Iâve been trying to spend a lot less money on things, and spend more on investing in myself and experiences & skills.
Iâm wondering what the most interesting, useful and fun licenses & certifications are.
For example, getting a real estate license, a pilots license or a CPR/First aid certification.
What are some common/less common ones ones that add a lot of value to oneâs life?
Thank you in advance!
I got tax certified one year to work a seasonal job and it's been extra useful for myself and friends every year after.
How does one do that and what is involved with it.
Any of the major tax services (H&R, Liberty, Jackson) will be hiring like crazy next month and January. Just reach out apply and they put you through the basics.
It also pays fairly decent if you can work a few nights a week until April.
How much does it pay? Like per hour and for how many hours in total did you work?
How does one do that and what is involved with it.
You have to take an initial certification then a lot of annual training.
One of my family members did it for a few years but then gave it up as it just didn't make sense, money & time wise.
I am looking to do that this year as part of my current employment. I have been doing my and my friend's taxes for years but am looking forward to getting paid for it.
Notary Public
Can you notarize your own documents? Also, is this a side hustle that you can charge for? Nice suggestion!
You canât do your own, but you can do other peopleâs and can charge a premium for people who need things notarized outside bank hours. There are people who run side gigs as âmobile notariesâ and they basically just go wherever people need to get something signed.
Any estimates of what it cost to get done in the usa? Could use a side gig of being a mobile notarizer myself...
Itâll depend on what state youâre in. If cost is an issue for you, go to a solo civil attorney who doesnât have a paralegal or secretary or anything and see if they will agree to cover the cost of getting your notary in exchange for working for X amount of time for them as a legal secretary. Itâs an easy job and an easy way to get notary experience.
Wow That's a great idea To be honest I've been self-employed installing and maintaining indoor plants for 20 some years, Corona pretty much killed my customer base.
is being a legal secretary something that is doable for someone who clearly has no interaction or knowledge of that business?
My first guess would be not so much, but who knows, thanks for your insights and advice
Itâs pretty accessible. The law has a lot of paper requirements like bring 12 copies of the report to courts or mail everyone on this list notice of the court date.
Then notary work would be even simpler.
I work at a law office and the legal assistants don't have any certifications. Several of them worked their way into LA positions simply by being with the company long enough for a postion to open. It's not a complicated position, but it takes good organization and interpersonal skills and you can't mind doing all of the work just for the attorney to get the credit, and the good money. I mean, you're basically an office mom. You make appointments, fill out paperwork, mail paperwork, scan stuff, organize and file things, find specialists, make travel arrangements, organize communications, file documents, etc.... it's all the leg work for the attorneys.
It's not complicated but while you likely wouldn't get hired with no experience, finding an office clerk position at a law office and then transitioning into a LA is pretty common. Also, most of the LA's I work with have their notary lisc.
Your bank will notorize for free
[deleted]
Thank you!
[deleted]
I know, but in the last two years as I was finalizing my parents estate a couple of times I stopped in at my bank and the notary dude was not there.
the convenience factor of charging $150 to show up at someone's house and get something notarized a couple of times a year would theoretically pay for the cost of licensing. something to investigate..
s as well. The staff a
Insurance. $300+ a year .
Pretty much all credit unions as well. The staff at my apartment also do it free if they like you.
It cost me about $60 to become a notary.
Note that depending upon your jurisdiction, there may be a limit to what you can charge. My jurisdiction limits it to no more than $5 per document.
I had a notary once and it cost me like $25-$50 to get it if I recall correctly. I did an online course and paid a fee.
Notaries can charge per notarized page or per call out (if they are mobile) and if it is something like a Mortgage they may need 6-10 pages notarized, so the rates can vary depending on need/demand/urgency
Dang. It is illegal to charge for that service in Australia.
There's a guy in my city that does 24 hour notary services and charges $50-150 bucks for it. The dude will drive to you, super convenient.
Isn't it pretty expensive to start?
I'm in Texas, and it's pretty cheap to start. We also don't have mandatory classes or tests. Now if you want to do online notary, that's a different story
It can be. The class and test in California is under $500 last time I heard. A good laser multifunction with letter and legal trays will run you about $750 to $900. You'll need $200 or so for misc supplie like you stamp, log book, etc.
If you want to do a full mobile setup with printer and stuff in your vehicle, it will get spendy though.
Thank you, I was just talking about this last week! Maybe I'll check prices in my area and see where it's at.
My GF did the mobile notary thing for a while. It's a lot of hussling. It's very up and down. Most of the fees on the loan packages that were supposed to be for the notary were eaten up various classes of middlemen. The borrower might pay $350/package and the notary sitting in front of them gets $75 for travel, time, printing 2x sets of docs (upwards of 500pgs per job), and then dropping off the package at FedEx or UPS. Oh and scan backs are a thing.
That seems like a pretty niche use case for a notary though...from what I've seen notaries can charge just for witnessing and stamping a document and fees are whatever they want to charge. What you're describing sounds like a whole lot more work and equipment for a specific type of job that 'requires' a notary, not describing any core requirement that a notary would need to mess with.
California defines a maximum fee per signature ($15/notartized signature), but travel and other costs can be added (travel, printing, etc.). Let's say someone calls in with a mobile notary request for a document with 3 signatures needing notarization, and the customer is 10 miles away, round trip. A typical invoice for that will be 3x$15 for the signatures and $15 for travel for a total of $60.
The loan doc business is pretty messed up IMO, but the flow of jobs is fairly strong.
The other uses for a mobile notary require a lot of lead generation effort, which has its own costs and headaches (handing out business cards, website+SEO, Google business listing, yelp, thumbtack, nextdoor, etc.).
I'd venture the loan package work out numbers all other forms of mobile notary demand by 5:1 to 20:1, depending on the how the mortgage market is doing. The loan packages end up as your base income if you're doing notary work full time.
Gotcha, yeah if you're trying to make it full time and the loan packages are the only reliable stream of jobs then it does seem like you'd be reliant on those regardless of how little margin they provided, assuming it was something over cost.
If you were doing it part-time to raise a little extra money, maybe it would be easier to rely on word of mouth of minimal advertising to find better niches, and it's good that there are allowances for travel.
Least value for the dollar if you only rely on notarization, at least in my state.
Texas law specifies that notaries can charge no more than $6 for the first acknowledgement, $1 for each additional signature, $6 for oaths and $0.50 per 100 words of a deposition
Considering the process of notarization could take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, this license proves less than profitable.
Moving out of Texas after 28 years was the best decision of my life.
Funny you say this. Texas is a highly regulated state, and most people who are happily decamped from texas are looking for more consumer protection or labor protection, here youâre implying youâre you left because of too much consumer protection.
Nah. Withouta just seemed like they wanted to talk Texas so thatâs my 2¢ on the matter.
Iâm in California now. We left after Harvey destroyed our place. Life is better than I could have ever imagined.
Cheers!
Big Texas government regulating free enterprise, you say?
Just so it gets outright stated, as it's only kinda hinted at in the comments: many states only allow notaries, by law, to charge a nominal amount for notary services. Like 3-5$. There are probably ways around this, but those ways, likely, are not strictly legal.
Yeah, if you're in an area that limits what a notary can legally charge it wouldn't be worth it...even bending the law seems risky for a job involving legally certifying documents.
Unfortunate, too, because the 'mobile' part of mobile notary adds a lot more value to the service than simply witnessing and stamping a document. At minimum there should be ways to accept compensation for the non-notary parts of the service, like travel, waiting around for people do get their stuff together, etc even if you can only charge $5 for the stamp. Like legitimately offer the $5 deal if the person doesn't add any baggage to it, but charge through the nose for any other hassle.
Only lawyers with 10 years of experience can become a notary in India
Iâm amazed no one mentioned cooking classes yet. No need for a formal certification or diploma. Learning cooking techniques (not merely following recipes but also hygiene rules, how to do a mise and how to prep., how to buy produce, etc etc) will change your life.
Related and at least as important: baking. Nothing beats baking cakes and pies and sharing them with people dear to you.
I took cooking courses at a local chef college. Highly recommend. The evening courses were full of professionals in other lines of work (doctors, lawyers, IT professionals), who wanted to just cook, so good networking opportunities.
This should be a MUCH higher level comment.
Cooking for yourself and others changes you in ways you don't even realize and teaches you SOO many useful habits and skills.
Time/Money Management - I can buy the ingredients MUCH cheaper.
Hand/Eye Coordination
Awareness of the food going in your body - Can't stress this enough... when you cook you see every bit of every item of food you are putting in your body. You control portion sizes and quality of ingredients.
Palette Development
Waste reduction - Food waste and container waste.
For those that think cooking is too daunting. Start small, like anything it takes time to develop.
I liked Gordon Ramsay's Cooking Courses on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTociictyyE
Doesnât get much higher than the top comment! âď¸âď¸âď¸
I found Jacque Pepin's passion in the kitchen to have been the spark to get me going on the path towards exploring my own palette. It's great to learn from someone who has a genuine love for what they do.
Any good resources for learning all the background info?
Watch every episode of Good Eats and Molto Mario and you should be pretty set.
I love Good Eats! It's not just recipes but also explains why things are done a certain way. Very helpful for taking things to the next level: by knowing why certain rules exist, you can be smart about breaking them.
I think Adam Ragusea is a good modern day Youtuber who captures a lot of the spirit of Good Eats.
Exactly! Itâs all about knowing WHY to do things. Understanding the mechanics of it all.
Thatâs also why I love Molto Mario. Itâs less of a science class like Good Eats. Itâs more like a conversation with a really competent chef. Heâs not giving recipes. Heâs explaining the history and why behind the dishes and methods heâs using. Also the way he whips up at least 2 batches of fresh pasta every episode is pretty impressive.
Good Eats is great! Breaks down the science and basic principles behind food and cooking very simply, but in fun and memorable ways. Also, explains all the equipment and techniques you'll need.
Professional Cooking by Wayne Gisslen
Ask here r/cooking. I never cook but enjoy watching cooking shows and following the sub-reddit.
Whatâs holding you back?
Nothing. I don't enjoy cooking, I enjoy eating.
Eating can be good motivation to cook.
Joshua Weissman on YouTube is a great resource
I am a Basics with Babish guy. Josh used to be really good, but holy shit did he become annoying
Good call, and for the love of God, some basics in knife skills!
French cooking in particular. It seems to be the most balanced and refined of all styles. Once you learn it you can take most of the skills and lessons into other cuisine.
