Need career advice

[corrector]

Well here goes first shot in this section and want to give this board a fair chance to actually make a difference rather than sound black-pill gloomy on other discussion threads, etc... I'm currently licensed in Real-Estate and Life insurance, and am have been in training in Insurance since February and haven't made a penny in the business. Covid cheques from the government will likely be running out by the end of the month. Currently live at home and don't have anything saved (ie I don't consider $ 10,000 to be enough of a savings, etc...) at 45 years old. My father is in the tree service and is modestly successful but after expenses, is not brining in anything substantial. He is encouraging me to go to school to learn about trees but I'm just not interested in that sort of thing plus there is also allot of competition and cut-throat prices to get work and drama that comes with some of the workers getting greedy, etc....

I'm worried about looking for other jobs or going too much back into Real-Estate because I'm unvaccinated and feel to be able to function properly I'll need to be vaccinated since there are all these vaccine mandates floating around and people expecting people who are working with the public to be vaccinated even though there is not yet an official mandate for Real-Estate agents. The only alternative is really to do nothing and hope some miracle happens.

Lets say you have under $ 10,000, what are the first three things you would do in such a scenario? Would you just try to find stocks or investments that can double or triple your money? Would you get vaccinated right away? Would you look for other work-from-home opportunities? Would you take courses (which I've taken more than enough in life to feel like I'm going nowhere. Like I'm good with book knowledge but do not find it helpful when it comes to where the rubber hits the road)?

 

[Modern Man Advice]

Lets say you have under $ 10,000, what are the first three things you would do in such a scenario? Would you just try to find stocks or investments that can double or triple your money? Would you get vaccinated right away? Would you look for other work-from-home opportunities? Would you take courses (which I've taken more than enough in life to feel like I'm going nowhere. Like I'm good with book knowledge but do not find it helpful when it comes to where the rubber hits the road)?

Investing is risky but rewarding if you know what you are doing. I am not saying don't do it, but what I am saying is really educate yourself on it and learn/practice a lot before investing real dollars. Try to find a mentor in whatever area you would like to seek. If that is investing, perhaps do your research and find someone that can legitimately help you get started. Investing can make you a lot of money. But money comes and goes, the truth is YOU need to grow with the money, or money will outgrow you.

About vaccinations, without getting too far into it and offending some members here, that is a personal decision which is why most people are fighting against it. Because to someone perfectly healthy with natural immunity, putting a synthetic protein in their system that can cause more damage than good, should be a personal decision. One where you have sovereignty of your own body. You should not do something that goes against your principles and beliefs for money or social conformity. You are stronger than that. And you are not alone.

Opportunities to work from home are plentiful. That is the direction of the workforce, and it will not take you long to find something in the meantime where you can work remotely and don't have to interact with people. But you do have to look for it and put some effort into it, nothing just lands on your plate, at least not something long-term. The key to landing those jobs is to tailor your resume to the job description and use people skills once being interviewed. Remember, companies are looking for a solution. Be that solution.

At the end of the day, look for a mentor and people that can uplift you. We quickly forget, we are in this together and either are too stubborn to seek help or too blind to see divided we cannot stand a chance. Books are amazing, but you need to apply that knowledge. But what is more amazing is the influence of those close to you. People can either drag you down with them if they are negative or uplift you if they are positive.

Hope this helps.

Modern Man Advice

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Crypto without any doubt. But take your time to understand what is going on first and follow every person on Twitter you can in the crypto space, many are phenomenal with their assessments of what is happening and the most likely thing to occur

 

[corrector]

Crypto without any doubt. But take your time to understand what is going on first and follow every person on Twitter you can in the crypto space, many are phenomenal with their assessments of what is happening and the most likely thing to occur

Good idea. I've been reading your other Crypto thread and this has sparked my curiosity.

 

[corrector]

Investing is risky but rewarding if you know what you are doing. I am not saying don't do it, but what I am saying is really educate yourself on it and learn/practice a lot before investing real dollars. Try to find a mentor in whatever area you would like to seek. If that is investing, perhaps do your research and find someone that can legitimately help you get started. Investing can make you a lot of money. But money comes and goes, the truth is YOU need to grow with the money, or money will outgrow you.

