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Cos
11-07-2012, 06:14 PM
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AE92_TreunoSC
11-07-2012, 06:24 PM
I am way off track but in the end I'm moving forward.

As long as things are progressing upwards, it doesnt matter which path one takes.

chibwack
11-07-2012, 06:25 PM
I worked the patch for a few years and eventually realized I was more interested in the ESOP program than the actual work. So I quit, took an econ/finance degree to learn the markets, ended up loving all things finance, and now I'm a margin monkey for that same company. Absolutely love it, but have only been doing it for a year. My end goal is something along the lines of m&a or equity research, but in all honesty I could see myself settling in with my current company.

Tik-Tok
11-07-2012, 06:38 PM
Post highschool, I applied for 3 years at SAIT for Architectural Technologies. My HS had Architect programs, and I really enjoyed doing it. I got denied 3 straight years, so I gave up.

During that time I was in seismic. Talked to a lot of heli-pilots, figured that looked like fun. Hard (and expensive) career to get into though, so I thought it would be easier to become a heli-mechanic first, then go for pilot. so I got into SAIT for it's AMET program. Only took 3 months being back in the city full-time to realize I didn't want to do bush-work EVER again (which is pretty much what every Heli job entails).

So I went with fixed wing instead. Still the worst decision I ever made in my life :rofl: should have been an engineer.

I tell everyone who asks to STAY THE FUCK OUT OF AVIATION.

FullFledgedYYC
11-07-2012, 06:51 PM
I was always good with computers my whole life... so I took computer engineering at SAIT for a year. Did really well... but after a year there is no way I could see myself locked up in a server room or programming for the rest of my life... so I took a year off.

Ended up learning more about what marketing was and how it isn't just making commercials and selling stuff. Took 2 years at SAIT to get my diploma and then transferred to U of L (best decision of my life... moved out and learned to be an independent person).

I now work in a more finance role in which I can apply my marketing knowledge and I enjoy it thus far.

corsvette
11-07-2012, 07:00 PM
I spent my entire youth with the sole ambition to be a car designer. I started drawing cars when I was three years old and I never tired of it, just got better at it as time went on. There was no doubt in my mind what I wanted to do. During my last year of HS I sent my application and portfolio to Emily carr in Vancover, all was on track to my dream career...... Then I met a Girl.

I ended up getting married a few years later when we found out a Son was on the way. Needless to say time flies and plans changed. I must say im happy with where I ended up, but I still regret not following that lifelong dream from time to time.

dirtsniffer
11-07-2012, 07:20 PM
Worked at a car dealership after high school. Really like cars and the associated tech but didn't like the idea of working on them full time. (Was told by pretty much every mechanic there that it is really hard on your body and lower back. So I quit and went back to school. Finishing my mechanical engineering degree in 6 months :)

Maxx Mazda
11-07-2012, 07:36 PM
I'm a pilot.

When I was 6 or 7 (20 years ago) I went up to the cockpit during flight on a family trip to disneyworld. (Back then you could go into the flight deck during flight!) The captain got out of his seat and let me sit down, then put his hat on me. As soon as my ass hit the chair I was sold on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Started taking lessons when I was 14 (13 years ago, wow) and been doing that ever since. Sounds corny, but it's true. I had such a passion for all forms of aviation, and here I am today.

sr20s14zenki
11-07-2012, 07:43 PM
Worked at a fairly menial job since i was 17. When i was 23, took a part time job at a local welding shop. Learned a lot, and decided i liked building things. Did my apprenticeship, and here i am today, a journeyman, cwb supervisor, shop foreman, project co-ordinator (man of many titles). Its a good life, and its been a fun road. Looking forward to a lot more. I can safely say however, that i look forward to work most every day, and am very happy with my job.

max_boost
11-07-2012, 09:29 PM
Got thrown into it by the rents at age 13 and just been doing it ever since.

Siblings worked here and there helping out but they couldn't stand it so off to school they went. One has a Masters in Geography and the other just finished his Chemical Engineer.

