Making some career choices soon and may change course. Before I do I wanted to ask you guys and get a few ideas. What decisions or sacrifices did you make to end up successful? So much is not the same as when my dad or my boss started in the 70s and 80s, including some stuff you just plain can't do anymore. But what led you to where you are and what advice would you give to someone in their 30s today?

Great question.


I just turned 40 and sometimes wonder the same thing.


Curious to hear what people have to say.

When I was young, it was all about making money. Latter it became quality of life. Figure out what really makes you happy and what you really need and try to find the balance.

Be born rich.

Whatever you do, keep the overhead down.

Well I did a couple stupid things when I was young that kind of limited me. I got married to the wrong woman twice and I decided not to finish college due to a good job offer (I thought )

Whenever I was pondering a move the one thing that kept me from doing or not doing it was how would it affect my family.

Now I just do what I want!

That's good advice.

Find a sugar mama.

Success is relative. You got to be happy at what you do too.

Well I can't send happy to visa to make a payment, so gotta do more than that

I grew up very poor and decided early that I would not live that way as an adult. Had no special skills so the only jobs that would allow me to earn at the level I wanted to live at were in sales. Not recommended, as I always test borderline introverted, but if I wanted to live a certain way, that was what I would have to do to pay for it. It was never easy for me but then again, it was always easier than picking cotton or hoeing corn, so I did it. Lived the way I wanted, quit work in my 50's and still have a good life, so it worked for me. There were lots of 60+ hour weeks, away from home for weeks at a time, etc... but it paid for the lifestyle I wanted.

Just decide what lifestyle you want and what jobs will pay for it. If you put in the work required, you should get there. BUT, it takes a LOT of very hard work to do it.

Do as little as possible, don't listen to people with gray hair, be late every day , leave early if no one is looking or you wont get caught. I'm sure there is more,but I won't spoil it for everyone else who has words of wisdom.

Without knowing more about you, the advice I'd give to someone in their 30s is:

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

Save money. Learn to be content with less stuff, or old stuff, or not having what everybody thinks you should have. The "keep the overhead down" comment above is good. Have a small house, an old truck, and simple tastes.

Keep your debt low
Save at least 10% of your gross and invest it
Live within your means
Find someone successful in your field and find out how they do it. Don't reinvent the wheel
Don't be afraid to go for it

Col Harland Sanders was 60 when HRC started KFC

Best advice I can give is live below your means.

Save as much as possible. Take that savings and invest wisely , make as few mistakes as possible in investing.

The trick is to make money while you sleep and have your money working for you.

AVOID THE DEBT TRAP, that being said at times debt is fine as long as you make more on that debt than the interest cost and risk is MINIMAL.

It is very dangerous to risk leveraged money.

And continue to live below your means.

I work hard, learn fast, and do what's needed. There are a lot of things I can do well but I don't have a piece of paper saying I went thru liberal indoctrination and I don't do my best work under stress and pressure. Have had a couple sales jobs in a row but the "sell or get fired" thing makes me want to walk away and find a job where I am respected.

I am loyal and enjoy helping people, honestly don't know how to find my niche. Could be good at a lot of stuff but it's hard to find full time or decent pay right now. I am full time and make 40k...pretty good for no degree but just done with the drama and such at my current job.

I have been a registered rep, series 6. So I know investing. Just looking for where I belong and trying to survive in the meantime I guess

You married or single?

Drive POS cars

Take that red lobster every weekend money and pay your mortgage off before age 30.

If you AND your spouse don't make at least $80k a year (or $50k single) you don't need to be buying wave runners, polaris rangers, bass boats browning citoris and yeti coolers.

There, that might help some.

Busted my ass at an ordinary job.
Strived to be the best I could be.
Never called in sick, always sacrificed for the good of the company.
Became a valuable, responsible asset.
Got promotions, was given leeway for time off based on my value.
Married well.
Kept the marriage strong.
Gave all I could as a father.
Retiring at 57.

Had I ever became successful, I'd feel compelled to disclose the secrets of my success. Oh well.

Finish school, best present you can give yourself.

Be agile, the world changes and you must also. I've been a system engineer/developer for 25 years. I also do real estate on the side. The average life span of a job/project is about 3.5 years in my industry. I have to reinvent myself often. I keep my expenses low and enough $$ saved it's not even a worry. Pay cash for things, live modestly. I see a bunch of folks in my industry that live big, then chit themselves when things go south because they are living to the max on that $100k + salary. 9-5 won't make you rich, having a side gig helps. Having cash plus property is way better than a new mustang GT that you pay on every month.

learn to handle money, pay yourself first and live within your means.

No problem with crazy spending here. Married and make decent money. I guess this is more about careers than money. Got the money thing fine but need a change on the job side

I recommend you always look towards advancement! Don't fall into the negitive trap co-workers perpetuate! In other words do your thing, always. Stay out of debt as much as possible! If you are a hands on kind of person, get into a trade! At your age I decided I would save 10% minimum of everything I made. Staying in the same house, drove the same pickup for 17 years. The wife drove the same car for 19 years! If you are ever offered to take classes from work, do it, show you employer you care! Look for ways to make money when off work, then save as much of that as you can! Before you know it you'll be able to retire! Plus invest wisely, go to a financial advisor, set a life goal, and adhere to the goal!

I left the place I was.

Most of the above is good, so I need not repeat it. I'll just add this:

Don't be afraid to change careers. I went from being a pilot to a media spokesman to a small business owner and author. A wider choice of occupations is hard to imagine.

But, the game doesn't end when a touchdown is scored. You kickoff and start over. Career transitions are always scary, and often difficult. But the challenge and the learning curve keeps you fully alive.

I have debt from the past we need to finish off, but that's the biggest thing in the way of change. I look around and I see companies just giving the minimum and recycling people every year and not offering benefits or full time and it's discouraging. I want to show up and do my part and pitch in. But the last couple jobs I have had, looking back...that stuff didn't matter much unfortunately

I will add, I created 1/2 dozen small enterprises over the years. Got most of my business following up behind other firms that would never show up to give an estimate or come back to do the work after an estimate.

Good grief how hard is it to do what you say youre going to do or even show up??

Anyway, be creative, invent your own work, invent your own position in a firm or govt offices. Talk to an absolute shjt ton of people along the way in your 20s while youre physically able to bust your ass. I live in a city of 150,00 people and can't go to town without running into 2-3 people or more every time, That might not be that impressive in Jerk Water, Az. I know thousands of people and my wife is the same way in her career. Have a network established you can always 'work'.

Be personable, don't be a recluse, a douchebag, an introvert, get your head outta your ass, don't waste your life or your physical ability to communicate by immersion into video games, your precious smartphone or this forum trying to gain that coveted Oracle status.

