Check. I get a few hundered bucks every 2 weeks, and Im going to rent out my apt. to make a few extra bucks as well.
Looking on the bright side, at least you don't have a family to support right now. I develop reading curriculum and technology and love my job, but I've often thought that being a plumber would also be a pretty interesting career. Also, I just saw a commercial for technical institute that trained people to be heat/cooling technicians. That looked like it might be a decent job and in Houston, there's probably a lot of work (at least the cooling part) and jobs like that or being a plumber will never be outsourced.
Ask my dad about installing AC units. He used to work for Sears. Either you're working outside in 100 degree heat, or you're running ducts while crawling around in a 120 degree attic.
I think if you get laid off or fired for no good reason, you can file and get something like $325/week for 6 months or until you find another job. And it's not a government handout, it's from the company...which would make me feel better about taking it.
Sorry to hear that Drew. I got jerked around in a job search here recently and ended up not getting a position that was well within reach. It sucks. I was just about to start an "I need a new job/career" thread. It's getting depressing. Sometimes I think I feel exactly like you do; I'd be just as happy with something pretty simple. I don't want sales, retail, anything like that much anymore. I did it to work my way through school and just kind of stuck. My fiancee wants to get married this summer, and I'm all for that, yet all I can think about is trying to get my work situation worked out.
Otto, What The Real Shady said is true; however, it depends on what company you want to go with. I talked with a woman in HR for a big national insurance company and she told me that they at least start you off with a salary plus commission and eventually move you to commission full-time. But in the beginning, they try to compensate you at the same salary you were making at your previous job. From what I was told, you have to have your property, casualty, life, and health insurance licenses before you can even get hired (and I think all those things require you to have like 20 hours in each before you can take the exam!). Then you apply and hope to make it to their executive board. If you get to that point, you have to present a business plan and then wait to see if you receive an offer. If you get an offer and take it, you eventually have to obtain your Series 6 (or it might be 7, I can't remember) and Series 63 licenses. You have 3 shots at passing each of these tests - if you never pass them, you get terminated. The good news though is that they have classes to help you prepare for those exams. But the bottom line is I'll be at my current job for awhile which isn't really a bad thing. I'll probably try to take the hours needed for these insurance topics sometime this summer and then the exam shortly afterwards.
Exactly. On top of that I get to hear lecture after lecture from my father on how I need to change my attitude. Well if I was working someplace that didnt suck - with idiot bosses running the show, perhaps I would have a better attitude. I think I want to work at the airport and load bags on a plane or something.
