Career Thread

[cantrip]

Im in a tough situation here. I dont know where to go with a career. Im really into car audio and home theater and wouldnt mind working with those but it doesnt seem to be a promising career path and you cant really go to school for it. The most realistic idea I have right now is accounting because I took a couple of courses in high school and (when I would pay attention...lol) I would understand it easily and do very good and it was almost fun sometimes.

I just wanted to get a list of where people work what they do and how they got there (college, hard work, knowing people, etc...)

One last thing I'd like to see is the type of salary in the field. I know some people dont like posting how much they make and thats fine but if it doesnt matter to you I would like to see it.

Thanks, and hopefully I can get some good options from here.

[Bonemaro]

Re: Career Thread

Everything you mention; college, hard work, knowing people, is big. I co-own a video production / posting house. I have a degree in communications and film & television technologies. The business started as a one man wedding videography service. I also did a lot of sports highlight reals. I put my name out that and got a lot of side PA work. I did this for about 3 years and make lots of contacts.

About 2 1/2 years ago, I met my business partner, who was doing ad sales for a television network. He though, why not sell for myself instead of someone else. I thought, there has to be more money in commercial production than weddings. AR Media Production was born. We do everything from conceptual preproduction to final post mastering and film transfers.

On average, we bill $50 per hour for post work. Get a 3 week gig at 60 hours per week, and that makes for a decent check. Depending on the work load though, you might go a month without getting paid. I would like to see more of these big gigs, however, they seem few and far between, especially with the economy the way it is right now. Plus, owning the business also means you are responsible for all the expenses and equipment rentals & purchases, etc.

But to sum it up, you have to be dedicated to what you do. You really have to want it bad and do whatever it takes to make it happen. It's hard as hell for sure, but rewarding as hell if you pull it off.

LOL... we could always use a good accountant.

[kristen]

Re: Career Thread

i work in the medical field. i'm a medical supply coordinator for genesis health care. i have one central building that is mine. i order, budget and maintain the inventory for the center(240 bed which is very large) i do captain purching and central trials. plus have to keep the staff in check. and try not to bust their heads. one thing i don't like when i have to write them up or be invoilded with letting them go. I'm also sent around to other facilities to help them better understand how to stay within their budgets and different product usage.

i started at chapel when i was 10 and was volunteering. i did that straight threw till i did my interships here. then took the summer after school off then started my real job.

i always have to get certified in different things so i keep moving up the corporate ladder.

another words

blah blah blah blah blah.

the higher you go, the more money there is to be made.

[cantrip]

Re: Career Thread

The problem with doing what you want is...I DONT KNOW WHAT I WANT! haha, Im a mess. I love so many things but not enough to dedicate my life to, and I really need to figure out what I want to do the most. And I could never own my own business because I doubt Im resposible enough and Im not very organized so I would just fall apart.

As for medical, theres big money there, but I just am not interested in it at all. My mom wants me to be a nurse so bad because they make a lot of money but, its so much work for something I dont like. I actually work at a hospital right now doing lab billing...I need to leave this place, haha.

Keep them coming, I like reading about this stuff and hopefully I can get some more help.

[SpeedingFirebird]

Re: Career Thread

Im in a tough situation here. I dont know where to go with a career. Im really into car audio and home theater and wouldnt mind working with those but it doesnt seem to be a promising career path and you cant really go to school for it. The most realistic idea I have right now is accounting because I took a couple of courses in high school and (when I would pay attention...lol) I would understand it easily and do very good and it was almost fun sometimes.

Being "into" something does not always make a good career. Car audio is a job, not a career. Thirty years from now are you still going to be willing/able to lay under people's dashboards for $10/hour?

If you have the opportunity to go to school, TAKE IT. If you are not sure what you want to do, go in undeclared, meet some classmates, talk to teachers, and try different classes. Accountants make good money and they don't lay under a lot of dashboards.

Since you asked, here's my recipe: hard work, school, more hard work, more school, more hard work, keep going to school.

[Bonemaro]

Re: Career Thread

Since you asked, here's my recipe: hard work, school, more hard work, more school, more hard work, keep going to school.

x200 on that. 2 years of side work + 4 years of school + 5 1/2 field work and I'm just now getting to the point were I'm somewhat "comfortable."

it's worth repeating... hard work and schooling. Start now or before you know it, you'll be 30 years old wondering what the hell happened.

[youngsc]

Re: Career Thread

OK I can help you with a desk job, I wouldn't recomend it. I'm a Purchasing Specialist for a community college. I sit behind a desk for 8-10 hours a day push paper around, bend over backwards to help people that have no ****ing clue what they're doing or how to do it. I have no degree or any desire to get one. Right now I'm at about 16 soon to be 17 an hour. I'm starting a personal cheffing business and the minimum I will make on job doing that is $40 an hour. You do the math work half as much to make the same seems good to me. I just got hired to do a wedding reception and anticipate profiting over $500 for about 10 hours of work, that's after the bills are paid.

