If you had a chance to go back to post secondary... (career related)

[HiTempguy1]

What would you take? With the prospect of getting a job 4 years from now? Or two year diploma and two years from now?

Tables wide open. I want to know Beyond's thoughts :)

Edit-
While I appreciate the trades suggestions, let's keep it to 2 year diploma and 4+ year degrees.

I have zero interest in going into the trades, I've done a few. :)

And the goal would be to have a job at the end. Personal fulfillment would be cool, but I have cars that need to be raced. ;)

[s_havinga]

Interesting topic

For me, maybe nurse or paramedic if I was going to school. Possibly wait for the Fire department to open competition again and skip the school.

Personally I find it is getting old making rich people richer so I would lean towards the public sector, something that I get home at night and feel like I made a difference/ did some good.

[Xtrema]

Law for 4 yr degree

Food related for 2 yr certs

[Dumbass17]

Mechanical engineering or something o&g related. (well maybe not) but still regret not going to Fort Mac right out of school and make a ton of cash but be smart with it and buy rental properties in BC

[Type_S1]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Law for 4 yr degree

Food related for 2 yr certs

Law = 6 years minimum.

1. Dentist. My dentist drives a Lambo and 911TT as a "winter beater". He works from 9-5 every day with 2 months off in the summer...similar to teaching hours but way more $$. I don't think its overly stressful and the educational side of it isn't too difficult overall considering it doesn't matter if your dentist goes to a top tier medical school. I've actually thought about going back (would take me ~3 years to graduate out of a US school) but going back to school isn't too appealing.

2. Nurse. Not very manly but the nurses I know (all female) make $70k+ per year but only work 6-8 months of the year each with lots of overtime during this period. They travel the remainder of the year and have the opportunity to work internationally quite easily.

3. Lawyer. It's a grind for 7 or 8 years but you can lead an extremely fulfilling career if desired with great $$ involved. International opportunities are very easy to come by.

[vengie]

Interesting for sure.

1) dental/ orthodontics
2) finance (still not out of the question)

[finboy]

Would have carried on with law, I stopped short because I had 2 business degrees and got into consulting. Realistically I would still love to do law but:
A:I would need to find a night courses so I could still work
B:Canada would have to drop articling because fuuuuuuck that shit

[Mitsu3000gt]

Totally agree with the Nurse/Paramedic/Dentist suggestions above. Good pay, very flexible. Easy to make $90K as a nurse without killing yourself with OT and night shifts and with plenty of time off.

All jobs that can be done anywhere, and the economy has far less impact on those jobs than O&G, for example.

[leftwing]

Very interesting topic.

Do dentist's have a high suicide rate? Or is that a myth?

Nursing's combination of high pay/high job security/high flexibility (can work in any city) is pretty much unmatched I think. Although from what I understand it can be hard to get in with AHS in a full time position. Lots of nurses work part time + casual for a while before they get full time.

For me I wish I went into a trade out of high school. I think a mechanic would be a pretty cool career and good money if you have your own shop. Although it would get old having 'friends' always asking for favours.

Realistically still trying to find what I really want to do.

[RLK]

Originally posted by leftwing
Very interesting topic.

Do dentist's have a high suicide rate? Or is that a myth?

Nursing's combination of high pay/high job security/high flexibility (can work in any city) is pretty much unmatched I think. Although from what I understand it can be hard to get in with AHS in a full time position. Lots of nurses work part time + casual for a while before they get full time.

For me I wish I went into a trade out of high school. I think a mechanic would be a pretty cool career and good money if you have your own shop. Although it would get old having 'friends' always asking for favours.

Realistically still trying to find what I really want to do.

I'm a automotive tech, and my wife is a RN.

I have absolutely no interest in starting my own shop. If you want go out on your own you will need at least 1 million to invest and that is with leasing property not owning.
This trade is heading for a major train wreak soon, technology is moving so fast and most shops are still stuck in 1970's mentality. It is hard to find a shop that values true skill, willing to tool up, and is generally not a total shit hole to work in. But good shops do exist, it just takes a bit of time to find them. If you are skilled you will be treated like royalty, you will be able to walk down the street and get a job were ever you want and name your price. Being laid off or loosing my job is something I have never had to worry about.

I have huge job satisfaction. I mostly do diagnostics and drive ability, I will spend the whole day finding a bad module or a open in a data bus and when you find it, its the greatest thing ever. If I were to do it again, I would still become a mechanic.

My wife likes being a RN. She makes more money than me. For bed side nursing it is shift work. The problem is her job is greatly affected by government budgets, the conservatives fucked nursing right up a bunch of years ago, so they all left the province hence why she makes more than me. She also has never had to worry about loosing her job. I'm not a fan of unions, but nurses need theirs and the nurses union has some very large teeth.

If you are thin skinned or take things personally nursing is not for you, people are major ass holes when they are dying or sick.

She likes it, but says if she were to do it again she would go into pharmacy.

[ExtraSlow]

A relative of mine used to do credit for a luxury dealership in town. Hands down dentists win the cock-off for pay-stubs. If they own the practice, they beat most surgeons. Still think that's a shitty job though, I know I'd hate it.

Welding and steamfitting are interesting trades. Machinist might suit me.

[01RedDX]

.

[shakalaka]

Med school instead of law school. Would have been somewhat harder during the school but a lot less grind and struggle afterwards.

[finboy]

Originally posted by 01RedDX

That's my move!


Now if I "had the chance" which I take to mean "won the lottery" I would take history, philosophy, literature, one of those professional barista designations, which may not guarantee success in the real world, but are of interest to me, personally.

