Carreer Advice needed

[Phaedrus]

I can't believe all these people are telling you to hurry up and get out of school. My advice is try to squeeze one more tailgating season and last semester of heavy weeknight partying out of school!

Once you graduate you have to get a job, which means living your life on a schedule. No more taking a personal day and getting a keg on Monday. It is ok and all and the weekends are great, but take your time and enjoy the years of college where every day is an adventure and you never quite know for certain what is going to happen and where you are going to end up spending the night.

Dude, I turn 45 in a little over a month, and I have lived a life of adventure; much more so than when I was at Iowa State. If you have the mind set that college will be your "glory days", they probably will.

One fantasy that alot of college kids have is that they will get an awesome perfect job out of college.

That is so far from the truth. Cubicle jobs can be good, but decide where you want to live and that will dictate somewhat of what you do.

If you are in business and in the des moines area, you will most likely be financial in nature an be a low level cube dweller.

Its all about what you do once you get in the door.

If it wasnt for my love of Iowa, I might have done something in military/intelligence... But because of my love for Iowa, I am stuck in insurance...

Also try to have some technical skill that will be difficult to out source, not just a mid level manager that is susceptible to being clipped.

Have a real skill that not many people have and you will always have opportunities.

Here are some examples of people I know and what their majors converted to after college:

english = teacher
interior design = furniture sales
general studies = waitress
athletic training = secretary

so you see, majors with no jobs can basically mean you have got no further than if you had not gone to college....

A lot of folks will think this is whacked, but now is one of the best times in history to join the military. And none of that National Guard/Reserve stuff either. At least not at first. Join, do a tour in some exotic place, and then decide what you want to do with your life. Plus, they will pay for your school +++ all the way to PhD if you play your cards right.

I just got a second interview with a company, doing an incredibly exciting and well-paying job that I wouldn't qualify for, unless I was prior military. Heck, the last couple years I've worked an awesome job overseas doing creative writing based on my military experience.

 

[cyclonenum1]

I graduated from ISU about 20 years ago...here are my thoughts:

+ Find what you have a passion and love for and figure out a way to make that part of your career. I cannot tell you how many people I run into that are miserable with their careers.

+ If you want to work for someone else, target companies that have a culture you can be comfortable in. I worked for a company at one time that was not very family oriented (the wife was never invited on company trips and most of the execs spent their time with prostitutes during these excursions)...I hated it...I then moved to a company that was family oriented (the family was always invited on the company trips...usually to places like Disney World)...it was a much better situation for me.

+ Be ready, willing, and able to move anywhere the opportunity is. If you limit yourself to Iowa or a particular city in Iowa you will be greatly limiting your possibilities.

+ Get your degree and don't worry about your major (unless you want to be a doctor, dentist, or engineer)...most companies just look for a degree as evidence that you can commit yourself to something and that you are able to learn. They will teach you what they need you to know for their position in most cases.

+ I would strongly suggest pursuing an avenue that lets you work for yourself rather than for somebody else. I worked for someone else for 15 years and now have been working for myself for 5 years. Each route has its pros and cons but if you work for someone else you always need to remember that you are subject to their whims and that they are likely trying to get you to do as much as you can for as little pay as you are willing to accept. I wish I would have struck out on my own earlier...but like most people I was too afraid. Fear not!

+ Continually network and make contact with all sorts of people. Always keep your eyes and ears open so you can be alert to any opportunities that may present themselves.

+ Life is an adventure...your life and your career will likely take numerous paths over time. Gone are the days of someone going to work for a company and spending 40-45 years at that same company. Even if you wanted to do that, the likelihood that the company would be around or would want you around for that entire time is remote.

+ Your post struck me that you seem a little paralyzed by indecision...sometimes you just have to do something...even if you are not 100% certain about what it is you should do...as Nike says...JUST DO IT!

 

[singlemaltcy]

All of you have been fooled or this guy needs to take fifth grade english......again. If true, this is sad. If not, this is funny.

 

[Phaedrus]

All of you have been fooled or this guy needs to take fifth grade english......again. If true, this is sad. If not, this is funny.

Today's 20-somethings are generally illiterate. Not a slam, just a statement of fact.

Language skills are just not taught in schools, and have not been taught for quite a while.

 

[brianhos]

Get a degree in some sort of technology, MIS, engineering etc. Pretty easy to get jobs in technology still.

 

[CycloneErik]

Today's 20-somethings are generally illiterate. Not a slam, just a statement of fact.

Language skills are just not taught in schools, and has not been taught for quite a while.

I agree with the way he's thinking in both posts. A military time might be good for this guy to get some life experience, and learn some decision-making skills.

Just an idea.

 

[cmoneyr]

Today's 20-somethings are generally illiterate. Not a slam, just a statement of fact.

Language skills are just not taught in schools, and have not been taught for quite a while.

Did you just say that 20-something's are, in general, illiterate? Do you just make stuff up as you go?

 

[Phaedrus]

Did you just say that 20-something's are, in general, illiterate? Do you just make stuff up as you go?

Literacy involves the ability to read AND write.

The typical new college grad that I've encountered tends to lack the ability to write.

Again, I'm not saying it's necessarily their fault. But it is obvious from my experience teaching at the University level, working with new grads and having two teenaged daughters that attend public school, that writing is not emphasized in high school. In fact, I've received notes from my kids' teachers that looked like they were written by a 5th grader.

It's just the way things are, today.

 

[cmoneyr]

Literacy involves the ability to read AND write.

The typical new college grad that I've encountered tends to lack the ability to write.

Again, I'm not saying it's necessarily their fault. But it is obvious from my experience teaching at the University level, working with new grads and having two teenaged daughters that attend public school, that writing is not emphasized in high school. In fact, I've received notes from my kids' teachers that looked like they were written by a 5th grader.

It's just the way things are, today.

Your daughters are illiterate?

 

[Wesley]

Do not become a football coach. It can be the Path to Grief.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Do you like to be the person who knows things first,or who likes to tell others news or important info? Consider journalism or public relations or (I can't believe I'm actually saying this) advertising. I know you probably haven't taken any of those classes, it's just a thought.

One other thing I don't think I've seen here yet: if you have a skill that others don't, consider going into business for yourself. Even if you start small and keep the day job, you'll figure out whether you're ready for that kind of business and accountability.

 

[Phaedrus]

Your daughters are illiterate?

No, but I've corrected some nasty writing habits they picked up at school, though.

My youngest was in 8th grade before we realized that she could not "sound out" a new word. She could also not read out loud. Evidently, she was a "whole language" "success". The last couple years of tutoring her at night to fix what the government teacher(s) had failed to teach has been painful, but worthwhile.

Now this is a girl who would read books 24/7 if we let her. Basically, she was "jisting" everything she read.