THE Post Peak Employment Thread (merged)

[Awi]

What about beekeeper if sugar is rationed? My grandmother´s step-dad was a beekeeper in WW2 and made pretty good money with all the sugar rationing.

[uncarve_db_lock]

I'm starting to think more along the lines of skills versus "jobs" and it seems rather self evident that the more you've got, the merrier you are.
....a story teller would be a worthy skill to be proficient in. I know that certain friends of mine can tell a tale for an hour thats got me on the edge of my seat better than anything primetime. think along the lines of the epic greek poems. not only for entertainment purposes but also along the lines of community strengthing (obviously within certain size limits), cultural preservation, history (which if we dont know, we're doomed to repeat), and just general sharing of info, etc, etc.
...mechanical carpenter (spinning wheels, water wheels, looms, pullleys, toys)
...paradocxical realist (along the lines of psychologist, priest, counselor, etc, etc)
...human powered bicycle dynamo

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

is corections officer a good job?

It can be but I wouldn't recommend it. It takes a certain kind of person. I've always said there are 3 kinds of corrections officer: crazy complacent or corrupt. That said do you want to know who all the criminals in your area are and see them on the outside when all hell breaks loose? there are good points and bad to that.

[mekrob]

Reservoir engineering: Concerns the production of oil from reservoirs (dur). They seek to maximize profits gained as well as ultimate oil recovery (odd these don't actually mean the same thing). As the world moves away from easy oil, reservoir engineers will be needed to find the nooks and crannies of every field, column, structure, reservoir, etc. Every single drop of oil is now important, no more overlooking 5 million barrel fields. Those that can achieve the highest output will have jobs for life as people will find it hard to live completely without oil, especially since there are so many people in the world.

I'm 19 and this is what I plan to do. Well, reservoir engineer or profession basketball player. I can't decide.

[auwolf]

Have to reiterate midwife... obstetricians rely on active management which uses a lot of resources... I will hazard a guess that childbirth will be shunted out of the hospitals as people realise it's not a disease and resources run low.

Wetnurse. During the transition period formula may be hard to get hold of, so women successfully breastfeeding will be able to help in that sense. And in the case of a complete collapse, there will still be a small number of women who can't breastfeed.

People who are good with kids will be valuable too if parents have to go out of the home for work or if they can't take their kids with them. Childcare will be very different though IMO.

Basketweaving, pottery and utensil making.

Cheesemaking? I don't think I saw that on the thread...

[Mechler]

azreal,

Hey, thanks for the info. I didn't make it to the fair - how about you?

They did have the Solar 2006 Conference out here in Denver during the second week in July. I was going to write a post about it, but for some reason I didn't have access to this site for about 10 days.

Anyway, they had a seminar entitled "Finding your dream job in solar" which I went to. It was a pretty good overview of resources and ideas to break into the industry. I think there are slides posted online - I'll try to get a link.

My education is in engineering, so the speaker recommended that I skip getting an electrician's licence and instead take some solar energy specific courses, like the ones offered by Solar Energy International (link to SEI).

It definitely seems like renewable energy will be a growth industry for the forseeable future. The oppurtunities are out there for those that are interested.

[Mechler]

The second would be something like oh.. this. Course catalog for the MREA

azreal,

Great site! Their courses must be popular since they're all full for this year. Very inexpensive, too.

Have you attended any of them yourself?

Thanks,

Mech

[deMolay]

Get a trade of some sort....For example if you can repair machinery of all types be it bicycles or farm machinery, weld, blacksmith, tinker you should be OK...

[azreal60]

Hey Mech, sorry I didn't get back to this post till now. Must have missed it when I was doing view posts since last visit.

I didn't make it to the energy fair this year, I had just started a new job and couldn't take the time off. Much to my regret. Next year I'm going to make the time no matter what.

I have never taken any of the courses with the MREA, simply because right now even 75 bucks for the really cheap ones are really expensive for me. Sometimes poor is poor. =). If however I get the job I have my eye on, the next day I will be signing up for about 10 courses for that next year. I figure I can get most of the solar and renewable building courses done in the same year, and do the wind and solar hotwater courses in year two. Basically like a two year college, only alot less time involved.

If I get alot of my solar courses done, and can get to work on being an electrician, you can design solar stuff, and I'll put it up. =)

[Mechler]

azreal,

No problem, man. Tonight I'm going to a meeting hosted by the Colorado Renewable Energy Society entitled "Peak Oil and Gas: Implications for Renewable Energy"

Steve Andrews, co-founder of ASPO, will be giving the talk. It should be interesting and I hope to pose my education question (SEI or MREA) to someone there.

I'll let you know how it goes - good luck with that job.

Mech

[spear]

Gold prospecting.
There are lots of claims for sale in Canada,Alaska,Northwestern US.Some even in New Zealand.
For the right person,this is probably a good oportunity to get in early.

[topcat]

How about photographer? Learn the old style stuff with the big box, tripod and hood. I don't know anything about it but am guessing it is low tech. We all have seen the old farmstead family photos.

[Gunsmoke]

Been lurking on the forums a few weeks. There are a lot of great ideas of jobs here that will help us or help our communities.

I used to work retail before studying for computer to get out of the retail side. I got tired of the customers complaints and atitudes.

I took courses on working with computers but have been disappointed at the industry for a few years. After getting my associates degree no place wanted to hire me since I had no experience in this field.

