If you had the time to learn a new trade... ideas please??

JOBU · Jul 3, 2011

Playa'.

Ganegrei · Jul 3, 2011

I'm still a bit young to be thinking this but there are days I think that I should have:

Gone to Navy OCS.
Majored in Metallurgy.
Or just learned blacksmithing.

TOWcritter · Jul 3, 2011

Cash in your chips and buy a small self sustainable farm. 5 to 10 acres. There are many , many places cheap, that are out there because of the economy. Specialty or niche foods are going through the roof and food in general will be the most important commodity in the next 10 years and beyond. Home school. Stay the heck out of the cities.

sandeman · Jul 3, 2011

We will be vaporized within a 50 mile radius of Washington D.C. Too much traffic heading West and South.

Old Gaffer · Jul 3, 2011

I'm thinking machinst/gunsmith - or maybe gunsmith/machinst, in some place far enough out of town that it'd be more cost effective for people to come to me for high quality work rather than go to some volume-based place in town an hour away.

Either that, or raise some animal smaller than a cow for food (goats) or sheer (Alpacas)

jaypark · Jul 3, 2011

a serial killer... make your own hours... take care of problems with direct action... feel like your actually contributing a quality service to society

armedsks · Jul 3, 2011

Fairly happy here. Doing HVAC (oil heat mostly). Always getting 40+ hrs and company vehicle.

Ive been doing HVAC for 12 years. Been at 3 companys. Every one of them has been night/day from each other. The first sucked balls, (worked there 8 months) The second was fair, but no company vehicle and had to work dc/baltimore metro. (years)

Where im now, company vehicle,3 weeks paid vac, 4 personal days and 5 sick days. Work in frederick,carrol,upper mont, upper howard. (8+years)

Ooops · Jul 3, 2011

ATF agent...

rj1974 · Jul 3, 2011

sandeman said:
Brain Surgeon

You would be seriously lacking in clientel in MD

jaypark · Jul 3, 2011

ATF agent

one of those anti airsoft guys????

MDFF2008 · Jul 15, 2011

Mechanic. Cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers, boats, jet skis, they ALL break.

People can do without boats and jet skis, but cars are all but a nessessity.

BlueHeeler · Jul 15, 2011

Counterfeiter, drug mule, or lawyer

gotguns · Jul 16, 2011

gynecologist...Breast therapist....sad part is...I think you have to start out at the "free clinic"

MDFF2008 · Jul 18, 2011

gotguns said:
gynecologist...Breast therapist....sad part is...I think you have to start out at the "free clinic"

That is literally a "nothing to see here, move along" job.

zoostation · Jul 18, 2011

If I could go back and do it all over again I'd go for an MD.

If I was going to do a new trade now I'd probably pick welding. I love building things, it's one of those things that seems an art as well as a skill, I'm good with mechanical stuff, and people always need qualified welders and will pay for them.

I think the IT field is great too but you need experience as someone already said. I have a Master's in IS Management from UMUC and have begun floating my resume', pending retirement from my current job, and there's not a lot out there for me without specific experience. I'm studying for about four certifications right now just to get a foothold somewhere. I don't mind starting at the bottom and working my way up, I just want the chance to start at the bottom! I have a brother who has worked in IT for 20+ years and he has told me that right now there aren't many employers who want to take on people with no experience. They don't want the hassle and there's enough people out there in the job pool that they don't have to.

Tconfo · Jul 18, 2011

My wife asked me this very same question. I told her I want to be the only guy at APG allowed to light the fuse, press the button, or pull the trigger. I would do it for free.

kmb · Jul 20, 2011

Welder - takes time to build that skill, but man that skill is great and highly sought after. I wished I'd taken a family friend's free offer to teach me when going to college. Building bicycles is big right now. And if you don't have a fear of heights, always a need to repair bridges.

IT - overstaffed?? Um, no. I work in IT in NOVA for gubment contractor. I get at least 5 job hits a week and I haven't updated my Monster.com resume in months. Getting a few certs will help get you in the door; MCSA/MCSE, CCNA, Security+. Get experience with Linux, VOIP, and VM. Linux and VMs are exploding in the gubment. Plus on www.usajobs.gov, there are so many IT jobs available. The GS system is the "good ol' boy system" so you have to know someone to get in. I know people and still can't get back in. But my current salary pays more than GS13/10, so I'm kind of out of the salary range unless I took a 7k hit. But I would to work in Rockville/Frederick/Bethesda.

Someone posted organic farming. Very popular in the Gaithersburg/North Potomac/Bethesda/Potomac area. A lot of folks I know are looking to buy organic meat. I'd rather pay a farmer than Whole Foods. Huge cost to process/store the meat but if you can build a small stock of animals and get it running in the black, you should do okay.

Become a chef. Wish I did. I love to cook. Especially formerly breathing 4 legged animals.

Get your teacher certification and teach. I think US education is bollocks, but that's bc my wife has taught in GA, overseas for DoDDS, and now in MD. If want in to IT/forensics, look up 0132 jobs on www.usajobs.gov. You get trained to be an IT/forensic examiner for the US Army. The advertisements come and go.

Best of luck, I'm with you and understand your frustration.

KMB

regularfunk · Jul 23, 2011

Cybersecurity

A. Wayne · Jul 23, 2011

computer/IT- you can work pretty much anywhere!!! Maybe you dould even work outdoors and enjoy the weather!!

Sirex · Jul 24, 2011

I would also be an auto mechanic. My buddy is my mechanic and can literally fix anything. Plus he's a gear head and it is part of his hobby. I've always loved cars, and do the less complicated stuff myself, but if I had the tools and training, I'd be dangerous. Think of it this way in a bad economy; People stop buying cars, so the older ones require more work. People can't afford the repairs so you can do the repairs after hours on the side for cash or trade. If the economy booms and people buy new cars, they still need maintenance. I would guess 80% of people can't or won't do a basic oil change, more or less even know a car requires more than one type of fluid. Whether it's a good or bad economy, being a mechanic still provides work. People neeed cars, cars need repair and maintenance. Even if oil were to dry up, they still have the mechanical skill to work on most general mechanical systems. In high school in the early 90's I was on the wait list at the Carroll County VOTECH for auto repair and auto body. I remember it was a long long list. I never got in. :sad20:

If you had the time to learn a new trade... ideas please??

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