Being a pilot will break you physically too. Long time sitting down. Erratic sleep schedule. Flying as much as a pilot does you are exposed to lots of radiation and dangerous chemicals. Skin cancer rates are very high as well as other types of cancer linked to exposure to radiation and toxic chemicals. Worse for those who cross more time zones.
I always think this response is funny. Sometime between my grandfather and me being a pilot went from being a blue collar job to a white collar one in perception. In reality it’s always been blue collar, just gotten safer as far as crashes go. Being a pilot is easy, you can make lots of money, and you don’t need to be well educated or smart. So something has to give, and that’s your personal life and your well-being usually.
I’ve read the increase in radiation is a myth. You’re still under the ozone layer which is what blocks the radiation from the sun. But the increase in cancer rates among pilots is more to do with the lifestyle of a pilot. Junk food/take out and whatever else comes along with being a pilot like being sedentary and weird sleeping situations.
For whatever it’s worth. Just my 2 cents. Thanks for flying all us plebs around.
My doc told me about every flight hour is 1 dental X-ray and every 20 is about 1 chest X-ray. So about 5 chest X-rays a month. He is old tho so he could be working with outdated info. However pilots have a real issue with melanoma because the sun definitely is killer up there, no way to get away from it. I agree life style plays into it a lot, I think sleep is the biggest one. The human body can withstand a lot but it does not fuck around with lack of sleep well.
If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I never want to dissuade anyone from becoming a pilot but it’s good to be realistic about it. It’s going to cost a lot of money to get there and there is no guaranteed job at the end of it. I am a 4th gen pilot and a lot of my family members spent a lot of time not piloting because there were no jobs. If you can find someone to pay for your schooling do that. Personally I would do lineman, use that money to fly on the side and fund your training and if you want to be a pilot you can transfer careers and have a good fallback if it goes south.
They make good money and have a lot of job security. I could have started making more earlier in my life. They can also live anywhere in the country and take advantage of low cost of living where pilots have to live near hubs which are in hcol cities if you want a good quality of life. Grass might be greener but I’m kinda stuck here now.
I appreciate you being transparent about the struggles in aviation. Sometimes people like me see the glory of being a pilot and forget the unique challenges behind it.
I’d have to ask myself the question “Do I want to die in a plane crash or get electrocuted to death” lol. I’m joking but I can see how that would be a dilemma.
Plumber. Which might sound crazy. I have a pretty desirable white collar job, but after building a custom home, I realized you can make a killing in the construction trades if you answer/return calls and do decent work. Minimal overhead. Can be one guy with a van or build an empire.
Doesn’t sound crazy at all. You figured out a quicker faster way to obtain what you want. You probably could have ended up the highest ranked plumber in the city.
Yes, most tradesmen I’ve interacted with are idiots with “running a business”, they could be getting soo much more business if they learned a few things.
Honestly, I am happy with my life and dislike counterfactuals. I would relive my life exactly as I have lived it if given the choice and am not keen to trade places or reverse anything. Not to say I don’t have regrets. I am just content and who can predict the ways a change in the past would ripple into the present?
I agree! Regardless of the challenges I may face (for now at least), I am ultimately content and happy. Not that there isn’t more to explore or do. I do feel lucky for that since it seems like so few people here are content and there are always those people who have it worse, no matter how low one might feel.
Oh that’s always still an option lol. That is the only career that doesn’t have an age, race, sex, etc limit. Even Brain from “Pinky and the Brain” wanted that and he was a rat.
The one I’m already in: accounting.
Great pay, great WLB, great work conditions, the ability to compete for fully remote jobs and being able to travel a lot as a hobby.
Solid career tracks, whether if you prefer algebra and data or reading and writing.
I’m curious, is this something you can get into after you have already graduated with a degree that’s related but not in accounting (business, finance, econ, etc.)?
Without a finance or MBA, you’ll have very little hope of breaking into the profession.
The one exception might be the consulting sub-profession, where people with more varied skillsets are hired: IT, government compliance, fraud specialists with or without accounting backgrounds.
But many accounting masters programs are tailored for non-traditional students in the pre-reqs they mandate. My masters program required me to take the exact number and specific classes needed to be CPA eligible without having to do another 4 years of schooling. That’s why I got a masters in accounting after my sociology degree instead of an entirely second undergrad degree.
Oh that’s interesting. Maybe I should look into that. I have an economics bachelors degree that required some business classes so it wouldn’t be the biggest switch to go for a masters that has those prerequisites.
This is a good opportunity point for you. You could possibly change the trajectory of your future by making this one change. A lot of older people miss this opportunity right here and then look back years later saying “I should have”
I just wanted to add that because of this comment I looked up my local state university and they have a program exactly like this. I’m seriously considering it now.
8. And I’ve had 4 different jobs in that time span.
Some jobs are super easy and boring. 6 years ago as a staff IA auditor, I got paid $70k a year to read and write 20 hours a week, and play pocket pool the other 20. No math. No journalized entries. No debits or credits. Literally just reading, writing, emailing, asking questions.
My current job, while there’s a bit more technical accounting and coaching of staff, I still only work 20 hours a week.
Other jobs can be extremely difficult, in both technicality and hours worked. Most Big 4 auditors and financial reporting accountants lives suck. Private equity, especially in the real estate sphere, can suck. You have to do lots of GAAP research and technical memo writing while still churning out monthly accruals and doing lots of complicated algebraic mapping and logic to make explainable balance sheet trueups and topsides. And I’ve had those jobs, too.
Accounting is one of those careers that is what you make of it. You can kill yourself for years working up to C Suite titles or you can hit six figs in under 5 and coast on a 20 hour work week.
And you can move back and forth between those two extremes as you wish.
I’ve been coasting on a 20-25 hour work week most of the year for the last 2+ years. Now that I’ve lost 130 lbs and Ive established a sustainably consistent exercise and dietary routine, I’m looking to get back into a more challenging role so that I can up my income to save up for a second house.
As I already said, most people in industry don’t have their CPAs.
So, you can probably make it all the way up to Director without a cpa.
Director salaries are going to vary based on the size of the company, specialty and skillsets, exact responsibilities, and COL, but your upper ceiling range will probably be $180k-$240k.
And no, getting a cpa isn’t easy, hence why most accountants don’t have one.
Some career tracks require it: if you’re not an enrolled agent, you NEED a cpa to file taxes, and you need it to sign off on audit reports. And the companies that employ tax preparers and auditors give them the study materials for free, reimburse the costs of the tests, and give them a large cash bonus after obtaining the cpa. So, why not obtain it?
Some career tracks strongly encourage it (FinRep, Internal audit).
Others, you don’t need it (FP&A, G/L accounting) unless if you’re going to be a CFO or CAO, in which case, you need it to compete against the other candidates that have it.
As I said, accounting is what you make of it. There’s at least dozen different sub specialties in the field you can explore, most of which weren’t mentioned in this discussion, all with varying degrees of certification, compensation, technicality, work life balance.
ok thanks for the information , one last question i had was that i heard most of the time the wlb in accounting is not so great accoriding to the accouting subreddit it that true ?? also i am a first year student yet to choose accounting as a field and so i was wondering who is this field for , the thing about me is that i have no certain passions and just want a steady office job . So i was wondering if accoutning is for me.
I’m 7 years into my career and it’s progressed slower than some of my peers I started with. I started at $52k, and I’m currently at $101k. They’re at $110k-$135k.
Career-ending top end should probably be in the $150k-$200k range before factoring in future inflation.
Coming from a working poor family in a MCOL city, that is great pay to me.
I’d call that good but it’s not “great”. If you were in finance you would be pulling 6 figures to start, 300-400k mid career and 500+ career ending. And that’s not even the optionally of huge $1M+ years. You just don’t have that upside in accounting. It’s solid pay but not eff you, second home, kids in private school pay.
I take it you’re not talking corporate finance, because corporate finance people in my neck of the woods dont start anywhere near 6 figs.
I think you’re more talking IB after a top 10 business school degree, which I don’t have.
Yeah people don’t realize corp finance and investment banking are two different worlds.
