Life/Career in the mountains

[gatorboy]

My 12 yr. old son wants to spend the rest of his life in the mountains (after high school). I figure there are a couple of ways to accomplish this:
1) Attend a college with mountains nearby (this may be only a temporary fix)
2) Get a job on the mountain (guide, ski patrol, ski area maintenance/engineer)
3) Get a job at the base shops (ski/binding tech, boot fitter, retail, hotel, food service)

^ suspect those are only temporary and not a career...for the most part. He's looking for a career that allows him to board/hike/bike on a more flexible schedule.

4) Get a job that can be done at home...on his hours (there was a thread about this - I think it was graphic design or coding....but I can't find it).
5) Accountant/book keeping?

Granted....he's only 12, but he's also looking to me for help with deciding what his options are.

What suggestions do you have? Thx

[Buster Highmen]

Hedge fund it for 4 years and retire.

[danmelon]

I know that some DOTs out west (in Canada mind you, no idea about the US) hire avalanche forecasters. If he could get interested in all that is associated with snow science and ground hazards (land slides etc), that could be a good career path that also provides essential back country skills and an opportunity to live in the mountains.

[BFD]

my older son graduated from a maritime school. One year out he is working less than half the year bought a house in a community near the mountains and doing what ever he wants. Best advice my dad gave me is don't shit where you eat.

[capulin overdrive]

Maybe the college thing, one it might open doors, and two to see if the mountains stick.


Medical field would be good. Nurse, x-ray tech, etc. etc. etc.

[frorider]

Bus driver in Bellingham

[TAFKALVS]

I manage a holster company in a mountain town. I used to work at the ski area. Its less about the job and more about making the decision to live in the mountains.

[Danno]

There are so many ways to go about this, it's impossible to tell someone THE way, let alone a 12 year old.

That said, I do not think a job in the industry is the way to go. College in the mountains is a good start, and he should be looking for professions that can be done anywhere. And not just professions that exist everywhere. For ex, you can be a lawyer in a mountain town, but that is not something he should be looking for, because generally speaking being a lawyer does not allow for a flexible life, and moreover, the pay is much lower in the mountains. But there are plenty of jobs that can be done remotely, or with far more flexibility, and with more uniform (ie not regionally affected) pay.

[TAFKALVS]

There are so many ways to go about this, it's impossible to tell someone THE way, let alone a 12 year old.

This. When I was 12 or 13 I know I wanted to live in the mountains but I never imagined I'd be doing what I'm doing. I thought I'd either be a ski patroller or maybe a graphic designer.

I'd also say don't go to school in a mountain town, instead go to school somewhere near mountains like Seattle where the hill is a 1-2 hour drive. Otherwise he'll take 5 or 6 years to finish his degree or just not finish.

[LightRanger]

At this point... nursing, NP, PA, CRNA. Good money. Less schooling/bullshit than MDs. Needed everywhere. Rewarding career.

He's 12 though, so who knows what it's going to be like 15 years from how. (Other than less snow.)

Don't work in "the industry," though. No way that's going to change by the time he's out of college/HS.

[mall walker]

Many jobs are increasingly trending toward work-from-home. I'm 100% wfh as a programmer. I live in SLC right now (could be anywhere in theory but my wife's career is not wfh unfortunately). Ski weekday mornings before work, weekends, camping, hiking, climbing... I think there are better options than just "work for minimum wage at a ski resort"

[Name Redacted]

Dentist duh!

[dtown]

Wait 5 years, you're a bit early I think. How organizations are structured will change in the next decade, just like it has the past decade. He may be able to be a marketing executive at Google and live in Whistler in 25 years because of the remote nature of our world.

[Sirshredalot]

I'm also 100% wfh. I'm an economist by training and I'm currently working with the debt portfolio of a Fortune 500 in corporate treasury. Also in SLC. I also spend much of my time writing code, but I'm working with large financial data sets.

My wife has a job here. But we're kicking around the idea of going back to Bozeman, or maybe to Silverton or Crested Butte for the coming winter.

[Timberridge]

How high do the mountains need to be?
If he's willing to scale back, don't cross northwest NJ off the list. NJ is trending now.

[babybear]

I'm a financial analyst in jackson wy- Never thought this is what I'd end up doing (at 12 yrs old I was pretty much "9 to 5 never, heli ski forever"- wanted to be a ski patroller, mtn guide etc) but it's worked out well for me so I'll offer my perspective-
in the case of an office job/ more traditional career in mtn towns, I think it mostly comes down to WHO you work for vs what you do.
The firm I work for doesn't put strict hours on us- so as long as you get your shizz done, nobody questions if you head out for an hour or two mid-day to get some fresh air or turns.
So he doesn't necessarily have to dismiss traditional jobs to live in the mtns- just have to choose the right one (but obviously kind of difficult to start vetting businesses to work for in 10 yrs)
I also enjoy NOT working a service job in a mtn town- I don't get as ornery in the summer etc as other friends in service jobs that just get over the tourons.

[doebedoe]

@swerve -- a really solid mag who showed my gaper ass self and buddy around JH a bit does #5. Seems to get to ski most days, or glide, or bike or climb. Working in corporate for a mountain who has headquarters located in the hills is a good option.

Another alternative -- a lot of tech / software jobs allow remote work with a good connection once you're established. I lived with a Project Manager for a bit who would wander around the US in her van with a mobile hotspot chasing storms.

[skifishbum]

when i was 12 i used to pray to jeebus to become a lawyer and potus
as a "ski bum" the advise i'd bestow
is it isn't that hard to make skiing a life priority
and the more marketable life skills you aquire
the less bummin ya gots to do

[Danno]

in the case of an office job/ more traditional career in mtn towns, I think it mostly comes down to WHO you work for vs what you do.

true, there are (for ex) obviously many lawyers that are killing it and living the great mountain life. But the more you choose a traditional office job that generally requires a butt in a chair, the more you're leaving yourself at the mercy of someone who might require the butt to be in the chair.

Signed
Person whose butt is in a chair

[stfu&gbtw]

IT - developer, DB, security, etc... Anything that doesn't require physical hands on system access. There are a ton of us out here.

[Bobby Stainless]

Writer

[stfu&gbtw]

Writer

I figured the purpose of the job was earning money... This is a great answer to the question "hey! I'm moving to the mountains, can you recommend a hobby?".

[Bobby Stainless]

He would need to be good at it.

[MakersTeleMark]

Plumbers and electricians turn down work. All of them that I know are slammed to their liking, or just skip a job and do whatever they want. They make very good money, plus, no need for college debt.

Just sayin'.

[assman]

Plumbers and electricians turn down work. All of them that I know are slammed to their liking, or just skip a job and do whatever they want. They make very good money, plus, no need for college debt.

Just sayin'.

considering what i have paid to each of these specialists, that is great advice