(CAN) Moving from office work to the trades

[chasingsnow]

Topic: Moving from office work to the trades

Looking to crowd source my next career move and this forum has been helpful before for sorting out things I wouldn't normally think of or perspective I have not yet considered.

Current Situation: Im a 28 yo urban planner working for a local government on Vancouver Island in BC. My current salary is $116k/yr My SO (Little S) 26yo works for a non profit and has flexibility to work anywhere in BC her salary is $60k/yr. We are currently in the process of moving from Vancouver Island to the East Kootenays in BC, its much more affordable, closer to family, and the outdoor access is better. We just signed a year lease for a place and with a roommate or two our rent would be $600 per month. We have 1 car a Mitsubishi Delica van from 2006 that is fully paid off (though its been more expensive and needed more maintenance than anticipated).  With us moving at the end of August I am strongly debating a big leap and work transition.

The Work Situation: I am working for a local government on Vancouver Island, and I am currently on a maternity leave contract. The contract could end this coming October or in March 2023. Part of working for a local government is that you kind of have to be local(ish). Us moving to the East Kootenays from Vancouver Island makes my already expiring contract situation a bit more precarious. I informed by boss the other day that I don't want to sign another year lease in Victoria and broached the subject of her letting me ride out the last two months of the contract working remote. SHe is going to get back to me after the long weekend but it feels like one of two things are likely: either I get to work until around the end of October and finish out the last two months remotely, or my contract will end at the end of August when we leave Vancouver Island

The other part that is just as important if not more important; I HATE my job. It feels so soul crushing, I basically work full time remote as it is with the exception that we have to go into the office roughly once a week. I love the people I work with, but the work itself is absolutely soul crushing, I have an hour of work to do per day at most, and the rest of it I spend really bored. Its this awful paradox where I am always expected to be available, but don't actually have very much to do. The work I am doing involves working from behind a computer and I cant stand working at a desk. Im also one of those people where having very little structure and fulfilment in my work is a recipe for me to mentally spiral, over the course of this job, even though I have made more money then I ever have before, my mental health has never been worse. On the topic of fulfillment, i feel as though my work doesn't matter, and I never see progress in any of the work I am doing, maybe that's par for the course working for the government but I would so much rather work hard 4 days a week and have 3 days of time off for half the money. I also feel like this job has me passively experiencing the world, its like a life sentence being stapled to your house without actually having much of anything to do, I have a real craving for in person work and actually interacting with people in my community. This leads me to my thoughts on what I want to do when this contract is over...

Next Steps:
Basically ever since I went to grad school I have contemplating wanting a career in the trades, when I was in grad school for planning and architecture I worked in the summer on an organic farm and LOVED it, the hard work and getting my hands dirty, compared with being outside and seeing progress at the end of each day made me happy. I also worked as a carpenters helper in grad school and really enjoyed that work as well as helping out on odd projects.

I am debating stepping away from planning and architecture and a desk job and transitioning to either a plumbing or carpentry apprenticeship. I know the trades industry is short on people and I think if I could find the right company that valued patience and craftsmanship I could really enjoy myself. I love the idea of being able to mix school and work and learn a hands on skill. My big dream would be to start a tiny house building company.

My Concerns
Let me start this off by saying some of these are bullshit.. but here we go. I am concerned about the money, I have been able to save so much money this year working this job and going from $116k to $50-60K seems like a tough pill to swallow. I know we could do it and could manage but it would really extend my FIRE timeline and it feels like it would make money a bit tight (though I know this is at least someone what unfounded). We do have a good emergency funds and a decent savings rate but there is something about the scarcity associated with money that makes me nervous about this move.

The second thing is the culture of the trades, I know someone who teaches carpentry at the local college here on the island and he talked about how he had to work for 7 (!) companies before he found one that was a good fit. I also know the trades can be a bit of an old boys club with some outdated opinions and values that doesn't really jive well with me. I am a bit worried I wont get along as well on the job site as I do in the office, maybe that's all in my head though.

My final concern is that what if I don't like it/ am not good at it? I am worried for some reason that I will just be a bit incompetent or I will make too many mistakes. I am trying to remedy that by finding a company that values patience and teaching.

Specific Career Questions:

1. How would you gracefully negotiate leaving local government job?
2. Any suggestions on how to go about finding the right trades job/ company?
3. Should I take a break after ending local government job and before starting a trades job?
4. Are there things I am not thinking of when making this decision?
5. Am I just overthinking my concerns?

[joenorm]

If you have "only an hour of work a day" why not just do it and then fill the rest of the day with a hobby? Maybe that hobby is teaching yourself a trade.

