how the hell do you pick a career??

[necrosexual]

gotta say i don't think i want to be poor as shit my entire life.

but most of my skills are... kind of worthless. drawing is worthless. journalism is mostly dead and i don't have connections and i don't want to make the grave mistake of an english degree. it's nice to dream about, but i know better. journalism is dying, and i'm not much of a talker. i'm articulate in writing, but i have really bad social skills... i am not a reporter, basically. i blunder up the english language when i speak. so as fun as it seems to be another ~youtube star~ it's not for me... never you mind that i hate showing my face on film... moving or still, for that matter.

i was going to school for network and system administration, but that is a field that is hard as nails to get into these days. it's so flooded and i feel inadequate. i've considered picking up another RHEL book and taking the exam after studying, but it feels... fruitless. i like linux, i was good at it and had the highest marks in my class, but i don't know, i'm bad at speaking and selling myself. while a bigshot college near me uses linux as their mainframe system, why pick me over the other RHEL-certified?

basically, i'm stuck. most of the things i actually like doing, are fruitless. and i'm really bad at things like programming... i just don't grasp it. i think most of my issue probably lies in the fact i need to know how to go about everything, and most of the time, the answer is "hurr durr go to school get job" but that doesn't explain... enough, i suppose, because usually, there's a lot more to it. cue, my shock at certification tests being more important than a college degree.

since most of you guys are older than me, i figure... why not ask?

how did you pick your career if you have one? how did you know what to do and where to go to achieve that?

[retrogemcollector]

Unfortunately unless you have a contact, these days it's all about studies. I say unfortunately because the greatest man I know, my grand pa, RIP, was an architect despite dropping school at 8 years old. He went to become one of the best architect in my former country and all of that was based on experience alone. What newer younger architects had to calculate, he just new it based on guts and feeling. Unfortunately those days are gone. I'm an engineering Navy officer. I'd say the best way is to enrol and have the military to pay for your studies. I'd pick technology and from your interest I'd still go with something IT related like Software Engineer as the future resides in comms and technology. Sure you have to pay back the military for your studies in years of service but when it's done you'd have all the opportunities in your court, i.e. staying with them or go back into civilian (more paying) jobs.

[dreama1]

gotta say i don't think i want to be poor as shit my entire life.

but most of my skills are... kind of worthless. drawing is worthless. journalism is mostly dead and i don't have connections and i don't want to make the grave mistake of an english degree. it's nice to dream about, but i know better. journalism is dying, and i'm not much of a talker. i'm articulate in writing, but i have really bad social skills... i am not a reporter, basically. i blunder up the english language when i speak. so as fun as it seems to be another ~youtube star~ it's not for me... never you mind that i hate showing my face on film... moving or still, for that matter.

i was going to school for network and system administration, but that is a field that is hard as nails to get into these days. it's so flooded and i feel inadequate. i've considered picking up another RHEL book and taking the exam after studying, but it feels... fruitless. i like linux, i was good at it and had the highest marks in my class, but i don't know, i'm bad at speaking and selling myself. while a bigshot college near me uses linux as their mainframe system, why pick me over the other RHEL-certified?

basically, i'm stuck. most of the things i actually like doing, are fruitless. and i'm really bad at things like programming... i just don't grasp it. i think most of my issue probably lies in the fact i need to know how to go about everything, and most of the time, the answer is "hurr durr go to school get job" but that doesn't explain... enough, i suppose, because usually, there's a lot more to it. cue, my shock at certification tests being more important than a college degree.

since most of you guys are older than me, i figure... why not ask?

how did you pick your career if you have one? how did you know what to do and where to go to achieve that?

Not to beat a dead horse but my thread of gaming addiction comes back to mind, hope you remember what you wrote.

[necrosexual]

Unfortunately unless you have a contact, these days it's all about studies. I say unfortunately because the greatest man I know, my grand pa, RIP, was an architect despite dropping school at 8 years old. He went to become one of the best architect in my former country and all of that was based on experience alone. What newer younger architects had to calculate, he just new it based on guts and feeling. Unfortunately those days are gone. I'm an engineering Navy officer. I'd say the best way is to enrol and have the military to pay for your studies. I'd pick technology and from your interest I'd still go with something IT related like Software Engineer as the future resides in comms and technology. Sure you have to pay back the military for your studies in years of service but when it's done you'd have all the opportunities in your court, i.e. staying with them or go back into civilian (more paying) jobs.

can't do that. i'm transsexual and have scoliosis. military would laugh me out of their recruiting office.

Not to beat a dead horse but my thread of gaming addiction comes back to mind, hope you remember what you wrote.

ehhhh, i vaguely do, but i don't see how this has relevance here. mind helping me out?

