Jobs involved with biking.

[SubPlop]

After i graduate obviously i want to go somwhere with my life, do something i like. I was looking along the lines of outdoor tourism for a while, still am, but not sure where that will go. I thought about the things i like, biking being a huge one, and wondered what jobs there are that could last for a while, and still remain interesting as i get older. Any suggestions?

chad

[Rat]

Dont underestimate the need to get a job that pays real money in the long run.

[yellowdogx]

Dont underestimate the need to get a job that pays real money in the long run.


Where were you before I got into aviation???? :stupid: :dead: :cry:

[Rat]

I make pretty good cake now and I had way more disposable income when I was sixteen delivering pizza for a living.

[yellowdogx]

I make pretty good cake now and I had way more disposable income when I was sixteen delivering pizza for a living.

Thats so true, I remember I used to dish pig in high school...now I make 4* that and I am still f'd for $$$$.

[partswhore]

Where were you before I got into aviation???? :stupid: :dead: :cry:

Ooohhhhh I second that my friend. It'd be nice to have thought about that a ways back eh?

[yellowdogx]

Ooohhhhh I second that my friend. It'd be nice to have thought about that a ways back eh?

Yes alas it is to late for me to retrain and try something else (wife, kid, house etc....) :greedy:

Are you in aviation too???

[Rat]

Didnt mean to poo on your parade subplop. Deffinatly get out of school have fun, do somthing you love for awhile. be a bum, get a backpack and see a bit of the world. Then when the time is right get a career that will keep you happy when you have a couple rugrats and a mortgage to deal with.

When your loving life, eating KD and riding every day its hard to see what will make you happy when your looking at things from a new direction.

[Criminal Robots]

Subplop....

I was/still am looking into adventure tourism.... the possibilities are endless with it, if you get a buisness degree ontop of it all

you can work for someone elses company for a few years, build up experience, income, etc. then go and start your own leaving you with a career you enjoy

[Marsellus Wallace]

Well, here comes a long one at you. I more want to test this out with you as I wrote this for my nephew to help him through the last couple of years at high school. I told him to just send me an e-mail and I would send him some things I know about making money. A lot of this is more than your question of "are there jobs in biking", and some of this is applied to a while ago. Some people may not agree with everything here, but these things have helped me along (btw, I didn't invent all this stuff, but collected it from many sources along the way):

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT MAKING MONEY
1. Always make money. Rule number one. If you always make money, you will always have money. Money is good and enables you to do a lot of things. Maybe you will want to give it away one day, look after your parents, who knows, but all I know is that having money is a lot better than not having money. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't have any money.

2. Always save some of the money you make. This is part of the secret to becoming wealthy. It doesn't matter if right now you only make $60 in a day - save $15 of it. The principal of being a disciplined saver is what is important here. If you do rule #1 and rule #2, you will have money for the days when you need things (buying a house, starting a business, going to college, retiring). If you don't, you won't.
If you aren't saving, you shouldn't be spending

3. Don't go into debt until you really understand it (probably in your 30s). People who get used to debt, never get out of it. They go from paycheck to paycheck and are always broke. Even when they start to make more money, they spend more and stay in debt. Bad life!

4. Only go into debt on assets that appreciate better than the interest you pay (not a car). Borrowing money for something you can't afford that does not appreciate in value is a bad decision. It might satisfy your instant gratification, but you are just borrowing against the future. Instead, work hard and harder to make the money you need to buy what you are trying to get.

5. It is all about trust, respect, and credibility. When people trust you, they will tend to do what you want them to do. If they respect you, they will want to do it. When they believe you and believe you to be credible, they will be behind you 100%. If you lie, you are lost. If you do things of bad character, you will go down in flames. And here is the tough part . . . you spend all your life building trust, respect and credibility, and it can all be taken away in one moment. Make sure you think about that before doing something stupid. Of course, after you think of this, don't do the stupid thing.

6. Do things that challenge your brain and body - see if you can run all the way up the gate 6 stairs without stopping. Do a challenge you didn't think you could do. When you do these things, the do a few things: they make you understand that you can do anything you put your mind to; they teach you that even after you think you can't go on, you can; they cause endorphins to release in your head - this is the "natural high"; when this happens, you feel better about yourself and get motivated about other things.

7. Be good at math. Long topic, but most things in business are related to math. So are sports and a lot of things in life. Being good in math means you can figure out problems.

