What do you want to be when you grow up?

Talking with my 14 year old step son tonight about if he has any idea what he wants to do...he doesn't. Got me thinking if any of you could go back in time and pick a different career or the same one what would it be and why?

Here comes the porn star jokes...
I admire that you asked the question. No one asked me and I had no idea what was possible. I like to tell kids that you will have to work hard to succeed sometime in life. You can work hard in school, or you can work hard for an employer later. It's a choice. I wished I would have work harder earlier in school. I can blame my parents or the school system for not pushing me or not showing me the opportunities I had, but it really was on me.
 
I admire that you asked the question. No one asked me and I had no idea what was possible.
No kidding, nobody told me about half of these jobs that are out there. Started doing what I'm doing now right out of high school all the adults I knew told me that's a good gig better stick with it..so I did. Then you get a little older and start hearing about all these other jobs and the opportunity they provide and it's like wth nobody told me about that shit lol. By the time I realized that I was too far vested in what I was doing with my pension and everything else. My own fault for not asking more questions I guess. However I entered the work force right before a serious economical shitstorm so I was just happy to be working some at my age making that kind of money. One thing I've been telling him is don't grow up too fast and pick something your stuck with because that's sort of what I did. Not that I want him living in our basement til he's 25 years old trying to decide what career path he wants either but taking a couple years to figure it out and not rush into being an adult isn't all that bad either.
 
No kidding, nobody told me about half of these jobs that are out there. Started doing what I'm doing now right out of high school all the adults I knew told me that's a good gig better stick with it..so I did. Then you get a little older and start hearing about all these other jobs and the opportunity they provide and it's like wth nobody told me about that shit lol. By the time I realized that I was too far vested in what I was doing with my pension and everything else. My own fault for not asking more questions I guess. However I entered the work force right before a serious economical shitstorm so I was just happy to be working some at my age making that kind of money. One thing I've been telling him is don't grow up too fast and pick something your stuck with because that's sort of what I did. Not that I want him living in our basement til he's 25 years old trying to decide what career path he wants either but taking a couple years to figure it out and not rush into being an adult isn't all that bad either.
Unfortunately I think kids need to grow up faster these days. Sure, they should still have fun, but they need to come up with a plan, if only to avoid finding yourself 25yrs old and living in the parents basement.
1) don't make a kid before you know what it takes to raise one
2) don't do or say anything stupid on video or the internet (with all the phones, this is now "don't do anything stupid")
3) find out what you are good at and do that. This is controversial, but don't listen to the BS about "doing what you enjoy". Anything you do eventually becomes a job. Doing what you are good at will make the job easier, so find that thing you are good at.
4) Later, try to understand the other parts of the jobs you don't do. Understanding the big picture always helps.
 
) find out what you are good at and do that. This is controversial, but don't listen to the BS about "doing what you enjoy". Anything you do eventually becomes a job. Doing what you are good at will make the job easier, so find that thing you are good at.
I think that depends on the person. Some people can take what they love to do and make a job out of it others can't. Lots of variables there.
 
Unfortunately I think kids need to grow up faster these days. Sure, they should still have fun, but they need to come up with a plan, if only to avoid finding yourself 25yrs old and living in the parents basement.
1) don't make a kid before you know what it takes to raise one
2) don't do or say anything stupid on video or the internet (with all the phones, this is now "don't do anything stupid")
3) find out what you are good at and do that. This is controversial, but don't listen to the BS about "doing what you enjoy". Anything you do eventually becomes a job. Doing what you are good at will make the job easier, so find that thing you are good at.
4) Later, try to understand the other parts of the jobs you don't do. Understanding the big picture always helps.


Points one and two are important for being a good human. Points three and four are important to finding a sense of success and contentment in your vocation.

I never had a lot of guidance vocationally growing up. It was just understood and expected that I work hard and be responsible.

I’m trying to find a balance with my kids between encouraging them to think about what they would like to do, what fits their personality and skills set and ground them in the reality that the reason we call it work is because at times everything is difficult, there will be frustrations, and perseverance will be required for reward to follow.

In short, I think an understanding of principles for success are as important as whatever vocation is chosen.

If someone hates their job, I would never encourage them to stay any longer than survival requires them to. However, there’s a difference between something that is difficult but rewarding and drudgery that grinds a man’s spirit into despair.

What’s a good living? Thriving or surviving? Can’t do one without some of the other in my experience.
 
I think that depends on the person. Some people can take what they love to do and make a job out of it others can't. Lots of variables there.
True. But it’s rare. Rare enough for me to conclude it’s bad advice and I’m not alone in that belief. It’s similar to everyone wanting to be a boss/manager, but most people suck at it.
 
I still don’t know. The idea of sitting in an office gives me chills, but having money would be nice. It’s nice taking off when I want, but I kinda wanna do something challenging. I get bored easily, figuring out a new problem everyday other than how to not go broke would be nice.


So I dunno, maybe you guys can pick for me. My skills include insomnia, scatterbrained, get bored easily, have a tendency to drink and end up in trouble when I don’t have anything to do.
 
1) don't make a kid before you know what it takes to raise one
This would solve so many problems in the world it wouldn't even be funny. Although few really know what it takes until your doing it myself included. Let's at least try to prepare for it as a start.
 
I’m a contract IT project manager for critical infrastructure e.g. electrical grid, power stations, highways.

Interesting work, decent pay but can be demanding. Probably wouldn’t change as I get a lot of time hunting, fishing and other adventures.
 
Any GC Super that didn’t coordinate what points the concrete sub wanted surveyed in, how many points/corners, and size of offset needs to pack his desk up and move along.
It’s almost as if the structural engineer designed this place with grid lines, so a surveyor could lay them all out on all four sides of the building and then if desired place a 60 D nail with a pink or blue whisker at the intersecting grid lines within the building pad, and then everything in the entire place, which can located based off of dimensions shown on the plans off said grid lines, could easily be built.
 
It’s almost as if the structural engineer designed this place with grid lines, so a surveyor could lay them all out on all four sides of the building and then if desired place a 60 D nail with a pink or blue whisker at the intersecting grid lines within the building pad, and then everything in the entire place, which can located based off of dimensions shown on the plans off said grid lines, could easily be built.
Had a foundation dig last year with several jogs in and out of the wall lines no biggie. The surveyor layed it out every steak was something different at random one offset would be outside if wall next one would be center, two steaks later outside if wall. Sure made the corners interesting. Never seen anybody do it like that before . His ears are probably still ringing.

Post script it was wide open around the pad every two or three hubs would change from anywhere from a 10' offset to a 5'
 
Oh I get it, but you and I are different sides of the same construction coin - you’re residential, I’m big commercial.

On my jobs I’m typically a a month or two of dirt work and in ground utilities before my concrete sub even mobilizes to the site. My surveyor will bid in 15-20 trips to the site between everything, more if we’re going vertical and need to maintain verticals control.

I’m on site all day everyday, and that planning, communication, and coordination is my gig.

Better yet if the GC pours a 12” sonotube on a 20’ offset so the surveyor can sink a PK nail in it for permanent grid lines until the structure is up.

But even then your dirt monkey (@Nick87) will still wipe out 25% of them.
I think you need a new dirt guy then. 😉
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
111,208
Messages
1,951,159
Members
35,077
Latest member
Jaly24
Back
Top