Fuuuuuuuuck

I just got a job offer for a job that I wasnt even looking for yet (I was planiing on skiing all winter and looking for a job in the spring)

Anyways, the problem is that this job would pay 1.5X as much as any other job offer for some one with my degree right out of college. The catch is that it is in Redmond wich is a two hour comute, and would drastically reduce my skiing to the weekends and a few mornings a week.

Do I take the job and make some serious cash 65K plus benies, or be broke, and shoot all winter and hopefully make enough from pics to get by.

oh man....that's a tough call Grant. I think only you can make that call based on what's important to yourself.

Is there any harm in taking it, and giving it a whirl, and seeing if you like it? If you don't, you can always go back to your original plan. If you like it, well then......

you know what i'd do. SKI

hahahahaha, 2 hour commute. Only if you start work after 10 am bro. Trust me, you DON'T want to commute any farther than marysville from bellingham at normal commuter hours.

Stick with the pics GG. You are becoming a prolific photographer, so take it and run with it for many many years. You have a good thing going, dont let the $$'s pull you from it. 4+ pics in the newest powder... good job man.

Yeah, that is a pretty unreal commute and my memories of the PNW are 5 years old. You would really have to move. Plus, you don't want your screenname to be alpentalweekendskier right?

Thats tough. Last year I made 8.50 driving a shuttle bus. But I and sadly and regretfully chose to make some bucks this year.

But if you don't care about making $$ then fuck it.

if it was me i would wait....ski know....work more when you are old and crusty with blown to shit knees

Depends, obviously short term it will reduce your time on the hill, that said, you need to think long term on occasion too, will this help you get where you want to be in the future?

That's great money, especially right out of school. Could you move down to Redmond for a few years, save up some cash, and then bum around on your savings?

i don't think grant could save $$$ with the red hook brewery so close by

Eats shoots and leaves.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zeedashbo

i don't think grant could save $$$ with the red hook brewery so close by

---

There's a lot of hot waitresses, so if he's smooooove, maybe he can get beer for free. Issaquah Brewhouse, Brouwers and Elysian don't make it any easier either.

Speaking as an engineer - the longer you go without an engineering job the less you are worth to HR departments, and the more difficulty you'll have finding any job, much less where you want to live. Even with a good degree. And when working, with discipline you could save up enough in a year or two for a very nice cushion - enough for a frugal year or twos travel, no constraints. And you will have alot more flexibility than if you just kept on doing what you were doing. Of course the flip side is, working you'll have weekends only to take pictures. And 2 days a week probably doesn't a pro photographer make.

Ski. Ski ski ski. And shoot. The world has enough engineers. Follow your bliss, and keep enrichinng our world with your photography. This is a decision you will look back on in 10 years and be very glad you followed your heart and not your wallet.

Welcome to the world of corporate whoring. It ain't pretty, but it pays the crack bills.

Tough call. I hate to say it, but I would probably take it, bank it and buy a WRX and a radar detector. Of course, that means that you should do the exact opposite.

These various responces just go to show how tough of a decision that this is. Ski pics are where my passion, but aerospace is where the $$$$ is.

Now this is where it would be IDEAL for some ski company to chime in offering me the same cash to ski shoot pics and design skis in the summer. Too bad im not that lucky.

I'd take the well-paying job and try it out for maybe a year. Maybe even plan on quitting.

I gave up my high paid job in biotech for a $8.80/hr CAD ski tech job. Then no job. And I don't even take rad photos like you! You gotta weigh up lifestyle/dream vs. responsibility/$$$$. tough call. Heart vs. Brain.

I'll be selfish and say stick with the photos, everyone here likes to look at them :D

It all depends what you want to end up having done with your life GG. You are lucky to have two worthwhile choices.

Damn. That is a nice starting salary. Tough call, but if someone's willing to give you that kind of money right now, odds are they will in a few months or a year, too. cj probably has a point about your stock probably goes down if you don't work as an engineer, but I think you've got some time to play with here.

Yeti's gonna freak when he sees this thread.

MBS - Live the Dream!

How abouts I let you kow in 10 years when I see if I figured it out right... deal. Right now I am on the follow ski dream track, who knows where I will be in 5 or 10 years.

Can you come up with an excuse for why you can't start until after Xmas? Get some cake and eat it too.