8. Learn the language of business: Accounting - you need to speak this if you want to do well at business. Nothing more to say about this - you need to do it.

9. Do better in school than you have done in the past. Don't accept that if you have been labled "not good in math". Anyone can do well in a subject if they try - that is the truth. You may not want to do well, but you can if you decide to. The whole power here is realizing that you can, and then acting on it. You will be surprised that you don't hate studying when you see the results.

10. Do nice things for people - stuff they wouldn't expect. This is good charma - it comes back to you in life

11. Always introduce yourself to people in a social gathering - get good at this one - this will be key to your future. It can be hard at first, but then you develop a confidence around it. Then people realize you are different - someone who is confident and going somewhere.

12. Remember the names of people you meet - this is hard at first, but gets easier the more you focus. This is a life persuit.

13. When you meet someone new, try to find out one thing that they are very interested in and talk about it. Everyone's favorite person is themselves (read "How to Win Friends and Influence Others" by Dale Carneghy)

14. Try hard to be the best at the things you do. This mindset is what will make you different from the rest of the crowd.

15. Hang around people who are at least as motivated to make money as you. Attitudes breed - good ones and bad. If you hang around losers, guess what . . .

16. With your spare time - do something other than watch TV and play video games. This will be key to your future. TV is cancer.

17. It is fine to go and party, but wake up early the next day and do something - even if you don't want to - call it the price of going out the night before. If you are hung over, work through it. That is a decision you made. Your friends should have the same attitude.

18. Never, never, never miss a commitment. If you said you would do something, do it - no matter what. You are as good as your word and if you don't do what you said you were going to do, your word is not worth anything and people will not depend on you or trust you.

19. Look and see what products and services make good money - good margin (Revenue less costs)

20. Learn and develop the skills that will allow you to be involved in this type of business - it may take years, but it will happen if you focus on it

21. Don't listen to other people who tell you that you can not do it. The best feeling is proving these people wrong

22. In life and business, there are winners and losers - make a decision on which one you want to be

23. Read books and attend lectures on the effective habbits of successful people. This will motivate you and give you ideas on how to do things

24. Look for mentors - these people will be one of your greatest resources and inspirations to achieve. They might be your friend's father, a boss, even a friend (probably later in life)

25. Anticipate. Those who anticipate are prepared for what will happen. This applies to sports, business, school, everything. But, you need to be careful on how you show others about your anticipating. Some people think this means trying to finish off other people's sentences. This turns people off. But, the more you anticipate, the more you are thinking about possibilities and permeatations of what can happen. Smart people do this.

26. Persistence. This is what sets people apart. If you do something, keep at it until you accomplish it. Often, people quit just before a breakthrough. Persistence is always rewarded and noticed.

27. Do the job right the first time. This is the fastest and least expensive way to do it - every time. Sometimes you can see shortcuts that will get you close to what the job was intended to do. Most of the time, those shortcuts will blow up on you. This is a tough lesson, but one you will experience. Hopefully, you will remember back to this and realize that doing the job right is the way to go. Sometimes this means spending more money to get a quality tool, or service to accomplish it. Trust me - it is always the least expensive way in the long run. The cost of having to do it over, do it the right way, and the embarassment of having not done it right - or be caught doing it on the cheap will make you wish you had spent twice as much as what you ultimately will spend.

28. Personally, I got into sales. I think it is the job that if you have the right drive and personality that you can make more money than any other job with the same level of qualifications. Specifically, if you intend to get into sales, here are some things to look for in an industry, company, and product/service: A) Focus on either emerging industries or niche industries - this is where you will find good gross margins (rev-costs). Where you have good gross margins, people will pay you well. In mature industries, there is less margin and less need for great sales people to blow it open. B) Focus on the company who has the best quality and brand recognition. Being the leader instead of the price hacker is more rewarding and often better financially. C) Take some chances to blow it open. You might want to go to a small company that will give you lattitude to do more stuff. You can always turn this experience into a larger company later if that is what you like. Personally, I like companies with about 50-100 people. This is enough people to get things done, but you still know everyone. 100-500 people and you start getting into a lot of rules and corporate BS starts up. D) When you do get the opportunity, work like a DOG. Understand that you need to build proof that you are a GREAT salesperson. It is easy to do - 90% of sales people are lazy and that is why they do not have exceptional results. Being a GREAT salesperson is just hard work and discipline. It is also about wanting to be a great sales person. If you work at it with 120% effort, you will get it all. If you work 80% at it, you will only get 40-50%. The extra results really show when you put the pedal to the metal. That said, make sure you have some balance in your life - don't become a drone.