[dreama1]

Unfortunately unless you have a contact, these days it's all about studies. I say unfortunately because the greatest man I know, my grand pa, RIP, was an architect despite dropping school at 8 years old. He went to become one of the best architect in my former country and all of that was based on experience alone. What newer younger architects had to calculate, he just new it based on guts and feeling. Unfortunately those days are gone. I'm an engineering Navy officer. I'd say the best way is to enrol and have the military to pay for your studies. I'd pick technology and from your interest I'd still go with something IT related like Software Engineer as the future resides in comms and technology. Sure you have to pay back the military for your studies in years of service but when it's done you'd have all the opportunities in your court, i.e. staying with them or go back into civilian (more paying) jobs.

can't do that. i'm transsexual and have scoliosis. military would laugh me out of their recruiting office.

Not to beat a dead horse but my thread of gaming addiction comes back to mind, hope you remember what you wrote.

ehhhh, i vaguely do, but i don't see how this has relevance here. mind helping me out?

Well the meat of it came down if it was beneficial/productive.

[necrosexual]

Unfortunately unless you have a contact, these days it's all about studies. I say unfortunately because the greatest man I know, my grand pa, RIP, was an architect despite dropping school at 8 years old. He went to become one of the best architect in my former country and all of that was based on experience alone. What newer younger architects had to calculate, he just new it based on guts and feeling. Unfortunately those days are gone. I'm an engineering Navy officer. I'd say the best way is to enrol and have the military to pay for your studies. I'd pick technology and from your interest I'd still go with something IT related like Software Engineer as the future resides in comms and technology. Sure you have to pay back the military for your studies in years of service but when it's done you'd have all the opportunities in your court, i.e. staying with them or go back into civilian (more paying) jobs.

can't do that. i'm transsexual and have scoliosis. military would laugh me out of their recruiting office.

Not to beat a dead horse but my thread of gaming addiction comes back to mind, hope you remember what you wrote.

ehhhh, i vaguely do, but i don't see how this has relevance here. mind helping me out?

Well the meat of it came down if it was beneficial/productive.

honestly, then i'd go work at a factory (joke's on me, USA doesn't have those anymore, ke ke ke)

being that factory work doesn't really exist, however, i'm back to square one ;')
honestly, though, i just don't get how other people... know. as in, how do you just decide one day to go into some random medical field no one's heard of? or whatever.
always seems like other people are really good at finding careers that are obscure and are good careers, and i'm sitting here spinning in an office chair with fantastical ideas and never able to settle, and i just wanna know other people's magical way of deciding ;/

or how they don't just look at literally every single occupation and go 'aha, very funny, but i'll never make it' and resign to a shit job.

[dreama1]

Unfortunately unless you have a contact, these days it's all about studies. I say unfortunately because the greatest man I know, my grand pa, RIP, was an architect despite dropping school at 8 years old. He went to become one of the best architect in my former country and all of that was based on experience alone. What newer younger architects had to calculate, he just new it based on guts and feeling. Unfortunately those days are gone. I'm an engineering Navy officer. I'd say the best way is to enrol and have the military to pay for your studies. I'd pick technology and from your interest I'd still go with something IT related like Software Engineer as the future resides in comms and technology. Sure you have to pay back the military for your studies in years of service but when it's done you'd have all the opportunities in your court, i.e. staying with them or go back into civilian (more paying) jobs.

can't do that. i'm transsexual and have scoliosis. military would laugh me out of their recruiting office.

Not to beat a dead horse but my thread of gaming addiction comes back to mind, hope you remember what you wrote.

ehhhh, i vaguely do, but i don't see how this has relevance here. mind helping me out?

Well the meat of it came down if it was beneficial/productive.

honestly, then i'd go work at a factory (joke's on me, USA doesn't have those anymore, ke ke ke)

being that factory work doesn't really exist, however, i'm back to square one ;')
honestly, though, i just don't get how other people... know. as in, how do you just decide one day to go into some random medical field no one's heard of? or whatever.
always seems like other people are really good at finding careers that are obscure and are good careers, and i'm sitting here spinning in an office chair with fantastical ideas and never able to settle, and i just wanna know other people's magical way of deciding ;/

or how they don't just look at literally every single occupation and go 'aha, very funny, but i'll never make it' and resign to a shit job.

Why don't you go abroad and work for awhile.

[blurks]

I went to the army, when I was in a similar situation in 2004 (I'm a European citizen). They provided me with a safe job for over ten years and they do pay for my higher education to support my re-entry into the civil sector. This allows me to qualify in segments I'm most interested in. Like you, I am not a born extrovert but if you are thick-skinned you can even succeed in a team-oriented organisation like the army.

That's not necessarily a recommendation. Just a reminder that you can consider the army as the last resort when everything else doesn't really work out for you.

