Whats a good job/career to get into to be surrounded by friends, good ole boys?

Long story short, I use to use a wheelchair and have a few college degrees. For the most part my friends are worthless, they are unemployeed and have no form of transportation and cant do for themselves, not to mention someone else. For the second part, the few co workers I have are just as useless unless I want to entertain myself talking over their head. Lastly, the few jobs i have worked and been offered are call centers.

Sure I may be half way there working at an equipment company as customer service, but when you call someone about a purchase or service, your a telemarketing in their minds. Plus I got no benefits just 11 bucks an hour.

Anyway, I was looking at the employment guide I picked up a few days ago and saw an ad for electrician apprentices, 12-20 bucks an hour, classroom and OTJ training, choice of two health careplans. THe main draw back for the next month or so, need drivers license. I will have that soon and can apply.

Ive wired up stuff before and like to think I am somewhat rounded and would give it a try when I get my license. Heck, I may have a van too to drive around in.

Really, whats a good job or field where you can build friendships where you can get help when needed? Is there a better area than RIchmond, VA? Think Chesterfield is better? I am seriously considering moving and not giving notice to former friends/co workers and change all my numbers, email info, etc.

Cobb, pick something you REALLY like and enjoy. Friends you will likely meet on the job, some good and some bad. However, unless you really love your work you will never be happy or satisfied. A fry cook who loves their work, is better than a computer programmer who is miserable going to work each day.

As far as meeting new friends, find a job that you love, and then pick a good hobby where you can meet new people, good old boys etc. Maybe working on muzzleloading rifles like I do. Make kit rifles, the people you meet in the black powder stores are GREAT people. Heck a clerk in that shop would be a blast...

If all of your friends and co-workers are worthless maybe you need to look at yourself first and see if there might be something awry with your standards, attitiude, or perspective.

If you're working in a call center and you're making cold-calls to solicit business, you are working in the telemarketing business. It sounds like you'd like to make it sound like something else because you are ashamed of it.

If you want to enter into the apprenticeship program with your one of your union locals, it would certainly be an honorable means of making a decent living. Generally, you'll get most of your training and instruction in a combination of school and on-the-job experience; you don't need to know a lot about electrical work or electronics, just have an aptitude for it and the ability to work safely with it. As a matter of fact, too much knowledge about electronics can prove to be a hinderance.

Insofar as making friends are concerned, you should be able to do that in most circles regardless of any social stigma that may be connected with that environment. Seems that there may be some other obstacle here that is creating an illusion that all your friends and co-workers are "worthless".

cobb,

I love you, man.

I like what Lee1959 said.

Lets take what you said you were thinking about and run with it.

• What do your friends/good ole boys do for kicks?
• Where do they spend their disposable income?
• What really chaps their hide? Can you figure out a way to provide a new service or just be a new interface to an old service that they all b**ch about?

I think that this could be a really constructive exercise and I also think that brainstorming about what you really think you might want to do may be the only way to get there.

Keep your mind open. Keep trying to figure out what it is that you need to be doing. It may be the only way.

Yeah, its basically cold calling modified. Also the follow through on others parts is lacking. I feel like I am just wasting my time and the job never ends as its just making phone calls and quit when I leave.

I really feel drained on the days I put in a full 8 hours. When I dont, I feel way more energy at the end of the day.

Yeah, my standards maybe a bit high, but they have been met before. At the woodrow wilson rehab center and the nascar track, but not the folks who attend a nascar race with me.

Being able to drive I am sure will open the doors to meeting people. Hitting the gym, race track(s), car, steam, tractor shows and other places like that.I think getting a van despite what i think will leave the road wide open for a mobile business and like mentioned, its just a matter of standing around a group of guys, watching and lsitening as they shoot the bull and smoke to see something.

Reading the post about the union thing does kind of sound good. I know some critize them for the problems with many industries, but not being a member hasnt help me much.

Thanks guys.