[frugal_c]

I am not sure of the specific options in the Kootenays but for blue collar you might want to consider mine or rail jobs.  From what I have seen these can pay very well.  Depending on the job you might need some certs for the mines and even a diploma for one of the better gigs. The rails will train you from scratch.  These types of jobs pay well into the 6 figures.

[chasingsnow]

If you have "only an hour of work a day" why not just do it and then fill the rest of the day with a hobby? Maybe that hobby is teaching yourself a trade.

Its an hour of work a day but I technically need to be "available" or around my computer for most of the day

[lifeandlimb]

I'm sorry to hear you're in a rut! However, be aware that your perception of what it would be like to work a trade job could be a fantasy. Every industry has specific downsides that are difficult to see from the outside. Choosing to do something as a hobby or for one season vs. doing something full-time, day in day out, year after year, feels different.

It sounds like your current job gives you some mental bandwidth or evenings and weekends to yourself? A good way to start is to take an evening class, do an apprenticeship, or take on a couple small side gigs in your new trade. Suss out a few more informational interviews from people other than the local carpentry teacher. See if their concerns are similar. up-to-date, and what you can do about them. If you like it, ramp up your trade time slowly and check in with yourself, see how that feels. Try to strike a balance between your day job and your new pursuit, and then if you feel you need to commit yourself full time, go all in—but at least then you have a broader set of recent experience to base your decision on.

The place you're in right now is perfect; you have financial stability, some mental space to burn, and an opportunity to explore. If you feel stagnant, use this time to strategize and play around without committing. You'll be busier for a while, but what you learn could be worth it. I used this method to pivot careers about six years ago, and again to procure myself a part-time career that I love balancing now with my day job.

[chasingsnow]

I'm sorry to hear you're in a rut! However, be aware that your perception of what it would be like to work a trade job could be a fantasy. Every industry has specific downsides that are difficult to see from the outside. Choosing to do something as a hobby or for one season vs. doing something full-time, day in day out, year after year, feels different.

It sounds like your current job gives you some mental bandwidth or evenings and weekends to yourself? A good way to start is to take an evening class, do an apprenticeship, or take on a couple small side gigs in your new trade. Suss out a few more informational interviews from people other than the local carpentry teacher. See if their concerns are similar. up-to-date, and what you can do about them. If you like it, ramp up your trade time slowly and check in with yourself, see how that feels. Try to strike a balance between your day job and your new pursuit, and then if you feel you need to commit yourself full time, go all in—but at least then you have a broader set of recent experience to base your decision on.

The place you're in right now is perfect; you have financial stability, some mental space to burn, and an opportunity to explore. If you feel stagnant, use this time to strategize and play around without committing. You'll be busier for a while, but what you learn could be worth it. I used this method to pivot careers about six years ago, and again to procure myself a part-time career that I love balancing now with my day job.

Thanks for your response, I really appreciate your thoughts. I think you are right that I might have a not-so-accurate view of a trades job. I've conducted a few more informational interviews since I posted and would plan to do a much deeper dive with a potential employer. I've worked in the trades a bit in the past so I think I have some idea of what the work is like...the culture might be another story.

I actually think my job now gives me the opposite of bandwidth I feel so drained from being bored and understimulated it feels as though it is wrecking my mental well-being. Plus I feel this weird conundrum where I have a lot of free time...but I still have to be sort of "available" for work which means I do have some limits on how much side trades work I can throw myself into.

One of my thoughts has been to do a one-week or two-week trial with an employer after the interview so that I can get a better sense of the trades and company culture and then make the call from there if it's the company I want to work for. Im fortunate that my job has a definite expiry date and I will have ample time to plan this transition accordingly. 

[lifeandlimb]

Sounds good @chasingsnow ! Good luck!

[chasingsnow]

I will second what @lifeandlimb says. First I do believe you have a fantasy view of what a full time blue collar or trade job is like day in and day out year round.  I worked for 22 years in  physically hard and very time consuming blue collar jobs before FIREing and, depending on the job, they can be pretty taxing on your body and your mind not to mention the greater risk of injury, disability or death that may result from a blue collar job.

In addition there are often long hours working outdoors in bad weather, dirty conditions,  a work culture that can be just a bit bawdy to down right humiliating and crude and little support in that area if it's an issue. So the often rough nature of the work coupled with a rougher culture (generally depends on the job) may not be for everyone. In my experience it's mostly just a non-issue but you do need a bit of a thick skin.