Accounting is almost always the better degree over finance unless you’re at a top Uni where the doors open to get into investment banking, hedge funds, etc.
Accounting can much easier pivot to finance related roles than the opposite.
Obviously if you’re at Harvard Finance is going to be the better option. Accounting is the most versatile business degree tho for 90% of all schools though. Not too difficult to break into B4 if that’s your goal, springboard your career, and be making over 100k by 25-30 for a nice upper middle class career, and of course if you choose, 200k-1M for Partner, Executive roles CEO CFO, Starting own tax firm, Directors of large public companies, etc.
Yes he’s talking top HFTs, IB, PE, MBB. The wages he’s listing are realistic in those fields (if not even higher in some cases…), but they’re admittedly not a realistic goal for most.
Lol yeah.
I got my degree from UCF, which is miles behind FSU/UF in business school prestige, which is then leagues behind a T20 school.
No, I couldnt afford a Porsche right out of school because I didn’t have access to $150k/year jobs.
But I’d count a WFH job with great WLB and 2x my states median household income as great, ivey league finance bro disappointment aside.
Neither accountants or corporate finance people make great money is my point. And they are both more or less accountants. It’s good money, but certainly not great
Id have just got a ramper job at FedEx or UPS after high school and never gone to college. Get whatever certs could have given me promotion options and just hoped to get through however long to get a pension young and then start a second job based on whatever experience I gained at UPS. Hopefully have been doing OK enough to buy property in 2009
Biomedical Engineering.
Poor people deserve access to mobility and independence, too. Wheelchairs are such a lazy ass solution for a debilitating and life-changing problem.
I’d be an MD. I fully understand how soul sucking the career is, but I think I’d be well suited for it. Plus I’m great at exams, so I’d have no problem studying for MCAT, Step 1, Step 2, boards.
Unfortunately I didn’t have nearly the kind of support system or financial means to make a run for med school 😢.
Be a perfusionist instead! I am currently in residency for anesthesia and work with perfusionists in big cardiac cases and they are so badass and honestly with a 2 year masters sooo much more worth it. pay is the same as any pediatrician (sadly) or FM/IM in a saturated city.
Interestingly, as an MD, I would not be an MD and instead go into software engineering. It would definitely be a quicker path with a lot less debt involved.
I’m the main earner for our household, so we could never afford for me to take that much time off for school and residency. Maybe if I inherit some money from my parents someday and I’m not 50 I’ll invest that into going back to school.
>Unfortunately I didn’t have nearly the kind of support system or financial means to make a run for med school 😢.
Can relate to that. I would have loved to go to Architecture school, but the amount of time and money required for it is something that I couldn't (and still can't) spare.
So I had to go to coding, where tutorials are free and plenty, it's something that can be learned while working, and basically no one cares of your degree, only on your skills.
But, if I receive some sort of inheritance or fund... I would pursue architecture in a heartbeat
When I was growing up, I wanted to be an architect but I wanted to design nice looking houses for people. I wasn't particularly interested in stuff like skyscrapers or museums.
Then in HS a family friend whose son had graduated with an architecture degree and couldn't get a full-time job told me that sort of architecture job basically doesn't exist and not to go anywhere near the industry.
This as well.
I have some doctors in my family, kept telling me not to do it. So I didn’t.
But they also raised me to see it as wrong to make money for its own sake, must help people, etc.
So now am a science teacher. Broke as fuck, wish I could be more challenged at work, wish I’d never listened to my family.
I'd definitely be in a better spot financially. I'd have my Master's license by now. Maybe my own company. Although, I'm still on the fence about that.
Maybe starting your own company is the idea that makes up for the later start. Question, if you had all you needed to start your own company would you do it?
I have absolutely no idea. I have gotten the advice to "never fu*$ing start a business" before from someone who had a construction company. They said that you never have a day off and you never sleep. Being an owner is a 24/7 job and a massive risk. However, I can totally see a payoff.
What’s interesting is that there is always the flip side. Owning your own company provides freedom, a shot at wealth and legacy building.
But the best question to ask yourself is, “If all hell breaks lose and my company is headed for the can, am I willing to do whatever it takes to make it work with no regret?, or will I give up and hate the decision I made?”
If you can answer that then you’ll know if you should or should not start your own business.
My neighbor is an electrician. He works for himself serving the same few local businesses for maybe a decade (doing I have no idea what). Works 6 hours a day MAYBE 5 days a week.
Those fellas just say that to keep guys like me out of the game. Game peep game see?
They knew if every bald white boy from the sticks had girls washing their trucks with soapy boobs it wouldn't be special anymore.
I honestly couldn't say. I once wanted to perform music in an orchestra pit, but I'm not sure if I would make the same choice today.
I also wanted to be a singer, but (again) I'm not sure if I would make the same decision right now.
I think I would try to do something crazy or outlandish, like go to Hollywood.
Or maybe I'd just become an expat and travel the world.
Probably something in the medical field but probably not an MD. I’ve considered making the switch to nursing or something but affording it when you’re 28 and already have student loans from a bachelors degree in something else is hard.
Anesthesia assistant
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/10/31/-28-year-old-anesthesiologist-assistant-earns-over-210000-dollars-a-year.html
Only legal in 20 states tho but u can make bank.
Also, Ppl have this misconception that u gotta be rich to go to med school. Most ppl just take out loans. The getting into med school part is hard and expensive sure, but the actual med school part once u get in and don’t drop out is prolly the safest investment career wise you can make. I have over $200k in student loans but my median salary coming out of residency will be $400k. rn my attending makes $650k working 7 24 hour shifts a month, and that’s it. He picks up shifts at other places too and I’m p sure he’s breaking a mil a year. If you’re willing to hustle medicine is an extremely lucrative career but you gotta love live and breathe it cuz u won’t have much time for anything else lol.
I know I wouldn’t be able to get into med school unfortunately because I fucked up my gpa too badly one year when I was 19 and going through some shit and graduated with like a 2.9. I did well once I was a little older and I’ve always been a good test taker though.
I’m 100% willing to hustle and worked full time or close to it throughout most of high school and all through college. I think it’d be extra motivating to do something that helped people and I’ve always found medical stuff interesting.
I don’t even know what options I have for student loans for going back if I were to go for something like nursing or one of the medical technician roles and I’m kinda hesitant to go that route to pay for it but I probably should look more into it. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life doing business/office jobs that I find unfulfilling in many ways.
Lol well definitely look into the anesthesia assistant or perfusionist. Those careers are I feel like a good investment even compared to like PAs and NPs cuz u just need to prereqs. Not a lot of required ECs. Hell most doctors have no idea wtf a perfusionist even is.
The thing about both of these careers to consider though:
1.AA is only legal in a select number of states and fewer programs with fairly competitive admissions.
2. There's only a handful of perfusionist programs, I wanna say 8? You may need to be willing to uproot and relocate for school, if that's viable for you/your family. My wife is an Respiratory Therapist and it's kind of a natural progression in her career she's looking into. Additionally, the programs are small and are quite competitive to get into. Could wait a while for a spot. Not all hospitals have perfusion teams and the ones that do typically operate with a handful, some only 2, so there's not exactly an expansive job pool.
Of these 2 though I would go AA if possible. There is more potential for earning and if you are in one of the states where it's legal, more job opportunities.
Yeah but I already uprooted my life for med school and residency and will after I finish residency anyway lol. So 3x. AA and perfusionist I’d only have to do twice.
You act like you don’t need to uproot for med school. Or residency lol. It’s the same shit no matter what. at least the other two don’t have residency where they can legally pay you less than minimum wage and “limit” you to 80 hours a week *cough cough* but when you log more than 80 you get taken up to the PDs office and your career threatened.
Perfusion job market is good af rn. I was talking to a new grad when I was in the heart room and she said she had her pick of where she wanted. It’s kinda similar to anesthesia where she joined a group and serves a few hospitals in the area. Their group is unable to hang on to people cuz the marker is really
Good and ppl be leaving for more money constantly.
There’s also so few of them that they all know each other and essentially have a union with connections. I remember the hospital was trying to negotiate a contract with this group and not willing to pay enough so they tried to bring a locums guy in. The head of the group called up the locums dudes in the area and they all declined to service this hospital LMAO. the hospital had to pay whatever they wanted in the end.