[dafirebird]

Re: Career Thread

Yeah, I'm with these guys^^^^^. I have taken the easy way out - not a big pay-off. But I like my job. I do building and facilities maintenance for a fortune 500 company. Actually, I work for Johnson Controls at a contracted site, an office building. We repair plumbing, electrical, and some HVAC. We are limited because we are not licenced, so we call out for the big guys (who make the big bucks) to do the major repairs. We just do the preventative stuff. We also take care of 1,000 employees, that means - I lost my cubicle key, can you get me another?? This is a job, not a career. I was in the same situation as you are, don't know what to do for a profession. I am almost 40 years old, in the same job since I was 19, and still don't know what I want to do. Listen to what the others are saying - hard work and school. I didn't.
I started out at 5.50/hr back in 1990. I'm now at 15.86/hr

[Bird_Of_Prey]

Re: Career Thread

I started off at a medium sized mortgage broker shop when I was 17 and still in HS. Busted my a55 in the shipping/recieving department until I was promoted a few months later. Did a few months then performing quality and compliance review, moved to secondary marketing (selling closed loans to warehouse investors). Then I got the bright idea that I should go to college... Spent a semester doing the school thing and working at a pizza joint. It hit me that I wasn't making Texa$ anymore, and it kinda sucked.

At that point I started my illustrious car sales career. Working 6 12 hour days a week wore me out. I was making bank, but had NO life or energy ever. I could see why so many car salespeople are strung out on drugs. Another year passed and I couldn't take it anymore.

I applied and was then hired at Countrywide in 2002. Started off in the closing/funding department. I enjoyed it, and was getting paid OT for being there all the time. I was promoted several times during my stay in that department, then moved to underwriting. Once again, I pushed and was consistently in the top 3 performers out of about 500 people. Between base, ot, monthly bonuses, quarterly bonuses, and multipliers for quality, well, I made enough to not qualify for the economic stimulus package. However, I was laid off in Nov 07.

I spent a few months thinking about what I wanted to do now. I was getting severance, and unemployment. There was no rush to figure anything out. An old friend called me and offered me my current position in Feb, out here in Vegas. Obviously, I weighed my options and came back to work for the beast. My goals and priorities here have changed dramatically. I was once willing to work my way up, now I'm looking for how much I can get before I get out. I'm going to enroll at UNLV this summer, pick up a couple classes (company pays for it!), and keep going as long as they keep paying until I'm awarded my Juris Doctorate. Yup, I want to be a lawyer now.

So, it's not uncommon to not know what you want to do. I just figured it out a couple weeks ago, and I'm gonna be 28.

[youngsc]

Re: Career Thread

Listen to what the others are saying - hard work and school. I didn't.
I started out at 5.50/hr back in 1990. I'm now at 15.86/hr

I never said that. :wavey:

You want some advice. Unless your albert einstein and can tell a boss what you want to be paid, which most of us aren't, start your own business. You don't have to reinvent the wheel or come up with an original idea. All you need to do is find a niche in the market, a gap that hasn't been filled or isn't filled correctly, i.e. ****ty customer service, specific locations or types of services offered. If you like money and you want to have lots of it your profit margins are signifigantly higher if you start doing well. My .02

[stevethepirate]

Re: Career Thread

im still a student... i do roofing for $100/day over the summer though. Im a political science major, my focus is international relations. In order to assure a good career, I'm preparing for everything that I think I will need. I'm going to the middle east next year to learn Arabic, I'm contacting people who work for the DoD and stuff, etc. Basically, just work hard and it will pay off. Clinton wrote out notecards every time he met someone. He would review someone's note card when he was going to see them, and have stuff to ask them about and whatnot. If you network effectively and know people that will help you, you will be able to move ahead rapidly.

[dafirebird]

Re: Career Thread

I never said that. :wavey:

No, you didn't. You must have replied and posted while I was still typing.....so my reply appeared under yours. hehe

[SpeedingFirebird]

Re: Career Thread

I never said that. :wavey:

You want some advice. Unless your albert einstein and can tell a boss what you want to be paid, which most of us aren't, start your own business. You don't have to reinvent the wheel or come up with an original idea. All you need to do is find a niche in the market, a gap that hasn't been filled or isn't filled correctly, i.e. ****ty customer service, specific locations or types of services offered. If you like money and you want to have lots of it your profit margins are signifigantly higher if you start doing well. My .02

Not all office jobs are crap. I sit at a desk all day and make a very respectable salary. Not everyone is cut out to run their own business. Typically, small business owners have to work a crapload to make good money.

If the OP is considering starting his own business, hit up a business school for a few years.

[Shad0wguy]

Re: Career Thread

I work in the computer field performing IT work. I have a 2 year degree and recently got accepted at a local college to go for my 4 year degree.

I went with computers cause it is the one thing I know very well and it is a great field with tons of demand for skilled people.

[youngsc]

Re: Career Thread

Not all office jobs are crap. I sit at a desk all day and make a very respectable salary. Not everyone is cut out to run their own business. Typically, small business owners have to work a crapload to make good money.

If the OP is considering starting his own business, hit up a business school for a few years.

True, I was just basing on my feelings for my job towards every desk job. There are some that I wouldn't mind doing.