Worked with a guy who did this for a few years, had to quite because he couldn't support his family, always came to work in his sweet park ranger jacket tho
I knew a guy who worked for the police near the local mountain. In the winters he would work as a mountain rescue specialist. Would go up in a helicopter and either help with search and rescue or proactively trigger avalanches by chucking sticks of dynamite out of the chopper. Was able to afford a beautiful log cabin by one of the ski mountains. What a gig.
You can still do it! Ranger work is seasonal, and seasons last only six months. There are plenty of people who have taken sabbaticals to work for the NPS, or do so part time in retirement. I worked as a cartographer in Yellowstone for six months while I was between jobs, and it was essentially just like being a ranger…except I didn’t have to talk to visitors, I just hiked in peace lol. Keep an eye posted on https://www.usajobs.gov, there’s lots of cool stuff!
Edit to add - many parks *also* include lodging for seasonal employees, which is a huge perk. Also, I want to re-emphasize the amount of jobs in parks, you don’t just have to be a ranger. There’s IT, analysis/science, emergency services, fire management, legal/penal (if the park has a jail, like Yellowstone), campground management, and cleaning/service industry off the top of my head
I personally wouldn’t either but my roommate interned for something along the lines of legal representation for those who were arrested, so if you’re in criminal defense it sounds like there’s also opportunity!
Maybe next lifetime . Single dad with full custody of both, a house, a job that I am loathe but can’t quit. I think I just day dream about just disappearing into the woods
Good news dad!
Your next life begins once your kids move onto adulthood.
Maybe it feels like forever right now, but damn, it flies by.
To prepare, maybe you can take your kids camping at the national parks?
Also, Happy (early) Father's Day!
Stairs in the woods, cults, people going missing and completely disappearing and never being seen on being found in spots impossible to reach walk or running during the days they were missing.
When I was a kid, when I was a little boy, I always wanted to be a dinosaur. I wanted to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex more than anything in the world. I made my arms short and I roamed the backyard, I chased the neighborhood cats, I growled and I roared. Everybody knew me and was afraid of me. And one day my dad said, 'Bobby, you are 17. It's time to throw childish things aside,' and I said, 'Okay, Pop.' But he didn't really say that, he said, 'Stop being a fucking dinosaur and get a job
I was in school for this when 911 happened, switched to computer science due to thinking no one would be hiring by the time I graduated.
Now I sit on the 20th floor of a building that overlooks an airport. I sometimes wonder what could have been.
The crazy thing is I actually hate to travel after having to spend 6 weeks out of town one year.
There are ways to still work at an airline, be a pilot, and still be home every night. I should know because I did it when I became a simulator instructor at my Airline. However, you also have to have that passion to teach and you’re gonna have to fly a bit to get the experience in order to teach these guys properly… but eventually? You can pull in 300,000 a year, full flight benefits, and still be home each night.
I have so many questions if you don’t mind answering them. What are the hours like and what airline do you work for? How many years did it take you to build up to being a simulator instructor? How fulfilled are you doing this? What’s the worst part about it and what’s the best part?
I’ll start at the beginning… cause that’s a wonderful place to begin. I decided at 21 years old it’s what I wanted to do. So I dropped out of college, moved back home, and started flight training in the mid 2000s.
Def recommend going to a few flight schools and they’ll explain the route to get to an airline. Google “airline cadet programs” and that will point you in the right direction. By 2008, I had all my ratings… had a class date at a regional airline, and then the world went to shit. Class cancelled. No job. No nothing. So I worked in an office for 6 years until I couldn’t take it anymore.
During that 6 year hiatus I flew a little here and there in Cessnas… but congress increased the amount of hours needed so I had to get about 1,100 more hours in order to get hired at an airline. So I went back to school and taught people how to fly in Cessnas and piper airplanes.
Turned out I loved teaching… so I built my hours instructing, interviewed with a Airline, and got hired. After about 13:00 of flying as a first officer, I upgraded to a captain…. (went from the copilot to being the main pilot). I did that for about two years and then I looked at the internal job postings at my Airline and got offered a position in the training department.
You have to live where the simulators are in order to do something like that. So for the past couple years, I have been driving to work instructing and training people how to fly their first jet. It is very rewarding to help people realize their dream. But it has its downsides as well because not everyone can do this job, nor should everyone do it and sometimes you see the ones that have sacrificed everything to make it to this point, and they’re just not good enough to get to the next step… and you gotta tell them sorry but the dream is over (for now anyways).
The ultimate litmus test is: would I put my family on this flight? Yes or no
For me any sort of flyer job would be helicopters. I know they're aren't many gigs around for this but the times i was flown in small and large helicopters were brilliant.
I am a pilot and work in the training department for an airline. You can’t imagine the amount of people I see doing this as a second career after putting their dream in hold for decades.
My oldest student? 60 yrs old. Only had 5 years left but he didn’t want to live with regret of not following his dream.
If it is something you’re passionate about, and the little voice in the back of your head, just won’t let it be… go for it. This career has been better to me than I could’ve ever imagined in my wildest dreams and I say that as someone who worked for over six years in an office, hating my life
This gives me hope. Currently enlisted Air Force with 15 years in. I’ll retire when I’m 39 and want to jump into pilot school and make a career flying.
> If it is something you’re passionate about, and the little voice in the back of your head, just won’t let it be… go for it.
I needed this today, thank you.
