Work

[undermyparapluie]

Recently, I have been doing a lot of thinking about my current job and my education and career choices. I would love to hear about some of yours. I will, of course, share about myself. I realize that we all value our privacy and for some of us, anonymity, so feel free to be as general or specific as you like!

So... what is your current job, or in what field do you work? Do you enjoy it? Is it your passion, or just a job? What made you chose to enter that line of work? What type of degree do you have, or what sort of educational goals did you achieve in order to obtain your job? How, if at all, do you feel that your work affects your fitness goals? If money were no object, what kind of work would you be doing? (In other words, what is your dream job?)

Just some questions to hopefully get a discussion started... I look forward to your responses!

[PSYCHOPATH]

Here's what happened....

1. I saw the thread title "work"
2. Upon clicking and entering the thread, your avatar was the first thing that caught my glance, obviously, i saw a female.
3. Then i began reading your post, it went something like "Recently, i have been doing a lot of thinking..." then i stopped, why, that's beyond me...
4. Then i glanced once more at your avatar, and saw you pulling away at your 'short shorts'.
5. Then i automatically thought that you're some kind of sex worker doing some late night advertising.
6. This dirty, filthy thought quickly dissipated as i noticed your 'post count'.
7. To say the least, i was disappointed, and realized, you're serious.
8. I finished reading your post.
9. I felt the urge to document my thought pattern as shown above, as it would prove comical and 'unique'.

FYI.......this is not a 'schmoe' attempt.

on to your post....

I recently graduated from university with a BA in Social Science. When i first started my journey to become 'enlightened' i was uncertain of what i desired to study. First, it was a program in Humanities, then i switched to Finance, and finally ended up in Social Science. To this day, it's still a mystery as to why i switched programs as i did. Either way, i'm glad it's over.

upon graduation, i realized my situation was simply put 'fucked'. As my degree is generic in nature, and not very competitive. I then decided to get a certificate in management, currently in the process of obtaining it. This, in my mind, would help 'beef up' my resume, thus, increasing my chances of getting employed.

long story short, i finally came to a conclusion that, i'm better off working in skilled labor, but not any kind, it's the type of skilled labor that is required in remote, almost deserted job sites, that is, of oil drilling fields and the likes.

why? i'm young, full of energy and health, and investing the next ten year working in the above mentioned field would yield a substantial amount of money, then i may decide to relax, and change 'paths'.

so, after finishing my 'certificate in management', i'm off to Alberta's sand oil extraction fields.

I apologize if this came off as some kind of 'therapy' session, but i thought i might share.


Side note, would you ever consider becoming a 'sex worker', that is, high end strip clubs, escort service, or solo/ female on female pornography? Essentially, you're getting paid a hefty sum of $$$ to experience copious amounts of Euphoria.


I think my post goes to match my screen name. Nuff said.

[PSYCHOPATH]

^^^ SOB, that's a long post. SHIT.

Edit: and it's in the ladies section, fuck.

[connstellation]

I am a worker's compensation employer rep in one of the last three remaining monopolistic states. (meaning your insurance comes from the State not a private insurer) I transitioned into this line of work after working on health insurance benefits and holding a license in Life, Health, Accident, and Variable Annuities lines. Naturally that license require's CE's and ethics training. This is not remotely related to what my degrees are in. I hold both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Music Performance. That's right, I'm an orchestral musician, French horn player to be exact. I took a few auditions post graduate degree, but realized very quickly that when there's one job open and 500 other horn players show up to try for it, that this wasn't for me. Given that I do enjoy what I do (out-smart claimants, their representatives, and their physicians) I would like to go back to school (again) this time for law. I also have a huge interest in the safety aspects of my job, and am working on yet another certification as a Certified Safety Professional. This will allow me to perform safety audits to abate hazards in accordance with OSHA standards. I have a huge interest in Wellness as well and feel that is has a very important place in the workplace. If I could tie the safety and wellness aspects together and just focus on that, it would be awesome.

[undermyparapluie]

Psychopath, sorry to disappoint! I'm not a sex worker, nor would I seriously consider joining that industry. Sure, there have been a few moments of desperation (rent due, bank account = $50) where the thought of stripping or escorting has crossed my mind... but I would never seriously consider it at this point in my life. (1) To me, sex is private, not public. (2) I'm in a committed, monogamous relationship with the guy I plan to marry and he would not be okay with me doing sex work. (3) My family would die of shame, and hence I would die of shame, if they were to ever find out. I've had a few friends who have stripped or done porn and were able to make a good living off of it... but it's not for me. Have you ever considered it?

Good job on getting your degree and your management certificate! I can sympathize - I also graduated from college with a pretty general degree (American Studies, to be exact) but like you said, it was not very competitive. I couldn't get hired anywhere, plus I had no idea what the hell I wanted to do with my life, anyway. Thus, I wandered around, taking temp jobs until I figured out something more long-term.

I don't know anything about the oil drilling industry. What would a typical day on the job be like? I am imagining you being outside in the elements for long periods of time and am thinking that it would probably be exhausting. I guess that is not as much of a concern when you're young and healthy though.

