>age
28
>>trades/skills
B.s. in Mechanical engineering, Python, welding, any kind of cnc machine, cad and cam software, plc's, low level breadboard electronics
>>job
Factory mechanic
>>salary
35000
>>are you happy?
No, I've been desperate to get a better job since I graduated last year but I'm losing hope of ever getting anything with my degree. I have a bad feeling next year I'll be doing classes for software engineering...

>age
26
>trades/skills
Apprentice
>job
Industrial Painter
>salary
170k a year
>are you happy?
Not at all. I'm away from home 49 weeks a year working nonsense hours.

>>1739748
woah what kind of hazardous materials? do you have to wear those hazmat suits that's fucking cool
>>1739700
>32
>brewing, operating any heavy construction equipment, horizontal construction, pleasing the ladies
>i work in water utility wtf right
>probably like 60k I don't know
>yeah

>>1740287
What country are you from?

I know where I'm from you have to have a fitting trade to do Factory maintenance work (mechanical). Also don't the sparkies do the PLC work and electronic work?

Surely someone with a bs in mechanical engineering would do some sort of project work or reliability work rather than fitting and machining.

>>1740293
>apprentice industrial painter
>170k
nani?

>>1740208
>Good luck man. It’s never too late to make a change in your life for the better.
>>1740280
>the kind that doesn't talk about how much they make, and the kind that lies about how much they make.
thanks bros. makes me feel a bit better.
i have been to college though, for electronic engineering, but there's no fucking work in it outside china. I started my own small business which was making fucking nothing but because I had no idea about how much you need to live on or anything to do with money, i thought i could get by on the pittance i was making and so pissed away loads of time making no money, getting nowhere closer to my goals in life or any kind of stability- but on the plus side, doing what I love. however it's set me back in life and now I have to work in this factory, which i also like, but it takes up ALL my time. like 11 hour days regularly.
point is; i've got skills, papers, i feel like time is running out if i ever want a family and a house and there's barely any fucking work in this field. there's literally 2 companies in the entire UK that do what i do now, and i don't even think the other one has a factory in the uk.
how do i money?

>age
23
>trades/skills
Electrical
>job
Indoor Wireman
>salary
29.50 an hour
>are you happy?
Fuck no

>>1740293
>>1740343
i too would like answers
i think it's down to those nonsense hours though.

>>1740343
See >>1740280

>>1740096
its cresote oil, its a carcenogen but as long as youre not snorting the sawdust you should be fine

>age
14
>job
giving people free food in supermarkets
>salary
2 dollars an hour
>are you happy?
im under the legal age of having a job and my dad takes every penny i earn

>>1739798
>>1739800
Based maintenance posters. I've literally just been dicking around for the last eight hours and I still get paid well plus people fuck off because it's evident I'm "busy".

>>1740285
That's how corporate artistic people feel too.
>Hey, come make us web sites!
>Can I have round buttons?
>Use this color
>Do this, I want that
>Me me me me me me me

>>1740413
I'm even limited with the photos I choose.
Corporate has a handful of generic stock photos.
They're all pretty much the same. If someone doesn't ask for one, I choose one at random and then get fussed at for picking the wrong, meaningless empty guy in a suit.

>age
26
>trades/skills
Electrical apparatus testing, commissioning, controls troubleshooting, communication analysis, welding, soldering, fiber optic termination/splicing/testing, a little bit of coding.
>job
Industrial protection and controls specialist
>salary
$140k
>are you happy?
Fuck yeah, got beautiful wife (who doesn’t need a job but works from home for fun), a three year old, decent number of friends from work, a roof over my head. The work is hard some times but I get a decent sense of accomplishment from fixing big shit.

>>1740357

It's Canadian funny money so it's not amazing

I get $1050 a week tax free for living expenses. I work 60 hours a week so I get 20 hours of overtime a week. I make less then $30 a hour for straight time. I make a few extra dollars depending on the task. Taxes are crazy, the journeymen make $15 a hour more then me but only net about $400 extra on their check.

>>1739700
23
going to school for accounting and working in fast food
enough to not starve every 2 weeks
could be worse. i dont hate it i guess.

>age
26
>trades/skills
Somewhat proficient at guitar playing, don't read music tho. Also illustration
>job
Liquor store, selling beer
>salary
16$/h
>are you happy?
For the most part, but I'd be a meet if I could

>>1740328
US, no one will give me a chance with a job in engineering because I don't have 5 years experience.

19
Auto repair, getting into welding, some other smaller things
Prep cook/ dishwasher
$13usd/hour
I don't think so

>>1740293
>>1739919
why do people lie on the internet
they can’t think that they’re actually believable

>>1739700
>>age
25
>>trades/skills
general hospitality, signwriting
>>job
signwriter
>>salary
32kusd
>>are you happy?
not at all. intend on quitting and studying something else; haven't decided what yet

31
Machinist
Machinist
23 buck an hour
no. alcoholic

>>1740632
>>1739919
Mate I got hired on at the place I did my apprenticeship. $45/hour, first 2.5 hours of overtime are at 1.5x and after that 2x. First 3 hours of Saturdays are at 1.5x then after that 2x. Sundays are 2x. I do a shitload of overtime because the operators keep fucking things up and management refuse to hire another bloke to help with the workload. This sort of money isn't really out of the ordinary for a maintenance fitter with a few tickets here in Australia, the cunts in the mines earn way more (up to 250k).

>>1739700
>age
30
>skills
Computers, bit of programming, some very basic handyman things that I come to /diy/ to learn more about but I’ve got this creeping sense of dread that I’ll never be good at anything
>job
doctor
>salary
Currently in the 200k/year range (kangaroo bucks). Probably will hit 400k+ within 5-6 years (could maybe scrape that much money if I picked up a LOT of overtime right now), depending on what I do next. Insurance and other professional expenses eat into it a bit.
>are you happy?
I feel like I wasted my life and fantasise about killing myself a lot. I get envious of people with simple rewarding jobs like trades. Even though my specialisation is relatively interesting (not a GP) it is an abstract kind of feel knowing I’m chained to the vast edifices of bullshit and suffering known as hospitals for the rest of my life

>>1739730
my dad really wants me to become a surveyor, is it worth pursuing?

>>1740515
ONLY 400???? What the absolute fuck

>>1739860
I'm currently picking my engineering major for uni, rn I'm leaning towards mechanical, should I go for mechatronic instead?

>27
>Fencing/Carpentry/General Construction
>Currently working for a fence company installing wood, aluminum, chain link, and vinyl fencing. Previously in general construction mainly carpentry.
>40k
>Extremely. Building things is a very fulfilling way to make your living and also keeps you healthy and in shape

>28
>welder-fitter
>tinker who can weld
>45k (I know, shut up)
>no but it's not because of work which is actually pretty neat

>>1740632
Industrial maintenance here too. Sorry you're jealous and poor.

>>1739700
>24
>civil engineering technician
>field concrete testing
>45k
>not really

>>1740674
Overall I would say yes, but there are some things to consider: Surveying is not an especially high paying field (at least not where I live) compared to other skilled trades, so if making a lot of money is important to you, I would investigate other options. It's a pretty interesting field, and attention to detail is absolutely critical. You will be outside basically all the time, traversing all sorts of terrain and out in all sorts of weather. I enjoy that aspect of it, but some people don't care for it. I would give it a shot, you will probably know fairly quickly whether it interests you or not

>25
>Painting and drywall
>maintenance work for a property management company
>40k
>reasonably enough, considering. work is a dead-end but not stressful, I don't struggle to afford a humble lifestyle and I'm a pretty good saver, no debt. I don't feel like I'm "getting ahead" but I don't feel I'm falling behind. It's been a more depressive coupla months (old ex-girl messing with my head among other insecurities) but structurally my life is pretty sound, shit still happens but when it does I'm pretty well-insulated. Firm enough ground beneath my feet if I decided to aspire for something bigger, but I wonder if I'll still be saying that (having taken no steps) in 10 years. Time will tell.

>>1740680
Mechatronics or systems

>age
30
>trades/skills
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiAmcIty1ExvzKy-nVMuAAA
>job
taxi driver
>salary
300$
>are you happy?
no

>>1740078
They aren’t thrown out. Usually department stores out them outside (yes) but they mark them with paint (anti-theft purposes), usually so that a truck will come, pick them up, and then reuse them. Each pallet is worth about $100 or more. You’re encouraging theft.

>age
29
>trades/skills
Bachelor in electrical engineering, amateur welder & mechanic, hobby electronics
>job
PLC programmer for 3 years, also did some SCADA
>salary
12,5k $ (Eastern Europe)
>are you happy?
The job's pretty cool, salary is above national average, but it still sucks to save 2,5year earnings to buy a new compact car (if I don't blow it on shit like food or something)

>>age
23

>>trades/skills
mechatronics bachelors degree
no real skills besides some CAD and PCB layout stuff since I forgot most of my other "skills"

>>job
My first full time job. PCB layouting but I dont design anything but PCB panels if I'm lucky even though my contract talks about circuit design too

>>salary
40k

>>are you happy?
No because I feel like this is a dead end job
I picked up electronics as a hobby but coding is a pain in the ass. I will try and get some credits at appropriate instutions.
If things go down south I can still become a CAD monkey hopefully.

>age
26
>
Homebrew for hobby. Bs and Ms in the sciences. Good at a lot of things, not really great at anything.
>QA Lab tech
>50k
>are you happy
Im really disappointed in my plant but there's worse jobs to have. A lot of the problems are due to management outside the plant being out of touch and setting expectations well beyond what we can do effectively. But it's a start, and this time last year I was begging for a chance to start a real job for the first time.
Would love to transition back into microbiology or biotech at some point though. I miss growing things.

>>1739700
>age
36
>trades/skills
CS msc, pastry chef, cook. Call center positions
>job
Lots of coding (desktop, web etc) and PC repairing. Now in the kitchen doin all kind of shit as it comes.
>salary
nowere near as much as i would like.
>are you happy?
am I paid ?

33
None
Facilities maintenance for supermarkets.
£23k
No (shit company), currently retraining as an electrician.

>age
28
>trades/skills
tech degree in machining, typical handy guy
>job
CNC operator
>salary
40k
>are you happy?
Im becoming disillusioned in machining and the related trades in general.
When I first started working like 9 years ago people said "its a bad economy".
Lay offs every year, routinely dudes from other shops and other trades like welders walking in looking for jobs.
They would lay people off and bring in dudes from temp agencies to replace them. Hiring people as "contractors" to not offer insurance to them.