Yes, but spending money on cooking lessons is a waste. There are literally thousands of classically trained chefs giving their lessons away for free on television and Youtube and as per my restaurant experience, the job goes to the person who can cook, not the one with a culinary "degree".
Agree for a professional degree or certification -- but an amateur can learn a lot by spending a few hours with a professional, listening to advice, asking questions, etc etc.
And this is even more relevant for baking.
Then again, it all depends on the availability of good classes in your area --
In my formerly professional experience, most of the guys with a degree from a culinary school were really only good for proving that they qualified to take out $50k in student loans. It didn't mean they could hang on a busy line or still make it happen when everything went to shit. Even the recent CIA grads were a joke, most of them showed up with a chip on their shoulders thinking they were too good to pay their dues and earn respect.
Source: former fine dining chef, my best people started as dishwashers
You don't go to culinary school to be a cook, you go to culinary school to get a background that will help you run the kitchen. It's more the business end of things if I'm not mistaken (though obviously they are teaching you culinary techniques and building your palette along the way). You would know more than I would though, that's just the impression I got from my interactions with professionals of that industry.
And I bet the time saved compared to learning as you go is well worth it. I learned as I went, picking up tips as I went and it took a long time to start using my knives efficiently and there were plenty of botched (though never inedible) dishes.
What does mise mean?
It a reference to âmise en place,â a French term for getting all the ingredients prepped and ready before you start to cook.
First aid, CPR certification.
Food handler safety card.
Diving certification.
I got a liquor serving license and pick up shifts at festivals in beer tents, I usually get a free ticket after a few shifts and sometimes I get tips!
My first job moving back to Minnesota was selling beer out of a case in the horse barn / coliseum at the state fair. no license required. What country are you in that a license is needed to serve beer? Thanks
I guess it varies by state. If that happened in Oregon at a place with a liquor license, the liquor control commission would be all over that business's ass.
[deleted]
Won't be the last time I break the law, there's a book called something like your breaking Three laws a day, don't remember the actual title. I wonder if law enforcement had gotten involved if I would have been ticketed/charged or my employer at the coliseum at the State Fair?
[deleted]
That's wild... I wonder if there is an exclusion for when they sell 3.2% beer in MN which is what gas stations sell 24 hours, you have to get the higher alcohol content beer at a liquor store, perhaps they were selling 3.2 at the coliseum when I was there... Thank you for the insight
Exclusions/exceptions exist, but itâs likely just a licensing difference. Off-site consumption licenses for retail sales of closed containers are not the same as licenses for on-site consumption. In many states, off-site licenses held by the owner/operator cover the sales clerksâŚbut, for on-site consumption, each server of open alcoholic beverages must have a permit. (And, often the fine print of that permit requires them to open any can or bottle they serve.)
I'm betting they were working for someone with a liquor license. Only the company actually needs a license.
Beer out of a case at the fair? Sounds... Unusual. Were most of the customers presenters or just regular fairgoers?
The people who gave me the beer were a subdivision of the State Fair hierarchy in the coliseum, western riding rodeo etc were all the different venues that were going on in the coliseum building and beer was sold/served to them, I wasn't just a random dude walking around the fair with a case of beer, though that probably would have worked well too
Why a food handler safety card?
So you have the authority to handle them meats, G.
Thank you for your, albeit dumb, but hilarious comment đđđ
I got mine for $10 so that I would be allowed to prepare home made treats for my kiddos class. Without one Iâd have to buy store bought treats. Cheat codes.
You learn a decent bit of general food safety knowledge.
Honestly, I thought it wasn't that big of a deal until I had roommates do things like store vegetables and raw meat touching in the fridge and using the same cutting board for vegetables after meat.
Iâm haunted by my food handlerâs course. Handling/storing cooked rice was the stand out for me! I learned SO much.
Feel free to drop some cooked rice wisdom on usâŚ.have a batch I just steamed up tonight about to go indafridge.
âUncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The spores can survive when rice is cooked. If cooked rice is left standing at room temperature for more than an hour, the spores can grow into bacteria.â
I apply the hour rule to pretty much anything cooked. Once hot food goes below 135 F (55 C) it can start growing bacteria. Overly cautious? Maybe. Just not worth the risk IMO.
Here is a handy temp chart!
And wash your hands (not just rinse)!! More than you think!
Another big one: donât thaw frozen food on the counter. The parts that become room temperature while it thawsâŚthen start growing bacteria.
I've committed everything you've mentioned pretty much always. seriously never had an issue.
To each their own, for sure. I just err on the side of caution for myself and anyone I cook for. I managed a bakery for 10 years and if any of these rules werenât complied with weâd have received a caution or a failing grade from our local health inspectors/public health department. Became habit in my own life moving forward!
It's one of those things where it's not an issue till it is, and then it can be a very expensive, painful lesson.
Agreed! And symptoms of food poisoning may not appear until multiple days after initial ingestion.
Survivor Bias
I mean everything has risks (eg a brick falling off a building while walking in a city, car jumping a curb, etc), but, in my experience, it's not as bad as the impression I got from what op said. I literally defrost on the counter always and have kept rice out over night thousands of times through the years.
I guess I view it as those examples are things we cannot control. Food hygiene we can control!
Lol. I literally chewed some raw rice from this very batch just for shits. I dropped some and one of my dogs ate a couple grains, so I said âhmm, wonder what thatâs like,â and went for it. Itâs been like 18ish hours or so, so Iâm prob in the clearâŚ.NGL, kinda wish I read this beforehand, though.
Thanks for the heads up!
I don't remember anything about rice from mine, but it was about 15 some years ago.
Gave me something to Google, thanks!
I worked as a grill cook at a university for a while. I was training this girl on using the brazier. I noticed her putting raw chicken on the grill, then just wiping off her gloves on a towel before opening a bun for someone's burger. I stopped her right there and gave her a firm talking to about why we don't do that. THEN SHE DID IT AGAIN. She did not last long.
what about if you wash the board between cutting meat and vegetables?
That should be fine, just make sure it's a proper wash with detergent and not a rinse.
It's all about your risk tolerance. The courses I took were for restaurant staff, so the foodborne illness risk tolerance was virtually zero, meaning they stressed keeping meat cutting boards separate and not reusing them until they were washed and sanitized. Also things you might not think of like storing meat at the bottom of your fridge/freezer below everything else (in case of dripping, etc.).
Does food being vacuum sealed make a difference as far as thawing is concerned? Not sure if the lack of available air would allow bacteria to metabolize and grow.
I want to say yes, the lack of oxygen in a vacuum sealed price of food should prevent bacteria from growing and it should significantly slow the rate of spoilage. I emphasize the word should because it's very possible to have the vacuum seal be done improperly (which I've personally done a few times) and it's possible that the vacuum seal was broken in the process of freezing the food (which I've thawed vacuum sealed meat on the countertop just to find that ice had plugged an unknown hole in the package, it's not a fun clean up).
Again, this is all about risk tolerance and risk reduction. Suggestions should be taken in the spirit of "this will reduce your risk of foodborne illness", not "this will keep you from getting foodborne illness". The best action you can take is to look into current food safety practices.
Duly noted, thanks for the reply!
No problem!
If I can't scuba... then what's this all been about?
Food handler certification seems like the course which will give you anxiety for the rest of your life.
Not only food safety but a bartender one, âserve it rightâ. You can work a regular part time gig or just events.
CPR is only good for a couple years and needs to be reupped.
If you spend time hiking or camping, getting you Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is worth while. Always good to have the peace of mind to be able to take care of yourself or others out in the backcountry.
How do I get it? Is it through the local government or private entities?
Not sure where youâre located but if youâre near an REI, you can do it through them in partnership with NOLS. If you arenât near an REI you can go to NOLS website and look up classes in your area.
CPR training can be invaluable.
And sometimes free! Our local fire stations usually hold a class a couple times a year.
Microsoft Excel Certifications I havenât seen it posted yet but being able to navigate (and create) Excel spreadsheets has been extremely useful.
Most local vo-techs offer certifications in carpentry, welding, auto repair electrician and plumbing. Those are all skills which will serve you well in life. I got a cert in industrial elecricity after HS and I still constantly draw on that knowledge decades later.
By VO-TECHS you mean vocational/technical training? I wonder if some people here donât know about their division of vocational rehabilitation offices or workforce centers⌠just asking what you mean by VO-TECH?
Thanks in advance @licecrispies
In my area, the local community college has a vocational training extension arm that provides a lot of those types of certifications. The classes are usually quite affordable and the staff is highly committed to giving people the best knowledge available. They're a tremendous resource for the community.
Vocational/Technical schools. run by the county or state. Where I went was a HS during the day and adult ed in the evenings.
Good electrician pun there.
EPA 608 license to buy refrigerant:
https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-0
FCC ham radio amateur operator license to operate ham radio:
https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/amateur-radio-service
Then what do I do once I have the EPA 608 license? I donât have much use for refrigerant
maybe you'd find some if you could buy it
When all you have is refrigerant, everything is an air conditioner
When all you have is refrigerant, everything is an air conditioner
Deep.
Become the HVAC dude
Itâs good money. Hard hot work though.
Current Refrigerants are being legislated out of existence. When manufacturers are no longer allowed to produce them the price of existing refrigerant will skyrocket. Example a jug of R22 used to go for $60-$80, itâs currently around $1400. R410A is almost done being made and currently around $300. If you can hold it and then sell it youâd make a killingâŚ
Thatâs the use for refrigerant. But youâd be an ass for doing it.
How does it handle being stored?
As long as the jug remains sealed and doesnât see temperatures above say 100-110 F it would last a long time. I know guys with R22 from the 1990âs
Having a ham radio license has gotten my foot in more than one door. I just slip it into my resume somewhere and it always catches someone's attention.
It didn't get me the job but when my current company saw it, they new I was willing to learn.
I think it makes sense to consider putting time into your interests, here's my personal experience, I guess it might inspire you somehow:
As a kid I got into basic 3D art, later in my teens I took a weekly AutoCAD evening course. I wound up studying architecture and though I eventually dropped out of that I still designed homes and do 3D modeling professionally in various contexts. For example I'm designing a camper van for myself and it's just so empowering to be able to quickly and easily play around with the design in 3D.
As a kid I also got into drawing, later in my teens I took evening drawing classes twice a week which got me into graphic design and I've been doing that professionally too. I also took stuff like online courses to get better at things like photoshop and various other things which help me in my current career.
I think I would never have become decent at those things if I didn't have the intrinsic motivation to do them simply because I enjoy them and now I get a lot of satisfaction out of getting paid and praised doing things I can enjoy.
