I am making no money at my current job and it doesn't cover trans healthcare never mind transition. Is anyone in trades who could let me know if switching to trades is a good idea? I have no mechanical background but I have had and used a class B CDL for the last 11 years. I looked into and apparently I can train to be a crane operator in 3-4 weeks. I am good at math and have a college degree. If I want to save money for bottom surgery is this a good option?
More than likely your insurance and benefits are going to be far superior working in Manufacturing. That is unless of course you get on with a really large company that pays decent in one of the trades. But unfortunately this day in age it's common for really good companies that used to provide plenty for employees are thinning their bottom lines by cutting bennies. Very unfortunate.
There are plenty of jobs that are looking for anyone with a college degree. You might be able to find work as a manager or a receptionist...
Quote from: AnxietyDisord3r on November 16, 2016, 06:54:56 PM. . . but I have had and used a class B CDL for the last 11 years.
Depends on your area I suppose. Atlanta metro has been building gangbusters last few years and my company just switched to United Healthcare (from Humana) due 'costs'. I have a class 'A' driving a beautiful C13 powered 2006 tandem axle Peterbilt dump that pays overtime after 40 am home every night.
They're always hiring, don't need a 'degree' just a good driving record most new trucks bought are now '
automatics' (YUCK) !!
Quote from: PrincessCrystal on November 16, 2016, 07:39:52 PM
There are plenty of jobs that are looking for anyone with a college degree. You might be able to find work as a manager or a receptionist...
I think I need to tweak my resume but I am not getting a single nibble in this area. I think I have a lot of competition with college degrees and while I have admin experience I guess the job title I had is not clicking for HR.
It's 6 mo to get your class A, though, right? And the pay does not seem to be worth it. Driver pay is up but by a minute amount. I see cranes everywhere where I am.
Quote from: Annarko on November 16, 2016, 07:14:37 PM
More than likely your insurance and benefits are going to be far superior working in Manufacturing. That is unless of course you get on with a really large company that pays decent in one of the trades. But unfortunately this day in age it's common for really good companies that used to provide plenty for employees are thinning their bottom lines by cutting bennies. Very unfortunate.
So that would mean becoming a machinist? How does one do that? Where would I have to move to? There are almost no factory jobs where I live; it's a college town.
What about relocating and looking for a job driving buses or trucks for a state/local government? As far as I have been able to surmise, states that have made trans exclusions in healthcare illegal are unlikely to be challenged on this no matter what happens to the ACA in the future. So if you were able to find a job working in any of those states (especially FOR a government entity), you may have better luck in the benefits department.
It may not necessarily net you a pay bump, but if you're able to obtain inclusive coverage IMO it's worth the savings at least in a short term, 5 to 10 year timeline. Consider - pre-mandatory insurance coverage, I spent $10k on transition related expenses in a year. With inclusive insurance spanning the same amount of time, I've spent $2k. What I spent in a year without inclusive coverage, I would only have spent over 5 years with coverage assuming my needs remained the same (which they wouldn't - they go down over time).
Especially if what you're saving for is bottom surgery. I'll spend $6k for phalloplasty, plus the $2k I spent on my hysto for a total of $8k. The cheapest comparable option in the US has an out of pocket price of $125,000. If I was willing to forego a lot of things that are important to me with this surgery, I could find as low as $18,000 in the US or go abroad for somewhere between the two ranges in terms of price and bells&whistles. Knowing all that, I'd be willing to take a pay cut if it meant getting inclusive coverage.
Also - if you're willing to go a completely different route - there are a lot of national companies that have inclusive coverage. With a degree, you'd probably qualify to be hired on into a supervisory or low level/trainee managerial role. The HRC maintains a list of those companies. If you are having trouble finding jobs in the public sector or in certain industries in the private sector, maybe give that list a look and see if there's anything that appeals.
Quote from: AnxietyDisord3r on November 16, 2016, 06:54:56 PM
I am making no money at my current job and it doesn't cover trans healthcare never mind transition. Is anyone in trades who could let me know if switching to trades is a good idea? I have no mechanical background but I have had and used a class B CDL for the last 11 years. I looked into and apparently I can train to be a crane operator in 3-4 weeks. I am good at math and have a college degree. If I want to save money for bottom surgery is this a good option?
My Son in Law makes $35 - $40 an hour as a journeyman union pipefitter. My Son makes $20 a hour as an apprentice electrician When he makes journeyman status in two years he will make as much as his BIL. On the downside. Jobs may or may not be in your neighborhood so you may have to travel. My son has driven 80 miles in all directions. My nephew is also a Journeyman pipefitter but his jobs have been all over the country. Lives in Cali but has worked jobs in FLA. Pipefitter jobs are mainly in ship building, commercial buildings, pipelines, refinery's etc. Since you already have skill as a truck driver and you only need certification for operating heavy equipment that sounds like a pretty good way to go. Except, you will probably have to travel to out of town jobs. We in the NW are having a building boom so jobs appear to be on the rise after being dormant from the Bush years.
Where I live there is a dearth of welders. I'm close to the ocean in a seasonal place with a fishing community. Welding is a necessary but dying art. My son who is an english major at college has learned how to mig weld. Virtually all voc schools run evening programs on the cheap. That's a short term plan. While your doing that, look into a long term plumbing and HVAC program. Tiny tuition cost compared to college and it can be done as a gig or full time. Trades people here are in high demand.