Are lucrative, dangerous jobs for real?
The question is can anyone suggest resources for jobs which are dangerous yet lucrative or difficult and rewarding but not lucrative. I am 36, and with regard to the military screening: as pertains to drugs I can pass without a doubt; medically most likely unless there is something I’m unaware of (my father received a medical deferment from Viet Nam due to a polio-related curvature in his spine he was completely unaware of); physically, a few months of being more conscientous about the gym should prepare me for what basic training might throw at me. Though the thought of competing physically against a bunch of 20 year olds makes me nervous.
No, I’ll do lucrative without the danger. Any suggestions with regard to lucrative non-dangerous would be helpful. However, I haven’t found many of those jobs that don’t require either niche knowledge, trading derivatives, for example, or a ruthless business acumen, and I’m not really the ruthless type. It occurred to me that some people might think in reading this that the combination of divorce with the danger aspect may mean I’m seeking a self-destructive course, and I’m absolutely not. I’m just trying to envision myself three years from now saying to myself either: “Damn, I made and saved a lot of cash.” or “Damn, it sucked living in that hut, but I helped inoculate 10,000 babies and dig a bunch of wells.
The obvious answer is the Peace Corps. However, if I were in your shoes, I’d strongly consider nursing school, because with an RN or BSN, you could then practice medicine just about anywhere in the world. Doctors Without Borders is also constantly seeking nurses, and they work in some of the most underserved parts of the world. If you already have your bachelor’s degree, you should consider a BSN program: it’d be a couple of years, and then you’d be off and running. For my dime, nursing is an outstanding combination of excellent wages with as much danger and/or genuine “I have done something for humanity” reward as you can get. You can more or less pick your location and risk level, and you have the very real reward of knowing that your work, at the end of the day, made a tangible difference in someone’s life.
MarvinTheCat: I highly suggest that you do not join the army. It is not lucrative and often not rewarding at all, but has a high probably ability of being dangerous. In short, it doesn’t fit your criteria. If you want something like the army, check with private mercenary groups, that’s where the money it. If you want something potentially rewarding and governmental, try peacecorps or americorps. Although both orgs have their problems, they are less of a commitment and you don’t have quite the same danger of landing yourself in the middle of guerrilla warfare. It’s also sometimes possible to network with NGO that you might find meaningful to work for while at peacecorps or americorp.
What’s your undergrad degree in? There are lots of biology jobs out there doing fieldwork, also geology, hydrology and surveying. They are usually pretty fun and you get to meet cool people and go cool places. Crabbing has completely changed with the new regs that allocate quota by boat. No more derbies so the need for crew has decreased considerably and you will work a much longer season for the same money. However the jobs are still very in demand so getting on a good boat will not be easy for a total outsider. You could try for a spot on a fishing boat. That pays OK.