What a smart path you took. And enjoying what you do is so rewarding.
I know itâs a meme, but a forklift license. I am in Australia so I can only speak to it here but Iâve never been without a job since getting a forklift licence 20 years ago. I work mainly white collar jobs now but there have been times where Iâve had a gap in employment and Iâve been able to get shifts on the forklift almost straight away to help bridge the gap. Itâs worth itâs weight in gold for me.
Plus if you ever need to lift a large weight of gold...
r/forkliftmemes will let you know itâs also the best way to be irresistible to the ladies
Learning knots is a super useful skill that I wish I had
100%! At very least, learn the bowline, a.k.a. "The king of knots". Works great for practically any situation requiring a rope. Never comes undone, and it's pretty simple. The trucker's hitch is really cool (though I can't quite remember it). Basically it creates a pulley so you can put a ton of tension on a line, and then lock it in place. Monkey's fist is also fun if you find yourself in need of a not-very-dangerous flail weapon.
I was in the navy for 6 years. Learnt quite a few knots. I use two. Truckers hitch and bowline. Lol
Truckers hitch works by creating a loop in the line itself ahead (leave enough line to encircle whatever you need ratcheting down) of your bitter end. Loop your line around the item and your in-line loop should be close enough to pass the bitter end through without having a ton of excess. Now you pull tension in the opposite direction. Now pinch the point where your line and the in line knot are touching. This should hold all the tension so that you can release the bitter end and the ratchet doesnât loosen. Now tie a half hitch that touches this point and youâve got a quick releasing truckers hitch.
Bowline is even cooler. I canât even explain how to tie this lmfao. Itâs a super cool knot that can take all of the tension a line could hold without snapping and you can get it undone by yourself with no tools (except maybe ships husbandry lines because those lines are so thick I canât wrap my arm around it). Itâs an easy enough knot to tie when you have both ends in your hand but a little more challenging when youâve only got access to one end of the line.
The explanation of the bowline I've always heard is "the rabbit comes out of the hole, goes around the tree, then back down the hole". Where the rabbit is the loose end, the hole is a loop, and the tree is the rest of the rope.
And to untie it you break the bunnyâs back.
Thanks for highlighting the most important ones. A lot of the time itâs a matter of not getting overwhelmed with a skill and using the 80/20 principle.
Bowline is an anchor knot used to secure the rope around a fixed object. Not so useful in tying things together.
These knots are taught in every fire academy and will handle a majority of any situation.
https://www.firerescue1.com/firefighting-101/articles/7-knots-you-need-to-learn-for-nfpa-1001-skill-sheet-Cz4eNn4aD3psCVjv/
For knots youâre likely to use in non-knot settings:
Bowline â make a loop
Fishermanâs bend - attach two ropes of the same diameter
Sheep bend - attach ropes of different diameters
Round turn and two half hitches â attach rope to something
Truckers hitch - ratcheting down loads
IMO a trucker's hitch is another one I would add to that, useful to know if you ever need to tie something down real tight.
I have been taught knots so many times and I canât remember them. I can remember only a couple simple ones like the slip knot, clove hitch, granny knot, square knot, and a couple other knots I donât know the name. But anything more complicated than those just doesnât stick in my brain.
Former music tour rigger and motion control programmer here.
These are the three knots you really need:
Runner up is some kind of trucker hitch probably but those are kind of hack in my opinion. If you really need to tie a load down buy some ratchet straps, they are much safer.
Make sure you learn good knots so you only have to learn a few. I would start with a constructor then learn the bowline then a solid hitch, the round turn and two half hitches will nearly always suffice. Working in the bite is important, the bowline in a bite is my favorite, the farmers loop is good too. Last one would be in the bends, sheet bend is the simplest and will work. YouTube will show ya
Can 100% second this!
And I don't know if it is mostly because of sailing or shibari, but for sure a very useful skill!
cyber security. even a basic course on how the internet works, what malware is, protecting your data and how to avoid basic missteps is invaluable in this day and age.
Especially if you have kids, we were brought up in an age where kids just "got" technology and our parents left us to it because it was too complicated.
Now though a parent cannot afford to let their kids "work it out" they need to have basic skills to teach their kids how to stay safe. I mean for Christs sake most parents I know find parental controls complicated despite Google/MS/Amazon/apple making really good controls
You could become a certified ASL interpreter (American Sign Language). That would be extremely useful in many situations.
What's the average amount of time to at least be able to communicate basic stuff?
for reference when i dated a deaf girl (her whole family was deaf) after learning the alphabet and some basic words you're off to the races just have them spell signs you don't understand and you'll get there pretty quick
There are several universities that offer courses in sign language.
As for getting certified, here's a link that you may find helpful: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-asl-interpreter
This reads like the answers I get from my wife: relevant to the larger topic at hand, and deftly advances whatever she just already said, but it in no way answers the question.
/u/kortisol, both academic studies and anecdotal accounts indicate that ASL fluency requires about 5 years, but a basic understanding can be had in under a year.
[deleted]
[deleted]
[deleted]
You seem to have offended the Hivemind's sensibilities.
[deleted]
Anonymous echo chambers are fickle places where fragile self-made victims congregate and convince themselves that every possible anecdotal stereotype is an attack on them.
Don't lose any sleep over it.
I've read some academic papers on the topic. It's strongly correlated with People-Pleasing and Self-Centeredness as personality traits. Instead of answering the direct question, they think they are doing you a favor by answering the follow-up question that is most logically likely to follow their answer. This is usually not a conscious decision. To wit:
A: "What's the average amount of time to at least be able to communicate basic stuff?"
B's thought process: Five years, but they're probably next going to ask "OK, how do I get certified?" because that's what I was talking about.
B's answer: "There are several universities that offer courses in sign language. As for getting certified..."
And yes....women and men who have sex with men are two demographic groups that consistently score high in Self-Centeredness and People-Pleasing personalities.
I've just started interrupting people who give non-answers if they don't have a brief answer and explain that they answered a question I didn't ask, followed by restating the question word for word.
I took a class in college that was like, one day a week (1.5 hour class). Half way through the semester we were ~~halving~~ having full on conversations. A classmate and I would talk to each other in the library (outside of class). Basic stuff, but still. It was fun.
This depends on the person. Someone who is a visual learner will have a much easier time than someone who isn't.
[deleted]
10 hours a weekâŚ
Do you mean 1200 hours?
[deleted]
Okay but âgiving up your lifeâ is a bit of an exaggeration. No doubt though, itâs a serious commitment.
[deleted]
Um. ASL interpreter here. This is not something I recommend doing just for funsies. Itâll take years to learn and thatâs with full time school. Then after youâre working as an interpreter full time you could get your certification in another couple years after A LOT of mentorship and contact with the Deaf community. However, I think learning ASL at a conversational level is a much more attainable goal. I also have my real estate license and thatâs way easier to get, pretty affordable to maintain and can use it to help friends/family. Plus if you ever wanted to purchase investment properties itâd come in handy!
Lol. Becoming a certified interpreter means many years of schooling. It's not just taking a language course. If you weren't born deaf it's a VERY long process.
Edit: this is in Canada. Might be different in the US, but I don't think so. Not to be a real interpreter.
This is actually my end game out of nursing. Once my kids are in school I'm going back and taking college level courses and want to eventually medical interpret ASL. Figure an ER nurse would be good at understanding the medical jargon and translating it.
In the mean time I'm learning for fun. The Deaf community is rad. I hope one day I can sign enough I can be part of their world
Always wanted to learn this
Or any second language, for real. There are jobs everywhere for translators, bi-lingual, or English as a second language.
Swimming,- and in extension - freediving and life saving qualifications.
Swimming is a life skill anyway, a no-brainer.
freediving teaches massively about your own capabilities and humility and the value of your brain; what you can be able to do when you study and learn. Stress management is an implicit skill in freediving.
Life saving is one of the most rewarding challenges you can give yourself.
Definitely agree. Iâve come across issues in developing my swimming skill as an adult. I havenât found any adult swim classes that meet me at my level. Theyâre either co-classes with children, or they are aimed at absolute beginners. Looking for something to get me from a beginner/intermediate level to very comfortable, but havenât been able to find it.
It makes me sad that swim lessons for adults are so hard to find. I work at a place that offers adult lessons for any level. Iâve worked with absolute beginners who have never been in water deeper than a bathtub and people who do triathlons but want to refine their technique and everything in between.
My suggestion is, if you already have some swimming skills and are comfortable enough to swim in the deep end or have a shallower pool accessible to you, just swim. Be in the pool. Practice swimming. It will help you become more comfortable just by exploring how your body moves in the water. Swimming is so different from movement on land that simply being in the water is a key part of developing comfort and swimming skills.
Nice, thank you for your reply here. How about private swimming coaches? Is that a thing usually?
I know we offer private lessons at my workplace. We basically ask you what you want out of the lesson and if you want more of a coach than an instructor we assign you to someone who fits that skillset. Iâm better as an instructor, as someone who teaches new skills and refines basic form. My coworkers who have a more competitive swim background are usually assigned to students who want more of a coach.
Iâm not sure how common private lessons like that are but Iâd look for community or rec centers rather than gyms with pools. Typically Iâve found community and rec centers have more staff focused on instruction in swimming than gyms with pools. At least thatâs how it is in my area.
I definitely recommend having a professional look at your swimming from time to time. Iâve seen too many examples if people getting into literally un-fixable bad habits. Yes, literally - their physiology had adapted to decades of abuse that they will bear the pain of doing this to themselves for the rest if their lives.
This is an extreme case, but a coach will most definitely help you make your swimming more effective, efficient, healthy and enjoyable.
Thereâs master swim teams all across the US for adults of all levels! Usually just have to pay a small fee to join the team and then have a membership to the pool they practice at. Of course in my area all the practices are at ungodly hours of the morning. But a super fun and fantastic idea!
You can join a beginnerâs class and learn lots from that. Absolutely guaranteed.
I have been a professional freediver for a decade and still walk out if my own beginner classes with new insights.
Every minute in the water holds a lesson if you look and feel for it.
Life saving is one of the most rewarding challenges you can give yourself.
When you save someoneâs life it will be worth it million times over. I saved my 2yo niece from choking at our family Christmas party. My sister still thinks I still have super powers.
Honestly if you have a fear of drowning, free diving seems like a huge relief. You never know when you're gonna be trapped underwater and need to be able to chill out and disentangle yourself before swimming free. You may think "well that's easy, I just won't get entangled underwater!" Wrong! What if you're in an Uber and the car loses control and goes into the river? Now you're trapped in the back seat, still buckled in, and the electric windows won't roll down? You might survive, but not if you panic. Or basically any situation involving water and ropes or fabric (ever wondered what happens if you fall into a swimming pool with a tarp floating on the surface?)
