MirageRally (06-10-2020)
Getting a college degree is a funny thing, especially when you're young. (and, for those of us over 50... anything under 35 could be considered "young") You don't know what your "life's passion" is when you're young! And even if you did, you change as you get older.
Anyway, here's two data points.
My wife went to college straight out of high school on a full scholarship and knocked out a BA in Business in 3 years, graduated magna cum laude and hit the work force. While her education helped her land some jobs, she'll be the first to tell you that she doesn't feel like she really learned anything in college, it just gave her the opportunity to grow up a little bit. She didn't actually get a job where having a degree in business (or any degree, really) mattered until she stumbled into an HR job about 8 years later. Since then, we moved, she got another HR job, and then managed to transfer around to different departments (5 moves in 18 years) and do a lot of different things... now she's a data analyst.
I went a very different path, but with just as many career twists. I went to an electronics school right out of HS. Something like ITT or Devry, but the school I went to no longer exists. I got an AS in Electronics. Having graduated HS at a very young age (skipped kindergarted, started school early... don't do that to your kids!), I found myself with a degree and not enough maturity at the age of 18.
I got tired of job hunting (and working fast food and construction in the mean time) and decided to join the AF. They gave me two stripes for my college, and I got into a job as a nuclear weapons tech, which was at least a "tehnical" job. Worked that for 8 years, got a little more education along the way, but nowhere near enough to complete a BS.
When I got out of the AF at the age of 27, I got back into electronics. Being an "adult" with a little more experience and maturity, I found it easier to find a job in that industry. Did that for a few years. Transitioned into an "experimental flight test department" technician job at Raytheon aircraft, which was kind of cool. But, I hate flying, and I thought I wanted to be in the IT industry.
So, I stumbled across an IT job that would take me. (somebody my wife used to work with) Even though I had no experience or education in IT, I was "the IT guy" for an office of about 30 people. I did help desk, server admin, database admin, and some database programming.
Moved to FL, got another database admin job. Highest paying job I ever had. But, it was in the telemarketing industry, and they very much took advantage of elderly people and I just didn't feel good about it. When another friend offered me a job as a web designer at his small web design company, I jumped on it!
Spent 4-5 years as a web designer until the economy tanked. Tried to open my own web design business, but the economy still wasn't good, and it didn't work.
Tried to get back into electronics, but after being out of the business for 10 years, and creeping up on the age of 40... I got a couple interviews, but no job. I'm sure they were hiring younger people who they knew would be willing to accept lower starting pay. I gave up on the electronics world.
Did some temp work (ugh) and almost got another database admin job out of that, but they didn't want to pay enough. Then another friend mentioned that he was hiring driving instructors. I'd done some of that about 10 years prior just as a part-time job, so I knew I was qualified and enjoyed doing it. So, I took that job. Worked for him for a couple years, then ended up starting a driving school with a friend of mine, which is where I am now. About 3 years into a small driving school business.
Along the way, my hobby of autocross turned into a business, so while the driving school was getting off the ground, I was making 2/3 of my income from organizing weekend autocrosses twice each month.
Then COVID hit. All of our autocrosses got canceled. Couldn't do driving lessons for two months. Zero income! So, I started doing some Amazon Mechanical Turk work from home just to keep myself busy and have a few bucks coming in. And now I'm doing that, and we've reopened the driving school and business is picking up again. I'm not sure if we'll ever get the autocross business back to where it was, and I'm not sure I care. (I love the sport, but I'm tired of running the events)
I'm not sure what my point is here other than I don't think my story is all that unusual. SOME people find a career and stick with it. A lot of people just take what life hands them, take advantage of opportunities, get bored and find different things to do, etc.
In 35 years of working, I've been in the following industries:
Fast Food
Construction
Military Service
Electronics Technician
IT Help Desk
IT Database Admin
IT Programming
IT Website Design and Programming
Marketing Print Ad and Video Design
Motorsports Event Coordinator
Driving Instructor
Small Business Owner
All that, and the only formal education I have is an AS in Electronics from a technical school.
Simplify and add lightness.