About vaccinations, without getting too far into it and offending some members here, that is a personal decision which is why most people are fighting against it. Because to someone perfectly healthy with natural immunity, putting a synthetic protein in their system that can cause more damage than good, should be a personal decision. One where you have sovereignty of your own body. You should not do something that goes against your principles and beliefs for money or social conformity. You are stronger than that. And you are not alone.

Opportunities to work from home are plentiful. That is the direction of the workforce, and it will not take you long to find something in the meantime where you can work remotely and don't have to interact with people. But you do have to look for it and put some effort into it, nothing just lands on your plate, at least not something long-term. The key to landing those jobs is to tailor your resume to the job description and use people skills once being interviewed. Remember, companies are looking for a solution. Be that solution.

At the end of the day, look for a mentor and people that can uplift you. We quickly forget, we are in this together and either are too stubborn to seek help or too blind to see divided we cannot stand a chance. Books are amazing, but you need to apply that knowledge. But what is more amazing is the influence of those close to you. People can either drag you down with them if they are negative or uplift you if they are positive.

Hope this helps.

Modern Man Advice

Good words about keeping the faith as far as the vaccine is concerned. I did investing in the late 90s with the dot-com bubble when stocks would shoot up at the mere announcement that a company released a website, sometimes going as much as five times the price in one day, turning Nasdaq into a gambling casino during that time. There was an oil company that I believe went up like 20-30 times that I sold too early. Got turned-off since then. But investing, especially in an area that I may not have looked at before, such as Crypto, sounds like a great idea. I'll also look into double-down also on work-from-home opportunities. Thanks for your input.

 

[corrector]

Looked into Crytocurrency trading. Some good stuff out there. Reminds me of the Day-Trading I did in the late 90s during the dot com bubble. You can even buy a percentage of the currency. You don't need to buy one unit (unlike stocks where you can't buy a percentage of a stock) which is very interesting. This means you don't need $ 55,000 to buy a bitcoin per se. You can buy a percentage of one for allot less money (or any crypocurrency).

If you know what you are doing, with a turn-around of just a week to two weeks, you could make a sizable amount of money, double, triple, quadruple, etc... with some skilled day-trading. Someone in my predicament, that's not great dealing with people in a sales-job, but likes spending time on the computer-screen, looks like this could be a very good solution. So I'm heavily leaning towards investing in day-trading in crypto-currency.

Heard about a Wayne Thornton though youtube comments from another video and have seen online testimonies that this guy is good. Someone claimed to make over $ 21,000 in two weeks from a $ 4,0000 investment. With the funds I have now, I should cram-learn everything I can about day-trading in crypto-currency before expenses start leeching out the savings once the covid tap stops.

I'm even feeling some of that youthful excitement coming back that I had in the late 90s, at least a spark of it. Maybe this new approach will go somewhere rather than the disaster I had the last time I did this when I day-traded $ 12,000 and lost most of the money and had to endure a bad credit rating, loss of student loans, etc... for 7 years. Its time for this to redeem itself. My luck has got to change this time around.

 

[CAPSLOCK BANDIT]

There is a lot of money to be made in mortgage insurance if you want to be the slime of the insurance world, sounds like you got the know how, now you just need the moral compass or lack of

 

[Stuffnu]

Gonna be tough to do a career change. Most are starting to mandate vaccines for new hires, including work from home if it’s deemed temporary.

Why are you not focusing on real estate with the market so hot? I’m sure it’s saturated with agents but a single close can bring a sizable paycheck. My brother who is successful in the industry focuses on homes north of the 401. Works hard for 6-8 months and relaxes for the rest.

He has told me he generates leads by physically canvasing the street after a sale and it doesn’t has to be his(!) Lots of agents don’t do this or may leave a note or flyer thats thrown out with the junk mail. Surprisingly it opens the eyes of a lot of people when you disclose how much the house down the street sold for. Even if they don’t intend on selling, they may give you a timeline. He takes there info, leaves a card and always follows up if its a year or two later. If you‘re the first to build a rapport, you increase the chances of them going with you or perhaps even a referral.
He‘s currently upgrading to commercial real estate as he sees opportunities with companies starting to down size or upgrade when the economy fully recovers. Something else you can consider.
Yes, it can be a long sale cycle but well worth it when you plant the seeds.

