Soo, what do you do for a living? (Would you recommend it?)

[Mo-shi]

So, yeah. What job do you have? Part-time, full-time, whatever.

Do you enjoy it?
How much do you make yearly?
Would you recommend your field to someone you don't hate?
Is it stable?
Any embarrassing work stories? <;D

*PERSONAL PROBLEM, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HELPFUL DON'T BOTHER*
I'm at an age in my teenage life where I need to seriously think about what I want and need to do as an adult. My course selection for Grade 12 is coming up, and I seriously need to think about what I do, and do not need. I kind of screwed myself over by not taking two or more sciences in Grade 11, so I'll have to overtime Biology 11 in summer school. I was really serious about being a game designer ... but now I don't really see that happening. The things I've heard about the field scare me greatly ... so I'm looking for an alternative job. Part-time jobs too! I need to get a job for work experience. Was thinking about applying to EB Games (Canada) or American Eagle.

If it helps any, I'm a girl, and I can probably get my average next year to be around 80-85%.

I say this now but, ... I REALLY don't want to do Chemistry ever again. (Although if I absolutely have to ...)

My best subjects are Socials and English. Unfortunately, the jobs in those fields usually pay low and are few.

Neuroscience sounds kind of cool ...

BEING AN ADULT SOUNDS HARD.

 

[Vault101]

snip.

somtiems things jsut dont turn out how you think theyre going too, if while in highschool I had to imagine where I would be now...I would have enver imagned it turning out this way

things change..YOU change....what seems like the biggest deal ever in retrospect seems insignificant


I went through my enitre highschool not knowing what i wanted to do (my 1# question I hated being asked.."I don't know..now fuck off, you dotn care anyway")

I stumbled a bit..so I didnt go down the acedemic route..did some work expereince here and there as one of those school programs...

when school finished i STILL didnt know what I wanted to do...tried uni for a bit, but that didnt go anywhere, after alot of drama I got the job I have now...and things have worked out for the best more or less

Im very aware that Ive gotten to where I am purley on luck and privalige, and for that im graful...

I guess my point is that while its definetly worth thinking about its also not worth stressing over untill your hair turns grey...because the adult world takes all your pre conceptions and throws them out the window

Im no good in providing career advice, but work hard, dont regret your mistakes like me..BUT if you do fail know thats its not the end of the world, theres always other ways

if your dead set on game design or whatever..AT LEAST pursue it, at least try..see if thats what you really want, and have a back up plan, dont let miserable nay-sayers stop you from even trying...I wish I was brave enough to follow my own advice..but yeah

you get the Idea

 

[Mo-shi]

snip.

Im very aware that Ive gotten to where I am purley on luck and privalige, and for that im graful...

So what do you do?

 

[Vault101]

snip.

Im very aware that Ive gotten to where I am purley on luck and privalige, and for that im graful...

So what do you do?

oh right...

I work for a finance company, basically I scan and file paperwork, about as interesting as it sounds

as i said I got it due to specal circumstance..and being incredibly lucky

 

[Nickolai77]

Don't worry, i think when most people are teenagers they don't know what they want to do in life. I've always had no idea but now i'm 21 a decision has been forced upon me as to what kind of career i want as i choose my post-graduate study courses. (help...)

You don't seem to like the natural sciences so to be honest i'll suggest pursuing arts and social sciences. Whilst you are at school you are free to study subjects you are genuinely interested in, you'll get better marks and it's a freedom you may not have in future years. If you are worried about careers though and don't want to do science and technology then business studies may be a compromise.

As for games design, if you want to do it you have to be 100% committed- and study computer programming and building up modding experience.

You've still got a few years to think about it, so you've got a few years to find a career that may interest you and time to tailor your experiences in order to achieve that career.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Im a Carpentry apprentice. I help build houses and rennovate.

The work is great, you get to do something different every week, you get excersise and at the end of the day you get the greatest feeling of satisfaction when you look at the finished product and its beautiful. You can say with pride "I built that."

edit: You might also think its horrible to be on your feet all day doing hard work, but when you do it every day your body gets used to it after a couple of months to the point where you dont even feel the slightest bit tired after an average day of work anymore.

