Whats your occupation and why is it so great (or not)? What would you reccomend...

[PowerTrike]

Right now I'm still in high school and really need to start deciding on where I want to go from there (trying to choose my final classes for next year right now) and I'm wondering what a lot of you guys finally ended up doing or what you would reccomend going into for a career choice. I thought I would ask in here because I probably share atleast some similar interests with the rest of you older guys. I'm almost positive that I will try to end up going to something like a 2 year tech school when I get my HS diploma. I love working on cars/engines and technical related stuff like wiring, electronics, ect. Where I'm at in MN there are quite a few good oportunites for Machinists, another field I've been considering getting into, but I'm not sure if I would like all of the precision and repetitive work? An electrician is another area I might be intersted in...Also wheres the money and rewards at? I'm sure there are some things, like small engines, I would like to get into but don't pay too well. I've been seriously considering taking a Mechanics program or getting in Heavy Equipment Repair (Diesel)....
I work at Ace Hardware now, Retail can be fun but not something I want to do forever...
Talked to some real helpful people in chat here a little off and on a while back but thought I'd make a post of it. Anyone care to share their personal experience or reccomendations? :D

-Nick

[ScottZJ]

Well I went to school and got a degree in respiratory theorpy. I worked in that field for 2 years part time while being a police officer. I didnt care for the kids dying on me so I left the hospital. I stayed on the force for 5 years and realized I needed another job(I was also a store manager for a grocery chain). I left that to mess with computers. That is where I am currently employed at the Dept of Defense. I do all the computers and networking for the Navy. Its a nice change from the others and I have a passion for this field.

[ClayW]

Well heres my 2 cents. I got a bachelors degree in college. I am currently a SR Enviromental, Safety & Health coordinator for Skanska USA Building. The largest or 2nd largest General Contractor in the US. 3rd largest in the world. My degree was in Industrial and Environmental Safety. If you have seen any of my work, aka my trikes, you can see that I like working with my hands quite a bit. Love it actually. I just decided that I didnt want to have to work my rear off as a mechanic or maintenance guy at a plant. My dad works as a maintenance tech at a plant and makes pretty good money. Around 58K or so. Thats not chump change, but he comes on every day smelling like a goat, and fingers cracking open from manual labor. I just decided that I didnt want to do that with my life. He was pretty upset at the time. I was not your typical college student. I graduated HS with a 2.5 GPA. Took 4 years of Agriculture. College prep. LOL. ANyway my wife, girlfriend at the time talked me in to giving it a shot. College that is. I did, and found out that I could do it. Long story short, I graduated with a 3.48 GPA. I got a job the week after I graduated making 32k. I was happy. Dad was pissed. That much money spent on college and that was all I could make. I explained to him that as I got experience, I would be worth more. Well after 2yrs of that I got a new job making 48k. Then after a yr of that I landed another making 58k. I have been with that company since then and im pusing 80k+ now.Thats after I got my professional certification. Im not trying to bragg at all. I just want you to know and see how if you have a college degree your value increases with time and experience, especially if your in the right field. In the trades you mention you can definately progress also. The prob is this. My dad even admits it now. By doing the Tech school route, theres a point you hit a ceiling mark for your type of work. Nothing can change it. You have hit the top. My boss knocks down 125k yr. So my ceiling is much higher than my dad ever thought. Just keep that in mind. If your ok with making a set amout thats fine. But there are other options out there. I have become a really good instructional safety trainer in all aspects of construction safety. In march I made 5500 dollars on saturdays training employees of other companies. Thats on top of my normal salary. Oh yeah and I get a cool grand a month for a truck from my employer. Just think about those things. Construction safety is a booming field that is growing by leapes and bounds. Just some thoughts for ya. By the way you can get loans for college thru the federal gov. You dont pay them back until you graduate and have a job. So thats my 2 cents. Excuse the typing. Im doing this on a tablet PC and its tough to type with a pen. :beer

[brapp]

i droped outta high school, trie dto get my ged, and got a job as alaboror for a heavy equipment company now i run a 525 cat log skidder and a 963 cat with a root rake for out companies clearign crew.makin good money and wouldnt have it anyother way.

[Lomax]

I started (along with my dad) My own ATV and Truck Acc. shop. we just got done building a new store and things are looking very promising in our area. Its alot of fun but sometimes it can be nerve racking mixing your hobby with your job.

[smokinwrench]

Claw W said it correctly in my opinion.