Big brother FTW, did all the dirty work so they didn't have to. :rofl:

msommers
11-07-2012, 10:07 PM
Started as an electrician. Guys I worked with and being outside were not ideal. Went back to uni to pursue medicine, found out I wasn't driven enough despite getting pretty good marks but not 4.0 average. Lab tech is gay so bio sci was done. Parents suggested geology and liked it ever since. It's not the cardiac surgeon I dreamed to be but its interesting enough and has a lot of benefits/flexibility. Quite a few friends are finishing up clerkship and when if I got in, I don't know if I could have gone all the way. Lots of hours and loads of competition still for placement.

davidI
11-07-2012, 10:24 PM
Originally posted by Maxx Mazda
I'm a pilot.

When I was 6 or 7 (20 years ago) I went up to the cockpit during flight on a family trip to disneyworld. (Back then you could go into the flight deck during flight!) The captain got out of his seat and let me sit down, then put his hat on me. As soon as my ass hit the chair I was sold on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Started taking lessons when I was 14 (13 years ago, wow) and been doing that ever since. Sounds corny, but it's true. I had such a passion for all forms of aviation, and here I am today.

:thumbsup:

ExtraSlow
11-07-2012, 10:43 PM
Had no idea what the hell I wanted to do when i was in high school. Got good grades in science, applied to engineering. After first year, I heard that computers were the place where all the money was made, so I applied for that department, got denied because of low grades and settled for the Oil and Gas engineering program. Graduated after doing 16 months of internship, realized that I was totally interested in the industry.

Honestly, still not sure if this is the job I want to do for the rest of my life, but it's taught me some great skills, paid me a lot of money, and even though I don't love it every day, it's interesting every day.

Spend probaly 90% of my time doing project management type work, and not actual number crunching engineering, but that's my preference.

Penis McNickels
11-08-2012, 01:31 AM
I always enjoyed watching shows about construction on Discovery and wanted to be involved somehow, but didn't want to do any physical labour (did my fair share of summer jobs to realise this).

So I thought I would become a drafter since I enjoyed that type of drawing, but the career pamphlet at school said they didn't get paid well (40k), so I thought I would go into architecture (60k). (mid-90s BC salaries)

I applied to university, but apparently you need to submit a portfolio of your work to get accepted to the architecture program, so I got my second choice, civil engineering and thought I would switch into architecture after the first year.

Decided I was better at numbers and stayed and finished a bachelors and masters in structural engineering.

I am happy here, I like the brainstorming and problem solving, but hate doing the actual calcs.

So here I am, somehow involved in the construction industry as I hoped. So tell your little brother to watch a lot of TV and it will come to him.

urrforce
11-08-2012, 01:46 AM
i'm a lot younger than the age you are asking for responses from but i am currently in a hr program at mru and im not so sure that i want to do this for the rest of my life i got into it because both my parents work in hr currently one for ahs and the other in the private sector and they really enjoy it. they both have provided very well for my family.

and from the stories they share at dinner and stuff i really like the field but now after studying in it for a bit im not so sure that its where i want to be in a few years time but we will see i guess there are a ton of branches i can go into and specialize in within the umbrella of hr so lots of time for me i guess lol.

davidI
11-08-2012, 02:53 AM
I still don't know what I want to do with my "Life" :dunno:

Just making the most of each day and trying to tak advantage of all the opportunities I can!

Cos
11-08-2012, 08:05 AM
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FraserB
11-08-2012, 09:47 AM
Did PoliSci when I first started school, realized near the end of my second year that I hated it, tried a few forensics classes, ditched that when I smelled my first body that had been in the Bow for 3 weeks. That and the Home Depot branded garden shears for cracking ribs:nut:

Went and worked construction doing major infrastructure projects (you drive on my jobs every day), like the job the super had more than mine. Went back to school with the intention of doing O&G land or mineral admin, wound up going to a meet and greet at an EPCM and started here 2 weeks later.

revelations
11-08-2012, 09:54 AM
The only advice I can give is that you should have no regrets. If its something you can do, or would like to do ... I say go for it. Man times the first career isnt the best - but at least it gets the ball rolling.

I started out in aviation like Tik Tok .... thought about becoming a peelot but decided in the end to start on the maintenance side. I always try to steer people away from it as wel. Its just aweful.