I got laid off and went to a rival shop. You show up and there are like 3 guys in the shop that have been there 20+ years making good money, but everyone else is on the chopping block and will inevitably get laid off to keep them from progressing or making better money.

In the last decade the situation hasnt changed at all and its just felt like its gotten worse over the last few years.
The recent GM strike shut down a few local shops altogether for a while, luckily it didnt affect me.

I breath in dirty coolant all day, deal with nasty chemicals, lift heavy shit, and I dont get paid all that well.

I have no debt, I own my small house no mortgage, I own my car outright, I have no kids or GF or other leeches.
In this regard I feel blessed and am quite happy, because my peers are beholden to burdens like a big car payment and mortgage and wife.

Im so close to just quitting and getting another job in a different field, like doing some entrepreneurial shit because as it is I can get by pretty cheaply.

>>1741026
it's kind of a chicken or egg situation really if you go down the enterpreneual path and it can make you feel your job sucks as much as your current one. I've been down that path and quite honestly what matters at the end of the day is getting a day's pay. All other misery in a job environment is lost once you get your pay.

>>1741034
Im actually sitting at home right now during business hours, I was sent home early at like 11am because there wasnt enough work since the holidays are slow.
I hate how up and down, unpredictable this shit is. And absolutely none of it is in my control, and I feel like even during the good times im going nowhere.

I feel like I would be happier working a part time braindead job just to pay the bills and then work hard at some sort of side hustle that could bloom into something.

Not sure what ill end up doing, im just in kind of a sour mood today.

>>1741040
you, me, the rest of the world. Does not get better with age.

>>1741040
Don't forget there are external forces at work as well.
'News' media has turned us all toxic and angry, and most with half a brain realize we're in a recession and are anxious and nervous

>>1740856
Pallets are not worth $100 you fucking moron

You can find them for free practically anywhere if you look around for a few minutes

>age
20
>trades/skills
None
>job
Warehouse, Lowes
>salary
Wage slave
>are you happy?
I will be soon. For a long time i wanted to drive trucks. Im just waiting until i turn 21 because companies wont hire under 21 for insurance reasons. I cant wait man.

>24
>farmer, tryna finish uni while getting webdev work
>poop
>not tonight but generally

36
Smart, lazy
Medical Billing
50k
Yeah. Life is shit. I make the best of it.

>>1739700
>age
20
>trade/skills
None
>job
None
>salary
None
>are you happy?
I'm a fucking college senior in the middle of exams, just fucking kill me

>>1741176
There is a brick tile and gravel store near me, they have a giant sign that says "FREE PALLETS". They have big stacks of them.

>>1740680
Be warned, if you're in the US and you do mechanical you're going to end up working for carrier or trane or whatever designing acs and chillers unless you get a phd
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I know a lot of mech es that got depressed over it for whatever reason

>>1740680
>>1741243
From my old uni, lots of MEs got snatched up by John Deere, CAT, and the Detroit auto companies with their BS. My one dude has been workin for Ford since he graduated at 22

>age
19
>trades/skills
some gay foundation degree in construction and broad but limited hands on experience in a few trades
>job
trainee assistant site manager
>salary
£20k
>are you happy?
absolutely. in about 2 weeks i'll be permanently site based as i've finished the shitty year-long office department rotation. can't wait desu

>>1741230
>Medical billing
What all does that entail?
I'd imagine it could all be automated at this point

>>1741399
Have you ever paid a .medical bill? It's a nightmare. It's closer to being a lawyer than anything else. You're constantly arguing with insurance companies and customers.

>>1741447
Yea, it's hell, but I can't imagine anyone is involved in the process
>Doc orders MRI, nurse logs band-aid and asprin
>Calculator multiplies item costs by 5,000
>Sends via software to insurance
>Insurance calculator divides by 5,000, wires random percentage of the bill back
>Hospital prints remainder and drops the bill in the mail.

26

Working on my masters degree in biological and environmental sciences

I screwed myself by not coming up with a thesis proposal fast enough so I got switched to non thesis which is essentially a useless Masters degree in my field.

Anyways I manage the Sustainability program at my uni which is pretty satisfying but I don't make much bc I'm maxed at 20hrs/wk.

Anyways I'm also interning at a metal recycling facility and a water/wastewater treatment plant so i when I graduate I'll get a comfy City job paying $45k. Not bad but I don't want to do it forever. Hopefully I can bounce to a higher paying gig pretty soon.

Skills include management of people, logistics, hiring/firing, understanding of various industrial recycling methods, installing Composting, material recovery, sustainable landscaping.

I really want to start some side businesses but I'm too busy (lazy) to get them started

>>1741452
Billing has to provide proof mi was conducted on the patient
Has to provide evidence why it was necessary to be reviewed by insurance companies death panel.
Death panel decides it wasnt necessary
insurance doesnt pay
Doctor tries to bill client
Client complains to insurance and doctor
Billing sends an appeal to insurance death panel
NOW they approve it and pay a random percentage of the cost.

>t. Owe my dentist somewhere between $3000 and $75

>>1739700
>26
>degree in mech eng, master's in aero eng
>control systems engineer, design and program submarine control systems, occaisionally go to troubleshoot them
>£37k bong dollars

Worth more tbqh. In half a year-a year or so I will try to go contracting and make more dollar. Would be nice to live in a city rather than near a shipyard in the middle of nowhere. Get myself a decent apartment, qt gf, social circle etc. Middling on the happy scale. Job is decent, life outside is less so.

>>1739860
>requirements
>requirements
>requirements
>requirements
>DOORS
hard pass

>>1739700
>28
>civil engineering
>project manager for canada government
>90,000 Canada dollars
>not happy, but get lots of vacation so that's a bonus

>age
25
>trades/skills
mechanical engineer
>job
defense contractor
>salary
80k
>are you happy?
fuck no, my job is the definition of kafkaesque. i file near-meaningless paperwork that's then passed through multiple review layers of people that don't personally care but are employed solely to poke holes in it. i used to design hardware so it's especially depressing.

>>1740903
Is that $12500 or $125000? because $12500k is incredibly for SCADA/PLC expertise, holy shit. Apply literally anywhere else and make $100000 easily.

>age
29
>trades/skills
plumbing, low voltage/instrumentation electrical work, familiarity with water heaters/furnaces/ovens/fryers/most consumer and commercial grade gas fired appliances, CAD, CFD
>job
"engineer"
>salary
$80k/year
>are you happy?
No, my PhD was being a lab monkey and doing shit experiments. My only hope was that things would improve after graduation. The job I now have is the same thing except the work is more applied and I work with prototypes or existing products. Outside of CFD simulations, the rest of my work is being somewhere between a technician and an engineer. I have the discretion of how to proceed with the projects, but then all the shit work that a technician would typically do is also done by me.

Also, it's depressing to work on shit that has no impact. It feels like being part of a money laundering scheme and all this education made me piss away my youth. Imagine suddenly jumping from your late teens to being almost 30 without developing any meaningful relationships and only getting a few pieces of paper in that time. That's what my life feels like.

>>1741538
Getting my BSc in Aero in May. About to start mass applying for jobs, hoping to work in the space field in some capacity but not sure how good my chances are.

I’ve never heard of anyone going into submarine stuff from aero, how did you end up there? Do you like the work?

>>1739798
what does maintenance include really?

>>1739798
did you need to go ro school for this?

>>1740519
let me know what it involves ive been thinking about going to school for accounting in my 30s

>>1741885
Most of what I do is “reactive” work. Meaning one of the operators has an issue with their machine that they can’t figure out so they call one of us. The vast majority of calls are solved with minor adjustments or replacing simple components like sensors or actuators. Sometimes you’ll run into big jobs like replacing 50hp motors on top of a pressure vessel or rebuilding a big ass pump. Sometimes you’ll get your ass kicked for hours on something you’re convinced is an electrical problem only to have it turn out to be a half functioning setting on an HMI an operator fat fingered causing the machine to do weird shit. Overall it’s pretty easy.

>>1741886
I did, but I know a few guys who got lucky and were able to move up from lower positions from within the company. Most people don’t get this lucky, and you’re much better off going to tech school if it’s something you’re interested in.

>>1741574
~12500$, 4000 PLN / month, which is just above 1000$ / month
As I've said before, I live in the Mexico of Europe (Poland). Daily costs of living are quite low, but cars / tools / electronics are still worth as much as in the West.
If I moved to a bigger city I could get about 1500$/mth but I would have to trade a house (and my hobby workshop) for a flat.
Moving to US / Canada is currently not an option (plus nobody wants a polack engineer).

i make retarded money in software and do /diy/ stuff for fun. been burning out though and considering a change of career. this thread killed that dream.

>>1741676
Subsanon here.

After you graduate it's not a big deal at all to move to a different branch of engineering, or a different profession. In uni I found I enjoyed messing with arduino and rpi. I also asked which branch of eng has a mix of hands on work and design work - the unanimous answer was controls engineering- having to design the control system, wire it, program it, install and commission, and troubleshoot it all gives a good variety and i enjoy my work.

After uni even though I didn't have experience with PLCs and HMI, the company I was hired by saw that I had the basics down from RPi networking, arduino, I/O and control loops.

I'd recommend it as a profession because of the mix between hands on and design work, the challenges you have to solve (more important than you think once you enter the workforce) and the large job prospects: controls engineers design everything from factories to oil refineries and chemical plants to breweries to submarines.

If you want to get into it, I would recommend buying a Siemens Logo starter kit with Ethernet and HMI, and making something where you take some inputs, display them on the HMI screen, send them to another computer, and do some outputs as a result of inputs+screen clicks. This would teach you about IO, networking, TCP/IP, ladder logic, function block diagrams, and HMI programming.

>>1741912
Not to downplay your burnout, because im sure mentally its torture.
But really to make the big bucks you have to work 50-60 hours a week (which im sure you kind of do already), except it takes a toll on your physical body.

Same burnout problem manifested differently.

>>1739700
>27
>small paving contractor
>around 200k net this year
>yes

>>1739700
31
Low Voltage, Computer Science. Some knowledge in Electrical, Carpentry, Plumbing
Home Theater Installer
$60K
Mostly

>>1741946
how do you deal with the math behind it?
I'm looking for a different field but I sucked at my control systems classes

>>1741946
Thanks for the reply!

