Ughh...Advice?
 

Alright, so I am 19, in Community College right now, living on my own, etc...

I'm kinda not sure what I want to do with my life.

I'm thinking Diesel Tech, or a High School Counselor. Totally opposite careers I know. I'm very interested in Car/truck engines, I don't know a lot, but school is for learning. But, I also love helping people, and I'd love to help high school aged kids.

The Diesel is about 4/5 years, and the H.S. Counselor is like 6 years in school. The pay is on average the same, Diesel you can move up faster quicker.

Idk...what do you guys think?

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

id go for diesel tech. the counselors in my school really only helped kids register new classes, besides that they never really did anything else

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

which do you think you will have more fun doing? i mean i like to work on cars but i would hate doing it for a living, its more of a hobby, but as for helping people i could do that sun up to sun down, and i do.

you just gotta figure out what the right mold is for you, look at the ups and downs for both, one big plus about anything with school stuff is the vacation!

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

Yeah, I kinda know what you mean, but the ones in my H.S. did a lot more than that.

Ohhh good point! Did not even think about that!

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

for sure man, and dont be in a hurry, you will figure it out, i still havent fully figured my stuff out and im 24...

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

From knowing you as little as I do I think you should do H.S. Counselor. I think you would find it more rewarding.

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

True, It would be more rewarding, and I would not have to leave the state for college.

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

Pharmacist.. start out making $150,000 a year.. but fair warned the math classes required is madness

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

I hardly passed math 095 and am kinda doing okay in math 096...ugh

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

become a registered nurse. same as im doing. a guy im working with is moving up to washington to get his and from what ive heard it takes two years there where as here it can take 4-6 years depending on where you go. there will ALWAYS be jobs for nurses. starting pay here is around $40 an hour too. plus male nurses are rare so jobs will be easy to find because the shift is starting to go that way because they will be wanting male rns.

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

aaron, really just do what you will really do. im finally starting my career, and im excited because i know im going to have fun every day. just know, diesel tech will require a lot more money invested for tools, and lots more heavy lifting. but, if you like to use logic, you could probably advance in the modern, computer-controlled diesels.
if you like to go by your heart and talk to people, then counselor might be your way to go.

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

ME <--- diesel tech FTW!

Honestly though, think long and hard on it. Do what YOU feel will be the most enjoyable and the most rewarding! It's very hard to go back and start over.

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

I am 58 years old and was in your position in 1970 <ugh!>, I went into Navy (not for everyone) but one thing I did learn for everyone is find something you will want to do when you are 70 years old. Only 1 in 100 mechanics make successful management, do you want to be changing clutches at 70? and mechanics are constantly going to school to keep up with technology.

Look where the $$ is, I recommend medical fields, medical admin pays well, no greasy, grimey gopher guts <grin>, and good people rise fast and get paid well. People are living longer and medical field is severely undermanned (underpersonned?).

Get some balls! find someone driving a Mercedes/Porche/Upscale BMW/etc., walk up and ask them what they did to achieve their status.

The military thing, again, is not for all....but I retired at 38, took the education they paid for and I got on my off time (they work with you to keep you as they have too much invested into loosing you) and after 20 years in Navy, I worked as a research & development engineer for TRW on prototype chassis systems (brake, steer and suspension controls by wire).

I retired at 53 on a disability (severe vehicle wreck, my issue, I live with it) but was scheduled to retire at 59 1/2. Everyone is different, but school now without wife, kids, mortgage, etc. is best time in life, besides do you want to meet your life partner in a bar or a college class? (duh?). Good Luck and look for a mentor/ life counseler (could be anyone, I had a buddy's Dad as my guide) to open up to and trust in their experiences.

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

If you love working on cars on the side, don't go for Diesel mechanics. My dad was an auto body tech for all of my life, and he's worked at every dealership in this town. I used to go to work with him on the weekends, and I can't remember a time where one of the mechanics didn't tell me to stay away from mechanics if I loved it. A lot of my dad's friends were mechanics, and by the time I got older, most of them had become burnt out and switched careers. They don't even like to work on their own cars anymore.

I thought about Diesel Mechanics myself, for a specialization in Ag machinery, but I decided against it because working on my vehicles is a way for me to relax on the weekends, and I don't want to develop a resentment for working on my own stuff.

Re: Ughh...Advice?
 

A lot good advice here for you.

I'll give you a little of mine.

Go talk to a couple different school counselors. They can give you an idea of what is expected. Ask if you can do a little job shadowing with them for a couple days. It would give you a great chance to see the day to day workings. Try a couple different schools and counselors.

Do the same with a Diesel Tech. Call up a couple heavy equipment places and talk to their service managers. Tell them you are interested in becoming a tech and would like to see what is involved and see if you can job shadow a couple times.

When my wife was trying to figure out what she wanted to do, she job shadowed at a couple places and it helped her out a lot.