 

[cerealnmuffin]

I'm an ESL teacher. I'm currently teaching in Korea (second year here), but I have taught adult immigrants and college exchange students (as student teacher). It affords a lot of possibility if you like to travel and learn about other cultures, but teaching can be tiring and I am burning out. I am an introvert so constant people interaction wears me out. Perhaps I just need a lengthy break. Some days can be great when an activity you make is fun and helpful to the students. I also got 'fan art' done of me which can be a great feeling and the title of teacher carries a bit of respect.

I'm debating if to work on getting a masters in psychology to become a mental health counselor or continue credentials as a teacher so that I could land a professorship. I'm leaning toward the former but need to figure out how to do it without stuck taking a bunch more undergrad courses.

Not sure if I would recommend it. It takes a patient person and though I am supposedly a good teacher, I don't feel I'm as zany or energetic enough. Lol kids can be cute though I'm not really a 'kid' person, but I hate the necessity of being strict as it runs counter to my personality. Also there is no way I would teach K-12 in the states as those teachers are stressed and never have time to have a life of their own. Sure I plan lessons and grade, but I have nowhere near the workload as teachers stateside.

Tutor if you are considering teaching. There are days where I wish I just went into computers. I wanted to become a therapist, but everyone I knew pushed me into being a teacher because how good I am at it. I don't particularly enjoy it anymore.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I do two jobs.

Job one is part time the print shop in a University. People come in with their work and we print it out, we also sell course readings and some basic stationery. Allot of our customers are visual design students who often produce some really neat work, I even saw a suggestion I made to someone end up in a exhibition being hosted be the uni.

Not sure I'll recommend it although due to some students being dicks/stupid/leaving everything to the last minute not realising that everyone else is doing the same thing and trying to get stuff printed off before the dead line etc. Plus the pay is bad being casual (ie no fixed contract), not minimum wage but close.

Job two is also part time at the University, Information Technology Services Department, Client Services Group, Audio Visual Technician. I work the evening shift, form 4:30 to 8:30 during the semester checking all 100+ lecture theatres in a three week rotation. I also have to respond to any hotline calls for anyone using the equipment as well and on occasion pulled in during teaching recess to help upgrade the tech we use.

It's fun work, and well paying to boot. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone for the hours alone but if you like playing around with electronic hardware this is pretty much your dream job.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

<;D

So, yeah. What job do you have? Part-time, full-time, whatever.

I am a full time employee at the video broadcasting station WCTV in Florida. Its a CBS affiliated local news station.

Do you enjoy it?

For the most part yes. I work with computers and I love the power I am in charge of. I control exactly what goes to air from graphics to sounds to video to anchors. I also get to order people around. Its not a bad job for someone who is only 25 years old. Still even though my degree is in TV Broadcasting its also in Film and I wanted to go for something in between, namely episodic television.

How much do you make yearly?

With overtime I make around 25,000 USD a year. It has to do with who owns the station. If I worked at a station thats own by a different company and did the same work I could be making 65,000 USD a year. Its a bit disheartening.

Would you recommend your field to someone you don't hate?

Only if they are interested in what I do. You do realize there are people in this world who love to be sanitation workers. Everyone has their own thing. Just because I like it doesn't mean someone else will.

Is it stable?

Its very very stable. There is always news so I can live without fear of getting laid off. Which is why I switched jobs. I used to be a freelance editor and made more money per hour. However, it was very unstable and I couldn't rely on it to pay the bills.

Any embarrassing work stories? <;D

We had a new anchor and she was learning how we did things at the station. After the morning shows (from 5am till 8am) we have do promos. Which are off the air recordings that we then put into a program thats plays them out periodically during commercials. You may of seen promos before ("Coming up today at noon the local woman brutally murdered has been identified and what does the car you drive say about you? More weather is coming our way, this and more... at noon.")

