What should I do for a career

Yeah I realize there are a lot of useless degrees

People usually just get them because they are easy
 
Yeah I realize there are a lot of useless degrees

People usually just get them because they are easy

That's about it, and at huge cost too, my kids are both child psych degrees....daughter in Balto has a decent/fairly secure job at a charity type deal, but Lord knows how long that lasts, untill the founding millionairs get tired of kicking in the big bux, I suppose....

then there is my son who was making 30 grand/year in LOA Utah working as a head/cheif/counselor at a drug dryout/rehab program for rich kids....so he burns out after ~1.5 years at it, and left.....so he wended his way back east for now, but hates Maryland for the same reasons I do, really, taxes, COLiving/etc....

he is looking at New Orleans....but I don't think that's his gig.....
but he has some friends there, so at least he has a cot....
The internet and free L Dist over cphones has really helped these kids stay in touch.....MY generation, we outta there, and everyone went their own ways...post office, or LD # and that was IT....

but that STILL don't get him a JOB.....he not going to buy the joint on a beginning cops' salary, but at least he gets to start SOME career, and at least he don't have to tackle drug crazed kids all damn day long for a living....:twitch:but as a sleepy time cop in Clay co. Florida, i'ts as safe as anywhere....for that type work.....at least it's not the Bronx.....

:eek:

As a engineer you got ONE choice that is DOD work, and I dunno they hiring anymore civilian engineers at DOD anymore....Had a buddy I seen last fall that worked NavAir for some 30? years and retired not long ago....he was in Crystal City/NOVA for a while then got transferred to Pax River....so that was always a HELL of a commute for him.....he had a house him and some similar guys rented down at Pax and bunked in, went home for SSS on the weekends....keep the old lady happy.....

so even THAT is not the most stable job in the world....but beats the fuck out of working in private industry, unless it's YOUR NAME on the BUILDING....

:smash::smash::smash:
 
It's not what you know, but who you know…whatever you choose to do just make sure you can make tons of cash…or find a rich wife and do whatever you want.
 
definitely go to college... nowadays everyone has a degree..... without one you can end up flipping burger patties at a fast food chain....:eek:

there was a guy on TV yesterday from the (I think) American Enterprise Institute that said for most kids College is a waste of time and money.....He said Engineering degrees are good but degrees in sociology are a waste (my daughter just graduated with a degree in sociology.....and can`t find a job. I recently talked to a young guy who graduated with a degree in graphic arts, he did an internship with a pro hockey team in Ohio, did an excellent job, set up their computers wrote his own job description but when it came time to actually hire the guy who thought he had a "lock" on the job they gave it to the nephew of someone high up in the company......He has applied for over 700 jobs and only had 6 interviews, he works mornings stocking shelves at Menards and ONLY got that job because (after applying 5 times) he was in the store and saw a family friend who is a manager....at his orientation his instructor asked "who do you know that got you this job"? it appears you NEED to know someone to get a low paying job at Menards....the local grocery store has a sign in the window "starting pay $8.50, this guy said "I don`t make that much"........
I won't normally get out of bed in the morning for less then $10 an hour. The problem is most people are lazy. I figure at my age I can always go hump shingles on a roof and make at least that. Do I want to do that my whole life NO but it pays the bills and if you don't like it take night classes for something that will pay better. I personally hate my job but it is putting me and my wife back threw school (her full time and me part time), paying my bills, putting food on the table, and making sure my son has what he needs. I can't stand hearing people my age and younger bitching that they can't find a job that pays anything.

As far as kids running off to college to get degrees in areas that they will never find a job. I blame that on all the colleges that offer the stupid programs and don't try to talk to students into going for something different. Once again they may not enjoy doing something else as much but hear is the news flash. It is called WORK not get paid for having fun.
 
It is called WORK not get paid for having fun.

I felt so strongly about this i had to shake the dust off my account. There is a lot of negativity here about getting a degree. How the hell can it hurt?

I've had a lot of fun doing my job. I've automated a small hydro plant which was a lot of fun. I've done many cool projects that were my ideas that i completed all aspects of the design, without using consultants. That gives me a hard on.