Lol yikes, have I made such a bad impression? I am 37, no video games or other bullshyt. Just not figuring things out as fast as I wanted. Kinda down on myself and need to find a job I can love and be at long enough to fund retirement and dig out of debt and succeed

Look for a job that pays well, has some benefits and that you enjoy. A 401 plan is nice! Show up on time, work hard and try to be a valuable asset. Take any additional training that is offered. Live below your means and save a % of your salary. Keep the debt down, pay cash for as much as possible and avoid credit card debt. Credit cards are useful, but pay them off every month. Avoid keeping up with the neighbors. Slowly build an emergency fund that will pay 3 to 6 months of your living expenses. Don'r marry the wrong woman and don't have kids with the wrong woman. Don't be afraid of working extra. Take any voluntary overtime when its offered. Consider a sideline job. Learn how to repair some of the household things that others pay to have repaired. Think "Baby Steps". Getting ahead is a slow progress so be patient.

Kudos to you for even asking and thinking about this and Good Luck!

NEVER STOP LEARNING. You'll figure it out.

Got the show up and save money and do the right thing stuff down already. It's not the easy stuff tripping me up

I started my life's journey by joining the Marine Corps at age 19 after flunking out of college. I married my wife of 43 years while stationed in Spain in 1974 and we had a daughter who was born over there. Needless to say, I had lots of responsibility early on. I had the ambition to become a Marine Corps officer and aviator, so got out of the Corps after four years and went back to college and entered a Marine Corps commissioning program called Platoon Leader's Class (PLC.) Four years later I was in flight school in Pensacola, and added another child to the family. But those four years in college were financially tough. Had another child during that time. Worked odd jobs for a local handyman from church. Painting, roofing, concrete, etc.

I was fortunate enough to make the military a career, which included an inter-service transfer to the Navy (where I was a squadron safety officer and detachment OIC,) and reached retirement after 26 years. After that I worked as an insurance agent for four years, making really good money, but 911 killed my business so I got a job with a privately owned Engineering and Construction company, working as a safety manager in their pipeline construction division. That is when I started making pretty good money, and was able to make up for all those years in the low wage military.

After 15 years in the pipeline business I am about ready to retire debt free with a military pension, social security, and the dividends from my stock portfolio. I reached a significant and ambitious financial goal I have had since my early years in life. I have always aspired to try and be successful like my dad who was a child of the Great Depression. I have been in and out of "Amway" three or four times since I was in college, but built a large library of self help books recommended by millionaire Amway distributors. Reading about successful people and their advice has served me well. I have tried to put Christ first in my life, as did my parents.

The Marine Corps taught me never to give up and my dad (a WWII combat veteran) taught me to "never fall out of a run." My dad came from poverty on the farm but died a multi-millionaire through hard work as an oil company executive in Oklahoma City, managing his own conservative stock portfolio, and living a very conservative lifestyle. He was my mentor and example to follow in life. He always told me I was doing the right thing by staying in the military and that getting a military retirement was like having one million dollars in bonds paying 4%.

Despite having really good financial advice from my dad, like "pay yourself first," I was a poor money manager and deep in credit card and college debt (for my daughter) when I retired from the military. My insurance business was the first time in my life I had made a five figure monthly income and it opened my eyes to the possibilities of the American Free Enterprise System. But I worked 100% on commissions and when 911 hit, my insurance company raised it premiums and I was no longer competitive in the commercial insurance business where I specialized. Soon, servicing credit card debt began to eat me alive. I missed a few payments on my house, and constantly had phone calls from collection agencies. It was the lowest point in my life financially.

Fortunately, God opened a door of opportunity for me through an old friend I had met 25 years earlier when I was a college student. I ended up getting a job with my current company, and the income, coupled with my discovering and adhering to the advice of Dave Ramsey, got us out of debt and beginning to seriously invest by maxing out my company 401K and opening a couple of ROTH IRAs and a joint brokerage account. I was playing "catch up" with my saving and investing, but I had the income to do it. I built and read an extensive library of books on investing and I still invest a large portion of my income, though I have purchased some nice stuff along the way.

Both of my 30 something sons work in the same industry as me, pipeline construction (I got them their first job in the industry and they have excelled in it since.) My daughter is married and a stay-at-home mom, (as was my mom, my wife, and the wives of both of my sons) so I don't have to worry about any of them.

Through perseverance, a $320K inheritance from my step mom (seven siblings shared in her estate equally when she passed) and the blessings of God I have reached a life long goal of becoming "The Millionaire Next Door."

God has blessed us beyond measure.

Matthew 6:33

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I knocked up a hs cheerleader back in 87 so I had to figure things out quick

Whatever you do, refuse to be mediocre. And if working for an organization, find/choose one that values that in an associate.

Learn to be a great azz kisser/brown noser. That will get you alot further, alot faster than a good work ethic, exceptional skill and ambition in the work place. Seen it over and over again and there is simply no doubt about it.

Thanks for that. I also follow Dave's advice and taught a class for financial peace university. I was a fiancial planner until it got too slimy for me and I left.
just want honest work for decent pay and it's damn slim around here.

I grew up without schitt and decided not to be that way. I hated a house with no phone, no hot water so fuggin bad that I was a millionaire before I was 40. I had great parents though, just great poor West Virginia parents. I'm not bragging but really wanting something is something to be said.

I was so bound and determined not to recycle my past that I was unstoppable. Set your mind to it and never take no for an answer.

Back in '75 I started driving east from Paducah Kentucky in a '63 Plymouth Valiant. (225 slant 6, push button automatic) I stopped in a pull out on Ky Dam and smoked a joint. Then I continued driving east.

The joint wore off in Lexington.

I been here ever since.

There's some good advice in this thread. The most simple answer is to save more than you earn. As much as you can.

For me, the single most important thing was just plain good old hard work and lots of it. I also busted my butt to earn three degrees and an MBA. I ended up in Healthcare Sales for the last 15 years. Further, it was a small company were I was allowed to grow and stretch.

You can make a lot of money in sales and make it fast but it is also comes with the price of stress and long hours. I decided this year that I had just enough comfort to make a change. I'm by no means rich but I'm not uncomfortable either. My best earnings years were 43-48.

I also found that around 47 I really lost interest in a lot of the material things. I have enough guns to last a lifetime...a couple new Toyota's so the car scene is pretty much done for the next 10 years. My wife is happier with me dropping the stress level and more important, doing something that I think is important. Something that means something to me that I would be happy doing for the next 15 years.

I have little desire right now to stop working - I'm enjoying myself too much. But I am interested in finding that delicate balance to keep life rewarding and fun.

I just be straight up, i got sick of the rat race and regulation with my small business(s). I decided to feed the BS back to govt that was screwing me over. I went and got a job working for a govt office, got lost into a back office, they paid me well for a 'very specific' technical (but not difficult) type job title. There were two of us "eggheads" that ran our own show and not even the engineers understood how our software and systems ran. But that's that, we delivered a product to them.

So I'll admit it was a mediocre job but the benefits were outstanding over 30 paid leave days, medical was 40$ a month. Lol

Thier insurance paid for my milion dollar kidney transplant and then they medically retired me at 46.

