Switching Professions

GirlPants

I am in a weird point in my life H/A. I've been working as an AutoCAD Draftsman since I graduated high school in 2004. I was laid off two months ago due to lack of projects from a company i enjoyed working for. Then came the last two months in which I was under the assumption that I would be joining a band that tours full time. I play guitar. Well this doesn't seem to be happening now and that leaves me in the position of having to pull my life back together.

I've been looking for a new drafting job but the economy is not so good and as a result not much building is happening. So I've been thinking about trying to use some of my other talents to generate income.

Idea #1: Guitar Lessons

I am really good at guitar. I know a decent amount of theory and I'm sure I could teach kids how to play their favorite bands songs. My thoughts on this were to make some fliers and shop them around music stores, school, etc. I'm a bit worried about doing this because I don't have any professional license or experience. I am hoping maybe one of you is a music teacher and could possibly advise me on getting into the business. How hard would it be to get a few students and make a couple hundred dollars a week doing this?

Idea #2: Build A Drawing Portfolio

I am decent at drawing. I am also pretty creative. I am doing a few t-shirt designs for a friends band and it got me thinking. What if I do a bunch of designs, do some hand drawn artwork, do some artwork with adobe illustrator and create a portfolio of decent stuff. Would this be a plausible way to get a job doing graphic design or something similar? Have any of you done this?

Idea #3: Other AutoCAD Related Jobs
I don't really have much on this. I am really good with CAD in the civil field and somewhat with architecture. I know there are a lot of jobs that use the program. Any advice on stuff I could branch into would be helpful.

So that pretty much sums it up. I'm hoping some of you will be experienced with what I'm trying to do. I just really don't want to end up part time at walmart. Thanks.

The Black Hunter

I have no worthy information, but a quick Q for you

Is technical drawing a worthy endeavour?
I am in year 12 in a class of 3 for Architecture, I am planning on going to TAFE, then Uni following the same thing. Any pitfalls? dangers? advice?

Improvolone

A couple hundred a week teaching guitar? Not likely unless your area is devoid of guitar teachers.

Serpent

If you're willing to move to Canada or Australia, you could probably find a job as a drafter lickity split.

Espescially if you concentrate on the mining/bulk transportation industry.

Blake T

Move towards mining.

A good draftie will always earn money.

GirlPants

Serpent wrote: »

If you're willing to move to Canada or Australia, you could probably find a job as a drafter lickity split.

Espescially if you concentrate on the mining/bulk transportation industry.

Hmm, got any links to places where I could check this out. I wouldn't mind moving to the land of free health care or walabees. I've always wanted to go to Australia.

GirlPants

The Black Hunter wrote: »

I have no worthy information, but a quick Q for you

Is technical drawing a worthy endeavour?
I am in year 12 in a class of 3 for Architecture, I am planning on going to TAFE, then Uni following the same thing. Any pitfalls? dangers? advice?

I was actually in an Architecture class in high school too. I don't think there are really any dangers. I've heard some stuff about the industry trying to roll Arch into Engineering sometime in the future. So you might consider changing to Engineering major, but I don't think its necessary.

It's an office job. You sit at a desk all day and talk to clients and draw shit. Not bad work imo.

OremLK

As for the guitar lessons thing, it may only wind up being supplemental income, I don't know--but if you can do what you say you can do, walk into some guitar stores and ask them if they're looking for anyone to give lessons. They probably get a lot of that, but if you tell them you know theory it might set you apart a bit.

This isn't any help to you, but it's interesting to me that you used to do CAD drafting, because my father owns a CAD drafting business that he started some 20 years ago. And nobody I talk to ever knows what drafting is.

Space Pickle

Guitar lessons can be a good job. If you teach through a music store/academy you should be able to get at least $10 for a half-hour lesson, if you do it on your own (actually going to the student's house or whatever) you could at least double that. You don't even need to be all that good at guitar - you can go a long way if you're a good communicator and generally patient.

IMO you could easily make around $200 per week depending on where you live. The main downside is that there isn't much job security (for example, it seems like everybody wants to quit lessons during July/August).

GirlPants

Space Pickle wrote: »

Guitar lessons can be a good job. If you teach through a music store/academy you should be able to get at least $10 for a half-hour lesson, if you do it on your own (actually going to the student's house or whatever) you could at least double that. You don't even need to be all that good at guitar - you can go a long way if you're a good communicator and generally patient.

IMO you could easily make around $200 per week depending on where you live. The main downside is that there isn't much job security (for example, it seems like everybody wants to quit lessons during July/August).

Ya that's what I was thinking. What is the best way to contact these people? I don't have any prior experience teaching. You have any advice on how to start getting students?

Kalkino

Just do a search on "Migration to Australia/Canada" or be more specific like "Western Australia". I can't recommend taking a couple of years working overseas in another English speaking country high enough - if you have the possibility then you should do it

Space Pickle

If you want to teach out of the store just hand in your resume. If you want to go it alone you could put up posters at the local music store and also maybe get some students from schools in the area (talk to the music teachers).