I’m on my university CubeSat guidance and controls team so I have some limited experience with controls. I haven’t taken the advanced controls class yet tho so I feel like I haven’t truly gotten to the heart of it. Next semester I’m going to build the controls simulation tho so that should be a good exercise. I really would like to go into controls as well, moving stuff is way more fun than static load bearing structures lol.

I will look into the network stuff, I didn’t know that was a big deal for controls. My capstone project next semester should hopefully teach some of that as well as we have to make flight sim software that interfaces with a motion platform.

>>1741458
don't be a bitch and come up with a thesis. There is tons of retarded shit that can make a great thesis. Landscaping using topsoil erosion or creating a french drain full of soil nutrients for agriculture. It doesn't have to be good, it just has to get published.

>>1739700
>age
23
>trades/skills
Electrician
>job
Fire Alarm Technician (installer)
>salary
$22/hr
>are you happy
With my career, yes.

>>1739700
>26
>electrical and basic IT shit
>1st year Electrical helper
>32k
i need to get out of this place

>>1742065
The amount of mathematics as a practical, working control systems engineer is minimal. I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to do calculus. PID loops are a lot simpler if you understand it as discrete mathematics. Try looking at C or Ada implementations on Github.

I used to work on jet engines for a while - there was an "inner loops" team which used MATLAB to model the jet engine and put a PID loop on the main fuel injection supply valve, thereby controlling the speed. The MATLAB auto generated Ada code for that PID loop, once you dug through spades of renaming variables, was about 10 lines. And that's flying on jet engines. The differential was just (This_loop_sampleinput - Last_loop_sampleinput). The integral was just a matrix of like 20 loop sample inputs, summed and divided by 20.

>>1742077
Control systems is a big field - what I've been talking about, with PLCs, HMI, and use in submarines/factories/oil plants would be under Industrial Control Systems. Cubesats, Aerospace (military, civil, and space) and Automotive (as well as some others) will be under Embedded Control Systems.

I've worked in both. With Embedded stuff, you get less hands-on, which is why I liked it less. The networking involved will be PCB-level, used to communicate between multiple chips on one board - think I2C, CANbus. There is some ethernet for communicating with other boxes/boards, but my experience on that is limited. Networking is more important for industrial control, as you have control cabinets dotted around the factory, which is a comparatively long distance, so there's a lot of TCP/IP/Ethernet used.

Good luck in your project, you sound like you're smart and have a lot of passion, so you'll be fine.

>>1742151
Ah okay that difference between industrial and embedded controls systems make sense. Thanks for the insight and good luck with your career bro.

>>1739700
>>age
28
>>trades/skills
Basic electronics DIY, microprocessors

Slowly learning woodworking
>>job
R&D Engineer for Medical devices.
>>salary
87,000 base + bonus / benefits
>>are you happy?
Fuck no. I'm dreading going to work tomorrow. I work with a bunch of idiots who just want to get the project done and my management doesn't appreciate good detailed engineering. It's hell. I want a new job so bad.

>>1739700
>>age
29
>>trades/skills
Programming, electrical
>>job
Engineer
>>salary
$95k
>>are you happy?
Barely do 37 hours a week, 20% of which is productive, so a bit bored in general.

>age
26
>skills
Enough of everything on a job site to know somethings wrong
>job
Assistant PM (weird space between PM and super)
>salary
36k
>happy?
Yeah, I mean I’d like a bit more money but most every day is enjoyable.

>>1742167
I'm the Anon above,
What kind of engineer are you?

>>1742169
Aero by degree, industrial by job title, although I spend most of my day fucking with machine learning, SQL, python and VBA.

>I work with a bunch of idiots who just want to get the project done and my management doesn't appreciate good detailed engineering
I hear ya

>>1742107
>>>1741458 (You)
>don't be a bitch and come up with a thesis. There is tons of retarded shit that can make a great thesis. Landscaping using topsoil erosion or creating a french drain full of soil nutrients for agriculture. It doesn't have to be good, it just has to get published.

Anon, thank you for the response and I have screenshotted your post.

I desperately want to do a thesis, and you know what God damnit I will. The problem is I have too many different ideas and I don't know what to focus on. My original proposal was able remediation of heavy metals using algae but I kept overcomplicating it and i can't make myself settle.

Should I look into resource recovery of precious metals like gold using algae biosorption, but then I want to study accelerated breakdown of landfill waste by spraying white rot fungal spores.

I know I'm being a bitch. I'm going to work on a new proposal tonight and start pitching it to professors. I still have a year left to do my thesis. I could probably extend it to a year and a half to do it right and get it published.

>>1739700
optometrist, used to be a paramedic.
the stress is less but the pay isnt where it should be for cost of school. toughest part is dealing with insurance and asshole patients who don't want to understand their eyes/vision and only complain without following orders

>>1742252
>only complain without following orders

You arent a paramedic anymore where you need to order people around where it could be life or death.
Lighten up, Im betting that half of those "asshole patients" were spurred on by a cold or bossy attitude.

>>age
33
>>trades/skills
GED
>>job
Marketing Manager
>>salary
$73k
>>are you happy?
Most days

>age
24
>trades/skills
Depends on what qualifies as a skill, I'm a sworn notary public, and licensed unarmed security guard, I've also got some experience with 3d printers and to a lesser degree CNC at large, I was also the director of security at a local anime convention and am currently doing the same for 2 more active conventions
>job
Biohazard disposal
>salary
Allegedly 32k, but with the production pay system as wonky as it is I think they're including the value of our benefits because some stuff isn't adding up
>are you happy?
Overall no

>>1741184
>happy
>driving trucks
Young anon, I don’t want to crush your dreams, but...

>>1739744
>>1739752
>>1739774
>>1740287
>>1740293
>>1740356
>>1740642
>>1740652
>>1742139
>>1742735
I'm young and naive, why is almost every tradesman in this thread unhappy? is it work/stress related or just because of the archetypes present

>>1742758
You ever notice how when women talk about childbirth, every one had it worse than the last one that talked about it? Or how if you use homegrown tomatoes in your chili to make it better, the next guy you talk to raised and slaughtered his own Angus steer for the meat? Same general thing. That, and the grass is always greener over the septic tank.

>>1742758
People these days are unhappy in general regardless of their job.

>>1739700

>Age
45
>Trades/Skills
Electrician by Trade, Mechanical Fitter by Trade, Stick,TIG (Stainless and other metals) ,MIG welder by Trade, ex Line Mechanic (Live work to 66kV, local distribution down to 33/22 &11kV)
Local reticulation on 400 & 230V.
> Job
Self-Employed Electrician (Commercial and Industrial only) + Electrical Inspector (not employed by a City)
>Pay (not Salary)
As of last financial year, NZ$135k.
>Happy?
Yes, I am a one man band, all of the liablity is mine, yet so are the benefits.

>>1742758
>>1742139
I enjoy the work but Florida doesn't require a license to do electrical work so I think my company was bullshitting me when they told me they would start up the classes so i could start working towards my journeyman.

>>1741586
I left my technician job to go back to school, I had 10 years experience but the company lied about giving a raise. I was stuck below $35k with just cost of living raises. I loved the work, but I hated the company. At least you're making a livable wage. I'm trying to figure out what to do - just wrapped up my two year, was going for electrical engineering, but the wife has the baby itch and it'd be nice just to get into the field for the stability.

>>1741026
Try an engine machine shop, the place near me it took them three months just to put a quote together and the shop owner was complaining about how he can't find enough help.

>>1742077
>Next semester I’m going to build the controls simulation tho so that should be a good exercise.

What software program will you be using?

>>1742758
>why is almost every tradesman in this thread unhappy?

1) happiness isn't a destination, it's a temporary state of being. People aren't posting on 4chan when they are happy, they are going to be busy doing the thing that is making them happy instead.

2)Work isn't going to make you happy or unhappy on it's own. happiness is a people thing. I've worked some terrible days that felt alright just because i've had some funny guys stuck in the shit with me and i've had easy days feel like shit just because my mood or somebody elses mood was off that day.

If you're young and scared about what you want to do with your life, just remember- Your profession doesn't get put on your headstone. That's not what you get remembered for after you're gone.

>>1739786
Gov work? Only place I know with that demographic

>>1740264
>27k

>>1739700
>age
26
>trades/skills
Progamming
>job
Data Analyst thing
>salary
62K
>are you happy?
Sure

>>1742237
don't be a bitch, you keep trying to be a bigbrain, you don't have to prove to anyone how smart you are. Nobody is going to give two fucks what your thesis is, they just want to see that you're not some kind of fuckup weirdo who lets his brain eat at itself when given a hard task with unlimited creative freedom. Spend a summer hosing down landfills with mushroom jizz, who gives a fuck.

>>1742906
>the shop owner was complaining about how he can't find enough help.

It's always the boomers who say this shit but they don't want to put out job ads, they don't want to teach and they don't want to pay well.

>>1739700
>19
>Computer Building, Basic Electronics, Home Car Maintenance and Repair, Very little programming knowledge, IT Support, ability to swallow boomer bullshit I guess?
>Customer Service Representative
>10 an hour at the moment
>No, plan on a career change soon. Maybe enlisting? Not sure yet.

>>1742948
Considered enlisting a few times, but it scared me to see fresh veterans back from a tour working at Target - you get little to no real world experience, probably be fucked up with ptsd. Only good thing is the GI Bill and discipline.

>>1739700
>25
>Plumbing/General Handyman work
>Union Plumber
>So-so

I was happier before I moved from south FL to north FL, at least with my job

22
Basically egerything related to ecommerce, web dev
I run online stores, "entrepreneur"
170k
Yes but of course everyone has bouts of being sad about something, that's life bro.

>>1740723
Jesus bro, I hope you have good benefits, otherwise time to join a union

33

I was a residential/light commercial electrician before going to school for industrial maintenance and becoming a commercial/industrial HVAC service tech and steamfitter

$45 an hour, after overtime and year end bonus this year I made $108,000

I like my job but a lot of that is that I work for a great company. On call can wear me down but the money I make doing it helps and it's only 6 weeks a year for me.

>>1742758
>why is almost every tradesman in this thread unhappy?

Mental stress from working in a machismo dominated fields, physical stress from manual labor.
Yeah, trades make good money without going to school or getting a degree. Its also hard on you.

