Career

JakarrSlamson · 2018-09-11T00:01:22+00:00

Save up as much money as you can working your boring job and buy up real estate until you get to a place where you make enough money from your real estate that you no longer need to work.

boy_named_su · 2018-09-11T00:27:24+00:00

I just quit my six figure programming job to do my own thing. Have several years of expenses saved up. At least 2 great ideas to do. Giving myself a year to ship at least one of them

CalvinRichland · 2018-09-10T22:32:29+00:00

I have a secret to tell you... that's like 99% of the world with "good jobs"

rpsheepdog · 2018-09-10T22:40:04+00:00

Without going into too much detail about my personal life, I worked a job with crazy hours overnights etc/ made a lateral move for my employer to a m-f 8-4 type job, and it is like playing life on easy mode. Use the money you make as an opportunity to start exploring some other jobs or revenue streams. If you find something you like, fund yourself to make the move and go for it.

Ricklogical · 2018-09-10T23:08:35+00:00

This is just a milepost in your life. Calm down and realize that what you are building at your current employer is a solid resume reference. Plan to leave and try another company. They are certainly very different. No two offices are the same, though many of them have similarities. I suggest you try as many as you can, but do your best to job hunt while you have a job, and not change jobs more than once a year, better if you stay a few years before changing, but it is becoming more common to move in a year, or six months for a solid pay raise, or to move into a more enjoyable position.

jacked_and_tan_tv · 2018-09-10T22:53:25+00:00

Find out what you are good at... and start a business. Put everything you have into it. Also you can start an online blog or YouTube channel and make decent ad revenue/affiliate income once you’re established.

RedPillD · 2018-09-10T22:53:43+00:00

Just wanted to say I'm right there with you. Right now I'm keeping my head down because I'm deep in student loans. But I've been on and off searching for ways to not be trapped in such a monotonous lifestyle.

MrCSharp22 · 2018-09-11T02:42:13+00:00

I'm also 24 and have a bachelors in computer science and work 9-5. I think it might be related to where you work. Maybe the company you work for has a work culture that doesn't suit you. I don't know if you are a software developer or what kind of tech you work with but i have to ask if you got into this field because you genuinely enjoyed it or not?

Herdsengineers · 2018-09-11T04:15:55+00:00

I'm 43. Worked my way up from college graduation to now supervising a large multi-disciplined engineering team over the past 20+ years. What you are experiencing is reality showing how jobs turn out. It's all of them. What makes it tolerable for me is the following:

We design big infrastructure stuff. I get to see it through and know that I was a main, if not the main, driver behind it. It benefits humanity when we finish this stuff up and get it in service. So there's legacy there, most of these projects will still be in operation, providing clean water, long after I'm gone.
I'm lucky enough to get recognized for my work, hence why I'm in charge of the team now. Part of what got me there was being willing to speak up and stick my neck out. I turned out to be right a lot more than I was wrong. This showed people that I did a lot more right, and I naturally ended up leading from whatever position I was in. I always got the promotions when they came up as a result. Be willing to speak up, be willing to be wrong and learn from correction and mistakes. This improves things because all the sudden, when you take this stance, you're learning and growing faster in a way that you can recognize.
I know on the bad days good ones will follow. I know on the good days that bad ones are coming too, so I don't get too high and I don't get too low. I also keep in mind I'm working to live, not living to work. I've hit a good balance of satisfaction most of the time with my job, and know to duck out when I need to.
Smaller companies are riskier but offer better opportunities and better social/camaraderie. It's my opinion only, but I think it's true after working for both large corporations and smaller companies. I say this because smaller companies provide a better chance to benefit more financially, beyond your salary and 401k. Large companies, getting to be some form of stockholder with significant value in your portfolio, it's not easy. Small companies, find one that you fit in just right. Then work on helping the owner build value. Be vocal about it with owner in private, and make part of your long term plan benefiting from the company value. Eventually that owner will want to cash out, when they do, you'll also reap the rewards.
- As an example, I'm basically now on a promissory note with my company owner. 5-8 years from now when owners retire, they'll sell, should be in the neighborhood of 80-100 million when they cash out. My note gives me a percentage of the sale proceeds. Not gonna go into the specifics, but it's single digit millions in terms of the value of the payout. They did this to keep another firm that has deeper salary pockets from stealing me. The extra 10% someone could offer me doesn't come close to the large payout I've now got coming when owners retire. I got into this position by not only doing great work but by becoming indispensable in terms of leadership in the company as well as helping them grow and add measurable $$$$ value to the company. I make them profits now, as well as am driving up what they will get when they cash out in retirement, and I'll get a share of it as well.
When you are benefiting in a big way, it makes it more palatable to work the standard office job. But again, you gotta figure out a way to benefit from ownership. Own a firm, or get into another position that you benefit like an owner even if you aren't.
Lastly - figure out some backup plans. Real estate can be good one if you are in a good market for it. Another is learning stock trading. Start investing in yourself and create bigger wealth than just your paycheck. Knowing you've got a good "fuck you" fund makes it much easier because you know you can walk away from the corporate world or at least flee a bad spot and find a new one without losing all income.

