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[unstructuredreality]

"Resume Preparation"

Remember, at least from my viewpoint, that about 60 to 70 percent of businesses are nothing but gimmicks and smoke and mirrors.  It's in the presentation and commitment.  I see no reason why you couldn't make good money doing that as long as you have the skills and are able to present yourself as an authority.  Claire mentions some of this in her new book around the political spectrum, but business is essentially the same thing.  Make sure you do a quality job and plant the seeds of referral in your clients.  All in all, I'd say it could be a good thing at the very least as a side business that could give you a bit of extra income.  Tutoring is another area that can be done with limited time and pays rather well if the subject matter is known.  Gimmicks and mirrors.  Remember, it's not necessarily what you do but how well you persuade people you are doing it, and hats off to you if you know your stuff and present a good image.  You win both ways.  Success will breed success and after a while you won't have to worry about what it is you'd like to do.  Rather, you can more or less choose your next business.  I always think of businesses as temporary anyway, meaning a way to move into something better and perhaps bigger.

Peace and Good Day

[rockchucker]

... a friend of mine became a plumber after he couldn't find a job as a computer programmer. Actually, he was my mentor.

Anyway, he started off at Roto-Rooter, and after about 20 months or so will be licensed and able to start his own biz.
...
Plumbing isn't hard, but it can definitely get messy.
...
I would imagine that the changes in plumbing are much less hectic than for an electrician. Electricians are expected to be able to wire in digital, intercoms, controls, home theatres, etc. etc. Plumbing has PVC, copper, iron, and maybe a few alternate plastics, and THAT'S IT!

Well, I worked for a plumber one year when I was being a bum before going back to computer work. I'd rather be doing computer work, mostly.

The thing is, construction work, especially the specialty trades, are great, if you're doing new construction. Repair is a whole 'nother thing. In fact, right now, I'm working on a friend's boiler (hot water baseboard heat), and it's a major pain due to someone else's previous expansion of the system, and the cramped quarters. I once plumbed an addition to a house where it looked for all the world as if they'd put in the water heater and furnace, then built the house around them -- burying them in an impossible crawl space. I've done a little electrical work too, and I'd much rather do that than plumbing repair.

Once, my boss and I were doing some repair on ramshackle mountain "house". It involved rerouting part of the main waste line. I was topside, running parts etc. from the truck, while the boss was in the crawl space. We told everyone not to use the sinks or flush the toilets ... (yeah, he heard it coming, and got out of the way in time).

I've gotten a few 110 shocks. Preferable to sewage, I think.

A friend of mine tried working for Roto-Rooter. He had to pee in a cup to get the job.

[JillPruett]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned locksmithing.

I worked for eight years as a bookkeeper/dispatcher for a locksmith shop with 4-5 people, and one thing I noticed was a lot of turnover in staff.  About every two years we had to start all over staffing the store.

If you are reasonably mechanically inclined, like working with small things, and can figure out how they fit together, and are personable enough to work well with customers, you should be able to get a job with another locksmith shop that would be willing to train you.

It is something that you can make a reasonably good living at, from duplicating keys and rekeying cylinders, to opening cars and doors, and installing hardware and keying systems.

In more rural areas, there would be a definite lack of this kind of service.  In most rural areas, the best you can do is go to a hardware store. (Ace, etc.) to get some of the low end stuff done.

Given the level of paranoia a lot of us feel, there should be a real market here for locks and door hardware.

It's definitely worth checking out.


Jill Pruett