Well after the promos we do LIVE cut ins. For some reason she didn't know we were live and in mid show ask if we could do it over. So our entire viewer audience heard it. -face palm- Its time like that that make a director scream, because you have to fix it. I cut her off with a SOT (video with sound so anchor mics are off) and told her exactly what she did wrong before we came back to her.

*PERSONAL PROBLEM, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HELPFUL DON'T BOTHER*
I was really serious about being a game designer ... but now I don't really see that happening. The things I've heard about the field scare me greatly ... so I'm looking for an alternative job. Part-time jobs too! I need to get a job for work experience. Was thinking about applying to EB Games (Canada) or American Eagle.

You sound just like I did at your age. (listen to me say "at your age"... still feels weird) Listen I went to an Entertainment Business school. I was friends with a lot of game designer students. The classes are brutal and the instructors will openly tell you if your work sucks. That being said they will give you advice on how to improve it and make yourself a better game designer. A video game designer DOES NOT PLAY VIDEO GAMES. Most of the time they are coding or making 3D models (which can take hours to render). That is the basics of game design.

I always wanted to work at EB games, but a position was never opened I wish you luck. Still the fact that your a girl helps a lot in both cases. I assume you live in the United States? If you do the affirmative action will work for you instead of against you (like me w00t go white males). EB games would be stupid not to hire a girl who knows video games. The fact that your even there will bring in customers. As for game design it helps too. I'm not saying you don't have to work hard, but it is definitely within the realm of reality even in a scarce market.

I say this now but, ... I REALLY don't want to do Chemistry ever again. (Although if I absolutely have to ...)

I wasn't particular good at chemistry ether (and I LOVE science). I can't say its useful because it generally isn't I will say that all that wonderful math you love so much will be VERY important. And when I say math I mean ALL math. From addition to geometry. From phsyics to calculus. That is if you want to be a game designer.

My best subjects are Socials and English. Unfortunately, the jobs in those fields usually pay low and are few.

Yes and believe me when I say money is important. However even if you make millions if you work at a job you hate with a passion you will be miserable. Try to pick something that you at least semi enjoy.

Neuroscience sounds kind of cool ...

That was kind of random. But if your interested thats a damn good field to be in.

BEING AN ADULT SOUNDS HARD.

You have no idea... no STOP! Believe me... you have no... idea. Hell I've been on my own for 5 years and I still am learning about more bs adults have to go through.

Point of advice when you move out steal toilet paper from your work, don't buy it, it gets expensive. Your welcome.

 

[Rastien]

My story probably is going against the grain alot of what people tell you and i don't advise trying i think i have been stupidly lucky...

Basically dropped out of school at 16, worked doing various factory work etc.

Ended up in an online flower shop fixed up there network based off of self taught knowlege.

Pissed off their IT support as they lost money from me doing it.

That IT company gave me a job, self taught myself various networking skills and general pc maintance etc etc.

Applied to work at a large ISP which also provide internal network managment.
W
ork in a tech support team now maintaing various large business in the UK networks and interner emotley (if we need someone to go on site they basically liase with us over the phone etc)

(i can't name, names's as i mentioned previously in posts people have been sacked for talking about the company)

Do i like my job?
Yeah not gonna lie most days i do fuck all sit around browsing or playing TF2.But when the shit hits the fan i work stupid amounts of over time 14 hour shifts for a week are not unheard of.

Stable?
Yeah pretty stable the team im in are pretty nieché and the knowlege we have together crosses alot of areas. Plus im finally getting properly trained CCNA MCSE etc etc

I wouldn't recommend this to any of my friends... there is alot of pressure and technical knowlege needed, but if they can cope why not.

Currently in my 2cnd year payrise due but at the moment im hitting £20,000 a year. Being the youngest in the team and newest member the older members are on alot more. Considering im still technically unqualified im pretty damn lucky and happy given britains current climate.

Embarassing work storys? well super glue is banned in this office if your caught with it on your desk its a trip to HR. For about 4 months just after i started peoples mice, phones keyboards, pens just about anything you could think of was being glued to the desk.

Advise for you...
Don't worry about it just get the bits of paper and go from there.

Never regret anything at somepoint its exactly what you needed.