You do backcountry right? If you're in Redmond it shouldn't be too long to get out to pretty nice stuff up Hwy 20 and also up the highway leading east. I know i just drove out in that area and the backcountry looks decent. Look at it this way, it's not like you were offered a job in Iowa.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The AD

Damn. That is a nice starting salary. Tough call, but if someone's willing to give you that kind of money right now, odds are they will in a few months or a year, too. cj probably has a point about your stock probably goes down if you don't work as an engineer, but I think you've got some time to play with here.

---

You've got time, but based on my experience, and that of friends, the pickings get slimmer as time goes by. There's a definite "he doesn't have a job, WTF is wrong with him" mindset, especially with initial resume screening. I noticed that both being hired and when I did hiring. If you make it past the initial screening it's not as bad. They are also more forgiving if you've a couple years work experience under your belt and then have signifigant time off, you've wet your feet . Of course there's always the aerospace business cycle to consider...

The less ski photographers the better, take the engineering gig......... ;)
Enjoy your life, keep skiing and shooting.
You black and white in the latest Powder is sick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LeeLau

You do backcountry right? If you're in Redmond it shouldn't be too long to get out to pretty nice stuff up Hwy 20 and also up the highway leading east. I know i just drove out in that area and the backcountry looks decent. Look at it this way, it's not like you were offered a job in Iowa.

---

??? hwy 20 = closed in winter. highway 2 and i-90 head east as does 20. 2 is around 90 minutes from redmond. i-90 is about an hour. traffic is hell in redmond though.

What happened to your 65k job in Kent?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BakerBoy

What happened to your 65k job in Kent?

---

They told me I could pick from either the redmond or kent offices, and then switch to the everet office when it opens sometime after june.

Hummmmm ski picks all winter or $$$$ and pics only on the weekends.

I am begging to feal like Im bi-polar trying to decide FUCK!!!!!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mtbakerskier

They told me I could pick from either the redmond or kent offices, and then switch to the everet office when it opens sometime after june.

Hummmmm ski picks all winter or $$$$ and pics only on the weekends.

I am begging to feal like Im bi-polar trying to decide FUCK!!!!!!!!

---

You need to ski. And shoot pics.

Many people would give up everything to do what you are doing. Give up high paying jobs, leave the corner office or whatever. You're pretty much living the dream. And you're gonna ditch it to make a couple bucks in an office? Fuck that, you're lucky. Keep skiing. People turn down jobs to flat out ski, with no glory/pictures/whatever. Eventually if/when that lets you down, go make some money. Money will always be there, this skiing/photag thing you got going on, won't.

Don't be a statastic. Don't let Yetiman down. ;)

When you're old and tired, you won't be able to make up lost ski days, but you probably won't miss one winter of engineering.

.02

I have an engineering degree. I don't use it. I ski a lot. I'm happy, but I'd also like some more money, so that I could actually have some savings.

That being said, I wouldn't trade my lifestyle for a good Chem E job and weekends only skiing. It's just money. If you really have the passion for engineering and would be really happy with that job, then you have a tough choice. If you are taking the job primarily because of the money, then don't do it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cj001f

You've got time, but based on my experience, and that of friends, the pickings get slimmer as time goes by. There's a definite "he doesn't have a job, WTF is wrong with him" mindset, especially with initial resume screening. I noticed that both being hired and when I did hiring. If you make it past the initial screening it's not as bad. They are also more forgiving if you've a couple years work experience under your belt and then have signifigant time off, you've wet your feet . Of course there's always the aerospace business cycle to consider...

---

??? You're an unemployed jerk off. The only person you've ever hired is a crack whore to suck your tiny limp dick. Stop being pomous and shut the fuck up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zeedashbo

??? hwy 20 = closed in winter. highway 2 and i-90 head east as does 20. 2 is around 90 minutes from redmond. i-90 is about an hour. traffic is hell in redmond though.

---

ah = thanks for the correction. I went by the Liberty Bell area and it looked like lots of possibilities. Its too bad its closed in winter

Do the same thing I told you to do about the last job offer you friggin quack. Try it. We have at least a month and a half till you are skiing and shooting anything decent here....see what you think then figure it out then .your bills aren't getting any less right now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mtbakerskier

These various responces just go to show how tough of a decision that this is. Ski pics are where my passion, but aerospace is where the $$$$ is.

