| What Career to Pursue? - Click HERE for Original Thread |
| bapestaaa |
Hey,
Just to let you know I am going into Grade 12 this year and I am looking for some advice to help me as to what career route I would take when I am finished.
The one option I had been looking at for quite a while now is Petroleum Engineering. I had researched that it would be a very good job being situated in the oil breadbasket of the world. The pay is good, however moving up the ladder takes 5-10 years. Another downside is that you are off for a couple weeks, on-site, in the middle of no where.
A new route that I had just recently looked at is Chartered Accounting. Pay here is good as well and moving up the ladder does not take as long as Petroleum Engineering. The work hours suit me as it is a 9-5 job where you would be at home everyday.
For both these jobs, I heavily consider the fact of getting into management type position.
Now, is there anything I had missed or should consider about these two jobs? Or perhaps another career that I should look at?
Thanks. |
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| Prudz_lude |
i strongly suggest taking a year off. Work a lot of different jobs and ask alot of questions. Get a feel for what the majority of society does so you can use it as motivation towards a goal you want to achieve.
I have been out of school since 2005 and for the last 2 years i have seen what i do not want to become in my life time. It has given me motivation for university and a goal. The life experiences i have had in the last two years have completely changed what i want to do with my life and where i hope it goes.
I strongly suggest you dont rush into schooling that will support a career you don't want to have. I have a few friends who have done what i have done and they are in school already or attending this year. I also have some who rushed into it and are filled with regret. Make sure it is what you want to do.
Good luck with what ever you choose to do :thumbup: |
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| gtaylor |
quote:
Originally posted by bapestaaa
Hey,
Just to let you know I am going into Grade 12 this year and I am looking for some advice to help me as to what career route I would take when I am finished.
The one option I had been looking at for quite a while now is Petroleum Engineering. I had researched that it would be a very good job being situated in the oil breadbasket of the world. The pay is good, however moving up the ladder takes 5-10 years. Another downside is that you are off for a couple weeks, on-site, in the middle of no where.
A new route that I had just recently looked at is Chartered Accounting. Pay here is good as well and moving up the ladder does not take as long as Petroleum Engineering. The work hours suit me as it is a 9-5 job where you would be at home everyday.
For both these jobs, I heavily consider the fact of getting into management type position.
Now, is there anything I had missed or should consider about these two jobs? Or perhaps another career that I should look at?
Thanks.
man, im in the same boat as you
exept i have no idea what im gooing to be doing after i graduate.
the only thing that ive heard from a few people is like prudz said, take a year off and just explore. a friend of mine went right into engineering, then 4 years in decided it wasnt for him and started arts the next year
just remember that life isnt a race, and make sure that you ultimatly make a choice that you can live with, cause your going to have to for a longgg time:beer:
ps. what school you go to- |
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| REFLUX |
These guys have given excellent advice.
I fall into the group of people who went straight from high school into university.
When I found myself in the accounting program, I wished so badly that there had been some time in between high school & university to help me figure out what direction to take my academics in.
Too many people I know have discovered that in their 2nd to last year they have NO interest in what they are learning/pursuing.
My suggestion is to volunteer, job shadow, talk to people (as in make an appointment to sit down and "interview" them about their jobs), ask questions.
Now, considering you want to make it into a management position, generally there are 2 approaches to this:
1) Work your way up, takes time, ladder climbing big time
2) Take the MBA program, you get to skip a few rungs ;)
Of course the MBA program means more school and any serious MBA program will have some lofty requirements (some have a prerequisite of at least 5 years work experience) along with the associated exams for graduate school (GMAT)
Other than the above, I strongly suggest following an interest of yours.
Just because a MAJORITY of people hate their jobs but they stick to it because it pays the bills, does not mean you have to fall into that lifestyle.
Of course every job will have its ups & downs but that is part of the territory.
Not many people excel at their jobs when they hate it.
Every top executive I've spoken with, heard of, heard from, has shown that they have a real interest and passion for what they do.
It will take some creativity to discover your passion and see how it fits into different jobs/careers but it is doable, it just takes some time and research (both internal and external).
Good luck and if you still aren't sure of your interests, check out:
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/coun...cs_programs.cfm
"Vocational and Other Testing"
It will give you a general direction of your personality preferences and may become a rough guide to your pursuits. |
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| Prudz_lude |
^ great advice. I also highly recommend actually interviewing owners, managers, etc. I did this and when anybody realized i was actually interested in their personal advice they became very helpful with my decisions. A simple question would typically turn into an hour long conversation and those conversations were/are the ones that keep me motivated and have changed what i wanted to do with my life.
