career choices

I wanted to work on cars and went to school for it. Some say it was stupid to go to a high price school out of state just to work on cars, but I'd do it again. I hated school and had no interest in going to a university. I make decent money where I'm at but I have to deal with corporate junk. One day I'll have my own shop and then I'll bitch about that too. Every job sucks in some way.
 
OP, I'd like some more info. Where are you enrolled? What year are you? How are you paying for it? Are you struggling academically?
 
I am a mechanic at my own place and it ain't all its cracked up to be. Lucky for me I already have enough money coming in to pay all the bills cause some months you might not make much. That is mostly if you are doing a major job like a complete ground up on a rig. No pay in that at all. Its the small jobs you make your money on.
 
drkelly said:
Don't waste your time and money in school if you have no interest in being there. Get a job doing something you can do and can make money at and start living life until you figure out what you want to do. Your choice may lead you back to school, but then you will want to be there and be motivated.

I'm a mechanical engineer. I probably would have done something different if I could go back in time, but I'm stuck now.
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I'd echo everything in this statement 100%. I'm also a mechanical engineer, and I also would probably do something different. Not that its bad, its actually pretty good. Unfortunately there isn't as much "engineering" in any of my jobs as I think there should have been. And all the finance guys gut the engineering staff then wonder why things don't work as well as they used to, so they hire more finance guys to analyze it, but never hire enough engineers or blue collar guys to fix it. :flipoff2:@UTfball68
 
I still say finish your eduction since your started. But I would like to add that skilled labor is becoming a thing of the past. That is also why I gave up my desk job.
As more and more people get educations, lots of these people are part of the "entitlement crowd" as I call them. There are so many people who feel entitled to a 60k+ salary fresh out of college with no work experience, no real world experience, no communication skills or problem solving skills.

Employers are always gonna need people that can properly lead a crew of workers, figure out unexpected problems on their own, be confident and follow thru with a plan. These are the people that become an asset to a company.
 
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tireburner1975 said:
Every job sucks in some way.
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A buddy of mine and I just did lunch today, and had this exact discussion. I think the 'finding something you love to do, and you'll never work a day' saying is horsepooh. Doesn't matter what you do, you'll eventually get sick of it. I doubt there are very many things you do that you enjoyed 5 years ago, that you're doing today...hell even happens with wheeling enthusiasm. Like the saying 'regardless of how hot she is, someone, somewhere, is shick of her $#!T'. Perishable enjoyment. I enjoy eating bacon, but I bet eventually I'd get sick of that too. Do I enjoy staring at spread sheets every day and analyzing 'the numbers' 8 ways from Sunday...hell no. But I'm good at it, and there aren't many other jobs that are going to pay me 6 figures 4-5 years out of school. I look at my job as a means to do the stuff I really enjoy doing on my personal time...if I enjoyed what I was doing between 8am-5/10pm...it wouldn't be called work. I look at those hours as me selling my time and skill set to someone else, and they own me for that time.

jeepinmatt said:
I'd echo everything in this statement 100%. I'm also a mechanical engineer, and I also would probably do something different. Not that its bad, its actually pretty good. Unfortunately there isn't as much "engineering" in any of my jobs as I think there should have been. And all the finance guys gut the engineering staff then wonder why things don't work as well as they used to, so they hire more finance guys to analyze it, but never hire enough engineers or blue collar guys to fix it. :flipoff2:@UTfball68
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There's more truth to that than I want to admit.
 
UTfball68 said:
I enjoy eating bacon, but I bet eventually I'd get sick of that too.
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Can't believe you would say something like that.

I don't think I will get tired of working on cars, always something new to learn. I don't dread getting up in the morning and driving to work because I have to get dirty and turn wrenches. I dread going to work for the corporate junk, bean counters telling me how I'm doing my job not completely correct or someone with no knowledge about the automotive industry telling me how to do my job. But the pay is good (no 6 figures) and the benefits are good. If I did anything else I'd probably complain about the hours or customers beating me up or I'm sure I'd find something...
 
as rockcity stated,construction is a good profession,but to make real money you need to get into the oil and gas construction industry. as a heavy equipment operator with not even so much as a high school diploma you can make over 130,000 a year working on pipeline. if you want to weld you can make even more. but my advice is find a way to work at what you like to do and you will be happy to go to work every day. untill the last couple years i have looked foward to go to work every day but lately have lost interest in what i do, witch makes going to work every day tough. so i would say find a way to make a living at what ever it is that you do on the week ends right now.
 
tireburner1975 said:
Can't believe you would say something like that.

