Career Choices and Regrets..

[TylerSVT]

Originally Posted by noel

We've been through this...

http://web.uvic.ca/calendar2010/FACS...DoEc/PrRe.html

Scroll down to 'BSc Major'

My bad, i apologize, was thinking he was at the UofC

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Keselke

Did you take a different eng discipline in the states?
Just curious why you went from Peng to Technologist

I am currently in Civil, but I always think about mechanical/petroleum route due to how lucrative oil and gas is

I guess I dont want to graduate and regret my discipline choice

I'm an electrical engineer by schooling and worked for producers in Calgary and now internationally in the Oil and Gas business. Send me a PM if you need a little mentoring on the subject. I've been very lucky in my roles and can tell you some of the things you can expect to see from the petroleum business and what you need to do to get where you wanna be.

[JustAnotherGuy]

I am a Sait grad with an IT Diploma.

I have been doing this stuff for over 20 years and I love it. Out of high school I was not sure what I wanted to do so I kinda wandered around for 3 years. A wasted year at MRC. Lived in Winnipeg for a year. Another wasted year but then I took an IT course and I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

A few years back I did a review and thought about doing something else. I was feeling worn out mentally and all that. But I realized that this is the only career for me.

I don't really think of it as just a job. It is a hobby as well.

[goodyear]

I went to SAIT and got a degree in accounting. Fortunate enough to have the chance to work and travel abroad for 2.5 years. Came back in 2009 when the job market was almost done bottoming out and had to move back in with my folks. Jobs were hard to come by for me especially because I had no real experience. Luckily, I got a temp job at a bigger energy company. Was paid crap initially, the work sucked but the colleagues were thankfully, friendly.

Finally got a permanent position at the start of 2011. This gave me holidays, benefits and job security (assuming I don't F up royally) which in turn allowed me to start considering buying my own place.

At first, I regretted coming back to Calgary but I'm ok with how everything is going now, even if its not according to plan. My current job is far from exciting and do not require me going to school for 3 years. However, I probably won't have been able to move to a perm position without a formal education.

My advise: get an education if time, money, responsibilities allows it. Jobs will come but don't be afraid to shift out your comfort zone (ie: moving, starting from the very bottom) and with a positive attitude, things should fall in its place. good luck

[TylerSVT]

What kind of "degree" do you get from Sait? Its not a Bachelors degree, what is the designation called?

[Leon]

It is a Bachelor's degree. Bachelor of Applied Business Administration with a major in Accounting.

http://sait.ca/pages/cometosait/cont...counting.shtml

The local college here offers a degree in it as well. Nice to see the smaller educational establishments offering these programs.

[calf]

nm

[BBQorMILDEW]

After working at all kinds of terrrible jobs, at the age of 28 I finally decided what I wanted to do with my life. I applied last year for Radio Broadcasting at SAIT, luckily, I was one of the 19 that got chosen for the schooling.

I am currently almost done my first year, and I must say, it's the single best decision I have ever made. First semester was all radio theory, which was surprisingly tough, I had 9 classes last semester. But now in second semester, it's pretty much like being at work. I don't have any exams, or tests or true lecture classes. It's all strickly hands on.

We run a simulation radio station.

So, one week I have to write 4 30 second commercials, plus a 60 second commercial. Then the next week, I could be producing the commercials, next week, voicing the commercials, next week have a live on-air shift. The way that they teach you Radio at SAIT, is amazing, it probably gives its graduates the best chance of truly learning every aspect of Radio.

The only hard part for me, is trying to figure out which of the facets I am truly best in. I have a hunch, but I don't want to quickly make a rash decision, without figuring out if it's the best choice. I honestly want to produce commercials for a major market, even if that means starting off in Panoka, learning the ropes from other people. The money will never be good, and that's a tough pill to swallow, but, I figure that if I can show up to work and sit in a booth listening to commercials, I will have it made.

School, is so vitally important now-a-days. If you don't have a degree or a diploma, you will limit yourself as to what you really want to do in life. Don't wait till it's too late!

One of the biggest driving factors in this decision, (besides from wanting to better myself). Was seeing my three best friends graduate as engineers, and land great jobs, and all of them have bought a house and got married. I was living pay check to pay check, with no goals, and no end in sight. Things were rough and it was all self inflicted. Self loathing was the hardest part to overcome, not being able to love myself for years, because of some terrible decisions that I have made in the past almost ruined me. After some great advice from my best friend, (who sees an untapped amount of potiental in me) I found my calling..

And, I couldn't be happier..

Believe in yourself.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by BBQorMILDEW

School, is so vitally important now-a-days. If you don't have a degree or a diploma, you will limit yourself as to what you really want to do in life. Don't wait till it's too late!

