How your job came to be...

[jeepatic4X4]

So i'm to the point in my life where I have to decide what I want to do for a career. I have absolutely no clue what I want. I was just curious on how you chose your career you have today, and if it was what you thought you would be back in high school or back then.

 

[Spork]

I didn't have a clue what I wanted to be in high school and went through 2 years of college before I picked a major. It wasn't until I did my internship that I decided what I wanted to do. I kept my options open and took a lot of general classes the first couple years.

 

[Amy]

well I chose my career after 9 months of preparing and a lifetime of service.

 

[Greg]

Now a days, I wish when I was young I would have spent more time focusing on college rather than making money. Had no idea I'd work for the Union Pacific, but I (sometimes) enjoy the job. Get a good degree first, you'll be much better off in the future as far as jobs. It's hard to go back to school once you get sucked into the rat race.

 

[Herzog]

I knew exactly what I wanted to do right out of high school. Although being self taught in my field let me to clash with my instructors in college.

Still doing it and working my way up, I suppose. The only difference is that I'd rather be working for myself full-time instead of only 20% of the time, but that's how it is right now. I've got almost 10 years of experience behind me now and I'm still quite young.

 

[hambone]

if i were to do it all over i would do what my little brother is doing join the pipe trades union right out of high school its a five year appreticeship and when you turn out you will have an associates degree in applied science be makeing like 27 bucks an hour and a sweet retiement plan and its all industrial plumbing and pipe fitting so your not going to be snakeing peoples toilets

 

[Skylinerider]

It's hard to go back to school once you get sucked into the rat race.

That is the truth. I went to school, got my A.S. degree, went to another year, and now am working in my field of choice, but am limited in how far I can go by not having a masters. I am going to go back next semester, but will be getting my bachelors in something different so I have something to fall back on in case this whole architecture thing doesn't pan out like I plan. It's really hard for me to go back, when I make decent money right now.

 

[78mitsu]

The best thing you can do is try everything you think you may want to do, let it find you, if you pick something you're good at and something you enjoy, you'll be a lot better off, going to work won't be such a chore. It always helps to have an un-related hobby tool.

 

[92XJeeper]

A good starting point is to take inventory of your passions and then make a list of jobs that relate. Though I haven't read it in years, there's a book titled What Color is Your Parachute that outlines how to do this process.

Too many people go strictly where the money is and end up miserable. If you find something you enjoy (passionate about), you tend to do well and advance more rapidly than someone who's less passionate about it.

Also realize that it's never too late to switch gears. Better late than never, I say. And sometimes you won't know until you try. Since I was into hi-fi audio I thought I would enjoy electronics. I earned an associate's degree and worked in the avionics field for many years before I admitted to myself that I didn't enjoy it. I was 37 years old when I found something much more satisfying in a field I had never considered. Keep an open mind.

 

[gijohn40]

if I had it all to do over again I would join the military for 20 years right our of high school... retire at 37-38 and then start school off the military... You would be getting 1400-1700 a month for the rest of your life and you could take your time and figure out what you wanted to do... and if you didn;t want to go to school you could always go into the field that the military taught you for free... that is if you didn't go in as a bullet stopper..
But that is just me... the military isn't for everyone and now a days even more so is it not for everyone...

 

[Kramnden]

Dude, I'm probably almost as young as you and I don't have the experience that some of the other guys that have posted have. But what I've decided to do is to keep myself well rounded so that If something doesn't pan out, I'll have something to fall back on.

Right now I'm working a Facilities dept. doing building maintenance. Along with the HVAC cert., electrician's certs., and a contractor's license that I am studying to get, I'm also enrolled in college working towards my Business Management Degree. Everything is kind of intertwined and related so that if one thing doesn't work out, my experience in other fields will.