Now I am back where I started still doing Customer Service type job but doing computer support for web based clients. Been doing this for the last few years and need a new direction. Since finding about Peak oil this is giving me some new ideas on what jobs may be around after the peak hits

[JEMASCOLA]

I think the best job is no job. Just have a paid for homestead, and let all your hours go toward providing you and your family with the stuff you need to prosper. Raise some livestock and a garden big enough to let you do a little barter, maybe sharpen saws or some other handyman skill for the neighbors or a little cash money for trips to town, and say the hell with the rest of the world. I know, that is a hillbilly attitude. I am trying to change, but it isn't easy at my age. I believe Robert Heinlein had it right - we should all be generalists. Specialization is for insects.
Anyway, I am tired of donating 70 % of my hours to the government. The hell with a job, I want a life.

On a more serious note - I believe that policemen will always be in demand. You always have bad people trying to take something that doesn't belong to them. Local law enforcement will be a good thing when it stops being about revenue generation.

How would you pay for taxes? I like the idea of no job also and just growing what I need to live off, but I don't know how I'd be able to do that and pay off property taxes and whatnot. How would you get around that?

[PrairieMule]

good article

[bshirt]

post-collapse, any tax collectors, regulators, politicians, or other societal leeches should be disregarded as compost. i, personally, have had more than enough of our government, its hangers on, and its constant regulation of me. i am the adult of our species, dang it! if i am not hurting anyone or anything else then leave me alone.

if you have a usefull skill or the ability to learn a skill, i want to be your neighbor. if you have no skills and no desire/ability to learn any, you are a threat to my survival as you are depleting tenuous resources. i admit i'm a tad militant, but i also feel that a candid look at the people around you will make you realize how useless and stupid most people are. cold and harsh, i know, but justified. FAR too many people are only good at managing managers, shuffling paper, and kissing butt. they won't be able to make the mental leap back a century or 5. and not everyone can survive anyway, so it makes logical sense to help anyone who can help you.

Great post, handforged!

It's posts like yours that give me hope for humanity.

[bshirt]

In the short to medium term I'd say teaching is a very good career / job.

Well, completely unlike public schools of today, after PO......

1. there will be no "tenure"......incompetent teachers will be fired with no notice.

2. there will be no paid "summers off".

3. there will be no further paid eighteen zillion "national holidays" per year.

4. there will be no titantic "teacher's union" to insure annual pay raises despite horrendous testing results.

1. Its portable - pick your location

Extemely unlikely.

2. It seems likely that our Western society will attempt to stay "normal" as long as possible. Government will not give up quickly on education - the salaries might not be terrific but I expect it will stay in existance

The acceptance of, at best, dismal results, will most certainly not remain "normal". Counting on the good ol' government to keep the racket (public schools) going is bound to lead to deep disappointment. As Kunstler says, "they'll be lucky to be able to answer the phones".

The Teacher's Union, if it survives at all, will have little influence on the "local" employers. Those who can still pay something for their children's education will demand results, regardless of any Teacher's union stance.

3. Summers off currently allowing time to work on other projects.

I don't think so.

In all but the worst scenarios I expect there to be a continued feeling that education (reading, writing, math, science, some history) is a good thing.

True enough. The huge difference is, after PO, results will be demanded.

[Blacksmith]

For the blacksmith: Yes in the early days they used charcole to keep the fire hot, it is possible to weld steel in a blacksmith's fire.

emacs

http://www.abana.org/
http://www.anvilfire.com/
http://www.iforgeiron.com/
http://www.forgemagic.com/blacksmith.htm

"Every man is a smith who forges his own happiness"

[bshirt]

post-collapse, any tax collectors, regulators, politicians, or other societal leeches should be disregarded as compost. i, personally, have had more than enough of our government, its hangers on, and its constant regulation of me. i am the adult of our species, dang it! if i am not hurting anyone or anything else then leave me alone.

Well said!

I too will miss the parasites like another hole in the head.

i admit i'm a tad militant, but i also feel that a candid look at the people around you will make you realize how useless and stupid most people are. cold and harsh, i know, but justified. FAR too many people are only good at managing managers, shuffling paper, and kissing butt. they won't be able to make the mental leap back a century or 5. and not everyone can survive anyway, so it makes logical sense to help anyone who can help you.

Please allow me to add to your list the truly endless "bean counters" who cannot accomplish anything by themselves but for some bizarre reason current corporations always give them management positions over technical people.

Just bloody nuts.

And yes, while it does sound horribly egotistical the simple truth is that most Americans are essentially worthless. When the government jobs/regulations dry up they're toast.

Public school teachers, lawyers, govn regulators, highway patrolmen, post office employees, etc.....God help them. Oh sure, there might be need for some of their marginal skills, but their employer will demand results and summers off with pay, paid one hundred vacation days off annually and so on will be a far distant memory only.

personally, i'm a horticulturalist by vocation, but a farmer, blacksmith, and general handyman/laborer by advocation.

A blacksmith? Boy, that's a skill I would dearly love to have.

[Doly]

Public school teachers, lawyers, govn regulators, highway patrolmen, post office employees, etc.....God help them. Oh sure, there might be need for some of their marginal skills, but their employer will demand results and summers off with pay, paid one hundred vacation days off annually and so on will be a far distant memory only.

Teachers, lawyers and postmen/couriers are among the oldest professions in the world. The Romans already had plenty of them. It has to do with the fact that they fulfill a necessary role in society.

And if you are really thinking that we are going back that far, well, people used to have a lot more holidays back then. Not so many things (including food), but plenty of free time.