If you spend your entire time thinking about what could have been you will miss the chance to become something.

 

[The Funslinger]

Well, I'm 17, so I'm not really supporting myself right now.

That said, I'm a writer (as in actually got a book published, albeit on a small scale) and I'm training for the Royal Marines. Right now I'm volunteering in a charity shop.

 

[Limecake]

So, yeah. What job do you have? Part-time, full-time, whatever.

I produce commercials for a radio station in canada

Do you enjoy it?

very much so, I've always enjoyed computers and audio so it was a nice combination

How much do you make yearly?

19,000 yearly salary. It's low but this is my first radio job out of school

Would you recommend your field to someone you don't hate?

yes and no, like any job there are days that make it all worthwhile and some days you just want to punch someone in the mouth.

Is it stable?

almost always, although it really depends on your department. I'm a producer so for the most part my job is pretty stable, I've seen quite a few on-air personalities lose their jobs and it's almost always over something silly.

Plus if someone else takes over the station there is always a chance they'll get rid of some people.

Any embarrassing work stories? <;D

not really, most of my mistakes never make it to air anyway. every now and then an announcer will say something they shouldn't and we get a bunch of angry e-mails but it's mostly tame.

Don't get me wrong though, this job is great because every day is different! clients and listeners will bring gifts randomly (always something to eat and drink at a staff party) and you get to see the occasional free concert.

I'm at an age in my teenage life where I need to seriously think about what I want and need to do as an adult.[/b]

There is no specific age where you know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you want to do, it's part of life. I never knew what I wanted to do right out of high school and most people don't.
Hell, there are still days I think about quitting and going to get a computer science degree or something.

If you graduate and still have no clue where you want to take your life then take time off! you just finished 12 years of school, you really have no idea what the real world is like until you get out there. If you are dedicated to your education then I suggest setting a timeline for yourself (take a semester or full year off) but always plan to go back to school.

That's how I ended up here, I had no clue what I enjoyed but met a comedian who started in this business and gave it a shot.

so I'm looking for an alternative job. Part-time jobs too! I need to get a job for work experience. Was thinking about applying to EB Games (Canada) or American Eagle.

good do it, both of them! it's really common for people to forget that a job is something that benefits both parties. When you apply to the job you'll get a sense of the people that work there and you can decide if it's a good fit or not, plus if both places call you back you can have the choice.

My best subjects are Socials and English. Unfortunately, the jobs in those fields usually pay low and are few.

That's because there is no such thing as easy money, the jobs that are more creative or fun will always pay less because people are willing to do it for less.

but what's your motivation? Are you looking to make a lot of money and buy a lot of fancy things or could you get by on less material goods and have a job you enjoy? I'm not saying the two need to be mutually exclusive either.

BEING AN ADULT SOUNDS HARD.

it really isn't, the only thing that changes is that you are responsible for a lot more.

Just relax, realize that your fear of not knowing where your headed is normal and don't forget to breathe.

Point of advice when you move out steal toilet paper from your work, don't buy it, it gets expensive. Your welcome.

also this! no point in spending your last $20 at the store. Must be a broadcaster thing.

 

[Rastien]

Point of advice when you move out steal toilet paper from your work, don't buy it, it gets expensive. Your welcome.

also this! no point in spending your last $20 at the store. Must be a broadcaster thing.

Hehe, at my flat i have work mugs, work coffee, work tea and i always shower at work to save money.

Also keep an eye out when people are chucking stuff out in an office i have my self a 22"flat screen monitor from the skip outside the building the plug was damaged so they threw it out. I replaced the plug jobs a good un

 

[alandavidson]

What job do you have?

I'm an actor and director. (Also do camera work for the local Minor League Baseball Team)

Do you enjoy it?

I really like it, especially the acting part. The hours are insane, and I often don't know what city/state/country I'll be in a month from now, but it's worth it.

How much do you make yearly?

It varies greatly. Sometimes I make a ton of money, other times not a lot. There are many times that I've had to supplement my income with part-time work.

Would you recommend your field to someone you don't hate?

