[geeks] Re: [rescue] It's official, the U.S. is screwed for

[Mike Parson]

On Wed, Nov 10, 2004 at 10:42:20AM -0500, velociraptor wrote:

> On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 08:16:00 -0600, Mike Parson wrote:
>
>> I could go back to school and maybe finish it this time, but the
>> idea of sitting in a classroom just makes me ill any more.  Maybe a
>> trade-school and i could repair appliances or something.
>
> Seriously, consider a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing.  You pay for
> the school up front, but it's very easy to find a program to pay off
> your student loans for you.  Most hospitals and eldercare facilities
> are considered high-need locations, so if you get a job in one, you
> can get the majority of your student loans forgiven (this is a federal
> program).  Some schools also have programs whereby if you agree to
> work in their university medical center for some period of time after
> graduation, they will pay off your loans.

I have considered this.  I've got friends and family that are RNs, even
dated a nurse or two in my earlier days.  The town I grew up in even has
a pretty highly rated RN program (Brownsville, University of Texas at
Brownsville/Texas Southmost College).  Again, I've got that "Hate the
idea of sitting in a classroom" thing going.  Also, bad knees, can't
stand for long periods any more.

<snip>

> * a lot of the trades are undermanned, but require lengthy
> apprenticeships which don't pay that well (at least vs. IT), such
> as electrician (5 yrs), pipefitters (3-4 yrs, can specialize in
> plumbing, gas pipelines (factory as well as outdoor), etc), or HVAC
> (apprenticing not necessary across the board).

This is another thing that has kept me in IT.  I really hate the idea of
starting over at the bottom.  I've put in a lot of years to get where I
am today and really don't relish the idea of being an entry level guy
again.

> If you are interested in the trades, I'd suggest going down to your
> library or your Workforce Investment Board center and checking out the
> burea of labor statistics publications to find out what kind of jobs
> will have continued demand.  I looked into a lot of different things
> when I was still trying to find a job out in Silicon Valley.  If I'd
> have lived in any city than San Jose at that time, I would likely
> be in a different career or at school right now.  Unfortunately,
> not all Workforce Investment Boards are dedicated to assisting the
> un-/under-employed as much as they should be. :-/

I've watched a few friends escape from IT, one drove cabs till she got
her EMT certification, now she's driving an ambulance.  She's always
broke, but she doesn't have to repair sendmail fsck-ups either.

Another went to the police academy and is now a beat-cop working the
east side of Austin.  Again, broke, but doesn't have to deal with
prima-donna DBAs.  But they let him carry a gun to work, in fact, they
insist on it. =)

If I hadn't messed up my knees, and I was a couple of years younger,
I'd consider re-enlisting and seeing what the Army could offer me as a
full-time soldier.  My options were limited when I was on reserve duty,
but active duty opens up more doors.

What will most likely happen is I'll hang around as a sysadmin long
enough till I find the gig that gets me into middle-management.  Ick,
yeah, I know, but it would get me out of the day-to-day IT tasks that
make me hate computers anymore.

-- 
Michael Parson
mparson at bl.org