I work for a Caterpillar dealer as a field tech. I've been turnign wrenches now for about 13 years. I love my job and what I do. There are days I so damn tired and sore after work all I want to do is go home and goto bed. Most days the last 2-3 years I troubleshoot wierd hydraulic and electronic problems, so I usually just use a laptop and a Fluke meter.

I have reached that ceiling pay in my field and I'm not sure what I want to do now. I make good money but I know my body can't do this kind of punishing work forever. I'm hoping to become a service rep where I just go around and talk to customers.

[bigyellow4x4]

heres my tail

i started out of high school selling auto parts at a NAPA jobber in town after 5 years (it take about 4 years of parts to be ok to be great you need 10 years at one place) i moved to a dealer "ford" in parts. Ilove my job money is ok for our small town 30k with room to go up to 58k manager, but it tkaes time and hard work. Mechanics make more money but you need to work for a good shop that always has work there for you (most work on flat rate) if you want to do that see if any dealership will but you throgh here tech school (he put about 2 kids throgh school ever year and pay for it all in return you sign contract you will work for us for 4 years. thats my 2 cent do what you love - you will alway spend all your money and want more.

[Derrick Adams]

Well, I started out of school working factory jobs, but soon grew tired of it. I started pimping several years ago, and my business has grown quite large for a small town. I now have alot of return customers and several girls. The pay is decent, but the benefits are great! :p

[TrikerR]

right now i am a practicing small engine mechanic, but not the motorcycle side, more tools(mowers, chainsaws) it is a pretty good job, but not something i would like to spend the next 30 years doing. it gets very boring very quick, as all you deal with is engines and no other systems like transmissions and suspension.

[bigredhead]

I know what you are going thru.. had the same problem.

What i ended up doing is taking a 1 year college course in " Network Administration ". basically PC repair, Network planning and implementation etc..... nothing too fancy. but taught me alot.,

I really had no clue what i wanted to do... but figured what ever i was going to do would involve computers, and i was a computer idiot at the time...

My father has a university degree in " Teaching " and in " Nursing " and ended up being a lumberjack... all about the sterss.. being a teacher almost killed him with stress..

He got me to work 1 summer with him in the woods ( i now own a husquavarna chainsaw !! LOL low mileage ) and that did it for me.. college i went.

Now .. 8 years later.. stuck in a call centre.. Tech Support, ok pay.. 17 $ an hour, 3 weeks vacation a year, medical plan etc..... good shift.. but I HATE IT...

Main thing.. do something you like to do... make sure that when you wake up in the morning.. that you feel like getting up getting to work... be passionate about what you do for a living and the money should follow.

No money in the world is worth getting sick from stress.... do what you like to do even if you don't know what that is yet.

Cuz even now.. i may not know what i want to do.. but i sure know WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO !!!!!! :D

[Dan Tenn]

I went to college and got a B.S. in chemistry, and a minor in physics. I run a lab for a small company in MN, and am also one half of the R&D department. I got that degree because it was what interested me at the time. The money is decent, but if I were to do it again I'd be an electrician. You have to work as a grunt for about ten years, then you start your own and you work for yourself. The best part is being able to make illicit street drugs in my basement for all my buddies ;)

I also like to do odd jobs on the side for cash. In the summer I will usually build a couple decks, and the winter will normally be 1 or two boat house restorations.

[jenndnn3]

:D Or you all could do what I did, get married, and live off him :eek: :p


I really hope he dont read this

[bigredhead]

I need me a rich chik........ that's a good idea ! whooot !

But.. if anyone has any good ideas on home based businesses.. i'm all ears.. i'd love to be able to work from home and bring in even minimal income.. just being able to stay at home ..hang with the dog and do my thing..

now that's dreaming in color !!!

[ScottZJ]

:D Or you all could do what I did, get married, and live off him :eek: :p


I really hope he dont read this

Ouch not that isnt right. But before I got my job with the Dept Of Defense, my wife was making tons more than me a year, just about 3 digits a year, so in a way i was living off her haha. But I love what I am doing so no matter what I make(its very very nice paying) I will stay with it.