Now I consult IT for coportations/home and small businesses and couldnt be happier.

ga16i
11-08-2012, 10:13 AM
Back in High School, I didn't even think about what I wanted to do. My childhood thing was fighter pilot, but fazed out of that pretty quickly when it came time to flip through the UofC calendar to pick a major and such. I thought about the traditional "Asian" things to do e.g., doctor, lawyer, etc, but I thought it was too much work and had no interest in piss and shit from ugly sick people. Growing up, my dad was an OEM putting together white box PC's in Hong Kong and so I had access to the latest and greatest throughout. I just started taking things apart, and putting them back together, and had kept up with the lastest happenings with networking and such. I decided that Software Engineering was THE thing to apply for, because it had the word engineering in it. I was granted early admission for it based on my grade 11 marks. In grade 12 before graduation it really hit me that fun and games is basically over, and I needed to point my life in some direction. I looked at the requirements for software engineering and computer science and thought engineering was still too much work haha, and switched into Computer Science.

Up until this point, I had very limited experience programming. University was the first time being exposed to the languages and concepts. It was a great place to experiment with the various sub-disciplines within Computer Science. While I liked the low level interrupt stuff, I thought the specing software to solve a problem was far more interesting. After graduation I struggled for a few months to find a proper job in my field. Eventually did C# programming on contract for a few months, then landed a full time gig as a web developer for a local ecommerce shop. Being a small shop, I was basically the "IT guy", but also spent a lot of time being around sales people. About 2~3 years in (around the 2008 shit show), I decided that it'd be good to move towards the revenue generating side of the business (sales and marketing) and be less of a cost centre (most companies see IT of any form as a cost rather than an asset). So, I grabbed some catalogues, learned the products and started taking inside sales calls. Then I eventually started looking at the general business flows that I found to be road blocks as a sales person and automated processes where possible. I'm still involved on a day-to-day basis with programming, but in a specifically applied situation.

So I guess the jist of my journey so far was, picked something that I had somewhat of an interest in and went with the lesser of two evils. Just went with it for a while until something else peaked my interest and expanded to that. So, just go do what you like for now and whatever happens happens, can't plan everything. No way I would've guessed that sales would be an important part of my life while studying computer science.

ercchry
11-08-2012, 10:19 AM
well coming from a strict educated family...

in high school i really wanted to be a mechanic. i had a buddy in the rapp program for welding and it sounded awesome. finish high school well into the apprenticeship program, make bank right away.

well i told my parents, you would have thought i just confessed to a murder :nut:

so to please them off to school i went. fucking hated it, pissed away the whole year since i really didnt want to be there. i felt lazy. only 20hrs of class per week?! what is this shit? they also wouldnt let me get a job cause "it would affect my studies".

so in the spring, i needed a job. saw a posting on here, went for it. drain tech (plumber bitch work), did that for 9 months. jumped to another company to start an hvac/plumbing double ticket. week later i get rear ended and cant continue to work.

fuck, so much for my dreams of running a trades based business...

so back to school again, not by choice. out of necessity. went with the EDDT program since it sounded like trades type stuff, just the design and back end of the systems.

found out i was a wiz with CAD software. in the spring, half way done my diploma i needed a summer job. i got one building racks for a/v equipment. in aug there was an internal posting for a draftsman (hey, thats what im in school for!) i applied. got it, worked there for two years doing 2-d flow diagrams.

then again, on beyond, see a listing for 3-d work. apply, get it. been at it for a year doing 3-d custom parts with the odd structural design component.

so yeah, fell into it. with everything extra i do for income its not my love or passion, it just gives me steady pay. i would love to take one of my other ventures full time but im a pussy :(

flipstah
11-08-2012, 11:50 AM
I've always wanted to be a juggler but then my parents quickly shot that idea down.

As to where I am, I knew I wanted to be where I am today when I got my first internship.

I got exposed to a sector that I've never experienced before and the fact that it's all hands-on made it awesome. I love how everything you saw on paper gets built right in front of you; slowly but surely.

