Daniel Rice Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) Hi, Im a 17 year-old A class USPSA shooter about to Graduate High School. Shooting is something i love and im very passionate about, and i thought it would be worth an ask to see if anybody has any type of job that requires lots and lots of Shooting they can hook me up with. Edited December 16, 2011 by Daniel Rice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydiver Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 You may want to take time to listen to the "burnout" podcast the Steve recently did. It's a bit long, but take the time to listen to it just so that you go in eyes open: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=140062&view=findpost&p=1575163 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKSNIPER Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) USMC or US Army have MANY shooting job opportunities in the infantry. Edited December 16, 2011 by JKSNIPER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badchad Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Firing squads http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/olympic-rifleman-freelancing-on-firing-squad,6432/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike cyrwus Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 USMC or US Army have MANY shooting job opportunities in the infantry. Big +1! They'll get you your own competition rig and feed ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remoandiris Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Hi, Im a 17 year-old A class USPSA shooter about to Graduate High School. Shooting is something i love and im very passionate about, and i thought it would be worth an ask to see if anybody has any type of job that requires lots and lots of Shooting they can hook me up with. Talk to an Army recruiter about the Army Marksmanship Unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErichF Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Just remember that the Military pretty much takes the fun out of just about everything you would otherwise do for fun. I have known jumpers, shooters, and divers that all didn't want anything to do with Skydiving, shooting sports, or Scuba diving as a sport after being in the military and doing it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) My suggestion is that if your shoot for enjoyment, that you don't make shooting have anything to do with work. The whole idea of a hobby is to be able to relax while doing it. Just as an added note, I am a competitive (olympic style) fencer of 14 years. I have traveled overseas to compete, and enjoy every minute of it. On top of this I compete in IDPA, USPSA, Steel Challenge when I can. What I do for a living has aspects of these two hobbies, but the demands of work rarely have anything to do with my hobbies. Pursue your passion, but have career options available to you that focus on other interests you have. Edited December 16, 2011 by Blueridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
want2race Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Wow, Blueridge has some stellar advice. There needs to be "some" seperation between work and hobby. Otherwise the enjoyment of the hobby is decreased. However, that said if your job is "similar" to your hobby then you will enjoy your job that much more. I don't shoot for a living, I do however work with guns for a living. I shoot them as needed, but I don't get paid to shoot. If your hobby is "similiar" to your job you will EXCELL at your job. I'm better at my job because of what I do at home. There is a flip side though. You need to be able to disconnect, "turn it off", leave the Matrix, what ever you want to call it. Otherwise a hobby will be an obsession and you will strain family and friend relations. I was in your shoes many years ago. I got my "fix" for trigger time in Ranger Battalion. If you have 10 fingers and toes, take the ASVAB..or whatever they call it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Vigilante Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Become a firearms instructor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) Do yourself and your future family a great favor and go to college. Get an undergraduate degree in a field that has a future (math and/or sciences), then earn an advanced degree. With your degrees you should be able to land a very well paying job and make a career in it. With that job you will have the income to follow your dreams and passions wherever they lead you while still having a comfortable life. If your dreams and passions change, and they most probably will, you will have the $$ and available time off go in a different direction. Pat Edited December 16, 2011 by Pat Miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Mr Miles gave wise advice. Rare is the person who's vocation and avocation are the same, or I should say the same for long. People usually get burnt out. Not many bakers go home and bake cakes for fun. Get positioned in a solid career, and make sure you take time to play at whatever strikes your fancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 My suggestion is that if your shoot for enjoyment, that you don't make shooting have anything to do with work. The whole idea of a hobby is to be able to relax while doing it. They say, "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in you life" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino_aki Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 First you need to ask yourself a few questions and answer them dead honestly. Am I willing to put in the the time and resources necessary to become a GM? You'll have to be that or a very high M to even be considered for any of the best jobs that involve shooting...in our sport being a sponsored shooter. Realize what time and resources mean. When you want to be out with your friends you should be dry-firing or at the range practicing. Will your parents/relatives/regular job be able to spot you the cash for powder and bullets? Will you be able to afford qualified instruction/coaching? Will you be able to attend major matches in watch and learn mode as well as shooting mode? Is there anybody in your area who can mentor you, hopefully another GM? If the above is true, will I be willing to do all the stuff a sponsor will require besides shooting? Trade shows, autograph tours, visiting dealer networks/clients/vendors...charity work? Will I be able to adjust to the travel schedule and time away from family? Do I really believe I'm the next Robbie, Dave, our host Brian, Max, Travis...et al? That belief would go a long way towards providing the attitude necessary to accomplish the first two. Any of the other related or less visible shooting jobs