I'll give you credit for thinking about it now instead of when you walked of with your H S diploma... At 22 I am still kind of unsure of what I want to get out of my life. Don't be so sure what you are going to do, some things can easily become unfulfilling and you'll change your mind several times. The reason I'd like to share is that I have the same interests - cars and art! I really wanted to learn to work on cars when I was a kid... I didn't need school, I was going to be a mechanic.. or so I thought! I spent my first year at a local community college trying to get a business degree to humor my parents so later on I could go to Wyo tech or another tech school. Eventually I became impatient and quit full time school and got a job as a mechanic's****istant at a GM dealer... What I saw wasn't to fulfulling... I saw guys 50+ years old busting thier humps to make enough dough just to pay the bills. All day long I would solve stupid problems like where a squeak was coming from way inside a dashboard or other******work..and it was boring. And after a 45 hours of getting greasy the last thing I wanted to do was work on my own car! After almost 2 years with no health insurance, small pay and nightschool I gave up. I hated going to work in the morning, there was no creativity in fixing flats. So I went back to school. It didn't seem to bad this time! I got a business degree and am going back for HR... And now I am enrolled at the local Vo Tech for auto body and and really enjoying it as I can do something creative and have something to show for... I was once told, Do your second favorite thing as a job, and your most favorite thing as a hobby. That seems to make sense to me now. I'd like to open a shop someday where I can recondition cars and sell them, maybe in dabble in antiques as they're my favs.. But it will be something on the side as too much of a good thing spoils it. I hope my rambling helps some.
I never had to ask that question, I knew what I was going to do before I was 13, and I'm still doing it today. But what I could never have known is how much Racing has shaped me. Nobody has ever heard of me, altough I had some succes in my little niche. None of that is important, what is important is that it tought me some hard lessons about working for your goals, deadlines, planning, spending money, pain (from muscle ache to crashes), humility and not to take yourself to serous.
Wow, lots been said and I think mostly good advice. So here is more to pile it on, with my $.02 you now have about $.34 worth. I think the best thing you can do is get some more education. Whether that is at a traditional 4 year college, vo-tech school, art school, or apprenticeship and self taught. Brewsir gives good advice, always try to learn and educate yourself, and treat others the way you want to be treated. If you're good at math and science, look into four year college, in a computer or engineering type field. Computer and engineering start out higher, but it is kinda flat unless you get into mgmt. If you are good at businees type stuff, do that. Business grads start lower out of school, but the potential for higher earnings is better. If you like working with your hands, learn a trade. Become a machinist or better yet a tool and die maker. Or become an electrician or plumber or several other trade options. Most of these will lead to running your own business eventually. See how that education thing gets hooked in? You need to learn about rules and running your own business. If you feel real creative, try art school. If you are good, you should do fine, but there seems to be a lot of "starving artists", so my advice is take a long look at the career potential. I have no experience here to lead you. If you enjoy teaching, go to four year college and become a teacher. Teaching is a good prfession and you will certainly have reasonable pay, although teachers seem to have an underpaid for their value reputation. You won't be poor, but not too many teachers are rich, unless you do some work on the side, back to Brewsir's advice he gave. If you like medical stuff, look into nursing. Become a Registered Nurse (RN) for the best career potential. Males in nursing is not so popular, and are in demand. Seriously, there is a shortage of nursing and the pay is quite good, although the work can be tough and the hours can*****. I know my wife is a RN, seems that she works a lot of holidays and weekends. Plus just think of all those female nursing students you will be in class with about 4 to 1 ratio. Overall, a bit of advice that was given to me: you can make money with your brain or your back. Meaning that you can educate yourself or you will always be busting your****.
there is more GOOD information in this post for you than you could get in 20 years. Here are my ramblings to add to it. Ask questions and listen to all opinions, then take the parts of the answer that you can live with the most and make your decision (This from a guy that started a multimillion dollar construction company with $5000 and a handshake) You can run the law, Run from your wife, But, you cant run from your feet. KARMA - <font color="purple">IT DOES EXIST </font> If it sounds to good be true It usually is Dogs are mans best freind IMHO Dont trust guideance councilors - they cost me an extra year of school. when someone says "trust me" don't Save your money and buy property - Brewsir speaketh the truth. But remember 4th one above. 60's style what is "Pueblo"???? Later - B-
Join the Marines. See the world Travel to far and foreign lands Meet new and exotic peaple, then kill them.
3 things: Find something you like, something you have a talent for, and something there is a demand for. That last one is the kicker in the street rod business. Around here shops are either playrooms for older well heeled gentlemen or a marginal business. Even the ads in the mags represent more garage businesses than full time efforts. I would think any shop with more than four employees a rarity, excepting the CA biggies like CCR.
if you wanna make money, dont join the military. we arent here to get rich, just get by. i cant say i would do an auto related field either. seems like it would be annoying to work on someone elses stuff, and then go work on your own. i wouldnt wanna work on my own anymore... trey
The Jalopy Journal