Only if that's the only thing you want to do. If you're on the fence about it, take some classes and find out, or do some extra work on a set. If you're going to pursue film as a career, it had better be your heart and soul. It's not an easy job, and I'm often far away from home, sleeping on couches and eating ramen noodles because the production decided that feeding the actors wasn't important. But I love it, and won't stop doing it.

Is it stable?

It's becoming more so. The longer you work in the industry, the more people know you, and think of you when it comes to casting.

Any embarrassing work stories? <;D

Not really embarrassing, but I do the "sexy dance of awkwardness" every time I need to blow off steam on set. It's basically just me moving my body in an awkward pseudo-sexual manner. It garners a lot of laughs and cell-phone videos (I'm sure it's up on YouTube somewhere by now).

*PERSONAL PROBLEM, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HELPFUL DON'T BOTHER*
I'm at an age in my teenage life where I need to seriously think about what I want and need to do as an adult. My course selection for Grade 12 is coming up, and I seriously need to think about what I do, and do not need. I kind of screwed myself over by not taking two or more sciences in Grade 11, so I'll have to overtime Biology 11 in summer school. I was really serious about being a game designer ... but now I don't really see that happening. The things I've heard about the field scare me greatly ... so I'm looking for an alternative job. Part-time jobs too! I need to get a job for work experience. Was thinking about applying to EB Games (Canada) or American Eagle.

If it helps any, I'm a girl, and I can probably get my average next year to be around 80-85%.

I say this now but, ... I REALLY don't want to do Chemistry ever again. (Although if I absolutely have to ...)

My best subjects are Socials and English. Unfortunately, the jobs in those fields usually pay low and are few.

Neuroscience sounds kind of cool ...

BEING AN ADULT SOUNDS HARD.

If you don't pursue your passion, you will live your entire life wondering "what if". That's not something that you want to do. So go for it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But at least you can say that you tried.

 

[Realitycrash]

I work at a butchery, packeting smoked ham and similar, and I study at the university.
I would recommend either, as the pay is good, and I believe studying is beneficial for pretty much everyone.
I make 13E an hour during normal hours (not counting overtime-benefits), so around 17USD an hour.
It's boring, it's rather disgusting and it isn't exactly the best use of my talents (I'm a trained welder), but hey, the pay's good.

 

[Aeviv]

I'm currently a full time student, but I'm lucky enough to work at what I love as well. I have a permenant position at an IT support company, on Call 8am-6pm to provide any technical support that might be needed. The pros are that I know what I'm doing, and the people I work for really don't, so most calls are easily solved. The problem is that the calls are frequent at least, so I'm often having to stop what I'm doing. Pay isn't bad, and considering its technically a part time job, I'm glad to have the extra cash, but I certainly don't want to be doing this once I leave university. Although a full time tech support position would not be bad- even with this same company

 

[Thaliur]

So, yeah. What job do you have? Part-time, full-time, whatever.

I'm a product engineer, part-time, while studying the same subject (I know it sounds weird, but I'd like to sign my mails with the appropriate title).
The job mostly consists of making things work, mostly small parts of bigger products, that no one really thinks about (you know those bottlecaps that cut through a film when you first turn them? They're more complicated than you likely believe).

Do you enjoy it?

Definitely. When I was a kid, I was a big fan of Dr.Snuggles (British cartoon), and wanted to become an "inventor". It's not called the same, but it's almost exactly how I imagined it.

How much do you make yearly?

Right now I'm on 10?/hr basis. With 16 hours per week that is about 640?/month, or approximately 7000?/year. It's not much, but it's part-time after all, with the potential to become full-time after my degree.

Would you recommend your field to someone you don't hate?

Actually, I'd recommend it to everyone. People I hate probably wouldn't listen to me though, so, yes, definitely.

Is it stable?

Pretty much, yes. From what I heard, our firm even has to turn down some jobs due to lack of time.

Any embarrassing work stories? <;D

Nothing work-specific, I'm afraid. Only the usual: Coming Up From The Workshop To Get Coffee, Get Involved In Small-Talk Or A Nerf Battle, Going Back Down Without Coffee, Repeat.