>>1742923
>they don't want to put out job ads, they don't want to teach and they don't want to pay well.

Isnt this the fucking truth.
True story from my shop

>genuinely stupid guy
>came to work high every day
>arrested 4 times in 2 years, each time he no called no showed
>4th time was the final final final straw and actually got fired.
>shop wondering why this asshole wasnt fired a year ago
>boss said he wishes that the guy could "get his out of work shit together".
>hear from manager the boss paid him less than half of the rest of the shop, and loved him because he "worked hard" and did all the bitch work with no questions asked.

We havent hired anyone new, and the workload has just been shifted onto everyone else in the shop.
When a boss says "he cant find anyone" its just "I cant find a unconditional bootlicker who will work himself to the bone for a pittance of his peers"

>>1743088
If the guy was "genuinely stupid," is it possible that he was in a work program for special needs people? Is it possible that he was on social security because of it, and if the boss paid him any more he could lose those benefits? How do you know "coming to work high everyday" wasn't "him taking his meds?" How do you know that his arrests weren't actually hospitalizations for a serious condition? I guarantee you, the boss isn't going to tell you any of that, you don't even have the IQ to imagine anything other than "the boss is a cheap as fuck asshole that only wants bootlickers." The truth could be that he's paying money that he doesn't even have to just to give a guy a chance at some kind of normal life, and he finally had a big enough seizure that he can't function anymore. Wow. You are a sad little man.

>>1743129
Thats one incredibly specific way to imagine it. but if you can't really hide shit like that at a small shop, If someone was a disability hire- you'd know soon enough.
>>1743088
Boomer small business owners spend their nights praying for suckers like that. Owners love it when a guy smokes pot too, because you get a generally competent employee that will 100% never be able to collect workers comp from them.

>>1743129
You'd have to be genuinely stupid to be arrested that much. Run-ins with the law have less to do with how shitty or shady of a person you are and more with just being a numbskull.

>>1739757
Should I get into plumbing at 38?

>>1742994
>ecommerce
How does this work? How do I go about learning it?

>>1743184
Not plumbing but my best HVAC apprentice got into the field at 42 after getting fed up with factory work. He's slow but reliable and doesn't complain much which for me is worth the trade off with most people the company has me work with. 5 out of our last 6 entry level guys have been over 30.

>>1743129
I get what you are saying, but you just have to trust me. This is a shop of 14 people, your business is everyones business.

Also his arrests are public record
>1 breaking entering (ex gf)
>1 domestic battery (ex gf), was arrested and walked out of the shop in cuffs
>2 DUIs (one with felony size possession of narcotics)

The day he got fired he no call no showed, so we checked arrest records as we were waiting for him to fuck up. Low and behold we saw he was in jail and knew he was finally done. The boss gave him chance after chance even though everyone in the shop wanted him gone

As for the drug use, he used to charge his wax pen out in the open, and then just go smoke in the bathroom where you can smell the terpenes a mile away. Throw away empty carts.
We dont drug test, which great your employer shouldnt meddle with what you do in your off time. But drug use at work is a different story.

Nobody in the shop liked him for how scummy he was. Nobody likes the extra load we are all doing now. And NOBODY likes the fact that he keeps being referred to as the model worker.

FWIW, he is going to jail for the next 2 years for the felony drug possession.
>if only he could have kept himself out of trouble -The Bossman

>>1742989
>I was happier before I moved from south FL to north FL, at least with my job

What kind of work is actually available in the trades up in N.FL?

>>1739700
>age
24
>trades/skills
Amateur in woodworking, blacksmithing, machining and welding, worked some years in logging and recently started mining. Also worked one year as paramedic when I was 18
>job
Mining
>salary
4 euro/hour
>are you happy?
Very

>>1743040
>I was a residential/light commercial electrician before going to school for industrial maintenance and becoming a commercial/industrial HVAC service tech and steamfitter

What classes did you have to take for industrial maintenance? PLC programming and electronics theory?

>>1739700
>>age
36
>>trades/skills
Electrical Testing Technician
>>
Senior Tester in Houston are
>>
$136k this year. That is with quite a bit of overtime. Also have take home truck (2019 Ram 2500 6.4L gasser), company paid cell phone, company paid internet, credit card for all tools and consumables, fuel card.
>> are you happy?
Hell yeah I am. It's a very fun job, you get treated well, everyone at my company is treated as equals.

It's a new year. I hope everyone makes more money this year than last. Your bosses need you more than you need them. Cut some throats and get paid.

>>1740632
I made $136k with OT, and this is the five year low for me. Got a brand new son so I just took on commissioning work and one or two turnarounds. Before we had kids I worked over 1000 hours OT three years in a row. Our sister company is union linemen (local 66) and those guys were getting travelling tickets for the wild fires and hurricane maria and shit and they were coming home with $30-$40k NET each month for as long as they could handle it.

Anytime I want I can increase my weekly net pay by ~$2000. I'm in one of the higher paid trades but literally every day I see mobile welders cruising around in beautiful custom duallys, and the few millwrights I know each have super nice home shops, the electricians I know all do sidework for $50/ hour under the table, I know a PE that writes papers for court cases as an expert witness and gets five figure checks for each one, the operators and I/E guys at some of the plants only have associates degrees and get some big five figure bonuses every Christmas, every one gets stock options and most guys get company vehicles once they get a little seniority. Having a brand new truck that you don't have to pay the note or the insurance or fuel or maintenance on is worth $10-20/hour easy.

I'm sorry that you have college debt and think you're lucky for making $40k/year with 3 days use it/lose it annual vacation. It's not too late to go full Office Space and get on the shovel with your retard cheerful neighbor and work in a place with no HR and where you get your ass kicked for saying that somebody has a case of the Mondays.

You're whole life is the mondays.

>>1739700
>23
>lifeguard
>sub 10k
>fuck no

>19
>student with no useful knowledge
>electrical engineer
>25/hr
>yeah, just wish i had more people to hang out with

happy new year

>>1743486
>yeah, just wish i had more people to hang out with

same here fren

happy new year btw

>>1743473
>Electrical Testing Technician

What kind of equipment do you test? Do you test stuff with a hipot tester?

>>1739700
>age
30
>trades/skills
BS in Electrical/computer engineering
>job
Systems engineer for a wind company on the operation side (this means I deal with SCADA related problem) but honestly I’m more of a programmer and software engineer nowadays
>salary
Like 80k USD
>are you happy?
Meh. I have to drive 40 minutes to work 4 times a week and at least 70 minutes back home because of bullshit rush hour. I also fucking hate driving and been hating it for the last 16 years. Also, a water pipe ruptured at the office and like 800 gallons of water (well mixture is like 50% water and 50% antifreeze) just poured down in my office space back on the 26th and now I’m stuck in a real shit hole of an office where there’s no drinking fountain and a really unmaintained bathroom until the damage has been fully assessed and repairs have been made (5 weeks estimate). God, this year is already sucking ass

>>1743495
Personally I mostly test relays and control schemes these days. But yes I have used HiPots countless times.

In my company we commonly test:

480V breakers:
primary injection, secondary injection, meg, ductor (dlro)

medium voltage breakers (5kv-<69kV):
meg, ductor, HiPot, time, occasionally vacuum MAC test

High Voltage breakers (OCBs and GCBs):
Powerfactor, bushing C1/C2 tests, timing, seal kits, Gas analysis, gas dehydrating/replacing, desiccant replacement, all sorts of calibrating, timing, machining, and "clockwork" repair on the mech. Plus oil work, fixing pumps, hydraulics, controls etc

Transformers:
Powerfactor, TTR, winding resistance, oil samples, repairs, testing devices and controls, hot collar, c1/c2, excitation, bladder change outs on conservators, testing sudden pressure relay and buchholz relays

Instrument transformers (CTs/PTs)
ratio, insulation, polarity, single ground, burden, saturation, excitation knee point, and the entire secondary circuit

Motors:
PI, winding resistance when troubleshooting.

Starters:
480 and MV same as above for breakers sans timing

Relays (electromechanical and solidstate):
test all protective elements, calibrate (for EMs), inspect and test logic (for SS), test all inputs and outputs

Cable testing:
Hipot, VLF, or Tan-Delta. Depends on the cable and how old it is and what previous test data shows.

Capbanks and reactors, surge arresters , switchers, switches, CCVTs, wave traps, VFDs, generators, meters, bus, bus ducts, mimic panels, HMIs and on and on. If it's related to power we test it.

What state are you in? Just knowing what a HiPot is will get you in the door somewhere. Then after one or two years you'll be making medium bucks. As soon as you get smart you'll be making medium to serious bucks.

>>1743498
Oh god! Oh FUCK!

Let me clarify that I don't work for a NETA company.

>age
33
>trades/skills
art teacher
>job
I teach art to children
>salary
$38k
>are you happy?
Yes. It's far more work than people give credit for. I work many extra hours per week including evenings and weekends but the holidays and summers off make up for the extra time through the school year. I went from a 40hr/week hourly job to working 60 hours or so a week with salary.

>>1743498
>What state are you in? Just knowing what a HiPot is will get you in the door somewhere. Then after one or two years you'll be making medium bucks. As soon as you get smart you'll be making medium to serious bucks.

I'm in Florida and currently work as a residential/commercial electrician thats planning on getting taking the robotics/automation course at my local college.

>>1743498
>Just knowing what a HiPot is will get you in the door somewhere

That is good to know, I'm trying to get out of what I'm doing now.

Must be nice doing the type of work you do anon, I've maybe done some lighting automation, wiring up Lutron relay panels and would kill to do more meaningful work such as the stuff you're doing because FUCK residential work.

>>1743498
>In my company we commonly test:

Sounds like you got into a nice niche part of the trade, did your current employer pay for your training? Or did you take some electrical engineering courses at your local college?

>>1743088
Same thing with my boomer boss. Can barely keep anyone but won’t raise the pay or even let you work overtime, then he bitches about the work not getting done

>>1743509
>Can barely keep anyone but won’t raise the pay or even let you work overtime, then he bitches about the work not getting done

Sounds like my boss lol fuck them, just work the pace you normally do because who is going to pay your bills once you've wrecked your body and are too crippled to work?