At the end of the day, I am usually proud to say that I was a part of building x, whatever x may be

... Unless there's overruns. :rofl:

EDIT:


Originally posted by Cos
Ok this is a bit of what I was expecting. It seems there are two camps. One that just knew and have always known what they wanted to do. Then there are us who havent found it yet.

My story. I worked at Heninger as a tech in the late 90's and early 2000's and liked it. Same experience with the techs as dirtsniffer, telling me to get out, yada yada. I was one of the only guys who could read wiring diagrams though so I enjoyed being 'special'. Then in 2001 when the recession hit me and the other apprentice were told we had to paint the shop. After about two weeks me and the other guy were done so we quit. He told me about his dad being a mechanical technologist. I didnt know what it was but it sounded interesting. Because of my interest in electrical I decided to take that instead of the mechanical one.

Got a job in o&g and hated it with Schlumberger. Quit and went to a small EPC. Hated it. Went to BC Hydro. Liked it but didnt like living in Vernon. Moved home. Became a consultant and did that for 5 years. Recently got on fulltime with the company I was a consultant with. It seems alright but I am just not finding that 'thing' I want to do.

How the hell do you tell a 14 year old kid to do what I did? Haha

Such a pessimist lol. Just say that life provides you with many paths. It's up to you if you want to take the adventure.

Your story is a great example of knowing what you want and not being afraid to move on. Complacency is the worst feeling ever.

Marsh
11-08-2012, 12:06 PM
Still don't know what I want to do. Started with Engg in Uni b/c i had no clue about any other programs and parents said it would be good. absolutely hated it, switched out midway through the 2nd year. and took random classes. Liked commerce, so switched to U of L (best decision ever) and after graduating worked with an O&G company. I definitely like finance/market related work, found o&g kind of boring though.

Still undecided about where to go though...

flipstah
11-08-2012, 12:09 PM
Sometimes you gotta do what you want to do.

If I had listened to my parents, I'd be an accountant, hating my life, and have grey hair when I'm early 20's.

... No offense. :)

Matty_10
11-08-2012, 01:08 PM
For me I have always liked the natural resource, and things that fuel our planet and make it run, like creating power. After high school had no idea what I wanted to do so worked as a roughneck on a rig for my brother in law, and hated the life, and figured I was getting nothing out of it so decided to start an apprenticeship as an electrician. Got a job in a gold mine in the north hated being away in a camp and finally realized that I'm a home every night guy. Figured should finish and get my ticket and take the electrical engineering technology program as I liked what it has to offer with the designin, and not having the physical aspect of an electrician. Hopefully I can enjoy it and do it for next 25+ years.

maxomilll
11-08-2012, 02:06 PM
I've always been stoked on national Geo and adventure photography. So after HS I ended up at ACAD. Wasn't doing much for me, ended up traveling for a bit, doing what I really wanted. Film was the next choice, went to Film school in Vancouver, now I'm working on becoming a cinematographer whilst working at Vistek in the meantime.

Unknown303
11-08-2012, 02:16 PM
Maybe if you started question your path when you took your brother to "take your kid to work day" you should be looking at having a kid?

Cos
11-08-2012, 06:12 PM
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Masked Bandit
11-08-2012, 06:15 PM
I'm almost 40 and I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up!

I never had a strong desire for anything in particular with respect to career so it was always a case of whatever job I could do and make the most money at. Starting at a point of stocking shelves eventually lead to owning a brokerage (and yes, it's all connected). I guess it's what I'll do probably until retirement but then again, who knows where I'll be in 15 years. I'm just along for the ride. Family is the priority now, the rest is all just background noise. A means to an end if you will.

max_boost
11-08-2012, 06:21 PM
Originally posted by Cos


That is one thing I wish I had done more of was travel before starting the rest of my life. I dont regret it because of where I am today but that is always a part of my brain I cant quiet.




You can always travel and by all accounts you have been doing it quite a bit recently? :D

I believe it's what you make of it. I have greater appreciation for traveling now than I ever did before.

flipstah
11-08-2012, 06:24 PM
Originally posted by Cos



That is one thing I wish I had done more of was travel before starting the rest of my life. I dont regret it because of where I am today but that is always a part of my brain I cant quiet.



