Need help finding a career!

[sheic99]

Well, Fireman doesn't need a degree.
From what I understood, you take a course at them and if you succseed, you get a diploma and work.

(And I'm kinda in the same situation but I know what I must do somewhat, the only question is if my dream is the one I have or if it will suprise me in the bad way.)

That really depends on the location. Where I live to become a Firefighter you are required to be an EMT first.

Edit: The military might be a good choice, if need be.

 

[Bashful Reaper]

Something I have noticed recently is that a lot of bicycle shops have been doing very well over the last couple of years. You could take out a business loan and/or go into partnership with someone to open a shop; or get a job in a shop and work your way up. The best ones tend to specialize in certain brands/types and, as I said, have proved to be flourishing with steeply rising oil prices. It would be shame to put all the mechanical prowess to waste, and it would come in dashed useful in that environment.

 

[mokes310]

Were his loans private, or federally subsidized? If they were subsidized, then he has every right in the world to defer his payments while he is enrolled at least half-time (6credits/units).

Secondly, and not to offend, but that article you posted was circa 2005/6. Let me ask you this: What's happened in this country since then? Also, the vast majority of those vocations don't "require" degrees, but in many instances, a simple certification program will likely not be enough to satisfy the employers heightened requirements.

I tell you this out of friendship and honesty. I was an uneducated IT worker for three years (04-07) and was laid-off from my position in California (before the recession in Dec 07). After that, I was competing for Data Entry level positions with people who had CIS PhD's. Trust me, in today's America, you need a BS/BA at a MINIMUM if you want to get more than minimum wage for the rest of your life.

I'm not quite sure about the loans, I will have to double check. I do remember him calling the company and asking if he could had his loans halted while he went back to school. He recieved a swift no.

And I appreciate you picking that up. I understand that article is old, I was secretly hoping it would still be useful. (Sadly no.)

And I will have to see what we can do. He might have to just be a fireman or something if the school loans will not be halted.

Do check on the loans. Part of the Health Care overhaul included an overhaul of the student loan industry. In addition to lower intrest rates, there are also relaxed rules regarding repayment & deferment plans.

No problem about the article. A great deal has changed since then...

Sadly, the days of being able to get a job simply because you're a hard worker are gone. There is nothing wrong with being a fireman. Great pay, great hours (pretty much), and from the firehouse down the street from my house, damn great BBQ's I do believe that he would need to receive certification from a tech school, but going off of an old roommates experience, it's very practical and not like traditional "school."

Another idea might be for him to research online universities like Capella University (link below).

http://www.capella.edu/

 

[crimson5pheonix]

Were his loans private, or federally subsidized? If they were subsidized, then he has every right in the world to defer his payments while he is enrolled at least half-time (6credits/units).

Secondly, and not to offend, but that article you posted was circa 2005/6. Let me ask you this: What's happened in this country since then? Also, the vast majority of those vocations don't "require" degrees, but in many instances, a simple certification program will likely not be enough to satisfy the employers heightened requirements.

I tell you this out of friendship and honesty. I was an uneducated IT worker for three years (04-07) and was laid-off from my position in California (before the recession in Dec 07). After that, I was competing for Data Entry level positions with people who had CIS PhD's. Trust me, in today's America, you need a BS/BA at a MINIMUM if you want to get more than minimum wage for the rest of your life.

I'm not quite sure about the loans, I will have to double check. I do remember him calling the company and asking if he could had his loans halted while he went back to school. He recieved a swift no.

And I appreciate you picking that up. I understand that article is old, I was secretly hoping it would still be useful. (Sadly no.)

And I will have to see what we can do. He might have to just be a fireman or something if the school loans will not be halted.

Do check on the loans. Part of the Health Care overhaul included an overhaul of the student loan industry. In addition to lower intrest rates, there are also relaxed rules regarding repayment & deferment plans.

No problem about the article. A great deal has changed since then...

Sadly, the days of being able to get a job simply because you're a hard worker are gone. There is nothing wrong with being a fireman. Great pay, great hours (pretty much), and from the firehouse down the street from my house, damn great BBQ's I do believe that he would need to receive certification from a tech school, but going off of an old roommates experience, it's very practical and not like traditional "school."