Fummins (06-10-2020),MirageRally (06-11-2020)
I enjoy working at my factory job for now and as you said "take whatever opportunities catch your eye"...the reason l don't know what l want to do is bc l went through depression in MS and HS...l don't mean minor or moderate...l mean deep severe life-threatening....my original plan in HS was that l would...well...you know...not live anymore bc l felt like l wasn't going to make it through life to begin with and all of the abuse l got from bullies...touchy and dark subjects but that was part of the reason why...the other is that now that l overcame my depression...l just haven't had too many experiences that interest me and thankfully, one of my friends will help me through it and help narrow it down...if not...then l will at least get my AA of Arts so that l have something...Thanks Marklovski! Hope we can all meet for a Mirage Meet next Year
I did a few work experience jobs in high school. That was where I gained the most from school lol. Spent a year at a muffler/oil change shop, another year at a tire shop, and year at a lumberyard doing a bit of everything. Ended up working at a car wash at 17 for a year then a buddy who lived in the city said to come out if I wanted a job at the wrecker he worked at, they just fired a guy for being high, drunk and sleeping on the job. Again. I didn't have an interview just showed up and asked for a job. I stayed there way too long! 14 years.......
Learned a ton, got my mechanics license bought a house, had a kid then it was time to gtf outta and look for a more stable job with a less hostile and toxic environment while I still have all my limbs and countin digits. Best move I've ever made. Stable job, decent pay, no drama, no more weirdo transient workers living in school buses, vans, etc...Though it was an entertaining place and still is whenever I go back.
It took me a while to figure stuff out, I'm 38 and didn't have kids or a house until 6 years ago. Finally got a decent job 5 years ago, nice grown up sized house 2 years ago.
I'm not sure where I'm going with that?
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)
MirageRally (06-11-2020)
I think we were talking about accounting, or something.
Simplify and add lightness.
MirageRally (06-11-2020)
THANK YOU Fummins, Loren, Marklovski, and many others for your stories!!...sometimes l feel like l'm the only one going through hard and scary times when lt's really nice to talk to so many of my friends here and learn that l am not alone and l will use all of the points from your stories. Again, it warms my heart that many of you could share your stories whatever l go for in College (whether it is Accounting...or l find something else down the road) l won't give up THANK YOU to all of you for re-igniting my determination. Hope everyone has a great day and l will talk with all of you tomorrow.
One more passing thought. DO pursue your education now, while you're young. I made the mistake of NOT doing that. I even had GI Bill benefits from my time in the Air Force, and I had 10 YEARS that I could have made use of them. I procrastinated, and didn't use any of that.
It wasn't until my web design/advertising job fell through that I decided that maybe I should seriously consider a "career change", and possibly some further education. At the time, I was 45 years old, and I considered maybe shooting for a 4-year degree of some sort. (I was thinking of something in the medical field... but, I hate people too much to be a nurse, so I don't know what I was thinking) But, to do it, I would have to do it part-time while I was still working. And it would have taken me 8 years to get the degree... and another 8 years to pay off the loans. By the time I started seeing any financial benefit from it, I'd have been at least 60 years old! I deemed that it just wasn't worth the effort.
If you are so inclined, DO get some kind of useful degree while you're young.
Note, that I'm not saying that it's ever too late to pursue higher education. I could do it if I wanted to, but at this point, if I did, it would mostly be just to gain knowledge or skills because I want to.
Oops, one more passing thought... money isn't everything. Decide what is truly important to you. Find your comfort zone. Set goals and achieve them. But, don't "live to work", unless that's what makes you happy. Personally, I just "work to live", and don't work any more than I have to any more. House is paid off, and I'm building a retirement fund.
Simplify and add lightness.
I am copying & pasting what first came up when I asked the question -
"About 80 percent of students in the United States end up changing their major at least once, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. On average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career." Mar 15, 2013
This is a bit dated, but I doubt it has changed much. I changed my major during the second semester of my junior year in college. Thus, feel free to join the club. It's a large one!
I once had a wise, older professor that I really respected in one of graduate classes state that most people don't really get a sense of what they want to do with their lives until they are about 26 years old. I found that quite interesting at the time. I believe there's some truth to that, but with most things there are exceptions. How does a high school graduate really know? It's a struggle for most.
MirageRally (06-11-2020)