29. Ending this off - Have a good time. You only go around once, so make it something you would like to look back on. As the percussionist in Spinal Tap said, "Have a good time, all the time"

There you go - just about everything I know . . .

Good luck.

[Rat]

30. there is more to life than money

[superkev]

Very nice post Marsellus Wallace, I agree with your points and find it very similar to something my Dad told me.

One thing I would add, is try to find a career that in some way encompasses something you love and eventually the money will come

[Wayne P]

Cam McRae and Jay Sinclair are always looking for personal assistants.

[Rat]

One money Item that I guarentee in hindsight you will always look back on and smile is Item #2

Take 10 to 18% of your gross income plop it into an RRSP and pretend you never had the money. Always no exceptions. It takes a real disipline to do as there is ALWAYS somthing else that you need the money for. If need be take your tax return and piss it away on bikes and booze (or reinvest it if your smart)

[old&new]

Money is great, and you do need some, but quality of life is more important. I know lots of people who make a great deal of money and do not have a life. They work 24/7 and never have time to dooo anything but work. They are away all the time and never see their families or have time to bike ,ski etc... They have nice toys but never use them. Get a balance where you will be happy, make time to recreate and be with you family and do what you enjoy. My boys and I our going up Fromme today, riding with the little ones is a blast :-)

[Marsellus Wallace]

30. there is more to life than money

absolutely agree. From my travels, I have met people in Turkey that had absolutely nothing, but seemed to be happier than a lot of people I know.

Being happy is what it is all about. It is not about who has the most money wins. Be happy - if you aren't, get there. That is more important than money.

But, I have also watched many couples who struggled deep in debt all the time get in constant arguments about money issues. This is a stress that just sucks the life out of you and can take down a relationship.

In my life, I have both been pretty close to being broke and have had a reasonable amount of money - and I prefer having money. I am a generally happy person either way, but can do more stuff with a few bucks in my pocket.

31. Be charitable - help out your brother in need.

[Rat]

the important things in life are free

Line me up 10 millionares and see how many of them would give every penny they had to be 10 years younger.

I know a few very well off people who have lost a child and one that has become paralyzed from the chest down. Trust me if they could change what happend by giving up every dollar they had and every buck they would make in the future they would do it in a heartbeat. Enjoy your life.

[Marsellus Wallace]

the important things in life are free

Line me up 10 millionares and see how many of them would give every penny they had to be 10 years younger.

I know a few very well off people who have lost a child and one that has become paralyzed from the chest down. Trust me if they could change what happend by giving up every dollar they had and every buck they would make in the future they would do it in a heartbeat. Enjoy your life.


I am not advocating ALL or NOTHING. Balance is the key. My advice is just for those who wish to get ahead and make some money. Adapt it to your own style and desires. The point is, you can do it, and many people don't believe the can - or put themselves into the situations to take the chance to see if they can.

All that said, the biggest grins in my life come from my family, friends, dogs and biking - not from looking at my on-line bank account. :dizzy:

[yellowdogx]

the important things in life are free


While its true lots of important things in life are free.... being broke sucks ass! :dead:

EDIT:

especially when revenue canada comes calling...... :cry:

[mint]

May be getting a job that you enjoy is better than working something you hate. If you like being outdoors it is probably better to do something related to it than breathing recycled air and doing powerpoint presentations. Money are relevant.

[Bryce]

its a delicate three-part balance between having enough money to do what you like, having enough time to do what you like, and enjoying your work

what was the original question? oh yeah, biking jobs. Get a marketing job - those guys get paid well to shmooze and BS about bikes, the kind of stuff we all do anyway. Its pretty cush unless you can't stand the idea of being one of those shmoozy BS type guys.

[Silk]

30. there is more to life than money

thats the truth.... Its like the Mexican fisherman....

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "only a little while."

The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The American then asked, "but what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 - 20 years."

"But what then?" Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!"

