First step is narrowing down how far from home you are willing to drive or move. We have 2 scenarios, the “The Grandma Test,” We all love our Grandma and those who still are luck enough to have their Grandma around, can’t imagine losing her.

However, when narrowing down how farm from home you are willing to go to start your career without getting homesick, we ask this question:

"If Grandma got sick and you had to make it back to see her before she passed, how far is too far away?”

The 2nd Scenario is "The Safety Net Test,” everyone has a level of stress and challenges they are willing to address alone. The safety net test helps students assess what they need to feel prepared to make a major move from their hometown:

“You are driving home from work and your tire blows. You check your spare tire, and its flat….What do you do next?”

Do you need a friend or family near by to help you get up and going or do you call a tow truck? If you need a friend or family member as a safety net, then map out where you have friends & family members you can count on in a pinch that live in locations you would consider moving to.

Less than an Hour

Do you need to be less than an hour, and have the luxury of visiting Grandma as often as you can? Do you have a family farm or family member that you want to be able to hang out with or help out on the nights and weekends?

Driving Distance

When you get the news to get back to see Granny….Are you ok with driving through night or just a couple hours?

3 hour radius from your hometown can open a world of career opportunities, but a blown tire can cause enough stress to make you miss your hometown. Do you need a friend close enough to pick ya up or invite you over for a homecooked meal?

Make the move less stressful, by mapping out areas you know you have a safety net.

Buying a Plane Ticket

Go Big, because you can always go back home. Moving multiple states away comes with a laundry list of challenges but can provide an amazing set of freedoms.

Map out the places you know people and go visit.

How dirrty is too dirty?!?! If you need A/C then you’ve already answered the question. However, there is a group of highly talented individuals that don’t mind getting dirty.

BUT…

There are dirty types of dirty, and most come with a splash of sweat.

Greasy Lighting

Diesel Tech, Automotive Tech, or Equipment Operators know the word “Greasy” has many meanings…

Are we talking go some grease stains in my hands Dirty or We talkin gotta put down a towel in the truck to keep the grease from stain’n my rig?

Dusty to Muddy

This type of dirty starts off Dusty can span multiple career paths from Auto-Collision, Cabinetry, Construction, to Concrete and have to option of becoming Muddy like Equipment Operators, Technicians, to farm hands . Majority of the time this type of Dirty comes with the glue that holds the dust to ya, Sweat.

Clean-ish

The clean-ish careers are often overlooked. They range in types of attention to detail starting at the most attentive type which would be the aircraft technician (Airframe & Powerplant & Avionics Tech), Machinist, to the less precise but equally compensated Manufacturing Facility Repair Techs

This Seems pretty straight forward and simple, avoid what Sucks. The only way to find out what sucks, it trying it out and verifying its not a fit for you.

Job Shadow, Interviews, and Internships are the only way to know if something truly sucks and not your style.

However, the key to avoiding what sucks is also accepting every career has its aspects that aren’t always enjoyable.

The saying “find what you love and you will never work a day in your life” is a lie. The true approach is find a career that has less of what you hate and more of what you like so it will provide you the energy to do what you love.

Job Shadows

Look around your immediate circle. Do you no an adult that has all the toys you want to own when you start making real money? Someone that seems happy and working on projects in the garage that you find interesting? Ask if you can spend a day or half day on the job to learn the career path that got them to where they are today.

Interviews

Have a couple questions you can rattle off when you meet someone doing a career or job that interests you:

1. How did you get started on this career path?

2. What type of Certification or Schooling do you need?

3. What would you do different to get further faster in this career field?

Internships

Internships have set start and end dates with endless opportunities and connections that can point you in the right direction. This is one of the few times when you will end a job and not leave someone high and dry with additional workload. Internships provide an opportunity to trial a career with out an obligation to stay.

If you want to get paid more then make yourself worth more by being able to do more.

If you know where you want to live geographically, know how dirty you are willing to get, and interviewed/interned with people in that career field, then you know what you certifications and skills you need to build.

Get Certified

Do you need a certain type of Certification or License:

• CDL Class A or B

• Crane Operator License or Drone Pilot Cert

• Applicator License

Step up and take the test or enroll in a night class to get the cert to increase your compensation.

Build your Skills

Look at the person that is running the show. What do they know or what skill have they built? Take advantage of your weekends and nights to watch a couple YouTube videos on that area and see who is willing to let you tag along.

Do you want to operate heavy equipment but do not know any construction companies willing to give ya a slot in the cab. Start small by operating a zero turn mower for a lawn company on the weekends and ask for a referral to a landscape company with skid steers and mini excavators.