Have you been browsing KSL for jobs? If you are an experienced estimator, I'm assuming you're good with numbers and organization, as well as client relationships... Those skills could land you a job in a lot of different areas. You could do purchasing, job cost management, or any number of positions in different industries. If you're not sure what you want to do, why don't you start looking around to see if something interesting comes up in the next few months? Is your salary something that you can jump in to with the right company in a different industry possibly? Or is it higher based on time with the company that you're with which may mean taking a pay-cut to jump ship?
I recently hired an estimator (roofing) at $22 per hour to start. I'm currently looking for an ops manager for one of my other businesses at $15-20 depending on experience. I say this to give you an idea of jobs and salaries that may be out there. If you're making way more than that, maybe it would be harder to jump ship to a different industry. If you're close to $20, I feel like there could be plenty of options for you to try out different industries.
IMO, to jump into more schooling without a clue of what you want to do could end up just costing you a bunch of money for a degree that, in the end, doesn't benefit you much. I have SO MANY friends that went to school without knowing what they wanted to do and they now have jobs using zero of their degree or "knowledge" from that schooling. I'm not saying schooling is a bad thing, just that it CAN be useless if not approached in the right way.
How much is the 18k of debt costing you every month in payments? Depending on what kind of debt, I could see it being $1k+ per month in payments. I like the idea of renting out a couple rooms (just be VERY selective on people) and putting ALL of the rent money towards that debt, and whatever else you can scrounge. Maybe in 12 months you can have all of that debt paid off, rent out your house completely (likely for more than your mortgage) and go rent an apartment for that $1k that you used to pay in debt payments.
If you sell your house, get an apartment, pay for debt/some of the school with the equity, and get a part-ish time job to cover costs while going to school for a couple years, that could work....if what you're looking to do is start completely over. Lots of people have done just that. In my opinion, it's moving backwards when you don't necessarily need to be. With a year of hard work and focus resolving that debt thus freeing up those payments, and diligence to find a different job in a different industry, I feel like you could be years ahead of the "start-over" situation after 1-2 years. If you're willing to put in the work of school, why not put in the work to not have to go to school to make a change?
Full disclosure, I went to a year of college at Rick's (now BYU-I) to "play," then went on a 2 year mission, and a couple years after I got back started my first business and have been grinding away at many different businesses since then with enough success to make it worth it. I guess I'm not the most reliable source on college advice other than saying that you don't necessarily need it to make something of yourself. I give almost zero merit to college experience when hiring. Having said that, for certain industries or companies, it's a must.
I recently hired an estimator (roofing) at $22 per hour to start. I'm currently looking for an ops manager for one of my other businesses at $15-20 depending on experience. I say this to give you an idea of jobs and salaries that may be out there. If you're making way more than that, maybe it would be harder to jump ship to a different industry. If you're close to $20, I feel like there could be plenty of options for you to try out different industries.
IMO, to jump into more schooling without a clue of what you want to do could end up just costing you a bunch of money for a degree that, in the end, doesn't benefit you much. I have SO MANY friends that went to school without knowing what they wanted to do and they now have jobs using zero of their degree or "knowledge" from that schooling. I'm not saying schooling is a bad thing, just that it CAN be useless if not approached in the right way.
How much is the 18k of debt costing you every month in payments? Depending on what kind of debt, I could see it being $1k+ per month in payments. I like the idea of renting out a couple rooms (just be VERY selective on people) and putting ALL of the rent money towards that debt, and whatever else you can scrounge. Maybe in 12 months you can have all of that debt paid off, rent out your house completely (likely for more than your mortgage) and go rent an apartment for that $1k that you used to pay in debt payments.
If you sell your house, get an apartment, pay for debt/some of the school with the equity, and get a part-ish time job to cover costs while going to school for a couple years, that could work....if what you're looking to do is start completely over. Lots of people have done just that. In my opinion, it's moving backwards when you don't necessarily need to be. With a year of hard work and focus resolving that debt thus freeing up those payments, and diligence to find a different job in a different industry, I feel like you could be years ahead of the "start-over" situation after 1-2 years. If you're willing to put in the work of school, why not put in the work to not have to go to school to make a change?
Full disclosure, I went to a year of college at Rick's (now BYU-I) to "play," then went on a 2 year mission, and a couple years after I got back started my first business and have been grinding away at many different businesses since then with enough success to make it worth it. I guess I'm not the most reliable source on college advice other than saying that you don't necessarily need it to make something of yourself. I give almost zero merit to college experience when hiring. Having said that, for certain industries or companies, it's a must.