I took quite a few history courses while in post secondary, there is zero employment in the field but I will likely take more courses when time/life gives me time.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[ExtraSlow]

If we are talking "won the lottery" and just doing shit that interests me, I'd be studying primates and primate psychology. Fucking love monkeys, they make more sense than humans most days.

[FixedGear]

I spent a long, long time in school with 2 advanced degrees and 2 postdocs. Ive got a fucking killer, high paying job in science and wouldn't change a thing. I'm glad I put in the time and effort when I was young, because my job is literally the stuff of Discovery and National Geographic. Headed back to Tibet on August 5. :bigpimp:

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
If we are talking "won the lottery" and just doing shit that interests me, I'd be studying primates and primate psychology. Fucking love monkeys, they make more sense than humans most days.

I updated the first post with more info. No lottery, this is with a career change and earning money in mind. Get this dreaming BS outta here ;)

Edit-
While clearly we don't like each other much, I am glad that worked out for you! No way I could do what sounds like ~8 years of schooling. I have lots of dreams I could follow, but taking the plunge is always difficult.


Originally posted by FixedGear
I spent a long, long time in school with 2 advanced degrees and 2 postdocs. Ive got a fucking killer, high paying job in science and wouldn't change a thing. I'm glad I put in the time and effort when I was young, because my job is literally the stuff of Discovery and National Geographic. Headed back to Tibet on August 5. :bigpimp:

[Buster]

Dentistry is generally over-rated from a compensation point of view. Owning your own practice can help, but it's still not as lucrative as some people think.

Also: dentists are the single most "keep up with the jones" professions I have seen. Tons of people can afford Lambos if that's what is important to them.

It's also manual labour, paid by the hour. You hurt your hands, you're in deep shit.

All of the "defined career path" professions share the same qualities, and in many ways are inter-changeable. It's the benefit and the curse of doing these types of jobs. It's also why job satisfaction can be so low. Paying your dues in the professional jobs is pretty much the same. Study, spend a good chunk of your 20's in school, then do a few years (or more) of the "dues paying" portion of your life. Again, paying these dues is really a similar process with different names: residency/articling/associate (for banking and consulting)/etc.

[dirtsniffer]

If I had to redo it I would stick with science. Going back I would do law.

Also paying your dues in engineering is easy. Paid internships and straight to making a decent living out of school. Max out at 1%er

[Darkane]

Without a doubt I would do optometry. Eye docs - high pay, no blood or shit.

Next step is specialize in laser eye with you own practice. Bingo.

Otherwise I've been working alongside some interesting professions this last year and what really interested me is Process Engineer title. Generally a chemical engineering degree is needed.

Cool stuff they can work any industry, technical, design, support. Endless and you never stop learning so broad.

[Buster]

Are you thinking ophthalmology?
That's a VERY different thing than optometry.

I would say that some of the very exclusive medical specialties make some of the best careers going: radiology, dermatology, ophthalmology. All of these are among the best "jobs" you can get. Extraordinarily long road. Extraordinarily difficult selection process.

[Kloubek]

I'm honestly not sure what I would do, but I wouldn't go in the direction I did - that's for certain.

My biggest thing through my career is that I've only served to make people money. And lots of it.

But besides making the rich richer (Which is not particularly gratifying), I haven't helped anybody with what I've done over the last 20 years. At least, not remotely significantly. We live in a society that is all out for themselves, and I have only perpetuated that trend. Kind of depressing, really.

At least if I made lots of money for myself in the process I could try to justify it, but even that hasn't happened. Looking back at the last two decades of my work, I'm left with very little gratification of any sort. Any minor gratification I might have had is due to pride in my work and work ethic in general, but that's about it.

So while I don't know what I'd do if I did it all over again, it would certainly be a career where I could make a daily difference in someone's life. If I made good money doing it, all the better.

[Darkane]

Originally posted by Buster
Are you thinking ophthalmology?
That's a VERY different thing than optometry.

I would say that some of the very exclusive medical specialties make some of the best careers going: radiology, dermatology, ophthalmology. All of these are among the best "jobs" you can get. Extraordinarily long road. Extraordinarily difficult selection process.

Yeah you're right, and to be honest I don't have much experience with optometrists or ophthalmologists.

That said I don't want to deal with the diseases, so optometry it is.


Optometrist vs. ophthalmologist?
The overlap of services provided by an ophthalmologist and an optometrist are admittedly confusing. In short, an optometrist makes people see better through the use of glasses and contact lenses. An opthalmologist could do this, but he also treats and manages ocular diseases (e.g., glaucoma, contact-lens-related infections) and removes foreign bodies that can embed in the eye. Another way of saying it is that an ophthalmologist is primarily focused on surgical remedies to treat a diseased eye. However, an ophthalmologist also has the capacity to prescribe glasses and contact lenses to help patients’ achieve better vision.

Who plays a role in laser eye surgery?
An optometrist and ophthalmologist can both play a role in your laser eye surgery. The ophthalmologist will perform the LASIK or PRK procedure with the exception of Oklahoma and Kentucky where an OD can perform certain procedures. The optometrist can check your prescription and eye health before your procedure to help provide the best possible outcome. Visits with your optometrist or ophthalmologist will last for up to a year after your procedure to ensure your eyes reach their peak vision. An annual eye exam is recommended each year thereafter to ensure overall eye health. To learn more about how to select your laser eye surgery ophthalmologist, visit this article.


http://www.lasik.com/articles/ophthalmologist-optometrist-optician/

[Buster]

Originally posted by Kloubek
I'm honestly not sure what I would do, but I wouldn't go in the direction I did - that's for certain.