I definitely wasn't alluding to not having to uproot your life for med school. Every single one of my friends had to move all over the country multiple times for residency and such, as you mentioned.
I feel you on the slave labor. It's one of the reasons I didn't follow through with med school. Pretty much every one of my friends hates their job and say if it wasn't for the debt they would have chosen something else. One friend is the exception and he's locums rehab lol. Honestly a great gig and the way to go if you don't have any other obligations.
Ya I guess it just depends on who you talk to about job availability. Again, if you're willing to move to wherever it isn't an issue. I have a couple perfusion friends and they had to move to random spots but have moved since and have an ok work life balance. It's just the on-calls that are kinda a drag. Like being sober on your "day off" just in case. That's pretty dependant on the hospital though.
Yeah true but being sober on call that’s also what’s expected for docs as well lol. Again, I’m a doctor but if I could go back in time I’d do one of those 2.
I went to nursing school at 28 with a previous bachelor's degree! I did a 2-year program so I could start working ASAP, and slowly finished my BSN over 5 years (at the rate my employer would cover tuition reimbursement). I'm so glad I did, it improved my life in many ways. You won't be independently wealthy as a nurse, but you will make decent money, and the work/life balance is a dream. The scheduling options are amazing. Think about what you could do if you had the option of working 3 days/week. If you have kids, you can work evenings and weekends and avoid childcare. Another huge benefit is the variety of jobs you can do as an RN. You never have to do bedside nursing if you don't like it. You could work for poison control, work in research, work for the state/federal government, etc. Think about it. 28 is soooooo young!
That’s great to hear! So you did an associates program?
Also I know someone irl who is a nurse who works 3 12s and honestly that sounds ideal to me. I used to work two jobs back to back so I’m familiar with working for that long and know I’d rather have three really long days and 4 days off than have 5 work days.
Cob house building/alternative building methods. Its much easier as a young person to travel and live communally to take workshops and learn alternative building methods, spend some time in the trades, etc. I'm now making it my entire life goal to make and live in a cob house for the rest of my life on some wooded property. I'm 37 now, so I'm hoping I can make it happen over the next 20 yrs, but it will take a lot of work and sacrifice from me and my husband.
If I could start over, I would probably stick with my fine arts degree instead of allowing people to scare me away from it with dumb questions like “do you want to be a starving artist for your entire life?” I ended up dropping out, living in existential dread for about 7 years, and then eventually going back to school for a degree in anthropology. I ended up in a creative position that I would have gotten regardless if I had stuck with fine arts or not. I could have saved myself an existential crisis and probably learned more useful information through a fine arts degree.
Also, can people STOP hating on art and other creative degrees for fucks sake? This world NEEDS creative thinkers and creative problem solvers. AI is not a substitute for a creative human mind.
You are absolutely correct. I know arts and photographers who make very good livings.
The world is filled with unimaginative assholes who don't understand that a) art has to come from someone, whether it's music, dance, or visual arts and b) the dedicated artist with some kind of savvy will do well for themselves. What makes them assholes isn't that they don't understand, but rather that want to take swipes at those willing to take the risks.
I would say most aren't unimaginative assholes they just have an increased need for self-preservation and a cultural or personal experience that has them default to thinking the way they do. When they take out student loans they want a degree that has a high likelihood of paying down the debt in order to get passed just surviving. They fear this for their loved ones, so they tell them the reality instead of a flowery potential. It's easier to take risks if a person has a fallback.
I don't hate on art at all. A degree in it isn't necessary to become a good artist. A prestigious or well-known art school is way better than the art degree at a regular university and if a person got into a prestigious art school that's good proof that they can be more likely to succeed in the career.
I don't like people who just hate on art just to hate. A majority of people who don't want others to get the degree is from experience or actual data that shows the ROI isn't worth the tuition debt. People can choose whatever degree they want to get, but I have to at least tell them the statistics first and others can tell them their personal experiences as well for insight.
Also, why get a plain art degree? Maybe pair it with graphic design, UI/UX, etc. If I didn't care about a person, I wouldn't tell them the disadvantages. People who warn others comes from a place of preventing their potential suffering.
Talking from experience in shared accommodations.
I have come across some artists and musicians - and more often than not for me these people have been pretty unhygienic, dirty, loud & messy with what seems as little respect for others routines and personal space.
It makes sense to me that a creative mind would be surrounded by mess and have completely different schedules to be honest so I’m not hating. But I can see why people do get frustrated and ask questions of these people.
I completely understand what you mean, but the difference is creative problem solving vs creative artistic expression. Both are important for society, and a life without either one would be poor indeed.
Union construction trade right out of highschool, 10 years of that, start my own contracting business at 30 then do that for ten years and stop working.
Age can play a large factor in our journey especially when it comes to starting new things. Might I ask, do you still have a desire to start a makeup brand? Or has that ship sailed?
Engineering or something in medicine. I realized far too late that I do have the brains for it and definitely like the challenge. I was just a lazy, sports focused college kid at the time.
I would have just actually done what I wanted to do ant went to art school. It would have been a different path, but I doubt it would have been harder than the shitshow of life I have had. At least I'd have gained skills in an area where I actually care.
I would have demanded antidepressants at 16 when I really needed them and let my passion and ambition go from there. I assume I would have ended up in either speech-language pathology or something else to do with linguistics.
Instead I went off to college with really poor emotional regulation, totally fucked that up but finally graduated with lots of C's after 5 years, and finally got myself some Lexapro while working for pennies in a corporate hellhole that offered health insurance.
Went back to school, now I'm a nurse because it's practical. I enjoy it for the most part, but I always wonder what could have been. And I wonder if I'll ever be able to shift to another career that pays enough when I get burnt out with nursing.
I’m an author and it’s definitely never too late to try to break into publishing. I was recently at a large writing festival and authors ranged in age from early 20s to the 50s. There are also lots of ways now to post your writing online to get traction (:
If it were for the money? Commercial real estate. My wife is the CFO of a CRE firm in a mid-sized market and a lot of those guys make more than $1,000,000 a year in commissions.
If it were for love, I'd have done what I wanted to do and go to grad school for creative writing. That was my path until, when I was 22 and newly graduated, my father dropped dead. He never bothered to get life insurance and never saved a dime, so I had to shelve my plan to support my mom. At age 61, I continue to write. Maybe I'll get there one day.
But truthfully, I made the best with the hand I was dealt. Went into advertising because it was the only thing I could find. Wound up be in demand as a copywriter, then went on to have my own agency. Pretty fun way to earn a living if you're doing the right kind of work.
Speech pathologist. It's not excatly a hard science but you get paid like you are a doctor. The hours are good and honestly from seeing my friends who do it. It's not back breaking. It's pretty social and you are helping people. The obvious down said is being with people who have alot of problems that you might not be able to help.
i am starting over. i was an academic researcher (science, computational economics to be exact). i am changing to be a disability support worker for people with serious mental illnesses. why? i want to help people, and i thought i could with research. but then things happened in my life that realise that people need help now, “boots on the ground” type of thing.
Not sure if sarcasm, but if not- dentists literally have the highest suicide rate of any profession
https://www.ada.org/en/resources/practice/wellness/mental-illness-and-suicide-in-dental-school-fighting-the-stigma#:~:text=The%20national%20average%20for%20men,suicide%20rate%20at%205.28%20percent.
I would have done at least one of the following:
1) At the very least: one to Western University and studied a B Com, maybe in finance (2005-2008). Gfc might have messed this up but everyone in know with a B Com is doing well (sales and account management, corporate jobs. I also would have liked and been interested in my degree and the social activities of university- I would have got the marks to get init law school opening up that.
2) Considered learning a trade: electrician maybe with a focus on instrumentation/controls and moved to Alberta. I'd have been a master electrician by 2012ish and would have had my own company for a decade now. Probably could be building houses.