On the lines of doing something that you enjoy, I personally feel that if you turn you passion into work, it becomes just that, work. For me, my passion is flying, and I am training for my private pilot's license. I don't think I will ever do anything with it work-wise, but that could always change.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bart]

I have a master's degree and ended up as a data base administrator at UVSC. If I had it to do over again I'd join a branch of the military and become a pilot then do commercial flying when I got out. I got my private pilots license about 3 years ago, but can't afford to fly.

 

[waynehartwig]

A good starting point is to take inventory of your passions and then make a list of jobs that relate. Though I haven't read it in years, there's a book titled What Color is Your Parachute that outlines how to do this process.

Too many people go strictly where the money is and end up miserable. If you find something you enjoy (passionate about), you tend to do well and advance more rapidly than someone who's less passionate about it.

Also realize that it's never too late to switch gears. Better late than never, I say. And sometimes you won't know until you try. Since I was into hi-fi audio I thought I would enjoy electronics. I earned an associate's degree and worked in the avionics field for many years before I admitted to myself that I didn't enjoy it. I was 37 years old when I found something much more satisfying in a field I had never considered. Keep an open mind.

x2 find something you like doing... IMO happiness is way more important than money. However, you gotta be able to pay your bills, too...

 

[BroncoMama]

My husband and I never did that whole college thing. About 8 years ago, we decided to get into the heavy equipment industry due to him and his brother always wanting to and living in a huge construction area. While some days definitely feel like a lot of work, he still loves sitting on the equipment and digging big holes. It is important to love what you do because that's what keeps you perservering through the really bad days!

 

[Kris K]

I have a pretty good job now (State job) but, I'm trying to get out of it now to make more money. I was talking to my wife last night that if I could do it over again I would have gone to school after high school. So now I'm on the job hunt again, and have no clue what to do.

 

[Floppy Hat]

It is important to realize that no matter what job you choose there are going to be bad days, but it is nice when you can really enjoy the good days.

Ask yourself, "Self, what do you think about when you don't have anything else to think about?" It may be difficult to accurately answer this question. Once you find the answer, you should pursue a job related to that field. You will find it easier to excel in a field that should be a natural fit.

 

[Skylinerider]

Ask yourself, "Self, what do you think about when you don't have anything else to think about?" It may be difficult to accurately answer this question. Once you find the answer, you should pursue a job related to that field. You will find it easier to excel in a field that should be a natural fit.

So I need a job wheelin' and surfing RME. Anyone hiring?

 

[Maddeh]

I did small-time accounting for my dad's law firm for 5 years... using that I sold my way into an A/P / Purchasing position with a software (gaming) developer. Using that I sold my way into a Buyer / Planner position with 3Com. Gained a ton of supply chain experience and moved to another company doing the same thing, now I manage 25M annual spend at a factory in China. I've been in the workforce 15 years now, and I have no degree.

I was the same, couldn't decide what I wanted to do, and didn't want to spend thousands to get a degree in a field I was going to hate for the rest of my life. So I decided to work for a couple years and pretty soon decided that *for me*, school would be a huge waste of time. I did go get all my general requirements done, but man I freakin' hated school.

A degree can help you get a job, but whether you get a promotion or more money in that job is totally unrelated IMO. Real world / job exp is more valuable than a degree in my experience (but a combo of both is obviously best).

 

[92XJeeper]

A degree will definitely open doors that would otherwise be unavailable. It's true that some people land good jobs without a degree, but why limit yourself if you have the opportunity? Generally, companies pay more to those with degrees. As an example, my degree was almost completed when I landed my current job. I was hired because I have the skills and experience. Three companies wanted to hire me and all of them would have paid me more if I had the degree. I know there are exceptions, but this is generally the rule.

If financing is an issue, there's always the military, as a few already sugggested. Not only will you learn a skill, but they pay 100% of your tuition for off-duty education while serving active duty. Signing up for the GI Bill provides almost $39,000 that can be used up to 10 years after getting out.

 

[XJScott]

My grandpa was in Aerospace all his life with Thiokol and ATK Systems and that got me into it. Now I build planes for a living... Lovin' it!