Picking a Career

[Mycon]

I know that this sort of thing is highly individual, but I've hit a crossroads of sort and would like additional input. I know that everyone says to do what makes you happy, but none of my hobbies would make a decent career and after several years of looking at majors absolutely nothing sounds appealing. It seems to have come down to a recent choice:
The only field that holds more than lukewarm interest would be education. I've always wanted to change Utah's pathetic education system into something that actually fosters intelligence. The problem there is that the funding here is so poor, I would be shelling out for a degree that would result in a substantial pay cut. Seriously, the average beginning salary for teachers is 27,000. If I got a full-time pharmacy tech position I could make about 35,000 with a license I already have. The problem is...I've hated this field since 10 minutes into my internship. I got a non-standard tech job that has worked for the last 5 years, but it is permanently part-time.

Option B has much better prospects. The company I work for is gigantic. I am on the very bottom tier of one of the top 5 biggest companies in the country. They've just announced that if we want to move up within the company, they will reimburse tuition and schooling expenses. They've been a great company to work for, and they like me. They also tend to pay higher than others. Because of how widespread they are, there is also a possibility of working from home.

Now it would be a business environment, and I'm not sure about that. I mean, I don't have any huge hatred of the idea, but it doesn't have me jumping for joy either. I know I shouldn't think about it on these terms, but that would be the perfect environment for my Waterman and a future Saddleback briefcase

 

[Tripnastic]

If there's a company willing to pay for a degree, take them up on it. You have plenty of time to move elsewhere, but having that piece of paper will be invaluable. Even if they require you to get a specific degree, that doesn't usually matter. Most people I know are working in fields that have nothing to do with their degree.

Always better to hunt from the high ground.

 

[Walker]

Only you can make a decision like that but as i read your post you really seem to lean towards option B more than A. That's coming from someone standing on the outside looking in. Sounds like it is tje better of the two also. Good Luck!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Don't pass over the free tuition. Go for it.

Also, "dream" jobs don't exist. Work is work and even fun things become work when someone is pressing you to do them. A cousin of mine is an avid woodworker. He loves hanging around his shop and making stuff.

He takes commissions now and then but sort of dreads it because it transforms fun into work. You're better off finding something that you can tolerate day in and day out that pays the bills. Sounds dreadful, but it's not so bad. You get used to it and, hopefully, will have good co-workers who will keep you looking forward to going in.

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

You're asking the classic question. Unfortunately I think most people come to a point where they realize that they might have to choose between an emotionally rewarding career and financially rewarding career. The best compromise that I have been able to come up with is to do your job (and well) and keep enough time for yourself as frequently as possible, and know when to quit a crappy job- don't get complacent.

One thing I can say is that if you really want to teach, Utah will forgive most of your student loans once you've taught for a few (5?) years. You could also teach at the Community College with enough education. If you worked as an adjunct you could keep your day job too.

 

[LegalEagle143]

Take the free tuition.

Don't become a teacher if you are not 100% committed to teaching...otherwise you'll just be part of the problem. Truth be told, teachers aren't going to change the system. They don't have the power/authority...nor do many of them have the desire. If you really want to change the system run for state congress or join a lobbying firm that specializes in education.

 

[Commander Quan]

Also, "dream" jobs don't exist. Work is work and even fun things become work when someone is pressing you to do them.

There is a lot of truth in this statement. I have what I and most others would consider a Dream Job, however somehow it has somehow turned into work. Don't get me wrong I still have a great career, but in the process of turning my hobby into that career it has lost some of it's funness. Worrying about collecting money, finding new customers, and keeping the ones that I currently have happy I guess can do that. The strange thing is on the one day a week I take off I will sometimes go to work just because I have nothing better to do, and I usually enjoy myself more just because I know that I don't have be there.

If I were currently standing in your shoes, I would go with Option B. The fact that you already have a job, and that you could have the option to better yourself is a huge plus in the current economic conditions, and if they well pay for you to go to school, i would take up that offer, education is portable and if you decide the company you work for isn't working for you be more marketable for the next job.

I am not a financial adviser by any means, but if you can make enough to live comfortably, pay off any debt, and consistently put enough money away into a ROTH IRA or some other retirement account. That could make any job a little more bearable, and then find a hobby or interest that you love, and life will be good.

 

[Big Kev]

I spent 3 years going to school for mechanical engineering. After 3 years I decided I had absolutely no interest in that and had no idea what I wanted to do. So I took a year off and just worked and got out of the school mode for a little bit. I decided I would like to get into law enforcement and went back to school for that. I really enjoyed the classes I took, probably the first time in my college career that I was enjoying classes.

I know it probably is not the answer you want to hear. You have lots of time to figure out what you want to do. Take some general classes and see what might peak your interests. When I first started college I would have never guessed I would end up where I am now.

 

[Confuzius]

I'll let you know... I just took the plunge and left a job I hate and got a new entry level job in a field that I am passionate about at a company that I admire.

Granted where I was (am, for the next week) there is pretty much no room for growth, at the new place that's all there is. I worked in industrial sales for the past 6 years and it has been sucking the life out of me. I've been going to school at night for software development and now have a job as customer support/service tech with the opportunity to move to a developer position as my schooling and talent progresses. The new company is small and growing and full of talented and creative people. The pay isn't quite as good for now, but after much consideration I deemed it worth it for my mental health and well being, plus with the tremendous growth opportunity and my aptitudes I figure that I can narrow the gap quickly.

So yeah, I'll let you know in a year or so how it's working out, for now it's about time to plunge into the deep end and see if I float.

 

[Lucius]

Get the degree if they're paying for it, imo (unless it's something you really don't want to do). My recommendation is to find a major with a subject that interests you, not picking a major for a specific career. I did poorly in my first half of college partly because I realized I didn't put the effort into classes I didn't enjoy.

Although you may want to steer away from a "useless" major, but it's already been said there are a lot of people who work in fields completely different from their major. I have a friend who was a music major and got a job doing IT consulting work out of college b/c he took some IT classes.

A bachelor's degree is somewhat meaningless nowadays in that it doesn't get you much, but you almost have to have it.

Unless you're really opposed to going through with getting a degree you should go for it if it's on the company's dime. Although what kind of stipulations come along with that. Are you required to work at the company for two years after you get your degree? 5 years? If you can handle the stipulations do it.

As for figuring out a career, I'm 27, have been out of school for 5 years now at two jobs, and will shortly be looking for my third. I have no idea what I want to do, only what I don't want to do. I moved from a job I hated to a job I'm apathetic about. Being apathetic is not great by any stretch, but compared to hating the job it's fantastic.

 

[Saunterer]

Just my quick 2 cents -

Since I work in a strategic position in a Fortune 100 company, I am always doing research on market trends. Our company is working with educators on virtual or online learning, and there is a drift in the marketplace for online education for K-12. Over the next 20 years or so, there will be less funding for classrooms and teachers and more funding for online learning.

For the next 20 years people will still be taking drugs and most likely more of them.

Just my opinion - don't take a random internet posting for the truth...

 

[kwk285]

I have been in sales for the last 22 years. Over time I have sold paint, wine , steel, mini-blinds, countertops and pharmaceuticals.

I am unsure of your age but you will probably change your career several times in your life. Look at something that you would like to do that would give you some good skills.

The opportunity that you have with your current employer is really nice. Fewer and fewer companies are offering help with tuition. That would be the first thing I would do.

 

[C Reed]

Go into education if you love red-tape thats all it is. I have a good friend who was a NYC public school teacher for 4 years. Hated every day but the first. He still loves kids and now does social media consulting for healthcare companies which helps more people and makes more money.

I don't have a degree. It was never an option for me. Most people with my job title have masters degrees or 20+ years of industry experience. I'm 23. It was a struggle but I found what I love and I'm amazing at it. I put up with an unending amount of bull**** for my age, and lack of education.

If some one had at one point told me going to collage (or hell even wanting what most people want) would make life easier I would have done it, even knowing what I know now. I'm not saying I'm not happy, because I am the happiest person I know but that happiness was won at the cost of weeks spent not eating and days of dodging my land lord cause I didn't have rent money. And honestly those days aren't too far behind and if things go south I could find myself back on the bike 9 hours a day and in a kitchen or behind a bar for 6 hours at night just to keep the rent up.

prespective: if you know what you want to do, don't let any one stop you but prepare to struggle hard and watch people who have less talent and work less hard get things you deserve. If you don't know what you turly want, or if its not a job that defines you then do what keeps your options the most open. Money makes this world go around but don't sgin years of your life away to a company you kind of like because they will help with training.

 

[Alacrity59]

It is not actually mandatory to hate what you do. In fact I'd advise against it. Give it your best . . . what the heck . . . do you have something better to do? Be known for doing your best. If you are not getting ahead you can move and do your best somewhere else.

The only people I've known to fail are the folk who claim they don't do their best because they are not paid what they should be, the boss is a jerk, the dog ate my homework, etc.

Mike

 

[Mycon]

Thanks for all of the responses gents. I'm 25 (26 this fall) and I am just tired of making just over poverty wages.

Don't pass over the free tuition. Go for it.

Also, "dream" jobs don't exist. Work is work and even fun things become work when someone is pressing you to do them. A cousin of mine is an avid woodworker. He loves hanging around his shop and making stuff.

