Part time job. Big time career change for me!

[NAW]

So I have big news about my career. It's been in the process for a while now, but I just signed my contract, so I can let the cat out of the bag!!

 

I have been chained to a desk for the last 12 years as a mechanical designer for a company in Barrie that make industrial automation for the metal stamping industry. I used to love my job, with a passion. But over the past 3 or 4 years, I have started to hate it more and more every day.

 

I've tried going to another automation company in town. But it's all the same stuff.. Same stresses. Same sitting on my butt all day.

 

Sitting down has really caused me some significant medical issues. At the age of 32, my prostate is blown... I can't sit on my butt any more. Certainly not for 50 hours a week anyways.

 

So yesterday I signed a contract to become partial load professor at Georgian College.

 

There are some good and bad to this. The goods are fairly obvious if you know anything about Georgian as an employer. They are an amazing company to work for (top 100 in Canada 7 years in a row). Benefits are great, and potential for growth are very good!

 

BUT... As partial load, I will never be able to work more then 12 hours a week (dang union..) So even if I max out my hours (which I have not this semester), I have effectively cut my income in half. That's the only downside.

 

That being said, I only work 1 day a week. I teach 3 courses, and they booked them all on a Friday. So I have 6 other days in the week to make some money.

 

There are some opportunities in the future to pick up more hours with the college doing research and development work. But that won't be fore at least 3 or 4 months.

 

So my question to my fellow OFC family.

 

Does anyone have any good ideas of a decent part time / on-call job that I can do for this winter?

 

I have applied to several snow shoveling jobs, On-call Fed-ex courier, and some other random part time jobs I've found on In-deed. But nothing that really looks to be the "one".

 

 

The second part of my career change, is that I am going to register a small business called "NAW Outdoors and Design". I have always wanted to do this. The company will be two fold.

 

1. There will be an "outdoor adventure" side of it, which will be limited to guided snowshoe trips, XC skiing, and outdoor adventures in the winter. In the summer it will be guided hikes, mountain bike trips and maybe fishing, and I am thinking Kayak / Canoe day trips.. Not 100% sure yet.

2. There will be a mechanical design portion to the company. The design side will be a contract / consulting service tailored to people who have an idea for an outdoors product, but don't know how to design / prototype it. I have all the contacts and skill sets to build pretty much any prototype you can imagine. I have access to several rapid prototyping machines and local machine shops capable of some pretty amazing things. The design side will also allow me to contract myself out doing mechanical design work for the automation industry, if I can't find work somewhere else. I am really trying to take a break from mechanical design desk work at the moment because that's what my body needs.

 

So I still have lots of things to work out. And lots on uncertainty in the future. The business I am starting is more of hobby at this point. I honestly don't expect much income from it. I've got 2 other guiding company's that are offering me work locally around Barrie. But it will be only a few small jobs per year, and pay peanuts. But the outdoors is my passion, so I will enjoy it and that's what matters.

 

The outdoor gear design really gets some of my friends excited, because every outdoorsman has an idea for some cool product! But I'm not optimistic that any profits will come my way from this work. It's just something I have wanted to do for a long time, so why not!!

 

Anyways. Sorry for rambling on. I just wanted to share this major life event with everyone. And also to see if anyone has any ideas of a decent part time job for me this winter!!

 

I would love to guide perch fishing tours on Simcoe for one of the operators!! That would be an amazing winter part time job..... Likely a pipe dream though.

Edited November 20, 2015 by N.A.W

[GBW]

Call my sister in Barrie if you want. This her company and her name is Laurie. https://www.facebook.com/WarwickHughesFoodMarket/

And congrats and good luck!

[mr blizzard]

All the best in your new adventures. My wife and I still have many contacts from when we lived in Barrie if there is anyone we can think may be able to assist u we will send u a pm

[manitoubass2]

No advice, but good on ya for making a move to be happy!

 

I hope all works out seemlessly for ya!

[irishfield]

GF has a good paying job correct??

Edited November 20, 2015 by irishfield

[Big Cliff]

I think this is fantastic news! Congratulations on stepping outside the box that so many people become trapped in. As for part time jobs; driving a cab can be a lot of fun and if you are any good with people it can be very rewarding, lots of flexability there too.

 

As for the design/prototype business, I think that could be a real winner if you take it a step or two further and help take it right through to pattents and even marketing. Not every idea is going to be worthy but it would only take one good one to set you and the originator up for life.

 

Whatever you decide, you have just taken a huge step in the rest of your life, enjoy every minute of it!

[misfish]

If your not happy,then you got to make the move, and you are still young enough to do so Nick. We have a couple of full time guys that teach as well at Georgian.

 

Check your PM later.

[LostAnotherOne]

Been working two jobs for some time so just a heads up the government is going to want your money at income tax time. If you throw I think $1500 into RRSP then that knocks off $500 owed to government. Just double check with someone who specializes in income tax. As Big Cliff said you can always try being a cabbie. My dads been doing it for 40 years. Good luck

[chris.brock]

This sounds super interesting-

 

2. There will be a mechanical design portion to the company. The design side will be a contract / consulting service tailored to people who have an idea for an outdoors product, but don't know how to design / prototype it. I have all the contacts and skill sets to build pretty much any prototype you can imagine. I have access to several rapid prototyping machines and local machine shops capable of some pretty amazing things.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a few people from OFC contact you about this.

