Another advice thread

[Geeesammy]

It's not about "sellling" as much as it is everything else.

Customer relations, building trust, interactoins, and all the responsibilities that come with it. you're building transferable skillls not just hitting a nubmer. Leading in many different ways including the peers you'll be with. Get them and the customers to follow you and you WILL go place.

 

 

 

I agree that such a move would be good. That's exactly what my insight is leading your towards. However, you have to dovetail off what you have now. No one is going to simply hire you without transferable skills.

 

 

 

I would encourage you to keep an open mind. I'm in a sales mindset vs nursing but I've taking a lab worker making $14-$19 per hour to over $140k per year. She's still with us and last year will make as much if not more via the phone. Your call. 99.9% of the population would take that type of gig all day long. What fun you make of it is exactly that; what you make of it. She has a blast. She is one of two that I have working for me that pulls in that income via the phone. Move to outside sales and that number goes up. Move into management of a region, and.......move into a director role.......you get my drift.

 

Sorry if I'm pushing the sales front. Just a suggestion and insight for you and others. Has made my life an enjoyable one and I wouldn't change it for anything I've come across. Money, autonomy, recognition, fun as hell and lots of fun if I've not already mentioned that.

 

I think I would be okay with sales, I've just never personally known anyone in it and have never had an idea how to get into a different sort of sales other than automotive. I get the whole idea of customer relationships and trust building. As I said, I just have never known anyone personally in the sales field and the things I've heard haven't been good, so I guess that is another flaw I should correct by not taking some internet Trolls opinion of a career and listen to someone who actually has and does do it.

[mrhobbz]

IT sucks. Do outdoorsy shit like marine biology or something. Or hell, the railroad is always hiring.

 

I somewhat concur with this sentiment. I'm 27, been in IT my entire adult life. The pay is pretty hard to complain about once you've worked you're way into the higher tiers (low 6 digits is where I'm sitting at now for reference, with a GED and no college education) You'll run into politics, gray tape and favoritism no matter where you go. In my experience working for some of the larger companies (JP Morgan is the first experience that comes to mind for me) my job title there should have been "conference call warrior" because of all the assholes I had to argue with on a daily basis that would not let me get my job done. Just expect to change employers pretty often in IT, depending on how long you stay somewhere (my longest was 5 years, followed by 3 at JP Morgan and at JPM I moved internally every year)

 

IT is definitely rewarding though if you enjoy solving problems and critical thinking, oh and you get to sit down all day, you'll eventually become salary capped once you get to a certain point. I can't really move laterally anymore and make a whole lot more than I do now which is why I'm working on my soft people skills to move into management, or down the security side of IT instead of infrastructure and development

[zeitgeist57]

Bob, at some point down the road, you need to either:

1) Write a book

2) Speak at seminars

3) Business consulting

 

:thumbup:

[ShowHBK]

Bob has inspired me.

 

+1 to you Bob... Thanks

 

I'v been to hard on myself.

[2 Sweet]

You're only 24. You have plenty of time to figure it out. Just look into different shit until you find a career path you want to pursue for the rest of your life. Once you have a better idea of what it is that you want to do, set a long-term goal and go for it.

 

The only advice I have to offer is this: since you're getting paid decent money at the moment, save every fucking penny that you can before quitting your job until you are comfortable enough to have a decent amount of savings. That way you'll have the freedom to go down any road you choose without worrying about paying the bills if you aren't making much money at the start of your new venture. You gotta pay the cost to be the boss. Also, Listen to Bob, Tim, and Clay.

[TTQ B4U]

I think I would be okay with sales, I've just never personally known anyone in it and have never had an idea how to get into a different sort of sales other than automotive. I get the whole idea of customer relationships and trust building. As I said, I just have never known anyone personally in the sales field and the things I've heard haven't been good, so I guess that is another flaw I should correct by not taking some internet Trolls opinion of a career and listen to someone who actually has and does do it.

 

Keep an open mind. I'll look past any ball-busting here if you want to grab a mid afternoon coffee sometime. Happy to help. Bob....not a troll. He's a good dude. Many of us are just much older and a little more blunt is all.