"Millions - then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

[Duncan]

30. there is more to life than money

31. Making money is easy ... if that is the only thing you care about, to the exclusion of all other things. D.

[Aidan2]

Well, here comes a long one at you. I more want to test this out with you as I wrote this for my nephew to help him through the last couple of years at high school. I told him to just send me an e-mail and I would send him some things I know about making money. A lot of this is more than your question of "are there jobs in biking", and some of this is applied to a while ago. Some people may not agree with everything here, but these things have helped me along (btw, I didn't invent all this stuff, but collected it from many sources along the way):

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT MAKING MONEY
1. Always make money. Rule number one. If you always make money, you will always have money. Money is good and enables you to do a lot of things. Maybe you will want to give it away one day, look after your parents, who knows, but all I know is that having money is a lot better than not having money. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't have any money.

2. Always save some of the money you make. This is part of the secret to becoming wealthy. It doesn't matter if right now you only make $60 in a day - save $15 of it. The principal of being a disciplined saver is what is important here. If you do rule #1 and rule #2, you will have money for the days when you need things (buying a house, starting a business, going to college, retiring). If you don't, you won't.
If you aren't saving, you shouldn't be spending

3. Don't go into debt until you really understand it (probably in your 30s). People who get used to debt, never get out of it. They go from paycheck to paycheck and are always broke. Even when they start to make more money, they spend more and stay in debt. Bad life!

4. Only go into debt on assets that appreciate better than the interest you pay (not a car). Borrowing money for something you can't afford that does not appreciate in value is a bad decision. It might satisfy your instant gratification, but you are just borrowing against the future. Instead, work hard and harder to make the money you need to buy what you are trying to get.

5. It is all about trust, respect, and credibility. When people trust you, they will tend to do what you want them to do. If they respect you, they will want to do it. When they believe you and believe you to be credible, they will be behind you 100%. If you lie, you are lost. If you do things of bad character, you will go down in flames. And here is the tough part . . . you spend all your life building trust, respect and credibility, and it can all be taken away in one moment. Make sure you think about that before doing something stupid. Of course, after you think of this, don't do the stupid thing.

6. Do things that challenge your brain and body - see if you can run all the way up the gate 6 stairs without stopping. Do a challenge you didn't think you could do. When you do these things, the do a few things: they make you understand that you can do anything you put your mind to; they teach you that even after you think you can't go on, you can; they cause endorphins to release in your head - this is the "natural high"; when this happens, you feel better about yourself and get motivated about other things.

7. Be good at math. Long topic, but most things in business are related to math. So are sports and a lot of things in life. Being good in math means you can figure out problems.

8. Learn the language of business: Accounting - you need to speak this if you want to do well at business. Nothing more to say about this - you need to do it.

9. Do better in school than you have done in the past. Don't accept that if you have been labled "not good in math". Anyone can do well in a subject if they try - that is the truth. You may not want to do well, but you can if you decide to. The whole power here is realizing that you can, and then acting on it. You will be surprised that you don't hate studying when you see the results.

10. Do nice things for people - stuff they wouldn't expect. This is good charma - it comes back to you in life

11. Always introduce yourself to people in a social gathering - get good at this one - this will be key to your future. It can be hard at first, but then you develop a confidence around it. Then people realize you are different - someone who is confident and going somewhere.

12. Remember the names of people you meet - this is hard at first, but gets easier the more you focus. This is a life persuit.

13. When you meet someone new, try to find out one thing that they are very interested in and talk about it. Everyone's favorite person is themselves (read "How to Win Friends and Influence Others" by Dale Carneghy)

14. Try hard to be the best at the things you do. This mindset is what will make you different from the rest of the crowd.

15. Hang around people who are at least as motivated to make money as you. Attitudes breed - good ones and bad. If you hang around losers, guess what . . .

16. With your spare time - do something other than watch TV and play video games. This will be key to your future. TV is cancer.

17. It is fine to go and party, but wake up early the next day and do something - even if you don't want to - call it the price of going out the night before. If you are hung over, work through it. That is a decision you made. Your friends should have the same attitude.

18. Never, never, never miss a commitment. If you said you would do something, do it - no matter what. You are as good as your word and if you don't do what you said you were going to do, your word is not worth anything and people will not depend on you or trust you.