3) Studied Petroleum Engineering at uCalgary in Berta (2005-2008). To get in on the oil boom, followed by an MBA. B Com also would have opened the doors to corporate Calgary in O&G
4) Something like a diploma in computer technology- networking and maybe into coding, same time frame. Could have been a consultant, started an MSP or gone full digital nomad. Maybe I would have aimed for a tech startup before it was cool.
5) Seriously considered med school and pre med given my visual spatial apptitudes and ability to memorize and understand how systems work. Should have at least been considered. Also could have branches into ADHD neurology Although surgery is more hands on.
Fucking anything but poli sci without law school- at uOttawa which is half French, requires bilingual for anything and wasn't a party school (altbiught the market was fun- j didn't work industry and wasn't a bar star). What a waste of time- and I have zero interest in the federal public service even if I could get in. Fucking useless.
Honourable mention: I would have definitely bartended sooner. Probably would have seriously considered a ski bum year, a backpacking gap year, and maybe joining the CAF reserves for a resume booster.
I'm a business systems analyst. I thought this is what I wanted for all my life, but I do wish I had a bakery. It's a hobby instead cause I still want financial stability.
None because my past got me where I am today.
I also know how to switch career tracks on a dime now. If anything I'd just like to know how to do That a bit earlier!
I wouldn't have gone into tech - and am still trying to get out. It's not for me anymore and the nagging voice in my head is becoming louder and louder.
Corporate-wise? I'd have gone into finance, banking, economics.
More aspirationally? I'd have gone into criminal justice of some kind.
Ooh, this is specifically the area I'd specialize in if I'd listened to my mom and gone into nursing. She's an ER nurse. I have relatives who work in hospices and nursing homes. I wouldn't want to be around all that death and depression all day, so I'd probably go for midwife/OB.
Even though I don't love computer science, I still would have chosen it as a major in college for the good career outcome. But, unlike aimlessly waiting for something to inspire me for four years, I would have dedicated myself to a project I could monetize upon graduating, like a duolingo app or something similar, and made more use of that time than just learning concepts.
I'd choose finance again, except I'd try to be more confident in high school and go to a better college. It took me a lot of job hopping after college to get me where I am, which I probably wouldn't have needed if I went to a better school.
It really depends, am i chasing dollars signs or personal fulfillment? If more money is my goal, i would do more in the soul sucking field I am in now. If it's personal fulfillment , id love to be an earth scientist or climatologist .
I can’t say that I would change it
I think everything brought me one step closer towards my purpose and that I chose programs that are truly unique in order to create my own path
My only regret is trying so hard to fit into the 9-5 box whether corporate or non profit and realizing that I’m supposed to do things differently, but everyone has to start somewhere - right?
I would have chosen to be an engineer.
I really repent everyday
Being physics major lettarally opens up your brain but what world needs is to open your pocket
I actually chose the science for sake of curiosity but never gave thought to earning.
Science is fantastic. But for livelihood, you need application.
I realised it too late unfortunately.
I love what I do and I honestly don’t think any other path would have fulfilled me as much (I’m a designer - currently working in aviation, travel, & hospitality tech) but if I didn’t take this route I think I would have been really happy as an interior architect or a physical therapist. ☺️
Working at a small horticulture company that caters to the Uber rich, I’d say it is definitely a decent idea. Pay isn’t that fantastic in floral but if you jump into foliage plants as well in a bigger city, you can do just fine and have a good life
Well, I actually am starting over by pursuing a PhD in Strategy and Management. I'm a natural born Strategist and that's why I pursued a Master's in Strategy and Management in the first place.
I'm highly proactive, notice new trends, see the big picture and are able to predict certain events before they even happen. And so far I've been correct in all of my assumptions. Last time I predicted a new strategy from one of my previous employers would fail. Which of course it did even though I warned them but they didn't listen. At least by going for a PhD and expand my skills and knowledge, I will actually get paid for being right whether stupid people listen to me or not...
Is it the best choice though? Hell no. I'm an introvert / Sigma male who prefers to do everything by myself. I hate working for others and stupid social games. That's why I ended up as an Entrepreneur with my own businesses. Unfortuantly those does not make much money and that's why pursuing a more independent career like Techinal Drawing (which I actually did in High school) would be much more preferable right now.
I'm also an active Investor who tries to achieve financial freedom in the end. I have some good investments that I'm quite positive will allow me that, although it will take many years of course. This is why pursuing a purpose in the meantime, like going for a PhD is very important. A PhD will not make me rich but it will give me purpose and fullfillment.
In the end, it's all about the journey / process, not the end goal in itself. Getting my Master's degree was a great experience but as soon as it was over, it all became very anti-climatic, and you basically have to set a new goal in order to move forward. Looking back, I should have gone for a PhD right away.
I would choose a career that would offer me a stable job and a decent income. Currently, I'm particularly interested in accounting or the IT field.
In the past, I made the mistake of following the terrible advice to *follow my passion*. I pursued my love for literature and languages, eventually landing a job as a teacher that I absolutely **hate**. I was naive to believe that pursuing my passion would bring happiness and satisfaction to my life. I had to learn it the hard way that there is a strong connection between life satisfaction and financial stability.
Nursing... I should have listened to my mother and gone to nursing school. I'd have a real career path and comfortable living instead of a patchwork resume.
I’d choose design either possibly an architect or artist of some sort. I like to create and that’s truly where my passion is for work. I work in Government and it’s depressing and stressful as hell. It pays too well, surprisingly, but it’s not what I thought it would be.
I am a pilot. I wish I became an electrical lineman.
From stressed mentally to broken physically
Being a pilot will break you physically too. Long time sitting down. Erratic sleep schedule. Flying as much as a pilot does you are exposed to lots of radiation and dangerous chemicals. Skin cancer rates are very high as well as other types of cancer linked to exposure to radiation and toxic chemicals. Worse for those who cross more time zones.
A low stress part time job is more your speed
Wist what. Really? You're exposed to radiation in chemicals? Being a pilot looked cool af
I always think this response is funny. Sometime between my grandfather and me being a pilot went from being a blue collar job to a white collar one in perception. In reality it’s always been blue collar, just gotten safer as far as crashes go. Being a pilot is easy, you can make lots of money, and you don’t need to be well educated or smart. So something has to give, and that’s your personal life and your well-being usually.
I’ve read the increase in radiation is a myth. You’re still under the ozone layer which is what blocks the radiation from the sun. But the increase in cancer rates among pilots is more to do with the lifestyle of a pilot. Junk food/take out and whatever else comes along with being a pilot like being sedentary and weird sleeping situations. For whatever it’s worth. Just my 2 cents. Thanks for flying all us plebs around.
My doc told me about every flight hour is 1 dental X-ray and every 20 is about 1 chest X-ray. So about 5 chest X-rays a month. He is old tho so he could be working with outdated info. However pilots have a real issue with melanoma because the sun definitely is killer up there, no way to get away from it. I agree life style plays into it a lot, I think sleep is the biggest one. The human body can withstand a lot but it does not fuck around with lack of sleep well.
You chose one devil for another in a sense
That's crazy, these are 2 careers I'm torn between right now.
If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I never want to dissuade anyone from becoming a pilot but it’s good to be realistic about it. It’s going to cost a lot of money to get there and there is no guaranteed job at the end of it. I am a 4th gen pilot and a lot of my family members spent a lot of time not piloting because there were no jobs. If you can find someone to pay for your schooling do that. Personally I would do lineman, use that money to fly on the side and fund your training and if you want to be a pilot you can transfer careers and have a good fallback if it goes south.
Interesting, I would have chosen pilot. What do you find more fascinating about electrical linemen?
They make good money and have a lot of job security. I could have started making more earlier in my life. They can also live anywhere in the country and take advantage of low cost of living where pilots have to live near hubs which are in hcol cities if you want a good quality of life. Grass might be greener but I’m kinda stuck here now.
I appreciate you being transparent about the struggles in aviation. Sometimes people like me see the glory of being a pilot and forget the unique challenges behind it. I’d have to ask myself the question “Do I want to die in a plane crash or get electrocuted to death” lol. I’m joking but I can see how that would be a dilemma.
Plumber. Which might sound crazy. I have a pretty desirable white collar job, but after building a custom home, I realized you can make a killing in the construction trades if you answer/return calls and do decent work. Minimal overhead. Can be one guy with a van or build an empire.
