[nicetrout]

Any Community Fans? Your hand got me remembering this tag

[Tiste Simeon]

Bubba, on 11 April 2018 - 10:35 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 11 April 2018 - 03:31 PM, said:

Macros, on 10 April 2018 - 09:37 PM, said:

Free and honest advice.

You don't know what you want to do until you do something you don't.

Don't sweat the life choices, just don't commit yourself to a life path because you feel obliged etc.

For me going to uni was just a waste of time and money (but I enjoyed the beer). I ended up working on site as an electrician, which suited me so much more than whaty fucking guidance counselor suggested, I'm good with my hands and enjoy making shit

They are MASSIVE from what I hear

They were the inspiration for the giant hand of jade in the Otataral desert...

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

As a younger poster (28) I echo what the others have said. Not having a plan isn't a problem, and the key thing is to enjoy or at the very least not hate what you do. You can be fulfilled by more than your job, but it does help if your five days aren't spent miserable and hating your work.

Through school and college I was what is deemed in the UK a "Gifted and Talented" student. This came with expectations and pressures that others have mentioned. I was aiming at a law degree, but part way through my A Levels my parents had a somewhat messy divorce, and I realised even from doing law at A Level I wasn't the sort of personality it needs. I didn't go to university (grades were fine, but I decided it wasn't for me), then spent the early part of my 20s crippled with chronic ill health until they figured out what was wrong with me. This also proved I am not cut out for a high stress job - body won't hack it. Cue original plan somewhat up the river without a paddle.

I am now a legal secretary in a nice firm - not the best pay competitively for the city I work in, but a nice atmosphere and pleasant working environment, and that counts for a LOT. I still get to work with the mechanics of an area that interests me, but I don't have all the pressure and stress the solicitors do. At the end of the day I can leave my work at work and go home to spend my time on things I enjoy and am interested in.

I volunteer with a bird of prey centre at weekends, and I'm currently distance learning a qualification in the basics of falconry and husbandry for a bird of prey. Am I ever going to make it my job? Distinctly unlikely. Does it matter? Nope! I'm doing it because I'm interested, and that's more than enough reason.

So yes, as others have said, don't worry about not having a plan. Try things, and don't be afraid to walk away if something doesn't feel right or is impacting your health at and away from work. It's cliche, but life IS too short.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 18 April 2018 - 06:43 AM

[LinearPhilosopher]

nicetrout, on 10 April 2018 - 08:26 PM, said:

Hello

Been hanging around the forum for about a year so. Came here because most of y'all are nice and not shitty people, this is not most places on the internet. I've been facing a ton of decisions recently in my life, I'm not necessarily trying to get down into the nitty gritty of it all but I would be curious about like how the older folks here found out what they wanted do? Where they wanted to be? Who they wanted to do things with? Just feel pretty lost some times.

Thanks everybody. Good Vibes

So grew up thinking i wanted to be an accountant (dad and Moms dad were accountants go figure) as i figured accounting was math applied to business. Turns out that that is not incorrect, but math is only a small portion of what we do. Strong number sense helps but its far from being an integral skill. Most accounting math doesn't go past arithmetic with limited instances of algebra. However since i was so into being an accoutant my formative year, there was no plan b. So onwards we go with plan a. While pursuing Plan A i took a philosophy class, had a love hate relationship with it but i wanted to do more. I end up graduating with a Bachelors of Accounting with a Minor in Philosophy, and philosophy has shaped a considerable portion of who i am as well as stoking in me the idea of doing a PH.D in accounting theory in a few decades as Accounting theory was my favorite accounting class (combines elements of philosophy with higher level math). I also ended up learning cost accounting as its all number crunching, i don't mind doing financial modelling to this day.

Anyways im doing the CPA program and doing the tax elective. Now tax is a subject i hated in University, but at the CPA level, since it was a higher level we went more in depth with complicated topics like rollovers (moving property from one "person" to another for tax purposes), international tax, GAAR (basically the CRAs catch all rule) and various integration topics which is less focused on memorizing minutiae and more of a bigger picture systemic thing. I now am trying to direct my career towards tax as this is the stuff i want to do. Either that or job involving research on changing accounting standards (again something in the cpa program). (might be having an interview soon for a related position fingers crossed)

So the long and short of it, I stuck to a given path, and while it initially wasn't what i wanted, it opened my horizons to what is possible and what I would like to do.

So to echo the thoughts earlier in the thread. You have to find out what you like. Often what you like isn't what you expected. The self is understood not through itself, by through the Other, the "not self" so a better understanding of the self will come through getting out of your shell and interacting with the world around you. A firm understanding of "the self" (inb4zen) will provide you with the framework require to tackle these harder and broader questions.

Also gona throw it out there, you don't need to have one career your entire life. People change careers all the time (some go into teaching for example) or if they are in a big enough company, they can change roles/departments. My mentor started off working in sales before eventually switching into finance (and later became a director of finance at a VERY large company). If you have an IT background you have a valuable skillset which will allow you to find jobs almost anywhere and within IT theres a WIDE variety of positions.

This post has been edited by LinearPhilosopher: 19 April 2018 - 02:53 AM

[Maark Abbott]

nicetrout, on 10 April 2018 - 08:26 PM, said:

Hello

Been hanging around the forum for about a year so. Came here because most of y'all are nice and not shitty people, this is not most places on the internet. I've been facing a ton of decisions recently in my life, I'm not necessarily trying to get down into the nitty gritty of it all but I would be curious about like how the older folks here found out what they wanted do? Where they wanted to be? Who they wanted to do things with? Just feel pretty lost some times.