[ClayW]

I love my job ( Construction Safety ) because its something different everyday. Different Job site at a different location. Different type of work too. May be a Hospital, School, Airport, Highrise, or Football/Baseball stadium. Its all different. Every job has its on quirks, problems, or challenges. Really keeps your intrest up. I travel a decent amount. Not all the time, but a few times a month. I have jobs from Colorado to Maryland and everywhere in between. I love my job. And yes I initially get razzed a bit about owning trikes. :D But being the top notch safety man that I am, I can spout off quite a bit of accident statistics on ATC's and Quads, and then they shut up. :D They see that the all can be dangerous if you havent been taught the right way to ride. :beer

[Troll 2]

I always wanted to turn wrenches since grade school. The day after graduating high school I was doing car repair. That lasted sixteen years in the same place. The pay was great at over $ 50k a year.
I left that to move back to where our family has been for seven genarations. I did it to raise our kids in a great setting. We live and work on a wheat rach seven miles from a small town. I overhaul and repair combines, trucks and tractors. The pay is about half, but the way of life is great. Been here ten years, with three years to till my boys graduated. Sure would like to travel with the r.v. and trikes after that. :beer

[Red Rider]

Main thing.. do something you like to do... make sure that when you wake up in the morning.. that you feel like getting up getting to work... be passionate about what you do for a living and the money should follow.

No money in the world is worth getting sick from stress....
Great advice bigredhead! If you enjoy the type of work that you do for a living, most likely it won't even seem like work. You'll know you've found your dream job when you hear yourself saying, "I can't believe someone is paying me to do this. I'd do this for free!" As for me, someone is paying me to go to the airport & fly planes. I rarely get to choose the destination, but that's about the only thing I have to complain about, so I guess I'm doing pretty well. :)

[ATC crazy]

Since you want to do something with cars or something technical, I would suggest being an Engineer, machineist (sp), or even building chassis for race teams.

I am a Senior in HS, and I am planning on being either an Engineer or a machineist (sp). I highly suggest taking AutoCAD or Engineering Drawing (which uses CAD), Technical drawing, Welding, Precision Machines, or Building Trades.
I have taken the first 3 mentioned, but I wish I had taken them all. I wanted to take Precision Machines this year, but my mom and my teachers talked me into taking CIT (Damn them!). Do what you want to and dont let anyone talk you out of it.

[Trikeaholic]

I hate to put my .02 in on this one, it is a personal decision, for sure. Money is NOT the motivating factor of any job,if it were, I would want to stay at my job. If you want to know the details of my career life, I will tell ya. I went to college right out of high school. My father is a physician (doctor, MD) he was not a very involved dad, but he expected great things from his kids. I had no clue what I wanted to do, but since he was footing the bill for college, I figured WTF? In high school, I always worked construction over the summer breaks. I liked it. I was planning on going into a field like ClayW, but ended up getting 2 BS degrees. One for Management and one for Marketing. I came back home after school, and lived with mommy, worked as an accounts recievable clerk and at night I was a cook! I worked at Sears selling electronics and as a Facilities Laborer at Cornell University.also a counter guy at a restauraunt supply business that I got FIRED from! Needless to say, It was not looking good. A buddy of mine told me about a company that was recruitng at his school, they had a location in my town. They were a young, expanding industrial distributorship,(this was 1992) so I went to check it out. Been there ever since, got promoted to General Manager, made as much as 72K in '99, but never that much since, and since fall of '99 I decided I wanted a change.Too much stress, and all about the benjamins-plus other people reflect on ME and cost me MONEY when they mess up! I started poking around a University's Police dept. and they gave me a part time job, I also started side working security and was made a supervisor pretty quickly. Right now Im hoping to be offered a full time gig at the University Public saftey office. That would be a small pay cut, but at least I would be accountable only for my OWN actions. That in itself is worth the pay cut to me. Industrial sales is a BLAST and you can make good money, meet alot of great people that can help you out with projects, but 13 years of that is enough for me! Take this one bit of advice- Dont paint yourself into a corner by only educating yourself so much, or working the same job for so long. You will be trapped! At least in Ithaca, NY you will!!

[mike from long island]

i bang nails it is the only thing i know and am good at!! :beer














plus my life as a porn star never took off

[VABCH350X]

Military service. Intensely rewarding, limitless upward mobility.

[ClayW]

Yeah my boss started off as a cop, then Army MP, then a Airborn Ranger. He worked his was up from a inlisted man to a full Colonel. Would have made general but he was a single parent and the Army limited his exposure to hazardous types of work. He then became a safety director for a Big General contractor while still in the Army reserve. If I had to do it again and had never met my wife, I would have gone the ROTC route and joined the Military after college. That way I would have started out as a officer, and would have worked my way up. I had planned on joining the Navy a becoming a pilot, but my wife changed my mind. I wouldnt change a thing now. I love my job and my life. Not many people can say that. The Military is definately a great path to take though. :beer

[PowerTrike]

Thanks a lot for all the great replies guys! Just what I wanted to hear. Very interesting. My dad was a full time welder, got tired of doing it all day and switched over to banging nails. Won't let me follow in his footsteps. Mum runs a sign shop with some help. I don't mind the work/designing but it doesn't bring in much cash. I expect to graduate as an honor student (3.6 GPA as of now) so I don't think I'll be too limited to college/vocational education if I can scrounge up a little money.