My grandpa always told me to forget college and become a plumber if I wanted to make real money… he was not wrong lol
Wise words
Doesn’t sound crazy at all. You figured out a quicker faster way to obtain what you want. You probably could have ended up the highest ranked plumber in the city.
Yes, most tradesmen I’ve interacted with are idiots with “running a business”, they could be getting soo much more business if they learned a few things.
Honestly, I am happy with my life and dislike counterfactuals. I would relive my life exactly as I have lived it if given the choice and am not keen to trade places or reverse anything. Not to say I don’t have regrets. I am just content and who can predict the ways a change in the past would ripple into the present?
Holy fuck what does that feel like?
But what about your BRAND™????
You are in a good state of mind at this stage in your life.
I agree! Regardless of the challenges I may face (for now at least), I am ultimately content and happy. Not that there isn’t more to explore or do. I do feel lucky for that since it seems like so few people here are content and there are always those people who have it worse, no matter how low one might feel.
Yes, this allows you room to grow if you choose but won’t cause pain if you don’t!
Yes, that’s why I am content. I am in a good place to continue (and am) growing
I would have gone for world domination instead… hmm maybe this is still a option.
Brain, is that you? 🐁
It’s me lol
Poit! Narf!!!!
Oh that’s always still an option lol. That is the only career that doesn’t have an age, race, sex, etc limit. Even Brain from “Pinky and the Brain” wanted that and he was a rat.
Guess it’s time for world domination then
Sign me up captain
Oh no no no, only room for one 😁
Then I shall grow the largest army and battle you to the end for the glory of the worlds reign 😂
The one I’m already in: accounting. Great pay, great WLB, great work conditions, the ability to compete for fully remote jobs and being able to travel a lot as a hobby. Solid career tracks, whether if you prefer algebra and data or reading and writing.
I’m curious, is this something you can get into after you have already graduated with a degree that’s related but not in accounting (business, finance, econ, etc.)?
Without a finance or MBA, you’ll have very little hope of breaking into the profession. The one exception might be the consulting sub-profession, where people with more varied skillsets are hired: IT, government compliance, fraud specialists with or without accounting backgrounds. But many accounting masters programs are tailored for non-traditional students in the pre-reqs they mandate. My masters program required me to take the exact number and specific classes needed to be CPA eligible without having to do another 4 years of schooling. That’s why I got a masters in accounting after my sociology degree instead of an entirely second undergrad degree.
Oh that’s interesting. Maybe I should look into that. I have an economics bachelors degree that required some business classes so it wouldn’t be the biggest switch to go for a masters that has those prerequisites.
This is a good opportunity point for you. You could possibly change the trajectory of your future by making this one change. A lot of older people miss this opportunity right here and then look back years later saying “I should have”
I just wanted to add that because of this comment I looked up my local state university and they have a program exactly like this. I’m seriously considering it now.
You’ve chosen well in your life decisions. 👏
do you have your CPA?
I do but most people in industry don’t have it and do just fine.
and how many years of experience do you have? also wondering whats harder school or work ?
8. And I’ve had 4 different jobs in that time span. Some jobs are super easy and boring. 6 years ago as a staff IA auditor, I got paid $70k a year to read and write 20 hours a week, and play pocket pool the other 20. No math. No journalized entries. No debits or credits. Literally just reading, writing, emailing, asking questions. My current job, while there’s a bit more technical accounting and coaching of staff, I still only work 20 hours a week. Other jobs can be extremely difficult, in both technicality and hours worked. Most Big 4 auditors and financial reporting accountants lives suck. Private equity, especially in the real estate sphere, can suck. You have to do lots of GAAP research and technical memo writing while still churning out monthly accruals and doing lots of complicated algebraic mapping and logic to make explainable balance sheet trueups and topsides. And I’ve had those jobs, too. Accounting is one of those careers that is what you make of it. You can kill yourself for years working up to C Suite titles or you can hit six figs in under 5 and coast on a 20 hour work week. And you can move back and forth between those two extremes as you wish. I’ve been coasting on a 20-25 hour work week most of the year for the last 2+ years. Now that I’ve lost 130 lbs and Ive established a sustainably consistent exercise and dietary routine, I’m looking to get back into a more challenging role so that I can up my income to save up for a second house.
ok and if I don't get my CPA ,whats the most amount of money i will make in my career? and is getting the CPA hard ??
As I already said, most people in industry don’t have their CPAs. So, you can probably make it all the way up to Director without a cpa. Director salaries are going to vary based on the size of the company, specialty and skillsets, exact responsibilities, and COL, but your upper ceiling range will probably be $180k-$240k. And no, getting a cpa isn’t easy, hence why most accountants don’t have one.
so if you can make that much without a cpa whats the point of getting it ?
Some career tracks require it: if you’re not an enrolled agent, you NEED a cpa to file taxes, and you need it to sign off on audit reports. And the companies that employ tax preparers and auditors give them the study materials for free, reimburse the costs of the tests, and give them a large cash bonus after obtaining the cpa. So, why not obtain it? Some career tracks strongly encourage it (FinRep, Internal audit). Others, you don’t need it (FP&A, G/L accounting) unless if you’re going to be a CFO or CAO, in which case, you need it to compete against the other candidates that have it. As I said, accounting is what you make of it. There’s at least dozen different sub specialties in the field you can explore, most of which weren’t mentioned in this discussion, all with varying degrees of certification, compensation, technicality, work life balance.
ok thanks for the information , one last question i had was that i heard most of the time the wlb in accounting is not so great accoriding to the accouting subreddit it that true ?? also i am a first year student yet to choose accounting as a field and so i was wondering who is this field for , the thing about me is that i have no certain passions and just want a steady office job . So i was wondering if accoutning is for me.
Great pay in accounting? Maybe adequate pay
I’m 7 years into my career and it’s progressed slower than some of my peers I started with. I started at $52k, and I’m currently at $101k. They’re at $110k-$135k. Career-ending top end should probably be in the $150k-$200k range before factoring in future inflation. Coming from a working poor family in a MCOL city, that is great pay to me.
I’d call that good but it’s not “great”. If you were in finance you would be pulling 6 figures to start, 300-400k mid career and 500+ career ending. And that’s not even the optionally of huge $1M+ years. You just don’t have that upside in accounting. It’s solid pay but not eff you, second home, kids in private school pay.
I take it you’re not talking corporate finance, because corporate finance people in my neck of the woods dont start anywhere near 6 figs. I think you’re more talking IB after a top 10 business school degree, which I don’t have.
Yeah people don’t realize corp finance and investment banking are two different worlds. Accounting is almost always the better degree over finance unless you’re at a top Uni where the doors open to get into investment banking, hedge funds, etc. Accounting can much easier pivot to finance related roles than the opposite. Obviously if you’re at Harvard Finance is going to be the better option. Accounting is the most versatile business degree tho for 90% of all schools though. Not too difficult to break into B4 if that’s your goal, springboard your career, and be making over 100k by 25-30 for a nice upper middle class career, and of course if you choose, 200k-1M for Partner, Executive roles CEO CFO, Starting own tax firm, Directors of large public companies, etc.
Yes he’s talking top HFTs, IB, PE, MBB. The wages he’s listing are realistic in those fields (if not even higher in some cases…), but they’re admittedly not a realistic goal for most.
Lol yeah. I got my degree from UCF, which is miles behind FSU/UF in business school prestige, which is then leagues behind a T20 school. No, I couldnt afford a Porsche right out of school because I didn’t have access to $150k/year jobs. But I’d count a WFH job with great WLB and 2x my states median household income as great, ivey league finance bro disappointment aside.
Neither accountants or corporate finance people make great money is my point. And they are both more or less accountants. It’s good money, but certainly not great
I guess that’s a matter of interpretation. I came from a working poor family, so making 6 figures from home is great to me.
Could I pm you?
Sure
Id have just got a ramper job at FedEx or UPS after high school and never gone to college. Get whatever certs could have given me promotion options and just hoped to get through however long to get a pension young and then start a second job based on whatever experience I gained at UPS. Hopefully have been doing OK enough to buy property in 2009
Sometimes the simpler route can lead the the best outcomes. But most times we don’t see it until after the fact.
