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Discuss.

I own my own HVAC installation and maintenance business.   I make very good money and so do my employees, but the work is physically demanding and this is a blue collar industry.
A lot of people have misconceptions about blue collar workers.   They think we were too dumb to go to college so that's why we're doing what we're doing.  Truth is, we're a lot smarter than you think.  I only hire certified HVAC technicians.  To obtain certification, you must go through a technical training program that is a year long and pay the necessary fees to do so, in addition to the certification exam and licensing fees.  You also have the option of obtaining a two year college degree in this field.  Most community/state colleges as well as technical/trade schools and for-profit colleges offer such programs.    

I work at a law firm and we often reach financial settlements on cases.

Sometimes, clients think that a settlement is related to us persuading the other side.  It's just a misunderstanding of what an attorney does.  It's their job to protect your rights and make the other side prove their case/use their resources.  Settlements are a financial decision that has to do with mitigating losses based on the facts of a case, and the financial status of the parties.  ...it's not really about how hard you work.

So, when a settlement is offered that a client doesn't like, there is a misconception that you just go back in there like "oh, c'mon" and the deal will get better.

Like ArtieChokePhin said ... I think the blue collar misconception of not being intelligent is pretty rampant. Not that I'm alone in this but I was always in the advanced classes and in honors classes in high school but wasn't able to go to college. Not a big deal today but I was in pre-calc in the 80s when Algebra was the typical class. I correct engineers all the time on projects. I have the respect of many engineers, as do my peers, but yet they are considered intelligent because they were lucky enough to go to school 4 more years.  I also make more money than a lot of them as many trades do.

My wife is a mortgage underwriter so she sees what everyone makes. It's amazing that the trades are actually one of the fastest ways to a 6 figure salary but people look down on electricians, linemen, welders etc. For instance just week she had a 26 year old lineman's loan and his W2s showed he made over 120k last year. I just asked and she currently has a 33 year old pile driving foreman making $115,000 as his base salary. For comparison ... I started as a laborer on a bridge crew at 18 and became a pile driving foreman before I turned 21. Obviously I wasn't making 6 figures in 1991 (when I would have gotten out of college) but it goes to show you how quickly you can get ahead in a blue collar industry.  

It's even worse when they are pulling their $50,000 boat behind their $70,000 truck. That's just pure dumb redneck right there ... hahaha.

What type of firm do you work at? I currently have a lawsuit going as I was hit on my motorcycle by Daytona Speedway track security. I tried going through their insurance but they quit returning my calls so I was forced to get an attorney. I had to have knee surgery and they went from "we are NASCAR ... we'll take care of everything" to not returning my calls. I know what my attorney is going after but am currently awaiting their answer. Not sure how this actually works so kind of interested.

Maybe it's just in my circles, but I don't see this at all.  My immediate family is college-educated, white collar, but on my wife's side, they're largely blue-collar, and we are in close with "trade skills" type people and we always see a huge value in those jobs.  I am sure that there are older types that look down on it, but I don't think that's true of the generations after you.  When I was going through college, I saw a huge exodus of people into technology because the tech grew at a faster rate than a university could teach you.  Some of the smartest people I know work in computers and don't have a degree.  Basically, I think that's a dying notion.  The idea that everyone should go to college is an antiquated look at things that I don't believe many people believe that were born after 1970.


I work in civil litigation, mostly contract law. And within that, I'm mostly familiar with credit card debt or other types of loans.  And even though I don't specifically work relating to mortgages or student loans, I understand them.  Outside of that, I'm not much help at all.  

Just speculating, with no knowledge, I imagine that insurance settlements kinda work the same way.   ...they internally evaluate an offer of how much a lawsuit would cost them, plus whatever cost from bad press, mixed with your ability to pay to carry out the suit.  ..and then they offer you a percentage of that, to save themselves money.  I have no idea how that's calculated.

I think this criticism was even exposed during the election. How many times did you see or hear that uneducated white people are Trump's main voters? That wasn't meant to be a compliment to our level of intelligence or the color of our skin. Years ago we would have just called them blue collar people. 

I have no idea either or even if the attorney I chose matters.  Not sure if you know him in Miami but I went with one of the biggest attorney's in town in Dan Newlin. He was the top attorney at Morgan and Morgan prior to branching out on his own. I actually think John Morgan is a silent partner because they still share resources.

I think you're reading into that a little bit.  "non-college educated" voters has been a tracked category since I've ever watched politics.  Race, gender, income level, education level -- that's kinda how pollsters predict or learn from the electorate. 

I still think that education is hugely important and everyone should seek post-high-school education.  It just shouldn't be college.  Whether it's a trade school, an apprentice or the military or clown college...whatever.  Just something that drills down into a specific skill-set.  Don't mistake non-college education for no education.

