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My background is booking travel (ended 7 years ago) and ecommerce business (fired after 7 years for non-work related reasons). Never work in a family business with zero ownership.
I've also worked less glamorous jobs like bathing disabled and laboring away at other places. I never been fired from a job until now, I have a good attitude and work ethic.
So I'm moving to Washington this month, north of Seattle if not by the Canada border near Vancouver. I want to make at least 50k with room to advance, anything less I rather not waste my time since I will have a family to support.
Ideas for me please? I'm 32 today, no college degree but leadership experience.
Have you thought about joining the military? Tons of room for advancement, free college for you and a GI Bill for a child, housing a food allowances, free healthcare for the entire family, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, and a full pension by the time your are age 52 (with payments starting at 52). This comes with job skills and training that will make you forever employable. The pay will be under $50K a year to start, but you'll be making around $50 in 5 or 6 years, with the potential to earn much higher. Just an idea.
EDIT: I noticed you were considering Guard. They only make about $300 a month, get very minimal benefits (don't even get free health insurance), and that leaves you giving up a weekend every month. It can be tough working a mon-fri job, and loosing a weekend, for 12 days work in a row. Always seemed kind of pointless to me. But, you would get educational benefits. You'll get job training but only schooling, very little actually work experience, so it may not help with employment much. The 2 days a month you work aren't really using your skills. They're often doing computer training on the military has a whole (vs your actual skill), medical and deployment prep, processing, admin nit-noid, etc. Things to think about.
You are being awfully inflexible and specific for someone with zero leverage. "To be near family" is non-negotiable? Unless your family is helping out with bills who cares. If my immediate family was not in NYC and wanted me to move to Dunedin FL (A sh** hole in which I have distant relatives in) I would have my hand out and expect a car and some cash to get started until I could get my footing there. Blood is thicker than water but not more important than a fist full of Benjamins. We need money and resources to eat and survive. Family helps you survive. Are they helping you get established in the area? If not, don't move.
We are the same age cohort. What were you thinking when you did Travel Booking for 7 years? You should have never gotten into that industry in the first place. If I recall correctly Expedia was around before I turned 18. We grew up with the internet. You should have known that industry was going nowhere but the way of the dinosaur.
As far as the eCommerce thing that could help but you won't be competitive in Seattle. You will be competing with people who have Corporate eComm experience either in the Bay area relocating to Seattle or Seattle natives with college degrees. The opportunity cost for you to go back to school and compete in that arena at this point with child in tow (and a dependent Wife?) is just too high. It's not worth it.
The problem is you got into a field where they often demand someone have a Bachelor's degree unless you have 20 years experience at prominent Fortune 1000's already. In big cities you won't have a chance. In smaller towns you may get lucky, but I don't think Washington state will be one of them. You'll need to be in states like Arkansas, Mississippi where young talented people with degrees are not going to in droves. They'll make concessions there because they know Texas A&M Business grads are not lining up to go there.
You're going to have to be much more flexible with your location. And given no degree you can't hack it in Canada.
My question is why you both decided to have a baby in this situation. How much money do you have saved in the bank? Is your family going to be helping out with the child?
There are a couple of unknowns here, but you're working from a big disadvantage. Seattle is a rough job market I've worked with several folks out of the Portland and Seattle offices of my company (and the last company I was at as well) and they generally stay put. There aren't many options even for qualified candidates with an MBA that pay well. You've got the FANG companies a handful of other mid-sized stand outs or some start ups. And they all want the top talent.
Also I hope you are White or Asian because if not, you're going to have an even harder time at it in PNW area in general.
I'm sorry I'm being harsh. But obviously no one was harsh enough on you earlier in life. My parents/grandparents would not allow me to be in your situation. It was either college, the military or local government. If I didn't get into a good school I would probably be about 15 years into a government job or the military by now. It was assumed there was no surviving in the private sector for my generation without a degree. There was no dilly dallying in sh** work allowed. A lot of forum posters will say you are young but you're my age and I'm thinking - I don't have it made and STILL paying dues and taking sh** from Boomers and Gen Xers almost 10 years into my career and this is WITH a degree and solid experience and you don't have a pot to **** in. You've got a long road ahead man. Your best bet is national guard maybe as you mentioned but I am warning you no matter shape or ASVAB score because you have no degree + your age you are not as desirable.
Machinist. Welder. Have you ever worked in a factory? If you have this "leadership experience" you could potentially work up to a foreman/line leader position. How's your math and science, you could train as a mechanical inspector; calibration technician. How about income tax preparation? Not really a year round job but from now till May it's pretty hot, I imagine. How long does it take to train with Block or someone equivalent?
I agree with those who suggested learning a trade. I have no idea what being a helper/apprentice would pay in that area of the country, but I do know that once you know what you're doing and get whatever certification is required in the field you choose, you can make a good living.
Since you were a travel agent, your geographic knowledge is probably better than average, so you might want to look into distribution and/or warehousing (though you need to remember that most of the destinations won't be very glamorous or "trendy" -- and you may have to start out in a physically-demanding role (but there are side benefits to that a few weeks "down the road").
Another thing I always liked about this environment is that it operates 24/7; so, you're not likely to be tied to the schedule of a strong-willed boss, who just wants a cheap "guy/gal Friday". And you will advance if you demonstrate that you can handle spontaneous issues when the resources are thinner -- outside the 9-to-5 straight jacket.
You have experience booking travel, but you don't want to go into truck driving, and you will be living near an e-commerce hub adjacent to an international border and a major shipping port.
You should look into becoming a freight broker.
Thanks, though that's a lot of bs for an entry level guy my age. I will appreciate living near the international border. I'm starting to think about trucking, may find a trucking school and do that. I like how it seems like a reliable profession. My uncle is a retired trucker. He says nobody should get into trucking but at least they get paid a livable wage for their efforts. Will set up ecommerce and margin options account on the side once I'm comfortable in my new field.
How about firefighter or police officer? Some jurisdictions require an AA/AS degree, but many just require a high school diploma or GED. Must have a clean record though.
Or, firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service.
I have clean records but only a high school diploma. I have actually considered police officer but I don't have that background so would probably be wasting my time.
Have you thought about joining the military? Tons of room for advancement, free college for you and a GI Bill for a child, housing a food allowances, free healthcare for the entire family, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, and a full pension by the time your are age 52 (with payments starting at 52). This comes with job skills and training that will make you forever employable. The pay will be under $50K a year to start, but you'll be making around $50 in 5 or 6 years, with the potential to earn much higher. Just an idea.
EDIT: I noticed you were considering Guard. They only make about $300 a month, get very minimal benefits (don't even get free health insurance), and that leaves you giving up a weekend every month. It can be tough working a mon-fri job, and loosing a weekend, for 12 days work in a row. Always seemed kind of pointless to me. But, you would get educational benefits. You'll get job training but only schooling, very little actually work experience, so it may not help with employment much. The 2 days a month you work aren't really using your skills. They're often doing computer training on the military has a whole (vs your actual skill), medical and deployment prep, processing, admin nit-noid, etc. Things to think about.
I've just now decided not to get involved with the Guard, the benefits aren't enough and it would inevitably interfere with my day job.
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