Find a well paying govt job, get lost in the system and milk it for all it's worth.

My Amway sponsor and mentor (a retired Airforce LtCol and multi-millionaire) told me that the correct way to decide where I was going to live when I retired from the Navy was to first find out where the money was then move there. I chose to move back to my home town here in Oklahoma City and it was the best decision for me. Maybe you need to re-evaluate if you are living where your money is

That's a thought.

I pretty much followed this stuff, especially the refusal to be average and ordinary. Anybody can do that. When I got through playing in the minor leagues I had to get a real job. I went to work for a large property/casualty direct marketing insurance company that marketed to specialty sectors. I advanced into management in 10 years, but I also knew I wanted to work for myself in a business in which I provided a product that I would never have to create a need for. For me, that would be as a fuel/lubricants wholesaler. I was fortunate in that I lived in the heart of the energy rich Permian Basin. About that time in 1992 I learned to tithe the first 10% of my income. Take my word for it, you cannot out-give God. I became debt free in my business and personally in 1997 at age 47.

I am in insurance as well. I like it but I work for an agent and so there is no advancement and a lot of favoritism and drama. I could run my own agency as I have management experience but I don't have the money to buy one.

I've been self-employed since '86, and for myself I disagree with most of the advice on this thread. Being someone's tool and milking the system is not my path. Roll the dice, take the chance, and live your own life. I'd rather go down swinging.

Success is rolling out of bed in the morning and looking forward to the day that lies ahead. We spend more of our life at work than any other waking activity. Find work that you enjoy and you will be one step closer to success.

Never have had a job I enjoyed, and I imagine enjoyable jobs are easy to find people for thus pay nothing

Considered working for a different agency with less drama, favoritism and better chance of advancement?

I had no choice but to change the course of my personal life / career in my mid 40's due to divorce and being phased out of my position at work (throw in single dad for good measure as well). Admittedly it took me several years to get back on track but I was lucky enough to partner up with the right person. We started up a business on a part time basis in 2008 while we were both holding down full-time painful jobs ! (you have to pay the bills while in transition and never appear desperate in a start up like you need the sale/business to survive ). We worked many 70, 80 hour weeks plus attended classes in the evenings, did estimates on Sundays or whenever required to keep the business growing....We were frugal to say the least / kept costs low, always answered the phone, figured it out / got the work done and never called in sick or sacrificed integrity....Fast forward to today, we have 20 + employees and our year over year growth continues to be consistent, Thank you Lord !....For the record, back in 2008 I was petrified to loose whatever savings were remaining after the split with the X...Sometimes you have to square your shoulders, grab your nuts and take a shot.....We did and it's worked out so far.

Joken yes I have, the bigger ones are more cutthroat and more stress, not worth it

"When you outgoing exceeds your income, your upkeep becomes your downfall."

I enrolled in Tech school in 1986

2 years later with my degree in Machine Tool Tech I landed an apprenticeship in an injection mold shop

After the 4 year apprenticeship I climbed the ladder to journyman

With 2 kids and debt there was no money to spare until my 30's

About 33 we started socking money into a 401k

At 40 I whent back to school and recieved my engineering degree

Try to stay out of stupid debt

Payday loans and "buy here pay here" rent to own places are to be avoided

Speaking for myself only, I've never had nor even heard of any job regardless how much it paid that didn't have both bad and good points.

As always, YMMV.

I don't know you, friend, but I want to say, "God Bless". Glad to hear that things are going your way finally and congratulations!

Thanks CrimsonTide...He certainly has and I give thanks everyday!!!

I always wanted to either be a mail man or a marine growing up graduated high school in 2003 and went to work for my father the year before in the family locksmith business which happens to be the 2nd oldest continuous operating in the country the business was started in 1918 the more I did it the more I liked it and now I own the company and love every day of it and business is booming my grandmother and grandfather owned it before my father and uncle so I decided to keep the tradition

This ^^^^ Find something you really like to do, and be the absolute best at it that you can be... Leupold, McMillan, Nosler, Holland & Holland, Biesen, Echols...

If you are looking at corporate jobs, finish your degree. At least a Bachelors. Doesn't matter if it is in basket weaving. Have the piece of paper. As many firms go to online recruiting, you gotta have the piece of paper to get past the computer. Otherwise you never get in front of the recruiter. Only regret I have in 40 years of professional employment is not finishing my degree "way back when"...

I switched gears late in life...at 50 taking on dog training...a luckless and thankless venture. But found out quickly you must be passionate, dedicated, and above all self-motivating. The right people noticed and I ended up with the only job I ever liked....teaching others about working dog training. Never got rich....but at least my stomach didn't churn going to work every morning...

Matt-all I've ever known is honest hard loyal work. I stumbled into the optical industry over 3 decades ago, decided I liked it, accepted the fact that I'd never get rich, and decided that was okay. I've paid my dues, taken a couple hits along the way, but have a pretty darned good life when it come down to it. Learn to do with a little less, save fro the future, and spend sensibly. There's nothing wrong with a well used Mauser as opposed to a brand new Sako once in a while. Well cared for, they both go bang and kill things.

Guess I just suck it up and keep the soulless job I got now. I don't see a way to maintain the income level so I can pay off debt and keep progressing. I am diabetic so I can't just go without Healthcare and I don't really have any skills other than sales, which is not anywhere close to fulfilling for me. Frustrating. I want to be able to help others and give back and give my wife the life she deserves

Luke 6:38

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Honesty, extreme ethics and never stabbing another in the back for a dollar, more money and work have appeared outta nowhere living these practices.

Amen.

Plus, you don't have a sumbeech wanting to buckshot your ass for running him outta business.

Get yourself established in your career before getting married and starting a family................after the age of 30.

Also make sure that the significant other you get tangled up with has similar ideas and core values.

Gunner I have felt that way for a long time. Amazing how much friction you get for standing up for what is right. Always do what's right for the client and always be honest. Ironically it's one of the reasons I am now looking elsewhere...need to work somewhere that matters to more than just me.

By the standard of modern day I am a dummy because I put work before play!!

Start a business but only do so when you can properly capitalize it and understand you may not be able take money out for a few years. Before you take the plunge list out the positives and negatives of doing so and only consider doing it when the scale tips far in the direction of success and even then it will be the hardest thing you have ever done, harder than you could ever imagine, but it will pay off if you persevere. Be willing to do without, take care of your customers, take advantage of your competitors' mistakes, provide a quality product, give great service, and be willing to do what everyone else won't. Eventually it will pay off. I left the corporate world and started a business many years ago. It is hard but rewarding.

Hint #1. you have become a slave to your possessions. Don't do that.