Who said you can't travel now? Granted, it won't be those 6-month excursions where you eat jungle leaves and have a life-changing experience.

For me, I'm not one of those people. I like seeing new things and experiencing it for the first time; food, culture, whatever.

I'm also content with a month or so because I get bored easily and I like work with money in my bank account. :bigpimp:


Originally posted by max_boost


You can always travel and by all accounts you have been doing it quite a bit recently? :D

I believe it's what you make of it. I have greater appreciation for traveling now than I ever did before.

Looks like someone wants to party in Ibiza. Or Croatia? :bigpimp:

Cos
11-08-2012, 06:28 PM
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flipstah
11-08-2012, 06:31 PM
Originally posted by Cos




Oh for sure. Like I said I dont regret it and I can do other types of traveling now that we have money (F1, Vegas, etc). My cousins are from a wealthy family. The kids are smart and dedicated (one is a cardio surgeon now). They are NOT allowed to go to university their first year out of highschool, they have to travel and the parents pay 100% of it. The kids are so much more grown up at 23 than even I am at 27. My dad worked at a Japan Camera from 18-26 and traveled every minute he could and has been all over the world. He finally went back to university at 26 to get his B.Ed. The stories and experiences my dad have are something I can only dream about.

I just wish I did that. I mean like take off and not have to come back unless I want. Something freeing with that type of travel as opposed to the mandatory 2 weeks off and go somewhere.

Im not complaining I am just comparing situations.




I dont want anyone to hear me incorrectly. I am not saying I am unhappy. What I am saying is that my job is a job to me but I know some people have an epiphany and just KNOW what they are going to do. I dont know if not everyone has that or what. How do you guide people who believe you have to find that 'thing' if you dont think you ever found it yourself. Lol

Well you did find that you didn't like doing certain things and have the balls to move and experience different things to figure out what's right for you. Others just 'suck it up and do it'.

Most people can't even figure that out. :rofl:

Maxt
11-08-2012, 06:51 PM
In High school, they are supposed to prepare you for your future career. But that's pretty far fetched if you really haven't found yourself, and they haven't presented you with a good choice of career paths. There was no mention of the trade in high school I ended up in, and surprisingly, its suited me perfectly, and it found me.
Luckily enough I had the prerequisites covered to get into Sait without having to take the entrance exam unlike 99% of the rest of the first year class. Meat Grinder education FTW.
I was totally lost at 18 and out of high school though, and took a job sweeping up garbage at North Hill shopping centre from 6am to 1 pm.. When the mall got shorthanded I got my chance and the rest is history... Sometimes a shitty job is just a launch pad...

max_boost
11-08-2012, 07:22 PM
Originally posted by Cos




Oh for sure. Like I said I dont regret it and I can do other types of traveling now that we have money (F1, Vegas, etc). My cousins are from a wealthy family. The kids are smart and dedicated (one is a cardio surgeon now). They are NOT allowed to go to university their first year out of highschool, they have to travel and the parents pay 100% of it. The kids are so much more grown up at 23 than even I am at 27. My dad worked at a Japan Camera from 18-26 and traveled every minute he could and has been all over the world. He finally went back to university at 26 to get his B.Ed. The stories and experiences my dad have are something I can only dream about.

I just wish I did that. I mean like take off and not have to come back unless I want. Something freeing with that type of travel as opposed to the mandatory 2 weeks off and go somewhere.

Im not complaining I am just comparing situations.




I dont want anyone to hear me incorrectly. I am not saying I am unhappy. What I am saying is that my job is a job to me but I know some people have an epiphany and just KNOW what they are going to do. I dont know if not everyone has that or what. How do you guide people who believe you have to find that 'thing' if you dont think you ever found it yourself. Lol

It takes time to figure shit out. I'm sure we can all agree with that.

You are a fairly out going guy so traveling would probably have been good for you and you would get the most out of it. At least now you can ball it up. :bigpimp:

It is pretty cool that your richer cousins have a lot of opportunity given to them. That's what it is IMO, money=opportunity.

