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how did you decide on your career?

Discussion in 'Jobs & Careers' started by PLC721, Apr 27, 2012.

  1. Apr 28, 2012 at 6:46 AM
    #41
    BatFan

    BatFan Active Member

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    I started working for an office equipment company working as a field service technician while I was still in school. After I graduated I just kinda stayed cause I couldn't find anything else. Been there 3 years and steady looking for jobs in the school and university systems. I have a Computer Networking degree from a local technical school, Ogeechee Technical College. I have always heard that, around here, companies would hire an IT person from OTC, with a 2 year degree, over graduates from the local university, Georgia Southern University, with a 4 year degree due to the hands on experience at the technical school. Georgia Southern even sends their IT staff out to the technical school to get proper hands on training. I have always loved tearing down and troubleshooting computers, and found networks to be just as much fun, if not more.

    Just my own opinion. Computers will always be around and companies will always use them, servers and networks. So if the business thing falls through, look in taking a few IT courses, see how ya like it.
     
  2. Apr 28, 2012 at 6:51 AM
    #42
    Rupp1

    Rupp1 "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

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    After a lot of trial and error, I got back to the basics. What did I always like no matter what? I like to fix things. So I decided to make that my career. There are lot's of kinds of mechanics, so plenty of different ways to make that happen. I finally got myself into a large pharma company as a mechanic. I love it, and it pays very well.

    Basics. What do you like to do. There are probably many ways to make that happen.
     
  3. Apr 28, 2012 at 7:32 AM
    #43
    Boerseun

    Boerseun Well-Known Member

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    I grew up in a very small town where we did not get exposed to much in the line of carreer choices. After school you either go work in the bank or a store, or if you did wel in school you go to college to become a doctor.
    So, I did not like the doctor idea, but decided to go to dental school (our dentist had just bought a really nice sports car, so that did it for me). About six months into dental school I realized that I did not want to do this for the rest of my life. They started talking about building bridges (tying teeth together), so I started thinking.. building bridges sounds like a lot more fun. I immediately dropped out and signed up for civil engineering major. I have been a civil engineer for almost 20 years and enjoy almost every day of it. I do construction management so I am out on construction sites quite a bit; I don't have to sit in the office all day.
    Moral of the story - find something that you enjoy doing, don't just do it for the money. However, don't make your hobby your carreer, because then you will not be able to enjoy it as a hobby anymore.
     
  4. Apr 28, 2012 at 7:36 AM
    #44
    bethes

    bethes Señorita Member

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    I must be a dork? LOL Geology is pretty awesome, and you can call me a dork all day long, I'm laughing all the way to the bank.

    But then, I went with invertebrate paleontology because dinosaurs don't pay very well and it's hard to get a job in vertebrate paleo (as in there just aren't that many).

    As discussed, that was true in the 1980's, it's not true now. A general business admin/management degree is virtually worthless.
     
  5. Apr 28, 2012 at 7:39 AM
    #45
    JimBeam

    JimBeam BECAUSE INTERNETS!! Moderator

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    I was working some lame ass boring job at a bank...applied for a bunch of different jobs within the bank...didnt get any of them...had a buddy who works for my current department tell me i needed to apply bc they were hiring and it was a ton of fun...applied and had a new job within a month...havent looked back
     
  6. Apr 28, 2012 at 7:58 AM
    #46
    PLC721

    PLC721 [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I already have a job and I'm a pharmacy technician at Walgreens. Always figured I'd go into management so I figured the business degree would look good
     
  7. Apr 28, 2012 at 9:02 AM
    #47
    Boerseun

    Boerseun Well-Known Member

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    Keep in mind that no matter what you do in life, you almost always end up in some kind of management position (unless you choose not to take any advancement opportunities) where you need business skills.
    So even as a civil engineer, a large part of my daily work is project management which also includes the business side of it.
    So, even if your goal is not to be in a business position, getting business education is not a complete waste of time.
     
  8. Apr 28, 2012 at 9:20 AM
    #48
    Muscles

    Muscles Well-Known Member

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    how bad did you break your back? Did you try to go back to wrenching full time and it was bothering you? Im asking cuz i had 2 compression fractures in my spine 2 weeks ago and i work at UPS loading boxes...i wonder if ill be able to go back to that :/
     
  9. Apr 28, 2012 at 9:28 AM
    #49
    Lazylegs

    Lazylegs Well-Known Member

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    I did a ride along with the local PD on the night shift and loved it. Rest was history.
     
  10. Apr 28, 2012 at 11:06 AM
    #50
    CantSitStill

    CantSitStill Well-Known Member

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    Oh, you're set then. Did you finish a four year? If not, I would do that. Doesn't matter in what. Maybe you can move up in Walgreens???
     