>>1743506

You can check out the ABB factory in Lake Mary, or contact Schneider Electric. The ABB and Schneider jobs both have a fair bit of travel (all OEM jobs do) but the thing about testing is that once you've secured your first job you are now a tester and you're now much more valued. ABB is hiring testers right now, your boss will be a dickhead named Steven Crowder or Crawford or some shit. He's alright. Don't be intimidated, ABB and Schneider call their testers "Field Service Engineers." Apply online and say that you can test cables, transformers, PI motors, and can do SOME relay testing but need help. Just look at my post earlier that has all the bullshit listed. The guy that calls you on the phone first doesn't know a volt from a ceiling fan so just don't be afraid of sounding dumb. Just tell him you are an electrician at an electrician's company but that you're the guy who does testing on all your jobs. Then Steven, a mean lesbian ( I forgot her name) and an Indian guy named Ramesh will call you. If you make it this far you have the job, tell them you love travel and that you can test transformers with an Omicron (ah-mee-crom) and can use a megger and DLRO and hipot.
///continued///

>>1743508
Yeah I stumbled into it. I started out as a commercial electrician when I left the Army. One day I saw a guy from Eaton testing a relay protecting a VFD. Two years later I was pulling wire and saw the same guy and asked him what he was doing and how to get in on it. I ended up going to Texas State Technical College in Waco for Robotics and electrical power and controls. I initially thought the robotics was super interesting but two semesters in I fell in love with the power side and never looked back. Everybody in my program had five or six job offers before graduation.

>>1743517
///
They will ask you if you can use Doble equipment (that is what they use) but deflect and tell them that you've heard of doble but only used Omicron. They will then ask you how much you want to be paid. Tell them $64,500 a year..something around $32-33 hour is good. Work there for twelve months and then tell Devin Woods that you want to get in touch with his old friend Rich. At that point I'll get you a job on a major construction project in Florida that's kicking off right now, then you won't have to travel anymore and you'll be earning in the low six figures. Good luck. Don't be retarded.

Google "transformer power factor testing" "motor Polarization index testing" and also go to testguy.net or com or whatever and do all the beginner tests, doesn't matter what your grade is just keep doing them so you learn some lingo and can smoke your interview. Getting into this field will 100% change your life for the better. Happy new year.

>>1743506
Start taking the robotics courses immediately. At my trade school the robotics guys learned a little electric, a little plc, and good bit of fabrication, and good bit of logic, and got really really good at solving problems. Absolutely enroll in school and read NETAworld, EPC journal etc until you manage to break into testing. Again good luck.

>>1739792
>70k before taxes
Pull the fucking other one mate

>>1743454
PLC programming, electronics, motor controls, welding, basic machining, hydraulics, pneumatics, and some other general trades stuff. The focus was definitely PLCs and other electrical controls.

I finished the program in 2008 during a bad recession around here and the HVAC company was the first place to offer me a job. Turns out this company likes to hire guys with industrial maintenance experience for their service department because of the familiarity with electrical devices.

>>1742999
Union jobs I've had before were even worse.
Trades that aren't in construction regulation here are a total joke.

>>1739700

>27

>As much as 5 years in an IBEW apprenticeship teaches you. Getting a 2-year Computer Information Systems Degree and working towards some CompTIA certs.

>5th Year Apprentice Electrician in the IBEW (my job title is "Inside Wireman")

>~$70k a year. $50k on a slow year. Plus a sweet bennie package.

>As time goes on, not happy. Trying to leverage my skills and get into something other than construction.

I work with guys about to retire that will have spent their entire careers running pic related. Mostly just tired of the worst personalities you see on the site every job every day.

>age
27
>trades/skills
B.S. CS and EE
>job
Controls engineer/dev
>salary
$150k plus bonus, equity, etc
>are you happy
I get paid a lot to write ladder logic, but not really.

>>1739700
>>age
33
>>trades/skills
JD from top tier law school, licensed in my state, practicing since 2013, Undergrad: BA in Biology / International Relations from small liberal arts college, private pilot certificate when I was 17 but colorblind so no class 3 medical without cheating, which I was successful at the first time.
>>job
"Attorney Specialist" for Dept Human Svcs for last year, until last week when I resigned in lieu of termination after being caught drinking on the job.

>>salary
Was $64,000/yr salary w/ good benefits. Now nothing.
>>are you happy?
NOOOO.. No no . There are some types of practice I might be able to live with but I'm tired of practicing law dealing with stupid idiots. I need to pivot to something else and something more fulfilling. I've always liked engineering and playing with mechanical stuff. I just want to build things.

>>1743517
>ABB is hiring testers right now, your boss will be a dickhead named Steven Crowder or Crawford or some shit. He's alright. Don't be intimidated

I'm used to dealing with some real dickheads, I never take it personal, they're usually only like that on the job.

>>1743517
>You can check out the ABB factory in Lake Mary, or contact Schneider Electric.

Lake Mary is several hours away from me but that won't stop me from driving for a job interview if they don't mind hiring me.

>>1743517
>electrician's company but that you're the guy who does testing on all your jobs.

I'm usually the guy who is first to figure shit out, I work with guys that can hardly troubleshoot a 3-way lighting circuit lol.

>>1743525
>Good luck

Thanks for the encouragement fren.

>>1743525
>Don't be retarded.

Nobody else I work with really understands this stuff we're talking about, they think Lutron or Crestron lighting controls is super complicated so I can't be that much of a brainlet.

>>1743525
>Google "transformer power factor testing" "motor Polarization index testing" and also go to testguy.net or com or whatever and do all the beginner tests, doesn't matter what your grade is just keep doing them so you learn some lingo and can smoke your interview.

Oh for sure, I want to know what the fuck I'm talking about before going for the interview, nothing worse than having to work with a LARPer in the trades.

>>1743525
>Getting into this field will 100% change your life for the better.

feelsgoodman.jpg

>>1743525
>Happy new year.

Same to you, appreciate you taking the time to explain all of this.

>>1743526
>Start taking the robotics courses immediately.

Yup, soon as I get enough coin to take least one class hopefully in a few weeks but I think the deadline to register for the Spring semester has already passed.

>>1743526
>Absolutely enroll in school and read NETAworld, EPC journal etc until you manage to break into testing.

Already registered to those sites and will subscribe to NETAworld.

old enough to know better
property management/maintenance/waste water and drinking water operator
very happy

just dont flush fucking flushable wipes.

>>1743905

also, dont allow your 6000 gallon pressure tank get stuck on "hand" mode after a power outage.

>>1739730

I'm a geologist with no real industry experience here in Canada.

Thinking of getting licensed as a surveyor.

>>1743928
>geologist
My boss is a geologist. Now is a Snr. Director of Strategy in a major Canadian corp. Good luck.

>>1740293
is that in peso?

>>1739919

This guy earns AUSD, so it's like 1/3 in real dollars.

>>1743864
what the everloving fuck is going on in this post

>>1743856
>$64,000/yr salary
>lawyer
Dude, no wonder all the guys (4+) I know with JDs aren't practicing.

>>1740189
where you live has a huge impact on how much you make

its not about the number its about the number compared to the local average,

i made 70k cad last year and im living a pretty decent lifestyle, own my own home, 2 vehicles ect..

but if i moved into the city 2 hours away from me i would be barely able to afford rent

median family income where i am is about 50k, but the city is 86.5k makes a huge difference

>>1743968
exactly

>>1743484
Beautiful

>>1743484
I dunno, I would laugh my ass off if someone said I had a case of the mondays.

>>1743856
Don't throw away a good skill like that yet, Find a job that keeps you on your feet and out the bottle a little more.

>>1742117

Once a Fire Alarm Guy, always a Fire Alarm Guy.

>>1740673
My dude just start saving up and live a simple life making artisanal chairs if your feeling down. Or maybe start investing in buisness that seek to profit from the massive fire raising your countries natural beauty! (Or start your own revegetation foundation/charity)

>>1743905
How do I keep my septic tank running strong? Should I switch to as many bio friendly products as possible?

>>1739700
>age
31
>trades/skills
electronics engineer
>job
electronics engineer
>salary
$20 USD /hr
>are you happy?
Started my career late with an EET degree. first job out of college so i'm just happy to have my bills paid, but moving on soon as something better shows up. 20/hr is low even for my area. Job is kinda neat at least, I help design and test control systems for CNC machines. Relationship blew up last year so not happy about that, but everything else in life isn't too bad.

>>1744077

i dont work with septic tanks, but it would be my guess that you would want to make sure your bacteria is healthy. those are the guys who break down the solids in your tank.

when my company constructs a new waste water treatment plant, we ship in "seed sludge" from an older system. this kickstarts the reaction in the new system. for a septic tank, you may have to do this...or you might just rely on solids produced by you and your family in your home.

>>age
31
>>trades/skills
Network cabling
>>job
Design, installation, maintenance and troubleshooting network infrastructure
>>salary
95k
>>are you happy?
Very

>30
>Electrical/HVAC
>substation tech at a uni
>44k ot not included
>I'm happy but could use more money, might go get a "real job"

28
Aerospace Msc engineering real skill sales I guess
Job sales por machining
Shit
No

>>1744127
Dope its decently established so I think I'm good on bacteria, gonna try putting some nice shallow rooted things in the leech zone and hope I dont have to replace it for a while.

>age
30

>trades/skills
BS Biology

>job
Pharma manufacturing

>salary
$80k+

>are you happy?
Thankful for having a job pay this much for essentially just pushing buttons but some of the work is downright soul crushing.

23
2yr Degree in Graphic Design
Hardware salesperson
$12/hr
Generally yes, but really want to change directions. How hard is it to get an apprenticeship in something like machining?

>>1739700
23

Misc handyman skills

Maintenance Manager at senior living home

45k, 55k by the end of 2020

Pretty happy. The residents are nice and coworkers are nice, recently promoted to manager so slightly overwhelmed but I’ll figure it out

>>1739759
God I want to get into biology. Almost done with an associates, want to get my bachelors or further but I’m currently making more without a college degree than I think I’d make with a bachelors. Where did you go to school?

>>1740748
In the same line of work as you but considerably less experience. Any tips for flipping rooms fast? My painting/drywall skills are great I’m just slow because I try to be a perfectionist

>age
34
>trades/skills
BS ME, hydraulics, power transmission and sheet metal design
>job
mechanical engineer / design engineer at a very small company
>salary
$74k
>are you happy?
Fuck yes. Had several boring as hell 'engineering' jobs and was tempted to change fields then I found this and it's what I wanted to do when I was like 8 years old.

>30
>IT
>IT manager
>130k + benefits
> I'm very lazy so I'm right where I should be

35
15 years experience goldsmith.
3 years horology.
Engraver, Setter, manager.
28K (not bad for my shitty country but not great)
Im not happy. Should be running my own place.

31

Process Operator

70k

I guess. I work in an old plant and the pay is less than everyone else I know. All the time off is nice though.

>age
25
>trades/skills
Plumber so good with my hands
>job
Plumber
>salary
57000 +- dollars 500 000 kroner
>are you happy?
From norway so kinda happy only work 37.5 hours a week plenty of spare time

>>1742758
Probs working for shitty bosses or company's. They put you under alot of stress to get the job done fast then yell at you when shit doesn't work properly.

I'm a 1st year electrical apprentice in Australia and I got a job on a Union site with shit tons of benefits and I'm rolling in money.

Any job working away from home is shit when your working but afterwards you are usually pretty set. I've worked with some people who have been working mining jobs for 2 to 5 years and have several houses. They are happy they did it but would never do it again.

30
physicist
engineer
$12k
not in eastern europe

>>1743905
Don't tell me what to do faggot. I got a shitter pond and well water.

I'll flush a fucking couch cushion if i can snake that bitch through the shitter

>age
30
>trades/skills
CNC Programmer, 3d CAD modeler, drafter, IT
>job
Sheet Metal Programmer/"Engineer"
>salary
60k
>are you happy?
Most of the time, yes.
Work is work, but as long as I have my creative design projects and am left well enough alone by management I'm fine. I only get stressed out from work if the owner starts micromanaging me and making my projects last 2x longer.
I found a great chick and proposed to her last fall. We'll be married come summertime. We're currently in the market for out 2nd property as an investment. I'll get her preggo after that is finished.
Several years ago I was depressed half of the time. Glad I'm out of that mess. Staying busy on productive work in my free time keeps me sharp. My chick is a great motivator for that.

>>1745402

fine. you have fun with your cushions. your situation is vastly different than the typical city resident using a municipal waste water system.

the term "flushable" on those wipes is a complete and utter lie. they do not break down in most sewage systems, but tend to shred down to long strands. these strands fuck up most pumps in water treatment plants and lift stations. ive seen an 300 pound grinder pump come to a complete halt due to flushable wipes. had to totally disassemble the thing and the tech took a 40 pound "ball" of wipes out if it.

but yeah, if you have a septic tank, leach bed, or whatever, you can flush wipes.

>>1739700
>age
22
>trades/skills
project management & sales for exterior remodeling
>job
started my own company this year
>salary
we did ~500k in our first 7 months but I have yet to cut myself a real paycheck
>are you happy
being the captain of my own ship is extremely rewarding, yes

>>1745525
>age 22
>started my own company this year

With a stimulus package from daddy and mommy, no doubt. You're a regular Don Draper, anon.

fucking kys

>>1742117
>Electrician
>Fire Alarm Technician

One of these things doesn't belong.

>38
>electrician
>foreman on medium sized commercial jobs
>80k
>sometimes until the stress gets to me when I have a lot to do and cant get everything done in a 40 hour week bumping into 50+ I usually start hating life a little bit. Then constantly having to deal with new codes, learning new methods, safety requirements and constantly adapting. But the worst is when dealing with shitty workers that dont follow directions or are drunks, gang bangers, otherwise shitty people. I also really don't like the fact that I basically have to live my life around the job.

>>1742758
not all of them are unhappy, but they are usually kind of ignorant or new. Give yourself 15-20 years of dealing with bullshit that shouldn't happen but continually does. The super fast periods of time when you are working 60+ hours a week and hiring any idiot that comes along, then the slow periods that make you wonder if you are going to be able to feed your kids. But really look at the personality types that are in construction and then look at the education levels of some of them. Lots of young retards that want to be "in charge" and "know what they are doing so fuck off" types, then they fuck up but of course its not their fault.

>>1745158
Is having plumbing skills beyond installing fixtures or soldering pipe a requirement for working as a handyman/building maintenance?

I can do pretty much do painting, drywall finishing, electrical, HVAC, fixing appliances, light carpentry, etc.

>>1745602
>One of these things doesn't belong.

Maybe anon got sick of doing electrical and went into working as a fire alarm tech? Pays lot more.

>>1745607
>Give yourself 15-20 years of dealing with bullshit that shouldn't happen but continually does

IE deal with the horse shit until you are too old to change anything, then you just swallow the fact that you are stuck doing something you hate.

>>1745504
Kek. I was kidding around bro. Didnt mean to trigger you. I agree 100%

I lived in town for over 30 fucking years.

>21
>mechanic/bodyrepair/carpainter
>Body Repair (small business owner with my dad)
>Around 150-200k a year 250 if lucky.
>Yeah I’m mostly happy life’s been good to me, plus I really love my job and there’s a lot of different stuff I can do and make a lot of money on the side.

I’m a eurofag

>>1740059
We have pre employment courses here in Canada that provide you with the first year studies in your chosen trade. You get a little more extra class and shop time than a regular apprentice who would be sponsored by a company and doing schooling after getting his hours. The idea is to make you more useful than a typical lazy piece of shit first year dog fucking floor sweeper.
Try and find the Yankee equivalent at a technical college. Or simply go knocking door to door until someone answers. Look them straight in the eye introduce yourself while giving them a firm handjob.

>>1743040
Sounds like me except I serviced cranes.

>>1745602
>>1745631
I'm an electrician by trade. I completed a 4 year apprenticeship program last year and plan to get my master's license soon. The first company to hire me is also my current company, one that gets subcontracted by electricians to do fire alarms, including piping and wiring, when they just don't feel like doing it. We also do service, testing, and retrofitting, but I mostly focus on the new construction.

>>1745766
>We also do service, testing, and retrofitting, but I mostly focus on the new construction.

Nice. But do you have your NICET fire alarm tech certification? Or you're just working under your current company's cert? When you said that you're a FA tech, wasn't sure if you went though that particular training as well.

>>1745771
Everything I do is through my company's certifications, be it an engineering license, electrical license, NICET, etc.

I am NICET level II though.

>>1745776
>I am NICET level II though.

I wouldn't mind switching to doing fire alarm installs, have maybe about 6mo worth of experience though when I was in my 1st yr electrical apprenticeship but it seems most Fire Alarm contractors want someone with a few years of just doing FA. It's a catch 22, I could try to get my current employer to just sign off on my hrs, idk.

>>1745783
It does seem like most FA contractors would rather retain experienced guys than train new people. You could actually go out and get your NICET I if your employer can sign for what you did, and you pass the test. It's all out of the code books, which you can bring to the test; NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 72, and IBC.

>>1745786
>which you can bring to the test; NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 72, and IBC.

I have those code books actually, but the problem is getting experience elsewhere if I can't get my current employer to sign off on my hrs.

>>1745245
The mines are good when you're young. Get in, make a bunch of money, invest/save it and then get the fuck out and get a job in an industry that allows you a work life balance and less shitty hours/conditions.

>>1739770
Kek. This sounds a lot like what I do if I embellished. Sounds cool anon.

>>1745884
you know hes just an older version of the know-it-all.... probably welded a few times but never got good at it, wired a few outlets and thinks he knows electrical, changed a few tires so now hes a mechanic. But never stuck around the job long enough to get good at it to make the real money.

>>1742237
Do the heavy metal recovery. Toxic (valuable) tailings are more important than accelerating mismanaged landfills offgas rate. The hydrocarbons that will come off that landfill pale in value to frakgas.
After that, go work for some big mining company making big regulatory bucks

>>1745600
>stimulus package

Back in your
cagey, wagey.

>>1745600
Thank you very much for saying that, it makes me feel really good about myself since I started this from nothing and my family was poor. Now I support them :)

>>1740208
Thanks for this post

>>1746078
> I started this from nothing and my family was poor.

Youve made 500k in revenue, havent proffited enough to give yourself a paycheck.
"poor" "started this from nothing"

Sounds to me like you dont know what being poor really means.

>>1740355
>there's literally 2 companies in the entire UK that do what i do now
Globalists run your country from their cit-state of London. You are just inconvenient infrastructure to them. Fixing this is your primary objective and motivation from now on. Yes get a job to support yourself and a family. But always be working to taking your country back bay any means necessary. Good luck brother

>>1745654

nothing triggers me more than flushable wipes. i can work in a cesspool or be knee deep in sludge and i dont get mad. but those

god

damned

flushable

wipes

!!!

>>1740673
Brother it would require too much of an effort post to explain why your attitude is wrond but it is. Make frugal living a challenge and adventure. Try imagining a life that would make you shoot out of bed in the morning to matter how unlikely. Maybe a wife and family, maybe building shit, maybe saving billions of dollars to take on the Globalist Psychopathic Elite. The modern world IS shit, it's not you. I'm sure what I suggested above sounds ridiculous but it's not. There IS a way for you. I think suicidal feelings come from not having a close tribe of kin with you at all times, working towards the same goals, like we evolved to have...

Drop out of the modern world spiritually and find a new way that works in healthy ways for you

>>1746078
Started what? What line of business you in anon?

Mechatronics

>>1739860
>>1740762
>>1739860

This sounds like what I'd like to get into.

How/where would I start with this if school were not an option right now? Any resources, textbooks, skills to learn first? Please help. Thanks.

>>1746090
Look at this fucking wanker

>>1746107
Why isn't school an option? And also, why haven't you done a babby arduino/pi/whatever controller project. Like a light panel or robot that follows a line?

Learn how to program, how to read drawings, and go to school.

>>1745525
>>1746078
exterior remodeling

What is this and how do I get into this? What was your route and what would you recommend for me with zero experience although handy with tools?

>>1746111
Thanks this is great. I can't go to school right now because I'm 10K in debt and need to get a job. I'm 32 with responsibilities. I built a line following robot a few years ago. And I recently started teaching myself javascript. When you say "read drawings" do you mean schematics? And what other skills would you recommend that I start teaching myself while I work myself out of debt and get ready to go back to school? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

>>1746110
What I described is the essence of Brexit. People in the West don't run their countries anymore. Psychopaths, international finance, multinational corporations, billionaires run our countries. Are you completely fucking retarded?

>>1746129
Look at this commie socialist snowflake who doesnt like capitalism.

>>1746129
>Psychopaths, international finance, multinational corporations, billionaires run our countries.