I haven't started free-diving yet but I've done some scuba, and I still think it would help in those situations to be accustomed to being underwater and taking things slow. Of course, regularly practicing 2-3 minute breath holds would be even better.
Your imagination went a bit Hollywood there, but yes. đ
Most useful, hands down: driver's license
Job certs are always a good idea
First aid and disaster preparedness are underrated skills. They can literally save your life.
The number of people who live on autopilot thinking they are immune to disaster because they've never seen one in person is mind-blowing.
I've lived in tornado areas, blizzard prone areas, and was in NOLA after Katrina. I do disaster prep for IT, and am generally a plan for worst case kind of person. My wife is the opposite. She used to give me grief for keeping extra TP and canned food in the house. Then COVID happened.
Drone license. You can use it for wildlife monitoring. My wife does that for a living down here in Africa.
In the US, it's called a Part 107.
Yup. $150 to get it if I recall correctly (feel free to correct me). Itâs called a RPL in Africa and costs $1500, which is a bit steep to be honest.
Iâm amazed that is her job. Wild!
OMG tell me more. I'm currently in North Africa, but that sounds like a great job.
Mental Health First Aid, it's a separate course from regular first aid and teaches you how to respond in a mental health emergency.
Of the same vein, for anyone who loves someone with depression or other mental illness, ASIST, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, is an incredible skillset.
I did ASIST for work. It was 16 hours of training over two days, so that was pretty intense. But there's shorter versions too.
I also did my training in two 8hr days, and "emotionally intense" is a good description. Still, incredibly helpful training that I would recommend to most people.
Honestly this. I'm a trained and registered nurse in the UK, and I know a fair bit about the body, but I'm severely lacking in the metal health side.
I was looking into this for myself preCov, and you've just reminded me.
Came here to say this. MHFA Is extremely necessary.
Yes! Take Mental Health First Aid. As an instructor, I know it's saved alot of lives, builds confidence in talking about MH with a loved one or associate, teaches about resources and professional help and it's actually a fun class.
Thank you so much for this info!
Jesus: I've had to intervene in suicide attempts before, just sort of winging it -- it would be nice to have a bit of a playbook, if that playbook is evidence-based. (Nobody died in my presence.)
Scuba diving.
Serious question: what if Iâm not that great a swimmer? Should I focus my energy on becoming a better swimmer, or should I focus on getting a Scuba license?
Iâm not a particularly strong swimmer and dive a fair bit. Swimming underwater with fins is very different to surface swimming. Even at the surface when diving, you donât swim in the âtraditionalâ manner.
If you can swim in a pool back and forth a few times you're good. I don't know what you mean by "not a good swimmer".
Fair enough, I guess thatâs good to know. I had to teach myself how to swim with a girlfriend because I never learned as a kid. I only know like 1-2 strokes. I guess being good at swimming means knowing a few strokes, being efficient, knowing how to dive.
Yeah. To be a good diver. I suggest just getting you license and explore a bit. If you love it then you can work on all those things to be a better diver. But just be ok enough to get your license first.
Better swimmer. That will save your life.
To become certified (with PADI at least) you do need to prove that you can swim and tread water. The swim is not far, you can use any stroke, and the treading isn't very long.
In a couple of months I taught a few non-swimmers how to swim and tread water. Two went on to become professional divers.
If you just want to try it, there's a program called Discover Scuba Diving that requires 0 swimming skill. Try a short and shallow dive. If you love it, it can be motivation to improve your swimming skills.
Anyways, underwater, the biggest secret is to move SLOWLY. The slower the better. You won't scare off the wildlife, and you will be more relaxed.
Scuba diving changed my life. And it brings people face to face with how seriously and quickly we are damaging one of the most beautiful natural environments we can visit.
Scuba takes the hardest part of swimming (holding your breath) and puts it in a bottle strapped to your back.
I'm a horrible swimmer but I got certified 25 years ago. Totally different with buoyancy control and fins.
Welding and Fabrication. Generally cheap to get these certs from community colleges/vocation centers in a single semester. If you like to build or design things yourself then these courses really help up your game.
Learning American Sign Language is very useful, and at the very least people should learn how to sign for possible emergency situations. "Where do you hurt, who do I call, what happend" - and the possible responses from those (broken bone, illness, fire, ambulance, police, car accident, ect.)
https://youtu.be/GW-9-SujCqQ <- Here's a good video covering those.
Paid for a 1600hr course. No longer work in welding or fabrication, I'm a heavy equipment operator now.
Still absolutely 0 regrets. I just realized I enjoyed doing it for myself instead of others (hobby vs career). It came in handy working in my later jobs though, like minor repairs in mines.
Eventually when I get my own place, I Wana learn carpentry and make my own furniture with my welding and woodworking knowledge.
Get welding, it's worth it if you think that career interests you.
I'm coming at it from the other side. I've been a hobby woodworker for years, and got "serious" about it during lockdown. I now fancy myself a furniture maker, but I mostly make portable practice pitching mounds. That's a whole thing, but I'd say I do roughly 4-6 mounds for every piece of furniture at this point.
Anyway, I'd LOVE to pick up welding as well, for the same reasons.
[deleted]
I just got an Ender 3 last month. Still dialing it in, but I'm working through a fusion 360 tutorial series on YouTube. My 10 year old's got Tinkercad pretty well figured out (he modeled a bunch of parts for his handcrank light science fair project and turned the drive wheel on the lathe), so I figure I better learn the "grown up" version before he passes me up as the better maker. We're kicking around the idea of building a CNC, but that's probably a good ways out.
Weird how getting one cool machine makes you want ALL the cool machines, huh?
A second language! No certification needed, plenty of free apps to help. A great confidence booster when traveling if you can ask for the bathroom, order food, tell the taxi driver directions, and ask the price of things in a store.
This, and if you can get the certification even better! I guess english is already covered, but still if it is not your native it should be priority, a B2 or C1 in IELTS or a C1 CAE opens lots of opportunities!
And go for others too! C1 CELI in Italian is one of the reasons I'm where I am now, and I'm just waiting for the opportunity to get the DELF/DALF one !
I can communicate in 6 languages and tell people to get fucked in 12.
I've had a lot of fun getting licensed to perform weddings. It's as cheap as free online and come in handy more than I ever thought.
I had a friend of mine perform the ceremony for me and my wife. Now our wedding album has photos of us with a good friend and not just some guy.
I heard it pays really well as a side-gig.
Our officiant did 100 events (weddings, elopements, and funerals plus pre marital counseling) a year as his full time job. For what we paid, even doing half that (so once a week) would be a pretty decent wage.
Ordained Minister
Signed up online back in 2011, still one of the most interesting certifications I've ever gotten.
because....
It's just an interesting conversation topic honestly, I never actually use it or put it in my resume.
[deleted]
Tourniquets and chest seals buddy. This should be higher up the list. There are some more advanced trauma courses you should get too if you've already taken stop the bleed, take as many of that type of course as you have access to.
You can learn celestial navigation. Always be able to figure out where youâre at. And look impressive doing it.
Thatâs super cool. Is there a formal cert for it? I went to the local planetarium recently. I always learn something new there.
Adler Planetarium in Chicago used to offer courses in coastal and celestial navigation; I think they have stopped these. According to google, sailing clubs (âyachting clubsâ) have some lessons. Rumor has it that the US Naval Academy reinstated its previously cancelled celestial courses, reasoning that GPS can be spoofed or jammed.
The auction sights have hundreds of sextants for sale. The plastic (âlifeboatâ) ones get you to a couple of nautical miles precision. The beautiful optical instruments are only a bit better in practice because you are shooting your sight from a pitching and rolling platform. Itâs fun to learn about, gives you a new respect for mariners through history.
That sounds like a neat skill to pick up! Any recommendations for resources?
TEFL / TESL -- Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language; OR
TESOL -- Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages
I scrolled this whole thread and can't believe nobody else has mentioned it yet!
What's the difference? TEFL is designed for people who are going to teach English to non-native speakers living in a country that does not speak English (e.g., teaching English to Chinese students living in China.)
TESL is for teaching non-native speakers who live in a country that does speak English (e.g., teaching English to Chinese students living in the US.)
TESOL covers both scenarios.
TEFL seems to be the more established and requested cert for job seekers. The TEFL does not require any additional re-certifications, it does not expire (not sure about the other two)
With these you can make money from anywhere by teaching online, or maybe even get a job in a foreign country and see if you enjoy the expat life!
I'm one of these teachers. The acronyms are basicay synonymous, you left out CELTA and that one sometimes matters as there are a few celta-only schools.
While the certs don't expire, regulations change fast and the industry is passed its golden age. 100h cert was the standard a couple years ago, not it's 120 hours and some countries require that you not only have a bachelor's but also are also certified to teach in your home country.
COVID also flooded the online market and made it highly competitive.
The ESL industry is also full of discrimination. It really favors young white women, if your and old man of color or a non-native speaker then there are fewer opportunities. Your religion can play a role as well. Christians have more opportunities generally.
I signed on knowing I would be on a timer. Life is cheaper overseas and it's been good. I'm able to comfortably learn coding and make a career hop. I couldn't do that working 60h weeks for minimum wage in Canada.
A+ CompTIA , at minimum shows your above average with technology
2nd language cert , shows you could translate
Microsoft has a bunch of free ones and getting the office suite in particular could be helpful
Or CompTIA ITF+. Be the best computer user in your office.
Additional language is always good, even if poor at it. My basic HS Spanish along with phone apps in my down time help with my broken Spanglish. Makes living in big US cities easier and really helps if traveling.
Nice suggestions! Do you know of a good provider of 2nd language certs?
I think local counties will do it . It's like a course
For professional wise. For me itâs been getting my CAPM, project management isnât strictly tied to my career. But it was an affordable cert to get and itâs been very very useful in helping me plan out and map things for what I do do.
Just purchased the Basics of Project Management course from PMI today! Talk about coincidenceâŚlikewise, I see the course/material as a means to an end in learning how to scope and scale any sort of professional project moving forward. Really happy to see this here!
Check out the PMP subreddit
Forklift Licence. Guy I knew ALWAYS had a job.
Always been curious, do you need a different license for different types of forklifts? Because a standing forklift is a whole other beast than a traditional forklift.
In the USA there's no such thing as a forklift license. Your employer will train you on their specific equipment, all OSHA requires is that employers have an adequate training program.
