Do you have a career?

[Strikes Again]

What do you do? Do you enjoy it? Did you go to school for it?
I've had been a bartender at the same place for years. I had enough of the "industry", so I went and worked as a roofer. It's good money but I'm laid off. I would like to see what's out there. I'm really getting antsy.
What do you guys do?

 

[RSmith47]

I got a 2 year degree in electronics and I work on safety systems, like the antennas and buildings that house radios on top of mountain tops.

It's not interesting at all. The only satisfying part of the job is when something isn't working and you figure out how to fix it on your own. Some dudes make a hobby out of this shit where they have their own radios and antennas at home and they talk to each other over the airwaves. Never been into that nerdy crap myself.

I started out making $10 an hour to gain experience. There were a ton of set backs along the way. It took me about 5 years to gain 2 years of experience due to lay offs and having to find other jobs that didn't have anything to do with my degree. As soon as I had a couple years under my belt, I switched companies and started at $27 an hour. It's awesome to finally have money for the first time in my life.

 

[weed]

I Sherdog for a living

 

[bmasters1993]

Trainee Civil engineer. Working for a company that is also paying my bills and also paying for my BE (Civil). Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

Yeah i'm def enjoying it so far.

 

[fightingrabbit]

You could sniff farts for a living. I saw it in some other thread.

 

[Uchi Mata]

I'm a data scientist (a mix of computer scientist, statistician, and business analyst) for a Fortune 200 company. Had to get my MBA to get the job. It's pretty good on the whole, the work is often very interesting and the money's good, though I do have A LOT of student loans to pay back. Hopefully there are opportunities for advancement, but I'm not sure what direction that would be in since it's such a specialized field.

 

[Dolomite]

I've been an electronics technician since 1990 when I was honorably discharged from 6 years in the Navy (as an electronics technician). The Navy was nice enough to school me (all I had to do was sign a bunch of papers and get my head shaved).

Have you thought about welding? My nephew is a dessert chef - and I'm thinking about recommending welding for him.

 

[awesomesarus]

Web Designer here. Im in a small company thats frankly going nowhere. Im just waiting until march so I can take a test and get my ass into gear and be a firefighter.

 

[Blackdanger***]

short answer, yes.

 

[ISWThunder]

I work in sports publishing and do copy editing and proof reading.

It's good at times but monotonous, as well. I have a degree in English and I also do freelance writing, but not often enough.

 

[rorydaboss]

Not yet but I am trying to make a career out of what I am doing right now.

 

[Strikes Again]

I've been an electronics technician since 1990 when I was honorably discharged from 6 years in the Navy (as an electronics technician). The Navy was nice enough to school me (all I had to do was sign a bunch of papers and get my head shaved).

Have you thought about welding? My nephew is a dessert chef - and I'm thinking about recommending welding for him.

Welding you say. I am going to look into that.

 

[Yardener]

try something in healthcare if you can stomach it. There's always demand and the gigs typically pay well. I do psychiatry at the Veterans hospital

EDIT: school times vary a lot depending on specialty/position. But, there's tons of tech type jobs to be had w/ an associates type degree.

 

[RSmith47]

Welding you say. I am going to look into that.

The hardest part of starting a career is knowing where to work.

It's tough to get hired, but check out your local railroad, gas and/or electric companies etc. Check local unions. There are apprenticeships out there that will pay you to learn and in 5 years you are making around $30 an hour. You just have to figure out how to get started.

I say try getting into an electrical apprenticeship. Electrical is extremely simple and most people are afraid of it because it's dangerous. That's why it pays a lot.

 

[Strikes Again]

The hardest part of starting a career is knowing where to work.

It's tough to get hired, but check out your local railroad, gas and/or electric companies etc. Check local unions. There are apprenticeships out there that will pay you to learn and in 5 years you are making around $30 an hour. You just have to figure out how to get started.

I say try getting into an electrical apprenticeship. Electrical is extremely simple and most people are afraid of it because it's dangerous. That's why it pays a lot.

Thanks Smith. This is exactly the help I was looking for.

 

[Strikes Again]

try something in healthcare if you can stomach it. There's always demand and the gigs typically pay well. I do psychiatry at the Veterans hospital

EDIT: school times vary a lot depending on specialty/position. But, there's tons of tech type jobs to be had w/ an associates type degree.

Psychiatry is a little out of my league. But that being said you're doing a great thing

 

[Auspex]

I work in IT for a huge HealthSystem. Healthcare is a growing industry and IT support is growing right with it.

If you're even a bit computer savvy I would start looking into network or server engineer stuff. Always pays well.

 

[Joker Jiujitsu]

I started working at a local bank a couple years ago as a teller. I had a two year accounting degree and working knowledge of computers and computer systems. I've since been promoted into a weird role, just a mix of different responsibilities ranging from IT to loan clerk stuff. I'm getting paid decently enough but am hoping to continue to move up.

 

[Strikes Again]

I work in IT for a huge HealthSystem. Healthcare is a growing industry and IT support is growing right with it.

If you're even a bit computer savvy I would start looking into network or server engineer stuff. Always pays well.

I'm very very not.

 

[RSmith47]

Thanks Smith. This is exactly the help I was looking for.

No problem man. Just remember you can pretty much learn any job right off the street. Degrees are mostly BS and are just there to tell the company that you put in the effort to get there. Most of what you learn in school isn't used on the job, it's just there to help you learn quicker. Apprenticeships are a good way to make money without going to school. There are tons of fields in it whether its welding, electrical, plumbing, pipe fitting, carpentry etc. Find the one that pays the most and seems like it would suck the least and go for it. Electrical companies pay out the ass for guys that can climb poles. Climbers start at like $40/hr and they run you through school on their dime. If you are tough and have the balls, go for it.

When I started my first electronics job, the guy training me was giving me a ton of crap because I was so green. I was fumbling with soldering irons and drills and all that. I just didn't have any experience. He blew up on me one day for being worthless and I went and sat in my car for a half hour, contemplating whether I should quit or not. Luckily I convinced myself that he was just some grumpy old asshole and I went back in there and a couple months later I was as productive as he was. Everyone has to start somewhere.

When you get to work, spend 90% of your time listening and 10% of your time talking. If you are talking, you aren't learning.