I just turned 31 and I seriously think age is just a number lol I don't feel mature at all. :eek:

bleu
11-08-2012, 07:56 PM
I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life. I pretty much just went with it. The one thing I did know was that I never wanted to be dependant on someone else and that I wanted to love what I do and be proud of it. Luckily I found my calling and I am thankful everyday for the opportunity to do what I enjoy.

I don't make "baller status" income, but I am quite comfortable with my lifestyle.
:D

Sugarphreak
11-08-2012, 08:10 PM
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Cos
11-08-2012, 08:17 PM
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maxomilll
11-08-2012, 08:25 PM
Originally posted by Cos




Oh for sure. Like I said I dont regret it and I can do other types of traveling now that we have money (F1, Vegas, etc). My cousins are from a wealthy family. The kids are smart and dedicated (one is a cardio surgeon now). They are NOT allowed to go to university their first year out of highschool, they have to travel and the parents pay 100% of it. The kids are so much more grown up at 23 than even I am at 27. My dad worked at a Japan Camera from 18-26 and traveled every minute he could and has been all over the world. He finally went back to university at 26 to get his B.Ed. The stories and experiences my dad have are something I can only dream about.

I just wish I did that. I mean like take off and not have to come back unless I want. Something freeing with that type of travel as opposed to the mandatory 2 weeks off and go somewhere.

Im not complaining I am just comparing situations.




I dont want anyone to hear me incorrectly. I am not saying I am unhappy. What I am saying is that my job is a job to me but I know some people have an epiphany and just KNOW what they are going to do. I dont know if not everyone has that or what. How do you guide people who believe you have to find that 'thing' if you dont think you ever found it yourself. Lol

Man. Something Chris hedges said, really stuck with me.

“We’ve bought into the idea that education is about training and “success”, defined monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and to challenge. We should not forget that the true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers. A culture that does not grasp the vital interplay between morality and power, which mistakes management techniques for wisdom, which fails to understand that the measure of a civilization is its compassion, not its speed or ability to consume, condemns itself to death.”

I honestly think this leads to a lot of confused youth. Focusing on monetary gain, rather then developing their mind and understanding their values.

Keep learning and you will find something you care about.

Mar
11-08-2012, 08:42 PM
I found myself sitting in front of a computer screen 14 hours a day. That was 15 years ago, nothing's changed except now I get paid for it.

Toma
11-08-2012, 10:14 PM
I still have no idea.

After 12 years of University taking everything under the Sun, numerous Sait courses, 2 Degrees etc...

No Idea. I do a bunch of stuff part time, the dyno thing was a hobby that turned into a business cause at the time there was no one else really... and I can set my own hours, and how much I wanna work.

Gonna try and get into Law school now. Not for the $ of course, but cause some shit just pisses me off, and it would be nice to have some bite behind your bark ;)

Superdooper
11-09-2012, 10:24 AM
First I determined what I liked to study. I really enjoyed economics and was passionate about it's wide applicability to many of the worlds problems.

Second, I wanted to do something economic related and apply it to a major current or future world problem. For me, this meant clean energy/climate change, poverty or space exploration.

Long story short, I ended up in the clean energy space....for now.

[GaGe]
11-09-2012, 05:25 PM
What I did:

1) Tried a bunch of different jobs through junior high and high school(retail, stocking, customer service, tech support, IT support, etc.)

2) Thought about which aspects of those jobs suited me the most. Based on that, did a bunch of research to find out what jobs were out there, the qualifications required for these jobs and how to get my foot in the door.

3) Applied for BCOMM/MIS program at the UofC (qualification) and applied for student positions through the career centre (how to get my foot in the door). Ended up with few offers and I picked the one that I thought would be the best learning opportunity.

4) Kept that position part-time through school and got hired on after graduation.

Couldn't be happier with where I am now.

My only regret was eliminating SAIT as an option when choosing a post-secondary program. My parents convinced me early on that University was the only option if I wanted to be successful - shouldn't have listened to that bullshit lol.

IMO, the worst thing you can do is applying for University to figure out what you want to do. You can enjoy learning about something but end up absolutely hating the work in that field. Works out for some people, but I feel bad for all the students that are 3-4 years into post-secondary with no idea what they want to do after graduation.