Just read where you have diabetes. That adds another wrinkle. We went without insurance for a few years when I started my business. Thankfully, we were all healthy and it was a risk we took.

the happiness I get out of my work is the people I work with and the people I work for. I am an Engineer and I get a lot of enjoyment out of helping people and communities with their issues. I also work for a company that allows me to be a shareholder, so I am building a business at the same time. I work with great people, and try hard to build a good team environment. Doing something that is worthwhile is what I think drives personal satisfaction. Building a career for your success and to feed your family is one source, building a business (for me) to keep everyone in the office fed and working is another source. Helping communities with their streets, water, sewer and solid waste issues is also very satisfying. Find a way for you to do something that makes a difference, and it doesnt have to be a big difference. Just help people, and the money will follow.

Just turned 38 myself, and worked my balls off when younger to get into the position I am in now.

Mowed lawns, guided hunters, fixed fence, whatever to get my beer money first vehicle.

I was a Marine sergeant after only 20 months of being in the fleet. A staff sergeant in less than 5 years of being in total, all by working my balls off and getting $hit done.

3 college degrees later, I have a job I enjoy going to with decent pay and plenty of time off.

I don't have much advice for you that hasn't already been given, other than to take that advice and show the world that you can do everything a bit better than the next guy. Don't be arrogant about it, but let it show.

(BTW, I too have Type 2 Diabetes, but I will work my way out of it.)

The first thing you need to do, the low hanging fruit if you will, is don't say what you don't want, and do say what you do want . . . God "spoke" the world into existence and he created us in his image. Speak success into your life and your brain housing group will figure out a way to make it happen. Also, be sure to write down your vision and put it on your refrigerator and read it out loud every day before you leave for work.

Proverbs 18:21

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.



Habakkuk 2:2-3

2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

I have always enjoyed my job and it pays well. You earn what you bring to a company, if you provide value, you make good money.

True, but, I'll never waiver, good luck finding a spot that those principals do matter, that being said, I could have never even got started had I not applied those from the get go.

Find something that you like to do.
If you can't do that find something that you can tolerate to make some money till you do find that something.

Then along the way save some money.
You would be surprised what you can do with 50 or 100 put back over time.

Live with in your means or a little under for a while.

Then hope that you find someone that makes it worth while,don't get in a hurry to do this,because mistakes will make you say bad things.

Learn how to be a great welder while waiting for the oil patch to heat up again.

Pay cash. If you can't pay cash, you don't need it other than shelter and basic transportation perhaps.

Get real good at saying no to yourself, then dream big and work hard.

Fight self delusion.

Never let emotions get ahead of your market analysis.

The easiest profits are unspent overhead and collected receivables.

Marry a great gal (I'm no expert, was just standing in the right place at the right time).

Give to charity - wisely.

Realize you are in God's hands.

Close relative in his mid-40's just made a complete change in careers. He worked in his families retail business since he was in his teens and pretty much ran the whole thing himself much of the time especially as his parents got older. Their business was a real specialized 'niche' type wholesale business and had been quite successful for years but over the past decade or so had experienced some highs and lows and gradually got to the point where it wasn't worth trying to keep open any longer.

He started taking classes at a trade school in industrial maintenance and had a job offer to start working the day after he finished school. Now he is working as an industrial mechanic. As he said, it's a big change but it is steady pay check at a decent livable wage, he knows how much he will make each payday, now he has subsidized family health insurance along with other benefits and when he punches out each day he doesn't take work problems home with him. The only bills he needs to be concerned with now are his own personal bills.

Also,....I've done pretty good by bein' able to write love letters to women with good jobs.

A woman with a good ass, good job, and a 401k will inspire me to write in ways that Cyrano de Bergerac could only fantasize about.

I ain't got no shame,....but I'm outta debt and my house is paid off.

Jeeze, what do you want to be when you grow up?

As long as you dont want to be an astronaut or the President.......


Besides, a job or career is not what defines a person.


Some people never find the job or career they "love" or one that makes them stupid rich....and thats okay. Its not a failure.

That's been the key for me. I'm far from perfect at it but try to be grateful or at least content, recognizing that every job has a reason they need to cut a check to get me to show up.

Find a balance between the good and bad and dwell on the good.

I didn't choose my career (as such) but it pays the bills and I've never been in want for anything at all. I'd like a different one and keep my ear to the ground but keep giving an honest day's work no matter what cuz I have it better than I deserve.

I paid a ton of dues in my 20s and took a lot of work that really sucked. I feel like I am on a bike without a chain now and not sure how to find the grit I need to start over again. Dunno if I can.

Union welders are the highest paid employees in pipeline construction. Good idea for a younger man. Got to be willing to travel and either pull a travel trailer or live in a hotel for 6-9 months at a time.

"Antique Oaks, ancient Ashes,
Ever present in their sheltering circle"

That was the beginnin' of a poem I wrote to a woman.

Them 10 damn words were worth $50K minimum.

Women cain't handle wordsmiths.

When will you have it paid off? ;-{>8

When I got out of the Army I went into law enforcement. Loved the job, but realized I wouldn't make the money I wanted. Went to work for Farmers insurance as an agent and remained an agent for five years, hating every minute and being an average producer. Moved to being an agent trainer and liked that better, but still not particularly happy. Obtained the CPCU and CLU designations.Then into management for a few different insurance companies. That was bearable. Guess I did ok, over my career was named the insurance person of the year in three states. Went on lots of sales trips with the agents I managed to HI, Spain, MX, etc. I was getting restless in one job and thinking about looking for another job. Word got out and they gave me a 32% raise si wouldn't leave. I prostituted myself out, but it enabled me to retire early. Money doesn't buy happiness but i was able to "rent" it enough that I stayed in jobs I didn't love.

Poetry...religion...theory. Lol glad I asked. Never mind

My suggestion is work to get on as a sales rep. for a really good product/company. You will have fair amount of responsibility, but you will likely have a lot of discretion as to how to manage it. Lots of freedom but also lots of responsibility. I worked really hard and was fortunate to stumble upon such a job. It has been great for me and my family. Good luck!!!

In hindsight, I'd say the best thing I did professionally was keep moving forward, even when it felt futile.

I wish you'd been around a bit over thirty years ago to slap that thought into my head.

Another thing I wish I had learned earlier: "The perfect is the enemy of the good."

That's the spirit!

There are only so many brass rings to go around ennaways.

Seriously, it sounds like "something" is off and I hope you can figure it out. Life is too short. Good luck.

It sounds like you are good enough at sales, and that you know the insurance industry well enough to be successful there. You simply need a different place to work that shares the same type of customer-helping values that you have.

Just look around for a new job. And never sell your soul in the meantime.

BUT, start at the beginning. Get your life on track with God if it isn't, the rest gets easier after that.

Ok, career advise.

1) the great jobs aren't advertised. Companies with great cultures, good pay and benefits, and growth have all the applicants they will ever need, and they mostly promote from within, anyway. I get several unsolicited resumes a week and I'm a tiny outfit. Look for the company you want to work for, and then figure out what you can do for them. Then go sell yourself.

2) self employment is GREAT. Figure on 10 years of getting by before being an instant success. No reason you can't do a side-gig, but don't jump in with both feet until you have something to jump TO.