[Orion]

To pile on the subject of being open to change a bit, my entire life before I was 20 I wanted to be an architect. I pursued that goal relentlessly, to the point that I had two (AA in Architectural Drafting and CAD) degrees along with my diploma when I graduated from Highschool, and was hired at an engineering firm immediately to run their drafting department. 6 months later, I quit. I found that I had no interest in the reality of the job.

 

So, what is one to do when they have literally spent their entire life (what little of it there was at that point) wanting to do something, and then learning that it was a terrible fit for my natural desire/skillset? Well, I spent more time than I would like to admit bouncing, trying to figure out that exact question.

 

Through a combination of networking, deliberation, and just dumb luck, I found myself with the ability to become part of a start up. I took that risk, I was open to a new opportunity, and spent 5 years helping to build that company into one of, if not the, premier energy brokerage firms in Ohio. It was a lot of work, a lot of long hours, but I loved it. When the opportunity came for me to take the next step, to "write my own check", so to speak, I jumped at it, even though it took me to Houston. Now, at 37 and much wiser, I find myself unknowingly doing exactly as Bob suggested. Sales, grinding, learning how this business actually works. I won't be here forever, and my next step will most likely be back to the broker side, working for myself or as a partner in a firm.

 

Tl:dr ; If I had learned what I know now when I was your age, I'd be a millionaire. The most important things I can give you are, "Trust in yourself, your ability", "don't fear risk or chaos, that is where opportunity lives", "Be willing to work harder than anyone else". You got this, man.

[TTQ B4U]

To pile on the subject of being open to change a bit, my entire life before I was 20 I wanted to be an architect. I pursued that goal relentlessly, to the point that I had two (AA in Architectural Drafting and CAD) degrees along with my diploma when I graduated from Highschool, and was hired at an engineering firm immediately to run their drafting department. 6 months later, I quit. I found that I had no interest in the reality of the job.

 

HaHa! That is exactly what I did. ONly my degrees are in Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering. Road layout and Helipad designs were boring. Especially when budgets took away all the fun stuff we did around it. Eddie George and I went to school and interned together. He had the better qualifications for being a millionaire but then eventually went back to finish. Good for him.

[Tindall2006]

Nursing school is a good option . always have job can find a job anywhere.make great money great hours. Do whatever makes you

Happy.life is short.

 

I know you said no to health care, but nursing (specifically critical care) is like being a mechanic, only with people and infinitely more complex. I thought it'd never be something for me. I went from being a heavy equipment mechanic to nursing and the thought process on troubleshooting is very similar.

 

Just a thought.

 

 

I used to say that I would never do health care.

 

Passes my Nclex yesterday and start in the neuro ICU next week. Also found a cute younger girl with good morals and will also have a nice paycheck!

[RS69]

Welding interests me. No schools around Cbus though.

 

OSU has an engineering degree in welding. My brother is an welding engineer and works for Honda. The Edison Welding institute is here too, they might be able to provide some advise.

[RedRocket1647545505]

I used to say that I would never do health care.

 

Passes my Nclex yesterday and start in the neuro ICU next week. Also found a cute younger girl with good morals and will also have a nice paycheck!

 

1. Congrats on the NCLEX

2. What neuro ICU? NCC?

3. She's crazy. All female nurses are.

[Robochan]

3. She's crazy. All female nurses are.

 

Nurses

Red heads

Girls named Tiffany

[cstmg8]

Nurses

Red heads

Girls named Tiffany

Whoa, wish I didn't have reason to believe that those were true.... [emoji15]

[Flybye]

Sales will teach you a lot about yourself. It is imo one of the best career choices for someone. If you are successful in sales, you will always have a job. Even the mediocre salesman can have rewarding careers. I have spent the past decade in sales and sales management. While at times it was a roller coaster, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I haven't always been the most successful, but I have learned a lot.

 

Now with that being said and based on your posts..... If you're doing okay for yourself now yet aren't happy, then taking a step back to propel your career is a good move. I say this from personal experience. Over the course of the past year I went from veteran car salesman to branch sales manager of another company. I was given a big opportunity and had the potential to make a lot more money than I ever have. Now fast forward 6 months after recieving several rewards and being one quarter away from getting my company truck turned into the car of my choice. All of that and then some, yet I had quickly become so unhappy in the position. Shortly after I decided to resign. Now I have taken a step back to a lesser paying job, but somewhere I feel I can grow significantly and apply my skills.

