Career advice...

Late to the thread. I'm an old Newschooler- I was on these forums starting back in college...in 2005 or so.

In my experience, there are 3 types of people who live in desirable mountain towns-
-People who do the ski bum thing and work in the ski industry or tourism industry.
-People who have trust funds and don't need to work
-People who moved a bit later in life and moved in with money and a job.

I fully thought that I'd go down the path of the recent grad ski bums and find a way to make it work. I quickly found out that unless you have a trust fund, there is a very real expiration date on ski bum lifestyle and people who go down that path generally don't end up with desirable lives once they hit their 30s.

I'm so, so glad that I saw the writing on the wall and jumped onto the career ladder before it was too late. It took 10+ years of grinding in the corporate world, but I was able to have solid career growth and have fun traveling the world for work before pulling the plug on city living and moving to a ski town while making really good money.

After a couple years of shit jobs and shit pay at the bottom of the career ladder, I ended up in the tech industry, grinded hard for years and worked my way up to a VP position at a billion dollar company.

Don't get me wrong- it was a major grind with lots of 60-80 hour weeks and endless travel, but it was worth it- I travelled Europe, Asia and Australia for years on end opening new offices and signing new clients. When covid happened, I went perma remote and pulled the trigger on a house in a ski town.

I'm now in my mid-30s and my quality of life is through the roof. I completely control my work day and can cut out to ski or mtb or trail run or go flying whenever i want. My GF also pulled the trigger with me and brought her own six figure job to the mountains (she works in management consulting, I work in enterprise sales).

The housing crunch in mountain towns is only going to get worse and ski bums are going to get more squeezed going forward. IMHO, it's way better to young(ish) and highly compensated in a city and then transition to living in the mountains than it is to be young and poor in a mountain town and then try to transition to living in a city. The door for jumping into a good career starts to close around mid-late 20s. Don't get caught on the wrong side of that door.

Sit on phone and eat hot chip like the rest of us

I mean people are gobbling up housing in market towns at 3-4x the cost from a couple years ago they aren't doing this on lifty salaries. Most good jobs are remote. You can learn any industry you want thoroughly in a year or two you don't need 10-20 and can chart your course to find the role you want.

No jobs in a mountain town is a stupid old wives tale like the one losers say about there being no women. But yeah the people who bump your chairs and pour your beers do need a spot to sleep too.

twinkle_toesTo people who have established careers, how did you find a balance?

Try for a remote position. If I lived in Colorado I’d start work at 5 and then be on the mountain by 2pm.

STEEZUS_CHRI5TTry for a remote position. If I lived in Colorado I’d start work at 5 and then be on the mountain by 2pm.

Hmm 2pm is pretty good.
I feel like I’d get sick of being stuck inside all day working though. I like my job because I’m driving from site to site, I get to be outside in the fresh air - moving around, and it rarely gets stale. Only downside is the Monday to Friday grind obviously…

I do envy the remote work lifestyle sometimes, but idkk, there’s a reason why I didn’t choose a desk job haha

so many options eh!

STEEZUS_CHRI5TTry for a remote position. If I lived in Colorado I’d start work at 5 and then be on the mountain by 2pm.

And get like 2 laps in? Lifts stop turning at like 330 lol

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Lick my taint bot

I abandoned the ski bum life and found myself in dental school. My best advice is that you need to find other activities that help keep you sane... Find balance from other areas of life to support the time that you are not skiing.

DTetzI abandoned the ski bum life and found myself in dental school. My best advice is that you need to find other activities that help keep you sane... Find balance from other areas of life to support the time that you are not skiing.

Well, yea. I get that. And I agree to a certain extent. But right now… I’m single, have no kids, no mortgage, no huge responsibilities, and most importantly I’m young and my body is in great shape. I can handle some pretty aggressive skiing without totally breaking down. I’m going to make the most of it while I can, that’s for damn sure ! I have other hobbies but they are lower priority right now lol. That being said, I did end up choosing a career outside of the ski industry. And it’s working well so far!

**This post was edited on Jan 28th 2022 at 10:19:43pm

Side note here,

What model Cats are those you're standing in front of in the first picture? I'm a gen tech myself and kinda nerd out when I see big sumbitches like those. Guessing those are roughly in the 2 Mw range, per unit? also what are they powering?

--break break--

OP,

like everyone has said before you have to find something you're passionate about that makes you happy. Sadly, sometimes we have to take a big ole' sip from the reality glass and come to the realization that if you want a solid future for yourself and family you may have to sacrifice somethings. i.e. Skiing 3-5 days a week. I had to move down to Florida for 6 years for my job. Was i happy about it? Hell no! but did i know it what was best for me and my future? yes. it's all about balance. do you want that promising future to where you can retire and not have to worry about money? or do you want to live life day by day and worry about money later? I wish you the best in your search OP! and best of luck!

larilinesignI consider myself a Generalist Engineer because I like to work many different types of jobs in many different types of industries.

There are many ways in which a broad knowledge and skillset can serve the community and make good dough. It keeps ya learning, useful, and sharp.

To balance life, I make time between projects and endeavors to do whatever stupid ideas I dreamed up during work hours.

Hmm tips... boldly entertain your curiosity about the world and get smart and ballsy. Learn everything about everything. Be versatile and skilled. Always keep cash flowing.

My breaking point came during the last winter of my college life. I was spending all my money on gas to get to the mountain, barely carpooling because nobody could ever ski when I was (all the time), and not even enjoying skiing that much because I spent the money to get there so I better fuckin' learn something.

Two years later I'm a remote account exec for a software company based in another state. The power move is to get a job in a HCOL area like Seattle, SF, NY, Den, etc. then move to a LCOL area with better skiing lol. I don't get as many sick mid week days as my friends, but I have unlimited PTO, you still get day-of sick call outs for pow days, you can intermingle work travel and personal travel expenses to fund skiing, you make good money, decent job security and huge demand for your skills if you ever do get let go. I'm sure some kids would say this is normie shit, and it is, but normie shit ain't so bad if you're balling hard.

Idk. I’ve been working in a mine the last year or so running heavy equipment. The pay is really good but the day 2 day is so boring and monotonous. Not to mention the long hours (12 hrs, 5 days a week). However, my job was never affected due to Covid which is super sweet. I took a leave of absence to do some upgrading at a university to have a shot at getting into a program or something I’d actually enjoy. (only 20 but still..)

id say money is important, but actually enjoying what you’re doing day -> day is so much more. Find a career that you actually look forward to doing.

Become a software engineer working remote. $100k+ starting for most positions in the Denver area and you can often make your own schedule within the startup world — for example we have a four day work week so I ski M,W,Th.

**This post was edited on Feb 2nd 2022 at 11:52:20am

Your dilemma resonates with so many of us trying to balance passion and financial stability. It's tough when your heart is on the slopes but the wallet isn't on the same page.I get the struggle between the 9-5 grind and the soul-soothing thrill of skiing. It's crucial to find that sweet spot. Have you considered combining your skills with your passion? Maybe explore roles in the outdoor industry or sports marketing where your love for skiing aligns with a stable career.I totally understand the financial stress of ski town living. It might be worth exploring courses or certifications that enhance your skill set. For instance, do you know what Courses Are in an Online EKG Technician Program? It could be an intriguing anchor for your journey, adding a layer of financial security without sacrificing your passion. It's all about finding a balance that works for you.Established careers often involve trial and error. Networking is key; tap into industry professionals who've successfully married their passion and profession. Their experiences might offer valuable insights.

**This post was edited on Dec 27th 2023 at 6:10:11am