My biggest thing through my career is that I've only served to make people money. And lots of it.

But besides making the rich richer (Which is not particularly gratifying), I haven't helped anybody with what I've done over the last 20 years. At least, not remotely significantly. We live in a society that is all out for themselves, and I have only perpetuated that trend. Kind of depressing, really.

At least if I made lots of money for myself in the process I could try to justify it, but even that hasn't happened. Looking back at the last two decades of my work, I'm left with very little gratification of any sort. Any minor gratification I might have had is due to pride in my work and work ethic in general, but that's about it.

So while I don't know what I'd do if I did it all over again, it would certainly be a career where I could make a daily difference in someone's life. If I made good money doing it, all the better.

What is the general area if your career?

[max_boost]

damn I have no idea. So accustomed to how things are I can't really imagine doing anything else :nut:

Radiology is :bigpimp:

[EvoGTX]

I'd probably try to get into Dentistry if I actually tried studying lol. Don't you need some really high marks to get into these schools?

Or an engineering degree other than petroleum engineering, which I feel like I wasted my time graduating right into oil recession and getting laid off 3 months later.

[xrayvsn]

Originally posted by max_boost
Radiology is :bigpimp:

:werd:

[shakalaka]

Originally posted by max_boost
damn I have no idea. So accustomed to how things are I can't really imagine doing anything else :nut:

Radiology is :bigpimp:

That's the exact super speciality I would go into. My uncle is a Radiologist/businessman, owns his own hospital up North among other investments. His income is around 6 mil/yr mark. :bigpimp:

That being said a lot of it is from investments and the smart business related decisions he made pertaining to his field, i.e. the hospital. The same can be done in any other professional field or any field for that matter as long as you have enough income to invest and diversify.

[J.M.]

mechanical engineering degree

[AndyL]

Ford mechanic ;)

Realistically - I'd love to know how to get on that directional driller thing atcos been running 24/7/365 around these parts... (The ones they shove new yellow plastic gas lines under the roads and properties with)

[01RedDX]

.

[forkdork]

Originally posted by Darkane


Yeah you're right, and to be honest I don't have much experience with optometrists or ophthalmologists.

That said I don't want to deal with the diseases, so optometry it is.


Optometrist vs. ophthalmologist?
The overlap of services provided by an ophthalmologist and an optometrist are admittedly confusing. In short, an optometrist makes people see better through the use of glasses and contact lenses. An opthalmologist could do this, but he also treats and manages ocular diseases (e.g., glaucoma, contact-lens-related infections) and removes foreign bodies that can embed in the eye. Another way of saying it is that an ophthalmologist is primarily focused on surgical remedies to treat a diseased eye. However, an ophthalmologist also has the capacity to prescribe glasses and contact lenses to help patients’ achieve better vision.

Who plays a role in laser eye surgery?
An optometrist and ophthalmologist can both play a role in your laser eye surgery. The ophthalmologist will perform the LASIK or PRK procedure with the exception of Oklahoma and Kentucky where an OD can perform certain procedures. The optometrist can check your prescription and eye health before your procedure to help provide the best possible outcome. Visits with your optometrist or ophthalmologist will last for up to a year after your procedure to ensure your eyes reach their peak vision. An annual eye exam is recommended each year thereafter to ensure overall eye health. To learn more about how to select your laser eye surgery ophthalmologist, visit this article.


http://www.lasik.com/articles/ophthalmologist-optometrist-optician/



Your income dropped by basically an order of magnitude with that choice though. Optometrists are a dime a dozen.

[Chemengsait]

Applied this year for engineering at uofc from sait transfer and got rejected sooo didn't get my chance I guess lol :banghead:

[tch7]

I'd follow the same path I did of civil engineering, even though I entered university originally with no clear idea of what I really wanted.

Not the best for pay, but one of the most stable engineering fields, which also allows you to go practically anywhere in the world. Plus with my current employer, I have huge flexibility with my schedule, lots of variety in the work I do (design & project management), and I regularly get to see and experience the results of the work I do.

The work is usually interesting and it lets me live a comfortable lifestyle, so not much more I could ask for out of a career.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Full time physics, data science, compsci.

[bjstare]

Originally posted by forkdork




Your income dropped by basically an order of magnitude with that choice though. Optometrists are a dime a dozen.

Depending on what you do with it. My brother in law is an optometrist, and he makes pretty decent money and only works like 30hr/week (he's not a partner in the practise, just works there).

On the topic of the OP, I would probably go for optometry, but with the goal of starting my own practise. That's one of the fields where you can make good money if you have a good work ethic and as well as motivation to do the business side of things.

Other option is I'd probably have done an easier undergrad than engineering, or at least worked harder instead of coasting through. I applied for law school, and the only thing that kept me out of it was my mediocre undergrad transcript (and the fact I didn't want to go to the UK or AUS haha).

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by Buster


What is the general area if your career?

Went to school for and started out with graphic design, but ended up managing development of ecommerce systems and user experience. (Which is not at all something that was even being taught back in the mid 90's.)

[R154]

I'd stick with engineering. It's my true calling in life. My idea of work life balance is a bit skewed.

Given 2 years, i'd do an Mengg - Fluid dynamics or maybe Process related.

4-5 years I'd spilt and do a course based accelerated program (MSc) at the U of T and then enter a business program which offered study abroad opportunities. Take my woman and go live in various European cities as a student.

