Well I got some bad news today. The long reaching economic problems of this country has made its way to me. The private airline I work for announced it's furloughing 500 pilots today (which includes me). So I'm seeking a new career path. ( I'm not sure what it is but I know I need one). I've been playing with automation type stuff for several years now but I'm not really sure if there is much of a market in this economy?

I just wanted to post to see if anyone had any ideas of small niche markets to start a business or service in (it doesn't necessarily have to do with automation).
Or if anyone is on the East Coast of MA (Cape Cod / Boston area) that is in need a new employee?

Thanks a bunch

Todd

Man, I am sorry to hear that. 2009 is gonna go down in history as blood bath, I'm afraid. While there is money to be made in home automation, now may not be the best of times to begin. Unless you have a product or service up your sleeve that's bound to raise interest, that is.

Sorry to hear about your problem Todd. Which airline do you work for? I worked for UAL for about 10 years and 2 years into their bankruptcy. Neighbor is a pilot for AA flying puddle jumpers.

I have been playing with automation (hobby) since the 1970's and what I have noticed reading the trade rags is that the big players in automation are barely keeping up with the economic times.

I believe that many folks that building homes today (that still would rather do this) and are spending say in excess of 500k to build don't mind spending a double digit percentage on some sort of HA. Most home builders that I have dealt with don't have a clue and typically prefer to do it themselves (wrong and cheap and expensive) rather than pay a subcontractor to do the HA work.

I have been helping an old friend building a home now for the last three years with wiring and HA. Not sure what his contractor would have charged him but between him, his son and me we wired his home for network, alarm, sound, video, etc in about 4 days. I couldn't put a value of what we did but current costs for "stuff" is sitting around $3000 for just the wires and no terminations yet. He built this new home on a farm about 2 city blocks away from his current home so there has not really been a rush yet to move in. Its kind of the current joke now whether he will be in the home before the end of the year (this is after 3 years now).

New work or job opportunities are being generated in the public sector while the private sector jobs are declining.

We were kicking this around at work yesterday. Many of us have been laid off and rehired once or twice a month for the past 8 or 9 months which is better than nothing but wearing us thin. We are all engineering or support staff working for an alarm manufacturer. Alarm's and HA are struggling but not totally sinking we believe.

Most of us felt teaching is a great profession to get into. With the state of the economy though there are no real stable fields. If you are going to teach we were discussing the best subject to teach. We realized that a Gym teacher or an Art teacher etc assigns few if any projects, quizzes, tests etc that require grading that takes more than a minute or two. Compare that to an english or social studies teacher who can spend hours upon hours grading papers. Summers and holidays off and decent pay (here in NY at least) and great benifets make it something to consider.

I worked for a small electronics manufacturer. We made paper handling equipment. The German parent company decided that most of us had to go. Their business was in the tank also and they protect their own first.
It was twenty years to the week for me.
So I feel the pain many of us are now feeling.

Companies looking to hire professionals or members looking for work can now post their requests in our Classifieds forum.

Teachers in my area are facing some issues with finding jobs, believe it or not. Some schools are letting some teachers go and disbursing those students among remaining teachers.

My wife is a teacher with two years experience (somewhat just outta college) and can't get another teaching job. The only other route to getting a teaching job would be to substitute teach, in hopes that the school would like her and take her on 'full time'. Subbing is piecemeal and there's no guaranteed steady income, unless you can sub for a teacher that is gone on maternity leave or something like that. No benefits for substitute teachers

So like everyone, she found a job in another field, not related to teaching. Teachers don't make much money regardless, so m'eh

Depends where you live.

Teachers on Long Island start somewhat low (mid 30's to 40K on average with a masters) and after about ten years of salary steps and percentage raises get to nearly $80K. By the time they retire many are making over $150K. The more classes you take the higher your salary (Master plus 15 credits, Master Plus 30 credits etc). That can add over $10K a year easily if you put the effort in.

My wife is 35 and a teacher for 13 years. She is in a better paying district (where the CEO's, lawyers etc live and the kids drive cars we will never afford) and her pay reflects that. If she works until 55 she is eligable to retire at 65.5 percent of her last years salary. For every year after that she gets 1.25 percent more in retirement (of her last years salary so staying four more years gets 5% more). Most likely she will be bought out at some time after she turns 55 so the school can hire in a lower paid replacement. Probably they will offer one or two years salary to leave (we will take the money and run if they do).

With her current contract of 3.5% increase per year for 3 years (plus salary step of just over 2K if I remember correctly) it goes up fast (in the next 10 years her salary will probably go up another $55k). Salary steps stop in your 20th year and then your longevity pay raises kick in instead (a sneaky way by the unions to keep the salaries going up in my opinion).

Teachers on Long Island make an excellent salary but that is not the same all over the country.

It is also why our school taxes are almost the highest in the nation.