 

[Your once and future Fanboy]

I work in a multimedia store (we sell games, music and movies), I love it. The people here are fun to work with, we have a open internet so we can do what we want, I'm a gamer, film- and music-buff so it's fun to work with what you love.

I live in Norway so the amount I earn isn't really easy to convert to dollars or pound because of the expensive marked in Norway, but about 135 000 Norwegian Kroner (ca 24 000 US dollars) a year, but my work amount isn't fixed. We work less in the spring & summer, but more in the winter (and a shitload in December, it's like 3 times the amount of hours than average)

So if you can live with an uneven amount of work and income, and a irregular schedule (morning shift/ evening shift, sometimes I start at 9.00-10.00, others at 14.00-15.00, it can fuck up your sleep rhythm if you are single) it's a lot of fun.
But not for those who crave structure.

 

[Trunipbob]

So, yeah. What job do you have? Part-time, full-time, whatever.



Do you enjoy it?
How much do you make yearly?
Would you recommend your field to someone you don't hate?
Is it stable?
Any embarrassing work stories? <;D

-I'm the sous chef at a busy suburban hotel.

-It has it's moments, but generally it's not too bad. Some days are... more satisfying than others.

-$70k usd

-The work is hard and long and for the most part thankless. It takes a different breed to be a chef, but if you can handle the pressure and spending most of your waking hours in a small room with the same people, day after day after day after day...then, no, I'd still tell you being a chef is a dumb idea. But if this was the life for you, you'd do it anyway.

-Stable as in you'll always have a job if you want one? Yes. Stable as in you'll be in the one spot for 50 years and get a gold watch when you retire? No. Moving from place to place is expected.

-You acquire many stories working with food, most of them begin with the phrase "so there was this waitress..."

*PERSONAL PROBLEM, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HELPFUL DON'T BOTHER*
*you said stuff*

When i hit 16, i decided i was going to drop out of school and become a Chef, but I was talked out of it by my family. Everyone talked about the horrible hours and conditions. So I stayed at school, then did more school, then got a job, then got a different job, then another one after that. After working in four different industries I just said "fuck it" and went to do what i'd wanted to do eight years prior. I started my chef's apprenticeship and I haven't looked back since. Every kitchen i work in now brings its own challenges and it's own rewards. There is always someone different who can teach you something new. If i need some time away from the pressure, a few months cooking in a nursing home is like lying on the beach sipping cocktails. I only wish I hadn't been turned off the idea originally. Then i'd have eight years more knowledge under my belt, and could ask for more money.

So if you want to be a game designer, my advice is do it. Do it now, don't do something you're not inspired to do. You'll only ever be unhappy.

 

[Lucem712]

*PERSONAL PROBLEM, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HELPFUL DON'T BOTHER*
I'm at an age in my teenage life where I need to seriously think about what I want and need to do as an adult. My course selection for Grade 12 is coming up, and I seriously need to think about what I do, and do not need. I kind of screwed myself over by not taking two or more sciences in Grade 11, so I'll have to overtime Biology 11 in summer school. I was really serious about being a game designer ... but now I don't really see that happening. The things I've heard about the field scare me greatly ... so I'm looking for an alternative job. Part-time jobs too! I need to get a job for work experience. Was thinking about applying to EB Games (Canada) or American Eagle.

If it helps any, I'm a girl, and I can probably get my average next year to be around 80-85%.

I say this now but, ... I REALLY don't want to do Chemistry ever again. (Although if I absolutely have to ...)

My best subjects are Socials and English. Unfortunately, the jobs in those fields usually pay low and are few.

Neuroscience sounds kind of cool ...

BEING AN ADULT SOUNDS HARD.

I'm a student myself but working on Architectural Drafting. It's entertaining, to me. I'd imagine it'd be very boring to someone else. It takes a very perfectionist type personality, since even your lettering has to be a certain height and done with a straight edge.

I'm not sure if you're interested in that, but you can download Google Sketch-up (3D Modeling) or Draftsight (2D Computer Assisted Drafting) or even pick up an architectural reference book and look at it.