would require the same sort of soul searching and dedication for you to become an expert or professional at. But if it's your dream...GO FOR IT!!! Don't let the "reasonable" and "take the safe route" nay-sayers make you settle for less. You'll regret it the rest of your life. Take it from one who took the "safe and reasonable" route. One who listened to the biggest nay-sayer...himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkleskiw Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 +1 to Pat Miles. Get a Mechanical or Aerospace (or both) Engineering Degree and target your job search after you graduate with that industry. If you want to design fireamrs, take more CAD and manufacturing classes and probably skip Aero. If you want to work in ammo, take more manufacturing / quality, lean design stuff. Bullets, Mechanical or Aero will do the trick. Thinking about it Industrial Engineering might be ok too for guns or ammo. Or if you don't want to be an Engineer (but come on, everyone wants to be an Engineer) you can be an accountant, every company has a controller or QC or sales or IT. Working for your hobby is a great thing, ask me how I know. For us, having a shooter is a huge plus too. It will make you want to work harder, and actually care about your job more. Plus when you go to matches you're flying the company flag and showing that XYZ company isn't full of pencil pushers and shooters do work there. It's good PR even if you're just going to matches. Good luck. Darren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Rice Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Wow...Some of you guys are full of great advice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
want2race Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 For example. Ryan Newman has an Engineering degree. Yeah, and right now he just drives a car that turns left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHARLES D Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Military is a great suggestion. Getting a degree is also excellent and strongley recommended. Another job to consider is law enforcement. Some departments give the officers unlimited amounts of ammo. Plus, at this time a great write off on income tax. Concentrate on a degree for the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA-LEE Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Daniel> There is a big difference between a "Job" and a "Career". I am sure it wouldn't be too hard to get a "Job" in the firearms industry. But turning shooting into a "Career" is a whole different story. There are very few people that have a "Career" in shooting and make enough money to have a comfortable living. There is a far larger group of people who attempt to make a career out of shooting but are continually scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to earning an income. One really important thing to think about is that you need to not only make enough money to support you right now, but also enough to save for retirement. A lot of young people don't think about retirement, but once you get into the work force time flies and before you realize it you are getting close to retirement. If you have spend 10 - 15 of your working years scraping the bottom of the barrel barely getting by trying to be a pro shooter that is a lot of lost time in saving money for your retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unregistered Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 What do you want out of life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowrider Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Great advice in this thread. I'll add to those that say to put some separation between your career and hobbies. I love to shoot, hunt and fish. But if I had to get up in the morning to go to a bass tournament every day, I seriously doubt that I would feel the same way about it. Ditto for shooting or whatever your interests may be. Having to do them is totally different from doing them because you WANT to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aglifter Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 If you really want to only shoot, you might be better off trying to get a job as a shooting instructor w. the various departments, etc. (Or the AMU, if you can get in.) Border patrol pays pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konkapot Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 You're 17 yrs old. Focus on making yourself into a dependable, hardworking, honest man and the rest will come along just fine. The options listed above (college, LE, military) are meaningless in and of themselves.....but by being dependable, honest, and hardworking you will be above 99% of the rest of the workforce. I say this as a guy who is a firearms instructor; 99% of the people I deal with on a daily basis cannot do their job. FY42385 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dravz Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 What do the top shooters make per year anyway? Ballpark guess. Let's total up sponsorship deals, match winnings, actual salary, etc. for a truly legendary shooter in our sport to get an idea. What does Rob Leatham take home? This is not from a I'm-in-this-for-the-money point of view, rather it stems from a I-like-football-and-other-pro-sports and am curious how it compares. Obviously Dave Sevigny makes less than Tom Brady, right? Are these kinds of contract details in the public domain or reported on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Do yourself and your future family a great favor and go to college. Get an undergraduate degree in a field that has a future (math and/or sciences), then earn an advanced degree. With your degrees you should be able to land a very well paying job and make a career in it. With that job you will have the income to follow your dreams and passions wherever they lead you while still having a comfortable life. If your dreams and passions change, and they most probably will, you will have the $$ and available time off go in a different direction. Pat This is excellent advice. The only thing I might take issue with is the implication that the only fields with a future are math and the sciences--there are plenty of great career opportunities available to people who excel in the arts and humanities also. However, I would agree that your field of study should be selected carefully with a view toward future marketability. In addition to doing yourself and your future family a great favor, becoming academically successful and well-employed is probably the greatest gift you can give your parents. Something to think about. Good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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