Not that i know of, our trainer just asked if what types of forklifts that we use and asked us to show how we operate them. We operate the standing and the gas ones. Then after a few days, they gave us a small id sized paper that indicated that we are certified to drive the two
Can you do it as a side hustle, or is it typically a full time thing?
You gotta get a license for that??? I've never needed one!
It worked out really well for Staplerfahrer Klaus.
CPR + first aid
There are many levels of first aid so take it to what ever level suits your life.
Scuba
Boating
Driving
Fishing / hunting
Firearms (if your country requires a license)
Radio operators
Proserve (required to serve alcohol in my province, volunteer work at the parish hall weddings)
Most of those are not that hard to get
---More "professional" ones---
Swim instructor (I've read a bunch of articles that lifeguards and instructors are fewer post pandemic, not a bad part time job from what I heard from friends)
Microsoft office
Lean sigma
Pro sci
Any second language (professional translators can get paid very well, or get a side hustle)
Firearms, even if a license isn't required are a good subject to take courses in. Basic firearms safety> basic fundamentals of marksmanship> shooting and moving> long range marksmanship> cqb. Even just going to IPSC centric lessons or drill events.
Pilotâs License
Interesting Useful Fun Absolute best way to stay broke. đ
Am Pilot
How much you spending for the classes, fuel, plane, and keeping up with it?
Highly depends on where you train. To get your Private Pilotâs License it costs on average $140-$160 per flight hour for the plane with fuel included. Its called a âwet rateâ. Instructor is $50-$60 per flight hour. There are some initial tools you need to buy which arenât much but the majority of coats go to the actual flying. I got my PPL in 2018 and it was around $15k and took me a year. Thats on the more expensive side of things because i failed my first time and had to redo my final exam 4 months later. Average cost is around $10k. I also live in a HCOL living area. Prices have gone up now and flight schools have adjusted their costs but depending on where you live, it can still be relatively cheaper. There are a few ways to mitigate costs but Iâm not gonna tell you it isnât expensive to get your license.
Hey sorry for the late comment but I'm looking into becoming a comercial pilot though I might start as a flight attendant to get a feel of the life in that area of work. I have therapy would this prohibit me from getting a job as a pilot?
I take it by commercial pilot you mean flying for the airlines?
To answer your question, It depends. Theres a list of conditions that if you are medically diagnosed with you cannot get a medical certificate (one of the required documents you need). If you are prescribed medication for said condition that can bog down the process quite a bit. But just simply doing to therapy shouldnât be too much of a problem as long as you do not show any symptoms or are suicidal. If you consult an AME (Aviation Medical Examiner), they would have a more thorough answer.
But no, its not an automatic no if you go to therapy.
Thank you!
Home maintenance skills: simple plumbing, plastering, electrical jobs. Same on the car. Saves a lot of time and money and good for exchanging favours with friends. Definitely worth girls learning to change a car wheel as soon as they learn to drive, so as not to find themselves at the mercy of random men should they have a flat in an area with no cell coverage.
Do you know the best way to learn basic plumbing, electrical skills for a new home owner? Such as how to replace a toilet or faucet or how to replace a light fixture.
Youtube! Honestly, you can learn everything for free there. No certifications required. I'm an amateur plumber/electrician/drywaller/tiler/handy person/etc and I haven't burnt the house down or flooded anything yet.
get inspections
OSHA 30, will give you a good understanding of the daily hazards around you
Wilderness first air/first responder course- will give you an understanding of how to handle shitty medical situations
Don't pay for OSHA. Let your contractor pay for that and pay you to go through it. OSHA 30 really only matters if you are going to be in supervision and even then, not required. OSHA 10 is required at bare minimum for most construction jobs.
Alternatively, showing up with skills demands more money than showing up green. If you can get an extra dollar per hour for spending 150 or whatever, youâre doing better than if you let them pay, after only one month on the job.
Boating certification, it never expires, is t that expensive either
Agree with this. Got my RYA license and since then prefer to spend summer vacations chartering a yacht rather than staying in a beach hotel. And it's not as expensive as one might think.
Chartering a yacht in Greece was cheaper than staying in hostels (<âŹ30 per person per night).
Itâs even more useful if youâve cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene
If you owned a liquor license it would be worth 6 figures.
How? I own one. Would like to know what itâs worth lol
See if thereâs a local Community emergency response program, or take a FEMA training online. I really enjoy the courses!
I forgot did this!
Not a license, but learning to drive stick if you can't.
It'll open up the ability to rent vehicles in some European areas as many places won't have anything but stick. It's also just a good time and a skill that may be useful if you were to pursue a CDL.
Definitely agree. I learned stick and it is super fun. Can be tough on your knees if the clutch has a deep throw though.
If there's something you're passionate about, you could get a certification that would allow you to give back to the community/pay it forward. I'm getting my swim coaching certification.
Massage therapist school and license. If you know how to make touch feel great and/or relieve pain, your family and friends will be very appreciative, even if you don't use it to make money.
I've always wanted to take classes, but everytime I look into it the classes are full time courses to work as a professional massage therapist.
I wish someone offered weekend courses I can take for like 10 sessions just to be a good massage giver for my partner. I would sign up immediately.
You tube!
Any sort of inspection cert. In construction, a lot can be done online for under $1k. You can get pretty easy "inspector" gigs as a result.
Drivers license
Itâs good if you want to drive I guess
A plumber and an electrician :-)
Electrician is a less shitty job
No flushing way
I'm shocked too
Combined those are called an HVAC-R specialist to the lucky few who can apprentice as both at the same time
First aid certifications are not BIFL, because you have to keep doing refresher courses for it to be worth anything.
On the other hand, the training can help you save lives -- hence buying it for life!
(While a current certification is necessary to be on top of your game, or for employment in certain fields, even expired training can still be of some use in an emergency.)
A Life Debt is a solid investment. Just ask Han Solo.
I would qualify FA/CPR the same as I would socks--no one expects a pair of "BIFL" socks to actually last a lifetime, but when the moment comes you're glad you opted for the additional expense.
Also--got WFR a few years back but let it expire due to circumstances. The skills and critical thinking in regards to emergency front care didn't disappear, and my decision making and comprehension for personal medical things greatly improved. I can't technically draw epinephrine or fix a dislocated shoulder, but those aren't the BIFL skills for me.
not technically. I used Cpr to save my momâs life when I was 34 and hadnât had actual CPR training since high school.
The training it takes to earn a blue belt in Brazilian jiujitsu is a ton of fun. Good exercise. Easy to make friends.
(Unless you're a guard puller. )
Amateur radio.
Open water Scuba Diver.
Volunteer at the local fire department and pick up some firefighting certs, fire 1&2, hazardous materials awareness, and operation (and technician of you want, its a fun class too).
Medical training, Emergency Medical Responder, or at least stop the bleed, and CPR
Licensed electrician, plumber, or general contractor.
Pilot license is definitely on my bucket list.
If you have any interest in technology, take the CompTIA A+ certification, or any of the free Google certificate programs (assuming you aren't in a tech based field already)
My brother is a private pilot and I took lessons as well as a kid. It's expensive, about $10k iirc, but that was 20 years ago. It takes I think 80 hours for your basic license: no flying at night or bad weather. Half is in the classroom and half in the air. You also have to take a physical and have I think 5 hours minimum solo flying.
It was lots of fun, but I couldn't continue because I would black out during 60 degree turns
Sorry to hear that you couldn't continue, I've done some interest flights, but from what I heard it's still right around in that same ballpark but a little more probably in the 12-15k range depending on Instructor and school and price of avgas and whatnot. Still cool you had those experiences you had though!
It was a great experience while it lasted. And strangely, I'm terrified of heights but was fine with them while flying
I completed my flight training for my PPL a bit over the 40 hr mark required by the FAA in the US. Great fun, but once I figured out I wasn't going to continue to the airlines I quit after I got my instrument rating: too expensive for a hobby unless you've got money burning a whole in your pocket. There are cheaper ways to fly, though.
First aid level 2 minimum. Level 1 is basically how to put on a bandaid and do cpr
Ptcb certificate. Can work in most pharmacies & hospital pharmacyâs. Could work for insurance in claims and billing. Opens up a lot of opportunities with little cost
What does the Ptcb acronym stand for?
Boating licence even if you never plan to captain a boat. Just in case you get stopped and your friend with the boat somehow doesn't have one.
Or if you plan a heist and somehow your partner's secret getaway plan includes a boat ride from the nearest marina.
I took a class on small engine repair once and it has literally been the most valuable/marketable thing I have ever done.
My job is property management so I actually have a lot of use for this type of knowledge but I feel in every job interview I have ever had it has positively impacted the outcome.
Additionally it can be a side hustle doing simple fixes for people with little to no knowledge of small engine repair or buying equipment and repairing it and reselling it. Not to mention the ability to fix things you own.
Excellent idea! Never heard of it. Should I just look up âsmall engine repair classes near meâ?
Yea the one I took was an evening class at a community college.
I see a lot of cpr mentions here. I'll add to that stop the bleed training. I've never had to administer cpr myself, only asissted, but I've stopped fatal bleeding 3 times in my life. Twice motorcycle accidents, once a shop accident. Loss of limb in the two motorcycle accidents, both requiring makeshift tourniquets and a very deep leg wound in thr shop accident that knicked the tibial artery. The first motorcycle accident was what made me take the training... I knew roughly how to make a tourniquet and thankfully ems was just up the block, but quickly after making the tourniquet and realizing just how tight I had to make it to get the guy to stop bleeding, I wanted to be better informed. I did what I could, and the gentleman did live, but he lost enough blood in just a few minutes that it was very very close. The second time around I was able to stop the bleeding much more quickly.
I will add that a stop the bleed course will teach you what the important things to have in your bleed kit are and the importance of having a bleed kit along with your first aid kit.
[deleted]
+1 for CDL. The requirements to pass pretrip and skills test is stuff everyone should know. Even if just for their class B.
CDL training, yes. But keeping a CDL endorsement without a need for it is uneconomical (insurance is higher and in many states your license renewal is higher).
Interesting, Iâve never had anything come up with my job and pricing with insurance. (Iâve only lived in OR and NH though)
I've never had the issue either.
How does one obtain a lifetime hunting/fishing license? I typically have to pay yearly
Naloxone/Narcan training (or even better, training how to train other people). You never know when you could save a life
Also scuba diving, it's just fun
Motorcycle license.
Everyone should try riding a motorcycle once. If nothing else, it will make you a better driver.
