Which profession do you wish you had?

Sheehan123

If you could tell give your younger self advice on choosing a college degree/ a career path, what would you want them to know?
Basically what job do you have now/ what job do you wish you had and why?

(Note: please don't include reasons for sticking with your job as you met your spouse or anything, I'm just talking about the intrinsic/extrinsic benefits or disadvantages of your job.)

Thanks for answering

mycro2013

Electrician or refrigeration engineer.

teen climate goddess, the hours are short and you get to travel

ITman88

Marine engineer.
Currently working as a mechanical engineer, the marine guys get snapped up by pharma companies.
The work is interesting and rewarding!

ITman88

ITman88 wrote: »

Marine engineer.
Currently working as a mechanical engineer, the marine guys get snapped up by pharma companies.
The work is interesting and rewarding!

...... Chemical/process engineering more likely to land a pharma gig.

Signore Fancy Pants

I always wanted to be a Soldier, Archaeologist, Paleontolgist or a Stunt Man.

Now at 38 years of age with 22 years service in the Defence Forces (2 reserve and 20 permanent) and 1 year away from retirement, I wish I had gone another path.

The Defence Forces has given me a hell of a lot but it has taken far more in unequal measure. I don't for one second regret it but even though there are limited opportunities in Ireland, I wish I had studied enough to pursue Archaeology.

Sinus pain

Hairdresser - Im Quite a creative person and would have loved to have been able to show my creativity. My school was only interested in sending us to secretarial courses and frowned upon anyone stepping outside of line. Lost a bit of myself in my jobs

Salary Negotiator

Quantity surveyor.

angel eyes 2012

A DJ in ibiza, an actress or a Barrister.

decky1

Ariana Grande's doctor.

amacca

Fabulously wealthy playboy heir distance philanthropist

amacca

Sorry no I meant obscenely wealthy

tedpan

Playboy of the western world

amacca

Nearly ****ting money.

Cushtie

If I knew I'd be doing it. Seriously have no idea. I think something in the not for profit sector. Nothing worse than going month to month wondering what this months accounts are going to look like.

Plumbthedepths

Always fancied being a Guard, my son joined and listening to what he has to deal with each day I'm quite happy doing what I do.

joejoggs

decky1 wrote: »

Ariana Grande's doctor.

Time for another rectal exam!

On a more serious note anything that I can pick my own hours and be my own boss.

That would be great, this 9-5.30 is starting to take it's toll

ITman88

Augeo wrote: »

...... Chemical/process engineering more likely to land a pharma gig.

Meant utilities in pharma not process side, electrical/mechanical background hands on not theory based.
Very interesting work,

dashoonage

retired.

Food buyers for a top-end supermarket such as M&S, either wine, cheese or chocolate.

G-Man

mariaalice wrote: »

Food buyers fot top-end supermarket such as M&S, either, wine, cheese or chocolate.

Trite answer here but...

Start your own cafe or online store.... Never been so many interestig suppliers and a public willing to buy. Dip into it at a market stall.

Brock Turnpike

Sports journalism (football specifically)

PhilOssophy

Does how much you earn have to be part of the equation?
For example, plenty of great jobs are crappily paid, and vice versa.

DavyD_83

PhilOssophy wrote: »

Does how much you earn have to be part of the equation?
For example, plenty of great jobs are crappily paid, and vice versa.

Tree surgeon, bike courier, mountaineering guide (not sure they'd pay the mortgage); fireman (prob excluded for health reasons, not sure if that can be wishes away here).
If starting over I think I'd really be an electrician.

Sheehan123

PhilOssophy wrote: »

Does how much you earn have to be part of the equation?
For example, plenty of great jobs are crappily paid, and vice versa.

Ya take salary into consideration. For example, I would love to be a teacher but honestly I couldn't afford to be with the house prices.
Answer with one job not taking salary into equation and the other with salary maybe.

ITman88

ITman88 wrote: »

Meant utilities in pharma not process side, electrical/mechanical background hands on not theory based.
Very interesting work,

Yeah, I work in pharma.
The hands on stuff is done by trades folk. Utilities engineers are often folk getting experience in the industry before moving into the process side.

If you think boilers, clean steam generators, WFI generators, water softeners and solvent recovery plants etc are hugely interesting fair play but there's easier ways of getting working on it then being a marine engineer.

Chemical / process engineers are more likely to land a utilties engineer role in a pharma plant then a marine engineer, FYI.

Lol at the CO cheering (the turd)

jobless

Prince Andrews PR consultant

tomwaits48

A kardashian

Should have gone for a degree in Multimedia Application Development instead of degree in IT.


I DID achieve YouTube Partner status, and earned a tiny amount of money.

If I had done the degree, I would have been a YouTube Partner earlier and have had the education to earn a decent income as a YouTube Partner.

ancapailldorcha

I'm in my thirties and haven't a clue which is irritating to say the least.