3) I don't care about qualifications. I am looking at two potential employees this week, one has a masters degree, one hasn't got squat. I'm going to hire the one that's 10 minutes early for the interview, can write a one page summary with some paragraphs in it, and can complete tasks quickly and efficiently without supervision. I can teach a good employee my business. I can't teach them to get up in the morning to go to work.

4) Look farther and wider than your current world. There are lots of good jobs out there, lots of them where you wouldn't think. Semi truck drivers for Walmart often bring home $100K per year. Good project managers easily clear that. There are a lot of positions that people get paid very, very well for that make you go "really"!!!!!

Not religious. Used to be and found that it helped my life zero so I dropped it. Looking for a job not a belief system

You're making it harder than it needs to be my friend.

Or,....I'll write a love letter to a woman with a good job fer ya for $500.

,....postal money order or certified check,...

mjbgalt, If you've never read it get the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. If you have read it a couple more times. I personally prefer the audio book as I'm an audio learner. It's a book about the most successful people that ever lived and what their similarities are. I must say one of them is Never, Ever, Ever QUIT. Most people succeed shortly after most people would quit, they they didn't and succeeded, and I think that's where you are at right now. Literally EVERY MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER out there, uses quotes from this book. It is powerful.

Meet the most successful people you can find and get to know them. Learn from them. Virtually every one that is older is worried about their business and who they can trust with it, because the help out there is so poor. Get them to mentor you. I don't know what your skill expertise is, or if you are inclined to do physical labor but the truth is Machinists are a dying lot. You can make good money doing that.

Don't be around negative people, or be one. Look for ways to become better at your job.

Join a Mastermind Group. Read the book, you will know what that is.

Develop a reputation as a hard worker, honest guy and an intelligent contributor. You won't have to keep changing jobs to move along. People will search you out. I finally got that through my son's head at 30 years old. He loves cars and has been in car sales for several years but wanted to do financing. He had just won an award for being one of the top sales men in the Pacific Northwest and was in Disney World when another company called him and asked him if he'd like a job in Finance with their company. He said he'd talk to them when he got back. He took the job and has doubled his income. I've seen that a lot in my life. People want to hire the best. Your customers will tell people who you are.
Good luck.

,...don't knock her up, though.

Ain't never been a love letter that'll fix that.

I have read a lot of Napoleon hill and Brian Tracy and ziglar. Its good in general

I retired at forty, until you get to your goal, its about what you keep, not wat you make.

Beans & rice and cheap cuts of meats, and plenty of vegetables.

Exercise

Don't smoke

Put your money in the bank and not a tax deferred investment account with some damn "guru" managing it. If you do invest have a base number and everything it makes over that number, take it out and put it in the bank.

Buy some precious metals

Drive a Nissan

Buy clearanced lawn furniture for your home furnishings

If you want to purchase a home and your interest rate is above 2 3/4 percent, consider renting and let your landlord fix chit. Homes are freakin money pits.

Cut the cable

Have a good sense of humor because things come full circle. I remember when crawfish, chicken wings, brisket, tomato soup, gumbo, raw oysters, and such were "cheap", now they cost more than steak!

The books...rich famous people reverse engineering stuff that worked in the 30s isn't really going to be that valid now unfortunately.

You need a therapist. You're starting to sound like a whiner. Figure out something (anything) positive and do it just to see how it feels.

If they had never outlawed polygamy, I could be livin' in Trump fuggin' tower.

When the Bakken was really humming, I had a kid come into my Vision Center for an exam and contacts. He was a welder in the oil fields. Got to talking to him. He was home visiting family. 'Said he could work as much as he wanted,and his average week was over 80 hours. His take was, make the money while he could, cuz it wouldn't last forever. His "side job" was to pick up a camper every time he came home, and double his money on it when he got back to the oil field. He had a deal with a local camper sales place-got 'em for 100 bucks over cost, paid cash, hauled 'em back and doubled his money on them where the demand was insane for housing. There's always a way to make money, You just have to sniff it out, and find your niche.

You're halfway "there" since you are a member here.

Have you seen the movie "American Beauty"? Watch it ten times.

When I graduated HS I joined the Army to get that out of the way. 1962-65.
Found a job with a future that supported my long term goal of financial security.
Got married and along comes two Kids, girl and boy.
Got my four year degree at a local university. (UNI)
Got promoted several times within that framework of "job with a future"and exceeded my goal of financial security.
Retired from the "job with a future" after 35 years.
I just turned 73 and haven't worked since I was 57.
I'm not a rich man in terms of money but I am very comfortable.

I set goals and achieved them.

My wife and I just celebrated our 51st year together. What a gal, she is super!

Never lose sight of your goals!

-Follow your morals and ethics above all else
-Show up early and be engaged
-Treat EVERYONE you come in contact with, with respect

That should get you 75% of the way there.

Then, as you get established, SAVE! Emergency fund first, then retirement.

All along the way, manage your DTI. Debt-to-income ratio (All monthly liability divided by gross income). It's a measurement of what a lot of folks here have been saying - manage your cash outflow relative to your income. In today's world, anything under 35% is considered ahead of the game, which frankly, I think is high. Strive for under 20% so you can pivot as life changes around you: career changes, changes in location, etc. and you;ll have some flexibility to follow your instincts and opportunities.

The only truly soulless job is one that doesn't help anyone.

The most successful folks have figured out what people really want, and if others won't or can't do it, it's a real opportunity.

Don't lose sight of your goals, but set goals you have a chance of achieving. Repeatedly not making the cut wears on the soul.

The principles are still the same. Read what I added above.

You're getting to the age where your real growth years should be coming up & you are also getting to the age where you should not be starting over either.

If you don't have a skill, a genuine talent, a profession or a trade, you need to get one really quick like or you are going to bounce from job to job w/o any real growth opportunity.

Regardless of what some may want to think, just working hard is not nearly enough today.

And you need to get a few breaks as in being in the right place at the right time............that's happened to me several times, both with internal advancement as well as external company moves.

Once you land in a field & if you are really good, don't be afraid to move..............longevity with a company today is not what it once was, & if you're really good, look for private investment companies as owner..........lots of opportunities to make money on the buy & sell of a company you might be working for if you are in a high level management position.

It's actually a pretty tough road for people in your situation today & not likely to get better for a while, IMO.

MM

You could always be a Toolmaker and buy lots of lottery tickets.

MM-yeah this is my fear. I need to find something fast because I should be in my max earning years and can't afford to be starting over.

While I agree with this, most folks I've known could have achieved far more that they thought possible. The trend is not improving with the "trophy for everyone" set.

S-I-L is a union pipeline welder. Makes almost as much as I do in a very nice IT job. If'n you're not afraid to work, and like being outside, not a bad route to take...

I am married with bills and a health problem. Ain't going to begin welding and traveling now...