Once you start talking to people about the careers they have persued you will realize the majority of them want to help you out and see you succeed. Everyone i talked to opened up and offered great advice to me and i honestly have to thank them for making me realize what i don't want to do with my life. They put me on track with what i want to pursue when i go to university this year. |
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| Alberta_Daytona |
Been to university....half way in realized its not what I wanted to do and my grades declined rapidly.
I have been in the job market past year and figuring out what I wanna do with my life.....I have discovered a few things but have not pinpointed what I want to do.
I was big for petroleum engineering and power engineering....Great $$$, but I just cant see being happy doing it for 30 years...... |
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| ehrgeiz |
| Damn good advice in here so far, you should listen to them. |
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| REFLUX |
Another point of view is that taking time off from school makes it harder to get back in because you accumulate expenses, a certain lifestyle that requires money to support, you lose interest in being in school, etc.
Key is to remember why you're taking a year off, it's so you can re-evaluate and find a more specific path to follow in your academics.
So long as you keep your eye on your goal and don't take TOO much time from school because then going back will be more difficult.
Not impossible but more often than not, the mature students in all my classes (30+ years) generally have a harder time getting into the groove of post secondary.
It's not just "school," it's a lifestyle because once you're out of class, you still have to study, research, homework, assignments, projects, essays, etc.
So the change from a working/9-5 & weekends-off lifestyle to what essentially is a 24/7 student-lifestyle can be tough if you're too set in. |
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| shortie |
very good advice
I also went straight from highschool and looking back wished I had taken time off to travel, see the world, work, think about what I am interested in more.. otherwise you end up like me after 6 years of university and working on your 3rd Degree :lol: all that money coulda bought me some sweet-ass cars *sigh* (although on the flip side I am glad I have my education...) but yah, take some time to let it all simmer and learn out in the real world before you are a student for the rest of your life
Pick something you know you will be interested in as well, because you are essentially stuck doing that for the rest of your life - nobody wants a career that they absolutely hate going to every day, and I find that quite often the kids who go straight to university from HS end up just doing that, and realizing what they wished they had known before they wasted their time, money and life.
If you are not sure, take some time off (not too much) or start your first year doing general studies and research while doing that (pretty much everyone HAS to start in general studies anyways, so no huge deal imo). Oh, and be sure to talk to the career counsellors about what required courses you need down the line and be sure to have those planned in there or you will be fucked in the bum when you attempt to get into your program ;) lots of kids miss a course or two and have to wait another year before they can apply to their program of choice. |
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| TrevorK |
What I don't get is why is everyone placing so much emphasis on loving your job and career?
I use my job as a tool to achieve what I want in life. It may not be the most glamourous thing in the world, and it may not be my favorite thing to do but it allows me to do what I want in life. I don't go into work hating my job, hating my life. But I come out of work realizing what I am now able to do in my own life, which is the one that counts. |
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| shortie |
quote:
Originally posted by TrevorK
What I don't get is why is everyone placing so much emphasis on loving your job and career?
I use my job as a tool to achieve what I want in life. It may not be the most glamourous thing in the world, and it may not be my favorite thing to do but it allows me to do what I want in life. I don't go into work hating my job, hating my life. But I come out of work realizing what I am now able to do in my own life, which is the one that counts.
I would kill myself if every day I went to working hating it and hating my life. life is to short, imo, to hate every aspect of it, or at least where you spend the majority of your week. I would rather have work and life both enjoyable and not have that invisible line of change as soon as the clock strikes the end of the work day. but that's just me. :dunno: I figure I will be spending more time at work than home awake, so may as well find something I enjoy or at least dont absolutely hate. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by shortie
I would kill myself if every day I went to working hating it and hating my life. life is to short, imo, to hate every aspect of it, or at least where you spend the majority of your week. I would rather have work and life both enjoyable and not have that invisible line of change as soon as the clock strikes the end of the work day. but that's just me. :dunno: I figure I will be spending more time at work than home awake, so may as well find something I enjoy or at least dont absolutely hate.
Hate is only what you make of it. I can understand if you are physically, mentally, or emotionally abused at your job. However, if none of the above are true then the only thing that is typically stopping you from being happy (or at least not hating your job) is you.
I have too many better things to do with my day then pick on things I don't like in my job. If you focus on what you have in life, what you want to achieve in life, etc... then the whole job thing works itself out of the picture (In terms of the need for satisfaction).