Chris, I don't even know why you are asking. You are inquisitive, figuring out how things work and how to make them work better. That is the definition of an engineer.

Don't piss around with a community college. You should try to get into a major University and get a 4 year engineering degree.

Gene is totally off base about having to work for the government. But hey, i'd love to work at NASA and design spaceships to explore the universe.
 
.GOV is the ONLY steady job...all the rest are job shoppers...and engineers are high in the personal satisfaction catagory, I worked with them in the early 80's it was a FUN job, but then the damn company got literally sold south, and so on to the next job shopping hop.....

Go find a job working for a public utility, or maybe Foster Wheeler, makers of coil/gas/oil fired power plants....I know a guy from decades ago that started out as a field engineer and today is probably retired as some head honcho on very major projects...they'd call in Bill when the shit hit the fan....

feedback from some guys here is that Bill was NOT liked....dunno if that's a GOOD sign or bad....:tomato::shocking: but the point is....the plants over it's over haul and online now....

:shocking:
 
.GOV is the ONLY steady job...all the rest are job shoppers...:

There are lots of steady engineering jobs. A lot of engineers are multi-millionaires due to company stock.

But on the other hand, why not job shop if you are young.? Get to see lots of places and make 250K a year. I started out shopping.
 
.GOV is the ONLY steady job...all the rest are job shoppers...:

There are lots of steady engineering jobs. A lot of engineers are multi-millionaires due to company stock.

But on the other hand, why not job shop if you are young.? Get to see lots of places and make 250K a year. I started out shopping.


Good to see you back.:tomato:
 
.GOV is the ONLY steady job...all the rest are job shoppers...:

There are lots of steady engineering jobs. A lot of engineers are multi-millionaires due to company stock.

But on the other hand, why not job shop if you are young.? Get to see lots of places and make 250K a year. I started out shopping.

Hi Jim...nice to see you post:beer:

I work for an international company. There are a LOT of opportunities for college educated 20/30somes if you are willing to relocate a couple of times as you progress within the company. And yes, there are a lot of jobs for expats in China/Asia. We have plenty of steady jobs of all sorts in the US/EU/LA/Asia. We also have quite a few production jobs all over the world as well. It is best to go after these opportunities while you are young and b4 family. You end up with tons of networking/contacts. No matter what you do, if you have any aspirations of going high up the ladder, you have to plan and sacrafice.

And yes, it really helps to know someone to get your foot in the door.
 
.GOV is the ONLY steady job...all the rest are job shoppers...:

There are lots of steady engineering jobs. A lot of engineers are multi-millionaires due to company stock.

But on the other hand, why not job shop if you are young.? Get to see lots of places and make 250K a year. I started out shopping.

Jim I hope for your sake you live WAY below your income and bank/invest the rest for I can assure you, the younger guys with willing to work for less, and have the latest and greatest education will take your job about ag 45-50 or so, if not sooner, then where in hell you going to go after some years with one company??? eventually ALL engineers with damn few exceptions wind up working for some bean counter from across the hall....

think they give a flying damn you worked on the shuttle, when they going to the MOON or MARS??? to LIVE?? they got all your years in the tank, known shit, don't need to repeat the calculations....

so they want the new kid.....seen it happen to ALL the guy I known over years unless they were direct civil service....

:goodnight:
 
My grandmas cousin was actually one of the top people at NASA back in the day :smash:

His son has a part in all the motorola phones you use
 
My grandmas cousin was actually one of the top people at NASA back in the day :smash:

His son has a part in all the motorola phones you use

You won't do anything significant going to a community college. That sounds snobby but you need a counselor thats going to give you the straight poop.

I see about a 5 car garage and lots of toys when you post picts. I seriously hope your dad is not some cheap bastard that doesn't want to spring for a really good school. What does he do? Youv'e always been fuzzy about that.

I wanted to go to MIT but my dad couldn't afford it and i had no guidence/help to get a scholarship. You should start bugging your dad about it now.
 
This is not a direct answer to your question but, whatever you do, be the best there is at doing it. And be damn proud and secure in knowing that you are the best (just short of arrogance).

If I were your age and had interest in cars, I would seriously consider Engineering. It's conceivable that the next 15 years will be the second "golden age" in transportation design.
 
