Career advice for a young gun

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Originally Posted By: MrRPM
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Looks like you like to work on car/engine, you should pursuit a career in Auto Mechanic.


Well being a Mechanic is something that has crossed my mind but Being the Son of one I know how much the job sucks.


I agree. While it is nice to know how to fix a vehicle, I would not push anybody into this field.
Is the military still hiring the average person, or are they getting picky? My advice for kids in high school (like they would listen to me.....) is to take a heavy course load on math, sciences and biology. Of course, a lot of them think it's cool to hang out, smoke the cigs, and wear their waist band of their pants at their knees.
 
What is it you're really interested in? Do you work well with people?

Whatever you do, don't put it off too long! At some point, work becomes work, and a job is a job. I somewhat disagree with others saying take your time.

I'd also say that whatever you do for work doesn't have to define you. I think too many young people are obsessed with wanting perfection coming out of high school or college, in what they want for a career or job. The straight dope of it is most people are working the jobs they do out of necessity. And that's all right! That's what hobbies are for.

The sooner you find a good fit for yourself, the better. Trust me, I speak from experience having been in your shoes 10 years ago: the world won't wait around for you. Especially the job market.
 
Originally Posted By: bretfraz
You might like fleet maintenance/fleet operations. Check out big operations like Penske Leasing.

Here's a job for you: https://gopenske.taleo.net/careersection/.penske.ex.jsa.hs/jobdetail.ftl

http://www.firstvehicleservices.com/careers

Get involved at the ground floor with a company like Penske, or a big trucking company like Schneider.

Start doing customer service, scheduling, dispatcher, even working for the gov't in their fleet services.

Get involved in fleet services or fleet management. Work for a rental car company and move up the ladder.

This way you can still geek out on car maintenance stuff while getting paid to make sure the cars are getting maintained.


There was a job opening around here for a bus company, 3rd shift, you jockey the busses around the yard, vacuum them, check the oil and tire air pressure, and fuel them.

You could also work at an airport fueling planes or doing other cool behind the scenes stuff.

If you do join the Army, I would hire you after the fact, b/c I know you've taken orders/ grief and have a lifestyle not built around texting and facebook/twitter.
 
Originally Posted By: MrRPM
So I ask what type of career could I look into and what type of schooling could I do? Is there any specific types of jobs that revolve around maintenance management/research? I'm kind of lost on where to even begin so I figured Maybe some of you here on BITOG who are into the field could throw me some advice.


What a challenge to face, being young and not really knowing what you want to do the rest of your life. I'm of the camp that would recommend finding something you have a passion for over just something that pays well. Find a lifetime career that has both (passion and good income) and you have maybe hit nirvana. So many roads to choose.

Here's one site that deals with lubrication maintenance careers: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/591/lubrication-profession

There are also free tests you can take at your community college that might help define your career tendencies: hands on, people person, thinker, etc..

Best of luck (and nose to the grindstone)!
 
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Engineering & Science is where it's at.



+1, loved this major(me Civil Engineering/Computer Science), worked very hard but got to play hard too in school.
 
The OP needs to focus on a career and not some dead end job.
After high school graduation time really flys by and you don't want to still be unemployed and living with your parents in 4-5 years. Now is the time to start planning your future and stop day dreaming.
 
Well if I could do it again I'd suck it up, take the math classes, and do engineering. I took calculus in high school, didn't pick it up immediately and wrote it off. In reality, I probably just needed to shore up the "base" of math knowledge I had and it would have been fine.

I'm not unhappy with my career, I make good money and generally enjoy my work, but something like mechanical engineering would have given me a wider field to play in I think.

Depending on what you want to eventually do, you may need college. Yes, it is a piece of paper for many people, but most employers will want it. Don't ask why. I work with someone who slaps a M.S. requirements onto every position he lists. I ask him why, and he can't tell me. I remind him that I don't have a graduate degree, and that a B.S. alone is cheaper and will get the job done. Unfortunately there are probably more guys like him out there, who just slap the requirement on because they think it should be there, than me who takes a more practical approach. Heck, I am at a point in my career where I probably need to get a MBA or something just to "check the box" for future positions. My company still does tuition reimbursement, but I've got the impression that many have been cutting that as of late.

So with that said, enlisting may be the way to go. If you aren't wealthy, college is ridiculous to try and pay for. Even a state school.
 
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ok guys first off, I would love to join the military. Unfortunately I have a foot disability (Charcot Marie Tooth) and am very limited physically. strength, balance, coordination, and bad pain after long distance walks (leg orthotics) are my weaknesses. I have friends who have been turned down by the Military for much much smaller things.