Another idea might be for him to research online universities like Capella University (link below).

http://www.capella.edu/

I was under the impression that the Health Care bill wouldn't go into effect for a few years.

 

[Bashful Reaper]

And really, if you have attention problems, one thing you do NOT want to be doing is ATC. There is a reason pilots call them Air Tragedy Control.

 

[Mercurio128]

Some accountancy firms will take people without a relevant degree as long as they impress in the interview. You'd normally have to take part in a 2 year training course then also complete the professional exams after that (people with degrees can skip the course and some of the exams). The whole process would take around 3-4 years, but it's a very career oriented job. and the pay can get VERY good a few years in.

(NB, this is based on my knowledge of the UK system, but I believe the US works the same way.)

 

[mokes310]

Were his loans private, or federally subsidized? If they were subsidized, then he has every right in the world to defer his payments while he is enrolled at least half-time (6credits/units).

Secondly, and not to offend, but that article you posted was circa 2005/6. Let me ask you this: What's happened in this country since then? Also, the vast majority of those vocations don't "require" degrees, but in many instances, a simple certification program will likely not be enough to satisfy the employers heightened requirements.

I tell you this out of friendship and honesty. I was an uneducated IT worker for three years (04-07) and was laid-off from my position in California (before the recession in Dec 07). After that, I was competing for Data Entry level positions with people who had CIS PhD's. Trust me, in today's America, you need a BS/BA at a MINIMUM if you want to get more than minimum wage for the rest of your life.

I'm not quite sure about the loans, I will have to double check. I do remember him calling the company and asking if he could had his loans halted while he went back to school. He recieved a swift no.

And I appreciate you picking that up. I understand that article is old, I was secretly hoping it would still be useful. (Sadly no.)

And I will have to see what we can do. He might have to just be a fireman or something if the school loans will not be halted.

Do check on the loans. Part of the Health Care overhaul included an overhaul of the student loan industry. In addition to lower intrest rates, there are also relaxed rules regarding repayment & deferment plans.

No problem about the article. A great deal has changed since then...

Sadly, the days of being able to get a job simply because you're a hard worker are gone. There is nothing wrong with being a fireman. Great pay, great hours (pretty much), and from the firehouse down the street from my house, damn great BBQ's I do believe that he would need to receive certification from a tech school, but going off of an old roommates experience, it's very practical and not like traditional "school."

Another idea might be for him to research online universities like Capella University (link below).

http://www.capella.edu/

I was under the impression that the Health Care bill wouldn't go into effect for a few years.

Not an ad hominem attack, but try giving it another read.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

Were his loans private, or federally subsidized? If they were subsidized, then he has every right in the world to defer his payments while he is enrolled at least half-time (6credits/units).

Secondly, and not to offend, but that article you posted was circa 2005/6. Let me ask you this: What's happened in this country since then? Also, the vast majority of those vocations don't "require" degrees, but in many instances, a simple certification program will likely not be enough to satisfy the employers heightened requirements.

I tell you this out of friendship and honesty. I was an uneducated IT worker for three years (04-07) and was laid-off from my position in California (before the recession in Dec 07). After that, I was competing for Data Entry level positions with people who had CIS PhD's. Trust me, in today's America, you need a BS/BA at a MINIMUM if you want to get more than minimum wage for the rest of your life.

I'm not quite sure about the loans, I will have to double check. I do remember him calling the company and asking if he could had his loans halted while he went back to school. He recieved a swift no.

And I appreciate you picking that up. I understand that article is old, I was secretly hoping it would still be useful. (Sadly no.)

And I will have to see what we can do. He might have to just be a fireman or something if the school loans will not be halted.

Do check on the loans. Part of the Health Care overhaul included an overhaul of the student loan industry. In addition to lower intrest rates, there are also relaxed rules regarding repayment & deferment plans.

No problem about the article. A great deal has changed since then...

Sadly, the days of being able to get a job simply because you're a hard worker are gone. There is nothing wrong with being a fireman. Great pay, great hours (pretty much), and from the firehouse down the street from my house, damn great BBQ's I do believe that he would need to receive certification from a tech school, but going off of an old roommates experience, it's very practical and not like traditional "school."

Another idea might be for him to research online universities like Capella University (link below).

http://www.capella.edu/

I was under the impression that the Health Care bill wouldn't go into effect for a few years.

