Hey you guys, I'm going to be starting College very soon. I need some advice in picking a major. My top two choices will be Business Management, or Carpentry. (Not in any sort of order) I've always been interested in Carpentry. I'm a hands on kind of person. I would love to know how to use some basic tools, lay tile, put up windows, roofing, etc. Now, onto Business Management. I've also been interested in owning my own Business. Something to do with sports. Like Dicks or Sports Authority. I would much rather be my own boss, hire my own employees, and not having to listen to anybody. From what I've been told, there are A lot more oppurtunites in Business Management. Just looking for some advice. Thanks!

Well, I know a ton of people go for Business Mgt. Most of them dont get anywhere cuz, thiknk about it who doesnt Love that idea.. Being your own Boss.. I say go with carpentry just because you would learn many great skills that you can use everyday.. Its a lot easier to become a Business Owner without schooling then it is to be a carpenter... At some point u may be able to still open your own business, just gotta find ppl to invest, and be smart with your money, and all of your choices...

All in all it is Souley ur decision and a big one at that. Go with your heart and what you want to do for the next 40 some odd years..

Good Luck on your decision.

__________________
2000 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Offroad Supercab (ZOMBIE SLAYER)4.0L, Four Door, Flareside,
Mods- 3" BL, 15x8 Black Rock D-Windows (Aluminum) 32x11.50 Falken Wildpeak AT3W, Kenwood Stereo, Custom Painted Grille, Black Aftermarket Headlights, Custom Ford Ovals by (buggman), '08 Seats, Herculined Rear Bumper, Mustang Dome Light... More to come..

That's great advice. Thanks man!

Go for carpentry, get the experience there, go back and take Business Management at some point and become a general contractor. Own your own business that way if they both interest you.
I also know a few people who took Business Management (or something similar) and they haven't gotten anywhere. Carpentry seems to be more employable - at least up here.

__________________
2008 XLT 4.0 auto ext cab 4x4
Levelled, 265/75/16 ProComp Xtreme AT on ProComp wheels, dual exhaust, more to come

Well, that's a good idea. Never thought about doing that. Really? I was actually thinking about moving there after college.

I think you should try and get a job now doing rough or finish carpentry. My friend thought he wanted to do roofing, but after a couple days on top of a black tar roof in 90 degree weather, he went with a different career choice. Also, right now is not a good time to be in contract work like this, no one is building new houses because of the economy. This is all just stuff to think about, maybe you should just go undeclared and do your general ed credits until you try out the jobs for yourself. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks man. I agree with you.

I say carpentry... just 'cause there's a zillion business majors out there... I didn't even know you could get a degree in that... and you could still be your own boss just make sure you take some business classes (or maybe minor in it) so you're not clueless. Major doesn't mean a lot anyway... one of our salesman is a Government/History major. Employers care that you finished school more than anything.

At the end of the day you need to do what you love... and remember... when you're the boss no one cares what your major is. ;-)

__________________
2008 XLT 4x4 - GRABBER ORANGE - 4.0 V6 - 5 spd
PNW CREW

Always think of what you want to be doing in 20 or 30 years . Still working the same job ?

Do something that will pay some money and give you a living , and what you also would like to do . Carpentry is a good way to start , but set your sites higher than that !!

__________________
Merlin215

2010 Ford Ranger 4 wheel drive
Black
XLT Power Group package

There's nothing wrong with being a carpenter. The key is being good at what you do and you can make serious money REGARDLESS of what the job is.

__________________
2008 XLT 4x4 - GRABBER ORANGE - 4.0 V6 - 5 spd
PNW CREW

The issue I can see later down the road is just hte physical toll it will take on you after 20 years or so of working, and if you decided to stop doing carpentry work at that point in your life, what else can you do with a carpentry degree? If you had a business degree, you could be a general contractor or do soemthing entirely different as a business degree is pretty universaly accepted in lots of occupations. Carpentry is a skill that can be (and is best) learned hands on; like I said before, see if you can get an apprenticeship or ask some general contractors if they want some help. Good luck with whatever you pick!

