Career ideas?

[Rimbaud]

Do what makes you happy. Ask yourself where you want to be in 5 years or 20 years and work toward that goal. You can be anything you want to be in America if you’re willing to work hard.

 

[Tanks]

Besides that, most of those skilled jobs come with insurance that pays for almost everything anyway.

Yep, I pay 100% of insurance premiums for employees.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yep, I pay 100% of insurance premiums for employees.

Yep. But what do the employees have to pay when they go to get treatment? Deductables, copayments, etc. Premiums are only a part of the picture. And do the insurance companies always pay what they're supposed to? One thing is guaranteed: employees have to fight with them to pay their portion. It's always a war of attrition to see who will give in first. You forget, I've been there with the almighty American health care system.

I had to laugh when Blue Cross was bragging to our union at the plant during negotiations how they paid for optical. Oh my, aren't we lucky! They would buy me up to $200 glasses every two years while we were paying them over a thousand PER MONTH and the plant was paying as much (in theory anyway). If memory is correct my deductable was $5K per annum ... in 1983!

And then there's what they won't cover. Funny how cancer treatment always seems to get categorized as "experimental" ... until you get a lawyer.

 

[Betterinthebush]

Someone doesn’t like oil and Williston. Ok. Here’s a little company I have an association with. Garrison is a beautiful area on lake sakakawea.

 

[K-man]

Hey guys,

This is a very, very open question that can have a million answers.. well aware.

My wife and I are looking to potentially move to Oklahoma in the next decade. Currently based in Australia and I’m 35 years old.

I spent 13 years as a machinist, 3 years in vegetation management on CSG infrastructure and am almost 12 months into working for the government as a park ranger.
Don’t want to go back to machining.

But considering a change, this can potentially include university/college if needed (I’ve done a diploma in conservation and land management, and finished high school), I have time.
Would certainly try and get a green card.

Any suggestions? I do enjoy working outdoors. The career options of the US of A are foreign to me.

Cheers.

Your skill set makes it easy to get a reasonably well paying career here in Oklahoma. You could even consider a teaching job at one of our 5 career tech institutions. The energy/oilfield is an ongoing possibility. Depending on where in the state you choose, I personally know several business owners in the oilfield service industry hiring! Good luck and when you get closer, send me a p.m. and I'll happily get you contact information.

 

[Tanks]

Yep. But what do the employees have to pay when they go to get treatment? Deductables, copayments, etc. Premiums are only a part of the picture. And do the insurance companies always pay what they're supposed to? One thing is guaranteed: employees have to fight with them to pay their portion. It's always a war of attrition to see who will give in first. You forget, I've been there with the almighty American health care system.

Well, we have PPO so everyone can get the doctor and the treatment they want. When I had my hip replacement my total wait time was two weeks due to labs prior to surgery. Cost was over $125K and out of pocket was $2K. That included after care and physical therapy.

In a country with a public option I’d have to get in a queue and most likely they’d try pain management instead of surgery.

Public healthcare is rationed healthcare.

 

[Mark458]

Well, we have PPO so everyone can get the doctor and the treatment they want. When I had my hip replacement my total wait time was two weeks due to labs prior to surgery. Cost was over $125K and out of pocket was $2K. That included after care and physical therapy.

In a country with a public option I’d have to get in a queue and most likely they’d try pain management instead of surgery.

Public healthcare is rationed healthcare.

Nobody is rushing to Canada for QUALITY healthcare.

 

[Certus]

Lots of interesting answers and lots to think about. Thank you all immensely and feel free to keep suggestions coming.

As for salary expectations - enough to live on. We have the house here in Australia paid off (it was cheap..) but I’d like to keep that so if we move back it’s an option.

Oklahoma - my wife is an Okie, still a US citizen. Family are there. She’s given the last 10 years here, and she keeps bouncing around the idea of going back for awhile.

She’s a Registered Nurse and has spent the last 2 years as a Credentialed Diabetes Educator. Though she’s also considering a career change to possibly teaching. She didn’t enjoy being a nurse and in Australia it was just the pathway required to be a CDE.

Cheers, everyone, thanks so much.

 

[tarbe]

Trump has also thrown an extra monkey wrench in the works laying off thirty percent of the workforce.

And finally, though I loved my work, working for the NPS was a challenge ... every day and every way. Let's just say the cream doesn't float to the top in that outfit. More like the stuff you see floating in the toilet bowl. Incompetence in management is epidemic.

Based on your second statement above, it sounds like Trump did well to get rid of the turds!!

 

[Newboomer]

Lots of interesting answers and lots to think about. Thank you all immensely and feel free to keep suggestions coming.