Talking with a local doctor one time, real nice guy, average doctor skills but a financially poor doctor. He had a house full of kids with some grown and out on their own and some still in high school and college. He told me every one of his kids that had graduated from college with degrees in a particular field were already dissatisfied with what they were doing and wanting to toss it too the wind and find something else regardless if it was related to their degree.

Said one daughter was teaching in a Catholic school and realized that she would never be able to live the lifestyle she wanted on a teachers salary. A son was a working as a CPA but was about to walk away from it and buy into a fast food franchise. Another grown child was likewise dissatisfied and looking into something other than what their degree was in too but I forget now what that was.

Preconceived notions as to what something was supposed to be based on belief versus what it really turned out to be when actually down in the trenches has kicked many a person's butt.

In a given league there should only be one trophy. But make sure you're playing in the right league.

Hmm. I honestly don't know what I want to do. I ran restaurants a while when I got our of college and managed a retail store as well. Just didn't feel like it mattered because I wasn't helping people and having any lasting meaning. I got into insurance and it does feel good to help but the industry just chews people up and they just hire someone else. I hate that business model. Unfortunately I don't have any other skill. I can't take your engine apart or unclog your plumbing or weld or run wires or fix a furnace. I don't even know where I would start to figure out what I am good at that is marketable. Just tired of working for sleazy people who screw others over and /or jobs that don't feel like they matter. Searching for meaning as well as where I belong I guess.

There's a test that you take that matches your personality to a particular job field. I don't recall the name ,but I bet a college or high school counselor knows it. Take some initiative and start there.

Main thing is, work for good people who are going to be successful. If you get stuck working for a schmuck, keep moving.

That and be prepared to make a sacrifice for the right position, whether it's relocating or taking a temporary pay cut.

At 54 and 36 yrs in remodeling . I did a few things not exactly mentioned and many won't agree. Mjbgald, you make enough money, not a lot but enough. Wjhat does your wife make? Wife and I never made a lot of money.73K was our best yr and ended up with 70k last yr. Several things I figured very early in life.

(1) Most won't agree and may get defensive. Dont drink alcohol. It is very expensive. (2) Dont smoke) 3 drive older cheap cars . Olde enough for liability ins. only. (4) When ya go out to eat ( Once a month) we go to good places for about 50 bucks. ( 5) we are christians and tithe. There is something about tithing, I know many say you can't out give God. One blessing about giving a tenth . I feel , somehow keeps me content with money. Many are never content with their salary and is never enough. I always felt I had enough. I figure from never getting divorced, drunk driving , not drinking or smoking , not going out to eat so much , buying reasonable priced cars and trucks and proper investing when I was young got me where I am today. We simply dont make the money others do in my area but seem to have as much or more. Here it goes. I figured I saved about 10 bucks a day and invested the 10 extra bucks a day since I was about 15 yrs old. I had 4k in 1981 when I graduated . I put it in a CD at 15.3% interest . Then pout it in our first piece of land for a duplex my dad and I built. I have returned about 5.85% per yr. on the sale of that house. Took the money and built another house. Profits are yet to be realized but the house is paid and no doubt saving money on interest. Since I was about 14 I saved 10 bucks a day. You will end up with $ 858,000 after 40 yrs @ 7% interest. About 7% is a realistic return in the S&P 500 fund in a tax sheltered ROTH. After 50 yrs you will most likely be worth $1.7 million dollars. It just takes time , live modestly ETC. There is no other reasonable reason for me to have what I have . Still can't retire though , but knowing I can see the light at the end of the retirement tunnel gives me a reason to like the job I am so sick of doing for 36 yrs and my body just can't take too many more yrs of carpenter work but I think I will be ok.

i above all know what you are talking about, i deleted my original post for various reasons. but i will give you this. some years ago i was telling a local attorney, did a lot of trust work, etc i was thinking of just saying the heck with it. why? i couldn't stand the firm or a lot of the sleezy people.
he said that would be a shame given i have seen stuff you have done, and you are good at it. its not what you are doing thats the problem, it's where you are doing it. within a few days there was a mass defection set up within the office to go to another firm we were comfortable with.
I am still there, sort of. i don't hit it like i use to, but i don't have to. And i do like what i do. it's corporate life i never did like.
But a poor country boy has seen the big city, new york, chicago, san franciso, eaten a number of times at the petroleum club in dallas with the hunt's etc. I still enjoy mostly the country boy, but i'm not so poor anymore. I remember a luncheon in dallas onetime, i used to stay at the fairmont, big players stay there. we were having lunch and all these guys in the 1000dollar suits were angleing to see how far up the big guy's butt they could get, i decided then and there that was not my life focus. personally what i would have loved to do but health reasons stopped it was be a game and fish officer. I did manage to get certified on the side, and spent about seven years patrolling the streets when i wasn't working for a local bank. But game and fish never paid as much as i was making at the bank. I would have gone to game even then if i could have met the physical requirements. Kind of funny really, i could work patrol on a volunteer basis and it got to where they gave me a patrol car to take home with me, but i never could have worked full time because of the physical.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS!

"You don't have to say everything you are thinking." I wish somebody told me that 30 years ago!



Sycamore

Getting out of debt should be everyones' goal. My wife decided we were doing this and had some grand plans I laughed at. Her 5 yr plan to pay off $80K in debt was realized in 3 1/2 yrs. Once I could see it was working I sold guns (some here!), motorcycles, trucks, anything that would bring buck. We put our goals on paper and stuck 'em on the fridge, marking 'em off as they were met. She was already working 6 days a week I worked 2 of my 3 days off, Sunday being the only day we wouldn't work. Being debt-free is euphoric.

I'd like to take the credit, but my wife is the driving force and God has been sooo good to us!

Stop listing reasons why you can't do something else.

You don't like what you're doing now, and say you don't have any other skills. GET SOME.

You're still relatively young. Lots of people change employers/jobs/trades/careers in their 30s (and 40s, and 50s, and...) Find something that interests you and go back to school. Doesn't have to be full time, don't quit your current job. Look for adult education classes, internet based training, night school, apprenticeship, whatever. Will it take some effort and sacrifices for you and your family - yes. Change isn't necessarily easy.

You had some college? Anything that would have led to actual employment or just college instead of going into the job market? If you have some useful course work in an area that still interests you see if the credits are still good towards finishing some kind of technical school, 2- or 4-yr degree.

Pay attention to ideas or opportunities even if they seem off the wall. I was house hunting last year and the real estate agent asked if I was interested in becoming a home inspector. Apparently there is a shortage in his area. I'm not looking for work but it was an area that I never would have thought of if I was.

And, above all else, spend less than you earn!

.

Very True! Every debt paid off is like giving yourself a raise, and depending on the size of the payment, possibly a big raise.

I resemble that remark. ;-{>8

More money is very seldom the answer to financial problems. just sayin.


In fact, it's usually like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.

Over the years I've worked with several folks who were diabetics. They worked every scheduled day, all day, doing the same jobs as myself and everyone else and every bit as well too. As long as they took care of themselves like they were supposed to you'd never have known they were diabetics unless they told you. .