I don't think I will get tired of working on cars, always something new to learn. I don't dread getting up in the morning and driving to work because I have to get dirty and turn wrenches. I dread going to work for the corporate junk, bean counters telling me how I'm doing my job not completely correct or someone with no knowledge about the automotive industry telling me how to do my job. But the pay is good (no 6 figures) and the benefits are good. If I did anything else I'd probably complain about the hours or customers beating me up or I'm sure I'd find something...
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Yeah...that's all I was getting at, there is no perfect job...just jobs you dislike less than others. To me, it's a grass is greener scenario...it's all a give and take. I'm willing to work an average 70-80hrs/week in a stressful perform or get fired environment so I can do/buy what I want, when I want and retire at 50. Do I love what I do, no...but I am good at it and it enables me to what I want on my own time.
 
sxi4evr said:
Hey guys, long time lurker 2nd time poster... I have no motivation to get through college because I have no interest in any job a business degree would get me. Despite having a ton of interests like obviously wheeling, anything and everything involved with a motor, music, fitness, etc... I have no idea what I want to do for a living.

So if ya'll feel like sharing what it is that you do for a living and a ballpark figure of how much you make that'd be awesome!
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I am a full time firefighter and I own a small automotive performance business on the side. Firefighter salary all depends on where you work but around here it usually starts around $30,000 a year. I started out making $25,118 in 2004 and I make about $45k now. It's not a career for everyone but if it's for you, it's the best job in the world. I work 10 days a month, now that I'm 10 years in, I get 7.75 vacation picks a year, which means I get 9 days off in a row 7 times a year, 6 days off in a row once a year, and half a shift off, if I use all my time. We have good benefits, 401k, state retirement which is 50 something percent of the 12 month average of your highest paying consecutive 48 months, and at my particular department, we pay into a 401a instead of paying into social security. Some departments didn't elect to be a part of the state retirement system so there are some that do not have anything but 401k.

I started out in college. Between financial aid and academic scholarships, I had a full ride as a mechanical engineering major. The biggest mistake I made was going to college in my home town as a commuter. I started the 2+2 program with UNCA and NC State. Problem was I found myself spending time in the shop building a truck instead of going to class. I ended up quitting and going to the community college majoring in surveying and civil engineering. During that period I decided to join my local volunteer fire department and that's when I made up my mind what I wanted to do. Then I started working toward a job with Asheville FD, and after 3 years I finally got it. That is a decision that I have never regretted.
 
I got a degree in Graphic Design and illustration from UNCC. I spent 4 years around a bunch of fruit cakes making up BS stories about why they painted pictures of their genitals.

After spending about 12 years trying to make something of a Graphics degree I grabbed an opening that came up at the company I was with for their Production Manager job. Nothing to do with graphics, a lot to do with numbers, work flow, warehouse organization, managing temp workers and scheduling for in house jobs. For the most part I love what I do, my boss takes pretty good care of me and I've increased my take home by about 80% in the past 3 years.

Having to do it all over again, I'd probably gone to trade school for mechanics or brewing beer. If I'd only seen this craft beer thing coming while I was in high school.
 
tireburner1975 said:
Can't believe you would say something like that.

I don't think I will get tired of working on cars, always something new to learn. I don't dread getting up in the morning and driving to work because I have to get dirty and turn wrenches. I dread going to work for the corporate junk, bean counters telling me how I'm doing my job not completely correct or someone with no knowledge about the automotive industry telling me how to do my job. But the pay is good (no 6 figures) and the benefits are good. If I did anything else I'd probably complain about the hours or customers beating me up or I'm sure I'd find something...
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What about when you are late 50s and movements you take for granted today are a challenge?

Thats what prompted me to get out of the field young. Money is good, but I enjoy hands on much more than what I do.
 
UTfball68 said:
A buddy of mine and I just did lunch today, and had this exact discussion. I think the 'finding something you love to do, and you'll never work a day' saying is horsepooh. Doesn't matter what you do, you'll eventually get sick of it. I doubt there are very many things you do that you enjoyed 5 years ago, that you're doing today...hell even happens with wheeling enthusiasm. Like the saying 'regardless of how hot she is, someone, somewhere, is shick of her $#!T'. Perishable enjoyment. I enjoy eating bacon, but I bet eventually I'd get sick of that too. Do I enjoy staring at spread sheets every day and analyzing 'the numbers' 8 ways from Sunday...hell no. But I'm good at it, and there aren't many other jobs that are going to pay me 6 figures 4-5 years out of school. I look at my job as a means to do the stuff I really enjoy doing on my personal time...if I enjoyed what I was doing between 8am-5/10pm...it wouldn't be called work. I look at those hours as me selling my time and skill set to someone else, and they own me for that time.
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My ole man gave me some great advice a while back. When I was looking to change jobs he said "Every job has bullshit. The bullshit is different but its still bullshit. Find the bullshit you can tolerate and stay until you cant."
 
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Ron said:
What about when you are late 50s and movements you take for granted today are a challenge?