At this stage in my life, i'd give up work for a couple years to fuck around a bit. I have been hard at it for quite some time. But the woman is just coming into a period where hitting the stop button would severely impact her bolting up the corporate ladder. That's important to her, who am I to stop her.

[dandia89]

I see a lot of guys wanting to go back to do a mech engg degree. having done one, somewhat feels relieving, but I'd definitely go in a different direction. Probably medical stream if I could have stepped my grades up or law.

maybe it's because i'm in O&G, hard to see you're making a difference most of the time as an engineer :dunno:

[msommers]

Did not expect so many to be interested in medicine.

[R154]

Originally posted by dandia89
I see a lot of guys wanting to go back to do a mech engg degree. having done one, somewhat feels relieving, but I'd definitely go in a different direction. Probably medical stream if I could have stepped my grades up or law.

maybe it's because i'm in O&G, hard to see you're making a difference most of the time as an engineer :dunno:

Depends if you are prideful about what youre doing. Or, if you can see people benefiting from your time.

When I was at a supermajor I didnt feel connected to my work or my station within the company. I was just a donkey plugging away.

Being at a smaller show where I wear several hats has shown me my worth and value in a much more visceral way.

I would argue that for an engineer it is vital to spend some time at a small show/own firm to affirm your abilities and hone your own personal pride/connection.

I love dealing with small firms. quality of engineer is always better than stantec or flour (haha).

[dandia89]

Originally posted by R154


Depends if you are prideful about what youre doing. Or, if you can see people benefiting from your time.

When I was at a supermajor I didnt feel connected to my work or my station within the company. I was just a donkey plugging away.

Being at a smaller show where I wear several hats has shown me my worth and value in a much more visceral way.

I would argue that for an engineer it is vital to spend some time at a small show/own firm to affirm your abilities and hone your own personal pride/connection.

I love dealing with small firms. quality of engineer is always better than stantec or flour (haha).

I definitely have pride in my work, and I was working at a large firm, now at a smaller firm and I see what you're saying. I enjoy the problem solving and the general development of knowledge too.

Although in the large scheme of things, the O&G industry is not meaningful from a high level for me. Essentially moving oil or gas from a large corporation to another doesn't seem like my contribution to society is meaningful at all.

[Buster]

I'm surprised by the number of people that say "law". I'm not sure people understand what most lawyers do all day.

Accounting/law/engineering....these are all in many ways the same job. It's grinding a task/tasks, hoping to get to the brass ring.

[bjstare]

Originally posted by Buster
I'm surprised by the number of people that say "law". I'm not sure people understand what most lawyers do all day.

Accounting/law/engineering....these are all in many ways the same job. It's grinding a task/tasks, hoping to get to the brass ring.

There are some of us (I'm an engineer that considered the law path) who use the grinding/task stage to build a base, then jump to the business side.

My goal with law would be not a lot different, despite the fact that I could make more just hacking out billable hours. The same applies for engineering... our subject matter experts (read: technical nerds) make quite good money, but I'd blow my brains out if I did that for a whole career.

[BokCh0y]

I would've pursued law instead if I could go back in time. But realistically, I still might go and do it after i'm done my MBA. Never to old to go back to school, and with the downturn right now...what better time.

[mzdspd]

For me as a mec eng tech, it would to either finish my degree and get into automotive engineering for a vehicle manufacturer. Pay might not be as good but I think I would thoroughly enjoy it.

The other stream would be medical, and this would be for self fulfillment. I have spent lots of time in the hospitals in the last few years due to family medical concerns and I feel as if it would be interesting to be a doctor. I think I would enjoy diagnosing and just the whole career. Obviously schedule and schooling is tough but it just seems to appeal to me.

Obviously two completely different choices, I just want a career where I feel the fulfillment of accomplishing something.

[shakalaka]

Originally posted by cjblair


There are some of us (I'm an engineer that considered the law path) who use the grinding/task stage to build a base, then jump to the business side.

My goal with law would be not a lot different, despite the fact that I could make more just hacking out billable hours. The same applies for engineering... our subject matter experts (read: technical nerds) make quite good money, but I'd blow my brains out if I did that for a whole career.

Exactly. Reasonable incoming income = comfortable lifestyle. Reasonable income income -> diversify into investments/businesses = affluent lifestyle.

[Buster]

Originally posted by cjblair


There are some of us (I'm an engineer that considered the law path) who use the grinding/task stage to build a base, then jump to the business side.

My goal with law would be not a lot different, despite the fact that I could make more just hacking out billable hours. The same applies for engineering... our subject matter experts (read: technical nerds) make quite good money, but I'd blow my brains out if I did that for a whole career.

I'm not shitting on it. I'm just saying that most engineering isn't putting people on the moon. Most law work isn't John Grisham. And most accounting isn't being the CFO of Tesla.

[Buster]

Originally posted by shakalaka


Exactly. Reasonable incoming income = comfortable lifestyle. Reasonable income income -> diversify into investments/businesses = affluent lifestyle.

It pays to break the world down into supply and demand chunks. "Investments/Business"...I'm not sure what that means. Are you talking about deploying capital into investment areas where you will see high return?

The world of deploying capital is HIGHLY competitive. Probably more competitive than anything you would witness in a day-to-day job environment.

When I see an opportunity/investment come my way, my first thought is ALWAYS why am I seeing this? Why are there not people or experts closer to the situation who have already sucked up this investment. Am I being the dumb money at the table? It's easy to be the dumb money at the table.