TheBadGoy · 2018-09-11T00:25:23+00:00

Despite all my rage I'm still just a rat in a cage!

handfulofnuts · 2018-09-11T07:33:53+00:00

Coming from someone who never had a normal corporate job (though I do own a business), so take this for what it's worth...

Sometimes you just have to grind it out. You're at that stage. It can suck, but you have to make as much of it as you can.

Read Mastery by Robert Greene (48 Laws wouldn't be a bad idea either). You're in your apprenticeship phase. Grind it out at work, but also push yourself to learn new things. Don't just show up, clock in, do what you have to do, and leave. Find out how the company is structure and how you fit into that structure. Find out how office politics work. Get in good with people who can help you in the future. Learn about whatever industry your company is involved in, and how it fits in to the overall picture. Take on projects that stretch you whenever possible. Learn, learn, learn. Grab this job by the horns and squeeze as much as you can out of it, both money-wise and knowledge-wise. And yes, live frugally and save up some money.

Then move on when the time comes. Maybe you put your resume out and get a better offer somewhere else. Maybe someone from your company moves elsewhere and offers to take you with them. Maybe you do something as a side project and it starts paying your bills, so you go the entrepreneur route. Or whatever. You're constantly learning, stretching yourself, and looking for opportunity.

You're young and inexperienced. This is the time to gain as much knowledge and experience, and as many connections as you possibly can. It will only benefit you in the future.

plenty_of_eesh · 2018-09-11T07:49:51+00:00

Hey you sound a lot like me, and here's my career in a nutshell:

Increasingly more lucrative computer jobs interspersed with adventures in unemployment (from just chilling/reading for months, to teaching English in Asia, to being a bike messenger, to living on a tropical island in S. America for a couple years).

Okay only 50% of my examples were technically UNemployment, but you get the idea.

My career is not as advanced as my friends who have had their noses on the tech grindstone for 20 years straight... But I have a fuck of a lot more interesting stories to tell.

So don't give it up.... In fact, try to excel... But you're blessed with a background and future that makes flexibility possible in a way that is rare in other paths, from janitors to doctors.

And if you live well within your means, reign in certain lifestyle expenditures, the world is your oyster.

1z1z2x2x3c3c4v4v · 2018-09-11T15:09:13+00:00

First, you need to figure out what you like to do in this life. What do you enjoy doing for fun? (If you don't know, then you need to start with that)

Second, find ways to do that on a regular basis.

Third, can you make money doing this?

Forth, make money, save money, and live within your means.

Fifth, always be learning to get ahead. Take classes, learn a new skill, new language, whatever it takes for you to get ahead in your career or industry.

Last but not least, LIFT. In fact, that may be first on the list for you...

WeddingCrasher91 · 2018-09-11T07:02:22+00:00

I graduated at 23 (1 year late) 4 years ago as a mechanical engineer and left my country in the middle east to another country to work in remote desert areas. I work 65 hours a week. I'm able to save 35k$ a year with moderate spending, which is considered OK money relative to here, not sure how good relative to the west. You're in the US , that's a blessing by itself. Most guys here including you have access to females/plates where they can practice and improve their skills. I dont. Iam still grinding and trying to increase my chances to find a way out, which includes applying to immigration or Masters programs. And if i have to, iam still willing to risk it again and marry another western chick to help me leave this place and job. You're ahead in life than people like me, just like iam ahead of other less fortunate people. Be grateful for these things that sometimes people take unintentionally for granted, it will ease that misery creeping onto you.

moreinhoe · 2018-09-11T04:09:19+00:00

9-5 is great, this is an opportunity. I used to work a 9-11 and had no time to work on myself. You're freer than most people to be honest and can seek fulfilment after 5, in a way that doesn't have to be about income. Nonetheless, if you're not fulfilled with your job, I recommend ferocious introspection and the below.

I say you should real a lot and get inspired. When I say a lot I mean ALOT. Read about business, entrepreneurship and finance on quora. Subscribe to r entrepreneur.

Books. I recommend Robert Kiyosaki's Retire Young Retire Rich. With all this reading you're sure to be inspired to try something. If you're stumbling to start, as much as I can't stand the guy, listen to Tai Lopez on YouTube he's got a lot of useful things to say about procrastination.

To be realistic maybe don't quit your job, and work on something anytime between 5-12. You don't HAVE to go gung ho all in. Start working on your other thing 30 mins a day and see where that takes you. The aim would be to have something which can sustain you and eventually replace the income from your 9-5.

Title	Career
Author	L0nerizm
Upvotes	13
Comments	23
Date	September 10, 2018 10:26 PM UTC (7 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/9errc5/career/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/career.132619 https://theredarchive.com/post/132619

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