Help ratbastid Pick a Career!
 

Okay, so those of you who read journals may know that I lost my job yesterday. Yeah, yeah, shocking and tragic, all that. Yadda yadda.

Not being one to cry over spilt milk, I'm now looking at what I'm going to create to fill the gaping hole that was my career. I don't feel any particular need to keep doing what I was doing (managing a web development company), though I'm good at that certainly COULD do that again.

Here's my dream. My big dream is to do something where I make a years' worth of money (which in my area and for my lifestyle is probably in the $50-$60k range) in three or four months, and then take the rest of the year off to travel, hang out, play, take on hobbies and stuff, etc.

So the question is, what can I do to make that kind of money in a few months that won't miss me if I'm gone for several months? That I can just pick right back up again months later?

I already considered prostitution. lurkette's against it, though she says I'm definitely worth that kind of money. :D

Sorry to hear about your loss (if it really is). I'm just starting to look for work, I'm working now, but testing the waters. A friend from church just showed me what he does, and it's sort of financial planning. Working with people something I like to do, sort of owning your own business, which is a goal of mine. It has more to do with other things than just financial planning, they also work with insurance and stuff. Sounds very interesting. THe company he works with is Primerica.

professional poker player

Hey! Now you're talking!

High end male escort?

You do own your own tux...right?

Professional athlete, or one of the peripheral careers (broadcasting, groundskeeping, concessionaire, etc.)

You could always do something boring or unimportant like teaching or something...

I think Spin Doctor is a good title for you. You can do your consultation over the phone from Guam.

Awesome!

Professional Stunt Man.


They always get the chicks... sorry lurkette.

Hey, as long as he shares the chicks, fine by me!

How about crab fishing in Alaska. 3-4 months of super hard super dangerous work, and you get 50k+++ at the end of it.

My friend...

There is only one option for you...

Organised crime...

Soon you will be able to take the whole year off, while lounging in your multi million dollar mansion in Spain...

I mean sure you might have to kill some people, but they're bad guys...

Don Ratbastid...

yeah, fishing is a possibility.
i was going to suggest tuna fishing. with good quality tuna being so highly prized and thus ridiculously expensive in Japan, i reckon 4 months at sea could net you enough to last the rest of the year quite comfortably. and, who knows of the great sea adventures you could have.

however, crab fishing in Alaska is probably closer to yonder.

Re: Help ratbastid Pick a Career!
 

Are you good at sales? It's not my thing, but commission-based sales jobs are a good way to make a decent amount of money in a short amount of time.

I have a side job I'm doing now as a broker for a company that wants to buy out other companies; I get a cut on the amount of any sale I set up. It's not reliable income so I'd never do it exclusively, but it's good for a nice chunk of change here and there.

That's the best way I could think of jumping into something and being able to make that kind of money in a short period of time. Sell cars during the day and do something like I am on the side, and you could probably pull off that goal....if all that BSing doesn't eat up your soul in that period of time. :p

i have one word for, my boy, "PLASTICS"

How about hit man? Depends on how good a shot you are.

And may their first child... be a masculine child! :D

I'm a crummy shot, I'm afraid. That's okay, I just need to start out as Capo di Tutti Capi, and I'll have henchmen to actually pull my triggers for me.

I like the fishing suggestions. That's actually sort of almost borderline doable. Anything else like that? Possibly something I could do from my couch in my bathrobe?

Commisioned sculpturing.

Get yourself a tig welder, a butt load of stainless steel sheets, and make huge 3foot by three foot cubes of stainless steel. Then you arrange them into a tower welding them together in all kinds of neat and balanced geometric patterns.

Those fancy-schmancy company headquarters types pay big bucks for signed landscape sized artwork.

Couple a two three of those, knock em out in two or three months, spend a month or two hawkin' em aorund the country for a buck fifty each....

DUDE your in fat city.

Lurkette cruising along beside you as you roam the world peddling your masterpieces.

What a life :)

Sorry about the web gig. I've got one going on myself and am secretly fantasizing about a scenario similar to yours.

best to you both. I imagine times like these are stressful.