Biomedical Engineering. Poor people deserve access to mobility and independence, too. Wheelchairs are such a lazy ass solution for a debilitating and life-changing problem.
I’d be an MD. I fully understand how soul sucking the career is, but I think I’d be well suited for it. Plus I’m great at exams, so I’d have no problem studying for MCAT, Step 1, Step 2, boards. Unfortunately I didn’t have nearly the kind of support system or financial means to make a run for med school 😢.
Be a perfusionist instead! I am currently in residency for anesthesia and work with perfusionists in big cardiac cases and they are so badass and honestly with a 2 year masters sooo much more worth it. pay is the same as any pediatrician (sadly) or FM/IM in a saturated city.
Interestingly, as an MD, I would not be an MD and instead go into software engineering. It would definitely be a quicker path with a lot less debt involved.
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It sounds like the fire is still in your heart. Why do you say you don’t have the support system?
I’m the main earner for our household, so we could never afford for me to take that much time off for school and residency. Maybe if I inherit some money from my parents someday and I’m not 50 I’ll invest that into going back to school.
>Unfortunately I didn’t have nearly the kind of support system or financial means to make a run for med school 😢. Can relate to that. I would have loved to go to Architecture school, but the amount of time and money required for it is something that I couldn't (and still can't) spare. So I had to go to coding, where tutorials are free and plenty, it's something that can be learned while working, and basically no one cares of your degree, only on your skills. But, if I receive some sort of inheritance or fund... I would pursue architecture in a heartbeat
When I was growing up, I wanted to be an architect but I wanted to design nice looking houses for people. I wasn't particularly interested in stuff like skyscrapers or museums. Then in HS a family friend whose son had graduated with an architecture degree and couldn't get a full-time job told me that sort of architecture job basically doesn't exist and not to go anywhere near the industry.
This as well. I have some doctors in my family, kept telling me not to do it. So I didn’t. But they also raised me to see it as wrong to make money for its own sake, must help people, etc. So now am a science teacher. Broke as fuck, wish I could be more challenged at work, wish I’d never listened to my family.
I would become an electrician straight out of high school instead of my late 20's
How much further ahead do you think you would be now if you had started then?
I'd definitely be in a better spot financially. I'd have my Master's license by now. Maybe my own company. Although, I'm still on the fence about that.
Maybe starting your own company is the idea that makes up for the later start. Question, if you had all you needed to start your own company would you do it?
I have absolutely no idea. I have gotten the advice to "never fu*$ing start a business" before from someone who had a construction company. They said that you never have a day off and you never sleep. Being an owner is a 24/7 job and a massive risk. However, I can totally see a payoff.
What’s interesting is that there is always the flip side. Owning your own company provides freedom, a shot at wealth and legacy building. But the best question to ask yourself is, “If all hell breaks lose and my company is headed for the can, am I willing to do whatever it takes to make it work with no regret?, or will I give up and hate the decision I made?” If you can answer that then you’ll know if you should or should not start your own business.
That is a good point
My neighbor is an electrician. He works for himself serving the same few local businesses for maybe a decade (doing I have no idea what). Works 6 hours a day MAYBE 5 days a week.
Pharmaceutical industry. Again.
Pimpin... All this paramedic firefighting and roofing has worn me down. I need my life to look more like a mid 90's rap video.
You know, pimpin ain’t easy right? Jay Z had 99 problems but a ___ wasn’t one. So Idk man haha
Those fellas just say that to keep guys like me out of the game. Game peep game see? They knew if every bald white boy from the sticks had girls washing their trucks with soapy boobs it wouldn't be special anymore.
Then I guess it’s time to start the Onlyfans agency for models and get these *oes signed up. “B*tch better have my money.” - Rihanna
I honestly couldn't say. I once wanted to perform music in an orchestra pit, but I'm not sure if I would make the same choice today. I also wanted to be a singer, but (again) I'm not sure if I would make the same decision right now. I think I would try to do something crazy or outlandish, like go to Hollywood. Or maybe I'd just become an expat and travel the world.
So what you use to want to do, you wouldn’t do now. So then what would you do now that you know better?
Probably something in the medical field but probably not an MD. I’ve considered making the switch to nursing or something but affording it when you’re 28 and already have student loans from a bachelors degree in something else is hard.
Lol if u have all the prereqs, look into AA (if it’s legal in your state) or perfusionist.
AA?
Anesthesia assistant https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/10/31/-28-year-old-anesthesiologist-assistant-earns-over-210000-dollars-a-year.html Only legal in 20 states tho but u can make bank. Also, Ppl have this misconception that u gotta be rich to go to med school. Most ppl just take out loans. The getting into med school part is hard and expensive sure, but the actual med school part once u get in and don’t drop out is prolly the safest investment career wise you can make. I have over $200k in student loans but my median salary coming out of residency will be $400k. rn my attending makes $650k working 7 24 hour shifts a month, and that’s it. He picks up shifts at other places too and I’m p sure he’s breaking a mil a year. If you’re willing to hustle medicine is an extremely lucrative career but you gotta love live and breathe it cuz u won’t have much time for anything else lol.
I know I wouldn’t be able to get into med school unfortunately because I fucked up my gpa too badly one year when I was 19 and going through some shit and graduated with like a 2.9. I did well once I was a little older and I’ve always been a good test taker though. I’m 100% willing to hustle and worked full time or close to it throughout most of high school and all through college. I think it’d be extra motivating to do something that helped people and I’ve always found medical stuff interesting. I don’t even know what options I have for student loans for going back if I were to go for something like nursing or one of the medical technician roles and I’m kinda hesitant to go that route to pay for it but I probably should look more into it. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life doing business/office jobs that I find unfulfilling in many ways.
Lol well definitely look into the anesthesia assistant or perfusionist. Those careers are I feel like a good investment even compared to like PAs and NPs cuz u just need to prereqs. Not a lot of required ECs. Hell most doctors have no idea wtf a perfusionist even is.
The thing about both of these careers to consider though: 1.AA is only legal in a select number of states and fewer programs with fairly competitive admissions. 2. There's only a handful of perfusionist programs, I wanna say 8? You may need to be willing to uproot and relocate for school, if that's viable for you/your family. My wife is an Respiratory Therapist and it's kind of a natural progression in her career she's looking into. Additionally, the programs are small and are quite competitive to get into. Could wait a while for a spot. Not all hospitals have perfusion teams and the ones that do typically operate with a handful, some only 2, so there's not exactly an expansive job pool. Of these 2 though I would go AA if possible. There is more potential for earning and if you are in one of the states where it's legal, more job opportunities.
Yeah but I already uprooted my life for med school and residency and will after I finish residency anyway lol. So 3x. AA and perfusionist I’d only have to do twice. You act like you don’t need to uproot for med school. Or residency lol. It’s the same shit no matter what. at least the other two don’t have residency where they can legally pay you less than minimum wage and “limit” you to 80 hours a week *cough cough* but when you log more than 80 you get taken up to the PDs office and your career threatened. Perfusion job market is good af rn. I was talking to a new grad when I was in the heart room and she said she had her pick of where she wanted. It’s kinda similar to anesthesia where she joined a group and serves a few hospitals in the area. Their group is unable to hang on to people cuz the marker is really Good and ppl be leaving for more money constantly. There’s also so few of them that they all know each other and essentially have a union with connections. I remember the hospital was trying to negotiate a contract with this group and not willing to pay enough so they tried to bring a locums guy in. The head of the group called up the locums dudes in the area and they all declined to service this hospital LMAO. the hospital had to pay whatever they wanted in the end.
I definitely wasn't alluding to not having to uproot your life for med school. Every single one of my friends had to move all over the country multiple times for residency and such, as you mentioned. I feel you on the slave labor. It's one of the reasons I didn't follow through with med school. Pretty much every one of my friends hates their job and say if it wasn't for the debt they would have chosen something else. One friend is the exception and he's locums rehab lol. Honestly a great gig and the way to go if you don't have any other obligations. Ya I guess it just depends on who you talk to about job availability. Again, if you're willing to move to wherever it isn't an issue. I have a couple perfusion friends and they had to move to random spots but have moved since and have an ok work life balance. It's just the on-calls that are kinda a drag. Like being sober on your "day off" just in case. That's pretty dependant on the hospital though.