Not an ad hominem attack, but try giving it another read.

Dang, I thought it wasn't going into effect until 2012...

 

[Aux]

Tell him to become a butcher!

 

[Slaanax]

If he doesn't mind blood and other fun things like that EMT is a good choice I bet.

 

[mokes310]

I was under the impression that the Health Care bill wouldn't go into effect for a few years.

Not an ad hominem attack, but try giving it another read.

Dang, I thought it wasn't going into effect until 2012...

Again, try giving it another read...and you have your occupation listed as a student...I would have thought that this bill would have be received with much greater fanfare by you.

So I say to you, please read this bill, you might learn what it really says.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

I was under the impression that the Health Care bill wouldn't go into effect for a few years.

Not an ad hominem attack, but try giving it another read.

Dang, I thought it wasn't going into effect until 2012...

Again, try giving it another read...and you have your occupation listed as a student...I would have thought that this bill would have be received with much greater fanfare by you.

So I say to you, please read this bill, you might learn what it really says.

I just don't like socializing anything. I see the appeal, but it's not my thing.

 

[Blackvegie]

Private investigator. Or porn star.

 

[xXAsherahXx]

Working backstage at shows and such. A typical theatre has a bunch of shows come in all year round. It pays really well and if you can work your way up to stage manager, you get payed a crap load more. Also, you don't have to work as hard as with most other jobs. You are there tech week where you learn cues and lights and how to run the show. The rest of the time you are free. I have been doing that and it works very very very well. You don't need fancy learnin' and you use your hands and need to be on your toes and remember a lot of things. So I suppose that fits quite well into your criteria.

 

[Fire Daemon]

Honestly, he has to do this himself. We can throw examples at you all day and then have you relay those back to him, but ultimately it's something that he has to do for himself. You shouldn't be choosing a career for your boyfriend and we certainly shouldn't be choosing a career for someone we've never met.

 

[Bellvedere]

Sadly, most good careers need a college diploma.

That's not actually true.

I would agree with VanityGirl here. Though I'm in Australia so things may be a little different. We don't have college here so excuse me if I'm wrong about anything.

Keep in mind that I'm in Australia so I don't know if any of these would require college anywhere else.

Here, any sort of trade doesn't ever require the completion of highschool, so electrician, plumber, carpenter. They also pay very well. Tradies make more than many professionals here.

We also have TAFE here which provides predominately vocational education courses, it's considered a tertiary institution, but less than a university. TAFE is where someone would learn to be an assistant librarian or a personal trainer. I'm not sure if where you are has any equivalent.

He could be a pilot too. Just need to learn how to fly the plane. I know several people that have put themselves through working really crappy jobs that pay quite well.

Then there's the public service. For low level APS (that's the Australian Public Service) jobs only a highschool education is required.

I'm sure there are plenty of other opportunities as well. Myself, I am currently in university and I only know of friends not in university.

 

[Barrett0]

He should do what he really wants to do. If he really likes what hes doing then he will work hard at it and be good at it. People will notice that he's enthusiastic and good at what he does and he will get a good job.

 

[kannibus]

I recommend the military. It'll either give him a lifelong career, or light a bonfire under his ass that'll get him into a lifelong career.

 

[bleh002]

Some accountancy firms will take people without a relevant degree as long as they impress in the interview. You'd normally have to take part in a 2 year training course then also complete the professional exams after that (people with degrees can skip the course and some of the exams). The whole process would take around 3-4 years, but it's a very career oriented job. and the pay can get VERY good a few years in.

(NB, this is based on my knowledge of the UK system, but I believe the US works the same way.)

Yeah, it's not so much like that in the US anymore. Accounting is a very competitive area (at least at the Big 4) nowadays. I am not based out of the US, but I've worked with a lot of people who've just left to go to industry and the things they tell me about the first year hires most firms are doing makes it seem super competitive.

As for the OP. Air traffic controllers may make a lot of money, but it's also a very stressful job and they have a pretty high suicide rate.

Also, what about the trades? Like Plumber, Electrician etc? [edit: ahh, drat, ninja'd]

 

[swolf]

Well, is the military an option? I was a chef for a while (w/o college) but that involved a fast pace for long hours and low pay. I don't mind a fast pace or long hours...but both combined can be exhausting.