I was going to do a Diploma in Commercial Skydiving in New Zealand, I had it all sorted out but then some one kind of burst my bubble. They told me with the potential of a recession that getting into a job revolving around novelty is not the best idea. Now potentially you could work with the defense forces training them, but that's highly unlikely. Then my friend who's a business major told me that lots of people will still be skydiving, because it's something lots of people want to check off a list of things before they die. I don't think this is a strong enough argument to spend the huge amount of money on the training.

Now the alternatives are Private Investigation and Law Enforcement (Victorian Police). My case was that PI's will be getting more money than ever, more and more people will be mooching off the government and lots of these people are investigated. More people will be going broke and more crimes will be committed, especially fraud/tax evasion etc.

Same with the police, your job is safe. When there are no more police it's the break down of society. With a recession comes more crime, and more opportunities as a policeman.

The skydiving course costs...a lot. I'm even embarrassed to say it. (what I want to do they have a 99% employment rate once finished, but costs a lot and possible job instability over the horizon?)

The PI course costs $2,000 and goes for 3 months. (awesome job, but the training is short and once you're done you're on your own and thrown into the industry unless you work for a bigger company, but then you can kiss the $50-$80 per hour they make goodbye).

The police academy costs $200 per week (for board + all meals). (I'm not the most law abiding citizen, but when it comes down to the black and white of what's right and wrong I'm pretty damn moral (plus I'd become saint if I got in). I've never been arrested although I have had a loss of license for speeding which can be overlooked if I give them a reason to ie. be a great candidate)

I can do the PI course via correspondence so really I could do both law enforcement and PI. I'm just wondering, is it stupid to give up on the skydiving course? It is truly what I wanted to do, but I REALLY don't want to be jobless. Out of those three, if you were in my boots, what would you do?

Here's how I look at situations like this:

Recessions don't last forever. Maybe a few years, but not forever. If there is one coming soon, it's not going to be the last one in your lifetime.

If it is going to be hard to find a skydiving job because of the economy, that might mean more competition for you because less skydiving places will be needing new people, but it also might mean less competition for you because fewer people will be signing up to be certified in commercial skydiving, with the thinking that they won't be able to find a job. All that will be left are the truly dedicated, and if that is you, then perhaps you are more likely to beat others out for a job.

Police jobs are not recession proof. Well, I'm going to assume funding is the same over in New Zealand, but let's say a bad economy causes factories, stores, restaurants, etc to close up in a city. Well now that city is getting a lot less tax revenue. And then perhaps at higher levels of government, which have also been effected, there is less funding available to go to the city. So cuts have to be made. They may not be laying off any policemen because that is looked upon as unfavorable, but there could be a hiring freeze, or early retirements forced. Then it's just as difficult to get a cop job as maybe...skydiving instructor? They might pass up the guy who just took a correspondence course for a few months and go for someone with a college degree and/or military or previous police experience.

If I were you, I would do what I was passionate about. Maybe financial reasons would make me adjust the way I went about it. How much IS the sky diving course anyway? I mean, I might get a job and try to do that at the same time to soften the financial blow. That 99% employment rate looks pretty good too.

If I were you, I would do what I was passionate about. Maybe financial reasons would make me adjust the way I went about it. How much IS the sky diving course anyway? I mean, I might get a job and try to do that at the same time to soften the financial blow. That 99% employment rate looks pretty good too.

Thanks for the advice, it's good to her an alternative perspective.

The course is $15,000NZD, but it will get halved because I'm Australian resident. But a parachute is $5,000 on top of that + flights + a car over there. So to be safe I'd probably need to head over there with $14,000+. Then I need to support my self on NZ minimum wage, which after tax and conversion rates is as much as 14 year old kids make in Australia. But it IS exactly what I want to do, because on top of being an awesome course, it's held in a ski town. So skydive all week, snowboard all week end. Oh, and you're not a skydiving instructor after this. You're qualified to work on drop zones, be a camera man, and assist in training. It's only a short amount of training required after this to become instructor.

ARG. I'm being lazy because the only pros I can think of for cop are "It's easier...and the government will pay me to study".

It's a fine option, but you have to keep your future in mind. Cops don't get vacations and their schedules are planned six months to a year in advance; beyond that, it's shift work. They make pretty good money, but the lifestyle is all hell.

I don't know about P.I. work there, but, in Canada, P.I.'s get no respect and are often glorified security guards.

You can always work a different job for a while; there's always a job out there for someone that's willing to look for it; if you're willing to re-locate, you have an even greater chance of finding a job within your field.

Follow your passion.

You can always use your diploma for something else, schooling is always looked upon favourably.

Thanks for the advice, it's good to her an alternative perspective.

The course is $15,000NZD, but it will get halved because I'm Australian resident. But a parachute is $5,000 on top of that + flights + a car over there. So to be safe I'd probably need to head over there with $14,000+. Then I need to support my self on NZ minimum wage, which after tax and conversion rates is as much as 14 year old kids make in Australia. But it IS exactly what I want to do, because on top of being an awesome course, it's held in a ski town. So skydive all week, snowboard all week end. Oh, and you're not a skydiving instructor after this. You're qualified to work on drop zones, be a camera man, and assist in training. It's only a short amount of training required after this to become instructor.

ARG. I'm being lazy because the only pros I can think of for cop are "It's easier...and the government will pay me to study".

Heh, do you even have an interest in being a cop/private investigator, or is that just something you picked because you thought you'll stand a good chance at finding employment in tough economic times? Plenty of people pick jobs based on that, but very few end up actually happy. Then again I guess starving to death and being unable to find work really wouldn't make someone too happy either.

You really just have to do what you want, longterm. If you don't really want to be a cop, how is doing that for the next 30 years of your life going to turn out? But don't feel pressured to decide between two paths now and be stuck with whatever you pick! You're still young, presumably, and I believe most people change careers at least once in their life. So in the end, the skydiving course might turn out to be a huge waste of money...but a pretty cool experience at least.

President-elect Barack Obama proposes economic suicide for US
By Christopher Booker
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/30/do3010.xml

Heh, do you even have an interest in being a cop/private investigator, or is that just something you picked because you thought you'll stand a good chance at finding employment in tough economic times?

Private investigator, yes. Cop, no.

I'm naturally inquisitive.

So I solved my problem by being rash and jumping head first into a course that relies on that inquisitiveness. I enrolled and paid in full today. Fuuuuck. I hope I didn't waste my money and that if we fall on hard times my new skills come in handy and there's work.

Any way, thanks doodz :cool:

President-elect Barack Obama proposes economic suicide for US
By Christopher Booker
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/30/do3010.xml

Oh, do fuck off.


And to Arquin, there might a whole other year of recession in store. The average global recession lasts between 12-16 months, serious ones last longer, and depressions can last years. Although the one we're in won't be a depression, it'll be significant. The US has been in recession for 12 months, and most economists are predicting the woes to continue well into the summer of next year.

Even so, however, I would not decide my future on a fleeting situation such as this one. As I child, I had a friend who's father was a cop. The job turned him into a horrible man. He'd come home all frustrated, then he'd eat a TV dinner by himself, wash it down with a beer, and plop to sleep, only to repeat the same mundane shit, or at least every time I saw him.

I never told my friend how much of a jackass I thought his father. And now that I reminisce, I do believe the job soured his personality.

Seriously, just go for what calls to you. A recession shouldn't fuck with the rest of your life.