Now this is where it would be IDEAL for some ski company to chime in offering me the same cash to ski shoot pics and design skis in the summer. Too bad im not that lucky.

---

Caveat: easy to give advise if you don't have to take it yourself...

Choose that which steers your future to where you want it to go... If you eventually see yourself (or want to see yourself) ending up aerospace, you know what to do. However, if you think you've got a fair chance at making a living shooting pics and you'd like to do that for a living... follow YOUR heart. Fuck WWMD.

we all wish we had "one more season" go out and have that last push to live the dream without ties to the "real world". Be focused, make a plan and enjoy it like it will be the last time you do it. If it doesn't work out, you will have enjoyed the ride.

It is a tough decision. I am going through some similar shit, and in many ways even worse.

Not sure from your post but will you commute from Bellingham to Redmond or move to Redmond and commute to Baker for weekends?

I used to drive 6.5 hours many weekends to paddle the Gauly and New rivers. Often times driving through the night and getting on the river with zero sleep. That lasted many years. I would also drove 3 hours each way to paddle the Upper Yough all in the same day. But driving 2 hours to and fro work 5 days a week would suck ass - especially in that WA traffic.

Since you probably do a lot of BC photography around Baker, then I assume you have less need to hit powder days. I am assuming there is plenty of fresh in the BC long after storms around Baker. This is a plus for taking the job (assuming you live near work).

You have lots of options for the weekends - Crystal etc... out of Redmond.

There is the $$$ factor that the job provides - you can afford to go skiing in Las Lenas or Europe and do some photography there (hopefully the job gives you a decent amount of vacation).

Those are my random thoughts on this Tuesday morning.

Ok - Don't even buy all this crap about working that corporate gig that you don't love, that is not your true passion and calling. Fugget about it.

I am that person that made the choice before you now, and spent 15 years at the job. Sure it is great, sure you will get material things, you'll advance in that career, but you will be where I am now at the end. Leaving that lifestyle to pursue my dream and calling. I guess that for me, it turned out to be the right choice. At the time I was not sure what I wanted to pursue, so a great paying job in the field I studied in was not a bad choice at all.

If you feel that thing... "zen, in the zone", whatever the latest 'Z' is... when you see that moment in the viewfinder and press the shutter. If you know what your contact sheets, negs, digital files... are going to be like and you are psyched to get back and review them. Do you really think you're going to enjoy being behind some desk making someone else money?

Hell NO!


Almost everyone is afraid to pursue the things they really want directly.

They have been programmed, and so they believe the hype. They will try to convince you, from the best of intentions, to do that safe something that is not really safe. The truth is you can still get fired, the company can still fold, but you've spent valuable time missing opportunities. Talk to some old folks and listen to them do the "I wish" speech toward the end of their lives. No one wishes they stayed behind the desk more! The all wish they had taken the risks!

You can make the same money (or more!!) this winter, but you will have to grab the bull by the horns, right now! You've got momentum, you've got tear sheets and you've got passion. Forget about a fall back position, working for a year and being off the map.

Act now! While the fire is still under your butt, while you are still young enough to stay out all day and up all night making it happen. As you get older risk taking gets harder (more responsibility, family, children...) but lay the foundation now and make it a habit.

My friends are openly envious that I have changed my lifestyle. Almost all want to jettison the corporate gigs in some way and have a more meaningful daily life. Now, I do more travel, less worrying, have more fun, contribute more to my community. I'm bringing home the cash needed to stay in my home, pay all my bills, continue to save, and enjoy life (for 3 years consistently).

What's the worst that can happen? You fail at it and get behind some desk job with a contented heart - you'd tried your best and it didn't work out.

Much better than being behind a desk now, wondering if you blew this amazing shot (pun intended) at the life you've always wanted to have.

shame the hours need to be so rigid for the dough
maybe if you get in and prove yourself they could become more flexible
noon+ starts would allow dawn patrols and powder mornings
probably too corporate for much flex I guess...

the photog thing seems to be rollin nicely and should open some more doors
paid skitrips to take pics quickly adds up over 65K- in mental health bene's and resume food for future skitrips...
tough biz too, sponsers don't just call everyday I'd guess- the pics are probably the easy part...


maybe what I'm trying to say before I STFU or delete this shit is to take the corporate ethic and hours to your picbiz and grow that sucka so you'll make a comfortable and rewarding living and have time to dabble in engineering for fun