How do you break the rule of the risk/return correlation?

One of the major advantages of law/accounting over the other professions, is that as a service profession you can see a reasonable survey of what successful people are doing. It's a bit of a cheater route to being an insider on opportunities. But that's if you have exposure to that, and are smart enough to leverage that. But most of the time, people don't get into those professions, because they understand how to utilize risk - they get into those professions because they paycheck seems nice, and then life takes over and it becomes very difficult to step out.

Edit: I'm too lazy to fix my typos/grammar.

[shakalaka]

Originally posted by Buster


It pays to break the world down into supply and demand chunks. "Investments/Business"...I'm not sure what that means. Are you talking about deploying capital into investment areas where you will see high return?

The world of deploying capital is HIGHLY competitive. Probably more competitive than anything you would witness in a day-to-day job environment.

When I see an opportunity/investment come my way, my first thought is ALWAYS why am I seeing this? Why are there not people or experts closer to the situation who have already sucked up this investment. Am I being the dumb money at the table? It's easy to be the dumb money at the table.

How do you break the rule of the risk/return correlation?

One of the major advantages of law/accounting over the other professions, is that as a service profession you can see a reasonable survey of what successful people are doing. It's a bit of a cheater route to being an insider on opportunities. But that's if you have exposure to that, and are smart enough to leverage that. But most of the time, people don't get into those professions, because they understand how to utilize risk - they get into those professions because they paycheck seems nice, and then life takes over and it becomes very difficult to step out.

Edit: I'm too lazy to fix my typos/grammar.

Investments/business could be something completely different than your career, for example, real estate, commercial units etc. Or investment/business could also mean, opening your own law firm and having associates work for you vs working for someone.

While this stuff is most pertinent to the law, I am sure it can be done for other professions like medicine. I know family physicians that are 'businessmen', i.e. having multiple clinics and have doctors working for them. After a certain time you can have the flexibility of whether or not you'd like to work to supplement the investment income or not.

You aren't wrong about there being inherent risks with investments, in fact, if an investment is worth anything it will most definitely carry some degree of risk. But with a reasonable income to back you up (even if it is just a regular pay check), your tolerance becomes higher. As far as knowing what's worth the risk or not, I can't say. I guess time, expertise, experience and other variables determine that. I myself haven't even start doing much of that. Just getting a footing into the legal business and getting my name out there so I can have a steady flow of income that'll allow me to diversify into other things.

I say I wish I had gone into medicine instead of the law, but that's only cause without doing any sort of outside-of-work investments, medicine is a steadier pay check due to the AHS system and even if the goal is to do other things with that money, you'll achieve that relatively sooner. Where as law requires hustle, networking and all that other crap that I wouldn't do if I didn't have to and it takes longer to establish yourself where you have substantial disposable income to 'try' other things. That being said, end game is the same regardless of law or medicine. Have a reasonable steady income that allows diversifying into various investments, like my own firm, real estate etc. And certainly, being in the business we do get the benefit of coming across such situations more often than an average person.

Just my personal feelings about the subject.

[bjstare]

Originally posted by Buster


I'm not shitting on it. I'm just saying that most engineering isn't putting people on the moon. Most law work isn't John Grisham. And most accounting isn't being the CFO of Tesla.

Ah, I see where you were coming from. 100% agree.

[timdog]

Purely from a practical view, just thinking what I could do quickly (2 years) and get a guaranteed job that I wouldn't hate...

Medical Tech (i.e. Radiology tech, ultrasound tech, cardio tech). These can be tough to get into if you dont have good math grades, but you'll get out with a job for sure and it will pay between $35 - $45 an hour. My wife's friend graduated from school as a Ultrasound tech with a fucking ~$30k signing bonus and great pay (I think EFW or one of the private companies)

Fuck IT generally, but right now if you are a good programmer with modern languages (i.e. ruby on rails) you will get a job guaranteed. otherwise stay away from IT.

If I had more time and could assume a bit more risk, Engineering or Science but with a specialization in Solar, green/clean tech.

[R154]

Originally posted by dandia89


I definitely have pride in my work, and I was working at a large firm, now at a smaller firm and I see what you're saying. I enjoy the problem solving and the general development of knowledge too.

Although in the large scheme of things, the O&G industry is not meaningful from a high level for me. Essentially moving oil or gas from a large corporation to another doesn't seem like my contribution to society is meaningful at all.

You are exactly right. That's how I felt for a long time. I started feeling like a petty cog. I became interested in engineering for the same reasons as a lot of us (at heart). I'm just curious about how things work, and passionate about making them work better. It sucks conducting the same calculations over and over while arguing with vendors.



Originally posted by Buster


I'm not shitting on it. I'm just saying that most engineering isn't putting people on the moon. Most law work isn't John Grisham. And most accounting isn't being the CFO of Tesla.

At least for me, it's more about where you place value. It's clear that your goals for employment are financially driven. What about the people who enter a profession for the joy of it? There is a lot of joy found in the "grind". I personally find it enjoyable to grind on a project for months to finally complete it and see it out there in the wild.

I find my day to day problem solving immensely satisfying. I actually enjoy "boring" engineering tasks. The cost management/business side of my job is the part that poisons my well.

The money is nice, but the net majority of my "pay" comes from my own personal investments.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by timdog

Fuck IT generally, but right now if you are a good programmer with modern languages (i.e. ruby on rails) you will get a job guaranteed. otherwise stay away from IT.

No way I'd go into anything software related. Unless you are a rockstar and work in Silicon Valley, I don't see it having much growth potential. Someone in India can code just as well as someone in North America, and I think AI generating code will happen sooner than people expect.