 

I don't know if that story helps you at all. I just want to point out that you should always considered taking foreign paths. You're still young and have many years to work yourself into a career. My advice is get into sales and absorb as much knowledge as possible.

[Geeesammy]

Well what sort of sales is everyone in? All I'd be capable of doing effectively would more than likely be car sales? Not saying I'm switching to it right away or at all, just curious.

[TTQ B4U]

Well what sort of sales is everyone in? All I'd be capable of doing effectively would more than likely be car sales? Not saying I'm switching to it right away or at all, just curious.

 

Started in technology and software, then SAS all within the healthcare space some financial systems, moved to management, did two years of consulting on my own and jumped back into healthcare and love it. I did sell cars in college, but then I grew up in the business so it was in my blood as they say.

[kirks5oh]

At 24 you're just a kiddy. Plenty of time to do whatever you want. You've had a taste of the real world, and some experience to really decide what you want to do. Hell, I didn't start my "real" job till I was 32. I used to think you had to go to high school, college, grad school, etc one right after the other.

 

That's simply not true. A lot of colleges/graduate programs heavily favor those who have been out in the real world as opposed to a pimply 18 year old who may have never worked a single job in their life. Hell, There was a 57 year old dude in my med school class who ended up going into surgery. Talk about a mid-life switch. I agree with bob in that you need to set a long term goal and work towards it. Be patient.

[Diamonds]

Bob, at some point down the road, you need to either:

1) Write a book

2) Speak at seminars

3) Business consulting

 

:thumbup:

 

So, that is REALLY funny that you mention that. I got out of school in 2007 and had a goal of "helping people". I got into staffing because I thought it was a great way to make money and actually have a product (job) that every potential customer would be willing to listen to.

 

Fast forward to 2009, I met a guy who is decently-well-known speaker/consultant and I said to myself "I WANT TO DO THAT" because he was SUCH a positive person. nothing was impossible to this man. His outlook was simply amazing.

 

BUT, before I could "do that" (become a speaker)... I knew that I had to go out and "have success" so that I had something to reference when speaking to people (IE- who was I to be a consultant/speaker if I couldn't reference my own success... right?).

 

So, I made a plan in 2009 to "go out an get success" and had to tune myself to be "an open canvas" in terms of learning from experiences. My single greatest strength was/is this.... "I never let myself think that I knew everything. I can learn something from everyone so I better be open, listening, and willing to adopt ideas that are better than my own".

 

Fast forward to today, I have had (as planned) success in following (ego-much?) my initial goal/plan/roadmap because I stuck to my plan. And my plan was to gain success, and then share my stories with others in order to help them achieve their goals.

 

So, in a nutshell... Clay, you freaking nailed it.

 

My plan in 2007 as a new-grad was this...

 

1. Get an entry level job in sales, improve my abilities. Stay there for 2 years. (CHECK!)

2. After skill was acquired, find an opportunity to start/grow a business. (CHECK!)

3. Start a business of my own. blow it up, sell it.

4. Go tell others how to improve their business by using my own experience.

 

Things are going as planned but with a couple little changes.

- My goal was to start my own business by age 33 and sell it by age 37. But, I just turned 33 and I am still "working for someone else" (kinda).But, as a partner who will participate in the sale of this company I will have a similar outcome.

- I started a small side business that could be my takeover when we sell our current business (so technically, I was/am a business owner by age 33 . And, that business is growing really well.

 

 

So, I am technically, in the middle of step 3 in my plan.

 

And, the hardest part of sticking to a plan is seeing different opportunities, distractions, and people (along the way) that try and talk you out of being successful because "huge success is rare". You have to put the blinders on and face forward.

[Diamonds]

Bob has inspired me.

 

+1 to you Bob... Thanks

 

I'v been to hard on myself.

 

All I want to do in life is have enough money so that I can spend more time with my family and not be limited.

 

I also want to help others do this as well. And I am very passionate about trying to help people follow the same (or better) path. I care as much about this as my sentence above.

[wagner]

All I want to do in life is have enough money so that I can spend more time with my family and not be limited.

 

I also want to help others do this as well. And I am very passionate about trying to help people follow the same (or better) path. I care as much about this as my sentence above.