I would say that, on average, college educated people are probably more worldly, but it's not an intelligence thing.

I disagree or at least that hasn't been my experience. In my mid 30's I thought I'd get my engineering degree so I took classes which included both English classes as well as World History, American History, Literature and creative writing. I made A's in each class so it wasn't too difficult. Granted it was community college but I wouldn't call most of those kids wordly by any means. 16 years later I'd say today's youth are even worse.  I currently have a young engineer from USF training with me that is as innocent as can be and knows very little outside of books and Kim Kardashian.  It sure seems like if things like TMZ, MTV, or the latest rapper isn't teaching it then they aren't leaning it.

That it can't be done as effectively working from home.  >:D

This is how it SHOULD be .. if you work a trade, you're an essential worker in my book .. you should be properly compensated. I find it completely acceptable that an experienced electrician or machinist or a lineman (my father in law's occupation for many years) should make a salary that reflects their expertise and their skill.

The reason that those trades DO make that money is because of UNIONS, whether you're in a union today or not, the work of unions over the past 100 years is what made this type of compensation possible at all.  I have a nephew that went to a trade school and right out of school was hired on as a machinist working on nuclear subs. It's a union job, he makes a good salary for his age and has good benefits and stability. It's the type of job where the more years he puts in, the more skills he'll pick up and the more he'll make. I'm incredibly proud of him and feel that a college degree wouldn't have set him up for success in life anywhere nearly as well.

I'm an accountant, and people mistakenly think I'm good at math (like calculating certain things in my head quickly).  At work I have an adding machine at my fingertips and your actually trained to use that for accuracy as opposed to doing it mentally.

I would also agree that many laborers make much more money than college educated workers.  I think some of this has to do with a shortage of experienced technical laborers.  For a lot of years everyone was pushed into getting a college degree, leaving a shortage of people entering trade schools.

^^^^ When I think accountants I think Excel spreadsheets. My daughter was going to school for accounting and it seemed like she had to take a lot of Excel courses. I also think Quickbooks ... hahaha

I do tax accounting so I don't use a lot of Excel, actually I still have Lotus 123 on one of my old computers and use that more than Excel.  I hate Quickbooks!! But that is incorrectly used by lots of businesses.

Oh another thing about Tech Laborers that is a benefit is that they are not saddled with college debt that takes 15 or 20 or 30 years to pay off.

Hi!  I haven't been on in a long time but I feel compelled to share. 
I am one of "those people" who work in Direct Sales.  A common misconception I get is that it is a scam and not a "real" job.  There are plenty of people who join my company or any other DS company in general and don't make millions of dollars.  I see it all the time and I look back and I see that they all have one thing in common:  they don't treat it like a business, don't work like it's a business and then lo and behold, they fall out and that's that.
Then there's me.
I have an office, I have office hours, I work HARD, I've built and entire little empire and I make more money now than I ever did in a "real job."  I get that not everyone "gets" what I do, but I assure you, my job is very, very real.

^^^ I worked in sales for a year and did ok but it wasn't for me. Really hated cold calling. I think you are either a sales person or you aren't. It's a tough job but if you're decent at it you can make some serious money.

Thanks for that.  I was sure I'd get bashed for posting so I appreciate it.
I will say, I am pretty savvy with social media and that helps me out a great deal because I don't think prior to the advent of things like Facebook and Instagram I would ever have the stones to just call someone and say "Hey, want me to make your house smell good?!?!"   Now it's fairly easy for me to just post a picture and people just want what I have. Yay technology! (obviously i do more than that, but you get the idea)

7 years since your last post!  Don't be a stranger.

My first job was in commissioned sales and I hated it (well, I hated the work).  My experience was that it definitely takes a certain type of aggression to excel (read: climb the ladder) in sales, but I'm sure many people are able to make good money in sales while maintaining a good work/life balance.

One of the reasons I like working in support (vs. sales) is that I always felt that in sales, I wanted something from the customer (a purchase), while in support, the customer wants something from me (to fix their problem).  I never liked that perceived power imbalance.

Unrelated, I haven't seen any posts from DaLittle B in a while hope he's okay: I always like his point of view and comments.

I think of DS as a tough job, you have to have the right personality to sell.  Not to mention you have to have a good product that you believe in; and with the internet I'm sure having a large network for referrals helps.

Thanks, I like to think I am pretty decent as a person  :D  .  My products are pretty amazing and YES< having the interwebs helps  a billion times more thank when I can remember my mom doing avon or tupperware parties!

I follow him on Twitter, and Lil_B, the Redneck Phins Phan from Missouri and co-host of the critically acclaimed and award-winning "The Dolphins Make Me Cry Saturday Night!!" radio show seems to be doing fine.

I wish he was still up here more as well...

Good to hear about B. I miss that show.