P.S. My "short shorts" pic from my avatar is just me being proud of some body fat I've gotten rid of.

[teddy788]

You should be proud of what you've dropped. Keep up the good work! (even if it does get difficult sometimes)

[GeorgeForemanRules]

Depends on where you live. If you live in America you have very, very few choices. You want an education that wont be outsourced and you want a degree that most don't have. So Education, Business, engineering ( a tough degree and great cash once upon a time but now outsourced to India) social work, art, history, English, criminal justice ect are all worthless. You need a medical degree, Nursing, Physician, Physical therapist, PA, Respiratory therapist. Or you need to have connections and do a blue color job like electrician or plumber...these types of jobs are ok but only if you have family already in the business.

Bottom line is the best degrees are the ones people avoid because they are hard, that and jobs where you have amazing family connections.

[Nate]

Depends on where you live. If you live in America you have very, very few choices. You want an education that wont be outsourced and you want a degree that most don't have. So Education, Business, engineering ( a tough degree and great cash once upon a time but now outsourced to India) social work, art, history, English, criminal justice ect are all worthless. You need a medical degree, Nursing, Physician, Physical therapist, PA, Respiratory therapist. Or you need to have connections and do a blue color job like electrician or plumber...these types of jobs are ok but only if you have family already in the business.

Bottom line is the best degrees are the ones people avoid because they are hard, that and jobs where you have amazing family connections.

That's me. I'm in the HVAC program at college.

[teddy788]

If you are interested in learning and having to read all the time and live on the East Coast, particularly in the vicinity of the DC area you could be lucky like me and have computer science degrees specializing in information security pay off really well. (this will work near most large cities, it just so happens that right now our government is in such colossal trouble when it comes to security their infrastructure they need all the help they can get and they pay pretty well for even the most modest skill level in that area of expertise, I've seen those who know less and work less harder than I do make a lot more money than me just because they knew the right person and I don't do too badly so I don't bitch too much)

[undermyparapluie]

Gotta agree with you guys - it's all about who you know, especially in this economy. I wish that someone had told me how important networking is, so I could have begun learning how to do it, and practicing, while I was in law school. I just assumed that I would be doing a traditional job search upon graduating, or that I'd already have an associate position lined up for me at a firm for which I interned during school... but that was not the case. I did my internship with a sole practitioner (and I don't think he even liked me that much.) No one wants to hire a newbie right now... every job posting I look at requires someone with at least 3-5 years' experience. I found my current job through a friend of a friend, and was just lucky that my boss liked my work and had some extra work for me. If not for that "connection", I would probably still be unemployed, like so many other people who graduated with me.

[superoboe73]

If you are interested in learning and having to read all the time and live on the East Coast, particularly in the vicinity of the DC area you could be lucky like me and have computer science degrees specializing in information security pay off really well. (this will work near most large cities, it just so happens that right now our government is in such colossal trouble when it comes to security their infrastructure they need all the help they can get and they pay pretty well for even the most modest skill level in that area of expertise, I've seen those who know less and work less harder than I do make a lot more money than me just because they knew the right person and I don't do too badly so I don't bitch too much)

Ok Teddy, now you've definitely gotten me thinking a lot more about info sec and researching it... this stuff looks really cool!

--Oh by the way... I also got both my bachelor's and master's degrees in music. Unfortunately, paid way too much attention to what other people thought I should do and not nearly enough attention to what I actually had an interest in... ended up very VERY burned out on music by the time I graduated. Some of the burnout had to do with the same reasons Kelly mentioned... a great deal had to do with a very frank look at my finances. Given the amount I'd have to take out in student loans to finish a DMA degree (which I'd need to get most available oboe professor positions available), I noted that what I would make working in a vast majority of those positions would barely pay back what I was needing to borrow for my Master's, let alone ANY doctoral work (and this was with an undergraduate academic scholarship that covered nearly all of my undergraduate costs). Also, that was IF I was lucky enough to beat out the other 500 oboists going for the handful of open positions worldwide every year. NOT odds that I wanted to borrow tens of thousands of dollars (which would have totaled over $100,000.... YIKES) against, especially when I was no longer enjoying it.

Started working with a seed company I worked summers with and just decided to figure out what I actually wanted to do. Started working with their data system, and my lifelong obsession with computers started to take over as my primary career interest :-) --- I'm now completing pre-requisite work for a 2nd master's in computer science.
Oh, and I'm now playing oboe in a contemporary 'rock band' at my church... and LOVING IT! I'm starting to enjoy music again now that I'm not feeling that my whole life is hinging on it.

[Leonardabel]

every one should work hard and never forget best tactics for health growth so we will be conscious all ways and maintain a beauty look for best health so never forget any issue for best health.

[teddy788]

burning out on music seems so disappointing to me. When someone is talented in such a beautiful art, it really is a crime that society and competition can push them over the edge and cause those special gems to lose their passion for something they love so much.