  11. Apr 28, 2012 at 11:08 AM
    #51
    Twistedfreedom

    Twistedfreedom welcome to the incredibuild

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    Adam
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    I got hit at 35 MPH and it broke off the facets on my T-5/6 vertebrae I had to wear a TSLO brace for 8 months. This was 2 years ago and it still bothers me to this day unfortunately. there was also some permanent nerve damage. I can work on something for a few hours before it really starts to bother me; The next day is even worse. I take muscle relaxers and painkillers on a daily just to make it though the day. I will never be a career mechanic again. I'm going in to Special Education. I'd like to work with people who have acquired disabilities and show them that even though life dealt them a shitty it's not the end of the world.

    I hope that you have a speedy full and complete recovery!
     
  12. Apr 28, 2012 at 11:15 AM
    #52
    Juggernaut

    Juggernaut Captain

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    For me it was a two step process, and I highly recomend this process:

    Step 1: How long can you put up with school? (for me, 4 years)

    Step 2: find the top 10 paying degrees with that education and pick the one you like the most (I chose mechanical & aeronautical engineering)

    Picking work you love is a little BS because even if you "love" your work, you could be teamed with an asshat, so you might as well make some money.

    Plus although engineering is not "fun", you do make some cool shit. The economy is tough for everyone though.
     
  13. Apr 28, 2012 at 2:05 PM
    #53
    bethes

    bethes Señorita Member

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    Of course if you hate your job and you're teamed with an asshat... oh God. :( I have been teamed up with good and bad co-workers. When you have a good one it's awesome. When you have a bad one it really helps to like your job, because it's that much easier to push yourself to prove you're better than the asshat.

    You will spend almost 1/2 of your time awake for the next 40 years doing whatever you pick (or you'll decide you can't stick with it and find something else). You might as well be happy with it; money isn't everything.
     
  14. Apr 28, 2012 at 3:00 PM
    #54
    Boerseun

    Boerseun Well-Known Member

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    ^^^this
     
  15. Apr 28, 2012 at 4:56 PM
    #55
    1980

    1980 Well-Known Member

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    My invert paleo instructor was a former chief geologist for one of the oil companies before he retired and became head of the a geology department; he sort of said the same thing. I had a friend in college who got a MS in vertebrate paleontology and now works checking air conditioning vents for mold.
     
  16. Apr 28, 2012 at 5:48 PM
    #56
    Muscles

    Muscles Well-Known Member

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    Dang dude that scares me...im pretty sure mine was t6 and t5, gotta check it out... but im in a back brace i gotta wear it all the time when im not sleeping... i take pain killers sometimes at night, but the pain isnt too bad... i hope i can go back to the stuff i used to do
     
  17. Apr 29, 2012 at 1:37 AM
    #57
    TyT

    TyT Well-Known Member

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    ^^^^HE JUST HIT THE NAIL IN THE HEAD ON ALL OF IT!
    Im going to school for business as well and it aint easy I promise you that! I just want to get this four year degree join the military serve the time I want then get out and open a business!

    But GL OP just remember if you have that college degree its just a step up over the rest of society ! (THATS WHAT I HAVE TO KEEP TELLING MYSELF! )
     
  18. Apr 29, 2012 at 2:34 PM
    #58
    ink junky

    ink junky I love tacos too!!!

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    I got out of the Corps in the beginning of 2010, and I've been going to school for a BA in Kinesiology. (basically only getting me ready for physical therapy school)

    I'm now over half way done with the degree, and I have lost most of of my interest for the PT field.

    Next semester I'm planning on enrolling in some linguistics courses (German), mainly cuz it is one languauge that I would love to speak fluently. Russian would follow, then Chinese.

    Other than learning new languages, nothing has really "tickled my fancy" :confused:

    That really worries me too, sometimes I really can't imagine what I'll be doing 10 years from now. :eek:

    I am taking a Geology course over the summer though (as an elective) so I'll see if that catches my fancy.

    Some good advice here though.
     
  19. Apr 29, 2012 at 3:05 PM
    #59
    solus

    solus HOME!!!

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    Officer recruiter showed up one day in college and said he'd pay me $35k a year for two years in college and give me benefits... If I maintained a 3.0 and past the PT test every six months. No uniform, no shaving, no mustering, no nothing for 2 years. Since school tuition was already covered! I said hell yeah... The catch? 4 active and 4 inactive reserves... 8 active years later... Just signed up for 3 more, probably gonna go at least 20 unless they kick me out first!
     
  20. Apr 29, 2012 at 5:54 PM
    #60
    1980

    1980 Well-Known Member

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    I've known two people who got German degrees, neither of them used the language at all. During the Cold War fluency in Russian could get you hired in several types of government jobs but that's slacked off a bit now. I hear that Chinese, however, is highly in demand.
     

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