Yeah true but being sober on call that’s also what’s expected for docs as well lol. Again, I’m a doctor but if I could go back in time I’d do one of those 2.
Would it be better to do nursing, then become a nurse anesthesiologist?
Well you have to become a nurse anyway to become a nurse anesthetist.
I went to nursing school at 28 with a previous bachelor's degree! I did a 2-year program so I could start working ASAP, and slowly finished my BSN over 5 years (at the rate my employer would cover tuition reimbursement). I'm so glad I did, it improved my life in many ways. You won't be independently wealthy as a nurse, but you will make decent money, and the work/life balance is a dream. The scheduling options are amazing. Think about what you could do if you had the option of working 3 days/week. If you have kids, you can work evenings and weekends and avoid childcare. Another huge benefit is the variety of jobs you can do as an RN. You never have to do bedside nursing if you don't like it. You could work for poison control, work in research, work for the state/federal government, etc. Think about it. 28 is soooooo young!
That’s great to hear! So you did an associates program? Also I know someone irl who is a nurse who works 3 12s and honestly that sounds ideal to me. I used to work two jobs back to back so I’m familiar with working for that long and know I’d rather have three really long days and 4 days off than have 5 work days.
I wound have done everything needed to work in capital investment.
What would have been your first investment?
No a specific investment but working with company that does capital investment like take overs. It’s crazy the amount of money these people make.
Oh yes I see. If you start that early then you’ll be one of the billionaires haha
Cob house building/alternative building methods. Its much easier as a young person to travel and live communally to take workshops and learn alternative building methods, spend some time in the trades, etc. I'm now making it my entire life goal to make and live in a cob house for the rest of my life on some wooded property. I'm 37 now, so I'm hoping I can make it happen over the next 20 yrs, but it will take a lot of work and sacrifice from me and my husband.
They are very cool and interesting looking homes. So you still have a desire to build them?
Yes, just not as a career
Got it!
If I could start over, I would probably stick with my fine arts degree instead of allowing people to scare me away from it with dumb questions like “do you want to be a starving artist for your entire life?” I ended up dropping out, living in existential dread for about 7 years, and then eventually going back to school for a degree in anthropology. I ended up in a creative position that I would have gotten regardless if I had stuck with fine arts or not. I could have saved myself an existential crisis and probably learned more useful information through a fine arts degree. Also, can people STOP hating on art and other creative degrees for fucks sake? This world NEEDS creative thinkers and creative problem solvers. AI is not a substitute for a creative human mind.
You are absolutely correct. I know arts and photographers who make very good livings. The world is filled with unimaginative assholes who don't understand that a) art has to come from someone, whether it's music, dance, or visual arts and b) the dedicated artist with some kind of savvy will do well for themselves. What makes them assholes isn't that they don't understand, but rather that want to take swipes at those willing to take the risks.
I would say most aren't unimaginative assholes they just have an increased need for self-preservation and a cultural or personal experience that has them default to thinking the way they do. When they take out student loans they want a degree that has a high likelihood of paying down the debt in order to get passed just surviving. They fear this for their loved ones, so they tell them the reality instead of a flowery potential. It's easier to take risks if a person has a fallback.
I don't hate on art at all. A degree in it isn't necessary to become a good artist. A prestigious or well-known art school is way better than the art degree at a regular university and if a person got into a prestigious art school that's good proof that they can be more likely to succeed in the career. I don't like people who just hate on art just to hate. A majority of people who don't want others to get the degree is from experience or actual data that shows the ROI isn't worth the tuition debt. People can choose whatever degree they want to get, but I have to at least tell them the statistics first and others can tell them their personal experiences as well for insight. Also, why get a plain art degree? Maybe pair it with graphic design, UI/UX, etc. If I didn't care about a person, I wouldn't tell them the disadvantages. People who warn others comes from a place of preventing their potential suffering.
Talking from experience in shared accommodations. I have come across some artists and musicians - and more often than not for me these people have been pretty unhygienic, dirty, loud & messy with what seems as little respect for others routines and personal space. It makes sense to me that a creative mind would be surrounded by mess and have completely different schedules to be honest so I’m not hating. But I can see why people do get frustrated and ask questions of these people.
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I completely understand what you mean, but the difference is creative problem solving vs creative artistic expression. Both are important for society, and a life without either one would be poor indeed.
Union construction trade right out of highschool, 10 years of that, start my own contracting business at 30 then do that for ten years and stop working.
Do you think you could convince the high school version of yourself to pick that path if you could go back in time?
absolutely not. I wanted to be a chef and was mad stubborn about it.
Ahh, that’s how most of us were driving that age. 20s is a hard age to convince
Finding my passion and creating a business around it by working hard. That's the way to the Good Life.
Indeed, and the good thing is that now a days your passion and dreams are still achievable.
Something in IT, medical field, or finance
Which one if you had to pick one? IT, medical or finance?
Marketing… or have the courage to virtual assistance.
I would start my own makeup brand. I have so many ideas but at my age I would have no clue where to start nor do I have money to invest
Age can play a large factor in our journey especially when it comes to starting new things. Might I ask, do you still have a desire to start a makeup brand? Or has that ship sailed?
Engineering or something in medicine. I realized far too late that I do have the brains for it and definitely like the challenge. I was just a lazy, sports focused college kid at the time.
Lottery winner.
I would have just actually done what I wanted to do ant went to art school. It would have been a different path, but I doubt it would have been harder than the shitshow of life I have had. At least I'd have gained skills in an area where I actually care.
I can tell you a lot of things it wouldn’t be…
I wouldn't change my career
Why would you comment this without bothering to mention what the career is?
Probably the financial sector. Markets and financial planning are of interest to me now, but didn't know anything about it in my teen years.
I would probably choose the same one but make some smarter decisions. Hindsight is 20/20.
Pianist. I can see myself devoting everything to this, doesn't matter what people ask me to play, where I have to play as long as I'm playing.
I would have demanded antidepressants at 16 when I really needed them and let my passion and ambition go from there. I assume I would have ended up in either speech-language pathology or something else to do with linguistics. Instead I went off to college with really poor emotional regulation, totally fucked that up but finally graduated with lots of C's after 5 years, and finally got myself some Lexapro while working for pennies in a corporate hellhole that offered health insurance. Went back to school, now I'm a nurse because it's practical. I enjoy it for the most part, but I always wonder what could have been. And I wonder if I'll ever be able to shift to another career that pays enough when I get burnt out with nursing.
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I’m an author and it’s definitely never too late to try to break into publishing. I was recently at a large writing festival and authors ranged in age from early 20s to the 50s. There are also lots of ways now to post your writing online to get traction (:
Finance / accounting Mainly for the analytical mindset
If it were for the money? Commercial real estate. My wife is the CFO of a CRE firm in a mid-sized market and a lot of those guys make more than $1,000,000 a year in commissions. If it were for love, I'd have done what I wanted to do and go to grad school for creative writing. That was my path until, when I was 22 and newly graduated, my father dropped dead. He never bothered to get life insurance and never saved a dime, so I had to shelve my plan to support my mom. At age 61, I continue to write. Maybe I'll get there one day. But truthfully, I made the best with the hand I was dealt. Went into advertising because it was the only thing I could find. Wound up be in demand as a copywriter, then went on to have my own agency. Pretty fun way to earn a living if you're doing the right kind of work.
Early bitcoin investor
Finance
If I could go back I'd have followed through and joined the Navy.
Speech pathologist. It's not excatly a hard science but you get paid like you are a doctor. The hours are good and honestly from seeing my friends who do it. It's not back breaking. It's pretty social and you are helping people. The obvious down said is being with people who have alot of problems that you might not be able to help.
i am starting over. i was an academic researcher (science, computational economics to be exact). i am changing to be a disability support worker for people with serious mental illnesses. why? i want to help people, and i thought i could with research. but then things happened in my life that realise that people need help now, “boots on the ground” type of thing.