Everyone should understand the rudimentary basics of code (it should be mandatory in grade school IMO), but I don't know if I'd get into the field if it wasn't research related.

Hmm... AI research... :bigpimp:

[dandia89]

Originally posted by timdog
Medical Tech (i.e. Radiology tech, ultrasound tech, cardio tech). These can be tough to get into if you dont have good math grades, but you'll get out with a job for sure and it will pay between $35 - $45 an hour. My wife's friend graduated from school as a Ultrasound tech with a fucking ~$30k signing bonus and great pay (I think EFW or one of the private companies)


Not familiar with these fields at all, but from what I hear, you don't really "move up" and you're stuck doing the same job for the rest of your life. I see the allure of it, and pay sounds good but what flexibility do you have? Seems pretty standard once you're in. Maybe I'm wrong, I hope I am.

[revelations]

While I was at BCIT studying to become a Land Surveyor, I was strongly contemplating switching to a LAN/Networks diploma program/degree.

However, the job prospects would have never lead me down the path that I am on now. There is nothing better (for me) than being self-managed / self-employed.

I have less stress in my life at 40 (with wife, kid and house) than I did being single at 24.




Originally posted by HiTempguy1
No way I'd go into anything software related. Unless you are a rockstar and work in Silicon Valley, I don't see it having much growth potential. Someone in India can code just as well as someone in North America, and I think AI generating code will happen sooner than people expect.


I can tell you from first hand experience that outsourcing code is a giant PITA for companies trying to clean up a mess from India.

They only care about quantity, and little about quality. Security? Standard practices? Nah,....

If you LIKE writing code for fun, and are good with people, you can have a good start here.

[killramos]

I think this is just an example of a grass is always greener attitude but I would say having a medical degree of SOME kind ( Dentistry, Opthal, GP, Psych ) would be what I wish I had. I always stayed away because i figured the grades and CV grind through HS and Undergrad in addition to actual med school to probably not be the way I wanted to spend my youth. If i had to go back i probably still wouldn't pursue medicine for the same reasoning.

I just feel, overall, like my engineering degree is a useless piece of paper that just got me into the door of an oil company in order to do mindless clerical work that has next to nothing to do with what I studied. Engineers seem to be a dime a dozen in Calgary and in my experience have pretty well nothing expected of them in their roles aside from showing up... I think that things could be different, but its not like I am in a position to be jumping ship for all those other non-existent jobs out there.

In a role as a doctor at least i would be getting paid top dollar for the grind and hours worked, and I have no problems actually working excessive hours. Also seems like a profession I could actually take some pride in as well as be more interested in. But again, grass is always green and if I was an MD I would probably envy my current work-life balance. :dunno:

[R154]

Originally posted by killramos
I think this is just an example of a grass is always greener attitude but I would say having a medical degree of SOME kind ( Dentistry, Opthal, GP, Psych ) would be what I wish I had. I always stayed away because i figured the grades and CV grind through HS and Undergrad in addition to actual med school to probably not be the way I wanted to spend my youth. If i had to go back i probably still wouldn't pursue medicine for the same reasoning.

I just feel, overall, like my engineering degree is a useless piece of paper that just got me into the door of an oil company in order to do mindless clerical work that has next to nothing to do with what I studied. Engineers seem to be a dime a dozen in Calgary and in my experience have pretty well nothing expected of them in their roles aside from showing up... I think that things could be different, but its not like I am in a position to be jumping ship for all those other non-existent jobs out there.

In a role as a doctor at least i would be getting paid top dollar for the grind and hours worked, and I have no problems actually working excessive hours. Also seems like a profession I could actually take some pride in as well as be more interested in. But again, grass is always green and if I was an MD I would probably envy my current work-life balance. :dunno:

My dad is a doctor. Trust me, we made the right choice.

[shakalaka]

^Haha. I am the opposite. Lot of my family, including my dad is a doctor and sometimes I wish I had listened to him when he used to tell me to go to med school when I was younger. But then again, I am not an engineer so I might be missing something. :rofl:

[timdog]

Originally posted by dandia89


Not familiar with these fields at all, but from what I hear, you don't really "move up" and you're stuck doing the same job for the rest of your life. I see the allure of it, and pay sounds good but what flexibility do you have? Seems pretty standard once you're in. Maybe I'm wrong, I hope I am.

Nah, I think you're mostly right unfortunately. I really want my wife to get into this field though. as the primary caregiver of our kids, I don't think she necessarily has alot of aspiration to "move-up" and make $200k some day, just needs a stable career that pays well, has some flexibility and is interesting (and most importantly for her is working with people and seeing interesting medical stuff which she loves). you can do these jobs part time or full time and there is always high demand. There are always the standard 2-4% raises year over year, which can add up, and great benefits and pensions/RRSPs, but yeah, you are never going to get rich per se.

[suntan]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1


No way I'd go into anything software related. Unless you are a rockstar and work in Silicon Valley, I don't see it having much growth potential. Someone in India can code just as well as someone in North America, and I think AI generating code will happen sooner than people expect.

Everyone should understand the rudimentary basics of code (it should be mandatory in grade school IMO), but I don't know if I'd get into the field if it wasn't research related.

Hmm... AI research... :bigpimp: There are not enough programmers. Seriously. And good programmers are basically non-existent; any you meet could be considered figments of your imagination.

Calgary is not a great IT town. Too many companies don't give a shit about what IT systems they use and IT production is very, very small.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by suntan
And good programmers are basically non-existent; any you meet could be considered figments of your imagination.