Maybe not for everyone but I've always aspired to be able to operate as many vehicles (safely) as possible. Bicycle, motorcycle, unicycle, skiis, skates, skateboard, forklift, tractor-trailer, boats, aircraft, etc. I'm not very far along yet but it's always fun to "unlock" a new vehicle.
if it has wheels and a motor, I've probably learned to drive it!! Still keeping my butt on the ground though! No boats or flying!
100% it will. Once you remove the steel cage, you truly see how other drivers actions could impact you. You will be a more defensive, and more aware. Plus, bikes are fun!
I have not ridden a motorcycle, but I'd wager that bicycles provide a comparable experience. As I've seen it riding a bicycle in city traffic really heightened my situational awareness and that has carried over to when I'm behind the wheel.
Motorcycle is different because the motor really changes things in my view. I used to ride bicycles a lot and have my motorcycle license.
Bicycle is likely a worse experience due to being silent and forced to ride in the most vulnerable part of the road.
In the context where bicycles work (<40km/h) youâre right: Motorbikes are much safer (loud, can accelerate out of danger, easier to claim the lane).
I thought by the number of bicycles that put themselves in horrible situations in traffic that riding a bicycle had the opposite effect. They cut people off, they blow through red lights and stop signs and generally ignore other traffic laws.
Class A Commercial Drivers License (in US). Plentiful jobs that pay well.
Personal experience? They will run you til you drop and then dispose of you. Smaller companies are worse than the larger ones.
I worked for Schnieder and they were great. 7 hours a day was all they asked of you and only had 2 bad interactions the whole time I worked there. Neither of which was my boss getting on my case.
Cdl a with heavy equipment cert is bank, and steady.
LTL is chill. Dump truck was pretty chill. Food industry will fuck you up though
CDL class A drivers license
Motorcycle license
D1.1 4G welding certification
D1.3 welding certification
NCCCO ABC/ABW crane license
NYS class B crane license
OSHA 10 hour
NYS conceal carry pistol permit
The day I stop learning you can all shovel the dirt on me.
So I've been looking at certs and stuff for a while. See this post from 13 years ago.
Picked up a couple myself including:
GMRS
FCC licensed UAV Pilot
Reverend
Awesome! Which has been your favorite so far?
Welding, fork lift operator and CDL - you will never be without work. Also awesome side hustles.
Love it. Whatâs CDL?
Commercial Drivers License
My brother-in-law got a certification in Medicare/Medicaid benefits and helps people making decisions on late care health. It's his only side-gig and he's over 70. Says he doesn't get rich because most are desperate for the help and he counts his blessings and enjoys helping out people in those circumstances. But you can charge once you're certified.
an instrument!!! My local community college has a guitar certification that I took for fun. I'm not about to go sell out an arena, but my nephew thinks I'm the coolest thing to walk the earth when I play little songs for him.
Plus, playing music has protective benefits against aging! It keeps the mind and dexterity up.
Sometimes the best lessons in life are free on Youtube or cost little in books.
Perhaps you could share if you are in need of anything at the moment, for example if you wish to lose weight, watching Scooby's weight loss channel or reading Atomic Habits could be great.
If trying to learn how to invest, scouring investopedia and the many trading lessons on Youtube could be great.
If you want some excitement in your life and have a lot of cash, then a pilots license, scuba, skydiving, boating, Formula1 license are definitely in the cards.
Foreign Language, specifically Spanish.
Functional Range Conditioning and Kinstretch certification. Knowledge from this programs will help you move better and live your life without back or hip or knee or any other joint pain. You only have one body for your entire life so knowing how to take care of it to live pain free is crucial. Bonuses from this knowledge:
- no constant Advil chugging, so less damage to your intestines (Advil has side effects just like any other meds)
- being pain free will help you moving more, doing your daily steps, going on hikes, ride bikes etc. All that reduces your risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc.
- even as an elderly person you will be able to comfortably play with kids and grandkids
- you will be able to take care of yourself well into your older years
https://functionalanatomyseminars.com/frs-system/functional-range-conditioning/
This! Thank you for posting this. Iâve been struggling with knee pain even as a young person and this is truly buyitforlife! Can you elaborate on the certifying bodies here. Is it evidence based? Thanks so much
Edit: I looked into it. Is this something that a layperson can benefit from or do you need to have a background in kinesiology or sports medicine?
It is not particularly "evidence based" in a way that nobody did controlled scientific studies on these methods. But it is super efficient and extremely low risk method of improving your joint health and mobility. In ways it is safer than even yoga. Yoga sometimes uses passive stretching methods where you use belts or hands to get yourself into position and in some cases you may injure yourself this way. Kinstretch helps you improve your active range of motion and resilience. I know vast amount of people (myself included - and I'm a powerlifter so I hang out with a lot of pro athletes) who were able to fix their injuries and get pain-free using Kinstretch methods. I also know many professionally trained physiotherapists and RMTs who use FRC/Kinstretch methods when prescribing exercises to their patients to improve rehab outcomes.
Before getting certified you can buy one of the many online courses taught by FRC/Kinstretch trainers. These would be better suited for someone who does not have sports / sports medicine background. I know a few trainers that are good and many have black friday sales now for online programs or memberships. I don't want to share their profiles publicly to the entire reddit audience as I don't know how many crazy people end up spamming their profiles, but if you're interested - DM me and I'll share a few. They are all great so you can choose one who just feels right to you.
meanwhile here are couple youtube channels you can browse with some examples of exercises
https://www.youtube.com/@DrAndreoSpina - this is the founder's channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKqEghoBoQk - podcast about FRC and end range training
https://www.youtube.com/@beardthebestyoucanbeamirza9367 - this guy shows some sample exercises
https://www.youtube.com/@IanMarkow - trainer who utilizes a lot of FRC / Kinstretch methods
small hint - should you choose to buy a program I recommend looking for a Canadian trainers. They tend to be a bit cheaper with same quality
Self defense! It's usually pretty fun exercise for all fitness levels, and learning how to get out of or avoid physical danger is a hugely useful life skill and could potentially be life-saving.
Honestly almost all self defense courses are absolutely worthless in practice unless you're really lucky.
Fighting and defense are skills like anything else and deteriorate if not used. If you're in a BJJ or self defense class at least once a week or something that's one thing. But just taking a self defender seminar or something even if it's taught by someone legitimate (many aren't) I seriously doubt it's utility in a real scenario.
Unless the one off course is just two hours of the instructor telling you to do nothing but run and yell help. That might actually be useful if it sinks in.
Conceal Carry License
Licenses are generally for occupations and are required by state law. Each state licenses occupations a bit differently in the number of choices and their scope of practice.
I'd encourage you to go online to your state's department of licensing and look for the section that lists specific administrative codes (laws) for each occupation and then you can see what they can do legally. There are so many!
Certification by the state is a step below licensing in that the educational requirements are less intense and the licensing exam may not be necessary. Certification by schools or companies is a different thing to a degree in that they are not necessarily recognized by the state.
For those saying CPR- if your city hosts an annual AHA American Heart Walk, itâs free to attend, has lots of freebies and you can find class info there. The general public should be doing hands-only CPR, and every year Iâve gone to the AHA walk they are handing out hands-only manikins to take home with a dvd for practice!
The only thread you need.
Dog and cat CPR and first aid is something I wanna learn. And administering subq and tube feeding for cats and dogs. I just need to figure out where to get those certs as someone who doesnât plan on going into vet med but rather as someone who is more interested in the rescue side of things. Also as someone who owns cats.
Agreed. Not knowing how to save my dog freaks me out.
HAM Radio for sure
00, license to kill. Ya hope you never need it butâŚ
StopTheBleed
If you get your merchant mariner's document ($45 through USCG/NMC), passport, and TWIC you can ship out through Seaman's International Union for around $250-$300 per day.
Learn to work on things, your house, electronics, your car etc. youâll save so much money and you know who did the work
Quality certifications; good in any industry. www.asq.org
This is a good question.
Depending on your state, (it was Florida for me in the 1980s), there may be a class of driver's license between regular, and big-rig CDL license. When I got it was was called a chauffeur's license. It cost a few bucks more and I had to take an extra written test.
When I was looking for work and got a job in a hotel with a courtesy van, having that chauffeur's license in my pocket got my foot in the door. I stayed in that industry long enough to get into management. As I was working through grad school, it was nice to know that I had a fallback career if needed. And it started because I spent an extra few bucks at the DMV.
Yoga certification.
I have a license to use pesticides.
Hunter education, forearm safety. I don't hunt but do go with my husband when he hunts. Good general knowledge. First aid as many have mentioned See if your hobby has classes you can take Anything to improve your area of work? I am working through many free GIS courses and excel how tos right now.
Awesome rec. yeah I take certifications though my work but I consider that different for some reason.
I really want to learn to hunt but it seems like one of those things that either your family teaches you or doesnât. I havenât heard of like a class or meetup teaching people how to hunt.
Amateur radio license.
Depending on where you live, get a alcohol/ Cannibas serving permit. In Oregon itâs an OLCC card. Every bartender and budtender needs one.
A guard card: security guard permit. Some states have different ones for armed vs unarmed, hands on vs hands off.
Know how to handle a weapon: shoot it, clean it, make your own ammo, etc.
Flagging: itâs good money and not terribly hard work.
Interesting⌠thatâs the folks that work to help airplanes taxi? Always have been fascinated by the symbols they use.
Road Construction floggers.
I suppose thereâs some gig at an airport that gives you flags to wave.
Plumbing license has been great for me. It sure helps for home ownership too. And where are there not pipes?
My argument is based purely on profitability vs time/financial investment. A state license for selling life and health insurance in a particular state takes a 2-week class and is often paid for by a potential employer as paid training. It can also be parlayed into licenses in multiple states. This is a potential career-setting license (a $10,00 value in my state) that you are paid to obtain.
Sailing certs (fun experience/Learning vacation) If -American Sailing Association/US Sailing, Canadian Sailing Association or Royal Yachting Association should cover. Keel boats to coastal cruising should knock out at least a week worth experiences
If you live in America a concealed carry license.
How does one go about it? Iâve never actually shot a firearm but I am interested in sport shooting/skeet shooting. Iâm not sure if I would be comfortable with the aftermath of an altercation with a firearm, but I am open to the idea as things are getting much more violent these days.
Shooting/marksmanship can be a fun hobby at the very least. If you're more interested in skill than self defense then rifle training or archery (or slingshots!) can be fun activities to do with friends. Nice thing about a slingshot is you can use clay shot that will biodegrade and is very very cheap and no one will notice you practicing your shot in the woods.
