Best Jobs for a Soon-To-Be Investor Trying to "Learn The Biz"?

[Logan Stone]

Hello, everyone.

I've spent the better part of the last year reading countless books and articles on personal finance and investment real estate. Along the way, I stumbled upon the BiggerPockets forum and various associated books. The knowledge I've gained has been invaluable. The time has now come that my wife and I are finally ready to pull the trigger on our first property - a residential multi-family in the Milwaukee area.

At the same time, I've been experiencing severe burnout and unsustainable amounts of overtime at my day job (60+ hours/wk for months). I've always been a bit of a "job hopper" and have worked in several different industries over the years (eg. healthcare, insurance, bartending, audio engineering, project management, adult corrections, and other security work). I have a very diverse skill set - most importantly, good professional communication, process development, an financial literacy. I have a Associate Degree in a completely unrelated field.

Seeing as how we are planning to make real estate the foundation of our day-to-day income stream and long-term "retirement" strategy, it feels as if making another change of profession is in the cards.

Which brings me to the purpose of my post: What types of jobs/professions would be best to learn more about real estate investments - particularly for someone who wants to focus on residential and (eventually) commercial multi-family properties?

For context, I'm in my 30s and while I'm healthy, my days of working back-breaking jobs for minimum wage and "exposure" are over. My wife and I do have a fairly modest lifestyle. So as long as it can provide insurance and pay the bills, I don't care much what it is. My primary motivator is to learn more about the industry and develop some professional connections.

If more context is required, I'm happy to share more.

Edit: Grammar & additional context.