If you could do it all over again, knowing what you know now, what career path would you choose out of college?

Submitted by shawnducati on

If you could do it all over again, knowing what you know now, what career path would you choose out of college?

 

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JHendo

May 30th, 2015 at 3:33 PM ^

I'm not sure how people ever aspire to be a CPA. They never seem happy and are always stressed, especially around the multiple deadlines their clients have throughout the year. There are obviously plenty out their who love life and what they do, but just as much never have (and never will) find an acceptable work/life balance. *I'm not a CPA, just a guy who does software for them, so I deal with them for a living.

Joined: 10/25/2008

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jabberwock

May 30th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^

I believe I stated my heartfelt desire to pursue a career in "Lesbian-ing".

I supose if I had to do it over, I'd choose something were someone paid me a lot of money to tell other people what to do.  

That or BassMasters.

Joined: 07/04/2008

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Bando Calrissian

May 30th, 2015 at 1:45 PM ^

I'm happy doing what I'm doing here in grad school. Though hit me back in two years when I'm on the job market and coming up empty.

Do I wish I'd gotten here faster, instead of dicking around after undergrad for a couple years before going back? Or that I'd chosen about fifteen different classes (or maybe even my major as a whole) as an undergrad at UM? Absofreakinglutely. But it's done.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68154

markusr2007

May 30th, 2015 at 1:50 PM ^

Man trades: Plumbing, Electrician, Automechanic, HVAC jobs.

In fact, I may yet go and do those things.

At least you have a real tangible sense of accomplishment.

As a young man, I woefully underestimated the prolific favoritism, incompetence, lying, vindictiveness, political subterfuge and misandry that has become part and parcel of  working in business administration careers (e.g. finance, marketing, accounting, sales), including the tech industry.  Some dudes are awesome at navigating this. I'm less good at that.   You make a great living, but frequently wonder why as well as how you reconcile Everest-high piles of horseshit at work.

 

 

Joined: 10/21/2008

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1974

May 30th, 2015 at 3:16 PM ^

"Some dudes are awesome at navigating this."

It reminds me of something someone's mentor once told them ("Some people thrive in a bureaucracy.") It sets up false equivalency.

Would you *really* want to be someone who immerses him/herself in dysfunction to get ahead? (I have no interest in setting up a false dichotomy. I realize that it's possible to achieve great things through intelligence and hard work. But, I don't generally admire people whose rise is due mostly to Machiavellian maneuvers.)

Joined: 04/17/2011

MGoPoints: 7799

Z

May 30th, 2015 at 2:59 PM ^

This is not a career problem, it's a company problem.  I've been in accounting and finance for 10 years and have worked for three great companies that have given me opportunities for advancement on merit, not politics or favortism.

If you think a business admin career can't be rewarding, or that you can't "get a real tangible sense of accomplishment" with a job in that field, you're looking in the wrong places.

Joined: 01/18/2010

MGoPoints: 2409

uminks

May 30th, 2015 at 1:55 PM ^

for over 20 years in a science/engineering field I thoroughly enjoy. If I had to do it over again I would have started my own private business doing the same type of work I do now. I won't complain about my salary but some of my friends who have successfully started their own businesses have made a lot more $, especially in the last 10 years in oil and natural gas industry!

 

Joined: 11/10/2009

MGoPoints: 32153

uminks

May 30th, 2015 at 2:24 PM ^

Federal employees hired after '86 only get 1 percent of their base salary times the number of years they work. I would like to retire after 30 years in! Therefore, I would only get 30 percent of my base pay. Most of my retirement will come via my own savings through my work's 401K(TSP). Federal employees who were hired in before '86 get 80 percent of their base pay salary in retirement, plus they got to contribute to the TSP. All those people got to retire when they turned 55 and very few are left who are on on the old plan!

Joined: 11/10/2009

MGoPoints: 32153

McGreenB

May 30th, 2015 at 2:00 PM ^

I would have done a major in Jazz guitar performace, because fook it,  unless you're becoming a doctor, your undergrad degree does mean much, anyway. 

Joined: 11/13/2011

MGoPoints: 2205

ppToilet

May 30th, 2015 at 2:06 PM ^

"knowing what I know now", I would have gone into investing and venture capitalism. I would've made a killing in the first Dotcom bubble, gotten out just in time, made a killing in oil, housing, and gold and gotten out just in time as well.

Joined: 04/18/2011

MGoPoints: 5253

chomz14

May 30th, 2015 at 2:09 PM ^

A nuclear pharmacist. Work 7 on, 7 off. Your 10 hour day consists of 3 hours of light work. Sort some scripts, answer a call or two. Milk a generator. Then enjoy a 4 hour lunch. Then set up a 2nd run for the techs to do their work for them. Then sit around the rest of the day. Oh and make a an easy 6 figures while doing so.

Joined: 09/03/2009

MGoPoints: 3676

Kewaga.

May 31st, 2015 at 2:04 AM ^

Would do it again.  

My undergrad was in international economics so also very interested in doing something in international relations.  

Maybe even a nurse working in the ER, would like to do that as a nurse, but don't want to do it as a PA.

Joined: 02/06/2015

MGoPoints: 6946

CarrIsMyHomeboy

May 30th, 2015 at 2:11 PM ^

I'm still early on the MD/PhD track. Done with the first half, working out the last part of the biochemistry dissertation. Lots of school. Lots of putting real life on hold. But I love it. Would totally re-up on this again.



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Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7324

Brewers Yost

May 30th, 2015 at 2:13 PM ^

Finishing grad school, about 100 more pages and dissertation is done.

If I could do it over I would do something different. Top choices would be:

1. Path assistant program at Wayne State, I would have graduated years ago.

2. Merchant Marine

3. I had an uncle who was a groom (race horses). I had a chance to work with him when I was around 16. I really wish I would have taken him up on the offer, and use that as springboard to training.

Joined: 07/14/2008

MGoPoints: 2365

Flying Dutchman

May 30th, 2015 at 2:14 PM ^

My biggest regret in life is not playing college basketball.  I had tons of NAIA, NCAA D3, and D2 opportunities, and passed on them.   Just "went to college".   Had fun, but wasted my body.   Picked up a Master's later.

And while at one of those schools, I would have studied economics and finance and then got the MBA.   I love economics.    Early in life, undergrad, etc, economics was just super easy for me, so it was boring, and I couldn't stay focused on it academically.

I work in business now, and deal with aspects of econ and finance daily, which is an enjoyable part of it, but if I could get a Mulligan on 20 years ago, I'd turn up the heat on those topics and do it at a higher level.

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 11466

I Luv TDs

May 30th, 2015 at 2:15 PM ^

I went federal law enforcement but looking back I would have explored being an insurance agent for an independent agency. Hours , pay, schedule , and quality of life. I work hard so creating my own income wouldn't scare me off.

Joined: 01/03/2009

MGoPoints: 55

StateStreetBlue

May 30th, 2015 at 2:17 PM ^

Went IOE and wouldn't change a thing. Most of my good friends in the major are at major consulting firms. I get to travel a bunch and am making over $100k at 25. Honestly, I'm very happy with how things worked out but had to just my ass and network like hell to get here. I just feel like IOE from michigan opens a lot of doors if you take advantage.



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Njia

May 30th, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^

Engineering is almost a "generalist" degree now, even with a specialization like aerospace. The skills that are learned are broadly applicable. Those skills are also in very high demand, particularly in the fields of data analytics, etc. If you keep an open mind, there is almost nowhere an engineering degree can't take you.

Joined: 09/15/2009

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