Calgary is not a great IT town. Too many companies don't give a shit about what IT systems they use and IT production is very, very small.

Oh, I know how awful a lot of programmers are. A former instructor we had back in the day from IBM was pretty good though.

Maybe I'll have to look into it more. Leaving Alberta would be difficult, but not out of the question. And lets face it, I am a pretty big nerd (not like some on here, but definitely nerdy enough) that I definitely have an interest in the field.

[suntan]

You cannot become a good programmer by going to school. Certainly not in Alberta. There is not one good program here. MRU's is adequate at best. U of C's Comp Sci faculty is a giant joke.

Wanna learn? Pick up book. Make something - think of something in your head that you want to do (doesn't have to be original, just something that you know you would be motivated to finish). And then join an open source project.

[Xtrema]

I will never do anything Medical other than Medical supplies industry (Pharma etc).

I don't want to at the front line to dealing with life and death. I think it take some crazy personality to not have your humanity stripped dealing with that shit every day.

Mec Engineering are tough even in good times. I and job prosper won't be great in Calgary.

IT in general is a dying industry. A few exception would be management and security. The will always need for coder and customization to deal with industry applications but none of those has good money in it. This is not silicon valley and there are much more better talents for less going west or in Ontario. The other problem with software is that offshoring is so much cheaper than using North Americans.



You cannot become a good programmer by going to school. Certainly not in Alberta. There is not one good program here. MRU's is adequate at best. U of C's Comp Sci faculty is a giant joke.

Wanna learn? Pick up book. Make something - think of something in your head that you want to do (doesn't have to be original, just something that you know you would be motivated to finish). And then join an open source project.

Yup. And that's exactly how I see IT going forward is wrangling these people with the tech skill. But thanks to the improved communication, they really don't need to be in Alberta.

[revelations]

Originally posted by suntan
You cannot become a good programmer by going to school. Certainly not in Alberta. There is not one good program here. MRU's is adequate at best. U of C's Comp Sci faculty is a giant joke.

Wanna learn? Pick up book. Make something - think of something in your head that you want to do (doesn't have to be original, just something that you know you would be motivated to finish). And then join an open source project.

:werd: The best guys in the game I know are self made coders and have little or no formal training - 99% self-taught because they code for fun.

[suntan]

You can certainly go to a good school and become a good programmer. Just not here.

[Manhattan]

I'd meet a rich girl in school and marry into wealth. :love:

[D'z Nutz]

If I had a chance to go back to school, I'd do the same thing all over again (computer science). I love what I do and even after 13+ years, there are still days I look forward to getting to the office because I enjoy a lot of the things I get to do from time to time.

[Feruk]

Astrophysics. I'd prolly make less money, but the world would be way more interesting than oil & gas...

[JRSC00LUDE]

I'd go back and become an Astronaut Cowboy Millionaire. :dunno:

[suntan]

Originally posted by Xtrema
IT in general is a dying industry. A few exception would be management and security. The will always need for coder and customization to deal with industry applications but none of those has good money in it. This is not silicon valley and there are much more better talents for less going west or in Ontario. The other problem with software is that offshoring is so much cheaper than using North Americans.IT isn't even close to dying. It's in its infancy for crying out loud. We're at the equivalent of using stone tools and chisels.

No non-trivial software development gets off-shored. Oh sure, you might be able to move bits and pieces over but fact is the majority needs to be done where the ideas are formed.

Also they're busy in India and those other shitholes making their own software.


Yup. And that's exactly how I see IT going forward is wrangling these people with the tech skill. But thanks to the improved communication, they really don't need to be in Alberta. Well by that logic they don't need to be anywhere, which of course makes no sense at all. They need to be somewhere, providing some sort of favourable environment or at least espousing our advantages to certain industry leaders might be helpful. But the NDP spends their time fucking around with hippies, and our mayor jacks off on Twitter.

[Little Dragon]

Interesting to see I'm not the only engineer feeling like another cog in the wheel. Although my job gives me a bit of satisfaction, as I get to deal with how to provide energy to people in remote areas, directly increasing their quality of life.

I'm also similar to others in this thread, in that I've been considering medicine. I do a lot of volunteering on the side (ski patrol, search and rescue) that it has come up more than once where I would consider doing it full-time.

I'm young enough that I don't have to provide for anyone, but my salary has allowed me a very comfortable lifestyle (nice toys, being able to travel). I'm starting to become too comfortable in the current corporate role. I have high potential here but I also don't want to be stuck here later on and wish I had jumped ship earlier.

Thoughts on this? Hard for me to decide if leaving this boring corporate role with high pay is worth it. Maybe I'll milk it a bit more so I can build up a nice nest first.

I've considered becoming an EMT (2-3 years). Possibly going back to school for medical school (I don't have the grades tho....so I might have to redo undergrad to get in, which may take 8 years total).

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE
I'd go back and become an Astronaut Cowboy Millionaire. :dunno:

How I feel about a lot of the suggestions so far. :rofl:

[msommers]

Yeah I think some responses are based on what would be cool, or nice to have a high consistent pay cheque rather than genuine passion for the job.

Study for and write the 7.5hr MCAT to get a taste of med school lol.

[suntan]

Passion is overrated. Do what you're good at.

[holden]

I would stay in the same field, but for my 4th year project I would have done a photo sharing app (Instagram), Video sharing app (Snapchat), rental sharing website (AirBnB) or ride sharing app (Uber). I graduated before the first iPhone, so if I could have started the company before mobile app development blew up, I would have had a great head start.