At some point you are going to have to make up your mind whether you are going to remain in your present job and learn to accept the negatives and focus on the positives or risk moving on to something else that once the new wears off undoubtedly you will discover also has many of the same things you don't and do like about your present job.

What it ultimately boils down to is any job, no matter how good, is still just a job. I learned to accept that my primary goal was was not to make the world a better place, but to use a job as a means to benefit my end, which was provide the financial ability to allow for as much of our personal needs and wants as possible.

Went completely broke while obama was in office.

"through a series of bad decisions I come before you today", an AA speaker.

This stuff sure ain't never come easy to me. I left a "good" job last September and moved because I truly grew to hate that place and knew I would always and did not like living where I was, no matter the job. Honestly, it took a few years to figure out how to make it happen, but got it done. It's been a huge relief! Now I'm working toward some specific goals and doing what I can to make it happen for my young family. I'm just starting and my best friend is about to retire and he's not real smart. LOL

mjbgalt, hope you'll get thru the rut and thanks for asking. Appreciate the insights offered here.

Community colleges offer these job-compatibility tests. I highly recommend you take one to learn more about yourself. A friend of mine, older than you, was in a similar situation to you. He was feeling burned out and depressed. The test gave him some ideas that he never would have considered. He wound up becoming an oncology technician and he is happier with his working life than ever before. Don't be discouraged. You have a lot to offer.

no doubt

advise #1- Stop posting your life story on an open forum. Trust me, nobody really cares that much about your Kia's, or your career. Figure it out.

advise #2- Spend time with your family and log off for a while. 8000 posts should tell you something

I would suggest a career where decision making isn't necessary. You can't do that.

You seriously have some issues. Go see someone. Please

Not crying in my beer, just thought I would ask some successful guys what they would do. Used to be that asking for wisdom was looked at here as a good thing. Got some thinking to do and thanks for the input.

Pay yourself first (live below your means). Keep out of debt. Lastly don't go through life wishing you had taken a chance or two cause time is on your side!!!

A good wife is probably the most important ingredient to life's success! Congratulations.

Best way to tempt fate is to make plans!

Hookem you have done well for yourself and your family. Good advice all around!

That's what I'm talking about! It works. Good job!!!

I agree. Great book.

I think thats what I have been doing wrong.

No idea who this "Fate" person is.....but the last few years she has been a right beeyotch.



I think a lot of people get discouraged if their No.1 plan or plan A fails.

Sheeit......many times I am on plan R by lunch time. If it gets real bad you can cycle back around to plan 1A, 2A.....so forth.


Keep moving forward!

These books, of which there are dozens of good ones, are based on human nature and the "people relating to people skills" required to succeed in business. Without these skills one is dead in the water. They also help one to expand his vision and horizons at to what is out there and what can be accomplished. This directly affects one's ambition level. These books can be easily purchased on Amazon and are worth their weight in gold:

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
How to have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People - Les Giblin (1956)
The Go Getter - Peter Kyne
The Magic of Thinking Big - Dr. David J. Schwartz
Psycho-Cybernetics - Dr. Maxwell Maltz (1960)
The Richest Man in Babylon - George S. Clason

There is plenty of meaning in supporting your family. Don't lose sight of that! From what I can tell, you are a very good worker and have done just fine in supporting your family.

Thanks orange. Am going to buy some books this afternoon and start turning this ship around

It did for me and a lot of other people. I didnt start doing better financially until I realized I wasn't as smart as I thought. Most of its common sense, work ethic and basic self restraint, the same things that have been helping people get ahead for the last 1,000 years or so.

No one is ever going to get ahead if they don't fix themselves first, whether it's though religion, therapy or whatever. I used to scoff at that when I was younger and had a "I want it all now" mentality. Once I slowed down, started putting others first, and did what I thought god would want me to do I was amazed at just how much easier life (financial and every other part of it) seemed

That's some great insight. Thanks

Interesting responses. Lots of fellas are bragging about where they are headed rather than how they got there (the O.P.'s thread title). I don't have any great formulas except for the younger folks: stay home, occupy yourself with goals which will benefit you years down the line. Stop living like tomorrow is your last day on earth. Write a 1, 5, and 10 year personal growth plan and update it. With no goals in sight, ten years pass you by in a hurry. If you choose to marry, take your time, choose carefully and stay married. If you choose to have children, do so with their betterment as eventual adults in mind. Plan for your retirement early. Stay out of debt, or extract yourself using the debt snowball theory (it works!). Make home ownership a goal, but buy carefully. Diversify your retirement funds and work hard to save, save, save.

I was lucky and that never hurts. I took what I was given and ran with it. My wife and I worked hard and lived within our means. We paid our bills first and on time and took baby steps up the ladder of success.

After high school, I tried college and wanted to be in the automotive industry. I flunked out and worked at a dealership doing various jobs and saw a dead end street. My grandfather started a company in 1938 and passed it on to my parents and my uncle. It's a small company selling building material. All of my brothers had MBA's and were doing their own things. My father knew I was frustrated where I was, and when he had an opening, he asked me to come work for him and drive a truck. LUCKY. He told me to learn everything I could about the business and pick every brain I could. I did that and I moved up through the company to the point that I was running the place. I learned more about running a business from my father than I could of learned going to the best college in the land. Even though I learned a lot about accounting, it was still over my head. After my parents bought out my uncle, Dad was ready to retire. One of my MBA brothers had just left Marriott and needed a change. It was a perfect fit. I knew the stone business and he knew the accounting, legal, and insurance end of it. LUCKY. Our parents sold the company to us and held the note, which we're still paying off to this day. With the help of a good economy and a building boom, we grew this company to 5 times the revenue in a matter of 10 years. LUCKY. We made a lot of good decisions and some bad, but it worked. After 2008 when the Obama nightmare started, we down sized and made it through without going broke and kept our heads above water. LUCKY. We're on the rebound and the company is strong.

I wish you all the luck in your new endeavors and hope that you become comfortable. Success is relative to your comfort level.

Whatever you do, never forget my tag line below.

Pine Tree, did you know my father? That little rhyme was a favorite of his, and I've repeated it myself no telling how many times.

OP, nothing wrong with getting all the advice you can stand, but I would add that you should also pray about what you should do next. I believe the saying is "Pray about everything, worry about nothing."

I'm 59. I'm on the back end of my career in IT. I started out life wanting to be in Broadcasting, Journalism, Screenwriting, Commercial Production and that sort of thing. I found that even being successful at that, I wasn't going to make good money so I started doing data processing instead. I've been 35 years in computers, and I really enjoy the business.