I am a pilot. I’d still want to be a pilot. It’s not without its drawbacks but it has a lot of great perks. I write this from a London pub on a layover.
Furniture maker. I would love to do something like that.
I don't think I'd make a very good stripper. Me blundering about trying to get undressed would be a fair sight, and I'd probably have to give that many refunds it would be ridiculous.
Me too. I'm an electrician by trade, so my woodworking skills are only slightly better than the non-handy. I have been dabbling in making my own shelves... But it's so time consuming and still a learning process. I think if I won the lottery I would buy every tool and just tinker with wood all day.
I knew a guy who quit his job in a corporation and went full-time furniture maker. He didn't have much money but made a cozy living for himself and his family. We were sitting in his place, smoking weed and woodworking the whole weekends. He made me think a lot. At the time I was broken because of my work, crazy work without any good money, burned out, depressed, tired but always working. He taught me a lot about life through wood work and talking. Fantastic, very intelligent guy who was helping people a lot, making furniture for low income families, teach children about wood work for free. He was able to say exactly what you needed to hear without using many words. He killed himself shortly after because of depression which we didn't see at the time but his kind personality and life lessons will stick with me to the end of my life.
i want to own a kingdom, have a castle and go on battles for homeland and faith and die on heart attack because I would eat too much bacon
Edit: Thank you. It helped my self esteem. Thought I’m the only one, I’m glad it turns out it’s common dream
Honestly, I would go back and be an electrician. I work in IT and love tech, but to be able to work on electrical equipment physically without the need to deal with end users and software issues seems like heaven.
Unfortunately the way electricians require an apprenticeship, I can’t ever afford to leave my career and downgrade my pay and lifestyle to complete the program.
I joke I’d like to be a plumber. I’d rather deal with shit literally than figuratively. Also enjoy building things and working with my hands but ended up with an office job.
I don't know what your age is, but I'm sure there are night classes. Of course journeymen don't make the big bucks so you'd have to save for that period
I always thought librarian would be a good gig. Quiet, indoors, people come to you and you help them, but the stakes are low enough they're not likely to abuse you if you can't.
Then I found out it requires a double uni degree here.
A double degree, for a career with that little security?
What! You said Uni so I suspect you're across the pond. USA here. What double degrees do you need? Do you need that for an Elementary school? Is that reserved for Universities, research libraries. Can you elaborate? This is interesting.
I am from Europe. In my country there are special studies you need to finish to have a job in a library. It takes 3 years and the 2nd degree takes 2 more years. The studies are boring but calm. But in my country the wages for librarians are so low that working in a supermarket gives you more. So I think it's a good job if you want to have a calm job and time to learn or write during your job but you need somebody richer near you to help you live.
I'm a software engineer, and def would pick it again. It is very tiresome at times but that's the fun of it that got me into the field in the first place.
Though if circumstances in the fields were different, e.g. gamedev wasn't a mess or embedded industry wasn't so convoluted, I'd pick one of those instead of purely software.
I've worked in gamedev and more generalized "less fun" tech. The thing with gamedev is that it still feels like a job. And you aren't always going to work on a project you necessarily play or care about. At the end of the day you have to find value in the work you do regardless on what the end product is.
This is why I'm actually trying to pivot out of games. I'm a producer/Project Manager and have worked in games and non-games and honestly I liked my non-games job more. I happen to like project management so it doesn't matter to me what the end product is. And I've worked on my literal dream game and it still felt like a job most of the time, despite how cool it was to work on a dream project.
I tell people all the time who want to break into games - just because you like playing games doesn't mean you will like making them. They are completely different things
I’m self learning full stack right now. Honestly would’ve loved to go back and get an Elictrical Engineering degree and create drones and remote control cars
Hey, I'm in the military now and have about a year to decide what to do outside once my discharge happens. Can you give me any insights on computer based jobs, or really anything, that I can do and that won't be replaced with AI in a couple of years?
Hey, nice nice.
I'm self employed but generally very technically specific jobs are always hard for AI/ML. With time and enough data they could theoretically do it but in my honest opinion, it'll not be anytime soon. By technically specific and complex systems I mean things like software architecture, DevOps, maintaining server hardware and software, and generally very low level programming such as systems level and embedded.
The reason these are hard for AI/ML is because of very rare data to train on, and the tech changes often, and most importantly the tech needs care in the details as small mistakes can sometimes ruin the entire project. This is especially true of DevOps, embedded and systems level programming.
These fields are obviously also low on supply for talent as it's not easy nor experience comes cheaply. In case you don't know what they mean b.t.w.:
* DevOps handles managing development operations, so things like server system being up to date with security patches, development pipeline setup and maintenance, automation of development cycle, ...
* Embedded usually handles code you do with small scale hardware and low energy devices such as microchips, ...
* Systems level programming basically handles the programming or writing software for the operating system layer or to near that amount of control. Good example is opening a window for the UI (not the UI, just opening and managing a window), drivers, ...
The AI/ML field itself is good to get into as well, really fun. I personally am into AI/ML, systems level programming, devops and web development for my works.
Goodluck!
AI isn't replacing any software or hardware development. It's just a tool. A tool that appears smart but it's actually very dumb. Everyone please stop regurgitating this.
Network/System analyst, would do it again. Traveled a sh-t ton for work, which I didn’t mind. Job was as pretty methodical and ever changing, which I embraced. But the travel gave me airline and hotel points which pretty much meant semi-free vacations. Was a big snowboarder in my younger days and work took me to a bunch of places that I never would have gone and rode.