19. Look and see what products and services make good money - good margin (Revenue less costs)

20. Learn and develop the skills that will allow you to be involved in this type of business - it may take years, but it will happen if you focus on it

21. Don't listen to other people who tell you that you can not do it. The best feeling is proving these people wrong

22. In life and business, there are winners and losers - make a decision on which one you want to be

23. Read books and attend lectures on the effective habbits of successful people. This will motivate you and give you ideas on how to do things

24. Look for mentors - these people will be one of your greatest resources and inspirations to achieve. They might be your friend's father, a boss, even a friend (probably later in life)

25. Anticipate. Those who anticipate are prepared for what will happen. This applies to sports, business, school, everything. But, you need to be careful on how you show others about your anticipating. Some people think this means trying to finish off other people's sentences. This turns people off. But, the more you anticipate, the more you are thinking about possibilities and permeatations of what can happen. Smart people do this.

26. Persistence. This is what sets people apart. If you do something, keep at it until you accomplish it. Often, people quit just before a breakthrough. Persistence is always rewarded and noticed.

27. Do the job right the first time. This is the fastest and least expensive way to do it - every time. Sometimes you can see shortcuts that will get you close to what the job was intended to do. Most of the time, those shortcuts will blow up on you. This is a tough lesson, but one you will experience. Hopefully, you will remember back to this and realize that doing the job right is the way to go. Sometimes this means spending more money to get a quality tool, or service to accomplish it. Trust me - it is always the least expensive way in the long run. The cost of having to do it over, do it the right way, and the embarassment of having not done it right - or be caught doing it on the cheap will make you wish you had spent twice as much as what you ultimately will spend.

28. Personally, I got into sales. I think it is the job that if you have the right drive and personality that you can make more money than any other job with the same level of qualifications. Specifically, if you intend to get into sales, here are some things to look for in an industry, company, and product/service: A) Focus on either emerging industries or niche industries - this is where you will find good gross margins (rev-costs). Where you have good gross margins, people will pay you well. In mature industries, there is less margin and less need for great sales people to blow it open. B) Focus on the company who has the best quality and brand recognition. Being the leader instead of the price hacker is more rewarding and often better financially. C) Take some chances to blow it open. You might want to go to a small company that will give you lattitude to do more stuff. You can always turn this experience into a larger company later if that is what you like. Personally, I like companies with about 50-100 people. This is enough people to get things done, but you still know everyone. 100-500 people and you start getting into a lot of rules and corporate BS starts up. D) When you do get the opportunity, work like a DOG. Understand that you need to build proof that you are a GREAT salesperson. It is easy to do - 90% of sales people are lazy and that is why they do not have exceptional results. Being a GREAT salesperson is just hard work and discipline. It is also about wanting to be a great sales person. If you work at it with 120% effort, you will get it all. If you work 80% at it, you will only get 40-50%. The extra results really show when you put the pedal to the metal. That said, make sure you have some balance in your life - don't become a drone.

29. Ending this off - Have a good time. You only go around once, so make it something you would like to look back on. As the percussionist in Spinal Tap said, "Have a good time, all the time"

There you go - just about everything I know . . .

Good luck.

that was longer than my english final essay:dizzy: good pionts though.

[biggles604]

24. Look for mentors - these people will be one of your greatest resources and inspirations to achieve. They might be your friend's father, a boss, even a friend (probably later in life)

I cannot stress the importance of this one enough. Schooling gives you the tools you need to succeed, a mentor will provide the direction you need to implement those tools. Without direction or guidance, you will likely find yourself lost and frustrated. Take it from me, that sense of frustration is debilitating and will cripple your growth as a person if you do not act on it.

[couch@nsmb.com]

It is your choice to be rich or poor - it is actually the same decision.

[pete@nsmb.com]

...Get a marketing job - those guys get paid well to shmooze and BS about bikes, the kind of stuff we all do anyway. Its pretty cush unless you can't stand the idea of being one of those shmoozy BS type guys.

Sorry, I'm going to take exception to this. Marketing is NOT a well-paid profession, until you get to the senior ranks. At that, you're no better off than someone with a similar amount of training. Marketing seems cushy to those on the outside, and there are definitely perks, but like any other job, ultimately it comes down to hard work, intelligence, and organization. Be a marketer because you like the challenges it presents, but don't do it for the money - you'll be disappointed. If you're in it for the money, there is much better certainty in many other professions out there. Sure there is some schmoozing involved, but it's also your phone ringing when there is a problem with a bike design, an ad late for a deadline, etc. Marketers work long hours, and work more weekends than anyone else in most bike companies (except wrenches).

You know who's making the money these days? Plumbers and other tradesmen. You can make 6 figures as a plumber if you're resourceful and hard-working. There aren't many marketers out there making 6 figures unless their title is VP.