1) Find what you do well and do it.
2) Don't bet your life on what you want to do at 20 or even at 30. Everybody matures. Everybody's tastes change. I've had 3 career changes so far.
3) Find something apart from your work that you're not cut out for and pursue it. I found that striving to perform at a mediocre level in a hobby taught me a lot about me that I would not have found had I only concentrated on the stuff I was good at. Build a little planned failure into your life in things that don't matter. It will make you better at what you do well.
4) Make a hobby of saving money and being thrifty. Train your eye to see a bargain or an opportunity. Remove excess spending from your life and be ready for un-planned expenses. Learn the power of compound interest and stay on the right side of it.
5) Make your health the top priority. Don't work yourself sick. Don't let stress keep you from sleep.

i sense you might wish you had a college degree. well, with the internet & online instruction it's still very possible.

my wife didn't receive her ph.d until she was nearly 40. and that went with a full-time job, husband & two kids. not easy but it can be done. she's living proof.

lot's of folks with very limited means finds a way. the national defense education act helped me, and many others like me. it's paid off for everybody, over & over again.

beyond that, just don't give up. one gets dealt good cards & bad cards. we all do. just keep playing the game as someone suggested.

not giving up, that is, showing up for the game is half the battle.

good luck in whatever choices you make.

What I've discovered is the key to financial success whether it be a career, choosing stocks, real estate, buying and selling goods, etc., is there are three basics: Scarcity, desirability and quality. When you have something that is scarce, desirable and of quality, you will make money on it.

What I would recommend to anyone considering a new career or improving their existing career is to figure out what training you can take to make you more fill those three key areas are to have the training and skills so that only a select few can do the job you can do (desirability) work for a company that is producing the best products or services in your industry (scarcity) and to be the best at your job (quality)

In my case you could say I lucked into using my engineering background to get into industrial Fire Protection which has been an excellent niche for me (scarcity) My 20 years of experience and licensing has made me a desirable employee and being good at what I do has kept me employed and well compensated.

I happen to have an engineering degree but most of the guys that work in my field started out as technicians.

I'd venture to say a bright guy who is willing to work hard, research what skill sets are in demand, will put in 2 years to get a technical degree in that field, is willing to travel for work or relocate, and pass a pee test within 3-5 years can be making a six figure salary.

You don't need to be 10 times better than the average guy to be successful, 10% above average will pull you well ahead of the average.

Find a fat girl with money

I could have explained things a lot better and also not made myself sound like a whiny loser. Lol

Took a new job in January and the job is not at all what I applied for. So many things have been changed and it has become miserable to work thete due to very unethical and illegal things going on. I do not wany my name or reputation associated with the place and the combination of the bait amd switch on the position and the other stuff really got to me and made me frustrated and I could have just said that.

Need to find a job I can make into a career and work toward goals and retirement. So much of our society is throwaway and part time and I want quality and longevity in a job.

You guys all made some great points and I appreciate the help.

mjb
What part of OH are you located?
Got any construction or CAD experience?

45 min south of cleveland. Unfortunately no but I would be open to trying new things, why do you ask

I have done restaurant and retail management, and got licensed for insurance and have been in that field for 10 years. Pretty savvy with computers and I pick things up pretty quickly.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in this day and age there is no such thing.

No matter who you work for, you should always consider yourself as an independent contractor and have the mindset that you are working for you and always looking out for the best deal for you. Companies are not loyal to employees and more often than not look at a loyal employee as someone they can screw over. So long as the deal is mutually beneficial, it's a good gig. As soon as you see the deal as a one way street, sharpen your resume and start sending it out. Maybe you'll have to a new town, maybe you'll have to move to a new state.

If you want to get ahead, you need to seek out a specialized technical and or specialized skill set, and keep increasing that skill set so you are in demand as the your industry evolves and changes. If you can't do your job better than you did after a couple years on the job or perform functions/rolls you couldn't before, then either it's a dead end job, or you haven't been making yourself more valuable. Don't expect your employer to put time and effort into increasing your skills, if they do great, if they don't then it's up to you.

Since I graduated in 92 I've worked in four different industries, eight different companies and about a dozen different positions within those companies. Two of those companies merged, then filed chapter 11, one was bought out and was recently merged into a different office, one has been bought out twice, one is a 50/50 venture that has had one partner bought out in that time. The longest I worked for an employer was just shy of 11 years, the shortest 1 1/2 years. I've only been laid off once in that 25 year time span and which resulted in 9 months of less than full time employment. My current employer (who I worked for in the past) didn't even interview me, they called me up, asked me to apply for a position they wanted to hire me for and had me an offer within a week. I've never expected anything from those companies other than the opportunity to provide my services to them, and be compensated per the value of what I can provide. I've had some great bosses, I've had some so/so bosses, and a few who were less than stellar. I learned something from each and every one of them. I'd consider my 20 years in the oil and gas industry with that 9 month part time hiatus pretty good longevity, even if it was with four different employers. Other than the layoff I've always left with a better offer.

Every job, every company, every industry has a level of politics, frustration and BS, and it can vary between annoying to unethical/criminal. The two key things to keep in mind is, what can I bring to the table to make my employer a profit, and what can I personally do to make myself the top choice over other candidates to an employer. Nail those two and the gravy will flow.

being tired at the end of the day...

Nice, thanks for that insight.

Well I thought life was sweet until my dad walked out on us when I was 14. We ended up evicted and on welfare and food stamps. 42 year old mom with no education and hadn't worked in 25 years. I hated using food stamps and swore I would never ever live like that again. I also swore I would never do what my own father did no matter what. We all worked and took about 4 years to be free and clear of welfare. I started working part time at 15.5, finished high school and worked full time, did JC part time. I worked crappy jobs until I got on the FD at age 24. I retired at 56 and 8 months. As far as hiding out in a gov job, it wasn't for me. I worked stations that ran 15-20 calls a day for half my career. The rest I worked at stations with priority 1 status to go on wildfires through out the state.

Wow. Good for you to overcome that. I believe that people like you are what makes our country the best one on earth

Have you tried "crushing"a lot? : )

?

I had a similar situation a few years ago. My boss was a liar and manipulator. The good part is because of that job I learned what I really enjoyed which is construction .

That's very heartening. Guess I should have come out and explained all that to begin with.

My old man gave me the skills that I use in the workplace. He never thought I'd be any good, and compared to his ways I've never added up.

But in the workplace showing up and doing a workmanlike job is akin to success. Maybe better. A lot of successful guys are never valued. I get requested by name for all kinds of jobs. A former employer pays me to occasionally consult and always wants me to keep my passport current.

Maybe I'm successful in some ways. I know that I'm valued in the workplace. Less than some, more than others.

If you're making payments to visa, you might wanna check your lifestyle.

A ton of college, a good wife, and getting debt free ASAP.

I went 30+ years with Royal Dutch Shell working world wide successfully retiring at age 53. Fortunately I never personally had an unethical moment.

Being a success is what you make it ...not what the tv or friends tell you .....do what you love to do ...work hard at it...live within those means..if your happy your a success....don't buy into the system.....credit cards new trucks or basically anything that's the advertised norm....at 30 you have time to invest in your future....start investing now...you will be ready to retire in a short time....