Maybe I'm alone, but I don't expect a job to create satisfaction in aspects of my life. I'm am the sole person who decides whether I am happy or sad, and I'm not going to let an employer take that control away from me with a job. |
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| shortie |
quote:
Originally posted by TrevorK
Hate is only what you make of it. I can understand if you are physically, mentally, or emotionally abused at your job. However, if none of the above are true then the only thing that is typically stopping you from being happy (or at least not hating your job) is you.
I have too many better things to do with my day then pick on things I don't like in my job. If you focus on what you have in life, what you want to achieve in life, etc... then the whole job thing works itself out of the picture (In terms of the need for satisfaction).
Maybe I'm alone, but I don't expect a job to create satisfaction in aspects of my life. I'm am the sole person who decides whether I am happy or sad, and I'm not going to let an employer take that control away from me with a job.
well kudos to you my friend :) I can respect that for sure
- personally, however, I find that jobs do dictate other aspects and regardless of what I do to try and suck it up, I hate what I am doing. Thus, I strive for a career which interests me and which I will enjoy (remotely) and yes, I agree, it IS what you make of it, but there are many careers which suck ass (to me) of which I would not want to be stuck doing - ie: flipping burgers - I would honestly want to shoot myself if that was my career, regardless of how hard I tried to make it enjoyful :blink: Consequently, I have gone through years of education in order to not go that route of jobs I know I would hate and go for a rewarding (mentally and financially) career that takes me somewhere in life. While I am sure everyone does complain about their job, I do completely agree with you, in that sense, that you make it as happy as you want it to be - but there is a clear line of shitty jobs where it is impossible to anctually enjoy it and be happy (and it is a different job or career path for everyone - while I might hate flippin burgers, maybe the next guy just loves it and finds it awesome lol) |
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| REFLUX |
I think the bottom line is, if you had a choice to do something that really motivates, interests, peaks your passion and gives you a sense of fulfillment vs. doing something less than this, you'd choose the first option.
No?
Not saying people shouldn't be happy with what they got but if they could CHOOSE, I'm certain people would choose something they LIKE instead of something they're indifferent about.
Whether what they LIKE is the money, ability to take time off, benefits, job fulfillment, great work environment, etc. |
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| EK9Hatch |
My profession isn't anything that you listed...but its is a great career!
I wouldn't change it for the world!
Professional Ninja ftw! :D
Jamie |
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| shortie |
quote:
Originally posted by EK9Hatch
My profession isn't anything that you listed...but its is a great career!
I wouldn't change it for the world!
Professional Ninja ftw! :D
Jamie
Oh man, if I could turn back time I would SOOO be a ninja *sigh* |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by REFLUX
I think the bottom line is, if you had a choice to do something that really motivates, interests, peaks your passion and gives you a sense of fulfillment vs. doing something less than this, you'd choose the first option.
But you can do that at a "less than ideal" job. Most of the guys I worked air traffic control with didn't like it at all. But the fact that thousands of lives depend on it left them with motivation and a sense of fulfillment. And because it's fast paced and the type of job not everyone can do, it gave them a sense of accomplishment that they could do it.
Now sure, lots of those guys might be just as happy as electricians or writers or whatever, but none of those jobs will give them 6 weeks vacation and a figure salary plus the chance for as much overtime as you want right from day 1 with no education.
The point is there's 2 schools of thought. 1 is that you should live to work. You should love your job so much that you WANT to pour your heart and soul into it. And that's a valid point.
Trevor presents the other point of view. That you should find a job that allows to do what you want and accomplish your goals while you aren't at work. Like the Air Traffic Controllers who'd rather be doing something else, but who live a much happier, more fulfilling life outside of work than they would be able to if they were in their "dream job". Not to mention the fact that their dream job might not be what they expected.
quote:
Not saying people shouldn't be happy with what they got but if they could CHOOSE, I'm certain people would choose something they LIKE instead of something they're indifferent about.
Whether what they LIKE is the money, ability to take time off, benefits, job fulfillment, great work environment, etc.
Benefits are important too, sure. I wouldn't focus on work though. Straight out of high school I say go get life experience unless you have a defined goal. If you want to own a house by 25, a Mercedes by 28 and be able to retire by 40, then by all mens find the best paying job you can and bust your ass. If you're goal is to be content and happy, go travel the world. Go experience life. Go eat at soup kitchens in Australia and meet the homeless beach-bums who don't have a dime to their name except their board and spend their lives surfing. Go visit the Porsche factory and note the intense dedication and solid work ethic they have. Go learn to skydive, to fly, to take good pictures, etc. Read some classic novels, watch some classic movies.