 

Anyways, best of luck, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Edited November 21, 2015 by chris.brock

[DRIFTER_016]

Pizza delivery!!!

I made a crap load of $$$$ doing it in my youth!!!

The best night I ever had I made $600 in tips plus my salary!!!

Average $$$ was between $150 and $250 a night and that was back in the early 80's!!!

[lookinforwalleye]

Try car sales it's a riot dealing with the public...you negotiate a cost plus price then they want free snow tires and a remote start...and the odd one will want half your commission...Lol sorry for the rant...best of luck with the career change...

[Acountdeleted]

Congrats bud. I read this and first thing I think is 'lots more time to go ice fishing'.

 

Doing bar work I would make decent cash doing a couple nights a week. It messes with your sleep schedule but it doesn't interfere with life too much.

[lew]

Best of luck in your new ventures Nick, I have a feeling you'll do just fine.

 

As for the part time work, there's always plenty of jobs around.

 

Out of my 32 years on the Fire Dept. I spent 25 of them working on my days off, as do most firemen.

 

Most of the time I was driving trucks but other than that I did everything from driving cabs, to painting houses to cleaning offices.

 

Lotsa work around for anyone who wants it.

 

Go get 'em.

[moxie]

Pretty gutsy changing gears but you at least have to like what you do. Good luck.

[Gnote]

Its sitting a lot but you could run a snowplow, i started plowing last season and loved it 25/hour isnt to shabby. Its a paycut from my normal job but since i dont pump much in the winter i needed something else.

Congrats on the new company! Im hoping to get into some guiding in my future so maybe ill look you up for some tips?

Best of luck with everything!

[Nipfisher]

Congrats Nick. My buddy runs Rockbrune Movers in Barrie. I can get you his contact info if you are interested.

[NAW]

I really appreciate all your comments everyone!!

 

I've got some decent leads on part time jobs now, and I've got a few weeks still to get it all figured out.

 

 

Cliff, your right about taking the design side of things a little further. But at the moment, I don't want to take to much risk. I used to work with patents a few years ago, and the lawyer bills where consistent!

 

 

It will be fun to see if I get any income from it. I will be starting a website/fb page soon, and starting to push the service. So if anyone has a crazy ideas for fishing / outdoors gear. Let me know! I need to start somewhere....

 

Thanks again for the feedback!

[Rod Caster]

You are way more ambitious than I !! Obviously I wish you nothing but the best.

[Big Cliff]

I really appreciate all your comments everyone!!

 

I've got some decent leads on part time jobs now, and I've got a few weeks still to get it all figured out.

 

 

Cliff, your right about taking the design side of things a little further. But at the moment, I don't want to take to much risk. I used to work with patents a few years ago, and the lawyer bills where consistent!

 

 

It will be fun to see if I get any income from it. I will be starting a website/fb page soon, and starting to push the service. So if anyone has a crazy ideas for fishing / outdoors gear. Let me know! I need to start somewhere....

 

Thanks again for the feedback!

Talk to a pattent lawyer, work out a deal with them, small fee up front fee, % of sales for a period of time. Have the originator cover your out of pocket expenses and again agree on a % of sales.

 

You are going to have some duds but they won't have cost you anything but some time and just one or two success a year could make you, the lawyer, and the originator very rich.

 

Brian has some good ideas for products, I have one of his adaptors for my ice auger and wouldn't leave home without it!

Edited November 24, 2015 by Big Cliff

[ketchenany]

Pizza delivery!!!

I made a crap load of $$$$ doing it in my youth!!!

The best night I ever had I made $600 in tips plus my salary!!!

Average $$$ was between $150 and $250 a night and that was back in the early 80's!!!

 

You drove a fast car (speeding) 30 minutes or less) or very good pizza and good looks

[Rizzo]

Funeral homes love to have a list of part-time guys as long as you look presentable in a suit! Drive the hearse on funerals, a little bit of maintenance work around the home (change light bulbs, clean restrooms, vacuum, shovel snow where the plow doesn't reach), greet people at front door - hang coats etc, do removal from hospital etc. There are lots of options.

[lew]

Funeral homes love to have a list of part-time guys as long as you look presentable in a suit! Drive the hearse on funerals, a little bit of maintenance work around the home (change light bulbs, clean restrooms, vacuum, shovel snow where the plow doesn't reach), greet people at front door - hang coats etc, do removal from hospital etc. There are lots of options.

 

I knew alot of guys from the firehalls that worked in the funeral homes Roger, some even owned their own limos.

 

Lots of the guys worked for Brinks too.

[NAW]

Talk to a pattent lawyer, work out a deal with them, small fee up front fee, % of sales for a period of time. Have the originator cover your out of pocket expenses and again agree on a % of sales.

 

You are going to have some duds but they won't have cost you anything but some time and just one or two success a year could make you, the lawyer, and the originator very rich.

 

Brian has some good ideas for products, I have one of his adaptors for my ice auger and wouldn't leave home without it!

 

I am in Linsday a few times a year. I should swing by for a coffee and a chat once I get things set up.

 

You know way more about this stuff than I do!

[NAW]

Funeral homes eh. I never would have thought.

 

And it's a fast growing industry with the baby boomers getting to the late stages of their lives to I guess.

 

Thanks!!

[GBW]

Another thought is some places (retail) might still be looking for short term seasonal help. That could get you by for a bit should they still be looking to bring folks on...