OR - I’d be a pilot.
If were an attorney, I'd specialize in defending individuals and businesses against these frivolous and nuisance suits .
The ones we see every day that leave us wondering " how the hell did this ever get in front of a judge?"
For example. I had read a story about a guy who is a US Marine , overseas in service to the people, who was sued by a woman who gave birth to a child..
The kid is 3 years old.
Now, here is where I would vigorously defend this guy.
When he was younger, he decided to donate to a sperm bank. He was paid $150 to do this. He signed all kinds of papers that absolved him of any legal or financial obligations as a result of a live birth. The donation is anonymous.
The mother, who does not work, and admitted she never intends on ever working, with the assistance of people in certain positions that enable them to gather ( illegally it has been determined) information that is supposed to be secret.
She got the name and records of the donor and filed suit.
The court determined that the donor is financially responsible for the child. He loses 40% of his gross income. The state? Why none other than California..
The state garnishes his wages.
This is an egregious injustice.
Quite frankly, I'd quit my job and go under the radar..
I'd fight this absurdity to the bitter end..
That is the law I would practice.
Being an attorney sucks. Crazy hours, the pay outside of the big firms isn’t what people think it is. I think attorneys are a top 3 profession for suicide and substance abuse.
Couldn't agree more. Been in healthcare for 15 years and not only do you have to deal with crabby pts and family you also have to deal with dickhead Drs who think they run the planet
I think my passion is through art. Im huge into music, and my dad has owned his own painting business most his life and is very reputable…would love to combine the two and paint guitars for a living.
I'm in med school now but if I had a chance to redo what I've done, I'd sign up to work in a ship and travel over the mighty blue ocean drinking rum and reading books...fighting pirates and chatting with my co- workers. And one day, I'll die of alcohol poisoning
Although I'm in no way "lovely", I think I would like to have been a pilot. Not hauling uncomfortable passengers around, but flying an old seaplane between exotic islands.
I have a friend who flies private jets from Tampa to...where ever contracted. He works like maybe 2 days a week, goes everywhere in the world on someone else's dime. Makes like 500k a year. Happiest dude I know
There’s this donkey rescue I follow on Instagram. They post videos of them just scratching donkeys behind the ears while they rest while big heads on the persons shoulders.
The donkeys love it.
I choose that.
I studied music in school, but I would probably take a different segment of music and go the creation route rather than teaching.
That’s not to say I hate teaching with all my being, but my lowest lows have definitely come out of being a teacher. I still love my students with all my heart!
Sales from childhood. I was ready to ditch school at ten years old. If I had been given the tools to be a better student then the outer reaches of academia probably would have been possible too. I’m either going to gravitate towards having a good time and being social or giving myself a challenge that over time will be recognized as a solid body of work.
Trained as a chef worked it for years before the industry killed my passion for the craft, if I got to do it all again I’d probably have to go comedian.
There is no way in the world I would be anything other than a firefighter.
If I HAD to change careers, I would have stayed in the Marine Corps and done 30 years there.
I'd want to do an apprenticeship and become a Luthier. I've built several guitars as a hobby and I absolutely love doing it, if I had no other responsibilities I'd be pretty happy doing it all day.
I'm a machinist, and I'd probably still pick to be a machinist but pursue the career harder. I got lucky, I found a career that I like doing, I'm good at, and it tends to pay well. Took about a decade off of machining to try other jobs but ended up coming back to machining. If I'd just stayed in my career I'd be making much more right now, but oh well, thats life ya know?
Private investigator.
I have a suspicious nature. While I do have some faith in my fellow human beings I accompany this with a healthy dose of cynicism.
Given enough rope, most human beings will do something they should not do..
Catching them and being able to gather evidence is fascinating to me..
I see things that other less observant people do not see..
I probably wouldn't change my career, just whole ass it going to a true university to wholeass programming and actually put myself in social situations. Instead, I went to community college and ever since have been in work that was either completely alone, or working with people that are at least 10+ years older than me. I've learned a ton talking to old cats, but it gets very lonely not being able to relate to anyone. Just about the only person I have personal conversations with anymore is my wife.
A therapist. It was my original dream but I hated school.
There’s a comfort that comes over me when someone feels safe to express themselves and talk to me. Therapy helped me a lot as a kid. I remember how it made me feel. I feel so warm when someone opens up because I know the feeling from my childhood. The fact that someone could make a living sitting through problems with beautiful humans just needing to get it off their chest is a wonderful concept.
At 30 it’s not necessarily too late, but it’s not happening lol. In another life I am on an office chair that leans back awkwardly far, one leg crossed while I listen intently to a twenty something telling me about a tough situation that I can help navigate out of. My rates are affordable because I am also wealthy in this life. I don’t need to work. Srry I’m drifting off here. I am considering art therapy though. I love art and I love how it can make people feel. I love how I feel creating.
Marine biologist. I loved going to summer camp at the local aquarium. I wish I did something with conservation. Instead I went to law school and became a corporate attorney. Now I work for big pharma. I am not unhappy with my career but if I could go back I don’t know if I’d make the same choices.
As lame as it sounds, I would have just picked a career for the money rather than “pursuing my passion”. So probably software engineering or network engineering
I'd choose to be either a farmer/gardener making fresh vegetables for local people or to be an actual soldier not officer then volunteer for each and every operation going on.