ExtraSlow
11-09-2012, 07:12 PM
Originally posted by [GaGe]
IMO, the worst thing you can do is applying for University to figure out what you want to do. You can enjoy learning about something but end up absolutely hating the work in that field. Works out for some people, but I feel bad for all the students that are 3-4 years into post-secondary with no idea what they want to do after graduation.
I agree with this. If you don't know WHY you are going to Uni, don't go. Get a job, travel, think for a while.

max_boost
11-09-2012, 09:34 PM
Originally posted by [GaGe]


My only regret was eliminating SAIT as an option when choosing a post-secondary program. My parents convinced me early on that University was the only option if I wanted to be successful - shouldn't have listened to that bullshit lol.



I am surprised your bro didn't tell you that school is a waste of time! haha

89s1
11-10-2012, 10:50 AM
I got into a car dealership as a detailer at 15, did it for 9 years across two cities and multiple dealers. Was the detail department manager at a local sport and luxury boat dealer when I decided it wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Did some sales, and was really good at it, but hated grinding people. Made top 50 salespeople in Canada, but still wasn't the right fit, missed the physical work I had to do detailing.

Finally started to look into the trades when I was around 27-28. Looked at the usual plumber and electrician jobs, then one day I came home and my wife said "What about a Glazier, would you like that?"

"A glazier" I asked, "dafuq is that" Well, Glaziers are glass workers, and can do anything from windshield replacements at speedy up to the interior/exterior glass in the towers downtown, malls, or some of the fancier homes.

This interested me, So I started a 4 year apprenticeship and got onboard with a local Glass company. Three years later and I'm very happy with my decision. I have moved to a larger, more successful company, love my job and get up everyday happy to go to work. The fact that our work is open to the world means tolerances need to be tight, and it lets me flex my OCD muscles.

Took me some time to figure it out, and I assume many would agree that at 19 years of age a lot of people just don't know.

Get out there, do a few jobs and find out what your niche is. Try to find a job that will bring the best out of you once you learn what you're looking for out of your work.

:thumbsup:

Caricar
11-24-2012, 08:05 PM
I actually advise students on this now, which is ironic because I was the most undecided of all (and still am).

Started out in Bio, hated chem & math. Lasted 1 semester. Drank away my sorrows in 2nd semester, Fs and Ws! Started taking some Econ, Poli, Htst and liked it way better. Debated Kines too but was worried about job prospects on graduating. Liked the petroleum econ. Summer I got gigs doing promotions for Molson & Coors, fun summer jobs. One summer was spent interning with UN.

Graduated with Econ & International Relations, worked in offshore & international div for a big company here. Great people and company but I simply wasn't challenged intellectually and I'm not very good doing same tasks over and over each day. I felt like I wasn't making a difference. Decided what the hell, I'm lost anyways, might as well do grad school. Did masters in military & strategic studies (the other topic I fell in love with in undergrad). Have to stay in Calgary for a bit so wound up working at Uni with students, coaching them. AMAZING job, I love it and the people I work with (including students). I could happily do this the rest of my life. I could also happily apply to med school...or go for a ph.d... or move to Ottawa and work in national security.

I've decided that 20% are born knowing that there is one thing for them. THe other 80% - you never figure this shit out. And if you do, then you realize there's 10 other things you want to try :confused:

But that's the beauty of life IMHO. Some ppl like security and stability - but my personality loves the journey, the adventure & variety. Just enjoy the ride but do enough to keep afloat - don't wanna go broke/bankrupt/crazy in the process. Things always work out. The shitty jobs even always wind up leading you to the great ones.

Been really lucky to always land on my feet, but there's been many "what the F****" do I do now?! moments. When I quit O&G, needed something so I went to lululemon, did a lot of crossfit & yoga and chilled out for 6 months while looking for a new ft gig.

Oh, and GO TRAVEL. I think there should be a mandatory "gap year" here where you go travel before Uni. Helps you figure other people out, but it helps you figure yourself out, too. Sitting on a beach in Thailand helped me out with some of my biggest life questions, ahha