My grandmas cousin was actually one of the top people at NASA back in the day :smash:

His son has a part in all the motorola phones you use

You won't do anything significant going to a community college. That sounds snobby but you need a counselor thats going to give you the straight poop.

I see about a 5 car garage and lots of toys when you post picts. I seriously hope your dad is not some cheap bastard that doesn't want to spring for a really good school. What does he do? Youv'e always been fuzzy about that.

I wanted to go to MIT but my dad couldn't afford it and i had no guidence/help to get a scholarship. You should start bugging your dad about it now.

I will go to a good school like USF, the community college is just to get the basic classes over with. It's pretty common here, 2 years in community college can get you into any college in Florida.

He was a general contractor, he did a lot of the work on the houses himself though. But he has no work at the moment and probably won't for a few more years

He will pay for my college, I'm also getting a 75% scholarship too
 
This is not a direct answer to your question but, whatever you do, be the best there is at doing it. And be damn proud and secure in knowing that you are the best (just short of arrogance).

If I were your age and had interest in cars, I would seriously consider Engineering. It's conceivable that the next 15 years will be the second "golden age" in transportation design.

Good advice. I would also add do something you ENJOY. We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping, 1/3 of our lives eating/driving/etc. The other 1/3 or so is working. Don't spend half your waking life doing something you dread.
 
Thought about the military? Get an engineering degree courtesy of the goverment.

I joined the air force at 17 years old as a spanner monkey. I certainly don't regret it, but if I had my life over again, I wouldn't have goofed off so much at school and studied harder to get the grades to go into the air force as a pilot or as an engineering officer.

A lot of pilots I knew back when I was in, are now flying for Cathay Pacific, QANTAS, Emirates etc and earning some seriously big $$, Coupla engineering officers I knew are now in civilian industry also earning big $$.

Just a thought...
 
This is not a direct answer to your question but, whatever you do, be the best there is at doing it. And be damn proud and secure in knowing that you are the best (just short of arrogance).

If I were your age and had interest in cars, I would seriously consider Engineering. It's conceivable that the next 15 years will be the second "golden age" in transportation design.

Good advice. I would also add do something you ENJOY. We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping, 1/3 of our lives eating/driving/etc. The other 1/3 or so is working. Don't spend half your waking life doing something you dread.

That may be, but if you don't make a decent salary enough to afford jack diddly, the rest of your surroundings suck.....and on a personal level, getting divorced kills your pocketbook totally you are dead...I been there twice, ....

:eek::tomato:
 
My grandmas cousin was actually one of the top people at NASA back in the day :smash:

His son has a part in all the motorola phones you use

You won't do anything significant going to a community college. That sounds snobby but you need a counselor thats going to give you the straight poop.

I see about a 5 car garage and lots of toys when you post picts. I seriously hope your dad is not some cheap bastard that doesn't want to spring for a really good school. What does he do? Youv'e always been fuzzy about that.

I wanted to go to MIT but my dad couldn't afford it and i had no guidence/help to get a scholarship. You should start bugging your dad about it now.

I don't see any reason parents should have to spring for a really good school. There is nothing wrong with parents helping some but if you can get a loan and make enough money in that career to pay it back in a descent time than it isn't worth going into that career. When you get out of high school you are an adult and mommy and daddy shouldn't have to hand you everything. I have paid my way threw school with very little finical help from my parents and it wasn't because they couldn't afford to help or weren't will to. It was because I was an adult and bettering myself to make more money so I should pay for it.
 
I don't see any reason parents should have to spring for a really good school. There is nothing wrong with parents helping some but if you can get a loan and make enough money in that career to pay it back in a descent time than it isn't worth going into that career. When you get out of high school you are an adult and mommy and daddy shouldn't have to hand you everything. I have paid my way threw school with very little finical help from my parents and it wasn't because they couldn't afford to help or weren't will to. It was because I was an adult and bettering myself to make more money so I should pay for it.


That's where i differ. If you pop a kid out you have some financial responsibility. This is not Kenya.

I don't think parents have any obligation to buy a car or fancy clothes or other toys but an education is fundamental for survival.
 
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