Thanks everybody. Good Vibes

I kind of drifted into what I do now by way of necessity. Needed a job, got an admin/contact centre job for a lawyer, progressed, now deal with litigation myself. It's good because I'm paid to argue with people.

[Tiste Simeon]

I'm a police officer. Not sure I love it most of the time but there are days where I know I'm making a difference. I've arrested people for human trafficking, I've seen hideous rapists through court and go down for their crimes. I've taken down guys who have been found with indecent images of children on their computer. Heck the other day I arrested a guy who turned out to be wanted across Europe for terrorism related offences. Days like that I'm loving it but I dunno. It's majorly stressful and spend so long filling out form after form to sort out the simplest thing and we're expected to be medics/mental health workers/social workers/counselors/parents/teachers...

I've had to go into therapy because of the insane amount of overwhelming jobs I have (plus the fact my brother killed himself/we had the miscarriage and a bunch of other stuff all within a short space of time) and morale is pretty low across the force.

That being said, there are so many avenues and interesting career paths to take I don't have to stay in one area too long, in theory. Also, I've got no clue what else I could do anyway.

[Nicodimas]

Tiste Simeon, on 28 April 2018 - 06:32 PM, said:

I'm a police officer. Not sure I love it most of the time but there are days where I know I'm making a difference. I've arrested people for human trafficking, I've seen hideous rapists through court and go down for their crimes. I've taken down guys who have been found with indecent images of children on their computer. Heck the other day I arrested a guy who turned out to be wanted across Europe for terrorism related offences. Days like that I'm loving it but I dunno. It's majorly stressful and spend so long filling out form after form to sort out the simplest thing and we're expected to be medics/mental health workers/social workers/counselors/parents/teachers...

I've had to go into therapy because of the insane amount of overwhelming jobs I have (plus the fact my brother killed himself/we had the miscarriage and a bunch of other stuff all within a short space of time) and morale is pretty low across the force.

That being said, there are so many avenues and interesting career paths to take I don't have to stay in one area too long, in theory. Also, I've got no clue what else I could do anyway.

@ Tiste your a cop! /highfive
(I didn’t realize this)

Love Cops!

My bro is a firefighter and in that area of town they are friends(not always so on the other side of town they hate each other ..)so know lots of cops and geez the stuff our cops go though. I have heard about Everything. So much shit doesn’t even touch the news especially on the trafficking thing. On top of this my room-mate does crisis counseling, so cops can call his crew out if need...if your department operates like this? So many endless stories. I can’t even express most of this on the forums, but you know.

Cops should get way more support! Hah! My bro is always like as fire we have it easy!! ...cops have it tough, but he also has been doing it 17 years so basically has the best station (bedroom community, old folks..).

[Nicodimas]

For me I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up..

Hated what I was doing.. got a cool gig with a pension atm and plenty of growth potential, still entry level here, but putting in for a different gig there.

Thinking I want to go back to school, grab a RN and move to a small town in the mountains— so I can part time Smith for fun.
(My formal space sucks! I need more room)

Definitely never going to ‘retire’ the second I quit working for others, I’m gonna smith full time. Work on countless projects.I don’t see myself ever not working.

However, I also like the big city too .... So torn.

This post has been edited by Nicodimas: 28 April 2018 - 08:55 PM

[Mezla PigDog]

Am I the only one imagining a Tiste / Nico buddy cop movie?!

C'mon!!!!

[Macros]

Smith and vice.

Hammering out crime

[EmperorMagus]

Mezla PigDog, on 28 April 2018 - 09:14 PM, said:

Am I the only one imagining a Tiste / Nico buddy cop movie?!

C'mon!!!!

I'd watch.

[Tsundoku]

Would certainly beat the shit out of infinite repeats of Midsomer Murders.

Midsomer - one of the many causes of my totally legitimate phobia of quaint English villages.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Macros, on 29 April 2018 - 04:19 AM, said:

Smith and vice.

Hammering out crime

I would watch the hell out of that!

Midsomer Murders teaches you to avoid quaint English villages. Morse and Lewis teach you NEVER EVER GO TO OXFORD FOR ANY REASON, YOU WILL END UP BEING THE END OF ACT 1 CLEVERLY RELATED DEATH.

Yeah, I watch too much Lewis....

[Tiste Simeon]

Eh, two people sat in a police car arguing about politics, probably not the most interesting show...

[Tsundoku]

I'd still watch a season of it before watching a single minute of The Bachelor(ette) or similar 'reality' drivel.

'UnReal', on the other hand ...

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 30 April 2018 - 07:18 AM

[worry]

Ooh! Ooh!

[amphibian]

And what will you do when Nicodimas shoots someone for being brown?

[Macros]

Really?

[Slow Ben]

Granted I’m not on the DB often so I miss a lot, and I definitely don’t agree with Nics politics, but I dint think that’s called for.

[Nicodimas]

amphibian, on 30 April 2018 - 08:25 PM, said:

Woooooah a mean amphibian comment! Yikes.

Haha.. really my man for a poster that I really respect bro, not sure where that came from. Taken to PM like a adult.

Don’t stress this I’ll square this away.