If you want protection but don't think you can handle killing someone or having your gun used by others to do harm then a tazer is a good way to go. Just make sure it's as powerful as you can legally get.
Iâm not sure if I would be comfortable with the aftermath of an altercation with a firearm
I don't think any non-insane person is okay with the aftermath of a violent act that involved firearms. It's more about do you want to be "not okay" with some legit psychological problems or "no okay" because you had a bullet go through you.
You can always go to a local range and shoot. They will give you a basic safety course, rent you a weapon, and sell you ammunition.
It depends on your state. Find an intro class at a local gun range. Even if you don't carry or even buy a weapon the knowledge is good to have. You may love it. They used to teach firearm safety and marksmanship in school.
In Canada, there's the PAL license. 2 day course, about $300 ($200 for the course, $100 for the unrestricted and restricted license).
That's good to know. I was more referring to Komifornia or Illinois or some such. Not being America.
Become certified forklift/lift truck operator. 1 day class, and itâs a marketable thing. OSHA inspector certs, scaffolding inspector certs, all that stuff can be pretty lucrative.
Edit - forklift operator trainer. Not just operator, that is site specific, and lift truck specific.
Not sure how a "certified forklift operator" works where you live. In the US, there is no such thing that transfers between contractors. Every contractor has their own training. We get people's certs all the time from other companies and it means absolutely nothing unless they go through our training, which we pay for.
Meant operator trainer.
Itâs a one day class where I am, certifies one to instruct and certify others on lift trucks. Decent side business to start. Like you said, the business generally pays for training, so various companies can hire you to train their staff on the lifts used in their particular facility or site. I can train people for anything from powered jacks up to telehandlers.
Ok, I legit want to do this. Can someone just go ahead and work in it as a side hustle?
Safety trainer/inspector can be a full time gig.
Learning how to administer narcan
Is narcan useful for anything besides drug od?
I dunno but in my city, there are so many ods that waiters and librarians and both trained how to administer it
Why not just let the problem work itself out? If all the druggies OD then there wonât be any more druggies TO OD. Seems like sound logic.
not really a personal certification, but an LLC.
You will get better home internet (business internet generally has guaranteed uptime and 24-48 hour notice from planned downtime for system upgrades etc)
You're cellphone plans can be cheaper
there's too many benefits to outweigh the minor tax time complications
I have a very small eBay side hustle. Is this enough to get an LLC? I thought there was a lot of requirements.
You donât even need a side business. Just a name for the LLC and a few hundred bucks.
Reiki
Hello /u/BlarkinsYeah! Thank you for your submission! The AutoMod thought that your post might be a request type post and has changed the flair accordingly, but if this was wrong feel free to change it back!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Cpr training, ham radio operator is a fun one
Notary Public
I've never had to use it, but CPR and AED training can be quite invaluable in (hopefully) rare situations.
Basic/emergency first aid training comes in handy more often.
You can become an ordained minister and conduct weddings, for pretty cheap. Different states have different requirements.
Investing certificates
learning python or another programming language
Learning home renovations
What are some investing certificates? What entity offers them?
CSC Canadian securities course essentials
There should also be other similar courses wherever your home country is but in Canada that is the governing body that standardizes the courses, it's called CSC
Iâm curious about the investing certificate. Is that to invest for yourself or to work as a financial planner?
Teaching license.
Idk how much fun this is but I'm a NYS CPO. Certified Pool Operator. I like it. It's interesting.
Iâm Forklift certified đ¤ˇââď¸ forklifts are useful
Certification as someone who can perform weddings!
Cpr/first aid, notary public, ham radio license, weapon carry permit (if so inclined)
I don't know where you live but I'd suggest your CHL or LTC if your state/country allows it. You don't have to agree with guns to at least be familiar with them and safe.
Heavy equipment operator-that one was fun Commercial Drivers License -good for insurance too
Class A CDL with all the endorsements and Hazmat. You will never be unemployed for long. You can roll into any town in America and have a job.
Fork lift certification. Guarantees you are more useful than the average Joe, and can allow you to do a decent paying job with virtually no physical labor.
Commercial drivers license
Aside from getting a job with it, are there other uses outside of work where itâd be useful?
Itâs always helpful being qualified with something. In the event of emergency you are capable and qualified to operate more machinery increasing your chances for survival, but thatâs a real long stretch. I got mine for work as a mechanic. Another upside is even hauling non commercial if you tow a trailer with a gtwr of 10000lbs or over you are required to have a class a where I live. I haul over that weight for personal use fairly often so itâs better to play it safe.
Electrical PE and PMP.
Enrolled Agent license. 3 tests, 100 questions each. Pass and youâll be able to represent people before the IRS
It may be a little dated, but: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/6k0p7l/what_are_the_best_free_online_certificates_you/
Thanks, yeah I wanted a fresh perspective as of these days. Appreciate it though.
A lot of those certs need continuing education to remain relevant and valid. low barrier ones like CPR is all fine, but pilots licensure is quite pricy and requires a lot of hoops to jump through.
Get your commercial drivers license. A CDL is an amazing investment in yourself.
welding, class c driver license, notary, home inspection, car dealerâŚ
In the US Airframe and Powerplant license. Wont get taken from you unless you screw up something in front of the FAA and teaches basics for every skill needed to work on aircraft. Coincidentally that teaches you many skills useful for life.
Get a private pilot certificate. It never expires!
The single most useful is a CCW. I also have my Type 107, aka Drone pilot's license. I'm an NRA certified firearms instructor and state of California Hunter's Ed Instructor. I looked at getting a HAM radio license but have not gone through with it. I also have a Citrix cert, MCSE, and CCNA (all lapsed). I'm an ordained mister of the Universal Live Church and I gave myself an honorary doctorate in "Doctorology" just to annoy my kids. I have a driver's license but only auto, no motorcycle.
Ham Radio technicians license.
Honest question: aside from the hobby aspect, how would someone use it in everyday life? I know some âOverlandersâ use it, but wasnât sure beyond that. Thank you
General contractors license. Itâs not as hard to get as you might think and itâs been incredibly useful for myself and for those around me
This seems like a great call since itâs holistic across the board of skills you might use. Whatâs the general process? Is it a series of classes? How long does it typically take to complete? Thank you
I have an FCC ham radio license. Itâs not even slightly useful, but I just think itâs neat. Motorcycle endorsement on your drivers license- thatâs fun and useful too.
I'm a licensed physiotherapist and certified personal trainer, I'd say those two are extremely important in my life considering it's my business lmao
Definitely! Is there something that a lay person could take without committing to a full program?
A personal training certification if you're into it can help make some great side money!
Did it all throughout university, made my own schedule and like 30$ an hour!
In canada its a one time deal to get a radio operators certificate. Its not hard and from there you could look into being an examiner for it.
Also your boating license is good for life, may be worth the $50 just to have.
Emt, wilderness first aid.
Loving all the responses here.
Excell classes and being Fork Lift certified.
Drivers license can be useful
A friend of mine is getting her car seat installer certification. Where I live, you have to be a certified installer to provide advice or guidance and you can run paid neighbourhood sessions to check and install car seats.
CLIA OSHA CPR QWEL
All free.
Scuba
BLS/CPR
Driving
Auctioneerâs certification.
Woah now that would be cool. Even to just talk like them
Coursera offers some great AI/ML and data science courses
Forklift license. It will get you a job pretty quick.
Series 7
What is series 7?
Interesting post, but I'm not sure I see how this is a BIFL discussion.
You buy these certifications and they last for your life - many of these are buy once, get training and benefit for life. It seems that others agree that it doesnât have to be a material object to be BIFL.
It fits squarely into the âBIFL skillsâ flair. I can update the flair if you think itâs required. Thank you
Could you please reinstate my post? I donât agree with why it was taken down. Thank you for allowing me to post, I truly do believe it is relevant to this subreddit.
Ehhh, I donât love it because certifications 1) usually expire (notary, real estate, CPR/first aid), and 2) the intention of the âBIFL Skillsâ flair is for the post to be about skills, not a certificate; with skills being stuff like repairing, building, that sorta thing. Iâm open to being convinced otherwise, but currently donât see it.
Some people are posting bifl skills based certificates that you use throughout your life. The people in that commented are encouraging others to post the same and not just post ones that expire, if you read what was commented.
Also, these certificates are all related to skills. Many people have commented about carpentry, welding etc. I never would have known about the specific ones if I hadnât posted this and neither would some others. Thereâs 2 or 3 comments where people even wrote something along the lines of âthis is a great post for this subâ
Some of the comments from commenters might or might not fit the definition, but I feel that my post does, and most of the comments are skills that you can use to fix things or skills that you will have for the rest of your life.
Mkay, Iâll reinstate it because thereâs good discussion going on in the comments thatâs skill-centric. While I still think that it doesnât really match with BuyItForLife (a set of skills/certs feels more like an /r/LifeProTips thread) or the intended use of the âskillsâ flair, itâs fine as a one-off conversion. We donât intend for this thread to be a gateway to more posts about general skills that donât relate to creation or repair of BIFL items.
I appreciate it. Iâll try to steer the discussion to specifically BIFL related skills as much as I can. Thank you
Nah, let the conversation flow for this one. Iâll just steer in the future if similar posts pop up.
Sounds good, thank you
The demand for traveling notaries is down 75% since the refi boom is dead
Plumbing/Electrical/Woodworking
All the Ron Swanson stuff
In the US, a concealed carry license is probably a good one to have these days.
Commercial Drivers License. Maybe not the cheapest thing to get initially but youâll always have something to fall back on. CDL drivers usually make decent money too.
All the licenses I have gotten have pulled me into very expensive hobbies. Pilots license and ham radio license are definitely fun but do break the bank.
If you havenât already- you should really get a drivers license. It definitely opens up the greatest number of places you can go.
A PhD helped me at least getting apartments in my country where finding one is next to impossible for everyone who isn't rich. Doctors also treat me like I have a brain.
I wonder when it will pay off in terms of salary though...
After 50 years the only useful ones are Drivers License and any college degree.
The college degree is a sign that you can voluntarily learn something, learn things you don't want to learn, and have the drive to complete something to the end. HS is compulsive and everyone has that.
Any License and certifications for your immediate job need or sales.
If you don't practice it actively. A certification-license is like paper.
First Aid is a skill. First Aid certification has no use outside of job requirements. (no additional legal protections or homeowner discounts) . It is also easily forgotten. First step in First Aid - Send someone for help.
