popsjumper 2 #26 January 22, 2010 Why not be a social worker AT the DZ? You know we're a family...a dysfunctional one but a family none the less. The DR. is IN! My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmills0705 0 #27 January 22, 2010 Right now you have a choice. Go for the career. If the time comes and you don't have a choice have the dz/packer thing as a backup. Having medical insurance is so much more valuable than you think. You will also have a better chance getting a job fresh out of college than in 10 years when you have no experience. Then you will explain what you have been doing with your life for the last 10 years and well... good luck with that! Besides... cute girls like guys with real jobs...Kim Mills USPA D21696 Tandem I, AFF I and Static Line I Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodhisattva420 0 #28 January 22, 2010 I guess what I was trying to imply is that my Bachelors degree is pretty much worthless since I can make the same amount of money packing parachutes. The only way I really see my degree helping financially is if I decide to return to school in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmills0705 0 #29 January 22, 2010 QuoteI guess what I was trying to imply is that my Bachelors degree is pretty much worthless since I can make the same amount of money packing parachutes. The only way I really see my degree helping financially is if I decide to return to school in the future. I completely disagree. It is one of the few things that can never be taken from you nor will you ever lose. Think long term. You start at 30K a year and then you get raises every year, promotions, etc... 30K is short sight. Look at the future.Kim Mills USPA D21696 Tandem I, AFF I and Static Line I Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indyz 1 #30 January 22, 2010 $30k is 6000 packjobs a year. It would be tough, but I bet the best and busiest packers make that. Somebody off the street? Probably not, but you might be able to work your way up to it. Of course, you would be busting your ass on the prime jumping days, living in a van, and hoping that you don't get hurt because you can't afford insurance. OR you could take a $30k job with benefits, live in the cheapest apartment you can find, and pack parachutes Saturday to pay for your jumps on Sunday. In a few short years you'll have a $60k job and your ratings and paying for skydiving will take care of itself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stayhigh 2 #31 January 22, 2010 does your dz even need another packer???Bernie Sanders for President 2016 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LyraM45 0 #32 January 23, 2010 Quote Quote I could make just as much money packing parachutes! Possibly more. But make sure your "math" is complete - do the other jobs come with benefits (health insurance, paid time off, sick leave, holidays, possibly disability insurance, etc.)? If so, figure that into your math. They may also come with a more stable/predictable income (regular paycheck every week or two, instead of a wad of cash on a busy weekend and an empty pocket during crappy weather). So do all that then decide what's important to you. I want to echo what she said here. I had to think about the same kind of stuff when I first went away to college. I wanted to skydive so bad and almost said screw it just so I could move onto a dropzone and work full time. Now looking back on it I am glad I made the decision to pursue the degree and become a professional. Now I have the freedom to have paid time off to go to boogies where I want, paid sick time, benefits, and a schedule that allows me to keep skydiving as a hobby. I known this doesn't happen for everybody but I am glad I kept it as a hobby since I don't want to risk making it a job that I eventually don't have as much fun with anymore. Just my .02 Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #33 January 23, 2010 Try following my old room-mate's example: work as a youth addiction counsellor for thirty years and do the occassional tandem on weekends. He retired last year, collected his pension and is now wandering from DZ to DZ in his motorhome. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyjumpenfool 2 #34 January 23, 2010 Quote Quote You do realize there are a lot of other things you can do with your degree, right? Granted, the current job market sucks, and even more so for people fresh out of school, but there are a lot of directions you can go besides social work. Why yes, Krisanne. I would like fries with that. How do you get a Liberal Arts Major off your front porch?? ....Pay for the pizza! Birdshit & Fools Productions "Son, only two things fall from the sky." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hackish 8 #36 January 24, 2010 I used to love cars they were my hobby. I've been working on them full time now for 6 years. I hate cars now. Make sure your choice doesn't ruin your hobby. I vote for getting a job in your educated field. -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #37 January 24, 2010 QuoteI guess what I was trying to imply is that my Bachelors degree is pretty much worthless since I can make the same amount of money packing parachutes. The only way I really see my degree helping financially is if I decide to return to school in the future. So why not stay in school? Get the post-grad degree that you'll need to make a decent living, and do it now while what you've just spent four years learning is still fresh in your head and the current state of the art. I'm in the same boat. Just finishing up AA's in Social Science and History. Completely useless when it comes to getting a job. My choices for BA's are History or Government. Also completely useless when it comes to getting a job. It's going to be at least 4 more years of school before I'm going to be able to use my college education - as a teacher or in state or local government, with a paycheck that will exceed $50k a year. Fifty thou a year will buy a lot of beer. A lot more than $13 an hour does. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dks13827 3 #38 January 24, 2010 Quote get some work experience under your belt. Bank away 10% of everything to take home in pay, NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT HURTS And by the time you are 45, you will probably have enough cash to make the 'dropzone bum' choice much easier. I vote with TK ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhys 0 #39 January 24, 2010 QuoteBesides... cute girls like guys with real jobs... What if thre 'DZ bum' makes 80k a year and the real gets $26990p/a. Then who do the girls like? A career is a career and skydiving is a legitimate one now. I would rather earn 80k a year jumpng out of planes than 27k trying to help melecholy drug abusers? It depends on what one want out of life I suppose!"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMK 3 #40 January 24, 2010 These types of threads always pain me to read. Someone asking should they just “give up” before they even get started. In short, life & careers are not formulaic, in the manner of a recipe; i.e. add these ingredients, in this manner and your outcome will be X. I have several friends with degrees, as obscure as art history, who have ultimately had very successful careers and in many instances make over (or several) million a year. Not to be a cynic, but life’s not fair. However you are given the chance to at least put the odds on your favour. The best advice I ever received, while in school was “It doesn’t matter how smart you are, if you can’t get it across in either a verbal or written format you are at a disadvantage”. So I’d advise to take as many writing or public speaking classes as you can get your hands on; you will never regret having done so. Yes, if you are to be a physician you need a medical degree and likewise an engineer needs an engineering degree, but much of the world’s occupations/opportunities are not so stringent in their requirements. Learn to negotiate effectively; it will affect everything you ever do. Similar to the survival stories where the person would just not let go of the will to live and they survived; you’ve got at least think you can be successful."Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #41 January 24, 2010 With 2 years in the sport and 22 jumps, you've put far more time and effort into earning your degree than you have skydiving. Maybe give that some consideration before you deciede. 'Careers' in skydiving are usually not made in a day. Most every person working in the industry started off as a weekend fun jumper, and found their way into some part of the industry that fit them. Even full time packers (at busy year round DZs) didn't show up and just get a spot on the mat. You have to work your way up, and prove that you're reliable and good at what you do before you can get a good slot. Even then, you're packing for a living, which (sorry packers) sucks. A packer might be able to make $40 or $50 an hour if they work hard, but an AFF instructor can make than by doing 1.5 jumps an hour. They're not working as hard, and they're actually jumping. If you're an AFFI at a busy DZ, you can make two jumps an hour, which adds up to $60 to $70. This brings us right back to the beginning, where you need to get a foothold in the sport to make any of this happen. For the AFFI job, first you need the rating, then you need some experience, then you need to relocate to busy year round DZ, and wait for a slot to open up. Get a job making 30k a year. Take it easy on the high roller stuff like big screen TVs and luxury cars, and spend time at the DZ. Look into helping out on the packing mat. Don't try to get an all day slot, becasue then you can't jump, just see if you can pack when you feel like it. If you pack two rigs inbetween every jump, that pays for half of the jump. 30K a year isn't so bad if jumps are half price, right? Give it a year or two, and rack up a couple hundred jumps, then see what you think. Also, there are industry jobs working for manufacturers you can keep an eye out for. With a college degree and some skydiving experience, maybe you could score a desk job at PD, or Aerodyne. It's not jumping, but it's close, and close to a DZ, and you can get killer deals on gear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotsR4pimps 0 #42 January 25, 2010 just do what you love and fuck the rest Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #43 January 25, 2010 Quote just do what you love and fuck the rest I love sleeping in a warm house and eating LOTS of good food, putting the kids through school...AND skydiving. (in that order) ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 4 #44 January 25, 2010 QuoteQuoteBesides... cute girls like guys with real jobs... What if thre 'DZ bum' makes 80k a year and the real gets $26990p/a. Then who do the girls like? A career is a career and skydiving is a legitimate one now. I would rather earn 80k a year jumpng out of planes than 27k trying to help melecholy drug abusers? It depends on what one want out of life I suppose! You make 80k a year slinging meat? If you make 1500 tandems a year, which I doubt, that would come out to a little over $53 per jump. I was under the impression that the going rate was $30/35 per jump. If all you want out of life is dragging 1200/1500 tandems out the door a year than that’s great. But what happens when you are pushing 50 and not able to keep up the pace, you have no retirement and some kid bumps you out of the rotation? Like the Lady said, cute girls like guys with jobs. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #45 January 25, 2010 Quote ...cute girls like guys with jobs. Ummm... ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #46 January 25, 2010 Packing all the way - go for it I understand that they'll have a "pie ceremony" where Tom Berenger will watch from the side while the other full-timers such as Dennis Rodman and a generic Baldwin clone will celebrate your "cutaway" from the 'suit' world and welcome you to the 'real' world of high profit imports, skydiving, speed 8 way, and of course the glamorous world of packing ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #47 January 25, 2010 You owe me a laptop ya prick! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