As for salary expectations - enough to live on. We have the house here in Australia paid off (it was cheap..) but I’d like to keep that so if we move back it’s an option.

Oklahoma - my wife is an Okie, still a US citizen. Family are there. She’s given the last 10 years here, and she keeps bouncing around the idea of going back for awhile.

She’s a Registered Nurse and has spent the last 2 years as a Credentialed Diabetes Educator. Though she’s also considering a career change to possibly teaching. She didn’t enjoy being a nurse and in Australia it was just the pathway required to be a CDE.

Cheers, everyone, thanks so much.

If your wife is in the medical field you've got it made. There is a critical shortage of medical personnel in every field.
If you have any construction knowledge or experience there is always work and the money is good.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I’m always looking for hardworking men. Utility protection, oil pad protection, fiber optic transport management, GIS survey. It’s tough work around construction and roughnecks. The pay is good and it’s not boring. We’re growing.

Problem is; I’m in North Dakota. Which is a lot like Oklahoma, except, we have some of the best waterfowl and upland bird hunting in the USA people come from all over the states to hunt here in the autumn. The fishing is great. Walleye, small mouth, northern pike, etc. And, we have moose. An abundance of them.

The winters! Tell him about the North Dakota winters!

 

[Adam Stevens]

Well, we have PPO so everyone can get the doctor and the treatment they want. When I had my hip replacement my total wait time was two weeks due to labs prior to surgery. Cost was over $125K and out of pocket was $2K. That included after care and physical therapy.

In a country with a public option I’d have to get in a queue and most likely they’d try pain management instead of surgery.

Public healthcare is rationed healthcare.

In my same job, Id have much much better coverage in america then here. Most canadians always play the cost card when comparing, and in certain cases can be true. But for me and my family, it would be better off south of the 49th.

Had a Meniscus tear in my knee and was 6-9 month wait for MRI. after 3 months I opted to pay privately for one, couldnt continue living and working, not knowing whats wrong. Cost $800 bucks and half was covered by work insurance.

Took the mri to doc and another 3 months wait for surgery.

Knee is good, just a little loose or sloppy. ACL will go someday doc says, dont play football was his words haha.


I can only imagine how much better time wise it would of been if in the States

 

[Betterinthebush]

The winters! Tell him about the North Dakota winters!

Huh.., uh.., what.., winters? Mostly wind. No biggie. Ok. It gets cold too. And, yes, sure, when you put them both together it gets a little “challenging”. Why are you being so honest? I’m trying to recruit here?!? lol!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Based on your second statement above, it sounds like Trump did well to get rid of the turds!!

Except the grunts in the workforce are always the first to go. Useless turds floating on top are the last to get flushed. Because they are the ones who attend the right cocktail parties. It's the govt way.

 

[Berettaco]

Several of my buddies are in the electrical and plumbing trades - they own their own businesses. From what I have been told is there’s a huge shortage in labor, and both of those trades pay very well here.
If it were me I get a job in one of those or hvac - they usually pay for your certifications and starting pay is solid. Longer term the pay is great.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

@Certus with regards to Oklahoma, I have kids and grandkids in the Oklahoma City area. I visit there frequently. The economy is booming! New home subdivisions popping up everywhere. New schools, commercial development and road construction going everywhere. OKC and Tulsa are the two largest cities and both are very nice in my opinion. Smaller towns offer a little slower pace and probably better value. Agriculture is a huge part of the economy, as is oil and gas. There's lot of military bases in Oklahoma too, with many civilian jobs associated with them.

 

[revturbo9967]

My entire background is in machining, and I’ve been on the OEM sales side for the last 10 years. If you’re skilled, you can walk into just about any machine shop worth working at and make six figures. I’m in dozens of shops every month, and finding good people is a constant struggle. Shops are looking for top talent and are willing to pay for it.

Insurance really shouldn’t be an issue either. Most shops are offering full benefits packages because they know what it takes to attract and keep good people.

I’d use that background to get your foot in the door, get settled, and get comfortable living in the States for a while. Once you have your feet under you, you can always look around for other opportunities.

 

[WAB]

Huh.., uh.., what.., winters? Mostly wind. No biggie. Ok. It gets cold too. And, yes, sure, when you put them both together it gets a little “challenging”. Why are you being so honest? I’m trying to recruit here?!? lol!

Oh don’t be a weenie, I ran an oil refinery in Fairbanks, went 4 weeks where it never got up to 40 below… but it’s a dry cold…

 

[WAB]

Dang dude, you’re a machinist and your wife is a nurse??? You seriously need to look at Alaska. My wife is a dental hygienist. When we moved to Fairbanks in 2003, she was offered $100k/yr to go back to work. Medical professionals and skilled trades do really well in the last frontier.