[SubPlop]

Ha, learned alot from this post, yet the original question is still, not really answered.

What jobs are out there that can still have me involved with biking?

I wanna be happy in my career, there was a fact out there that over 55 percent of people dont enjoy their careers, and considering you do it everyday, why not have a job you can enjoy everyday. Bikings making me happy, so i figured a career along that route would also be good.

And for trades, there is a Kwantlen college opening right in cloverdale right when i graduate, options are open....

chad

[derwood]

Ha, learned alot from this post, yet the original question is still, not really answered.

What jobs are out there that can still have me involved with biking?

I wanna be happy in my career, there was a fact out there that over 55 percent of people dont enjoy their careers, and considering you do it everyday, why not have a job you can enjoy everyday. Bikings making me happy, so i figured a career along that route would also be good.

And for trades, there is a Kwantlen college opening right in cloverdale right when i graduate, options are open....

chad
Take it from me...do not persue a job in the industry that serves your passion.

Way to many years in different capacities in the ski biz have KILLED my passion for skiing....leave work at work.

[synchro]

what a few people have said - balance is the key to anything in life.

you can work a shitload of hours, make a ton of money and have no time to do anything

you can be broke, not work much and have a ton of time on your hands, but not have money to do the things you enjoy

money is simply a vehicle to get you where you want to go. a toyota echo and a rolls royce will both get you to whistler to ride, but having to work less to afford the echo will give you more time to ride.

[axisofevelknievel]

Take it from me...do not persue a job in the industry that serves your passion.

Way to many years in different capacities in the ski biz have KILLED my passion for skiing....leave work at work.

This is somewhat true, but it also depends on how close the job is to the industry/activity. If you're directly involved, you might end up being around something you love so much that you lose interest in it. But if you're only somewhat involved in the activity/industry, you might find some joy in your work in being close to what you love without being so close that it kills the stoke.

As for the reoccuring subject in this thread of money, let me just say that money is options. Money on it's own is neither the solution or cause of all problems, but if you have money you always have options. If you have less money, you will often find that you have less options.

[SkunkworkS]

Not on topic, somewhat, but a career, if it is going to be a successful one, both financially and mentally, is a thing where you would do it even if you weren't being paid to.

[wheeler]

28. Personally, I got into sales.

Good luck.

I was about halfway through your post and i started thinking, this guy sounds like some sort of coorporate motivational speaker, like the slimeballs at future shop. Or a salesman. Is that quoted from a textbook or online seminar or something?

But you idid make alot of good points.

[wheeler]

Ha, learned alot from this post, yet the original question is still, not really answered.

What jobs are out there that can still have me involved with biking?


And for trades, there is a Kwantlen college opening right in cloverdale right when i graduate, options are open....

chad

Be like me, ride to work, stare at your bike all day and dream think about how much fun your gonna have at 4:30 on the ride home.

ps. I am a cabinet sawyer and i love my job. i could make more doing something else but I wouldn't have as much fun. It feels so good waking up everymorning and looking forward to the day, as opposed to waking up and dreading the next 10 hours.

[pete@nsmb.com]

After i graduate obviously i want to go somwhere with my life, do something i like. I was looking along the lines of outdoor tourism for a while, still am, but not sure where that will go. I thought about the things i like, biking being a huge one, and wondered what jobs there are that could last for a while, and still remain interesting as i get older. Any suggestions?

chad

MOSt (but not all) people get into the industry after having worked in a shop in their early years. Not that working in a shop is not in the industry - it is, but I think you're talking about working for a bike or part manufacturer. The fact remains that if you've worked in a shop, a bike company knows you have a certain amount of knowledge that the average bike enthusiast does not.

As a young guy, there are only a few options, and what you do depends on what you've studied, and what you want to do in the future. Are you graduating from high school? If so, go to university or college, and try to get a summer internship with a bike company - don't expect to be paid much or maybe nothing at all (this is a problem obviously if you have to pay for school, but maybe you could work weekends). They might need help with a booth at events, or building bikes, or in shipping and receiving, for example. Later on, you could try your hand at inside sales. In fact, for most careers, some volunteer time is always a big help on the resume and gets you exposure and contacts you would never normally get.

