Another Career thread
Looking for some insite on career options, I’ve read through a lot of threads on here (including all 12 power engineering ones!) and seen some good information. The more I research the harder of a time I’m having picking a direction and I’m hoping for some first hand experience from people that have faced a similar choice.
Would also appreciate some first hand opinions from people in the military, I keep finding information about how underfunded they are and am having a hard time figuring out what day to day life is really like. It seems like a great option if your 18 but is it still worthwhile when your older? 12 years is a huge commitment.
I am in my mid 20s and have 2 years experience as a red seal millwright plus the five years of apprenticeship. (Worked M and R jobs in a couple different industries and have had some exposure to turbines)
Before that I worked as a labourer on farms and construction jobs.
I enjoy the trade and do not regret doing it at all but I feel like now is a perfect time to build on my education and try something different, I can always come back to it in the future. It’s only going to get harder to try something different in the future though.
I’m willing to take a significant pay cut and start from the bottom again in exchange for a new skill set.
I’ve taken aptitude tests and they seem to support the career options I’m considering.
I enjoy constantly learning and being challenged, isolation, being outdoors, the sciences, making things and working in small groups.
willing to relocate or put myself through further schooling.
I’m torn between pursuing a 2nd trade, or going an entirely different direction
All together.
the trades I’m leaning towards are:
Power linesman
Pros: good pay and in demand, working outdoors and at heights is something I enjoy, physically demanding, technical.
Cons: doesn’t really build on a millwright ticket from what I can tell, lots of on call work.
Instrumentation
Pros: builds well on a millwright ticket, good pay, challenging with lots of room for continued learning.
machinist pros: something I really enjoy, and also builds nicely on a Millwright ticket, could also potentially lead to work as a gunsmith in a different political climate.
Cons: seems like a dying industry in Canada, not outdoors, potentially very repetitive.
A 2nd trade seems to me like a safe bet, probably the best decision financially, it’s something I enjoy, but the trades come with there own drawbacks and I’m worried I would regret choosing a 2nd trade over one of the other options in the future. I also don’t mind physical work but I’ve met a lot of older journeymen that have destroyed their bodies in the trades.
The other options I’m curious about are
Wild land firefighting (not sure if it’s really a viable career to pursue being seasonal)
Guiding
Teaching (think I’d enjoy it and the holidays and regular schedule would be nice but the political side of things looks like it could be a nightmare)
Environmental science
Helicopter pilot (would go the military route which seems like a 11-12 year process if you get in)
A 2nd trade in the military
Mechanical engineer
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