-bear

Pornstar?

Alaska fishing is near CRISIS. I sell parts for the generators used out of Kodiak, Dutch Harbor and others and get to talk to them quite a bit.

Read the paper... www.adn.com

What about working the summer in Alaska building roads? There are alot of people that live in trailers and get the nice paychecks for 5-6 months a year.

How about a slope job? Work in Deadhorse 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

There are several companies that have contracts in the bush for everything from food service to radar tech to heavy equipment operator.

There are alot of remote lodges, remote village projects etc that pay very well and are only open a few months a year.

Mate on a halibut charter out of Homer, Anchor Point, or Seward can pay well. You gotta be in shape to fish.

PM me if you have any other questions.

I immediately thought of crab fishing too but another possibility along the same lines is just general construction work in Alaska for the summer. If you have any kind of construction skills you can make some serious money. Part of the reason is that the days are so long and you don't have any thing else to do but work.

Masturbate?

Get a job plowing the streets in minneapolis. You'd be union and eventually your benefits would be such that you could earn enough comptime in half a year to take the other half off.
And since it's union, you get to be the one guy who just stands around once a week.

you always go work on the rigs in the summer up in morthern alberta. Really good pay, but it's hard work. Another option would be bricklaying. Those guys make off like bandits.

How about baseball commish? It's a high level job, and you wouldn' t even need to know about the sport.

I bet Starbucks is hiring.

Fireman. You don't get a lot of days off _in a row_, and you have to work 24-hour shifts. But since they actually pay you to sleep, you end up with a lot of days off.

Fireman also do a lot of trading around of shifts. My brother-in-law used to be able to take long vacations several times a year, because he'd work extra shifts and then get people to cover for him when he wanted the extra time.

That's all I can think of. Four or five years ago, you could easily have gotten $60K worth of contract web work in six months and be sure of more work waiting when you got back six months later. But those good times roll no more....

Oh yeah, and smuggling. Not drugs, but things like cigarettes without tax stamps. Take 'em from a low-tax state to a high-tax state and find a "Coffin Nails for Less" store that'll take 'em off your hands for a reasonable price.

Have you thought about doing CPA work? My friend is getting herself set up where she works 50-60 hours a week during the Jan-April tax season, makes all her money for the year, then has the other months off to whatever.

Fuck you. :D

Actually, I had a moment yesterday when I realized that fundamentally I'm no better than the people who work at Wal-Mart. If it came down to it, I could do that. Or Starbucks, sure. It's not what I want to do, but it's also not like I'm above that.

Tell me about it. Five or six years ago, a company of 12 people could be on target for $1.5 million a year. Nowadays a company of 6 is scraping to hit $40k a month. Of course, a company of 2 is a lot more sustainable at $40k a month. But I can't imagine they'll be able to deliver enough work to make that much money. We'll see. Not my problem!

Okay, now you're talking. That one I could actually do.

For the love of God, NO! Not Wal-Mart. Go with a union employer. You'll get benefits, that you can actually afford, that way.

Target, baby - opening March 7 about 1/2 mile from our house. 2 words: employee discount.

Not a thing wrong with real estate.
Spend a few months taking classes.
Get your license.
And then - it's what you make it!

Which is reason #18 that my wife, with the journalism degree, works at Omaha Steaks. Mmmm...top sirloin tonight, Baby!!

Ditto on Art- You sound like you can really roll with this!

You got charisma (at least you type that way) and you sound pretty intelligent. You may be a lion in the field!

My dad thinking about getting into real estate...he's at a point where his career is doing more harm than good. (sleepless nights, lots of overtime that he doesn't get paid for since he's salaried, etc.) If you can afford to take the time off to get liscensed...it might be a good investment. Plus, you can work in the peak seasons and lay low when people aren't buying houses. (the holidays come to mind) So yeah...

First of all let me say: :lol:

I hear we might be looking for a president some time soon. How are you at kissing babies and shaking hands?