I'm glad you found something you enjoy however I have to respectfully disagree with the above statement.
I find that now-a-days the ability to become successful without school is more possible than ever before. There are so many ways one can become a entrepreneur without post secondary education by simply using their creativity.

[ma-skis.com]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

I'm glad you found something you enjoy however I have to respectfully disagree with the above statement.
I find that now-a-days the ability to become successful without school is more possible than ever before. There are so many ways one can become a entrepreneur without post secondary education by simply using their creativity.

There are also many ways one can flounder for years on end paycheque to paycheque while only using their creativity.

I get a lot of young adults asking about university verses some idea or big dream they have, I generally tell them to do what makes them happy, but if it's a big risk work, they need to have a back-up plan of some type. School gives people that safety net and at least potential security (depending on your degree) in work somewhere down the road.

It's fine to go be an actor in LA, but make sure that's not your only option in life. Or that internet startup might make it big, but if you hit rock bottom, make sure you have something you can rely on or switch back to if things go bad.

The problem people often have is using their safety net like they have no other choice.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

I'm glad you found something you enjoy however I have to respectfully disagree with the above statement.
I find that now-a-days the ability to become successful without school is more possible than ever before. There are so many ways one can become a entrepreneur without post secondary education by simply using their creativity.

I'm not sure how many banks are interested in giving loans to creative people with no post secondary education.

[Knalus]

I have found it odd so far how few people have described working for themselves. Traditional_Ale and Realtor 1 are two of the only ones I can think of in this thread that would count. I admit that I also work for an employer, but if things didn't work out I would at least have to consider self employment.

[Finner]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I'm not sure how many banks are interested in giving loans to creative people with no post secondary education.

What?

Banks are primarily interested in income and credit. What your job title is or if you have an education is not relevant at all.

[flamesfever]

As an old retired geologist, if I was to give my son some idea of how he should look at his career path, I would probably say something like this:

1. the educational stage
- going to technical school or university and graduating with a
diploma or degree

2. the experiencial stage
- apprenticing, training
- working in a particular trade or field for an extended period

3. the cashing in stage
- taking on more responsibilty and sharing in company profits by
way of partnership, bonus, stock option, etc.
- starting your own consulting company
- starting your own business

Of course there are many other important factors like finding a suitable trade or profession, networking, taking risks, etc. that have been discussed above, but it's important to know it's a long process, that requires many years of hard work, dedication, perseverence, and faith that you will eventually succeed.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by ma-skis.com

School gives people that safety net and at least potential security (depending on your degree) in work somewhere down the road.

It's fine to go be an actor in LA, but make sure that's not your only option in life. Or that internet startup might make it big, but if you hit rock bottom, make sure you have something you can rely on or switch back to if things go bad.

The problem people often have is using their safety net like they have no other choice.

There is some bad advice in this thread.

If there was ever a day that you could say unequivocally "get a degree/diploma", that day is not today. There are plenty of fields where it's essential, but there are fields where universities and colleges have very little to offer, instruction-wise.

Investing four years of the prime of your life (and thousands of dollars) into getting an education so that you have something "to fall back on" is possibly the worst advice I've ever seen given.

Far better to spend that time traveling, exploring your interests, dedicating yourself to something you love (frivolous or not), etc. Figure out what makes you tick before investing those years into education, because once they're gone, they're gone for good.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I'm not sure how many banks are interested in giving loans to creative people with no post secondary education.

If you have an air tight business plan, banks will give you money.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

If you have an air tight business plan, banks will give you money.

Even if, say, you are a high-school drop-out with a criminal record? Or with crappy personal credit?

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Even if, say, you are a high-school drop-out with a criminal record? Or with crappy personal credit?

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

As an old retired geologist, if I was to give my son some idea of how he should look at his career path, I would probably say something like this:

1. the educational stage
- going to technical school or university and graduating with a
diploma or degree

2. the experiencial stage
- apprenticing, training
- working in a particular trade or field for an extended period

3. the cashing in stage
- taking on more responsibilty and sharing in company profits by
way of partnership, bonus, stock option, etc.
- starting your own consulting company
- starting your own business

Of course there are many other important factors like finding a suitable trade or profession, networking, taking risks, etc. that have been discussed above, but it's important to know it's a long process, that requires many years of hard work, dedication, perseverence, and faith that you will eventually succeed.

This is an excellent summary and pretty much exactly what I've done - and am now at the "cashing in stage" having risen to partner in my company. There are other routes, but in most of the professions and trades this is the most likely path to success in my opinion. The most important part is that you won't generally get there by switching careers every few years; you have to stick with it for a long time to get to the top in most fields. You need to be happy with your career choice to do this though; you don't want to be spending 10 or 15 years (or more) doing something you don't like before you even get to the stage where you start to reap the benefits.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Shazam

That's great, but did he get a bank loan?