Careers Guidance

[Nemo]

While at the garage cranking the 650 had a conversation my son and a couple of his friends about their future after high school. In addition to the classic college education path, the military, mechanics, plumbers, electricians and refri-techs, I really didn't know much more to recommend. I also mentioned a business line we use more and more in my job: Geospatial technologies (GIS).

So the question is, if you had to councel high schoolers on what's out there for them, what would you suggest they look at?

Thanx,

[Nik Habicht]

Police or Fire Department --- because you can often retire at an age where you can still start a second career....

Nursing School --- if they're smart and tough; there's a projected shortage for the next 20 years I think.....

[ima45dv8]

Possibly something related to development of energy sources/technologies?

[Graham Smith]

Despite having spent 20 years in the Army, I don't recommend it as a career for the simple reason that it simply doesn't fit a lot of people. Having said that, doing a tour in the military (I'd recommend Air Force for anyone with good mechanical or electronic skills) is a great way to get a lot of practical experience. Then go to college or trade school later.

Just do the research first - look into the specialties offered and find something you'd like to learn. The dumbest thing anyone can do is to join the military and let them pick your job for you!

[AikiDale]

It took me a long time to figure this out....but then I'm a little slow.

One either owns property or one works for one who does.

One owns the company or works for wages. In other words, one is either the master or the slave. Our educational system offers a way out of the wage slave rut but one has to take advantage of the options because the main thrust of our educational system is to provide workers for factory owners.

I have been encouraging young folks to take business and marketing courses (I wasn't near smart enough to have even conceived of hanging out with those folks when I was in school....) in preparation to owning their own business.

Whether that business produces goods or services or art is irrelevant. Owning the plumbing business is better than working for one. Working for someone else should be undertaken to learn the business.

Or work hard, get a good education, hope someone else gives you a job and pray you don't get laid off, downsized or find yourself out of work when the company goes bankrupt and no one does that kind of work anymore.

[Jim Norman]

Depending upon your natural talents and likes, a trade is excellent.

You may skip a trip to the movies, you may not buy a new TV, you may do without going out to eat, but if the lights don't work and the toilet is plugged you will call an electrician or a plumber.

Auto mechanic is also a good trade IF you can get into a good shop and you can keep up with all the changes. Not a place for the shade tree mechanic anymore.

Brick mason, stone mason, many type of specialty trades. I do suggest being multi-faceted, not a straight frame carpenter or a straight drywall hanger, unless you own the business. As a trade, be broad based, the more you know about what goes on next tot he job you have, the more valuable you will be to your employer and your customers.

Garage door installer (Commercial) Garage Door Mechanic (Commercial) good pay, high demand in many markets for people who really know how to get this done. Very wide range of skills needed to do this job.

Jim

[BritinUSA]

Just this single piece of advice. Any job that can be done from home on a Computer will be headed overseas. I would suggest focusing on a job that can only be done physically inside the borders of this country. Any job that can be sent overseas, will be.

[Bill Nesbitt]

Air conditioner installation and repair in your area.

[HSMITH]

Anymore a lot of the better paying technical trade jobs will need a college education. I see it all the time in my field, you either need 5+ years of experience or a 4 year degree to start in the low $20's per hour. With experience and tenure you can get into the low $30's per hour which isn't bad money. Without some formal education the jobs possible are far fewer and pay far less.

The military is a great option for a kid that isn't ready for college, I think the Navy has the best technical training. I did just that and my life is much better for having done it.

Nemo, do what you can to CONVINCE them that they absolutely MUST put $100 per month into an investment of some kind starting the day they get a job, and every year they MUST increase that by $25 per month. Come hell or high water that money MUST be invested, mutual funds or something. These kids don't have a real chance even of a funded retirement plan, they are on their own and starting early is essential to having a chance at retiring comfortably.

[BigDave]

Tell them to get into the best college they can and get the best education they can. A degree is a lot like a union card and gives them options. Tell them not to overlook their writing (especially business/professional writing) skills - it is a lost art.

If the military is on the table, look hard at Air Force (after the degree). A good friend who is in his third branch (and AF is one he hasn't been in) of the service speaks very, very highly of the military business mindset of his Air Force superiors and peers.

[hitman]

Heathcare, it will only get bigger well as long as it dosent get socilized.

[Jake Di Vita]

I would suggest that no matter what they decide to do, the most important thing is that they do it with passion.

[frenchwrench]

Xray or Radiology. 2 year degree right now to get started as a Tech. Get hired, work for a year. Then the hospital or clinic will help pay for more training. Easy to find a job anywhere.

[Micah]

That depends on their secondary strengths and postsecondary goals. Have they taken any postsecondary assessments like the Kuder or COPSystem? Their school should have these on tap and make them accessible to anyone that wants to take them. The Kuder can be easily administered online (though you might not want your kids to Google Picture "Kuder").

Have them visit a local college and talk to the staff there. The majority of colleges have entire divisions created to showing prospective students what they have to offer, and options to innervate long-term postsecondary goals.