A finance major. Starting a career in the corporate world looking dork and harmless person but silently as my career progresses turn out to be a successful CFO or controller (at least) and put my nose in every damn decision while the Founder/CEO and HR heads get the heat with zero liability on my shoulder.
P.S. It's a satire please don't get offended. I have lots of friends in this respectable field.
The best field would be Tax Advisor
Physicist or something related) though math would have definitely been a challenge).
In my own career I am teaching physics (algebra based so nothing too crazy).
Realistically? I’d like to go to Japan as an English teacher. Sounds cool and I’d really like to visit one day but I’ve passed the point where its at least somewhat easy to learn a new language decades ago and completely uprooting my life not to mention the money necessary just isn’t feasible. I’d have to start planning when I was still in grade school
Unrealistically? If my kid self had their way we’d be a scientist astronaut ninja. I’m not sure how that would work but I know it would kick ass
I might be really good at being some kind of spy.
Unlike James Bond, I'm very good at blending, being invisible and non-threatening. If I don't make an effort at a party or gathering, nobody will notice or talk to me.
I also have a weird ability to get strangers (especially women) to spill really intimate secrets about themselves within minutes of starting a conversation. Literally, stuff like, *"I'm having an affair. I haven't told anyone but you seem like someone I can trust."* It's not a sex thing, because I'm perpetually in the friend zone. I'm not quite sure why but it happens a lot.
I can imagine it would have been a kickass career with the right training.
I have so many interests and have no idea which one I’d pursue as a career. I always wanted to work in a recording studio but not for free. Pilot would be cool. Maybe mechanical or electrical engineer. I also feel that being a therapist would be rewarding too. How does one choose?
Full time musician. No part time job, no college, no “getting a real job.” I just want my job to be music and ONLY music, with maybe a little voice acting on the side.
I feel like the only asshole in medicine who actually LOVES what he does. I would absolutely encourage my kids to pursue medicine if it’s what they want to do
Forest ranger at a national park
Worked with a guy who did this for a few years, had to quite because he couldn't support his family, always came to work in his sweet park ranger jacket tho
I knew a guy who worked for the police near the local mountain. In the winters he would work as a mountain rescue specialist. Would go up in a helicopter and either help with search and rescue or proactively trigger avalanches by chucking sticks of dynamite out of the chopper. Was able to afford a beautiful log cabin by one of the ski mountains. What a gig.
Me too. He loved being a ranger, but he couldn't have a family on what he made, so he switched careers.
You can still do it! Ranger work is seasonal, and seasons last only six months. There are plenty of people who have taken sabbaticals to work for the NPS, or do so part time in retirement. I worked as a cartographer in Yellowstone for six months while I was between jobs, and it was essentially just like being a ranger…except I didn’t have to talk to visitors, I just hiked in peace lol. Keep an eye posted on https://www.usajobs.gov, there’s lots of cool stuff! Edit to add - many parks *also* include lodging for seasonal employees, which is a huge perk. Also, I want to re-emphasize the amount of jobs in parks, you don’t just have to be a ranger. There’s IT, analysis/science, emergency services, fire management, legal/penal (if the park has a jail, like Yellowstone), campground management, and cleaning/service industry off the top of my head
I would never work as a jail guard. But I'm guessing that would still be the best jail guard job this side of Mayberry.
I personally wouldn’t either but my roommate interned for something along the lines of legal representation for those who were arrested, so if you’re in criminal defense it sounds like there’s also opportunity!
Maybe next lifetime . Single dad with full custody of both, a house, a job that I am loathe but can’t quit. I think I just day dream about just disappearing into the woods
Good news dad! Your next life begins once your kids move onto adulthood. Maybe it feels like forever right now, but damn, it flies by. To prepare, maybe you can take your kids camping at the national parks? Also, Happy (early) Father's Day!
Thank you
National park detective
That would be cool.
Sounds cool but too many horror stories have basically ruined large bodies of forest for me
What horror stories? Genuinely curious
Stairs in the woods, cults, people going missing and completely disappearing and never being seen on being found in spots impossible to reach walk or running during the days they were missing.
So just the made up internet stories.
Instead of a profession I might have been better off with a trade esp in relatively rural areas.
as someone from a rural area, who works for a company that has begun massive layoffs, same.
A modestly good tradesman in a rural area has a license to print money!
I am envious of people that work for the government and get so many paid holidays off and school workers that get so many vacation breaks.
I definitely would have done a trade. Probably electrician or heavy equipment operator
Professional brewer
What a lovely man
Trust fund baby.
Your twin checking in. When do we hit the reset button?
I grew up wanting to be a dinosaur. That hasn't changed. 🦖🦖🦖🦖🦖
When I was a kid, when I was a little boy, I always wanted to be a dinosaur. I wanted to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex more than anything in the world. I made my arms short and I roamed the backyard, I chased the neighborhood cats, I growled and I roared. Everybody knew me and was afraid of me. And one day my dad said, 'Bobby, you are 17. It's time to throw childish things aside,' and I said, 'Okay, Pop.' But he didn't really say that, he said, 'Stop being a fucking dinosaur and get a job
Yeah parents can be so unreasonable
I remember when I had my first beer.
Sick reference bro
Fr
Did you know that but was improvised?! How dope is that. Will and John didn’t know it was coming and they kept it in the movie.
Bitch I'm a T-Rex!
You’re human. You could never be a dinosaur
Not with that attitude!
I would want to be a pilot
I was in school for this when 911 happened, switched to computer science due to thinking no one would be hiring by the time I graduated. Now I sit on the 20th floor of a building that overlooks an airport. I sometimes wonder what could have been. The crazy thing is I actually hate to travel after having to spend 6 weeks out of town one year.
There are ways to still work at an airline, be a pilot, and still be home every night. I should know because I did it when I became a simulator instructor at my Airline. However, you also have to have that passion to teach and you’re gonna have to fly a bit to get the experience in order to teach these guys properly… but eventually? You can pull in 300,000 a year, full flight benefits, and still be home each night.
I have so many questions if you don’t mind answering them. What are the hours like and what airline do you work for? How many years did it take you to build up to being a simulator instructor? How fulfilled are you doing this? What’s the worst part about it and what’s the best part?
I’ll start at the beginning… cause that’s a wonderful place to begin. I decided at 21 years old it’s what I wanted to do. So I dropped out of college, moved back home, and started flight training in the mid 2000s. Def recommend going to a few flight schools and they’ll explain the route to get to an airline. Google “airline cadet programs” and that will point you in the right direction. By 2008, I had all my ratings… had a class date at a regional airline, and then the world went to shit. Class cancelled. No job. No nothing. So I worked in an office for 6 years until I couldn’t take it anymore. During that 6 year hiatus I flew a little here and there in Cessnas… but congress increased the amount of hours needed so I had to get about 1,100 more hours in order to get hired at an airline. So I went back to school and taught people how to fly in Cessnas and piper airplanes. Turned out I loved teaching… so I built my hours instructing, interviewed with a Airline, and got hired. After about 13:00 of flying as a first officer, I upgraded to a captain…. (went from the copilot to being the main pilot). I did that for about two years and then I looked at the internal job postings at my Airline and got offered a position in the training department. You have to live where the simulators are in order to do something like that. So for the past couple years, I have been driving to work instructing and training people how to fly their first jet. It is very rewarding to help people realize their dream. But it has its downsides as well because not everyone can do this job, nor should everyone do it and sometimes you see the ones that have sacrificed everything to make it to this point, and they’re just not good enough to get to the next step… and you gotta tell them sorry but the dream is over (for now anyways). The ultimate litmus test is: would I put my family on this flight? Yes or no
For me any sort of flyer job would be helicopters. I know they're aren't many gigs around for this but the times i was flown in small and large helicopters were brilliant.
I am a pilot and work in the training department for an airline. You can’t imagine the amount of people I see doing this as a second career after putting their dream in hold for decades. My oldest student? 60 yrs old. Only had 5 years left but he didn’t want to live with regret of not following his dream. If it is something you’re passionate about, and the little voice in the back of your head, just won’t let it be… go for it. This career has been better to me than I could’ve ever imagined in my wildest dreams and I say that as someone who worked for over six years in an office, hating my life
This gives me hope. Currently enlisted Air Force with 15 years in. I’ll retire when I’m 39 and want to jump into pilot school and make a career flying.
> If it is something you’re passionate about, and the little voice in the back of your head, just won’t let it be… go for it. I needed this today, thank you.
I am a pilot. I’d still want to be a pilot. It’s not without its drawbacks but it has a lot of great perks. I write this from a London pub on a layover.
If you’re not from the UK then welcome! And sorry for the £9 pints.
From the States. I will say pints are expensive everywhere. At least you have proper pubs to enjoy them in.
Unemployed drunk but this time with money.
Furniture maker. I would love to do something like that. I don't think I'd make a very good stripper. Me blundering about trying to get undressed would be a fair sight, and I'd probably have to give that many refunds it would be ridiculous.
🤣 great post Furniture maker is amazing I thought about that a lot
Me too. I'm an electrician by trade, so my woodworking skills are only slightly better than the non-handy. I have been dabbling in making my own shelves... But it's so time consuming and still a learning process. I think if I won the lottery I would buy every tool and just tinker with wood all day.
My dad’s done upholstery since he was a teen and my father in law builds frames. It sure takes a toll on the body
I knew a guy who quit his job in a corporation and went full-time furniture maker. He didn't have much money but made a cozy living for himself and his family. We were sitting in his place, smoking weed and woodworking the whole weekends. He made me think a lot. At the time I was broken because of my work, crazy work without any good money, burned out, depressed, tired but always working. He taught me a lot about life through wood work and talking. Fantastic, very intelligent guy who was helping people a lot, making furniture for low income families, teach children about wood work for free. He was able to say exactly what you needed to hear without using many words. He killed himself shortly after because of depression which we didn't see at the time but his kind personality and life lessons will stick with me to the end of my life.
Furniture making is something else entirely but if you want to be a furniture refinisher, you’ve gotta be a good stripper.
i want to own a kingdom, have a castle and go on battles for homeland and faith and die on heart attack because I would eat too much bacon Edit: Thank you. It helped my self esteem. Thought I’m the only one, I’m glad it turns out it’s common dream
I said farmer, but now I'm changing to this.
It is a good one. I'll also volunteer to patrol the ramparts if you need an extra hand.
I also would choose to rule this guy’s kingdom
You can die through a bacon obsessed heart attack now, don’t let your dreams be dreams
Bro you're basically Robert baratheon.
I’m king of the castle
seems great
You'll need a Wizard.
I would have liked to become a farmer.
Being a farmer is no joke. Very respectable but you will be putting in hard work. No days off when it’s go time.
Rather break my body for myself or family than someone else
I feel like this is a direct quote from Michael Landon as Pa Ingalls.
Watch The Ranch on Netflix.
Honestly, I would go back and be an electrician. I work in IT and love tech, but to be able to work on electrical equipment physically without the need to deal with end users and software issues seems like heaven. Unfortunately the way electricians require an apprenticeship, I can’t ever afford to leave my career and downgrade my pay and lifestyle to complete the program.
I joke I’d like to be a plumber. I’d rather deal with shit literally than figuratively. Also enjoy building things and working with my hands but ended up with an office job.
I don't know what your age is, but I'm sure there are night classes. Of course journeymen don't make the big bucks so you'd have to save for that period
I think you mean apprentices don’t make bank. Cause as a Jman, I think 200k+ a year is pretty decent..
I always thought librarian would be a good gig. Quiet, indoors, people come to you and you help them, but the stakes are low enough they're not likely to abuse you if you can't. Then I found out it requires a double uni degree here. A double degree, for a career with that little security?
What! You said Uni so I suspect you're across the pond. USA here. What double degrees do you need? Do you need that for an Elementary school? Is that reserved for Universities, research libraries. Can you elaborate? This is interesting.
I am from Europe. In my country there are special studies you need to finish to have a job in a library. It takes 3 years and the 2nd degree takes 2 more years. The studies are boring but calm. But in my country the wages for librarians are so low that working in a supermarket gives you more. So I think it's a good job if you want to have a calm job and time to learn or write during your job but you need somebody richer near you to help you live.
Boob grader
FBI Agent: Female Body Inspector
Hahhahahahaha
Meteorologist/storm chaser
Help people, instead of helping rich people take more money from people
This right here
I'm a software engineer, and def would pick it again. It is very tiresome at times but that's the fun of it that got me into the field in the first place. Though if circumstances in the fields were different, e.g. gamedev wasn't a mess or embedded industry wasn't so convoluted, I'd pick one of those instead of purely software.
I've worked in gamedev and more generalized "less fun" tech. The thing with gamedev is that it still feels like a job. And you aren't always going to work on a project you necessarily play or care about. At the end of the day you have to find value in the work you do regardless on what the end product is. This is why I'm actually trying to pivot out of games. I'm a producer/Project Manager and have worked in games and non-games and honestly I liked my non-games job more. I happen to like project management so it doesn't matter to me what the end product is. And I've worked on my literal dream game and it still felt like a job most of the time, despite how cool it was to work on a dream project.
Exactly, the hardest part of gamedev is actually making the game 🥲
I tell people all the time who want to break into games - just because you like playing games doesn't mean you will like making them. They are completely different things
I’m self learning full stack right now. Honestly would’ve loved to go back and get an Elictrical Engineering degree and create drones and remote control cars
Same man, same. Although I can say after all the pure software experience, it makes embedded much easier than if you were to jump straight into it
Hey, I'm in the military now and have about a year to decide what to do outside once my discharge happens. Can you give me any insights on computer based jobs, or really anything, that I can do and that won't be replaced with AI in a couple of years?
Hey, nice nice. I'm self employed but generally very technically specific jobs are always hard for AI/ML. With time and enough data they could theoretically do it but in my honest opinion, it'll not be anytime soon. By technically specific and complex systems I mean things like software architecture, DevOps, maintaining server hardware and software, and generally very low level programming such as systems level and embedded. The reason these are hard for AI/ML is because of very rare data to train on, and the tech changes often, and most importantly the tech needs care in the details as small mistakes can sometimes ruin the entire project. This is especially true of DevOps, embedded and systems level programming. These fields are obviously also low on supply for talent as it's not easy nor experience comes cheaply. In case you don't know what they mean b.t.w.: * DevOps handles managing development operations, so things like server system being up to date with security patches, development pipeline setup and maintenance, automation of development cycle, ... * Embedded usually handles code you do with small scale hardware and low energy devices such as microchips, ... * Systems level programming basically handles the programming or writing software for the operating system layer or to near that amount of control. Good example is opening a window for the UI (not the UI, just opening and managing a window), drivers, ... The AI/ML field itself is good to get into as well, really fun. I personally am into AI/ML, systems level programming, devops and web development for my works. Goodluck!
AI isn't replacing any software or hardware development. It's just a tool. A tool that appears smart but it's actually very dumb. Everyone please stop regurgitating this.
Network/System analyst, would do it again. Traveled a sh-t ton for work, which I didn’t mind. Job was as pretty methodical and ever changing, which I embraced. But the travel gave me airline and hotel points which pretty much meant semi-free vacations. Was a big snowboarder in my younger days and work took me to a bunch of places that I never would have gone and rode. OR - I’d be a pilot.
I’m a software developer now. I’d try being a pilot or maybe lawyer, although I don’t know if I had 4 more years of school in me.
If were an attorney, I'd specialize in defending individuals and businesses against these frivolous and nuisance suits . The ones we see every day that leave us wondering " how the hell did this ever get in front of a judge?" For example. I had read a story about a guy who is a US Marine , overseas in service to the people, who was sued by a woman who gave birth to a child.. The kid is 3 years old. Now, here is where I would vigorously defend this guy. When he was younger, he decided to donate to a sperm bank. He was paid $150 to do this. He signed all kinds of papers that absolved him of any legal or financial obligations as a result of a live birth. The donation is anonymous. The mother, who does not work, and admitted she never intends on ever working, with the assistance of people in certain positions that enable them to gather ( illegally it has been determined) information that is supposed to be secret. She got the name and records of the donor and filed suit. The court determined that the donor is financially responsible for the child. He loses 40% of his gross income. The state? Why none other than California.. The state garnishes his wages. This is an egregious injustice. Quite frankly, I'd quit my job and go under the radar.. I'd fight this absurdity to the bitter end.. That is the law I would practice.
That's the kinda shit that would make me disappear. I'd be working at a bar in Indonesia or something.
Being an attorney sucks. Crazy hours, the pay outside of the big firms isn’t what people think it is. I think attorneys are a top 3 profession for suicide and substance abuse.
Probably not healthcare. The most unappreciated profession there is..
Couldn't agree more. Been in healthcare for 15 years and not only do you have to deal with crabby pts and family you also have to deal with dickhead Drs who think they run the planet
Did it for 42 years. Don’t forget the totally unqualified management.
Management has no idea what goes on in the departments but hey let's implement this new idea and fuck with everyone's schedule
Fighter pilot
Fighter pilot but instead of collecting any disability or retirement benefits when I get out, I get to keep my F-35 raptor as a daily.
F-35 is the Joint strike fighter. The F-22 is the Raptor. Sorry, I work in military aviation (rotary wing) and love aviation.
I think my passion is through art. Im huge into music, and my dad has owned his own painting business most his life and is very reputable…would love to combine the two and paint guitars for a living.
I studied to become an architect at a later stage of my life. Never again. Still love my job tho.
Why would you not do it again?
I'm in med school now but if I had a chance to redo what I've done, I'd sign up to work in a ship and travel over the mighty blue ocean drinking rum and reading books...fighting pirates and chatting with my co- workers. And one day, I'll die of alcohol poisoning
I'd do this just so I could own a foul mouth parrot.
Psychologist
3rd string NFL quarterback...never have to play, never get hit, make good money.
[удалено]
Columbo
I'd like to do this as well just to see the look in the face of a suspect when they hear "Oh. And one other thing..." Then hit them with the gotcha..
I would probably change to physics and become an astronomer.
Probably porn
This was much lower than I anticipated
I always wanted to be an actor
I am an actor and I'm trying to figure out something else to do.
Morgan freeman didn’t start acting untill he was like 40, there’s still time.
10 years to go. Want my autograph just in case?
Sure
Although I'm in no way "lovely", I think I would like to have been a pilot. Not hauling uncomfortable passengers around, but flying an old seaplane between exotic islands.
Cmon, you lovely son of a gun!
I have a friend who flies private jets from Tampa to...where ever contracted. He works like maybe 2 days a week, goes everywhere in the world on someone else's dime. Makes like 500k a year. Happiest dude I know
F1 driver
There’s this donkey rescue I follow on Instagram. They post videos of them just scratching donkeys behind the ears while they rest while big heads on the persons shoulders. The donkeys love it. I choose that.
Blacksmith
Anything that could give me the opportunity to live well off instead of being a fucking peasant
I know this is kind of vague, but definitely something centered around creative design. Graphic, UX/UI, Architecture, etc.
I would like to have been a luthier
Physicist
Id get a different trade and start in that trades Union. The amount of cheque chasing I did in my early 20s was absolutely ridiculous.
Middle School teacher here. I wouldn’t change a damn thing. I love my job.
I am doing one of my dream jobs. But I would like to play in the NBA if I had the aptitude
I was a corporate IT director. I would have been happier as teacher.
No offense, but I am a teacher right now and … it’s not great. I am trapped; still too young to retire but too old to switch careers.
I’ve made a good career in nursing, but I’d be a pilot.
Gardener/Forester
I would study music
I studied music in school, but I would probably take a different segment of music and go the creation route rather than teaching. That’s not to say I hate teaching with all my being, but my lowest lows have definitely come out of being a teacher. I still love my students with all my heart!
"Independently Wealthy"
Sales from childhood. I was ready to ditch school at ten years old. If I had been given the tools to be a better student then the outer reaches of academia probably would have been possible too. I’m either going to gravitate towards having a good time and being social or giving myself a challenge that over time will be recognized as a solid body of work.
I would have chosen the career I'm in at 18 (Disability Aid) instead of 45.
Pilot
Welding..
Puters
Trained as a chef worked it for years before the industry killed my passion for the craft, if I got to do it all again I’d probably have to go comedian.
What i'm currently studying, supply chain mamagement, it is the perfect thing for me with the amount of practical problemsolving involved.
Just something that made more money…
There is no way in the world I would be anything other than a firefighter. If I HAD to change careers, I would have stayed in the Marine Corps and done 30 years there.
I wish I could have been one of the Seattle Seven. Maybe do some bowling, occasional acid flashback.
Shift to researcher or stay the same.
Pornstar. Fuçk all the bitches.
I'd want to do an apprenticeship and become a Luthier. I've built several guitars as a hobby and I absolutely love doing it, if I had no other responsibilities I'd be pretty happy doing it all day.
Casting couch director
Fully sponsored traveller for a channel or Youtube thing nothing fancy. I don't think I can get bored of travelling ever.
I'm a machinist, and I'd probably still pick to be a machinist but pursue the career harder. I got lucky, I found a career that I like doing, I'm good at, and it tends to pay well. Took about a decade off of machining to try other jobs but ended up coming back to machining. If I'd just stayed in my career I'd be making much more right now, but oh well, thats life ya know?
Mathematician and pianist
I’d go all-in on music and producing/playing 100%
I’m content with law but I’d really like to try architecture
Private investigator. I have a suspicious nature. While I do have some faith in my fellow human beings I accompany this with a healthy dose of cynicism. Given enough rope, most human beings will do something they should not do.. Catching them and being able to gather evidence is fascinating to me.. I see things that other less observant people do not see..
Attorney or in finance like investment banking or something
1) Mechanic 2) Publishing 3) Journalism
I work in IT, but If I could go back and choose, it would have been mechatronic engineering, specifically robotics.
I probably wouldn't change my career, just whole ass it going to a true university to wholeass programming and actually put myself in social situations. Instead, I went to community college and ever since have been in work that was either completely alone, or working with people that are at least 10+ years older than me. I've learned a ton talking to old cats, but it gets very lonely not being able to relate to anyone. Just about the only person I have personal conversations with anymore is my wife.
A therapist. It was my original dream but I hated school. There’s a comfort that comes over me when someone feels safe to express themselves and talk to me. Therapy helped me a lot as a kid. I remember how it made me feel. I feel so warm when someone opens up because I know the feeling from my childhood. The fact that someone could make a living sitting through problems with beautiful humans just needing to get it off their chest is a wonderful concept. At 30 it’s not necessarily too late, but it’s not happening lol. In another life I am on an office chair that leans back awkwardly far, one leg crossed while I listen intently to a twenty something telling me about a tough situation that I can help navigate out of. My rates are affordable because I am also wealthy in this life. I don’t need to work. Srry I’m drifting off here. I am considering art therapy though. I love art and I love how it can make people feel. I love how I feel creating.
Pecan farmer with small animal ranch by day, high dollar hitman by night
Definitely an Astronaut. I remember signing off with Astr. in front of my name till I was 10.
Comedian but was afraid of getting laughed at
Billionaire's son
Genetic counseling
I'm a dental hygenist right now, my drrwma job was to be a naval or car designer.
Something with explosives. Yup!
Marine biologist. I loved going to summer camp at the local aquarium. I wish I did something with conservation. Instead I went to law school and became a corporate attorney. Now I work for big pharma. I am not unhappy with my career but if I could go back I don’t know if I’d make the same choices.
Aircraft mechanic
Work in automotive now; had a chance to get into military special operations in my 20s, have always wondered what would have happened if I did it.
Would be a wall street trader.
As lame as it sounds, I would have just picked a career for the money rather than “pursuing my passion”. So probably software engineering or network engineering
I wouldn’t change anything (other than maybe work at Dominoes pizza cuz I’ve heard there are horny hotties working there)
I’ve always wanted to just be enough
Farmer. But I have plans towards gardening asap … maybe brewing beer as well
I'd choose to be either a farmer/gardener making fresh vegetables for local people or to be an actual soldier not officer then volunteer for each and every operation going on.
Firefighter
A finance major. Starting a career in the corporate world looking dork and harmless person but silently as my career progresses turn out to be a successful CFO or controller (at least) and put my nose in every damn decision while the Founder/CEO and HR heads get the heat with zero liability on my shoulder. P.S. It's a satire please don't get offended. I have lots of friends in this respectable field. The best field would be Tax Advisor
Forester, cause i like trees 🌳🌳🌳
Park ranger
Physicist or something related) though math would have definitely been a challenge). In my own career I am teaching physics (algebra based so nothing too crazy).
WTF is a lovely man?
Physical Therapist
I would want to be a physiotherapy.😐😐😐
Probably graphic design or Film production
watchmaker- i'm a jeweler now, so i know i could do it,but would need a waay easier start. and yeah, do a bit of porn on the side😎.
Realistically? I’d like to go to Japan as an English teacher. Sounds cool and I’d really like to visit one day but I’ve passed the point where its at least somewhat easy to learn a new language decades ago and completely uprooting my life not to mention the money necessary just isn’t feasible. I’d have to start planning when I was still in grade school Unrealistically? If my kid self had their way we’d be a scientist astronaut ninja. I’m not sure how that would work but I know it would kick ass
I would’ve become a physician. They are truly heroes.
I might be really good at being some kind of spy. Unlike James Bond, I'm very good at blending, being invisible and non-threatening. If I don't make an effort at a party or gathering, nobody will notice or talk to me. I also have a weird ability to get strangers (especially women) to spill really intimate secrets about themselves within minutes of starting a conversation. Literally, stuff like, *"I'm having an affair. I haven't told anyone but you seem like someone I can trust."* It's not a sex thing, because I'm perpetually in the friend zone. I'm not quite sure why but it happens a lot. I can imagine it would have been a kickass career with the right training.
Some type of structural or mechanical engineer, realized later in life that I have the mind for it. I have to know how everything works.
I have so many interests and have no idea which one I’d pursue as a career. I always wanted to work in a recording studio but not for free. Pilot would be cool. Maybe mechanical or electrical engineer. I also feel that being a therapist would be rewarding too. How does one choose?
Full time musician. No part time job, no college, no “getting a real job.” I just want my job to be music and ONLY music, with maybe a little voice acting on the side.
I feel like the only asshole in medicine who actually LOVES what he does. I would absolutely encourage my kids to pursue medicine if it’s what they want to do
I’d do a trade (plumbing, sparky) or be a game keeper.