The problem with wanting a "dream job" is most people who have them seem to fall into them. It's hard to plan ahead for something when you'll never really know about it no matter how many people you shadow or interview until you've done it for several months. I took some jobs I thought would be shit that turned out to be amazing, and some jobs I thought would be amazing that turned out to be shit. In time you'll learn what you don't mind and what you hate, and it'll help narrow fields.
In the end though, you still pick one based on guesses and have to commit to trying it out and see how it works. Eventually you fall into something and think "Hey, this isn't bad." Though I think the danger is that the vast majority of people over 30 would change careers if they could, but the career they'd want to move to would involve too much school or whatnot to make it worth leaving. But you can't dwell on that, because if you did live, maybe you wouldn't like that either.
It's all a crap shoot in the end. |
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| ehos |
You have 2 choices in your life.
1) You can be a grinder like everyone else and grind away your life 8 to 12 hours a day like everyone else for money.
So you can buy junk that won't really fulfill you, to impress people that don't really like you (or don't care), and so you can spend time away from your family as much as you can. Throw in the big house, the big car and the big TV/internet (so you can waste away what little time you have away from work).
2) Or, you can try to live the live the impossible life. Trust me, it's hard to get started. You won't get to buy all the junk you would like. Your house (if you ever have one) is going to be small. You'll eventually learn that the only people that matter are your family (and you get to spend lots of time with them). Trying to explain to other people your lifestyle is just futile (they won't understand). Hell, I can sense you getting defensive just reading this paragraph. Go back to #1, it's easier!
You would only have an inkling of what I am talking about in #2, if you ever got away from our society. If you ever spent time in a country where money wasn't the all pervading reason for existence (and it wasn't just a vacation, but a real time of living in that lifestyle. |
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| REFLUX |
Some more good life advice that fits into deciding upon a career path :)
both dtjohnst & ehos have good points that grasp a larger perspective
What was touched on is the whole finding a career that is exactly what you want, often it takes time plus trial & error.
The whole "falling into" a fulfilling career is quite true but like TrevorK said, it's in your head.
Figuring out your passions and core desires, you can be flexible to see that specific "perk" in your job to make it all the better.
A quick example of this could be the sales rep who truly believes in the product they're selling but has a passion to teach & educate.
Though they may not be a teacher/trainer, they can see value in their job by passing on what they know about the product.
It's to a lesser degree but I hope it illustrates how by figuring out yourself, you can provide meaning to your job. |
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| ehos |
Reflux is right, life is what you make of it. I was a bit harsh in my post because that's my point of view. (It's for a reason, the 'grinder' side is always presented...)
If you're happy working 8 hours a day, then do it! If you enjoy chilling out, remember, it can be done, you just have to give up some 'stuff'. |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by ehos
Reflux is right, life is what you make of it. I was a bit harsh in my post because that's my point of view. (It's for a reason, the 'grinder' side is always presented...)
If you're happy working 8 hours a day, then do it! If you enjoy chilling out, remember, it can be done, you just have to give up some 'stuff'.
Or become an Air Traffic Controller. More downtime than a University Slacker, more pay than most people working the grind. It's pure Gold. |
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| shortie |
quote:
Originally posted by stealth
Sell Crack.
x2 :lol: |
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| euro_trash |
quote:
Originally posted by bapestaaa
The one option I had been looking at for quite a while now is Petroleum Engineering. I had researched that it would be a very good job being situated in the oil breadbasket of the world. The pay is good, however moving up the ladder takes 5-10 years. Another downside is that you are off for a couple weeks, on-site, in the middle of no where.
I think you are thinking Petroleum Engineering Tech, and even then you don't need to be in the middle of no where for weeks on end. As a Petroleum Engineering student (fourth year) I work in Calgary in an office. For the last year I had a position as a tech, and worked in an office in Fort St John, which I actually enjoyed. It's not like a rough neck or something along those lines (at least for the company I am with) |
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| dwarfy123 |
Hey guys, keep up the discussion :)
This is real helpful to me, and probably alot of other users too, who are just out of high school, and lost as to what to do.
