Where's the Money at?

[naaman]

So, I get to go to school (college, trade school, OJT etc) on the Army's dime. I can learn any field I want...Racecar driving, flight school, scuba diving, college, automotive performance... no limits.

What skill or trade would you learn with a free education (up to BA/BS)?

 

[Track Addict]

So, I get to go to school (college, trade school, OJT etc) on the Army's dime. I can learn any field I want...Racecar driving, flight school, scuba diving, college, automotive performance... no limits.

What skill or trade would you learn with a free education (up to BA/BS)?

Doctor, Lawyer, scam artist...the usual.

 

[CL65 Captain]

Take flight school right out of the equation, before I smack you upside the head. A very wise man once told me "if you're the person in front, you will never be the person in back." Should have listened. :redface:

 

[Sylvan]

Doctor, Lawyer, scam artist...the usual.

That's exactly what I was going to say, minus the scam artist part

 

[BD]

There is money to be made in IT, more specifically, data base. My little brother is making six figures doing that.

Also EE, my other brother is making a killing. Than again, he was on the team that developed DVD back in the days, and now he is on Bluray.

Not wealthy, but well off.

 

[warrenw]

If your career is a passion and something you love to do, it won't feel like work. You will have endless energy and you will earn a fortune.

 

[Sylvan]

If your career is a passion and something you love to do, it won't feel like work. You will have endless energy and you will earn a fortune.

That may be true in some cases, but I'm sure there are plenty of artists and teachers who love what they do but won't ever make much money at it.

 

[davidf]

If your career is a passion and something you love to do, it won't feel like work. You will have endless energy and you will earn a fortune.

I agree. Pick a career/job you love. There's people that make good money but hate their job.

 

[blue_myriddn]

Doctor, Lawyer, scam artist...the usual.

I would be very careful with both Doctor & Lawyer. While you may be getting your undergrad education ticket paid for, expect to incur a 6 figure debt going to either Med School or Law School. While I can't speak much for Medicine now a days; with law school unless you end up going to a top tier law school you may not be seeing fat paychecks rolling in.

Not saying there isn't big bucks to be made in both of those careers, it is just that a lot of doctors/lawyers who aren't superstars aren't making them.

Technology & Finance industries are pretty solid and generally have a lower education requirement.

 

[kookoo4nsx]

My sister in law graduated from a 4 year college 2 years ago and went to work for a small nursing home in the admissions department. She was low girl on the totem pole (25k). She worked her way up to assistant admissions director and about 40k, Now she is being courted by several companies as an admissions director and that salary is 50k-60k.

Not bad 2 years out of college and this is in the Detroit area.

If you don't mind PHLEM, you can make 80k-100k as a respiratory therapist.
This job will pay more in major cities, less in the south.

Be careful, some schools out there are sutdent mills. Get a quality education.

Oh yeah, Caterpillar says there is a shortage of good diesel mechanics. Now there's a job where you can see the world.

 

[naaman]

I agree. Pick a career/job you love. There's people that make good money but hate their job.

I know this all too well. There are so many things I would really like to do, but the job market is so small for a lot of them. Stunt driving, for example.

I also need enough money and benefits to take care of my family.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

Best "bang for the buck" degree... engineering. Will you make the most money? No, but you will make good money. Will you be in the highest demand? No, but there will always be a nice steady need for engineers. You typically won't need additional schooling (unlike doctor/lawayer) and starting salaries are higher than average. It's a very "safe" degree. The only catch is you have to be pretty smrt, I mean smart, to get one. :smile:

 

[kookoo4nsx]

You may want to take a DISC test or MMPI-2. Any psychologist can administer these and give you an interpretation. Well worth a couple hundred bucks.

 

[SilverStone05]

IT (network engineering/software or web development)
Engineering (electrical or mechanical)
Accounting
Banking

/thread

 

[jond]

IT is highly competitive and the learning is non-stop. Work doesn't end at 5:30, that's when studying starts. I can't count how many 1,000+ page books are in my office at home. I'm not sure I would recommend the field unless all you do is play with computers and it's your passion and you love reading and learning complex things non-stop.

Engineer is only good if you're rock solid at math. If you weren't in honors in math in highschool, you're not going to be an engineer.

