Career

[JT]

you could become a bookie and take bets from Hmaier and his buddies and then retire in a few years.

[Curmudgeon]

you could become a bookie and take bets from Hmaier and his buddies and then retire in a few years.

[H.Maier]

you could become a bookie and take bets from Hmaier and his buddies and then retire in a few years.

First off, you'd need 50 grand to start off an operation to service a town the size of Clute and hope I never move there. Paying 12-1 odds on a four team parlay, I'd clean you out in week three of the NFL season. Secondly I haven't seen termo in robolo's corner in three weeks, so you owe me at least 500 of our 1000 dollar bet,Jt. I'll come by the sandbar and have a steak and 2 hamburgers, four beers and a piece of apple pie, with your prices we'll call it square. Now that is funny.

[FlatoutFishin]

What ever you do...don't have kids early on before your career is established and your set. Kids have a way, or family needs I should say, of making all that " want a career that suits my desires, and weekends off 8 to 5 stuff" to...SHOW ME THE MONEY at all costs.
All jobs have their pluses and minuses, but I'll say this about plant work...no where will you find a job paying over 100k plus the benefits you get with only a 2yr degree(and sometimes you get hired without) in less than a year after starting. My only wish in life is that I started much earlier instead of seeking my dream job for 10 years. I finally made shift supervisor after 14 years here...and with that comes no call out, or on call, which means I only work 1/2 a year...then couple in the 160 hours of vacation, I'm lucky if I make 5 months of actually being here. There is something to be said for that.
Good luck on what ever you finally decide...it's tough for sure trying to figure it all out. In some ways I wish I could start over, but in others I'm glad I can finally see the career path light at the end of the tunnel...granted it's a long tunnel, but I can see it!

[dbarham]

What ever you do...don't have kids early on before your career is established and your set. Kids have a way, or family needs I should say, of making all that " want a career that suits my desires, and weekends off 8 to 5 stuff" to...SHOW ME THE MONEY at all costs.
All jobs have their pluses and minuses, but I'll say this about plant work...no where will you find a job paying over 100k plus the benefits you get with only a 2yr degree(and sometimes you get hired without) in less than a year after starting. My only wish in life is that I started much earlier instead of seeking my dream job for 10 years. I finally made shift supervisor after 14 years here...and with that comes no call out, or on call, which means I only work 1/2 a year...then couple in the 160 hours of vacation, I'm lucky if I make 5 months of actually being here. There is something to be said for that.
Good luck on what ever you finally decide...it's tough for sure trying to figure it all out. In some ways I wish I could start over, but in others I'm glad I can finally see the career path light at the end of the tunnel...granted it's a long tunnel, but I can see it!

Ok take me fishin then!!!

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[FlatoutFishin]

Ok take me fishin then!!!

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Lets go!

[IsleofBing]

I understand what your going through and i hope this next part helps. At 28 I've worked a lot of jobs in a lot of fields (Fire protection, Appliance Repair, Medical, Retail, Fast food, Catering, Sales, Electrical.) Right now i'm a Hospice Technician. I work about 80-100 hrs a week sometimes 14-21 days straight depending on patient demands. The first thing you have to figure out is what you are willing to devote your time and energy to. Any field or "Career" you decide on will require dedication from you to LEARN/STUDY the hidden secrets of it. Take fishing for example. It takes a lot of time to learn all the little things that the weekend warrior doesn't commit to learning. The terrain, the structure, how to move a lure, how to cast with precision, lure colors, weather patterns..etc. You must tackle your profession with the same vigor you have for fishing. Your education doesn't end with your degree/ certificate you have to be a continual student of your profession. Lots of people have Bachelor's and Master's for various fields that were paying good 10-15 years ago but have now been made obsolete. My own mother had a degree in Key punch and never used it. My best advice pick a field or career and dedicate yourself to learning everything you can of it for the next 10 years. Notice i didn't say job here because it's possible you will have many in a 10 year span (I've had 10+). What you want to develop are Marketable Skills. Things you can take from job to job...field to field. (Ex. Sales, Product Knowledge, Mechanical skill.) You also need to learn about yourself. What you can tolerate and what you can't (Physical labor, long trips away from home, late nights) this self knowledge will help in your ability to Sell yourself to Employers(demand higher pay).

I hope this helps

Bing

[Explorer21]

Here are my thoughts. First and foremost, you have to find a career that will make you smile each day and one that you are pumped up about when you get out of bed each morning. The last thing you want to do is wake up saying.... man I got to work today. Secondly, you have to give it 100% every day because I am a true believer that hard work pays off one way or another. Yes, I also believe it is who you know, not what you know, but you still have to be willing to learn. Finally, Houston's economy is booming and like Bruce said, medical is always a good field to go into and it never slows down. I have always been in energy and it has been good to me, but I have put a lot of hard work.

[Robalo]

Primer:

Have ya thought about being a fireman? I understand ya work 4 days a week, conditions are tough, but after like 25 years ya get retirement, then get a Captain's license and fish/guide while collecting retirement.

[corndog]

Oil Field my man. Where else can a person with a high school education become a general manager, travel all over the world and make a butt load of cash!!!High end alloy metals. Welding or inspection. They are not going away anytime soon.

[Primer]

I really appreciate all the advice guys, it really means a lot to me to be able to turn to some of my friends in a time of need and receive help. I'm not looking to make a jump just yet as I don't wanna leave the company I'm with in a bad position. And I really need to put some more money back before I do. I feel like at the job I'm at, there isn't a challenge mentally. I do like to problem solve and figure some things out. Hopefully I can find something new before this summer that I can try out. Jason and Jeremy, I really appreciate the notions and I will bear them in mind. At this point I'm lost as to where to go. Guess my best bet while I'm still living with mom and dad is to just try a few things, never know until you try. Luckily my truck and the maintenance that go along with it are about my only bills at the moment. Once again guys I really appreciate the advice and wisdom from those of you that have been there before!

[Hogie70]

IC&E techs are in high demand in the power plant. It doesn't matter who is in office Dems or Reps it never effects the industry. Just something to think about. If you lean more towards the controls side of the profession the paved road goes on forever and the party never ends!!! The ITT technical institute is the route you should be looking at... IMO

[Oleander Kayaker]

This is how I started out (below) and I was able to go to night school (or work night shift, and go to day school). It took 11 years of this till I earned an engineering degree (and a lot of design experience at the same time).
The oil field is good paying work, but can be cyclical or moving from job to job, at least in the early years.

Might think of computer aided design (CADD), if you are tech savvy... I think HCC offers a 2 yr course in it. Sit at desk, look at screen and draft flow diagrams, mechanical parts, or anything that has to be manufactured, with a standard mouse and keyboard setup...good $, no rainouts or manual labor, air condition 24/7. You will use the hand/eye coordination to relay the idea on paper in the form of a drawing. Check it out...also chemical/refinery piping design, field work involving actually measuring pipe being replaced and inside hints being revamped. Also field supervision in construction as well...type in "piping design programs" and see what pops up. PM me if you have questions. Down side=little physical exercise...