[Dirtcrasher]

I begged my parents to go to a Vo Tech school but they wanted me to go to college so I had to go to a regular high school. Then, my senior year in high school my parents got divorced and that screwed up the college thing. So I became completely useless for about 3 years until I was forced to get a job in a factory running a machine for 5$ an hour. I worked my way up to head of that department, then a maintenance guy and lastly the top paid mechanic/machinist. My job was OK, I worked 6 days a week and in a confined environment everyone knows your buisness and that stinks too. Time passed and it came about that here in the US we can barely make anything because it's always cheaper to have it made overseas. So, as my company downsized and I was the top paid guy, they laid me off after 11 years.
So I felt sorry for myself for a few months and then went back to school for a trade in HVAC. Graduated the top of my class and grabbed a job about a year ago. I now run all my own jobs with a crew of 3, have a brand new work van, a cell phone and 6$ in raises in the first year. I have nowhere to go but up and I absolutely love this job like no other I have ever had. Next year I will be a licensed refrigeration tech which means more $$$$. Never thought I'd like working so hard but it allows me to be creative and I learn new things every day. I also only work 4 days a week (12 hours a day) and make about 30$ an hour installing air conditioning on the side. I feel like I have the best job ever and I'm glad I ended up here. Lots of trades are great but in the HVAC field there are so many things to it other than just running wires or pipes as in some of the other trades. All the trades are all lucrative and good trades are always in demand.

[250r'en +TCB]

i'm a persausive writer for people doing ads in mags or on tv. its ok money. I also do little side engine jobs at my house. I took automotive in high school.... :TrikesOwn

[edog]

I work as a Neuro Rehabilitation Specialst.

[Oldshell4481]

I lobster, im only 16 right now but i will be lobstering for atleast another 60 years. i love it, it never gets old. you are always in new places, different weather, see alot of cool things. the only problem is if you are over 18 in the state of maine, you have to go under an apprenticeship, and go on a 5-7 year waiting list for a license. the pay is good, and life is usually good.

[markdb420]

I work as a fiber optic splicer for Verizon. We are deployed fiber optic to the customers residence or business. It will allow Verizon to sell Cable Tv, phone service and smoking fast internet (5MB, 15 MB and 30MB). I am in on building the fiber network around here in Virginia. It pays good and I only have to work 40hrs a week and that leaves me lots of free time for my kids and my ATVs. Occasionally I do work OT but I hate it unless I am getting enough to get Double Time (after 9 hrs). I like to work as little as possible and hopefully we are going to a 4 tenhour day schedule so that will free up another day for kids and ATV's! I make no less than $70,000.00 a year and more if my lazy ass works any OT. I tried college and tech school and I was bored stiff! Hell I tried framing houses, selling cars, selling mortgages, and even was a contractor for the local CATV company, before this easy job fell in my lap! Hey I am bored stiff at my job, and the management is notorious for making ignorant decisions, that make zero sense, but there is money in confusion! I work for the $$$ to enhance my free time.

[Vealmonkey]

I did 6 years in the navy and when I got out, I became a stationary engineer, a boiler operator. I worked at my last job for 14 years in Downtown baltimore MD supplying steam for the main part of the city. I got tired of that, now I work at a major manufacturer of alcoholic beverages. The pay is decent. I only live about 5 minutes away from where I work. Things I can't fix on the 3 wheelers the machinists and mechanics at work help me with. Great fringe benefits. Just Remember... Drink Responsibly!

[3 weelin geezer]

[QUOTE=jenndnn3]:D Or you all could do what I did, get married, and live off him :eek: :p


Got any pictures? Is he cute?

[Tri-ZNate]

I'm still in high school but if your good with computers I would recommend that. I repair computers in my spare time and it is an easy way to make a quick buck. There are lots of job opportunites for computer programmers, repairers, and anyone involved with computers.

[threewheelin-feelin]

i really think at this point in time computers are really the way to go.....im going to start college in september and im going to take computer classes as a major.....and take automotive as a minor.....because you always have to have a skill to fall back on if the first dosent work

[jenndnn3]

[QUOTE=jenndnn3]:D Or you all could do what I did, get married, and live off him :eek: :p


Got any pictures? Is he cute?


LOL oh yeah!

[DeePa]

I'm attending school at the University of Rhode Island, and I have two more years left. I am majoring in turf management. I hope to become one of those superintendants who take care of athletic fields like major leagues fields and nfl fields and such. It takes a while to work your way up though.