Accountant is good.
Get your BS, then get your CPA and you're guaranteed a job.
Lots of jobs, great job security, lots of money.

Hours during tax season suck, but then hours during the summer are slack.

 

[Mac Attack]

Be a pharmacist - $90k minimum starting and good demand. I think it's only a five year program too.

I think it would get boring after awhile, but hey, how many of us really like our jobs?

Dave

 

[hi0npsi]

In college I ran an eBay store and was very successful given 1-2 hours a day of real work. Decided to quit that and get a "real job" when I graduated....dumb. I went to school for business and had my shot at the corporate world, instead decided to follow my passion. Worked in the automotive go-fast business for 5 years out of college, helped triple or quadruple two small startup businesses in a marketing/sales position and while I did well, both owners got greedy and didn't share nearly as much as they needed to to keep me. Such is life. Now I work in the OEM side of the automotive business and find that my passion for cars in the aftermarket performance sense is restored (doing it all day for work burned me out pretty badly), the money is even better and I still work in the industry I enjoy. So my advice given my journey thus far: The only way you'll make the big money is either with a huge stress, life and free time consuming corporate job or by building a successful business (which will also be life consuming). While the doctor/lawyer route can produce great money (and debt as mentioned above), the guys who are truly wealthy are running their own show. If a life and free time are more valuable than money, find something in the area of life you enjoy but don't do specifically what you love to do on the weekend. You'll make more money and won't burn out your passion. Hopefully some of my experience is helpful.

Tom

 

[Big_D]

You should take an aptitude test to see what type of professions are in alignment to your natural abilities. Then do some research to see what different professions are paying.

I am an Engineer and my wife is a Pre-School teacher. I am not that fond of my job, but it pays very well. My wife loves her job, but it pays next to nothing. She keeps telling me how she doesn't care about the money and how she gets self-fullfillment from it...but I keep saying that self-fullfillment wont put a roof over her head. Luckily together we can make it work.

Bottom line...you need to find a career that you can tolerate and earn as much as possible so you can enjoy your weekends!

 

[passline]

Whatever you choose, excellent mathematics foundation and learn to be fluent in Chinese and Spanish. Not that difficult if you put your mind to it.

 

[docjohn]

there are so many aspects of our lives that we should/could fulfill....income is a lifetime endeavor, you just need to spend less than you make.

 

[TANTO]

The passion and aptitude should rule as others have said. Your ability to grow, or even keep the money you make should be the concurrent career that should start by age 30. While it may be VERY difficult to make money in the market as it's way f'd up now, some day you will have a nest egg that you will become obsessed with. If you start that obsession before you are an old man, you will have lots of money to play with at an early age. 99% of us started too late. Be the 1%.

Start your own business if you can.

 

[Sylvan]

Best "bang for the buck" degree... engineering. Will you make the most money? No, but you will make good money. Will you be in the highest demand? No, but there will always be a nice steady need for engineers. You typically won't need additional schooling (unlike doctor/lawayer) and starting salaries are higher than average. It's a very "safe" degree. The only catch is you have to be pretty smrt, I mean smart, to get one. :smile:

Agreed 100%.

Engineer is only good if you're rock solid at math. If you weren't in honors in math in highschool, you're not going to be an engineer.

I sucked at math big time in high school. Luckily I got my act together in college and it all worked out fine. Don't be too quick to give up on yourself or someone else.

 

[Juice]

Be a pharmacist - $90k minimum starting and good demand. I think it's only a five year program too.

I think it would get boring after awhile, but hey, how many of us really like our jobs?

Dave

It is now 7 years of school and the market is flooded. I attended a jobs fair where a colleague had set up a booth, but had no positions open. The pharm field has been over booked and they are still scaling back.

 

[Motegi]

CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist)

Average salary $170,000+

That's a higher income than many primary care MDs and with less schooling. It is typically shiftwork with less stress since you are always working under the guidance of a Anesthesiologist or other physician.

You need a BS, RN degree, and acute care experience as a prereq to apply for CRNA school.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

If your career is a passion and something you love to do, it won't feel like work. You will have endless energy and you will earn a fortune.

There you have it. Porn star it is. It's true. It doesn't feel like work, I have endless energy and I love spreading my passion all over the place. Sometimes more than once in one shoot! :wink::biggrin: