C M R

Hopefully this thread don't get moved it has to do something with water.

Gotta little predicament and I was hoping some of the fellow OSOer's could give a little advice!

Alright here it goes... I'm 18 and just about to graduate from High school.. Ever since I've been brought up around boating I have truly loved the sport... and now as the time come to choose what I would like to do with my future it comes a little uncertain..

I've been offered to come work for a company called "Florida Marine USA" They seem to be a very large marina specializing in yacht refinishing and repair. It's a great opportunity that I don't think I could pass down. They are located just North of West Palm Beach, Florida. I've past through the area once before on are way to pick a boat up in Miami, and it seems like it would be a great place to live and work.

There's another opportunity that's still afloat... I have family and friends that live in the Destin,Florida area. They have mention the opportunity that I could come work for my uncle that has a thriving business in that area. Then I could also work in a marina in my spare time.

I'm leaving for Destin next Thursday on my spring break to once again check out that area. Then the first week of June I plan on being in the West Palm area.

My family up here in the North thinks it's a great opportunity that I should not let pass me by. (I think so also!) But I was wondering what the fellow OSO family would have some advice or comments!!

Thanks for reading my predicament!


-David

Reed Jensen

Hey David... nothing is ever "chiseled in stone"... I'd suggest you take the job at Florida Marine Usa... you would learn how they refinish boats... and how they do business. I'm sure you would get a lot of the "starter"..... ie: " Sh!t jobs"... being the "new guy" and also inexperienced... but look at this opportunity as not being an "employee"... but a stealth spy in learning how they do business... how the work is performed.. where they buy their materials... any "secret processes".. these are the things no company will just "tell you"... you have to work there to learn these things... pay attention and keep your eyes and ears open.. if you want a career in boating or operating a marina this will be invaluable... keep your plans secret and your eyes open.Don't look at this job as the "end all" to a career in boating. If there are employees that have been there for years... you won't have an oportunity for advancement... but a great oportunity to learn. You can always go to work for a relative later... or choose another oportunity.

Downtown42

I did the same thing at 19. I would get a job at a performance boating shop and start on the ground floor there. Who knows what the future will be for you in 10 yrs. if you truly love your work. If things don't work out, I'm sure the family in Destin would always be there as a back up. My opinion is to make the move and see what happens. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE??

clearcut3

You will only know if it's a good opportunity if you take it...otherwise it's a lost opportunity . That probably didn't help you a bit.

You are still young so there will be some screw ups but the less the better. I will give you some advice now that someone gave me when I was starting college that I still think holds true: You can work hard for the next 4 years and play for the rest of your life or you can play for the next 4 years and work like a dog the rest of your life.....translation....The more you play now the harder you will have to work later in life. The harder you work now the more you will be able to play later in life.

seanclong

Wise words...

DoTheMath

I agree, what about college bro'? Getting into boating now is cool and all, but a higher education will get you behind the wheel of your fav. boat as an owner, vs. a mechanic! I worked part time thru college for various marinas and loved it!! Did boats shows as a sales guy, worked in the service dept. doing new set ups and installs of electronics, learned a ton, had a bunch of fun, got to take out all the best boats for demos, and got a good education from school on top of it all. I even went into the family business after for several years and now have been out in the "public" sector for four years and I'm making a great living in high-tech.

Dude, think about it hard and consider school, it may seem like a bit of a barrier to where you want to be, but overall - it will do you a world of good down the road!!!

Great quote / thought clearcut3!!:

You can work hard for the next 4 years and play for the rest of your life or you can play for the next 4 years and work like a dog the rest of your life.

There are no guarantees, I know but... don't be the dog bro' - hit the books!

RollWithIt

My best advice, Take the Marina job and attend college while working there. You can take the knowledge you gain from the marina and be able to apply it to working on offshore boats at some point. If you find that you really enjoy working on boats, you can then take classes at college that will give you the knowledge to run a company or do sales, marketing, management or something for a boat company and make some money while you play with boats at work and home. Looking back on things now, I kinda wish that I would have taken a different major at college but hey, whats in the past is in the past. And for working with family. It can be problematic. My family owns a small marina back in Pittsburgh and while running it/working at it is great, business differences usually spill over into the family side of it. Keep the job with your uncle in your back pocket as something you can fall back on. Take these next several years and work at the marina while attending school. You will figure out soon enough on your own which direction you want to go.

Iggy

Don't know what your uncle's business is but I'd go for the yacht repair. You'll learn skills and techniques that will be useful later. If your family is like mine, the position at your uncle's place will be there when you're ready.

My dad owned two large machine shops for over 40 years. He always wanted me to join the "family business", but I had other ideas. I pursued those interests and 4 tears later, when I was ready, a position in his shop was created for me. Yes, I started at the bottom. I cleaned bathrooms, emptied trash, cleaned the offices, and was given every dirty job that nobody else wanted to do. I later worked with the shops quality inspector learning how to check parts and read the instruments. Moved on to various machines and started my apprenticeship. I'm now a Journeyman Machinist. I also was given an opportunity to learn welding. Became a certified pipe welder. I then taught myself how to TIG weld and became certified at that too. Later I took classes in electronics and various engineering studies.
My current position allows me to use all my skills. Not many people have an opportunity like that.

Take the job a Florida Marine USA. Learn every thing you can.
And when somebody asks you to do something you've never done before don't say "I can't do that" or "I don't know how". You always say "sure!.....I've never done that before but if somebody shows me how I'd love to learn". You'd be surprised how much employers love employees that like to learn new things. Never be afraid to learn something new.

C M R

Thanks for all the reply its great to hear all the different thoughts!

Reed- It's like what my Grandfather said "You gotta steal the knowledge" I've work lots of different jobs while in school from landscaping to putting in irrigation systems to now working at a bank. It would be great knowledge to learn how to work with these boats.

DT24- Really I don't have a thing to lose! I'm young and have nothing holding me back!

ClearCut- Your advise is very true! My parents have taught me from a young age the harder you work now the better you will have it when your older! I'm not putting my friends down but I see how some of them are working in factories to support there toys. I told myself that I did not want to be in that situation this time next year! I'd be willing to work hard now and have little and have more later.

DoTheMath- School is very important to me I come from a educated family Mother,Father,Sister so on. I'm not waying out school, I just don't want to go to a 4 year college and party it away. I would like to work, establish residency in Florida and then pursuer a college degree. I know in todays society it can be extremely hard to get any job w/o a degree!

Hopefully you can read this trying to type and work at the same time! OSO takes over you life haha!

Cord

iTrader: (2)

Sooner or later you'll need that college edeucation.