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Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

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Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#681

Post by pilom »

chiph wrote: post #670
pilom wrote: post #609

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mobile RV repair is extremely common and doesn't have quite the same capital requirements. The challenge is getting set up with a manufacturer to be a warranty specialist. Most of the warranty work required is interior stuff anyway like plumbing, electrical work, cabinet and door re-hanging, re-carpetting, etc. Leave the "roof replacement" jobs to the big shops and you could get started quicker than you think.

Yeah, I wouldn't do things like glass replacement - even as a shop owner I would call the vendor for that. So far as getting certified for warranty work from WBGO or Newmar, etc. I would think they'd want you to have a bricks & sticks location. Not sure yet. How has RV life been for you?

Pretty fantastic. We're stationary for the winter with the RV in storage (my wife is working at a ski resort and I go skiing every couple days) but we'll definitely be back on the road come spring. Had 3 breakdowns this past year and used a mobile tech for one of them and got towed to small town mechanic for the other two.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#682

Post by wrigby »

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #641
mkching wrote: post #639

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In general, it's a bad idea to wear gloves when working with spinning tools. If the glove snags the wrong way, it can pull your whole hand into the tool.

Ditto rings, for the same reason.

The rules in my dad's wood shop when I was growing up were pretty simple: any jewelry (necklace, bracelet, watch, rings, etc.) had to be removed, and eye protection had to be on before a tool could be turned on.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#684

Post by [deleted] »

up_and_up wrote: post #246
pc86 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless moving out of SF/NY is a deal breaker, it's not necessary to make $100k+ a year to have a solid middle class life. You won't be driving a BMW making $55k a year but you won't need to eat Ramen to make the mortgage payment either. Obviously kids make this harder and my perspective is certainly biased as my wife and I don't plan on children so our nut is much lower every month than our friends with kids in HS or…

> it's not necessary to make $100k+ a year to have a solid middle class life Depends on your circumstances. 100k with one salary?

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#685

Post by [deleted] »

up_and_up wrote: post #246
pc86 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless moving out of SF/NY is a deal breaker, it's not necessary to make $100k+ a year to have a solid middle class life. You won't be driving a BMW making $55k a year but you won't need to eat Ramen to make the mortgage payment either. Obviously kids make this harder and my perspective is certainly biased as my wife and I don't plan on children so our nut is much lower every month than our friends with kids in HS or…

> it's not necessary to make $100k+ a year to have a solid middle class life Depends on your circumstances. 100k with one salary?

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#686

Post by lightedman »

civilian wrote: post #662
lightedman wrote: post #325

I do exactly that as a break from my other businesses of lighting and network installation. Mining is awesome stuff. You get outdoors, you see awesome views, you can go it solo or with friends, and if you use your brain a little bit, you can make some serious cash in a short period of time. There are tons of BLM lands with abandoned claims just waiting for someone to re-register the claim and open it back up, or land…

So, are you just re-prospecting? Are you looking for things that were forgotten? I'm trying to figure out where the value is coming from. Are you essentially trading on the difference in metal markets between now and when it was last claimed? Or are you trading on the difference between current mining technology and past mining technology? Are you working with someone who actually does the mining? Or are you just re-…

Re-prospecting on some occasions as certain things tell me that the area was not exhausted of what was being mined there. I rarely ever go after metals. I have more luck with minerals/gemstones.

I just get the minerals by hand and sell them to collectors. Occasionally, they ask me to take something like a piece of jade and put it into a pendant. I make money teaching people how to find and locate what they're after.

I do all the mining myself for the most part. I don't do it until I get a lot of evidence that I'm likely to find something.

How I test the ground is via publicly-available satellite data. The equipment you need? Basic digging tools, pickaxe, folding shovel, hammer, chisels, rock picks, breaker bar/wrecker bar. Be nice to have a jackhammer and generator. Need lots of water in the desert, too, and some shelter (like an EZ-up.)

As far as the claims selling - those are legit, but do make sure the land is patented first so you own EVERYTHING.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#687

Post by lightedman »

eel wrote: post #615
lightedman wrote: post #561

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty easy. You just file a claim over that one. If you already know the quadrangle and township and sector, plus some other small details, taking over the old claim is pretty much as simple as filing paperwork and paying a fee.

Is the process state-dependent? Can you only reclaim mines in public lands (and does it matter if it's NF vs BLM?), or can you claim an abandoned mine on private property?

The process is pretty much the same as mining claims are in the jurisdiction of the Federal Government. Just look up the Bureau of Land Management for your state and they should have everything you need to know on the website.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#688

Post by nitrogen »

bryondowd wrote: post #674
up_and_up wrote: post #647

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. My parents gave me nothing. Had to pay for school and save up for home loan, car etc.

Different experiences. I put myself through school, have $50k in student loan debt, and I'm living comfortably on $54k/yr in New Jersey. Renting a small house, and sending around 15-20% of my income to help support my mother and 5 young siblings. I eat out a few times a month, and otherwise have a modest entertainment budget. I'm only able to set aside a very small amount, if anything, right now, but overall, I'm fai…

> I often wonder if it's just people who have a different concept of what is a necessity vs a luxury due to never having to go without for a significant part of their lives, or people who have just never lived outside of the cities or other expensive areas.

In my case, I lived on the lower end of the income spectrum for much of my childhood, and lived even poorer while building my startup in a low-cost area. So it is with deep experience and sincerity that I say I have no desire ever to repeat those years, nor to inflict such a life on any future young humans.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#689

Post by Natales »

gwbas1c wrote: post #106

Build high-end speakers. I really enjoy it and I like the idea of high-end speakers that you can just plug into your TV and they "just work" without juggling remotes.

That's my hobby. Anyone who enjoys creating and building speakers and sound systems, should absolutely spend the time and build a pair of Linkwitz speakers" http://linkwitzlab.com/ -- I yet have to hear anything better anywhere at any price point than the LX521.4.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#690

Post by RickS »

samsolomon wrote: post #69

I'd be an industrial designer. I'm a product designer (software), but I have a deep appreciation for simple, beautiful things. I have no experience with CAD software, but given the time, it's definitely something I'd like to explore. Alternatively, I'd like to be a product reviewer and write about products. This may be more attainable as I was a journalist in college and still blog occasionally. All that said, I love…

cinema 4d is a good entry point into working in 3D if you're a designer
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