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The OP said "Right now, I'm really looking deep into myself to see what I really want to do for the next 30 years of my life."
I can't answer that for myself. My first job was farm hand, at the ripe old age of 14 and I've got Social Security witholdings to prove it. After that it was fast food, chef's assistant, prep chef, carpenter, mason, roofing, surveyor up to crew chief, owned a business, then high rise glass installer, went to college became accountant, then financial counselor, then UNEMPLOYED, then government, then Masters degree, then auditor, then JD, then lawyer... and HECK, I don't know what I want to do next but I sure don't see anything paying well enough to commit to 30 years.
I can see supporting my family and doing the responsible tour of duty for til the day I die. Seeing the return on my investment in family is the best hard labor I ever put in. I used to work hard, then play hard and now I want it easy but for some reason this darned Country makes it harder and harder. Guess they ain't met me yet... Oh did I mention that I worked a septic inspector... lordie lordie that was a smelly job.
Wow that is a relief that someone is out there like me.
I started as a grocery bag boy, then temp finding and documenting gov't equipment, then Admin Assistant, then Receptionist, then Parts & Service Manager for a Forklift Company, then Office Temp, then Junior Accounting Clerk, then Customer Service rep, then Outside sales, then Customer Service Manager (AA Degree earned in there), then a brief poorly planned and timed stint as a Real Estate Agent, then Sales Trainer and I'll be danged if I really know what the next 30 years will hold for me but I will be providing for my family and trying to eventually own a house. Working on a Bachelor's Degree is next.
You ask me: a lot of the fault lies in the HR "system" and these mind-numbed HR graduates who were all trained out of the same book and are miles behind where is workforce is heading and have no hope of catching up. They think as long as they know what Linkedin is, they are ahead of the game. First thing I would recommend to a small-med business looking to cut costs: Fire or reduce HR. Keep a good lawyer on retainer and an above average Payroll person. Leave the hiring to the managers who actually work in the dept. In my experience HR "prof"'s are just as likely to ask illegal questions, etc as the average joe.
The OP said "Right now, I'm really looking deep into myself to see what I really want to do for the next 30 years of my life."
I can't answer that for myself. My first job was farm hand, at the ripe old age of 14 and I've got Social Security witholdings to prove it. After that it was fast food, chef's assistant, prep chef, carpenter, mason, roofing, surveyor up to crew chief, owned a business, then high rise glass installer, went to college became accountant, then financial counselor, then UNEMPLOYED, then government, then Masters degree, then auditor, then JD, then lawyer... and HECK, I don't know what I want to do next but I sure don't see anything paying well enough to commit to 30 years.
I can see supporting my family and doing the responsible tour of duty for til the day I die. Seeing the return on my investment in family is the best hard labor I ever put in. I used to work hard, then play hard and now I want it easy but for some reason this darned Country makes it harder and harder. Guess they ain't met me yet... Oh did I mention that I worked a septic inspector... lordie lordie that was a smelly job.
UK Civil Servant at 16 years old. Taught self to type in that job (manuals in those days!), learned filing and basic office skills. Secretary at major London furniture store; Presentation Desk Clerk at BBCTV, secretary at IBM, office skills all honed by that time.
17 years in mainland US: secretary at major pharmaceutical company; admin asst/sec at Yale U School of Medicine in Nuclear Medicine; secretary to orthopedic surgeon; owner and operator of horse farm teaching/training adults, children and handicapped, boarding and training horses and a little breeding; back to Yale in Radiation Therapy, Norwalk Hospital Radiation Therapy.
25 years in USVI: managed retail food outlet of wholesale food distributor; back to corporate with fantastic 10 year job encompassing cruise ships, real estate and Danish consular/diplomatic activities; onto running a small supermarket for a year; then to creating my current business 14 years ago. The link to it is on my CD profile.
47 years of non-stop working and I've absolutely no idea where the next adventure will take me! Total balderdash that you can't do something new when you're 40 or 50 or whatever as some have intimated. Sometimes I smell on these forums some very old farts who are decades younger than I and that's scary.
Hrrm... okay, fresh out of school and after 5 years and 3 jobs all in the same field, find that you can't stand it and have no interest in what you majored in at university...Why would you suffer another 35 until retirement? I've worked in IT professionally and know a huge amount that "want out". The last contract job I had was in a 24x7 NOC... and virtually every person there was going back to school for something else, from RN to Pharmacy to Law School and just doing that because they knew it and it was easy.