The reason why I made this thread was to get advice on how to get a career relating to the original post. Everything else your telling me thats unrelated to the post I have heard many times and know. I appreciate everything your telling me but I don't need strangers from the internet telling me to stop being lazy. lol
 
Originally Posted By: MrRPM
I appreciate everything your telling me but I don't need strangers from the internet telling me to stop being lazy. lol


You're a stranger on the internet to me, who asked a question!
lol.gif
I was in your position 10 years ago. I could say, if you don't want an honest answer, don't ask, but I'll forgive you.

It sounds like what you want is some kind of career in automotive service management. There are no jobs for trivial oil nerds. Trust me, I've searched and came up high and dry.

Go apply at a dealer as a service writer. That's the most logical place to start. Trust me, they're always hiring! You can get your foot in the door. BUT, you need to be very good with people (sometimes in a not so moral way).
 
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Originally Posted By: VicVinegar

Depending on what you want to eventually do, you may need college. Yes, it is a piece of paper for many people, but most employers will want it. Don't ask why. I work with someone who slaps a M.S. requirements onto every position he lists. I ask him why, and he can't tell me.


My take on the education thing whether it's a requirement for a undergrad or grad degree is that it's quantifiable way to eliminate people.

Using that is a way because people can just blow smoke all day about their work experience. A degree is a degree, yes, schools are different and a degree from Northwestern would hold higher regard than DeVry, IMO.

To me, higher education shows a drive and desire for long term success.
 
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT

There are no jobs for trivial oil nerds. Trust me, I've searched and came up high and dry.

This is basically the answer to my question lol...
 
Lots of good advice in this thread. If you're not looking to go to school, the service writer/manager job sounds like a good match for you. If you're open to college, then I would advise you to look into the different engineering fields.

Originally Posted By: VicVinegar
Well if I could do it again I'd suck it up, take the math classes, and do engineering. ...I'm not unhappy with my career, I make good money and generally enjoy my work, but something like mechanical engineering would have given me a wider field to play in I think.



This is very much where I'm at. At the time, I didn't want to put the time into college. In three years, I had two AAS degrees, which led to a good job (I'm a biomed tech, meaning I repair medical equipment). Now, I see that an engineering degree would have given me many more options. I'm sure not complaining, as I have a good job in this bad economy, and earn more than some people with bachelor's degrees. I'm just saying that if I had it to do over again...
 
To start: If you're 'lost on where to begin', give yourself 3-4 hours, go to the automotive/motorcycle section in a bookstore and look through everything on the shelf. Consider it 'personal research into an area of interest'.

If you get bored, move onto another section of interest. While you're there, find "What Color is Your Parachute?" and start reading. I'd suggest you buy it and do the exercises. I'd also suggest looking for "I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What it Was" by Barbara Sher. See if any of those areas she describes fit you.

Some people 'invent' or 'know' which areas to pursue, others 'detect' them by doing it. If they don't like it, turns out not to be what they thought, etc., they 'do' something else.

Your approach all depends on who you are. How you're oriented or wired. Some will think through this & plan ahead, some have to do it first or learn by doing.

Lots of things on this planet need maintaining, repair, management, investigation and research. Just depends on what area you want to work in. The Parachute book will go into detail on this.

Finally, realize that you need to develop stamina, persistence, and patience to work through things you don't understand or that bore you, in order to get to the other side of wisdom, maturity & competence. The former must proceed the later. In other words, you have to begin with the end in mind and keep it in mind to get through the tough spots.
 
Hey guys let's help this lad to assemble a CV format and a training plan. I'm up for it if you are.
Let's at least try.
 
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Originally Posted By: Whitewolf
Hey guys let's help this lad to assemble a CV format and a training plan. I'm up for it if you are.
Let's at least try.


Nope. This "lad" has to write a curriculum vitae on his own. He's already spent a couple years doing nothing; having someone wet nurse him makes it meaningless.

The only real success is success that he will achieve on his own.
 
Right now, College is going to be a no-go if the OP couldn't get motivated in High School. I definitely don't get all the Engineering school references?? That takes some serious commitment and resources.

I know I wasn't in the proper frame of mind from 18-21yrs of age myself
blush.gif
, but managed a 2yr Associates Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology in that time-frame, that landed me some decent entry level positions.

Later on, the company(s) I worked for, mostly paid for my Bachelors.

I never saw myself doing what I do for a living now, but I love it anyway.

I think the OP needs a little dose of real-world to get motivated. Working some REALLY bad, low-wage jobs will snap you into reality. I know school work got easier for me when I got a bit older.

Like said, Welding, Tool/Die and Machining are some great hands-on careers that can easily lead to bigger/better things.

Joel
 
I am really wondering why the OP refers to himself as a "young gun".

Perhaps he doesn't know what the term means...Generally "young gun" refers to a young man who has both confidence and talent, usually very successful at an early age.

In other words, a very inaccurate description of our OP...perhaps he sees himself as a "young gun", but none of the attributes above are present in him right now.
 
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