graduated in business with a minor in psychology. Right now working for a corporation in RTP doing IT type of stuff. I'm tired of working a business job, but I'm making pretty good money. I've been thinking of going back to school and doing something that would put me in a position where I enjoy my job but I don't know what the hell to do.

Love psychology but I don't know if I can handle 5 years of grad school in that field. Nutrition is a passion of mine but I don't know if it pays the bills. Got any ideas for me?

10/8/2007 1:48:10 PM

cry yourself to sleep

10/8/2007 1:55:14 PM

Tough call. Grass isn't usually greener on the other side. At the end of the day, hardly any jobs can be classified as "fun," but you can be darn sure a job you're "passionate" about won't stay that way for long if it ain't payin'.

Stick with the IT -- if you've got money, you'll be alright.

10/8/2007 2:04:04 PM

end it..

Luckily for me, my second real job is my career(almost 3 years). Love it, and it pays good 27 more years....

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 2:08 PM. Reason : w]

10/8/2007 2:07:35 PM

Thought the assholes stayed in chitchat? Thanks for the advice, SouthPaw. I thin a lot of what you say is true, but sometimes I think that anything would be better than slaving for the man. Its one thing to have a job that's not enjoyable, but another to have a job that you don't enjoy and it does nothing for anyone accept make executives more money.

10/8/2007 2:20:56 PM

I will give you the advise I was given, "Do what you love, and the money will follow."

This could be taken to mean that you will be more likely to be financially sucessful at something you love, or that if you are doing something you love, the amount of money won't be as important.

Granted, this was also a family member, who is a former large bank exec, and now runs his own bank (literally).

10/8/2007 2:27:23 PM

^ That's ideal, fluffy pep talk stuff, but for the vast majority of Americans, it's not realistic.

I couldn't agree more about not wanting to work for the man. I'm in a large corporation myself. But I do some freelance stuff on the side that supplements my income. I don't "enjoy" any work, but I do find the freelance work more enjoyable as it's really just "extra income."

I'm going back to school myself, but I'm getting my MBA part-time while working, so no break for me. I've no real idea what I "want to do" with the MBA -- all I know is I want to see what kind of unique (hopefully) job offers come with it and I want to differentiate myself so when I'm 50 and these evil corporations are axing old folks to hire youngins', at least I'll have a masters.

10/8/2007 9:19:52 PM

so will the young people, probably even a doctorate. Do you think a masters will save you at 50?


Well, if all goes well, I will be retired at 57, probably before then like 55(using my banked sick days and annual leave). One good thing about working with the Feds, they dont do many layoffs...however, they do get "early retirements" by moving your position to another state when you are at the tail in of your career. Who wants to move with 5 years left?




[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 10:03 PM. Reason : my goal has always to be retired at the latest at 60]

10/8/2007 10:01:44 PM

^ I'm pretty sure a Ph.D wouldn't do anyone in my field anything. And yes, if you think a masters won't help, you're the one incorrect.

It may not save my job, but it's worth having around in my back pocket.

10/8/2007 10:36:03 PM

I was commenting on your scenario of your job being saved just because you have a Masters when you are 50. When the 20somethings will be out with their own Masters. Hopefully you have a job that, by the time you are 50, you are within 10 years of retirement anyways so they will put you in a corner to rot for the remaining years

10/9/2007 12:22:55 AM

Quote :

"I'm tired of working a business job, but I'm making pretty good money."

needlesmcgir

Right now, the latter part of that sentence is the only thing you should focus on keeping going.

10/9/2007 1:10:31 AM

^^ I won't be working beyond 50 if I can help it

10/9/2007 8:10:08 AM

I think the only way any of you will "enjoy" your work is if you get paid to play video games.

I'm not that much older than most of you, but being on the tail end of Gen X, there's definitely a huge disparity in what Gen Y'ers expect from a career than us Gen X'ers do. I don't find it that hard to find fulfillment in my career and I work in tech support for fuck's sake.

It really can't be that bad. I just have to believe that most of you were just coddled your whole life.

10/9/2007 9:16:07 AM

from what i understand, being a video game tester sucks. theres a lot of those jobs here.

i mean, unless you're 19, have no ambition for college, and are happy making $12/hr

10/9/2007 9:17:34 PM

I agree with Bobby. I don't think I'll ever understand all these people who "love" their jobs. If there was a job that required me to play poker several hours a day, video games a few hours, pool a few hours, and sleep 12 hours a day, I'd be all over that, but until that opportunity arises I'm pretty content making good money at my current job.

10/10/2007 2:40:34 PM

The thing about it is finding something thats interesting to you.


I get to break cutting edge technology and I rather enjoy my job at a 'big company'. I have a couple of friends in industries that enjoy what they do (tech, marketing, sales, politics)

Like wise, i have friends that bitch daily about how much their job sucks. They are normally in the middle ground type jobs (requires education and some training, but general repetitive, Same shit/different day type jobs)

You need to either except that you are in the 2nd group and find ways to deal with it (good money should help with that some). Or find a way to get paid and be in group 1.

10/10/2007 3:36:39 PM

i've enjoyed the two big-boy jobs i've had since college

they just pay for shit

10/10/2007 6:25:43 PM

Quote :

"I don't think I'll ever understand all these people who "love" their jobs."

I pity you. I get paid to watch and report the weather. I go eight hours with the tv and thermostat to myself without having to talk to anyone. How badass is that? I guess having a passion for the weather helps.

10/11/2007 8:34:07 AM

different strokes for different folks..

Quote :

"eight hours with the tv and thermostat to myself without having to talk to anyone."

That would absolutely depress me. I gotta be around people.

and for the record, I do love my job... but I can understand how not everyone does or can. Even if I didn't have a job that I loved, I don't believe that I'm entitled to have a job that I love and have that job pay really well. In my case, I'm just very lucky.

10/11/2007 11:13:34 AM

Quote :

"Love psychology but I don't know if I can handle 5 years of grad school in that field. Nutrition is a passion of mine but I don't know if it pays the bills. Got any ideas for me?"

Motivational Speaker
NLP Trainer (or a trainer for any of the various pop-psychology techniques out recently to help people improve their lives)
Personal Trainer (can get qualified in a year)
Teacher (can get qualified in a year)
TEFL Teacher (get to travel the world making more than decent money)
College Lecturer (need Master's degree)

10/12/2007 7:19:47 PM

Quote :

"What do you want to do with your life?"

--Doug Neidermeyer

The eternal question.

10/13/2007 1:26:53 AM

I WANNA ROCK

10/13/2007 2:28:35 AM

you're worthless and weak.

10/13/2007 4:45:45 AM

It's settled then--needlesmcgir should grow up to be like Dee Snider.

10/14/2007 2:50:18 AM

long drop and short stop

10/14/2007 3:41:54 AM

Quote :

"I pity you."

Why? I don't hate my job. I'm good at it. It's low stress. My hours are flexible. The skills I use/learn are in high demand. What's so bad about that?

10/16/2007 12:10:33 PM

11/15/2007 7:45:25 PM

As most of you know, my husband runs a Geek Squad. He earns about half what he could make with his degrees and skill set. But he freakin' loves his job. He'll happily work 80 hours a week. And often has to be forced by his coworkers to go home. That kind of love of the job is priceless as far as he's concerned.

And I wasn't happy with my chosen career, so I decided to just do something that I liked for a bit while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. Turned out that I loved working with small children so much that I turned a little job as a nanny into a decent business. And if I wanted to take it full time, I would make more money at it than I would have with my career as a HS teacher.

11/16/2007 8:53:56 PM

Quote :

"As most of you know, my husband runs a Geek Squad."

Yeah, we get it. I haven't seen you make a post yet that didn't contain that tidbit of information.

11/16/2007 10:25:46 PM

Oh, I imagine that I've made more than 5800 posts that don't have shit to do with it. the only reason it's come up more than once lately is because someone made a post about looking for a job with them and a handful of best buy posts.

11/16/2007 10:43:32 PM

your husband is dumb if he's working unpaid overtime for best buy. or he must hate his home life

11/17/2007 9:38:59 PM

bottombaby --- its great that he loves his job and all, and im sure running his squad is a great challenge.

but if he's really working even half as much overtime as you say, he should definitely go somewhere else where he can actually get paid.

theres plenty of enjoyable challenges for that skill set that will pay a person what they're worth. as it is right now, he's letting B.B. take food out of your baby's mouth.

literally. this isnt about him having "fun" any more.

all this time he's working for free, could be used to either make money for your family: improve your conditions, start a college fund, invest for retirement --- or the time could be used to help you take care of the baby, help keep the house together, and give you "sanity breaks".

it really sounds to me like he's just avoiding responsibility. think about it. you better confront him on this now and make him straighten up or you're going to be "on the bottom" all your life.

besides, anyone working 80 hours a week is really doing a piss-poor job of management.




[Edited on November 18, 2007 at 12:13 PM. Reason : ]

11/18/2007 12:09:34 PM

He now gets paid for the overtime that he works because the powers that be noticed and were perfectly willing to pay him because of the business he brings in. And it's not like he consistently works 80 hour weeks, but sometimes he feels that business or coverage dictates it.

He's definitely a workaholic and overly focused on his job. Fortunately, I've been with him nearly 6 years and use to work with him, so I understand his head space. (And there was a time when I worked crazy hours too.)

It's really not too bad since I only work part time and he writes his own schedule (with my input). So we actually spend a fair amount of time together.

11/18/2007 1:09:51 PM

11/18/2007 5:21:33 PM

I'm still working on it, but I think its going to be a while until I grow my hair as long as Dee's. Hopefully everything will fall into place by then.

12/13/2007 11:27:26 AM

minored in psychology and asking tdub what to do with your life.

12/15/2007 9:49:30 PM