I've ran into so many very bright people that should be doing something else in their life and feeling stifled by the industry its crazy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwv
Quaint. But the world is changing too fast these days for such a romantic notion.
Well, I understand where the both of you are coming from. I guess it depends on exactly what field you are in. I work in a technical trade that fundamentally doesn't change and just seems to shift to different industries. That being said, I am considering a shift to another industry that will set me back a few years in pay (maybe) and will definitely require me to train again.....
UK Civil Servant at 16 years old. Taught self to type in that job (manuals in those days!), learned filing and basic office skills. Secretary at major London furniture store; Presentation Desk Clerk at BBCTV, secretary at IBM, office skills all honed by that time.
17 years in mainland US: secretary at major pharmaceutical company; admin asst/sec at Yale U School of Medicine in Nuclear Medicine; secretary to orthopedic surgeon; owner and operator of horse farm teaching/training adults, children and handicapped, boarding and training horses and a little breeding; back to Yale in Radiation Therapy, Norwalk Hospital Radiation Therapy.
25 years in USVI: managed retail food outlet of wholesale food distributor; back to corporate with fantastic 10 year job encompassing cruise ships, real estate and Danish consular/diplomatic activities; onto running a small supermarket for a year; then to creating my current business 14 years ago. The link to it is on my CD profile.
47 years of non-stop working and I've absolutely no idea where the next adventure will take me! Total balderdash that you can't do something new when you're 40 or 50 or whatever as some have intimated. Sometimes I smell on these forums some very old farts who are decades younger than I and that's scary.
Wow, no joke, I feel inspired...damn, some people are just fearless!
Wow, no joke, I feel inspired...damn, some people are just fearless!
I agree and I applaud them!
There's something energizing and invigorating about doing something totally different. Something you NEVER, EVER, thought you would. So here's mine. I'm not saying I'm good. Just that I am making the effort.
I'm onthe radio. And yes, they really were dumb enough to put me on the air.
Will this be my new career? I don't know but right now I'm having a lot of fun with it!
Oh, you will have a lot of fun! I've been on radio slots before. This wasn't my career, but I participated in promotional events for some businesses where I worked. Please tell us more -- what you are doing, how you got into this, etc.
Oh, you will have a lot of fun! I've been on radio slots before. This wasn't my career, but I participated in promotional events for some businesses where I worked. Please tell us more -- what you are doing, how you got into this, etc.
Did you listen? Click on ON and again on THE RADIO. You will get two bits on mediafire. Cash for the Cabby, and Mr. and Mrs Breakfast Show. I'm on a comedy show as a sort of funny second banana type person. It's an unusual show and there's not much like it on the air today.
I sort of tripped over the opportunity and even though I was petrified, I did it. After all there is a lot of anonymity because no one ever sees you. People say I sound different on that air than I do in real life so it's not likely anyone would ever make the connection. I also had to try it because it was so different from what I am used to.
Just a little aside, people do recognize the man I work with. I guess it's because his voice is so distinctive.
Let's see, early jobs from age 16- restaurants, factories, retail clerk. In my brief time in college, rare book shelver at library, food service.
After dropping out, groom at the racetrack, waitress, typing temp, hideous card-filing job.
Lucked into a job editing news for PBS station.
Later blew the above off to be a waitress and carpenter apprentice out West.
Limped back East after above, worked in PR at a house-building school and waitressed.
Went to RN school (two years, age 28).
Medical-surgical, ran out screaming, went into psych.
Master's in public health, briefly into Peace Corps, wrong time, wrong place (Haiti, 1986).
More psych nursing.
Got certificate in technical writing. Two years of utter boredom/misery ensue.
AIDS hospice RN.
Army Medical Reserve officer. Not sent to the Gulf.
Back to psych nursing.
Brief failed sojourn back at PBS station.
More psych nursing. Copyediting PBS web transcripts at home for seven years.
Notice pension statement from one hospital where I'd worked three times.
Went back to said hospital, have been here ten more years, and am planning to stay 7-9 more years to retirement.
No, I'm not manic. I just get bored.
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Oh did I mention that I worked a septic inspector... lordie lordie that was a smelly job.
I've worked in IT professionally and know a huge amount that "want out". The last contract job I had was in a 24x7 NOC... and virtually every person there was going back to school for something else, from RN to Pharmacy to Law School and just doing that because they knew it and it was easy.
