What would you tell your kids to do for a living?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Something that is fairly stable and insulated against a change in government. You don't want your livelihood riding on who wins an election.

These careers don't exist.

Technology is about the closest because politicians don't have a clue about IT, and politicians are heavily reliant on technology to spread their... ideas... for now, although I really can't see how that would ever change.

Oh yeah, if you're in the CBE take a look at the unique pathways programs:

https://cbe.ab.ca/programs/high-scho...s/default.aspx

My youngest is taking the vet tech assistant program. This is offered by Olds College. She will graduate twice next year.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Locke

Sorry photon. I like and respect you but I'm going to vehemently disagree with this.

If you do something you love and end up doing it for work, you will eventually and inevitably learn to hate it.

Do something you're good at and that provides a living. Leave the 'stuff you love' for a hobby.

Maybe depends on the definition of love, but everyone that I know that loves technology has never learned to hate it.

Worst case is they move to a different kind of thing.

Maybe that's due to "technology" being such a huge space while mechanic isn't.

I just couldn't imagine going in every day doing a job where it really doesn't feel like work.. I mean there'll always be stuff around the job but if my core job is something I would do on my own time for fun anyway then work will almost never feel like work.

It's worked for me for 30+ years anyway

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by chedder

Traumatic stress injury and other mental health issues are definitely a factor. As long as that doesn't get you, you only work like 8 24 hour shifts per month. That leaves a lot of time for work life balance. The side gig, for many, can be a stress reliever.

Working in an office for many is a traumatic experience due to co-workers.

[photon]

Does a locksmith count as a trade?

Part of me wants to change to being a locksmith, locks are cool.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by GomerPile

I always find this interesting, I know a few Firefighters and their unions always push for work life balance in schedule etc.... then they all have side gigs, which would defeat that balance IMO. I also know several firefighters who have had major mental health issues and a few succumbed to it, for that reason I dont recommend it.

I was a firefighter, never had any issues with PTSD. I didn't see it all but saw a lot, but none of it ever bothered me. But you're right, a few guys had mental health issues and ended up committing suicide, a real gut punch and so sad. But that's a small percentage, it was still a great career.

I always wished I'd had a trade, my degree in economics didn't help me with a side gig. When my son finished grade 12 I pushed him to get a trade and apply for the fire department. But he hated the electrician program at SAIT so he quit. Joined the Reserves and took Business at Mount Royal. When he was 19 he applied to the RCMP an started when he was 20. His side gig is working overtime, he gets as much as he wants anywhere he wants. When he comes home to Calgary he'll pick up a shift in Cochrane or Canmore. He made a killing last year, a lot more than I ever made as a firefighter. He sees a lot of bad #### too, but like me it doesn't seem to affect him. The money is great and lots of different and cool units you can apply to.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by photon

Maybe depends on the definition of love, but everyone that I know that loves technology has never learned to hate it.

Worst case is they move to a different kind of thing.

Maybe that's due to "technology" being such a huge space while mechanic isn't.

I just couldn't imagine going in every day doing a job where it really doesn't feel like work.. I mean there'll always be stuff around the job but if my core job is something I would do on my own time for fun anyway then work will almost never feel like work.

It's worked for me for 30+ years anyway

You wanna Intern for me for a bit? Do some Taxes? You will learn to hate it.

Deal with Revenue Canada every day? I dont know where they find those people.

But everyone needs it and its a living and, proof that God exists and he's something of a bit of a sadist because he created me in such a way that its just something my brain intrinsically understands well.

Its a living. And now that I've got decades of experience under my belt I can work for myself.

Every day I walk into my office and just think..."Here we go again..."

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Youngest is bound and determined to be a vet.
Oldest is wanting to be a pharmacist.

Tiler is a great profession to get into, but if you don't like re-doing someone else's #### job, because you will do many, many, many of these (I found one tiler and that's all he does, and he hates life), don't do it.

If I were to do it all over again I would do biological research.

Really? I tiled my bathroom(and I've done a lot of DIY jobs) and that was one of them where I just said no way. Doing floors is awful on your body, the grout and mortar are savage to your skin, not to mention cuts from sharp tiles. Everything is heavy, you work in awkward positions...tiller is one trade I'd totally avoid.



Electrician, new build plumbing, sure. Great stuff. But tiler? Nope.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by GomerPile

I dont have any kids, but my Nephew asked me what he should be when he grows up? I got thinking and wasn't really sure.

So, what do you do, and what would you tell a pre teen to be when they grew up?

I formally was a construction project manager with Fortis and The City of Calgary, and now own and operate a small brewery. I think I will tell my nephew to do a trade, work for himself and be as busy as he wants? I don't foresee robots taking that over.

The question really did get me thinking.

It's not what I do, but I would tell my kids to become pharmacists.

Good money, during your rotations you get to travel all over, you get the opportunity to help and consult regular people, the skillset is relatively straightforward (mostly memorization of , whereas doctors have to make judgement calls, business people have to navigate millions of factors, engineers have to sign off on things with critical impact), you'll go to college with relatively intelligent people, you have the choice of working for a private corporation or for a public hospital, you typically have more control over your hours compared to a 9-5, and if you want to take all of the above you can leverage it to grow your own career on the side in whatever field, industry, or skillset appeals to your soul without having to "take work home with you".