Thats what prompted me to get out of the field young. Money is good, but I enjoy hands on much more than what I do.
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Honestly, and foolishly, I don't think about that like I should. Even with these older guys at work that can't put a coat on normal cause their shoulders are shot. I'm sure things will change eventually.
 
Dude hasn't come back since:
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jeepinmatt said:
I'd echo everything in this statement 100%. I'm also a mechanical engineer, and I also would probably do something different. Not that its bad, its actually pretty good. Unfortunately there isn't as much "engineering" in any of my jobs as I think there should have been. And all the finance guys gut the engineering staff then wonder why things don't work as well as they used to, so they hire more finance guys to analyze it, but never hire enough engineers or blue collar guys to fix it. :flipoff2:@UTfball68
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It makes me feel better to know someone else feels the same way.

x2 on the finance guys gutting the engineering staff! We have lost a lot of people to downsizing, but the work load has not decreased. The company keeps taking on new projects.

Whenever I hear or read the statement, 'find something you like to do and you will never work a day in your life', it really pisses me off. Is that even possible? I don't understand people who are 70 yrs old, can easily afford to retire, but still work. I plan to retire as soon as I think I have enough money to last till I'm dead.
 
There is ppl on the rail road for 38 plus yrs... idk why. Most of which are supervisors and if you have 5 yrs in that level you get the larger retirement plan which is 10k a month plus whatever you have in your 401k.. my but would be home, fishing, boating, beaching, wheeling or something. Which reminds me learn all I can and get ready for that step later on in my career.
 
BigBody79 said:
Dude hasn't come back since:
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Dang called out! haha

2010nctaco said:
Maybe he decided he should be studying instead of on nc4x4.
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you nailed it, been on the work and school grind trying to make this semester worth it.

thanks for all the input guys it's a huge motivation to see all the opportunity. the last few days I've been contemplating taking an auto tech course through CPCC in Charlotte where i am already a student. A friend of mine has a hookup at a Dodge dealership close by. I have yet to talk to them since like I said I've been stupid busy with stupid stuff but I'm guessing I'd start as a lube guy and move up from there. I'm most happy when I'm fixing my heep so I think it'd be a good choice for me. any more pros and cons or other thoughts? ya'll are awesome
 
cgm147 said:
There is ppl on the rail road for 38 plus yrs... idk why. Most of which are supervisors and if you have 5 yrs in that level you get the larger retirement plan which is 10k a month plus whatever you have in your 401k.. my but would be home, fishing, boating, beaching, wheeling or something. Which reminds me learn all I can and get ready for that step later on in my career.
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Most the Men I work with that are in the 30+ club hired out of HS so they have to stay until there 60. I hired at 25 so I'll have 35 years until I can retire. Currently 32 years and counting....

Our managers can retire full benefits at 55 don't know how it works on the Southern, or MofW for that matter.
 
250krawler said:
Most the Men I work with that are in the 30+ club hired out of HS so they have to stay until there 60. I hired at 25 so I'll have 35 years until I can retire. Currently 32 years and counting....

Our managers can retire full benefits at 55 don't know how it works on the Southern, or MofW for that matter.
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So if I were to go for a railroad job like this where could I go and what would I most likely start off doing?
 
Learn to weld. Really good. If you can combine that with the ability to read blueprints/technical drawings, you'll make a living.

If you can combine the above with the ability to manage other people you'll make a good living.


Ok, I did some poking around at CPCC website. You haven't given us much to go on so, I'll have to make some assumptions at this point.

The business program is two years. Assuming you are at the end of your first year, you only have one more year of that program to go. If you have passed all your classes. There are tons of jobs that you can get with a business degree. Really, the jobs are endless. With lots of flexibility.

If switch to another program, (Auto/Diesel/Welding) then you'll be back at square one with two years of classes to go. Lots of good jobs and you'll know exactly what types of jobs to apply for.

You need to do something to make your self marketable, some type of skill, certification, degree.

If you talk to most people who have degrees you'll find that they did not learn everything they needed to be successful in school, there was a lot of on the job training that took place. But, if they didn't have or don't have the degree/skill/certificate, they wouldn't have gotten the job or won't be able to move up the ladder.

Give us some more about your situation. You say doing stupid stuff, what is that exactly? Writing papers? Math tests? Group projects?
Are you still at home?
 
I am a veterinarian (professor at NCSU). I am thankful everyday that I love my job and think that it is fun and rewarding. IF you can find a profession where you find yourself saying "I can't believe they are paying me to do this!" it's freakin' awesome!

If you can't find a career that you can be passionate about then find a job that allows you to support your passions outside of work!

I went to school FOREVER while my brother went in the army then law enforcement and is retired at 45 pulling six figures in pension! There are many paths to happiness.
 
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