After Army employment
 

Well guys im flying through my last year serving in the army as an AH-64D apache helicopter mechanic. Now its time to find another job. Heres a job I have in the bag. A diesel mechanic apprentice. Now heres the details......

The job is in Lubbock texas, i dont really care where its at though to be honest.

The company offers all the benefits I could ask for, not only for me but for my family as well.

the pay starts off pretty low(10-11/hour) but heres the kicker, I would work side by side with the master tech during the day, and then the owner of company will pay to send me to night school to get all my certs to become a certified tech. And as I gain certs, ill get more money hourly. Once i get all my certs needed to be a tech, ill make my hourly wage plus 33% commission of the hourly shop rate. im not quite sure how long it will take to gain all the certs i need...but it still sounds like a pretty good gig. Its a locally owned company with a few different shops in town. He wants to hire me because of the experience i have working in the army on aircraft. i just want some opinions from fellow mechanics out there to see if this kind of gig is worth it. Ill be home from south korea in about 10 months or less and am ready to jump into a new career path... i just worry about the starting pay. My wife is also worried about moving to lubbock because its a smaller city and shes not sure about employment for her with a bachelors degree and working torwards her paralegal cert. what yall think?

Hmm, first off, see if he will list out the certs needed to get the commission, in writing. Have it include the wage increase with each cert you get, so you can see how your wages will increase.

Check the cost of living in Lubbock with that wage and see if it is even an option.

Maybe you can work toward the certs while your wife finishes her schooling, and make a move when you have them all, and get a better wage and commission then, and she can look for something in her field then too.

i will ask him for it all in writing. The cost of living in lubbock is pretty cheap. i wouldnt take much to be comfortable there. by the time i leave korea, my wife will have achieved her bachelors degree. .. . and will be working online for her paralegal cert. i on the other hand am still serving in the army, and will need work as soon as i get out. If i was to go straight to school instead of work, my GI bill wouldnt be as much as what i would make working, and going to night school.. but i do need to get straight into the civilan workforce, to provide for my wife and 2 children ... so as far as getting the certs while my wife is still in school, is kind of out of the equation... im sure while my wife is doing her online paralegal vert, she could be working at least part time to contribute a little bit to the income...cause i mean 1300bucks a month is going to be tight!!! for sure.