[ignition365]

Factory work exists in the US.  I have a buddy who works at a GM/Chevy factory, don't know what he does, but I know it's labor.  He used to be a pizza delivery driver.  Says this pays way better.  He seems in a better place financially than he was before.  *shrug*

As for english degree/reporting/journalism skills... you can always get a job as a technical writer (there are other names for it, don't ask me, I don't know).  Basically you review documentation and do grammar checks and such.  Occasionally you'll take notes in meetings to document what was said.  Usually that includes learning technical knowledge of whatever environment you are in, but that just comes with time.

[kashell]

I actually used to work as Technical Writer. It only lasted a few months before my job went to Business Analyst.

However, my degree is in chemistry. I'm sure having an English degree helps, but having a technical background is what helped me get selected.

[turf]

This is a tough question.  I'll throw my 2 cents in. 

Gather 'round kiddies.  It's story time.

When I was about to finish high school, I was watching the Discovery Channel.  They were demolishing the old stadium at Cincinnati.  The whole thing just imploded and fell just where they had planned.  I thought to myself, "Self, that looks like the job for you." 
So, young Turf did a little research, talked to a few people, and found out that he needed a Civil or Structural Engineering degree to blow shit up. I was pretty good at math; so, this seemed like a good fit.
Well, I got to college and went through all the basic engineering stuff.  Then, I got to Structures I.  EFF THAT CLASS RIGHT IN ITS STUPID ASSHOLE!  Needless to say, I struggled through that one.  The biggest thing I learned in that class was that I was never going to be a structural engineer.  I did, however, have a head start on the civil engineering game though.  I shopped around and found which field of civil engineering that I liked the best and best suited my skills. 

Fastforward to today.  I'm a decade deep in a career in the Transportation field.  I can build the shit out of a road and manage traffic like a boss.  Everything turned out to be just fine. 

Now, as for advice about choosing a career; just pick something you might like and jump in with both feet.  If you like networking or systems administration, get your certifications and go to work.  If you don't like talking to people, IT jobs are notoriously factual and blunt.  You can just be to the point and skip all the chit chat. 
If you don't think that IT is the job for you, just look around.  Find something that is interesting and just get started.  If you hate it, you're young.  You can do something else.  Just don't create a bunch of bills (buying a house, car, etc.) until you think the job could make you happy long-term. 

That's just my thoughts. 

[redblaze57]

Vocational school. Learn a skill and at least the one I went to had a help wanted board for apprenticeship and other jobs involving different skills

[turf]

Vocational school. Learn a skill and at least the one I went to had a help wanted board for apprenticeship and other jobs involving different skills

That's something I meant to add.  Go for education that has a job attached to it.  Learn a skill instead of useless shit.  Degrees or certificates with a career field attached to it.  In my opinion; History, English, Sociology, etc. degrees are useless and shouldn't be pursued.

[ignition365]

Vocational school. Learn a skill and at least the one I went to had a help wanted board for apprenticeship and other jobs involving different skills

That's something I meant to add.  Go for education that has a job attached to it.  Learn a skill instead of useless shit.  Degrees or certificates with a career field attached to it.  In my opinion; History, English, Sociology, etc. degrees are useless and shouldn't be pursued.

Technically those degrees have a career field attached to it.  Teaching.

[rayne315]

honestly, then i'd go work at a factory (joke's on me, USA doesn't have those anymore, ke ke ke)

being that factory work doesn't really exist, however, i'm back to square one ;')

factory work does indeed still exist and is still prevalent for things that require more intensive things than doing the exact same thing over and over again. im not down in the factory (as im in engineering) but there are still plenty of job opportunities for assemblers, welders, machiners, etc. sure most welding jobs are going to the wayside but there are still areas that require welding that simply CANNOT be machine welded. assemblers, although a hard job, are entirely necessary for hydraulic lines, fuel lines, all tubes, all clamps (to keep hoses and tubes away from each other), all bracketry, etc. are things that simply CANNOT be put together by a machine (im a hydraulics engineer btw so most of my knowledge is geared twords hoses).

other than that you may find it easy (given the reasons you gave why you cant serve in the military) to get into government work (they are required to keep a relatively even job placement to represent the surrounding population). city hall, dmv, social services, guard, librarian, etc. there are plenty of opportunities out there for you, you just need to know where to look and ignore the requirements and go for it anyway. I got a Career that required a 4 year engineering degree minimum and 2+ years of experience with a 2 year engineering degree and no on job experience.

EDIT:

also here is a bit of a statistic for higher education and jobs.

for every job that requires a doctoral degree 2 require a masters 7 require a bachelors 25 require a associates and the remaining 65% require a high school or less