After High School

[mtnboomer]

Went to NEO in Miami for 2 years (1976-78). Came home and the next Monday was filling out an application for GM. Worked for GM from Oct. 1979 until they closed the doors in 2006. Finally reached retirement in 2009. Now I'm a licensed electrician.

 

[Jestik]

Hmmm....Me thinks that should be worded differently. Or maybe not, to each their own.........

Yeah...it does sort of make me look gay, which is cool and all, even though I'm not. The best friends that I made in college turned out to be guys...you know, bros before ho's and all that jazz.

 

[Capm_Spaulding]

I finished high school in 2010 so I can offer some fresh advice. Skip the JUCO crowd and go straight to a University. I know some people swear you can get your Gen ed. done at a JUCO then transfer, but it's not that simple, especially if you want to go to somewhere like OU. The different degree programs give preference to those who did their Gen ed. at the university as well as I ran into stuff not transferring even thought it did when I took it. I had to retake 15 hours when I transferred because OU changed their equivlancy chart. So just like that, my classes were worthless. The environment is also much better at a University than at a JUCO, it's one of those rare times that you get what you pay for... Cheaper tuition= cheaper institution.

 

[HMCS(FMF)Ret.]

Wow, some great advice in this thread Been. I think whatever you do, you're on the right track. This is how to get where you want to go, by aquiring information and making educated decisions. Filter as needed, and then do what you feel is best.

As for me, I joined the Navy at 18. Spent 22 years as a Corpsman (with the Marines...so I know little about the "real" Navy). Retired as Senior Chief at a young age. Have a degree in Business, which I got before I left the military. I now work for the .gov and I have an easy life/no stress. I could work at Burger King and still make a nice living (with my retirement and disability pay).

My military advice (even though you didn't ask):

The key to the military is that you have to survive it. Not as easy to do in this day and age. Also, if you get married....staying married is the hard part. The military is VERY hard on families. Doesn't do you any good to retire as a Master Chief if you have nothing to go home to after 20 years. So you really have to learn how to balance what is good for your familiy and what is good for your career (hence why I wasn't a Master Chief). If you stay in the military, make rank as fast as you can before you have a family. That means making sacrifices for your career as early as you can (that means less sacrifices later). If and when you get married, go overseas...stack away COLA (Cost of Living Allowances) in the bank...it'll come in handy when you retire. Make sure to get a degree (easy to do in a 20 year career...take advantage of the Navy's money). You'll need the paper to get a job....even an easy job, when you get out. Then retire and chill. Sounds easy, but it isn't.

In hindsight would I do it again? Not really sure. 20 years in the military can have its fun times, but can also feel like being in prison. My best time in the military...getting out. Had some good times, but I feel free now.

 

[rhodesbe]

I went to college, met a great guy who is a lifelong friend. Through him I met the man that I now work for.

I'm guessing you're a prostitute?

 

[Jestik]

Good one

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[rhodesbe]

Good one

You're entirely too good natured about this. Insult me back or something!

 

[twoguns?]

I used to hang out at the mountains , hiking , exploring the refuge.

( of course there was some drinkin an girls mixed in there)

Got me a job fighting forest fires in Nor-cal ,arizona, montana ,wyoming..pretty cool for a few years

Then the oil field ...ha! you probably know the rest

 

[tharper]

Worked at a crap job for 4 years then joined the Air Force. Did 4.5 years active duty and now work full time for the air national guard. Been almost 10 years. I'd love to say it's been all great but it's taken care of the wife and I well enough.

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[crrcboatz]

Unfortunately they're only accurate for that moment in time when you take them, and even then any reasonably self-aware person can manipulate the outcome and skew the results to confirm their own thinking.

People's interests change, especially when they're young. That's one of the reasons that you have people who get three years into med school and then one day realize upon waking up that they no longer want to be a doctor. You have people that take these interest inventories and choose a vo-tech course based on them and later realize they don't enjoy what they've been educated to do.

The first two times I took one of those interest inventories, I got two very different results. One time the result was automotive service technician, the other was structural engineering. These were both within a few months.

Obviously, I now do neither of those. The first is a fine hobby for me, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to do that for work. The second is perhaps closer as it requires continuing education, but it also doesn't change fast enough for me. Plus you can't exactly be a structural engineer without a degree, and college moves too slow (which is why I quit after a semester).

I've also gotten lawyer and educator, but I don't have the patience with people for either of those. Lawyers have to deal with idiots (which is why I got out of tech support), and my thought on teaching is the student should keep up or go somewhere else.

They had us take those each year through junior high and high school to set our goals in terms of an "ideal" class schedule. Some people were consistent, some were all over the place. I can count on two hands how many people went the route recommended by their interest inventory, and on one hand how many are still there 10 years later.

My advice to anyone is to figure out what you love and do it. If you don't know what you love, find something to fill the time while you work on figuring yourself out, whether that's military, flipping burgers, a nomadic lifestyle, or going to college.

My favorite excuse I hear from people unhappy with their career is "well, it's the field I got my degree/certification in." Then there are the whiners who think they can't do more than minimum wage because they don't have a degree or certificate.

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Veggie, Veggie sorry you had a bad experience with the interest inventory thing. You must have gotten hold of some fly by night thing. The testing industry is filled with some great and very effective stuff now. This one is considered one of the best for adults! https://www.cpp.com/pdfs/smp284104.pdf

To the author of this thread don't let one guy with a bad experience using a cheap inventory keep you from considering this avenue. Anything that requires preferences can be manipulated if that is one's goal. You want honest information. A good inventory will provide that for you if you do your part.

Sounds like Veggie had a bad experience because he didn't put honest effort in it. He chose to manipulate the opportunity and content of the inventory. Most of us get out of something about what we put into it. Go into this with a strong desire to get results and good things will come of it. Interest inventories are proven to be effective.