Knowing many skills and some certifications. But no one cares about anything except for work's legal requirements. Certifications are only used for landing a contract. For legal, insurance, and sales needs.
Yes, though what about the joy of learning something that can help you in life, and having someone sign off on your work. For me, I work a desk job, but I would like to learn how to weld (and get certified that I am doing it correctly) such that I can build things that I know will be strong enough to withstand load.
MD
Class A or B CDL if you have the opportunity to obtain one. Basically a job for life. Someone somewhere will pay you to drive something.
Motorcycle License. You donât need a bike (one will be provided) and in many US states the course is free. They will take you from 0 skill to ready to ride. All you need is a weekend to take the course and a permit. The permit test takes about a hour to study for and $15.
Take some shooting courses, first aid, stop the bleed, hunters safety, and some wilderness courses with bushcraft and navigating in them.
Next, something fun like performance driving courses and racing certification. Get a class 1 license so you can drive a big rig or a bus. Solo skydiving is a fun certification to have, but you need to jump atleast once a year or it will laps.
Mental health first aid. I think everyone needs to take it
In addition to WFA, if you ever are in avalanche terrain, i.e. steep mountains with snow, an avalanche course.
CPR/first aid are invaluable life skills
Dunno where you live but SCUBA diving is amazing
Any kind of auto mechanic course - bonus points if you can find one that dives into EV
If you like growing things I highly recommend a Master Gardener certification. It can be a lot of work but it has really helped me know how to plant and troubleshoot for myself and others. There are many aspects of "gardening" too like lawn care, orchards, ornamentals, landscape design, vegetable gardening, rain gardening, pollinator stewardship, and native plant management. It's definitely BIFL information.
Wow this is one that I totally forgot about! This is definitely a buyitforlife skill as it makes you more self reliant when fixing things related to your garden as well. The only thing holding me back is that Iâm not a homeowner. Starter holes are half a million near me, so not sure when Iâll be but I love the idea.
I'm not a homeowner either - though my landlord does let me do mostly what I want with the yard - but you get lots of practice in other gardens and lots of training on stuff like hydroponics and community garden planning. So even if you don't have a space for a traditional garden there is a lot to learn and do and practice without your own space. I actually kind of gave up on my own garden and focused primarily on community gardens this year. I get to take home excess produce when I want it, but don't have to spend hours weeding or find someone to water if I'm away in the summer. Plus there is so much more wisdom in group problem solving. I'm a big fan of the community garden!
Commercial driver license
I see a lot of comments about easy licenses to obtain that are useful.
But, let me tell you. If you have the educational pedigree to apply for a CFA license (charted financial analyst)
Itâs a pretty hard test⌠actually 3 tests spread apart of a year and a half.
But, if you study, get a sponsor, and pass the test.
Money will become irrelevant to you. Both theoretically and literary And for the rest of your life youâll have access to working remotely for any financial institution and get paid ungodly amounts of money. To basically be a 2 factor fact checker on your own time.
Itâs a lot of work. And itâs not easy to get. But if you can get a CFA license itâs basically the most amount of money for the least amount of work. And there is a shortage of people. The greatest benefitâŚ. Youâll never have to apply for a job again. Companies will call you. And compete for your services
What exactly does a person with a CFA license do?
They analyze companies profitability and make suggestions based on large data sets
HAM radio. License last for ever. Same with scuba but that gets expensive fast. You can keep HAM radio cheep if youâre crafty
Boating license
Remote pilot certificate, especially if you're already going for a private pilot license or real estate license.
Is remote pilot like piloting drones?
Exactly. In the US, at least, you have to have one if you do any commercial work with a drone. The FAA isn't going to send a SWAT team after you if you don't, but it's not super expensive, and it unlocks a whole new side hustle/revenue stream that's seeing pretty high demand.
What's the benefit of drones to a real estate license?
You can add your own photos to your listing instead of hiring out to somebody else. It also opens you up to a side hustle when the market is slow. Like, you can shoot weddings and events, you can do stock footage and photos, you can woke for other real estate salespeople and brokers, and so on.
I think getting commercial driving license is super useful, even if you dont wish to drive professionally. It allows you to drive anything on road in case situation demands it. Then everyone should try to acquire basic survival skills in case shit hits the fan just like it did in ukraine.
Other things one should learn are finance management and martial art.
AGIâs System Tool Kit is free software and free training and certification. Itâs the industry standard for modeling spacecraft systems.
I highly recommend their products.
https://www.agi.com/training-and-certification
Very interesting. Would learning this help people develop BIFL skills in the same way that learning how o work on engines would?
CPR
People have covered the hard skills I would recommend here already.
This sounds weird at first but go volunteer in politics. I'm not here on a soapbox to tell you what to care about, pick a cause or a nonprofit that matters to you.
Go knock doors and make phone calls about that issue. You will learn to talk with people from outside your own bubble and how to communicate with them.
After you have done this a few times volunteer in a capacity where you are asking people for something more than just a vote - ask other people to volunteer their time, donate money donate their old car whatever. This will quickly teach you HOW to ask people for something. You will learn when to ask again ( an objection) and when to not push harder (a refusal.)
I have used these techniques to asking banks utility companies etc to drop extra fees. I probably save $50 - $60 a month right there. I use these techniques to haggle in car purchase home purchase etc... and I have saved several thousands of dollars by knowing how to make a strong ask.
Once a car broke down while my dad and I were on a road trip. I waited with the car while he asked around for a flashlight. Fifteen minutes later he came back crestfallen. I found someone and borrowed a flashlight in a couple minutes - because I knew how to relate to that person and make an ask. To this day my dad doesn't understand how I did it.
Folks often don't think of softer skillsets as a way to save or make money. But most purchases involve talking with another person who can make it less expensive and easier if you know how to ask.
SolidWorks is the industry standard for mechanical design CAD (it has many other uses) and it is actually pretty easy and cheap to get certified. Also if youâre into 3D printing or design in general, learning SolidWorks will give you enough understanding of CAD software that you will be able to translate that to other software. I believe the website to train and sign up for certification is mysolidworks.com but donât quote me on that. Look up Dassault systems if youâre having trouble finding it.
Iâm certified as an Indiana Master Naturalist. It doesnât necessarily get you anything tangible, but itâs a fascinating delve into the place where I live, and a connection to lots of other like-minded people. It made me feel so much more rooted here! I wonder if other states have similar programs?
Become a Master Gardener through the local county extension office. Totally free and great people. You can make anything grow as a master gardener
Sounds super cool! The chapter local to me requires a degree in horticulture unfortunately.
Thatâs a shame. Our local one is run through the University of Florida and itâs a great program. Welcome to anyone interested. As something so beneficial should be. Good luck.
Many of these certifications expire after a period of time
Yeah, a lot of them do but some are definitely for life. You can also argue that you have the skills for life and can always re-certify if needed. Seems that most of the professional ones are that way, but the ones that are for life skills donât require that.
True... the cyber and IT ones are good in all... but each year they add new content to the tests and change it.
Notary
Motorcycle license can be fun, useful and economical =]
HAM radio operator, Boating license, CDL, CPR
Tbh food safety license- yeah you have to renew it but itâs great. Mainly because of how many restaurants will hire you on the spot because theyâre required to have a person on shift who has that license
CPR and AED.
Ham radio is free - and easy for the tech.
Then get a handheld CB for the car since nobody is using ham bands anyway. My local PD watches CB 9 and 19 can be somewhat active. But most times it's truckers bitching about merge points. They're great if you need a go around with a 53' trailer or doubles. But hell, I drive a Nissan frontier - google can send me any which way around a traffic jam and I can handle it.
Point being - ham is free and fun, but next to no practical purpose. I volunteered with the Boston marathon when I was up north and that was interesting but that's about it. Otherwise just a buncha .... I guess similar to cb, old dudes complaining about the weather and youngins.
Lots of cdl schools offer weekend courses, only about $3000 and it will forever make you a better driver. Also if life ever kicks the shit out of you and you end up homeless you can work for a company driving a sleeper unit. Drive your own studio apartment and get paid .50/mile. Also makes you aware of turns if you ever drive a uhaul or RV or pulling any kind of trailer
Scuba diving license, pilots license, motorcycle license, captains license
Automotive mechanic msybe 1. Item 2. Item
If you are into cybersecurity, being a CISSP is a huge plus to career mobility and growth. This is especially true if you are in the government, healthcare, or financial spaces.
What are the requirements/barrier to entry for it?
CISSP requires a few things, but when I got it the challenge was twofold - getting a sponsor (to attest that you had 5+ years doing security work) and taking the test, which evaluates your skills in their 10 security domains.
Following the certification, you need to maintain the certification with a fee ($125/year) and CPE (continuing professional education) credits.
Pass a fairly difficult test and have 5 years of provable experience in at least 2 of the 8 domains. You can waiver 1 year of experience with a recognized cybersecurity certification (such as Security+) or a related bachelors degree. You then have to be endorsed by a CISSP in good standing (though ISC2 will provide one if you donât know one). If you know one, they need to feel comfortable certifying that you have the experience you claim. If you let ISC2 provide one, they will want letters from your employers to prove experience.
https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CISSP
Can learn CPR for free on youtube why pay for the certification if youâre just trying to invest in yourself? Certification is required for jobs, otherwise itâs unnecessary
I would disagree with this. While CPR courses are usually not the best, actually having physical practice makes an absolutely huge difference in a stressful situation.
I definitely agree. I took a first aid course at a community college and the hands on was very important. So was being able to have technique critiqued in real time.
Ordained minister, as an atheist
Notary Public
BLS/CPR and AED
EPA Universal HVAC
Ha why the ordained minister? Do you can marry people or?
Yeah, man. You can legally marry someone. You come in clutch, non deom (you just have to be a member of ______ ). Save the biggest day of someone. I had a JoP for my officiant.
Wilderness First Aid if you like the outdoors
WFA and WFR (Wilderness First Responder) are good for the decision making aspect. Standard FA/CPR and Lifeguarding, you're following a script to save the life because EMS should be there shortly. Wilderness, the rescuer's decision making and resourcefulness has to be on point.
I've very much appreciated my Wilderness First Responder cert. It inclues epinephrine auto injector cert, CPR, and Naloxone cert among many other useful skills if you ever find yourself as the first person around when help is a distance away.
I did a NOLS WFA course this weekend and your comment about decision making is spot on. A huge component of that course was the standardized step-by-step look at the patient and determining if they can âstay and playâ or need to evac and then if they need a fast evac or slow is fine along with how to try to stabilize until that happens. Super useful for someone without any formal training.