 

So when can we meet again? I think both of our little side business adventures could help each other

[zeitgeist57]

Well what sort of sales is everyone in? All I'd be capable of doing effectively would more than likely be car sales? Not saying I'm switching to it right away or at all, just curious.

 

"Financial Services" is a great, general area to start out in. You'll hear Rymer, Miller, etc...bish about Nationwide, but fact is that if you want to start out at a ground-level sales position, Columbus is riddled with banking/insurance companies.

 

Bank branches are always looking for people to start out as tellers or "personal bankers" assisting clients. You do well there for a year and a half then you should be able to translate into something else. Full disclosure: branches are hardly as important to banks or customers as they used to be. Still, a good place to see - outside of a call center - if that industry is good for you.

 

So, that is REALLY funny that you mention that. I got out of school in 2007 and had a goal of "helping people". I got into staffing because I thought it was a great way to make money and actually have a product (job) that every potential customer would be willing to listen to.

 

Fast forward to 2009, I met a guy who is decently-well-known speaker/consultant and I said to myself "I WANT TO DO THAT" because he was SUCH a positive person. nothing was impossible to this man. His outlook was simply amazing.

 

BUT, before I could "do that" (become a speaker)... I knew that I had to go out and "have success" so that I had something to reference when speaking to people (IE- who was I to be a consultant/speaker if I couldn't reference my own success... right?).

 

So, I made a plan in 2009 to "go out an get success" and had to tune myself to be "an open canvas" in terms of learning from experiences. My single greatest strength was/is this.... "I never let myself think that I knew everything. I can learn something from everyone so I better be open, listening, and willing to adopt ideas that are better than my own".

 

Fast forward to today, I have had (as planned) success in following (ego-much?) my initial goal/plan/roadmap because I stuck to my plan. And my plan was to gain success, and then share my stories with others in order to help them achieve their goals.

 

So, in a nutshell... Clay, you freaking nailed it.

 

My plan in 2007 as a new-grad was this...

 

1. Get an entry level job in sales, improve my abilities. Stay there for 2 years. (CHECK!)

2. After skill was acquired, find an opportunity to start/grow a business. (CHECK!)

3. Start a business of my own. blow it up, sell it.

4. Go tell others how to improve their business by using my own experience.

 

Things are going as planned but with a couple little changes.

- My goal was to start my own business by age 33 and sell it by age 37. But, I just turned 33 and I am still "working for someone else" (kinda).But, as a partner who will participate in the sale of this company I will have a similar outcome.

- I started a small side business that could be my takeover when we sell our current business (so technically, I was/am a business owner by age 33 . And, that business is growing really well.

 

 

So, I am technically, in the middle of step 3 in my plan.

 

And, the hardest part of sticking to a plan is seeing different opportunities, distractions, and people (along the way) that try and talk you out of being successful because "huge success is rare". You have to put the blinders on and face forward.

 

I appreciated your story above, Bob. It made me reflect on some of my own situations and experiences that I feel got me to where I am today. Indeed, I never want to be the smartest person in the room. I've also lacked the plan but felt the pull to eventually do my own thing (outside of real estate investments) and kept my eyes and ears open. Very happy that I'm finally working with a partner and long-time friend to try and get a pet project off the ground that could turn into a nice little niche industry. It's a great feeling to have those "projects" to look forward to in the future.

 

Great plan. I agree that you need to have the vision and planning to see it through. Good luck!

[SpaceGhost]

I have a Job and a Family, it's pretty boring, I'd suggest hookers and cocaine.

[gillbot]

This is the route I would go if I were you. Especially Electrical; you'll always be challenged, always facing new problems to solve. No two jobs will be the same. Moreover you'll have infinite job security.

 

That or get a degree.

I don't think electrical is the "end all" as it goes through cycles. With the gas boom it's up, it's gonna dip again soon.

Hobart in Troy http://www.welding.org/

 

That's it. Couldn't think of it.

[cruizin01]

This thread makes me want to get my crap together...ugh.

[Otis Nice]

All I want to do in life is have enough money so that I can spend more time with my family and not be limited.

 

Don't have to have a ton of money to have a great family life.

 

Bob is spot on with his advice. Really seems like the type of guy that could be a consultant or business owner some day.