What do I do? I work in software and AI will be replacing me within five years lol

Originally Posted by photon

Does a locksmith count as a trade?

Part of me wants to change to being a locksmith, locks are cool.

You watch lockpickinglawyer, don't you haha

[Benched]

With the rise of AI and how it may take over a lot of drone office jobs....a trade/working with your hands may be a better long term strategy.

[blankall]

Find something interesting. Also find something that involves a particular skill/training that will keep you employed. Pick a skill that won't be a fad/temporary. That could be anything: tech, trades, white color, etc... Generally, you want to find a profession that requires some degree of licensing and a multi year training program.

Nothing worse than applying for work when you have no specific skills to set you apart. Being part of the general labour pool is no fun, particularly when you're middle aged. When you don't have skills you'll also be at the mercy of vindictive middle managers.

Employers, like girls, want skills:

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Really? I tiled my bathroom(and I've done a lot of DIY jobs) and that was one of them where I just said no way. Doing floors is awful on your body, the grout and mortar are savage to your skin, not to mention cuts from sharp tiles. Everything is heavy, you work in awkward positions...tiller is one trade I'd totally avoid.

You get used to the job. I have also tiled and I didn't find it too difficult. I'm fairly certain I'm more fit than you though.

Electrician, new build plumbing, sure. Great stuff. But tiler? Nope.

Electrician you have to be comfortable going high up. Plumber you don't get to pick and choose what you do. I mean yeah I guess you could, but it would mean significantly less money. Plumbers I know for a fact that you have to do the literal #### jobs first.

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by photon

1. Pick something that you love to do
2. Do that for a job

Then you'll always enjoy your work and will often be better than most at it so will always have a job as long as your entire job type doesn't disappear.

I tried this. I couldnt find anyone wiling to pay a decent salary for me to lay on my couch and watch TV.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by photon

Does a locksmith count as a trade?

Part of me wants to change to being a locksmith, locks are cool.

There is locksmith I see everyone once in awhile in the building I work in. At first glance he looks like a SWAT team member with his black vest and all his batman utility belt like pockets and such. Then you see LOCKSMITH on this back. Looks pretty cool.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

I tried this. I couldnt find anyone wiling to pay a decent salary for me to lay on my couch and watch TV.

Hmm, I'd be okay with an indecent salary.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Locke

Electrician.

Be a Sparky.

Don’t forget to pull a permit.


As a former sparky it’s a good career, but you need to either go on your own and specialize in one field (solar, soffit lighting, car chargers), continue on in your education to engineer tech / engineer, or get on with O&G, mining or any other industrial company.

Run of the mill residential and commercial electricians make an honest and OK living but if you wanna chase the almighty dollar you’ll never make it while working the typical jman roles.

[activeStick]

All the obvious stuff, like enjoying what you do, etc aside, I've always been very practical and realistic thanks to my parents' guidance growing up. With both of them being uneducated immigrants to Canada, they worked hard jobs and grinded out a living for us and stressed to me that enjoying what you do is very important, but finding a career where jobs are fairly plentiful and money is good is very important. Money isn't everything but doing better than just getting by is very important in life in my view. Personally, I'd tell my kids to keep that in mind. Specifically, I'd suggest technology or medicine/healthcare.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Locke

You wanna Intern for me for a bit? Do some Taxes? You will learn to hate it.

Deal with Revenue Canada every day? I dont know where they find those people.

But everyone needs it and its a living and, proof that God exists and he's something of a bit of a sadist because he created me in such a way that its just something my brain intrinsically understands well.

Its a living. And now that I've got decades of experience under my belt I can work for myself.

Every day I walk into my office and just think..."Here we go again..."

I hate it already without having to intern, I never loved keeping track on numbers and rules and bureaucracy in the first place!

But it is a fair point, it's definitely possible to have a job that at its core is something you enjoy but there's enough nonsense around the core that the dissatisfaction will outweigh the core enjoyable part. But that seems more like something that could be addressed by changing the situation rather than the entire career.

I guess that's the alternative.. if you aren't doing something you really enjoy, at least do something you're inherently good at so you can make a good living without having to always feel like you're expending your life every day.

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

You watch lockpickinglawyer, don't you haha

Of course! I love going into lock stores, it's all so cool, and lots of tech overlap nowadays.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Shazam

These careers don't exist.

Technology is about the closest because politicians don't have a clue about IT, and politicians are heavily reliant on technology to spread their... ideas... for now, although I really can't see how that would ever change.

I'm not saying a job where you're completely impervious to a drastically different government ideology being implemented. But there's certainly careers where you're better insulated against it.

Exactly, like IT, versus, say, O&G, where you're basically praying a Conservative government wins. People don't need that stress every election cycle.

[photon]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

I tried this. I couldnt find anyone wiling to pay a decent salary for me to lay on my couch and watch TV.

They're called streamers and influencers these days.

Problem is you have to be at least mildly entertaining or have other.. assets..

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by photon

They're called streamers and influencers these days.

Problem is you have to be at least mildly entertaining or have other.. assets..

I’ll slap some bolt on titties on my almost 40 year old chest for that kinda cash.