[cliff2302]

Im in school for to be a history teacher right now. If i could start over again, i'd still go to be a teacher, but i'd be a tech or BOCES teacher. Its probably the perfect job. You get payed decent, you can let kids do all the dirtywork on your stuff, and then you get to do the finishing touches with the schools machinery and its called teaching. Thats the way to go in my eyes.

[Ordo]

I work for a steel building company (Perka Buildings) as a weld QC engineer. I love it. I work about 2 hours a day. The rest of the day I'm either drinking coffee or working on projects I bring to the shop. It pays alright but the benefits rock. I get free steel, 50% off any building. And they let me wrench on my 250r on the clock. I'm a firm beleiver that if you make your self an asset to a company you get away with alot of s***.

[okieRrider]

I graduated high school and went straight to vo tech to be an aircraft mechanic. I graduated vo tech and was lucky enough to have a dad that did the same thing and we went together and formed our business we are doing now. We rebuild antique aircraft engines from the WWII era for the smaller ones. They pay is decent and I get to travel alot ( have been all over the United States ). We have an engine on an airplane in the Smithsonion that flew around the north pole, open cockpit aircraft, he was the first person to successfully do it. We have been involved with a ton of other projects including a WWII trainer that flew around the world. We don't advertise in anything but one little ad in a restorer clubs magazine, all the rest is word of mouth and we are 4 months behind right now....which menes plenty of work. I'm not trying to brag on any of this just trying to make a point to figure out what you like to do and go with it, even if you start at the bottom, which you most likely will... it all leads up to bigger and better things in the future and learn from everyone you meet that has anything to do with what you want to do. I was working in Houston one Sat. a few years back on an airplane that was based at NASA.... I was removing and installing a cylinder on an engine and I had just gotten my new truck. I had taken a break for a few minutes and went outside to get a quick smoke in and there were 4 or 5 guys about my age maybe a little older that were cruisin around in a golf cart. They seen the doors of the hanger open so they headed that way to see what was going on. They came in and we talked for a few minutes and then i went back to work. They crawled inside my truck and turned the radio on and was crackin jokes and goofin off and came over to where I was and started askin questions and was wanting to help...I gave them some direction and off to work they went....Finally when the work was done we got to talking a bunch and come to find out they were the space shuttle crew... Point of the story is you will never who you will end up meeting, do what you like and the rewards will be endless...Chris

[cliff2302]

That sounds awesome. I love WWII aviaton, its my concentration in my studies. Have you worked on any fighters from the war? if you could show some pics of them it would be awesome. thanks

[seagullplayer]

My kids will be 15 and 19 this August. I advise them to get into the medical field. I think being an RN is the way to go. You can get a job anywhere you want to live, make nice money, and help people. A male nurse is in even bigger demand that woman these days. And with baby boomers getting older, the need is going to grow.

Me, I was an idiot, I'm an Electrical Engineer. I got a gravy job now, making good money, but I had to travel for almost eight years to get here. Missed alot of my kids lives in the process. Nurse, dude, that's the way to go. Better yet, join the service and let them pay your way.

[foster]

I've had about 10,000 jobs. None of them were particularly horrible and none were particularly great.
I've been, in chronological order:
Yard work/snow shovelling
Stockroom guy
Retail sales
Postal clerk
Navy communications operator
Postal clerk again
Bill collector
Mailman
Local truck driver
And I'm sure I'm forgetting some.
Now I'm a mild-mannered reporter at our local newspaper (and yes, at night I jump into a phone booth and become . . . TRIKERMAN! LOL!!!)
It has its good and bad parts.
The good: after you get some years in and land at a good newspaper, the pay is pretty good. No physical labour. After you build up seniority you don't have to work many nights or weekends. Travel is optional and paid for. Lots of adventure at times. (I went to Bosnia during the war for six weeks.) Chicks think reporters are hot. You get to know all kinds of secret stuff no one else knows. Free stuff like concert tickets, meals, etc... from influential people you get to know.
The bad: crappy pay for the first few years. Very hard job, mentally. People put you on a par with lawyers and child molestors. Long hours at times. You have to sometimes piss off people you like and praise people you despise. Sometimes people want to beat the tar out of you. Must change employers a lot in order to move up fast. Most of the job is boring, run-of-the-mill stuff, done over the phone from your tiny cubicle. Too many idiots in the business.
All in all, it's not too bad. But unless you have a natural talent for writing, a broad base of knowledge (knowing a little about everything and not necessarily a lot about anything) and a natural curiosity, it's better to do something else for a living.