Don’t think its “technically” considered professional advice (since I’m just looking for general info), but not sure where else to turn. I have been apart of the corporate world for a while, and even though I follow all the rules, my companies consistently find ways/loopholes to screw me over.
Are there any industries or careers that are kind of easy to get into with strong union protections?
When I say “easy” I understand there will be education involved, but I already have a degree and am scared to waste more money and time (for seemingly nothing) again.
I have no desire to get rich or anything, I’m just hoping to get ideas on what I can pivot my career to so I can support myself and my loved ones without worry of the rug being pulled out from under me again.
In case you’re looking for something more white collar, I have found working for government prime contractors to be a sweet spot. I know, it feels gross to work for “the man” or to be the ones taking in those tax dollars, but hear me out.
The work is well defined, they are very often unionized, even the office staff, and it’s essentially guaranteed employment as long as you want to work there. I’ve also found that putting in what I consider pretty normal levels of effort is highly rewarded because often the bar is pretty low by those that have been in the various companies for decades that no longer care. As long as you guard against professional apathy and keep driving yourself to do the best you can, it’s can be a great sector to work in.
I would suggest looking for ones you don’t already know the names of though (often small subsidiaries of the larger companies are fine). Battelle for instance operates almost all of the DoE national labs and I hear from colleagues they are a good company with labs all over the country that need scientists, engineers, accountants, IT pros, facility folks, etc.