How do you pick a career?

Store_Front_Door · 2018-06-12T07:59:13+00:00

I really love the saying "Money comes first, fun comes second", but I believe you need to find a balance between the two, because enjoyment is a huge motivation when it comes to work, so it positively correlates with a higher income and a faster way to the top.

Stokestix · 2018-06-12T11:28:37+00:00

Do what gets you lots of money for a few years while doing something you love on the side. Switch when you can't take doing the first thing anymore.

drqxx · 2018-06-12T09:34:48+00:00

I was lucky because I did not go to college instead I took a commission-only sales job and I looked around me and saw 24 year olds making $1,000 a week. That motivated the fuck out of me to figure out how to do sales how to motivate people how to motivate myself and get shit done.

Sales in my opinion is the best career move possible. It has helped me in every aspect of my life from acquiring money; to building my business (which is 14 years old); to talking to women; too convincing my children that they should eat their vegetables.

Helpcalculus · 2018-06-12T11:05:06+00:00

I always hated being the jack of all trades guy, because I've been raised to be the BEST at what I do. It's seemed like a failure that I'm good at lots of things, but not BEST at anything.

Professional dancer since age of 16.

Graphic designer since age of 20.

Web developer since age of 24.

Currently building a tourism company.

But now I know that the more diverse my skills are, the wider my options are.

MattyAnon · 2018-06-12T11:11:01+00:00

Is it wise to go into a career for money in order to be a good provider?

Follow the money! But for fucks sakes, do it for yourself not to be a good provider. READ THE SIDE BAR.

Or must you find something you don't suck at or hate and make money with that?

I found a compromise between what I love to do and what I'm paid well to do - bit of both.

TheBigHorse420 · 2018-06-12T13:04:02+00:00

Pick a job that doesnt stress you out mentally

Your job isnt your life its your income, You need to be able to have a life outside work or love your job so much it is your life.

For you to find out your true calling in life you need

Time
Money to sustain living

so until u find your purpose just sit on a steady career

0FO6 · 2018-06-12T14:12:52+00:00

Going off of a few other comments you made. I would strongly discourage making games because you enjoy playing games. The gaming industry is a bit crazy, they really will suck the life out of developers. It is not a side of tech that I have any interest in going into after spending a lot of time talking to them. Plus the problems you will be solving building games really are not that interesting problems as they don’t really benefit anyone or anything. Since you also mentioned having a kid is it something where you would want to have your kid sitting around for several hours a day playing a game? Is that also something that you want for yourself?

You also mentioned that you went to school and changed degrees several times, but did you actually graduate with a degree and if so what was it in?

Either way, have you considered trade skill jobs? There a ton of different paths one can go with jobs that would fit into that category and make a decent living. The work is manual and sometimes not engaging but I would imagine that it would be decent. Starting off in them isn’t all that horrible either.

I work with computers, it is ok. I like doing a lot of things with computers and sometimes that results in me doing work like stuff at home. Which can be a mixed bag, like this last weekend I was messing around with virtual machine stuff most of the weekend. As I get older I wish that I could be outside more often during the day then what I currently get to spend. So really at this point it is tolerable as I am progressing in my career further. So really you can either get a job that love which is unlikely or one that you can tolerate, I use to love computers until I started working with them then I don’t want to do as much with them. There is a saying that the fastest way to hate a hobby is to turn it into a job.

Merwebb · 2018-06-12T14:17:33+00:00

With a lady and a pup you have to go for the money while learning something you find interesting AND more profitable.

boy_named_su · 2018-06-12T16:46:10+00:00

Do something that you can get into "flow" with. Something you're enthusiastic about. Then get really, really good at it.

ImpressiveDig · 2018-06-12T17:51:43+00:00

If you work just for the money, you'll burn out soon enough. I think what is important is going into something you know you're good at and giving 100% in that. If you excel at something, you can leverage that into paying well. Most people never try enough things to find out what they truly excel at.

I like solving problems, making connections and thinking about business and how to grow it. This is why I'm aiming to go into strategy consulting, and pursuing an MBA to get that type of job.

JamesP2018 · 2018-06-12T20:17:21+00:00

Figure out what our society needs and meet that need. Mike Rowe has some good insight into this area. If you do what other people won't be willing to do than you will be compensated for it well. Best way to do it is jump for something society needs that pays well and life will speed up to keep you in it regardless of week to week feels. Consider physical health effects of chosen field as well. Live on half or less of what you make for the first 5-10 years and put that money into investments. You can see where you're at at readjust then if desired. Take ownership of your own income future. That means read books about economics and how stocks/bonds/renting generates passive income. Work tends to suck for people who are just spinning their wheels. Work with a goal, not just cause everyone else does it for 50 years.

vandaalen · 2018-06-12T09:28:42+00:00

What do you like to do? What are you really good at? Is there a way to combine those two? Go for it.

If you are passionate about your work and are an expert in doing it, money will find it's way to you.

Title	How do you pick a career?
Author	AdenDark
Upvotes	4
Comments	35
Date	June 12, 2018 7:56 AM UTC (8 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/8qh692/how_do_you_pick_a_career/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/how-do-you-pick-a-career.99864 https://theredarchive.com/post/99864

Comments