Insurance is not a bad option as there’s plenty of work but it can be high stress

Good luck!

 

[corrector]

Gonna be tough to do a career change. Most are starting to mandate vaccines for new hires, including work from home if it’s deemed temporary.

Why are you not focusing on real estate with the market so hot? I’m sure it’s saturated with agents but a single close can bring a sizable paycheck. My brother who is successful in the industry focuses on homes north of the 401. Works hard for 6-8 months and relaxes for the rest.

He has told me he generates leads by physically canvasing the street after a sale and it doesn’t has to be his(!) Lots of agents don’t do this or may leave a note or flyer thats thrown out with the junk mail. Surprisingly it opens the eyes of a lot of people when you disclose how much the house down the street sold for. Even if they don’t intend on selling, they may give you a timeline. He takes there info, leaves a card and always follows up if its a year or two later. If you‘re the first to build a rapport, you increase the chances of them going with you or perhaps even a referral.

Is your brother vaccinated? Have sellers asked for his vaccine status in listing presentations? My folks who are elderly, and my mom in particular who is unvaccinated, would be uncomfortable for me putting myself to risk in such a manner. I can try and force the issue with her (ie since she's a major influence in me not getting vaccinated), but as for the general public, I think with all the mandates around, there is an expectation a Realtor would be vaccinated as well?

Also while the Real-Estate market is hot, inventory of listings is actually low which do sell since sellers are holding off to see if prices are going higher.

He‘s currently upgrading to commercial real estate as he sees opportunities with companies starting to down size or upgrade when the economy fully recovers. Something else you can consider.
Yes, it can be a long sale cycle but well worth it when you plant the seeds.

Commercial Real-Estate looks more "friendlier" if you are unvaccinated. It's not as personal as residential Real-Estate/leases and sounds like a better direction overall. My mother has recommended this direction as well.

Insurance is not a bad option as there’s plenty of work but it can be high stress

Good luck!

Insurance to date has been an absolute and unmitigated disaster. I have been working with AIL, in training since February and have really been treated by sh1t the whole time through. If you are talking about a life insurance salesperson working on commission then my patience is too strained to try this again. I was also rejected for work by another company that was also commission based. I just don't feel like I belong in this type of industry. Real-Estate is not great or even good either, but I wouldn't call it a disaster.

 

[Stuffnu]

Is your brother vaccinated? Have sellers asked for his vaccine status in listing presentations? My folks who are elderly, and my mom in particular who is unvaccinated, would be uncomfortable for me putting myself to risk in such a manner. I can try and force the issue with her (ie since she's a major influence in me not getting vaccinated), but as for the general public, I think with all the mandates around, there is an expectation a Realtor would be vaccinated as well?

Also while the Real-Estate market is hot, inventory of listings is actually low which do sell since sellers are holding off to see if prices are going higher.



Commercial Real-Estate looks more "friendlier" if you are unvaccinated. It's not as personal as residential Real-Estate/leases and sounds like a better direction overall. My mother has recommended this direction as well.



Insurance to date has been an absolute and unmitigated disaster. I have been working with AIL, in training since February and have really been treated by sh1t the whole time through. If you are talking about a life insurance salesperson working on commission then my patience is too strained to try this again. I was also rejected for work by another company that was also commission based. I just don't feel like I belong in this type of industry. Real-Estate is not great or even good either, but I wouldn't call it a disaster.

He‘s vaxxed and a Jehovah Witness of all things. Apparently it’s allowed. Not sure if he was forced to but since it does involve direct contact with clients, I can see it being mandatory sooner or later. Yes, inventory is up and down because of the demand, hence the need to door knock and create your own leads but its working for him.
My GF is in group insurance and she gets paid pretty well but it’s a stressful nightmare.
Without the jab, you may have to wait till Covid blows over before doing an outright change with these vaccine policies. It’s going to seriously limit your choices. Side jobs or investments like some of the posters suggested could be helpful in the interim.
Either way it’s not too late to switch careers. I did a full circle at 42 and make serious coin after a few years but I love my job. That’s the most important thing!!