Interesting.
I say lets give the ruling class more tax breaks, then deregulate more and more so that they can harness even more control over the working class.

This would fix our "globalist" problems.

>age
28
>trades/skills
none really, except for talking to people and understanding feelings
some medical skills that i almost never use
>job
psychiatric nurse/mental health therapist
I work in urgent community psychiatric care/mental health crisis team
>salary
$45/hr CAD right now... top of the pay scale is like $50/hr
>are you happy?
assuming this means am I happy with this job and not in general, yes, for the most part. we are chronically understaffed and overworked, burn out is very high but I'm not full time anymore so that helps. but i need a high stimulus/chaotic job otherwise i'll get bored and want to die, and the pay is really good. always learning things

>>1746132
>commie socialist snowflake
Wrong shit for brains. Modern Leftism is the religion forced on us by the Globalist Elite. Look at media consolidation and ownership you stupid nigger. They want us "tolerant" so they can force multiculturalism and diversity on us to keep us disorganized, distracted and infighting while they rape the shit our of out countries, cultures, race, civilizations. God damn you are a fucken stooge. Keep chanting for Capitalism while they commodify the fuck out of your people. You are too dumb and brainwashed for further regards.

God damn I can't even believe how fucking stupid you are. Look at our parent's generation. They could afford to go to school, own a home anywhere, have and raise 3-5 kids ALL ON ONE BLUE COLLAR WAGE. We live in a MUCH wealthier world than our parents did yet almost no one can afford the lifestyle they had. Where the fuck do you think all that money and GDP went???? Enjoy Islam you bitch ass cuck. You should be killed for your low IQ genetic pollution

>>1746140
>I work in urgent community psychiatric care/mental health crisis team

You should go over to /x/ some time speaking of a mental health crisis.

>>1746152
>They could afford to go to school, own a home anywhere, have and raise 3-5 kids ALL ON ONE BLUE COLLAR WAGE

Yep
Thats the SAME EXACT generation that sold all of that out to the lowest bidders for the sake of some shareholders so that they could retire nicely. And that process has slowly but surely chipped away at every facet of our lives for the last 70 years. Its finally coming to a breaking point.

>keep us disorganized, distracted and infighting

I agree with this too.
But who is actually doing this? Who is actually hurting you day to day with their policies and actions?
Some nonexistant boogeyman "globalist elite"?

The Jews?
The Mexicans and Indians taking your jobs?
The Muslims?
The Niggers?
>trying to take our women, our culture, our tax dollars and handouts, our jobs

You are filled with casual racism against your peers, in the same social class as you, trying to just get by in the same shitty system as you.
And you bought it hook line and sinker.

How do you stop this unstoppable globalist force?
By giving them tax breaks amirite?

>>1746128
Yeah by "drawings" I mean schematics, wiring drawings, dimensions for cutout/mounting, ladder logic, logic element drawing etc. If you've done a babby robot that's a good start. I work in power but dabble with electronics and controllers. I had some intro to arduino with 21 projects type book that was aimed at kids but worked through it and it was a lot of fun. I gave the book to the shop guy at my company and he's now progressed to an automated gas powered lawnmower and a paintball gun turret that he drives with a Playstation controller and aims through his phone. He went from making $17/hr to $30/hr at the same company because now he's a technician.

Just DO STUFF! Please please please just start doing it. Tutorials and books are great, but they have to combine with your hands and the real world. Just follow some projects/instructables/ whatever and you'll pick up the skills you need. Before you know it you'll be programming Fanuc's at a cereal packing plant. Good luck.

>>1746166
>You are filled with casual racism against your peers, in the same social class as you, trying to just get by in the same shitty system as you.

Oh stfu only sheltered and white libtards like yourself believe this, you know nothing about the working class or even been around any ethnics other than the few whom went to the same private school you went to ya delusional fucktard.

>>1745494
>I found a great chick and proposed to her last fall
>I'll get her preggo
>My chick is a great motivator

I'm a 26 yr old virgin lmao

>>1746194
Oh I forgot, I should have put "the libtards" on the list of everyone you blame for your problems instead of the rich men you keep giving tax breaks to.

>>1746225
You want to know how I know you're just a richfag LARPING as a member of the working class? :^)

>>1746152
Flawless Victory - Fatality

>>1746225
>Oh I forgot, I should have put "the libtards" on the list of everyone you blame for your problems instead of the rich men you keep giving tax breaks to.

I'm actually all for the rich (((white people))) living in Malibu to turn their guest houses into migrant housing or homeless shelters

But lets ignore the facts and just go after those who barely make six figures and worked hard their entire lives! :^)

>>1746225
>keep giving tax breaks
Dude stop saying this. This is like your programmed response. No one here thinks we should be giving more tax breaks to the rich. Many rich themselves are saying they should be taxed more, like Buffet. You sound like you know that Leftism is bullshit but you're too cowardly to readily admit it.

>>1746230
Go on, id love to hear it.

>>1746235
This is a talking point not based in reality.
A lot of time youll hear that right along with "and its because of the poor people taking handouts", even though the tax implications dont touch people barely making 6 figures.

Literally letting the ruling class lie to you and you are accepting it.

>>1746238
>This is like your programmed response

Its one of the big ways the ruling class controls people, and just happens to be one of the big platforms conservatives run on.

>Many rich themselves are saying they should be taxed more,

They say that, then continue to lobby the way they have for years.

If you barely make 6 figures, you are not cut from the same cloth as those controlling the lobbys.
Stop sticking your head up your ass.

>>1746225
The guy this guy was replying to >>1746232
BTFO'd you (post was deleted for excessive honesty). You tried to turn what he said into something racial and created a straw man argument with taxes. This is the programming of the Left. You are programmed, you repeat what you are supposed to. And when your indoctrination conflicts with reality you shut down and run back to your programming. Stop hating yourself your race your country your culture or whatever. You are hated enough as it is

>>1746169
Thanks man, I really appreciate it

>>1746239
>This is a talking point not based in reality.

So I have just successfully got you to admit communism doesn't work lmfao...

>>1746239
>Go on, id love to hear it.

Nobody I know who is working class believes in that stupid shit and unironically it's the people of color I know who are the biggest adherents to free market capitalism but it's whiteys fault for that ammirite kamrade? :^)

>>1746240
>You tried to turn what he said into something racial

His post is literally "fuck the jews" which is also accompanied with "fuck anyone who isnt white".

You literally vote against your own best interests because the rich have tapped into prejudices.
Marrying a white woman and having a white kid isnt going to fix your problems you retard.

>>1746240
Just report the douche, it's likely a troll from /b/ shitting up a good thread.

>>1746245
>dont buy into /pol/ and /x/ propaganda
>/b/ troll

I dont think so

reported :^)

>>1746243
>anything I dont like is communism
>everyone at my church doesnt believe in that stuff

oof

>>1746247
All he has to do is follow the posts to see who started posting pol bait in this thread friend

reported to the stasi for being a counter revolutionary :^)

>>1746244
>His post is literally "fuck the jews" which is also accompanied with "fuck anyone who isnt white".

Ignore this guy.

He's referencing my post which got deleted. I did not say anything about Jews and I did not say anything about "fucking anyone who isn't white".

To the guy I'm replying to: If you're right and I'm wrong, why do you have to lie? If you were right you wouldn't have to lie would you? And since you know you're wrong, why can't you find the courage to change your mind?

>>1746251
>To the guy I'm replying to: If you're right and I'm wrong, why do you have to lie? If you were right you wouldn't have to lie would you? And since you know you're wrong, why can't you find the courage to change your mind?

all liberals know how to do is lie but seems the critter is getting sent to the gulag as we speak :^)

>>1742758
money is a trap

i suggest to get the least responsibility-taking job and live a minimalist life, eat simple (whole foods), exercise at home or at a park and use your time to learn/practice whatever you are interested in (arts, science...) and meet people, live in a small simple apartment

also, learn to socialize, you don't need money to meet people or find a nice girl to be with, i know from experience (two 5-year excellent gfs and some mini relationships in between) -and no, i don't have outstanding genes, really mediocre in fact-

don't fall in the downward spiral of buying more and more, upgrading everytime, etc...

there are hobbies and trades that require lots of money, they may be tempting so consider carefully if you want to go deeper into them

if you want to travel look for jobs at hostels

mo' money mo' problems

ps sorry 4 teh bad english

>age
23
>trades/skills
HVAC and plumbing
>job
HVAC installer, I mostly tin new-construction custom residential and commercial
>salary
$22/hr (I can cap out at 29, only been in the field two-years) with as much OT as I want and above-average bennies for a non-union shop
>are you happy?
Kinda. I have my shit together for someone my age; I have my own apartment (got really lucky--found a great deal), a decent truck, and a career. That being said, I work insane hours; I have almost no time for myself, and owning a house is completely untenable for me in the near future. I feel like I'm destroying my body for marginal financial gain. Thinking about downsizing financially and getting an apartment maintenance job or something like that to pay my way through college.

>>1746243
>people of color
There is more variations of color in white people than any other race, just fyi.

>>1743757
>I work with guys about to retire that will have spent their entire careers running pic related. Mostly just tired of the worst personalities you see on the site every job every day.
what are the worst personalities?

>>1747306
Not that guy but I know with working with people who've worked somewhere for too long/older workforce they all just despise one another. Everyone thinks they're hard working and everyone else is lazy except them. Complaining about bosses too much, I'm new to the workforce but this is just my experience with a retiring workforce in a very well unionized job

>>1739760
Build a diy pellet machine. Not trolling. I'm doing it myself

>>1740121
>a fellow dickfarmer has entered the chat

If you're serious id love to see picks for inspiration anon.

>>1746400
Really this.

If you're chasing money, you're about 50 years too late to the party. But being financially secure is still obtainable.

Not in the workforce yet (about to go to school for it) but does anyone have any experience with being a diesel mechanic or anything of the sort? Old man's a sparky and I'm considering that as well but diesel mechanic is my main choice so far. Not sure about the future as well with the industry and all that but still wanted to do it.

>>1739927
>hearing all the negativity from people who've worked together for too long that hate each other to justify the pay even though it's really good.

Sounds like boomers to me. You could hand them a million dollars, just hand it to them, and they'd find something to gripe about. One of many lessons in this life: having it too easy is harder than having it hard. Those wretches will never be happy.