***The above statement is from someone who began his undergrad in theater, then business, but graduated with a psych degree. Furthermore, the above statement maker spent a year on obtaining his Masters in I/O Counseling and switched to special needs education...basically what I'm saying Nelson is take it with a LARGE grain of salt

[sideshowbob]

Pharmacist--the current degree is PharmD. You can enter this program right out of high school, and it typically takes 6 years straight. Average starting pay is 100K.

Engineering--One of the biggest engineering related fields will be Nuclear. Good alternatives include of civil and mechanical.

Software engineer/computer programmer--although many of these positions have shipped overseas, there is still a need for them in the US. Someone has to be able to evaluate overseas work product. Many companies are still hiring US based programmers.

I am in favor of military experience, but I think it definitely should be done once a bachelors degree has been obtained. Again, police and fire are also attractive, but a bachelors degree prior to that is really important as well.

BidDave and Jake also have very good points.

Edited September 4, 2008 by sideshowbob

[Front Man]

We have a shortage of surveyors.

FM

[Viggen]

Engineering, IT, Business if College bound.

If college is not in the game plan then move into the business world and learn.

There is no magic path. If you have ability and brains and drive you will do well in the business world.

But there is one absolute rule for anyone with ability:

Absolutely avoid the military and government careers. Don't waste yourself and your time.

[D.Hayden]

Anything but IT - lol

I would guess that the traditional Fortune 500 Companies... true development type IT hiring is at an all time low... everything is going over seas.. the people left are competing for a smaller and smaller pool.

Things like Google, and some smaller companies.. but the available jobs as a whole diminish weekly...

Storage technologies, network specialists - those are better paths.. like someone said.. it's more physical - hard to move a SAN or a router overseas

[M'Lady]

But there is one absolute rule for anyone with ability:

Absolutely avoid the military and government careers. Don't waste yourself and your time.

I hate to say it, but Viggen is correct about military and government careers. For risk of offending someone, I will leave it at that.

[p99shooter]

I'm with BidDave. Even if you don't go into a career field that matches the degrees you picked up in school, having M.S. or Ph.D. after your name is really going to help in the professional field. Getting a Ph.D. takes a while, so it is an investment. He is also right on the money as far as comm skills go. Companies are getting tired of having technical experts that can't communicate, or worse, can't coexist with the people they work with. (This goes for outsourcing too).

Like PB says, tour the colleges and see what they have to offer. Passion has to play some part in it too; 6 years is a long time to spend learning something you don't like. Also, remember that college is a journey, not a destination. Your sons may find something else more appealing to them than their current major.

And, like Viggen says, there is no magic path. Take it from me, who dropped out of a Ph.D. program in physics to do IT.

[Nemo]

But there is one absolute rule for anyone with ability:

Absolutely avoid the military and government careers. Don't waste yourself and your time.

OUCH!

Nelson Colón

Project Manager

US Army Corps of Engineers

Jacksonville Disctrict

[Dave Gundry]

If they're getting close to that age and still don't really know what to do, send em to the local community college. Don't let them waste time and money going to a big school only to fall into a bull$hit degree. By the time they get their generals out of the way, they will have a better understanding of whats out there and if more school is for them.

I had to take a few years off to figure it out. Now I'm graduating this fall at 27 about $50k down... If I did it the above prescribed way, it'd be somewhere around $30k, and about 4 years ahead... Oh well - engineers make decent money (I hope)

[Jeff686]

Tell them to go out and get the shittiest job they can find, let their boss crap on them for a few months. Then tell them if they go to school and get an education they won't have to take crap from anyone.

[MarkS_A18138]

You know I have had the same conversation with Shea. She has some weird thing about going into the military and flying planes! Whatever she wants, I told her that math and science are going to be the key and last year and even the start of this year she has been all over math and science.

Edited September 5, 2008 by MarkS_A18138

[mpolans]

Engineering, IT, Business if College bound.

If college is not in the game plan then move into the business world and learn.

There is no magic path. If you have ability and brains and drive you will do well in the business world.

But there is one absolute rule for anyone with ability:

Absolutely avoid the military and government careers. Don't waste yourself and your time.

About the military and government careers, why do you say that?

O-1s (Army and Air Force 2nd Lieutenants) with less than 2 years experience, single w/o dependents, in the DC area, make just over $30,500 in base pay, plus a non-taxable Basic Allowance for Housing of $18,960, plus an non-taxable Basic Allowance for Subsistence of $2430 for a total annual salary of $51,890. Of that, over 40% isn't even taxed!

O-3s (Army and Air Force Captains) with 3 years experience otherwise same as above make $50,000 in base pay, plus a non-taxable Basic Allowance for Housing of $23,820, plus an non-taxable Basic Allowance for Subsistence of $2430 for a total annual salary of $76,250. Of that, over 34% isn't even taxed!

Plus a whole host of perks and bennies (free medical/dental, a great retirement plan after 20 years, commissary privileges, military discounts everywhere, etc.)

Not to mention the added pride of serving your country.

Does that really sound that bad for a guy with a four year college degree? How many other careers offer comparable benefits for most college grads these days?

For comparison, many folks I know who have a B.A. or B.S. and spent 3 years in law school are only making $45,000-65,000 after 3 years in the workforce, and many of them only started at about $35,000 when they graduated.

Edited September 5, 2008 by mpolans