 

[corrector]

He‘s vaxxed and a Jehovah Witness of all things. Apparently it’s allowed. Not sure if he was forced to but since it does involve direct contact with clients, I can see it being mandatory sooner or later.

Is this the Jehovah Witnesses position, or did he personally made a choice contrary to what Jehovah Witnesses would do? Just because you are part of a sect doesn't mean you follow with its particular teachings if is going on the absurd?

In terms of the vaccine mandates, Real-Estate / RECO is not mandating anyone in order to retain a license to practice Real-Estate and neither is my own broker who is employing me. There could be an indirect mandate (ie if you make 10 listing appointments, and 8 sellers are only seeing vaccinated agents, that leaves you with 2, which cripples your chances of business, etc...)

My GF is in group insurance and she gets paid pretty well but it’s a stressful nightmare.

Sounds like a salaried job. In that case it should be easier than commission based.
Is she doing admin work there? What makes it stressful to her? Is she like an adjustor or in a high stress position?

Without the jab, you may have to wait till Covid blows over before doing an outright change with these vaccine policies. It’s going to seriously limit your choices. Side jobs or investments like some of the posters suggested could be helpful in the interim.

Yeah, haven't searched for work from home. I was a bit more assertive with the current insurance company I'm with (ie almost made a scene today with management) so I have some leads to run through. We'll see how this goes. Guess you have to raise a little hell sometimes, (but if you have to raise it all the time, probably not the right place to be, lol!)

Either way it’s not too late to switch careers. I did a full circle at 42 and make serious coin after a few years but I love my job. That’s the most important thing!!

What did you do before and what did you switch too?

 

[Stuffnu]

Is this the Jehovah Witnesses position, or did he personally made a choice contrary to what Jehovah Witnesses would do? Just because you are part of a sect doesn't mean you follow with its particular teachings if is going on the absurd?

In terms of the vaccine mandates, Real-Estate / RECO is not mandating anyone in order to retain a license to practice Real-Estate and neither is my own broker who is employing me. There could be an indirect mandate (ie if you make 10 listing appointments, and 8 sellers are only seeing vaccinated agents, that leaves you with 2, which cripples your chances of business, etc...)



Sounds like a salaried job. In that case it should be easier than commission based.
Is she doing admin work there? What makes it stressful to her? Is she like an adjustor or in a high stress position?



Yeah, haven't searched for work from home. I was a bit more assertive with the current insurance company I'm with (ie almost made a scene today with management) so I have some leads to run through. We'll see how this goes. Guess you have to raise a little hell sometimes, (but if you have to raise it all the time, probably not the right place to be, lol!)



What did you do before and what did you switch too?

UnlIke blood transfusions, apparently the jab is not against the church‘s principles so its the parishioners choice. I’ve confirmed that with a work colleague a few months ago who is also a devout follower.

Yes she’s salaried as an account associate but getting groomed to be a sales executive where It’s predominately commission based. My take is the stress is simply to do with the volume they are handling. We all know corporations are trying to do more with less resources to maximize them profits.

I did trucking and logistics for about 20 years including owning my business. I got out due to cut throat competition and the last 2008 recession making it difficult to rub two nickels together. I made a promise to get into something that was recession proof which lead me to Healthcare distribution sales. Took me a few years to learn the lingo and products but the industry is always buying. Not going to lie, but the pandemic has been good to me. That’s why I periodically chip in my 3 cents (I always tip) about vaccine posts, etc. because I have first hand experience of what is happening in our hospitals.

 

[corrector]

Just got my vaxx (Novovax) earlier this month and plan to get a second dose vaxx soon. Back to the drawing board again. Just feel lost at 46 years old. I was working with insurance this year but the management turned against me and I don't feel confident about that business any longer. The income is so low that it is supplemented with social assistance which means its not a valid job. My dad's business seems to be having some progress but he has to pay other workers and things can get complicated with it. He does tree service. I just come along for the ride and I collect and manage the money. But it's not really my own gig and its very seasonal.

 

[DonJuanjr]

Do you believe economic turmoil is heading out way? If so, try thinking about needed services, not wanted products. Lawyers, Vets, Healthcare, Mechanic, Locksmith. Things people dole out money for in emergencies... I think there is greater job security in such industries than wanted services or products.

 

[jaygreenb]

Well here goes first shot in this section and want to give this board a fair chance to actually make a difference rather than sound black-pill gloomy on other discussion threads, etc... I'm currently licensed in Real-Estate and Life insurance, and am have been in training in Insurance since February and haven't made a penny in the business. Covid cheques from the government will likely be running out by the end of the month. Currently live at home and don't have anything saved (ie I don't consider $ 10,000 to be enough of a savings, etc...) at 45 years old. My father is in the tree service and is modestly successful but after expenses, is not brining in anything substantial. He is encouraging me to go to school to learn about trees but I'm just not interested in that sort of thing plus there is also allot of competition and cut-throat prices to get work and drama that comes with some of the workers getting greedy, etc....

I'm worried about looking for other jobs or going too much back into Real-Estate because I'm unvaccinated and feel to be able to function properly I'll need to be vaccinated since there are all these vaccine mandates floating around and people expecting people who are working with the public to be vaccinated even though there is not yet an official mandate for Real-Estate agents. The only alternative is really to do nothing and hope some miracle happens.

Lets say you have under $ 10,000, what are the first three things you would do in such a scenario? Would you just try to find stocks or investments that can double or triple your money? Would you get vaccinated right away? Would you look for other work-from-home opportunities? Would you take courses (which I've taken more than enough in life to feel like I'm going nowhere. Like I'm good with book knowledge but do not find it helpful when it comes to where the rubber hits the road)?

I would put the most effort into increasing your cash flow right now, whether that is though starting a business or career. Invest that money into yourself, increasing your income should be number one priority. A common problem I see with people is they focus on being an investor when they do not have that much to invest. In my opinion that is doing it backwards. The possible return on that even if a high percentage it is not going to have that much material impact. Its also going to force you to take on too much risk which almost always ends badly. You don't want to build bad habits always going for the lottery 100x investment. Until you have a substantial amount, 500k+, your time would be better spent just DCAing into index funds and btc/eth and getting your income as high as possible. If you can get your income up and can plow that into solid investments you will have much more impact long term.

 

[corrector]

I would put the most effort into increasing your cash flow right now, whether that is though starting a business or career. Invest that money into yourself, increasing your income should be number one priority. A common problem I see with people is they focus on being an investor when they do not have that much to invest. In my opinion that is doing it backwards. The possible return on that even if a high percentage it is not going to have that much material impact. Its also going to force you to take on too much risk which almost always ends badly. You don't want to build bad habits always going for the lottery 100x investment. Until you have a substantial amount, 500k+, your time would be better spent just DCAing into index funds and btc/eth and getting your income as high as possible. If you can get your income up and can plow that into solid investments you will have much more impact long term.

That's the problem, I don't really have a cash flow, too many oppressive and crippling expenses to really make a movement like saving money and building up the accounts. The idea is to make some sort of lottery win out of crypto-currency if you make smart moves. But I've lost interest in that for now.

 

[corrector]

Do you believe economic turmoil is heading out way?

Nice suggestions. But there are many people around who have these professions already. It's not like you are going to be the only one and everyone is going to come to you.

 

[jaygreenb]

That's the problem, I don't really have a cash flow, too many oppressive and crippling expenses to really make a movement like saving money and building up the accounts. The idea is to make some sort of lottery win out of crypto-currency if you make smart moves. But I've lost interest in that for now.

In life there are rarely short cuts or cheat codes. First thing you have to do is change your attitude, where there is a will there is a way. Nobody is going to save you, you have to put in the work yourself and be consistent over time. Wish you luck though

 

[DonJuanjr]

Nice suggestions. But there are many people around who have these professions already. It's not like you are going to be the only one and everyone is going to come to you.

True, but that's going to be the case for anything you choose. I'd rather be in a position where people don't want my services, but have to cough up the dough. Computer repair and plumbing are some others... I'm in this boat myself... I'm trying to think of something that is needed, not wanted, but not over saturated.

 

[Bible_Belt]

What is it about tree service that puts you off? Too much real work? Stop chasing easy money. Crypto is a ponzi scheme and you are late to the party.