>>1747720
Wrenching is fun but being a sparky is MUCH wiser because diesel work is heavy, hard, filthy and as your back etc are destroyed (inevitable by your forties, old age is hideous and anyone saying 50 is the new 40 needs a bayonet in the giblets) will become ever more uncomfortable. OTOH sparkies have a career track including inspector and are always in demand.
The best mechanic job (that doesn't pay well unless you're a contractor for DoD etc) is aircraft mechanic but unless you stay for a military retirement (freedom in yer forties is delish) it's not a great idea.
Be a sparky and study mechatronics and control systems. That weeds out the dumbfucks so job security is yours. My last residential inspection cost 400 bucks for a sparky to check my meter box install and make one connection. Having your own business can make fucktons of money.

Anyone have any experience with Construction Materials Testing? I've got a recruiter asking me to apply because they said I'd be a good fit, but I don't know much about the profession

>>1747884
It's like lab tech work. You need to be meticulous

Ive never done it but put in fiber one placee that never cleaned up after their concrete sample testing. They just went out their back door in the business park and broke their concrete sample and left the pile of shit their. I thought it was hilarious

>>1747921
From what I've researched it doesn't seem particularly hard? You take samples of concrete back to the office and make sure the ground has been properly tamped down? Does that seem right? It's $20 dollars an hour starting which is a lot more than I'm making now so I'm pretty interested

>>1743484
good for you, but nothing is forever. I know i guy that does roof insurance assessments and makes 150k a year sitting in hotel rooms in cities all over the US. keep in mind we're running up on a 10 year economic boom here and everyone would do well to put some money away for the big one.

>>1747930
You need to writedown, sample 36a at 1006 2 1 2020. 360jiggaanewtons per square meter

Sample 36b pour 2 1007 2 202020 360
1 jiggsnewtons
..


Etc. Then make a report and sign it.

Lab tech worm, yeah the lay is okay.

>>1747720
It really depends on what you want and what you're capable of. Mechanics is a strong trade that you can learn and master pretty quickly and those skills will be virtually unchanged throughout your entire career. Though you'll probably always be a mechanic your entire career as well.

Electrician is a unique trade because there are a buttload of specialties and different niches you can fill. You have a more opportunities to do less work while making more money.

Truth be told, if you're considering getting any trade at all then the military is probably your best bet to learn it. A veteran will always get the job over a non veteran and schooling really doesn't count for much unless it's a bachelors degree or higher. Military service is seen as schooling and on the job training, it's really a win win.

>>1747960
I love my town. The great recession didn't even happen out here in the sticks.

>>1747783
TROOF.

the lifetime career union tradie boomers should all be gassed

>>1747720
My buddy makes 200k a year as a deisle tech. Has a semi truck that's basically just a giant toolbox on wheels with a torch welder, air compressor, and autocrane. He gets paid training all over the US. Basically services road crew machinery and a few rock quarries when the regular mechanic that is untrained can't handle it.

You don't want to do it forevor. I for one get triggered as shit fixing stuff but i may just be autistic. Don't ever consider working for CAT. They pay fuckall. Owning a deisle repair business that employs mechanics after about 10 years in the field is fine though. You'll make a lot of connections as a tech and can steal a few clients when you start off.

Plus, shit always breaks. Especially in mining.

asking any nech here with cars... what are the dangers that spray high pressured substance at you if unplug the wrong thing?

>age
31
>trades/skills
Bridge and tunnel construction, civil engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, cunnilingus
>job
House husband and freelance engineer
>salary
Technically 0, but I have a good sugar mommy
>happy?
I wish I had a friend. But my wife fills the role pretty good

> Age:
35
> Skills:
Ok at a little bit of everything. Still getting better.
> Job:
Construction sub. Division 08 PM.
> Salary
$60k and about $10k-$15k yearly commission.
> Happy? :
With everything except work. Div. 08 is the read headed stepchild of construction. And people are shit. Every problem I have is from the factory fucking me over and/or the GC being a piece of shit cunt for not doing their job and yelling at me. I want to tell them to neck themselves but that yearly commission is needed.

>>1739700
>age
31
>trades/skills
Information Technology (System Admin, Networking, Support, etc). Basic plumbing, electrical, and woodworking.
>job
My actual job. Machine Operator. Not my actual job but I do it. Doing maintenance on my machine because some of the shit I can get done faster then waiting for a maintenance guy. Being a (half ass) tech because people don't know how to run their machines or do basic shit like change an insert. And 2nd shift IT because IT are lazy fucking retards. Fuckers can't network a printer.
>salary
$14.something something. Around $535ish a week.
>are you happy?
No. People that are running this location (compared to the other locations) are killing this place. They make it hard to move anywhere else or up. (Cutting job positions, making some factory floor workers work 7 days a week with only having major holidays off so if you want a day off for anything you have to use a point and if you use more than 6 points you can't apply for other job openings), management stopping people from using their vacation time (unless you use it to cover for a sick day), and asking some of us to skip break and/or lunch to keep the machine(s) going. Nebraska labor laws suck. I can keep going on and on about this place, but fuck it.

>>1739700
>31
> Roofing Industrial & residential
>Roof maintenance & repair
>40s
>I should be more thankful but I ain't

30
Instrument mechanic
98k
Yeah, I'm happy. I work 4 days on 4 days off and a weeks vacation is 12 days.

>>1739700
>age
26
>Trades/skills
certified for truck&coach and automotive tech. Dabble in lots of other shit around my home and property (40 acre hobby farm)
>job
Bus mechanic for government
>salary
gross 70k last year
>are you happy?
Most days, my job is pretty cushy so I get a lot of free time and time at home but I find myself bored af most days while I'm at work. Just bored with the trade in general I think though. More interested in fabricating stuff in my off time

>>1739700
31.

BSc in digital comm, tools, general allarounder.

RF tech.- I tune fm antennas and filters.

40k.

Yes. I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm pretty under qualified and spend most of my time getting better.

>>1739700
32
programming
integrator
50k
no

>>1739700
> age
27
> trades/skills
Programming (C#, Python, PHP, Javascript/angular), scripting (Powershell, bash), devops stuff (puppet, ansible, MDT/WDS), server admin (linux, windows, freebsd), network admin (juniper, cisco), security (grc management, auditor coordination, policy drafting, controls implementation), cost projections and cost modeling, statistics, technical writing, lecturing HS students on infosec in extracurricular setting, running state level CTF competition for high school students
> job
Network architect
> salary
100k + benefits + bonus (22k last year)
> are you happy
Feels p good man, low tcol area too, just got a house, gf and I getting kittens on my birthday

>>1739700
31
Machinist
Machinist
50k
no

>>1740264
You need to get married bro. Are you a fuzzy? I'm looking at 67k after taxes as a married E-5

>>1750665
ok mr. high speed. 1st sgt barely made 50

>age
oldfag, but not boomer old
>trades/skills
MSEE
>job
Le Semiconductor Merchant
>salary
Depends. More than $250k, some peak years close to $500k
>happy?
Happy I'll be dead soon. Decided long ago that I was better off being a firework than a candle. Kids are well provisioned, and generally based. Maybe I'll come around once semi's are done for and I have a 2nd career.

>the desire of money is the root of all evil

>>1739700
>>age
26
>>trades/skills
Computer networking, Cisco IOS, VoIP technologies, basic server admin, computer support, basic electronics skills, intermediate automotive skills
>>job
Tier 1 help desk jockey and field support, dabbling in some admin work
>>salary
About 56 K after overtime before taxes
>>are you happy?
Eh... Wish I could do more with cars and wish I did more focused on network design than fucking retarded users and their dumb issues. But it pays the bills for now. I'm really not happy with the work I'm doing it is extremely empty feeling, but, the overall job is not that bad and it has insurance benefits so...

Sometimes I wish I had gone to a trade school for machining work, but then I look at average salaries and it'd take years to supersede what I make now, whereas I could get a few certs and maybe my bachelor's and be doing 6 figures which is plenty for me.

>>1739700
>age
25

>trades/skills
Comp sci degree
Tool and die ticket(Welding, Machining, program/run EDM)

>job
Tool and die maker for a big union shop (shim and sharpen)

>salary
$30 hourly 40/hours week with unlimited overtime

>are you happy?
not in the slightest.

>>1742758
Bullshit is not the most happy inducing thing there is.

>>1740856
Is that the value of 1 pallet brand new purchased individually?

>>1742758
I think trades attract a lot of intelligent people, but you also get your fair share of intelligent people who have no common sense and outside of their profession and are actual retards.

so its like they're stuck, like angry toddlers they can't cope with working in an office because they dont have any emotional control so they have to work in less formal settings, but by the time they are 40, they have addictions,kids,ex wives and their bodies are failing them so they realise they are trapped and its too late to retrain or take an office job so they just slog it out and hope they can pay off the mortgage before their body fails them.

obvs this doesnt apply to everyone but the majority of the sparks I work with are either cokeheads, have broken marriages or just hate their profession.

>>1742923
boomers just expect everyone to work for minimum wage and be thankful for it.

if you pay shit wages you get shit people who only want to do the bare minimum, offering higher pay or progression ay gives people incentive

>>1745158
I'm in the UK, ive been seeing a lot of these jobs around my area, do you have to know a lot of different trades?

ive handy enough at electrics, basic plumbing and patching holes in walls etc but im shit at woodworking.

i keep hearing how badly run the care homes are but i think if im the only handy man on site that wont apply to me if im my own boss

>>1747881
i know a few sparky inspectors and while they say its good money, its boring, mountains of paperwork, all the shit land on your doorstep if something goes wrong after you pass an inspection and you are no longer on the tools.

>>1739700
>age
28
>trades/skills
NVQ lvl 2 in refrigeration, good at basic electrics
>job
electricians mate
>salary
£24k
>are you happy?
No, I work with really negative people, 11 hours on site means i dont have a social life, been thinking about finding a 9-5 job or just some basic handyman job so i can be my own boss

>age
29
>trades/skills
Self taught network and systems engineer. Also network cabling jokey when I want to.
>job
IT Director
>salary
130k base plus my own business I bring home about 200k
>happy?
Yes and no. When I wasn't wage slaving I was making 250k easy but it was hard having a social life as a contractor. Girlfriend is a pro golfer so since she isn't home a lot I'm debating on going back into contracting full time. I'm watching her play this week and she does hate how my work does follow me when I'm "off" so I gotta work on that...

It's true though, the athletic females find nerds sexy to this day.