Silvan wrote:
Let's not forget that the statistics published for what people can
earn in a given field are always for people who have made it through
the lean initial years too. That's a real deal breaker.
Often true. My son graduated from school and passed his certification tests.
The hospital where her worked said "that's nice." He left to go to another
hospital for $8 and hour more doing the same exact job. After two years he
left and started his own business in the field and now makes more in a year
than i make in about eight.
It's the same in a lot of fields. It's not at all unresonable to
hold back the money until people have gained enough experience to do
their jobs well, but the need to weather this low income period makes
any career change a difficult prospect. The only way to circumvent
it is to have experience enough to step in at a higher wage from the
outset, which is a pretty nasty catch 22.
Yes, unless you get lucky and can work in the new chosen field part time to
hone your skills and get some experience. That's a rarity though.
If changing careers and maintaining $15 an hour is
difficult (virtually impossible, I'm afraid), it would be that much
more difficult to maintain $20 or $30.
Yes, you'd amazed at the number of people that are stepping down from high
paid positions as the economy changes from manufacturing to service
oriented.
Changing careers is a nasty business. The only bright spot in all of
this is that my current industry is a very safe place to be. Like
you said to someone else, one has to find something to do which
people are willing to pay for. Trucking is that. I have job
security in spades, shovels and buckets.
Recenly read about the shortage of drivers. There are considerations to
lower the age for a CDL and allowing 18 year olds to drive under some
circumstances.
Oh, and walnut is the world's most perfect wood. 
That bring up another thought. Didn't you say you hauled furniture? Any of
your stops make the stuff and have good scraps? In the building our
company is in there is a display house. I've found some nice cutoffs that
have been made into my outfeed table, a sewing table fo rmy wife, plywood
for jigs, etc. Dumpter diving pays.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome