What do you do?
- Thread starter Alkorin
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TrollfaceDeux
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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Bros, I am in a very tight spot.
I want to change my career. Well, I've been doing sales for about a year now and granted, I have earned more money than I've ever have in my life working at 2 jobs over 50 hours, I feel like instability is approaching. As with any new sales guys, we hit a wall once a year or so. This is the complete dry period where you don't sell anything and you are just sitting on your desk and playing with your thumb. I still made over my target but I am starting to realize my weakness in this business and maybe I should do something else instead for the future.
There is also a family issue where my step dad is about to leave and I have to help out my family sort out their problems.
I still got one more year of school for bachelor degree (in History) and there are other things I want to try out in IT and tech related field.
I am 26.
What would you recommend?
Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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This is going to sound brutal but why did you pick history? I want to know for realsies, not to make fun or judge.
radditsu
Silver Knight of the Realm
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TrollfaceDeux
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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retarded me thought I'd be a teacher.
That is a good idea. I want to maybe enter into 2 year college program and apply for bachelor later. Meanwhile, working other jobs part time while tending to my family in between. Again, I have yet to take the plunge.
I have applied for some courses to finish my schooling and have a goddamn degree for once, even though it may be useless. At least my employer will see I have something to show.
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radditsu
Silver Knight of the Realm
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The best IT salesman I have ever met was a tech that decided he could make more money in sales. The best salesman is a guy you can send an email to for a quick feature question and he shoots you back an example config in 5 seconds.
<3 that guy.
McCheese
SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
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Get into proposal development for government contracting companies. Start out as a proposal coordinator and work your way up to proposal manager. It is super easy work and amazing money. The hours can suck, though.
Where do you work? State Government
What do you do? (Title/keywords) Civil Engineer
What field/industry? Transportation
Wages? 65k
Bonuses/SEP? Nope, I'd probably have to pitch a shit fit to even get a raise.
Benefits? 15 days vacation 18 days sick 14 holidays and a retirement plan I dont understand but is supposedly matching 14% of my salary.
What do you do? (Title/keywords) Civil Engineer
What field/industry? Transportation
Wages? 65k
Bonuses/SEP? Nope, I'd probably have to pitch a shit fit to even get a raise.
Benefits? 15 days vacation 18 days sick 14 holidays and a retirement plan I dont understand but is supposedly matching 14% of my salary.
Haka
N00b
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Hey man, I was in a very similar spot at you at that same age.
I was also a History major, and thought I'd do either the teacher route or law. After teaching English overseas for a while and then looking into how teaching here would go (I'm from BC, Canada), and then writing the LSAT (Law school entry) and getting in, I decided I didn't want to do either for a variety of reasons.
It took me a bit to figure out where I'd go from there, but now I'm in something completely different in Mining Engineering, and the fact that I'm good at writing, reading, researching, and all those soft skills are super valuable in this discipline and make me stand out. I would imagine those skills you've honed in your BA and sales job would help a lot if you went into IT or some other type of direction, as many of the people who go into those science/nerdy fields aren't good at that. Maybe the others can speak on this more who are in your desired field, but at least in an Engineering heavy field, having those soft skills and sales experience is super valuable if you can learn the technical stuff required.
All I can say is you're only 26, if you're not into it, you have all the time in the world to change directions. Money may be an issue and I get that, but now is the time to make your switch if you're not happy. You have ~40 years of working life to go, lots of time to make it worth it.
I would also recommend looking at technical colleges (if you have that type of thing where you're from) over the traditional type schools, as you've likely already done the frat house/first year drunk fest/partytime experience the other colleges/universities provide. The technical colleges often will be better at preparing you to get a job in your field as quickly as possible.
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Swagdaddy
There is a war going on over control of your mind
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Hmm I'm 27 so close to your age and kind of situation, I picked Nursing because I hate seeing people uncomfortable/in pain and get terrible care
Hopefully I find it as rewarding as I expect it to be
I quit the old career because I really hated the subjective nature of photo/video stuff and I could only find work as a crime scene dude for so long before I would eventually have to do artsy shit
Hopefully I find it as rewarding as I expect it to be
I quit the old career because I really hated the subjective nature of photo/video stuff and I could only find work as a crime scene dude for so long before I would eventually have to do artsy shit
TrollfaceDeux
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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Haka yes this hits really close to home. Honestly I love car sales because it is people game. I also hate it because it is a people game.
My weakness is my youth and my indecisiveness. I plunged into sales completely.... I did over 8 interviews and got all nos and found a dealership 3 hours from my home that was willing to hire some desperate sales person.
I know that if I stay here it is because of money. That is what I see in other salesperson. He is in it for the money. I am doing this for the money as well but only to a degree....I want to learn and grow.
Right now my plan is to maintain 1 year finishing my degree, do this sales or other role at my dealership part-time... Maybe used car coordinator, and get into 2 years college program and then 2 years coop.
I will be 31 or 32 by the time I finish but Jesus Christ I would hate to stop learning. That would suck the life out of me.
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TrollfaceDeux
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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yeah but if you look at history profession, it requires constant repetition...and kids aren't people.
Haka
N00b
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The biggest reason against going that route for me is that I realized I wanted to keep learning new history, and teaching the same material every year would suck. I realized History was better as a hobby for me.
I would say, focus on a career that gives you what you want. That could be intellectual challenge, or even one that pays well, if that's what's most important for you (most likely a combination of both). I know lots of guys who push papers around and don't really find their work exciting, but it affords the lifestyle they want. The worst off people are my friends who chased a slight pay bump when they were young, that had no room for growth professionally or financially and now they make nothing compared to a real adult, so you do need to be forward thinking. When you get into the adult world, money concerns are a real thing, it's ok to chase that to a certain extent. But if you're like me, you need something that will be intellectually stimulating.
I would say, focus on a career that gives you what you want. That could be intellectual challenge, or even one that pays well, if that's what's most important for you (most likely a combination of both). I know lots of guys who push papers around and don't really find their work exciting, but it affords the lifestyle they want. The worst off people are my friends who chased a slight pay bump when they were young, that had no room for growth professionally or financially and now they make nothing compared to a real adult, so you do need to be forward thinking. When you get into the adult world, money concerns are a real thing, it's ok to chase that to a certain extent. But if you're like me, you need something that will be intellectually stimulating.
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Excellent point.
From an IT perspective, I can definately attest to the fact that NON technical skills are often sorely neglected by overly technical IT people. A lot of sales, writing and spoken communication, other soft people skils are sorely lacking AND can lead to good management positions for non techies. Definitely, these skills are incredibly valuable in any business. In my personal experience they can often be in incredibly short supply at IT heavy shops.
Emmigration Perhaps?
If you are in US with a degree it, is also relatively easy to emmigrate to say Canada. Now this is anecdotally from my teacher friends: from what I have heard the States do not value or treat their teachers too well.... in Canada they are still quite well off with decent unions salary AND benefits.
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Tilion
Trakanon Raider
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Where do you work? National Cancer Institute
What do you do? (Title/keywords) Cancer research
What field/industry? Biomedical research
Wages? Not enough for the shit I put up with.
Bonuses/SEP? Nope
Benefits? 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 10 holidays every year. I can also earn credit leave which is used like vacation leave if I work more than 80hr in a pay period. Also get matched 401k, health, dental, etc.
What do you do? (Title/keywords) Cancer research
What field/industry? Biomedical research
Wages? Not enough for the shit I put up with.
Bonuses/SEP? Nope
Benefits? 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 10 holidays every year. I can also earn credit leave which is used like vacation leave if I work more than 80hr in a pay period. Also get matched 401k, health, dental, etc.
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