This question is for those of us who aren't wealthy and need a stable income to support a family while we conquer the world:<p>What jobs give you the most freedom to do cool things and build new companies while giving you enough money to stay alive?
I'm already a nurse, so I'm planning on working as a nurse after I finish my CS degree this summer. I have an associates degree (2 years) in nursing, and pay in the Bay area for nurses starts at about $35 an hour + 10-20% shift differential for working nights and weekends. A nurse fresh out of school starts at about $80,000 a year in this part of the country. And, there's a nursing shortage on, so if you have a pulse and a license, you can pretty much get a job.<p>I work 3 x 12 hours shifts each week in the Bay area and I started with 4 weeks paid vacation a year and 1 week of educational leave. If I'm broke picking up a extra shift or two isn't hard, and if I'm plush, I can cut down to part-time fairly easily. I already work the night shift and sleep during the day, so keeping hacker hours and coding all night coding is no problem at all. <p>Mind you, cleaning up other peoples effluvia is not my idea of a good time, and it's hard work. I've injured my back twice in twelve months. But, I don't think about code all day, so when I come home, I really want to program to get my mind off of work. <p>I've really disliked my job for years (thus the career change), but in 6 months, I'm going to have 4 days a week free and clear to start my start-up while getting paid for full time work. So, that makes up for some of the down-sides.
One word: Smokejumper.<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokejumper" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokejumper</a> <p>VC: So, what did you do before your startup?<p>You: I jumped out of airplanes into remote wildfires with nothing but a shovel and an axe.
waiting tables!<p>you work a 5 hour shift. you make about $20/hour (including tips). your schedule is extremely flexible. it takes zero experience to get in the door.<p>being a firefighter is a career. it takes a lot of education/certification and to actually get paid as a firefighter takes years of effort and dedication.
Chicago police make $60k after 18 months. That is actually a lot of money for any entry level position in Chicago. As far as I can tell, they work three 12 hour shifts a week. It looks like interesting work that leaves a lot of time for living.
So far, the best one I've been able to come up with is firefighting. It provides enough money to survive, and requires 10 days of work per month (and my firefighter friend tells me station life is often quiet enough that you can often work on other things while on duty).<p>It doesn't provide much opportunity for networking or solving interesting problems on the job, but the job security, reasonable pay, benefits, and low hours seem like a great deal.<p>Any other ideas?
I did IT Consulting for 3 years while I figured things out and funded my company, pay in Southern California was like $25 - $35/hour and really easy work.
Do you have some kind of subject area around which you'd like to do a startup? If so, find work where you can meet people with problems in that subject area.<p>
If you want to do consumer-based software, work somewhere where you can hear a lot about what consumers want in software -- perhaps a Best Buy? If you want to do medical-based software, find a job helping install computer systems for doctors. For large subject areas, there are all sorts of entry-level jobs.<p>I've found that the more people I meet with and interact with, the more I think up solutions for those people. So if possible, surround yourself with your future market.