6-9 months -- most money I can make?

I'm about to pull a major change of direction in my career/life altogether and have about 6-9 months before the new plan really takes off. I'll be going back to school full time, probably working a bit part-time from there forward, but won't by any means be making much money for years to come.

I'm looking for suggestions on what to do to bring in the most money possible over this next half year or so to try and stack up as much bank as I can. It could be that I just stick out my current, uncertain employment that pays decently, or try to get on w/ a hot shot crew for the summer fire season. I'd consider working a gas pipeline job, oil rig, move to alaska, etc. Basically I'm looking to work 80+ hour weeks for the next several months, minimize expenses, and stack paychecks... Fuck, I'd move to Iraq if the opportunity was there and the pay was great.

So, if anyone has any leads, suggestions, or even contacts that might assist the process, please help a maggot out and let me know. I have 5 seasons of Wildland firefighting under my belt and left with excellent evaluations and accolades from my management, so I'm very accustomed to working hard, long hours.

Thanks in advance!

No idea how much they pay or if you qualify but you might want to try KBR and look up firefighting jobs.

Back to the shots for you, plus after the season you can pull probably over a year of unemployment off.

Seems like Alaska might be the place-

found this with a quik search

http://anchorage.craigslist.org/trd/2070932731.html

diamond drilling. You'll start off as a helper, and I have no idea how long it takes to move up to driller, but you can make some decent cash. Oil rigs would be another decent idea but I know more about hardrock than softrock stuff. Really, anything that is a camp type job where you can just work your ass off with minimal expenses. Staying clean and semi-sober is the trick to actually banking it up though, but it can be done.

1st and foremost, before you go thinking about different gigs, think about how you can cut back your cost of living. Don't go "out" for the next 9 months. Buy food frugally. Think about these new jobs you are thinking of. Will the move, the eating out, cost of new gear, etc etc really pay off in 6 months or would you be better off where you are, where you are stable?

You'd be amazed how little money you can live on when you don't have anything. When I moved back to Boston and I was having problems finding work, there were times I would cash in change and realize I only had $30 to spend until a check came in and that could have been up to 3 weeks away. It sucked, but I survived. I didn't go to the bar. I didn't eat out. I didn't buy gum, chapstick, chips, candy, yada yada yada. Strictly cut out all non-essentials. Do this. Set an insanely low budget for yourself and stick to it. It will help you out once you are back in school too.

And if you can't do this for 6 months because "it will be too hard" or "seems like a pain in the ass" well then good luck in school.

man whore or crack dealer

good money, hazardous working conditions

Meth cook?

well if you have any power line experience you can go to the big sand box and pull in about 10g a month plus live and eat for free, flights payed for, 4 month on 2 off. O yeah, you can carry a gun too.

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Originally Posted by gameface

1st and foremost, before you go thinking about different gigs, think about how you can cut back your cost of living. Don't go "out" for the next 9 months. Buy food frugally. Think about these new jobs you are thinking of. Will the move, the eating out, cost of new gear, etc etc really pay off in 6 months or would you be better off where you are, where you are stable?

You'd be amazed how little money you can live on when you don't have anything. When I moved back to Boston and I was having problems finding work, there were times I would cash in change and realize I only had $30 to spend until a check came in and that could have been up to 3 weeks away. It sucked, but I survived. I didn't go to the bar. I didn't eat out. I didn't buy gum, chapstick, chips, candy, yada yada yada. Strictly cut out all non-essentials. Do this. Set an insanely low budget for yourself and stick to it. It will help you out once you are back in school too.

And if you can't do this for 6 months because "it will be too hard" or "seems like a pain in the ass" well then good luck in school.

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I'm doing pretty well w/ this so far. Not scraping down to the last nickel, but cutting my expenses pretty deeply. I'm sure I could do more though.

Law school?

Where?

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Originally Posted by LightRanger

Law school?

Where?

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Bird Law... It's just that bird law in this country—it's not governed by reason.

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Originally Posted by user

well if you have any power line experience you can go to the big sand box and pull in about 10g a month plus live and eat for free, flights payed for, 4 month on 2 off. O yeah, you can carry a gun too.

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Not like you're going to need it in Iraq. At least not if you're working a reconstruction project or anything like it because you'll at the very least have an LN or TCN detail. Maybe even a US PSD if you're working for State or on a sanctioned DOD gig.

But that is a good route for you to make good money and have opportunities to go back. I would recommend checking out manual labor jobs with KBR. Pay might not be $10k/month but you'll probably make $7k/month and stay on base the entire time watching locals mow grass or chase Ugandans around.

Hardest part though is breaking into the OCONUS jobs. Once you're in cultivate all the contacts possible and stay in touch with them. You might find that going to school isn't your idea of a good time and you'll want to take online classes as you work overseas at the same time. It's what most of my friends and I have been doing for years.

Either ways, check out secureaspects dot com. It's a good starting point though you'll have to part with some cash to sign up. For dudes who've never been oconus it's a good way to get your name out there and see who all is hiring out there.

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by LightRanger

Law school?

Where?

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Negative. Despite my interests, I'm steering away from that career considering the 21-ish% unemployment rate among lawyers in the US right now; I didn't think it was the best investment of 3years and 100k.