Sales or marketing - gotta work your way up and there really are no shortcuts. Start with event marketing work or an internship. For sales, start as an inside sales rep - following up on the outside sales guys' visits to shops, and servicing retail accounts. You work hard, give good service, you advance. Simple as that.

Product Management - as above but you need to really know your shit. It helps to have an engineering degree or to have been a high level racer or rider with very extensive product knowledge. Without either or both, good luck - you'll need it. The industry is going more and more high tech, and less and less PM's are able to do the job w/o one of the above. It's a stressful job.

Product Development - even more technical. In fact, this is where it's actually more important to have the eng degree as these are the actual designers, whereas PMs are essentially Project Managers.

An important thing to keep in mind is this: if your first job is in a bike company, and your second, by the time your third job comes around, you may not know anything else. This can be good or bad, but as your career develops, variety is usually preferable, so don't rule out getting a job in one industry with your eye on getting into the bike industry later (again, volunteer or work one day per weekend in a shop).

Being 'on the inside' can great, but it can also lose its appeal, or magic, after a while. Someone mentioned keeping your passion separate from your work life. Good advice. Someone else mentioned doing for work what you would do for free - also good advice, even though it contradicts the first point. Ultimately, you have to try and see if it's right for you. Keep in mind that at least half of the people in the industry ride less than before they were in the industry. Others ride more, but a lot of that depends on you as well as the culture of the company you choose/that chooses you. Rather than answers, I think these are just points you should consider.

Other industry opportunities: photographer (VERY tough to make it), videographer (ditto - although if you're talented at either one you can/should work across multiple industries to broaden your client base), journalist (good gig but tough to get for sure - it helps to live in Cali), or PR consultant (but a company won't hire someone without experience to be a PR consultant).

Sounds daunting, but if you really want it, you'll get there eventually. Feel free to PM questions although discussing it on here is probably helpful for other people, too.

[Marsellus Wallace]

I was about halfway through your post and i started thinking, this guy sounds like some sort of coorporate motivational speaker, like the slimeballs at future shop. Or a salesman. Is that quoted from a textbook or online seminar or something?

But you idid make alot of good points.

Ouch - that would hurt if I didn't have thick skin like a salesman :agree:

[kadmille]

a great book to read about making your money work for you is "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"

VERY insightful :dizzy:

[Tom]

And for trades, there is a Kwantlen college opening right in cloverdale right when i graduate, options are open....

chad

If I was your age again...that's exactly what I would do.

[Rat]

a great book to read about making your money work for you is "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"

VERY insightful :dizzy:


Actually that book is complete crap IMO


very unreasonable examples are used and no comments on the downsides of making highly leveraged investments.

[kadmille]

so you don't like the book. maybe others will. i should have said " in my opinion...."

the book explains how there are many many people in this world who work and work and work their asses off to make some money but they never get ahead. what i like about this book is that it talks about other instances where if you make the right investments, your money can work for you and you don't have to work your life away. sure, not everyone will have the same circumstances, you just gotta have an open mind and realize that there are other ways to make money. it was a good eye opener/refresher. :)

[Couch_Surfer]

I read Rich Dad Poor Dad - and got sucked into his thinking for about a week and a half. I'd suggest you read this critical analysis of that book - it may give you pause about becoming a 'true believer'

Analysis (http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html)

Want to learn about wealth? Try 'the millionaire next door' - pretty interesting empirical evidence on the spending habits of actual millionaires. Or Graham's intelligent investor (gives you a lot of insight into value investing) - still looking for a few factual and reasoned real estate investing books - most seem to be of the 'snake oil sales' variety.

[kadmille]

i'm not trying to say "live your life by this book" all i'm saying is that people tend to get in the mind frame that you have to work 9 to 5, monday through friday to get by. i don't live my life by this book by no means, it was just another look into how someone else has succeded in making money. now if you read it and quit your job and screw your life up, that's your own fault. my philosophy is to never take things to seriously. it's not worth it. but i do like to read others viewpoints, and thanks for giving me yours!

:high:

[Rat]

Im negative on the book because is dangerous in the hands of its intended audience. Totaly full of complete crap if you ask me. I only read the thing after a freind went on raving about it and gave it to me. Marketed to people who have a poor understanding of financial matters and consistantly siting examples that while possible are completly unrealistic.

I would put it up there with Amway and all the other get rich scheme's. But hey if its your thing giver.

[kadmille]

good points said by all....:idea: ( i just like using these little things :agree::dizzy: