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Thank you, I will keep this in mind. Helpful post.
I discovered my passion at 21- I was in the library one day looking at art and design books when I picked up a book on Frank Lloyd Wright, I remember looking at fallingwater Fallingwater | Home and the Ennis house Ennis House - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and thinking instantly "this is it!" it's a bit like your first love, you'll know it when you find it. I loved art design and anything creative as a kid, but gave up because I was trying to be sensible and build a 'career' - just like everyone else here is telling you to do. There are years of drudgery and hard work early on, but you'll put up with it because of your passion for the subject. Where as in any other field you'll probably get burnt out pretty quick and never reach your potential.
The other thing i'd say is you need to adopt the 'rich mans mindset'. Basically you need to forget about earning a salary as your ultimate goal, but see it as a means to an end early on. The way to make money is to acquire or build wealth producing assets (i.e. a business.) Most of my money comes from property development rather than commissions.
Last edited by archineer; 11-15-2013 at 08:20 PM..
I think a lot of younger people are going to be opting out of the university system. For many people, it just doesn't make much sense. I was thinking about going back to my alma mater, which I graduated from three years ago, to take some accounting classes. Six credit hours ($1,980) cost almost as much as fifteen did nine years ago when I first enrolled at eighteen. There is no longer a strong chance of a better salary after college in most fields; many times, a new graduate will continue the job they were at during college. Unless you are planning to enter a health care field, teaching, or another narrow field for which a college degree directly feeds into the field, you're probably best not going and attempting to work your way up at whatever job you can find during those four years.
On a personal note, I think it's sad that our society has devalued and denigrated a social sciences, humanities, and liberal arts education to the point where its monetarily senseless to pursue. Some of the least well-rounded, soulless, and boring people I have met are H-1B STEM workers. While it's true that one may have never been able to get rich in these fields, costs were aligned to the point where people could graduate, get a basic job, and subsist without crushing debt levels. In time, I think our society will be worse for the choices it is making in education today.
"our society has devalued and denigrated a social sciences, humanities, and liberal arts education to the point where its monetarily senseless to pursue"
It's not society, it's the professors who teach these subjects and fail to recognize that their education leaves graduates without any skills that employers need. When after getting a BA English from an Ivy League school, a graduate needs to get a paralegal certification that's not society's fault. It's the fault of the educational system. The supposed reasoning and lifelong skills to which lib art's proponents point as the value of that education is something that should be taught in college prep classes in high school.
These kids now-a-days have plenty of first hand examples of the failures of higher education.
A HS grad with some software classes is much more employable than a BA in Classics.
As for "f the least well-rounded, soulless, and boring people I have met are H-1B STEM workers", I have worked with tons of them and to almost a person I found them the exact opposite of what you describe. They steeped in their religion and local history and culture - stories of charity and human kindness in their folklore were their favorites to tell. Some had grandparents who suffered horrifically under colonial rule by the British, yet the parents sent them to school where Shakespeare was taught in a language not their own.
If you're implying the OP should pursue a career for financial reasons when they hate it, I think you're frankly giving bad advice. I can't think of a single successful person I know that hates their job, they all love what they do and it's why they are successful. Did you hate your job?
Not implying to just go for the money, in any way at all. You DO need an occupation where you can cover the basics; food, clothing shelter. Other than that, of COURSE do what you love. I have done that my entire career, where both the spouse and I could be called 'chronic workaholics, as each in our own fields created things that have benefitted (and improved the quality) of many lives. You don't work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to get a company off the ground because you 'hate' it. Not much beats the thrill of attempting something, unsure if it actually can be done, and then (hopefully) have the fledgling come to maturity. Money was purely secondary, as long as there was enough to cover the three basics above. Only time I would change jobs (only did it twice), was when the love was lost due to either a perceived improper company course was set, or I could not be as creative as I wanted. Just used common sense to pick a field that I loved, but also paid the bills. Not necessarily a simple find, but I believe that many people will find what they are looking for, unless they expect it to just be handed to them. Is that more clearly stated?
And yes that company seems snobby, I'll be glad I won't be working for them. A list of colleges.. lol. So they will turn down an otherwise good employee because the college they went to wasn't on their list?
OP -- it's not clear where you are trying to go with this thread. Do you realize that the reference here is probably to Bell Labs, which is arguably the greatest research institution in the history of mankind? Why would anyone be even the slightest bit interested in an eighteen-year-old, high-school graduate's opinion about such an institution?
One advantage in graduating from a good college is that the student generally learns something beyond occupational skills, for example a sense of perspective concerning human accomplishment . . .
I am entitled because I want a job I'll enjoy and not be miserable each day? Haha alright. And where did I say I'll expect employers to be "beating down the door?"
And yes that company seems snobby, I'll be glad I won't be working for them. A list of colleges.. lol. So they will turn down an otherwise good employee because the college they went to wasn't on their list?
Quote "I am entitled because I want a job I'll enjoy and not be miserable each day?"
If you feel you don't have to work hard to get it, i.e. just have it handed to you, then, yes.
Was always taught 'find a marketable skill', and make sure it is something you like. Some people figure it out when they are 10 years old, some never do.
Since you never directly stated "I am willing to go to almost any length to get a job doing what I love, at a sustainable pay", that is frequently taken as an unwillingness via omission. If 4 more years of school breaks the patience bank, me thinks someone has not fully bought into the belief that investing in one's own future is worthwhile. JMHO.
The hiring process is very expensive for a company. Also, employee loyalty has sort of gone out the window. The number of people I have seen bail from a company for a lousy $3/hr more is depressing, especially since the company had to give training, have the new employee become familiar with procedures, etc. One reason why companies have gone to pre-screening resumes for keywords, state fairly high entry criteria etc. is due to contain costs, and by filtering out those resumes that don't meet the criteria, the ROI on that process is huge. The goal for the company is to get the best person possible for a job, and that the employee will also be happy and successful in the role. Makes it a win-win.
I have a biased view of the work force available, as I have not seen a wide cross-section of it, but those I have seen (and interviewed) are really, really good... and they will tend to get the best jobs. Another rule taught: 'hire your replacement'. Their additional years of schooling taught them what their true interests are, and they have a strong enough background to be a successful contributor.
Read this: (not my choice for an information source, but well....) The 10 largest employers in America
Never heard the term 'McJobs' before.
I am entitled because I want a job I'll enjoy and not be miserable each day? Haha alright. And where did I say I'll expect employers to be "beating down the door?"
And yes that company seems snobby, I'll be glad I won't be working for them. A list of colleges.. lol. So they will turn down an otherwise good employee because the college they went to wasn't on their list?
Welcome to the real world.
BTW, what job are you working at right now while you're supposedly saving money for the college education that you've already decided you don't need?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yuptag
A HS grad with some software classes is much more employable than a BA in Classics.
Absolutely untrue. You can't get hired for any IT job without at least an Associates degree, and that will only be for an entry-level tech. That was true even when I started in IT back in the 1980s.
BTW, what job are you working at right now while you're supposedly saving money for the college education that you've already decided you don't need?
I said I was going to community college, I was going to get an associate degree in vet tech or radiology. Didn't say I was skipping college completely.
If I were to get a bachelor's degree, it would in biology. I used to want to get a master's in entomology and work for a museum or the government, but it just seems like a weird, silly choice now.
I am not entitled, I'm willing to work hard. I admit I AM considering a bachelor's degree, because none of the associate degrees interested me. A lot of you do make valid points. I don't care about big fancy companies though. They probably don't care about my opinion, I never said they did.
If you go to college, you may be as stupid as a rock, but if you follow the rules and get your degree, people will assume that you are smart.
Although in a world where stupid is the new smart, that's not much of an advantage.
Wow... the stupid leading the stupid... Be fat, be Freddy, and ask me for a double-size it. An idiot is someone applying for a job that any recruiter the least bit competent can spot from a mile (nothing personal here)... the presumption that someone is smart ties to what they have accomplished. Stating "I made 4,000 big Mac's in the last four years" does not wring 'talent' and is not of any value in anyone's book. Not applicable, but relevant. Nothing personal.
The 'stupid' is not the new smart... thus why the country (USA), and most others, have the "have's" and the "have-not's". We are not talking about the quote "famous" garbage that dwells off of a lot of WT.
Come visit me now in the far east... though we don't tolerate those who have no self control. Pick me up in your G4... maybe then we can have a conversation about competency... I 'm not picking you up in mine. Not worth my time.
Though, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", with the "Ecstasy of Gold" easily rates among the best ever ;-) But as usual, I digress, and find you a nice person.
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