He takes commissions now and then but sort of dreads it because it transforms fun into work. You're better off finding something that you can tolerate day in and day out that pays the bills. Sounds dreadful, but it's not so bad. You get used to it and, hopefully, will have good co-workers who will keep you looking forward to going in.

I think this post is the one that most captures my opinion on a job. I don't really think that a job will define who I am. Though I do need to make sure that the tuition help is not just available to full-time employees or I am right back where I started.
In response to a later post, I never half-*** my job even if I hate it. I will adjust myself and try everything in my power to improve the situation. With my current job, I wasn't trained well at all and got overwhelmed constantly in the busy months. I wound up working many hours off the clock to make sure the customer had what they needed. My awesome new supervisor changed that, but it shows that I will work just as hard for a job I don't like. The problem is, my maximum tolerance for such a job is about 6 years.

 

[Uncle Erik]

It's also important to develop some hobbies on the side. You can tolerate an "OK" job a lot better if you have something else to look forward to.

I've been thinking about turning one of them into a job; I build electronics for fun. Mostly vacuum tube gear. There aren't many people who do custom builds and repairs, so I think there might be a market for that. I'm a little hesitant because there aren't any deadlines for personal projects and I don't get worked up over a delay. It'd be a lot different when dealing with customers. So I'm thinking about selling completed projects on the side and switching from law to accounting. A big step, but I've been doing law for 17 years and am ready for a change. Also, it would be great to sell some tube gear to people - it's fun to build and I'd love to give people something they'd enjoy. I just have to figure out how to balance it to keep things mostly on the fun side.

 

[Hawkeye5]

Frankly, if you don't like what you are doing now, you more than likely will not like the next job either. Lets face it, most of us do what we do so we can do what we want to do.

All jobs have good and bad, with the current economy (and more of the same coming) be practical and take the education program your current employer is offering. Get a degree. If you want to teach at some point then you can go back and get the education part, but get the degree.

 

[BCatl]

Try to take note of what your interests cluster around. Pay close attention. What are the themes?

If you are at a crossroads, take advantage of the confusion and don't necessarily take the easy route. It helps to have an objective person to talk to. Maybe someone who knows you, and you trust their judgment and they can see you from the outside.

A lot of times an objective observer can say "Yeah, I always thought you'd make a good teacher", or whatever. This can be valuable input in trying to make your decision, but ultimately, you have to go with your heart (I'm NOT saying this is easy, particularly when you have to put bread on the table).

 

[Mycon]

For the record, I don't hate this job nearly as much as I used to. With bad management and training that was meant for a site with far different dynamics, I was miserable for a long time. Right as I was about to leave, the economy died. I stuck it out, but eventually it just got unbearable. Then, literally the day I was planning on going home to start sending out resumes, my manager called to say she was resigning. I decided to wait and see how the new one handled matters since the job market was still terrible.
The difference was night and day.
To this day I don't even know what my old boss looked like. The new one had come to check out the site for herself within a few months. Together, she helped me create a workflow strategy specifically designed for my site. It boosted my efficiency by at least 75%. She is upbeat, easy to approach, and very open to new ideas and solutions. The main reasons I want to get a degree and a different job, are:
1. I need more than 15k a year and
2. Without one I cannot advance even in the company.

 

[Mycon]

It's also important to develop some hobbies on the side. You can tolerate an "OK" job a lot better if you have something else to look forward to.

I've been thinking about turning one of them into a job; I build electronics for fun. Mostly vacuum tube gear. There aren't many people who do custom builds and repairs, so I think there might be a market for that. I'm a little hesitant because there aren't any deadlines for personal projects and I don't get worked up over a delay. It'd be a lot different when dealing with customers. So I'm thinking about selling completed projects on the side and switching from law to accounting. A big step, but I've been doing law for 17 years and am ready for a change. Also, it would be great to sell some tube gear to people - it's fun to build and I'd love to give people something they'd enjoy. I just have to figure out how to balance it to keep things mostly on the fun side.

My hobbies have really been put on hold due to lack of money. I have to budget in a $30 DS game and I can forget anything more than that. Thankfully, the vintage gaming thread has gotten me to delve my large library of older games to keep myself occupied. My gaming PC died a few months ago and I cannot afford to replace it. Taking even a single day off will kill my food money for that week and eat into my account buffer.
I have been reading a lot lately, and I was thinking that I might try my hand at writing some fiction. The desire to write by hand came with the fountain pen interests.
My outdoor activities have been curtailed due to those who would join me being busy all summer. Now that the wedding and honeymoon are over, my new brother-in-law will help with that. We are goin' fishin' next weekend