@Don't Touch Me Eel,
I do not want to discourage you from pursuing this, but rather formulate a plan where you can be successful and live at a reasonable comfort level and not be exploited.
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But for all that is good and holy, stay the f@%# away from the mills that are so predominant in this industry that just crank out clown after clown in this very large circus. IDCs that brag about their numbers (platinum rating) should raise a red flag.
What I mean by this is IDCs where candidates are placed on their knees and perform skills. If you are at your safety stop and you need to clear some water out if your mask, do you think descending to the bottom to get on your knees to clear it?
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Demand to see skill demo videos. If they are on the knees EVER, skip them.
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But if you want to make a real career out of this, you need to figure out how you will put yourself at a higher level catering to a higher level client.
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You also need to consider what you offer in addition to teaching courses that makes you indispensable, such as but not limited to: boat captain (since you don’t party/do drugs you don’t have to worry about drug tests), compressor tech, equipment tech, marine engine repair. You get the idea.
Feel free to look over some of my notes here:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ThavmasScuba/notes/