I'm a woman (who worked with all men in my dept in remote areas and at sea for long periods of time) and started at age 18 so there was also potential sexual harassment issue too as well as not being viewed as having equal skills regardless of your experience or not having the  physical abilities for the physically hard jobs until you've proven yourself. That is often the same for men too so makes getting a new job harder if you do plan to job-hop often.

So while I personally found blue collar outdoor and physical work much more enjoyable then an office job, and often highly recommend it to people, especially young women just starting out, if you are already have a good high paying job that gives you tons of free time to pursue other things, I'd not make any bold moves without trying things out first. Find out about the dangers and risks associated with the jobs you're interested in. Find out about education, license, certification and training requirements. Watch some online videos and try some various home based projects first to get your hands dirty. Etc.

ETA: If you work for the government now you may want to look i to transitioning to a government blue collar job first before trying your hand in the private sector. Oh and watch Mike Rowes "Dirty Jobs" just for fun!

I have done some trades work in the past, so although I am not a stranger to it, you are probably right that I romanticize it a little bit. I did spend a season working on an organic farm so I am not unfamiliar with working outside in bad weather. Ive done a pretty deep dive into licenses, requirements, and certifications. 

Part of my thought is I am willing to take the "risk" knowing that even if I find the culture or working conditions intolerable I will have learned additional skills, and my cushy government job will always be waiting for me. Worst case scenario I can always go back, best case scenario I find work that is more rewarding.

[chasingsnow]

I will second what @lifeandlimb says. First I do believe you have a fantasy view of what a full time blue collar or trade job is like day in and day out year round.  I worked for 22 years in  physically hard and very time consuming blue collar jobs before FIREing and, depending on the job, they can be pretty taxing on your body and your mind not to mention the greater risk of injury, disability or death that may result from a blue collar job.

In addition there are often long hours working outdoors in bad weather, dirty conditions,  a work culture that can be just a bit bawdy to down right humiliating and crude and little support in that area if it's an issue. So the often rough nature of the work coupled with a rougher culture (generally depends on the job) may not be for everyone. In my experience it's mostly just a non-issue but you do need a bit of a thick skin.

I'm a woman (who worked with all men in my dept in remote areas and at sea for long periods of time) and started at age 18 so there was also potential sexual harassment issue too as well as not being viewed as having equal skills regardless of your experience or not having the  physical abilities for the physically hard jobs until you've proven yourself. That is often the same for men too so makes getting a new job harder if you do plan to job-hop often.

So while I personally found blue collar outdoor and physical work much more enjoyable then an office job, and often highly recommend it to people, especially young women just starting out, if you are already have a good high paying job that gives you tons of free time to pursue other things, I'd not make any bold moves without trying things out first. Find out about the dangers and risks associated with the jobs you're interested in. Find out about education, license, certification and training requirements. Watch some online videos and try some various home based projects first to get your hands dirty. Etc.

ETA: If you work for the government now you may want to look i to transitioning to a government blue collar job first before trying your hand in the private sector. Oh and watch Mike Rowes "Dirty Jobs" just for fun!

I have done some trades work in the past, so although I am not a stranger to it, you are probably right that I romanticize it a little bit. I did spend a season working on an organic farm so I am not unfamiliar with working outside in bad weather. Ive done a pretty deep dive into licenses, requirements, and certifications. 

Part of my thought is I am willing to take the "risk" knowing that even if I find the culture or working conditions intolerable I will have learned additional skills, and my cushy government job will always be waiting for me. Worst case scenario I can always go back, best case scenario I find work that is more rewarding.

There's always the route MMM took and that's to become FI first (or coast FIRE) on your higher salary and then quit and go and do a trade job/blue collar job to cover your day to day expenses and leave the stash alone. That way you aren't financially dependent on the trades job and still have the (possible) option to go back to your old career if the trades/blue collar career isn't a good fit.

ETA what kind of jobs do you think you'd like? There are several of us blue collar riff raff around - both working and Fired -  who've done many different things who can give you advice.

Yeah it is certainly an option....I just don't love the high salary job now- it feels like it is making me miserable hence wanting to move to the trades job in the first place.

In terms of jobs I think I would like its between carpentry, plumbing and welding. For carpentry and welding I would want to focus on more high end residential construction!! Would love any advice or threads you could point me to

[chasingsnow]

So I typed blue collar into.the search engine and it had several older threads on the topic. This was the newest one:
 https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/bluecollarfire/
Also MMM has an older blog post (and a follow up) about 50 jobs that earn $50k and up that don't require college.

Thats an awesome thread!! Thanks for sharing, seems like the advice fluxates from go for it to wait until you FIRE...