[nismodrifter]

Quite surprised with the number of med responses. Really didn't expect that coming into this thread. Definitely an alluring field, but what I would suggest is that rather than volunteering to get exposure to the field they should offer "life in the day of a med student or resident on call". That will give you a real picture of what you are getting into.

Ah yes, slaving our 20's away, spending days in the quiet rooms at various Calgary Public Libraries. It all becomes routine (you know, the 30hr shifts, financial stress, burnout....).

Would I change a thing? Nope. I guess it was an easy decision for me as I have ALWAYS wanted to be a family practitioner. I knew very early on in my life that as a family doc I'd have a lifestyle, be renumerated reasonably well, and it really was my calling.

Currently working 9-4, 4 days a week, and I plan on cutting back on that soon. I enjoy coming to work, enjoy seeing my patients, and enjoy being blessed with the opportunity to be a part of their lives. Loving life. :thumbsup:

[max_boost]

Originally posted by suntan
Passion is overrated. Do what you're good at. That's the problem I was never good at anything in school lol :nut: :dunno:

[suntan]

Originally posted by holden
I would stay in the same field, but for my 4th year project I would have done a photo sharing app (Instagram), Video sharing app (Snapchat), rental sharing website (AirBnB) or ride sharing app (Uber). I graduated before the first iPhone, so if I could have started the company before mobile app development blew up, I would have had a great head start. Ha, I came up with a renter-matching website in my POEN class way back in 1994.

The prof told me it was totally unviable. God I love teachers.

[lasimmon]

Originally posted by nismodrifter
Quite surprised with the number of med responses. Really didn't expect that coming into this thread. Definitely an alluring field, but what I would suggest is that rather than volunteering to get exposure to the field they should offer "life in the day of a med student or resident on call". That will give you a real picture of what you are getting into.

Ah yes, slaving our 20's away, spending days in the quiet rooms at various Calgary Public Libraries. It all becomes routine (you know, the 30hr shifts, financial stress, burnout....).

Would I change a thing? Nope. I guess it was an easy decision for me as I have ALWAYS wanted to be a family practitioner. I knew very early on in my life that as a family doc I'd have a lifestyle, be renumerated reasonably well, and it really was my calling.

Currently working 9-4, 4 days a week, and I plan on cutting back on that soon. I enjoy coming to work, enjoy seeing my patients, and enjoy being blessed with the opportunity to be a part of their lives. Loving life. :thumbsup:

I think it has 100% to do with money making potential.

[JustinL]

Originally posted by holden
I would stay in the same field, but for my 4th year project I would have done a photo sharing app (Instagram), Video sharing app (Snapchat), rental sharing website (AirBnB) or ride sharing app (Uber). I graduated before the first iPhone, so if I could have started the company before mobile app development blew up, I would have had a great head start.

LOL I think I would have pursued something similar :rolleyes: I probably would have developed a social network (Facebook) and gotten a huge head start.

The future of the past is so easy to predict from the present.

[msommers]

Originally posted by lasimmon


I think it has 100% to do with money making potential.

Which is funny because end of the day, a lot of family docs are not balling out of control like people think, generally speaking.

Anesthesiologists though, making it rain erry day.

[Buster]

Medicine is a weird choice if money is your thing. There are a shit ton easier/better way to make $300M - $500M a year than going the doctor route. People should go be doctors if that is their passion, otherwise it is definitely not worth it. Especially once you consider the financial opportunity costs of the educational component.

[Masked Bandit]

I've always thought accounting was a field that could A) provide a pretty solid paycheque early in your career and B) give you a foot in the door to other business opportunities to make a lot more money. Opening a small practice with a few other accountants working for you seems like a relatively easy route to $250K + a year. Can any current career accountants chime in?

[Sugarphreak]

...

[FraserB]

I'm actively considering going and getting my pipefitting apprenticeship started.

It actually interests me, can do a j-man ticket in three years (or so I have been told) and it would advance my other work. I figure I'm still young enough and have few obligations, so the pay cut wouldn't be too bad as opposed to later in life.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Should have just stuck with skiing and gone to Xgames.

[CompletelyNumb]

Originally posted by FraserB
I'm actively considering going and getting my pipefitting apprenticeship started.

It actually interests me, can do a j-man ticket in three years (or so I have been told) and it would advance my other work. I figure I'm still young enough and have few obligations, so the pay cut wouldn't be too bad as opposed to later in life.

A guy I work with did this after getting laid off.

Of course, his resume was all O&G and he couldn't find a job for the life of him, so he made a fake resume with fake jobs and fake references, landed himself a pipefitting apprenticeship. He's a year into it now, doing quite well.

[R154]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb


A guy I work with did this after getting laid off.

Of course, his resume was all O&G and he couldn't find a job for the life of him, so he made a fake resume with fake jobs and fake references, landed himself a pipefitting apprenticeship. He's a year into it now, doing quite well.

Ahh, the good old fraud route. Nice!

[zipdoa]

I would take the $20k I wasted at SAIT and study under Ido Portal instead.

Learn as much as possible until I run out of money, come back home and start teaching.

W0Wr7HsylE0

[FraserB]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb


A guy I work with did this after getting laid off.

Of course, his resume was all O&G and he couldn't find a job for the life of him, so he made a fake resume with fake jobs and fake references, landed himself a pipefitting apprenticeship. He's a year into it now, doing quite well.

I have a few ins, but it would mean dedicating 3 years minimum to it.