Thanks you guys! I really appreciate the advice. I still got some time, maybe 5-6 months to decide. You guys really helped out a lot though!

I haven't gone to college, but I will say this; both can be good. Go to school and do either or, both will give you good life skills that will help. At the very least, if you learn to be a carpenter, you will have the knowledge and the ability to A) keep up your own house or B) do some side work for friends and family with various jobs. My grandpa was a master carpenter, and he still will do things on occasion for people and family members, as well as create things for his family and grandkids (he's making curio cabinets as a wedding present for all his grandkids). But if you go for business management, that is good as well. Like canadiengurl said, you could become a general contractor, and I know there is a lot of business to be made there. Or you could even become a 'sales person' for a company like a lumber yard, or a wholesale building supply company (like the one I work for). The world is big, and there are many ways to make a dollar. Its just up to you to decide what way will make you happiest to make that dollar that matters.

__________________
2001 Ford Ranger XLT Stepside: Stock

Wow. Some of you guys are giving really bad advice.

DO NOT go to school for carpentry. It's a waste of money. Even if somebody else is offering to pay for your schooling, all you are doing is wasting their money. You can just get out on the job and learn everything you need to know without going to school for it. Not only that, but the school will only teach you as much as the teacher knows, and if you work for a big enough company, you can learn from a bunch of different teachers since we all have different methods of doing stuff, and you'll still get paid for it rather then shelling out the time, money and effort in the school program.

Not only that but it's kind of a dying industry at the moment, and all you'll be doing is digging yourself into a huge hole financially for a trade that almost nobody is hiring for. This is coming from a carpenter. There's a great program here that gets you out in the field learning hands on, but it's also $5000. You could be out making that money and still learning if you can find a really good company to work for.

I'm not a master carpenter, but I do "run" my own "company" and have been since 2008 (after working in the field for a while). I just picked up a small job today that I'll be doing tomorrow (yeah, I work every day of the week if at all possible), and it's only been my second one since the beginning of this year. I also used to work for a high end home construction company building huge houses, and even the rich people aren't building right now.

I'm sorry bud, but anything to do with the trades is a REALLY bad idea to try and spend money on. I'm lucky enough to have started a good nest egg to keep myself out of the water and also have a new job in a completely different field, but I know a ton of tradesman right now (electricians, plumbers, HVAC, roofers) who are out of work sitting at home collecting unemployment. It's going to take a long time before we start building like we were two years ago.

I've been doing construction since 2006, and I can tell you that it's something I do not want to do for the rest of my life. I'm almost 23 and have already broken my back, can sometimes barely get out of bed in the morning after working for 8-12 hours on sometimes just simple jobs, always out in the cold or the heat, have a ton of scars from all the tools and I just feel like I'm way older then I am. Most companys will not want to pay health insurance, and a lot make you buy your own tools and use your own vehicles to haul equipment/supplies to a job without paying for maintenance on your vehicle or reimbursing you for fuel and whatnot.

And while it may not seem like it all the time, dealing with home owners sucks. They make changes at the last second, they try to get you to do the most amount of work for the least possible amount (I absolutely hate doing bid jobs), they will constantly call you if something happens AFTER the job is complete and say that you did something wrong, and some of them will flat out refuse to pay you.

I also say don't go to school for a business degree. Everybody and their brothers/sisters/second cousins who they may or may not have had relations with have their business degrees and they can't use them. It could be just around here or maybe it's nation wide, but I have been seeing a LOT of job openings in the criminal justice and law enforcement fields. I'm not saying go out and be a lawyer or the Sheriff of Pima County, but it's something that you can look into and a lot of cops around here do carpentry as kind of a hobby.

I'm going to go ahead and finish my book here and just say that the best advice I can give is to play the trade field for a year or two, and if you still like it, then my hats off to ya but don't waste your money on the trade school, please! I think it's a huge scam that will teach you some, but you'll learn a lot more in the field. If you've got any more questions go ahead and PM me.

__________________

Wow man. Now that's some great advice. I really appreciate the help. I've got a lot to think about. Thanks again man. If I have any questions I'll go ahead and PM you