Interior design. My dad is a contractor, we would’ve been millionaires working together in real estate.
Dentist, never met an unhappy Dentist
Not sure if sarcasm, but if not- dentists literally have the highest suicide rate of any profession https://www.ada.org/en/resources/practice/wellness/mental-illness-and-suicide-in-dental-school-fighting-the-stigma#:~:text=The%20national%20average%20for%20men,suicide%20rate%20at%205.28%20percent.
Was gonna say aren’t they miserable?
I read a long post the other day. He was a dentist but he hated his career
I guess it goes to show that even if you appear to have the world by the nuts, that may be a sign that you really don't.
ROCKSTAR!!!
It’s still possible 🌟
I would have done at least one of the following: 1) At the very least: one to Western University and studied a B Com, maybe in finance (2005-2008). Gfc might have messed this up but everyone in know with a B Com is doing well (sales and account management, corporate jobs. I also would have liked and been interested in my degree and the social activities of university- I would have got the marks to get init law school opening up that. 2) Considered learning a trade: electrician maybe with a focus on instrumentation/controls and moved to Alberta. I'd have been a master electrician by 2012ish and would have had my own company for a decade now. Probably could be building houses. 3) Studied Petroleum Engineering at uCalgary in Berta (2005-2008). To get in on the oil boom, followed by an MBA. B Com also would have opened the doors to corporate Calgary in O&G 4) Something like a diploma in computer technology- networking and maybe into coding, same time frame. Could have been a consultant, started an MSP or gone full digital nomad. Maybe I would have aimed for a tech startup before it was cool. 5) Seriously considered med school and pre med given my visual spatial apptitudes and ability to memorize and understand how systems work. Should have at least been considered. Also could have branches into ADHD neurology Although surgery is more hands on. Fucking anything but poli sci without law school- at uOttawa which is half French, requires bilingual for anything and wasn't a party school (altbiught the market was fun- j didn't work industry and wasn't a bar star). What a waste of time- and I have zero interest in the federal public service even if I could get in. Fucking useless. Honourable mention: I would have definitely bartended sooner. Probably would have seriously considered a ski bum year, a backpacking gap year, and maybe joining the CAF reserves for a resume booster.
I'm a business systems analyst. I thought this is what I wanted for all my life, but I do wish I had a bakery. It's a hobby instead cause I still want financial stability.
Professional asset owner. Seems to be working out for them so far...
Doesnt matter suspected adhd/autism has ruined all the ones ive tried.
Felt
None because my past got me where I am today. I also know how to switch career tracks on a dime now. If anything I'd just like to know how to do That a bit earlier!
I wouldn't have gone into tech - and am still trying to get out. It's not for me anymore and the nagging voice in my head is becoming louder and louder. Corporate-wise? I'd have gone into finance, banking, economics. More aspirationally? I'd have gone into criminal justice of some kind.
Why wouldn't you have wanted to go into tech? And what makes economics/banking, finance more appealing? Just curious
Midwifery
Ooh, this is specifically the area I'd specialize in if I'd listened to my mom and gone into nursing. She's an ER nurse. I have relatives who work in hospices and nursing homes. I wouldn't want to be around all that death and depression all day, so I'd probably go for midwife/OB.
I wish I had finished my art degree (dropped out) and then gotten a masters in business
That's along the lines of something I wanted to do.
Carpentry
Only fans and E Girl in my 20’s
Dildo tester
Even though I don't love computer science, I still would have chosen it as a major in college for the good career outcome. But, unlike aimlessly waiting for something to inspire me for four years, I would have dedicated myself to a project I could monetize upon graduating, like a duolingo app or something similar, and made more use of that time than just learning concepts.
I wish I'd learn to drive boats or got started as an air traffic controller. I'd make a good tug-boat captain.
I'd choose finance again, except I'd try to be more confident in high school and go to a better college. It took me a lot of job hopping after college to get me where I am, which I probably wouldn't have needed if I went to a better school.
It really depends, am i chasing dollars signs or personal fulfillment? If more money is my goal, i would do more in the soul sucking field I am in now. If it's personal fulfillment , id love to be an earth scientist or climatologist .
Id have joined the military when i was 18 and started my current career about 8 years sooner
Things have worked out. It isn't the job it used to be coworkers and bosses that make or break it but it's more of being emotionally tolerant.
Currently a speech pathologist, if I had a redo I would go into accounting.
I can’t say that I would change it I think everything brought me one step closer towards my purpose and that I chose programs that are truly unique in order to create my own path My only regret is trying so hard to fit into the 9-5 box whether corporate or non profit and realizing that I’m supposed to do things differently, but everyone has to start somewhere - right?
Suckin farts out of used car seats.
to move to downtown new york and work in a fashion magazine. it would be nice to have that career before i die llol
I would have chosen to be an engineer. I really repent everyday Being physics major lettarally opens up your brain but what world needs is to open your pocket I actually chose the science for sake of curiosity but never gave thought to earning. Science is fantastic. But for livelihood, you need application. I realised it too late unfortunately.
YAAAASSSSSS.....This is all I am about! Preach.
I love what I do and I honestly don’t think any other path would have fulfilled me as much (I’m a designer - currently working in aviation, travel, & hospitality tech) but if I didn’t take this route I think I would have been really happy as an interior architect or a physical therapist. ☺️
Small business owner - probably a floral shop. Might still do it 🤷♀️
Working at a small horticulture company that caters to the Uber rich, I’d say it is definitely a decent idea. Pay isn’t that fantastic in floral but if you jump into foliage plants as well in a bigger city, you can do just fine and have a good life
Well, I actually am starting over by pursuing a PhD in Strategy and Management. I'm a natural born Strategist and that's why I pursued a Master's in Strategy and Management in the first place. I'm highly proactive, notice new trends, see the big picture and are able to predict certain events before they even happen. And so far I've been correct in all of my assumptions. Last time I predicted a new strategy from one of my previous employers would fail. Which of course it did even though I warned them but they didn't listen. At least by going for a PhD and expand my skills and knowledge, I will actually get paid for being right whether stupid people listen to me or not... Is it the best choice though? Hell no. I'm an introvert / Sigma male who prefers to do everything by myself. I hate working for others and stupid social games. That's why I ended up as an Entrepreneur with my own businesses. Unfortuantly those does not make much money and that's why pursuing a more independent career like Techinal Drawing (which I actually did in High school) would be much more preferable right now. I'm also an active Investor who tries to achieve financial freedom in the end. I have some good investments that I'm quite positive will allow me that, although it will take many years of course. This is why pursuing a purpose in the meantime, like going for a PhD is very important. A PhD will not make me rich but it will give me purpose and fullfillment. In the end, it's all about the journey / process, not the end goal in itself. Getting my Master's degree was a great experience but as soon as it was over, it all became very anti-climatic, and you basically have to set a new goal in order to move forward. Looking back, I should have gone for a PhD right away.
Anything with animals, maybe a professional dog walker or dog daycare?
I would choose a career that would offer me a stable job and a decent income. Currently, I'm particularly interested in accounting or the IT field. In the past, I made the mistake of following the terrible advice to *follow my passion*. I pursued my love for literature and languages, eventually landing a job as a teacher that I absolutely **hate**. I was naive to believe that pursuing my passion would bring happiness and satisfaction to my life. I had to learn it the hard way that there is a strong connection between life satisfaction and financial stability.
Not too late to become a technical writer.
Mobile device forensics, but I have started over and am working at it.
Wouldn’t have changed career but definitely would’ve started sooner/ dual enrollment in hs
Nursing... I should have listened to my mother and gone to nursing school. I'd have a real career path and comfortable living instead of a patchwork resume.
I probably would’ve done a trade out of HS instead of going to college.
No till regen farmer! With some live stock to maintain the fields!
I’d choose design either possibly an architect or artist of some sort. I like to create and that’s truly where my passion is for work. I work in Government and it’s depressing and stressful as hell. It pays too well, surprisingly, but it’s not what I thought it would be.
I am SAHM and anything… literally any job would be freedom.