How are you folks for career advice?

[dropzone]

You're sorta like friends, yet you are separated enough not to need to BS me.

As anybody who has read more than two of my postings knows, I am unemployed. I'm falling back on boring old reliable CAD (Computer Aided Drafting or Design, take yer pick) until I figure out what I want to do if I grow up. But it's boring!

What's fun? I mean, what's fun that someone would pay me to do? I'm primary support for the next couple of years, so I don't have time for a lot of school. I know of some things, but am keeping them to myself while I talk to you. I don't want to sway your opinions.

Let's brainstorm. What sort of job appeals to you? You may have gotten to know me a little here--what do you think I'd like to do?

I'm very curious.

[Whack-a-Mole]

How about porno films. Fun and you get paid!

Seriously...this isn't something others can really answer since what is fun and fulfilling to you may not be so to me.

I will say that the computer industry is rocking. There are plenty of variations that at least something in the industry might appeal to you (programming, web design, network administration, etc.). Each one is a creature unto itself so don't lump all computer jobs together. Computer jobs also have the added benefit of not (always) requiring a great deal of schooling. Web design you can learn at home and if you have a good artistic bent might work well. Programming can be learned for cheap classes at a community college and lots of practice. Network Admin classes can be had by anyone for about $5,000 for the whole course load or buy a few books (maybe $200) and then take the tests.

There are tons of other possibilities. Computer related jobs have a ton of variety but they are only one class of a million other things you can do. Write the next great American novel, invent a better mouse trap, become a professional beach bum. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. If someone made money selling pet rocks there has to be a jillion things that'll work for you.

[kinoons]

as of the moment my career goal is to become a paramedic. I mean come on; ya get paid to drive really fast, run red lights, deliever babies, and save lives. What more could you want in life?

What more you as? how about being a firefighter/paramedic. Not only do you get to do all of the above, you get to run into buildings that rats and roaches are getting the hell out of. I dont believe I've ever had such a rush in my life.

[matt_mcl]

Learn French, move to Montreal, become a translator. I am so gonna be rolling in dough when I get paid next month it's not even funny. 15 cents a word... if you're as fast as I am you can make (no bullshit) $110 an hour, like I did on one project last week.

[dropzone]

Fifteen cents a word translating French?!?!? I'm so THERE!

You don't have to get the spelling perfect do you?

I've been meaning to ask, what's a nice Scottish/Scotch-Irish boy like you speaking a heathen tongue like French? This isn't one of them gay things, is it?

[Alpha]

I was in convention sales work for a couple of years, and traveled a lot. That was fun, but when I married it didn't work to travel and I went "back-office" technical again. Don't regret it though.

[matt_mcl]

Ben evidemment que je parles français, comment tu veux que je ne parlerais pas français et vivrais a Montréal avec un coloc francophone, sti?

("Well, obviously I speak French! How am I supposed to live in Montreal with a francophone roommate and not speak French? Communion wafer!")

By the way, I'm not Scots-Irish... I'm Scots-English-German-Bohemian-Korean-Irish-Jewish-First Nations. In short, Canadian. And Canada has two official languages. *sweet smile*

Yes, you do have to get the spelling perfect - although, please note, you usually translate from your second language into your first. (I translate French-to-English.) It helps a LOT if you already have excellent writing skills in your first language.

Montreal has to be the world capital of the anglais-français translating business.

Oh, and French is not a gay thing, although you can do gay things in French, like I did this past evening. (Also, gay people can french. Gaily.)

[JimmyNipples]

The key here is turning a hobby into a job. Figure out what you like to do, then figure out how to get paid for it.



I'm into a Network Marketing business that I hope will earn me big bux. Interested?

[dropzone]

Matt, I thought about it and doing what you suggest would require me to move to Canada. Then I'd be a Canadian Doper and I wouldn't be able to make fun of them anymore.

But as an Anglophone in Montreal I would be part of a discriminated-against minority group! That would be an interesting change for this straight, white, middle-class, white, middle-aged, white guy.

I make fun of Canada but have wanted to move there since the mid-eighties when the whole government almost collapsed because somebody in the Ministry of Fishing allowed some bad tuna to be sold. The whole national government because of a eensy little bit of iffy ethics! Living in a state where we send alternating governors to jail for graft that sounded like a nice change of pace.

Alpha, isn't the convention biz a riot?!?!? I've been in and out of the exhibits end forever (that didn't sound right) and I enjoy it. But it'll chew you up and spit you out.

Graeme, tell me more. Is this one of those Amway Does Telecom vertical marketing things?

[dropzone]

Try to ask a semi-serious question when everybody is in a party....

[iampunha]

matt_mcl:

For those of us who didn't think they were seeing things (or drunk, or both) when you posted that French, how about a website so we can get started translating into French or into English? I'd hate to see my 13+ years of French schooling and partial French ancestry go to waste.

[handy]

"Well evidently that do I speak French, how do you want that I would not speak French and would live have Montreal with a French-speaking [coloc], [sti]? "

[dropzone]

Let's see if I can do this URL right ... BabelFish

It gave me, "Ben obviously that I speak French, how you want that I would not speak French and would live has Montreal with a French-speaking coloc, sti?" Not a communion wafer in the lot.