Personally, I am taking a year off (maybe two). My goals in this year are just to pay off my car, go travel, and find out what I want to do. |
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| 97lude |
| You decide on anything yet? Let me know if you need any info on the accounting route. |
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| bapestaaa |
quote:
Originally posted by euro_trash
I think you are thinking Petroleum Engineering Tech, and even then you don't need to be in the middle of no where for weeks on end. As a Petroleum Engineering student (fourth year) I work in Calgary in an office. For the last year I had a position as a tech, and worked in an office in Fort St John, which I actually enjoyed. It's not like a rough neck or something along those lines (at least for the company I am with)
I know that you are not doing any roughneck work, but I have interpreted that you are on a field for many weeks analyzing the area, no?
quote:
Originally posted by 97lude
You decide on anything yet? Let me know if you need any info on the accounting route.
I haven't fully decided, but it would be great if you would enlighten me with the general idea of the chartered accounting route.
quote:
Originially posted by diesekiel
PORNO!!
I don't want to hurt anyone now.:p |
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| EK9Hatch |
quote:
Originally posted by diesekiel
PORNO!!
You need an over sized penis for that. Regular guys can't get into that career.
Jamie |
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| Prudz_lude |
quote:
Originally posted by EK9Hatch
You need an over sized penis for that. Regular guys can't get into that career.
Jamie
Not really. Becoming a male porn star is pretty fucked up. My friend researched it because he really wanted to become one and it turned out the majority of guys had to do years of gay porn to actually become a porn star. needless to say that dream was crushed for him. hahahaha |
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| dbsrt |
| I know that lately ads are bombarding students with the 'get into the trades' idea but if you want to take a year or two off to do some research on a career you might want to join a union and become an apprentice for a while.Good money and you'll get an inside propective of how these mega projects work. |
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| jberger |
quote:
Originally posted by dbsrt
I know that lately ads are bombarding students with the 'get into the trades' idea but if you want to take a year or two off to do some research on a career you might want to join a union and become an apprentice for a while.Good money and you'll get an inside propective of how these mega projects work.
the problem with that is once you taste the money its HARD to leave !!! |
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| Blaze |
Cool thread, I've enjoyed reading it. Especially the points of view from ehos and dtjohnst. Nice posts guys.
Here's my take on things...
Ask anyone that has achieved a lot of success -- not only financially (because that's only a part of being successful) -- but also successful in life (work, family, friends, hobbies, etc). One of the first things they'll tell you is to do something you like to do. AT LEAST. Loving it and being really passionate about it is even better.
As the old saying goes, find something you love to do and you'll never work a day in your life. Also, money usually follows. And if not, you're happy either way.
Life's too short to "settle" for anything less. Too many people settle for something less than they could have. People that enjoy what they do always seem to have enough money.
If you need to take some time off to figure things out, go for it. Don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you may regret - even yourself. But don't get analysis paralysis either.
Also, remember that most people will change careers 4 or 5 times in their life. You can always change your mind later, but most people are afraid to thinking others will think less of them because of it. Don't be afriad to change your mind, there's nothing wrong with it.
Research different opportunities. I'm currently changing careers as well, and it's amazing the number of great opportunities falling in my lap or being discovered that I never knew about before.
There's a ton of great jobs out there that people are very happy doing, and plenty of studies revealing them from employee feedback. That could be a good start. Many of these studies take into account the starting and potential salary, education required, stress levels, etc.
Another point to consider is that money is in NO WAY linked to happiness. Sure, nice things are good to have but as Michael Masterson talks about you can live a very posh lifestyle (similar to any multi-millionaire) on 6 figures. He talks about things like how big of a house do you really need, buying a great used car that looks and still feels expensive rather than throwing money away on a new one, clothing, food, etc.
Everyone should read his book, Automatic Wealth. Great read.
The bottom line comes back to doing something you enjoy doing. You're going to be doing it a long time, and you shouldn't have to settle for anything less or force yourself to not hate your job. |
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| euro_trash |
quote:
Originally posted by bapestaaa
I know that you are not doing any roughneck work, but I have interpreted that you are on a field for many weeks analyzing the area, no?
You are going to have to expand, I don't really understand what you are asking...
I do overlook a certain area, but its not for a few weeks, it is forever LOL. Basically each engineer has a certain geographical area which contains a number of wells. Depending on the position (exploitation/development/reservoir engineer, production engineer, etc) they look after these areas together |
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| Dustin99 |
| I was in the exact same place you are last year! I ended up taking a year off and it helped me out tons! I job shadowed anything and everything i was interested in, and that right away ruled out alot of things for me! I also worked different types of jobs and got a feel for different "atmospheres" or work places! I even went out to victoria and worked there! also it was a great trip! If you really have no idea on what you want to do then just get some experience and have fun while you do it! Hopefully that will help you out! |
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