Jim2007

Sheehan123 wrote: »

If you could tell give your younger self advice on choosing a college degree/ a career path, what would you want them to know?
Basically what job do you have now/ what job do you wish you had and why?

(Note: please don't include reasons for sticking with your job as you met your spouse or anything, I'm just talking about the intrinsic/extrinsic benefits or disadvantages of your job.)

Thanks for answering

Perhaps you should consider being an interrogator, you keep asking the same question in some form or other every few days.

wassie

Cunning Linguist

jeepers101

mycro2013 wrote: »

Electrician or refrigeration engineer.

Hilarious. I’ve done both. Refrigeration for 9 years and electrician for 5 years. I have no idea how somebody could do it for forty years. Mind numbing stuff at the best of times.

Recently made another big career change. Currently working for a software company. Far more challenging and rewarding.

Brock Turnpike

jeepers101 wrote: »

Hilarious. I’ve done both. Refrigeration for 9 years and electrician for 5 years. I have no idea how somebody could do it for forty years. Mind numbing stuff at the best of times.

Recently made another big career change. Currently working for a software company. Far more challenging and rewarding.

Do you mind me asking what type of role you've taken up in the software company and what kind of qualification you needed to obtain to enable you to make the change? I'm tempted to do an app development course and we where I might be able to go with it.

job seeker

I wanted to drive a rally car when I was young. Then finishing secondary school I wanted to drive a lorry. I then made a snap judgement and be came a chef! Studied for 4 years, after working in a 3 hotels/restaurants I now work in a canteen. It’s ok! Customers are very nice. I’m currently applying for any job I can qualify for in the public service sector. Just looking for the handiest job with benefits going! I also am interested in the AGS, but as mentioned earlier in this thread, it’s an extremely tough job!

Padre_Pio

Signore Fancy Pants wrote: »

The Defence Forces has given me a hell of a lot but it has taken far more in unequal measure. I don't for one second regret it but even though there are limited opportunities in Ireland, I wish I had studied enough to pursue Archaeology.

Did it.

Probably more money in the defence forces
Crap pay, travelling all over the country to work in a hole in the rain.
Bagging and tagging and logging samples knowing full well no one is going to do any follow up work and it's all going to sit in a warehouse.
It's more digging up midden pits and finding old bones and rubbish than swords, skeletons and Arks of the Covenants.

That's commercial archaeology though. Academic is more interesting, but there's fierce competition since it's not widely taught. Lots of further study, volunteering and unpaid work I hear.

Rodin

Anything outdoors.

Jim2007

Signore Fancy Pants wrote: »

I always wanted to be a Soldier, Archaeologist, Paleontolgist or a Stunt Man.

Now at 38 years of age with 22 years service in the Defence Forces (2 reserve and 20 permanent) and 1 year away from retirement, I wish I had gone another path.

The Defence Forces has given me a hell of a lot but it has taken far more in unequal measure. I don't for one second regret it but even though there are limited opportunities in Ireland, I wish I had studied enough to pursue Archaeology.

At 38, it is still not to late to do something about it. With an army pension to fall back on why not have a go as a mature student. Yes it would mean a lot of hard work, but if it is your dream why not. You have only got one life to live.

Jim2007

Cushtie wrote: »

If I knew I'd be doing it. Seriously have no idea. I think something in the not for profit sector. Nothing worse than going month to month wondering what this months accounts are going to look like.

I think you'll find that the non profit sector worry about their accounts as well. What if the collections are low this month, what if we don't get the sponsorship, the grant etc....

OMM 0000

This is a great question.

I'm glad I went into IT (overall, I like it, it's fun, stable, has a future, and I can sort of go on auto-pilot and do quite well) but I wish I knew which area of IT I wanted to work in when I was younger. As a result, I've done a bit of everything. It's all worked out fine but I would have preferred to have focused on the cybersecurity side of things when I was 20 instead of taking 20 years to get there.

But, I know I should have studied music. That is what my real talent and passion is. My plan is to pick this up at some stage in the future.

Life is a balancing act. You have to choose something you like, but you also have to be practical. If your favourite thing is interpretive feminist dance, and your second favourite thing is art, you should become a graphic designer (or similar) and do dancing on the side. Unless you have mega talent for interpretive feminist dance...

Jim2007

Sheehan123 wrote: »

Ya take salary into consideration. For example, I would love to be a teacher but honestly I couldn't afford to be with the house prices.
Answer with one job not taking salary into equation and the other with salary maybe.

And what is the price of doing a job you hate for thirty to forty years??? There are plenty of teachers out there making a life on a a teacher's salary. You will spend a very large portion of your life at work, if you are not doing something you are happy at, it will be a miserable time for you and your family as well.

If teaching is what you want them do it. You have one life to live, don't spent it being miserable.

Jim2007

Padre_Pio wrote: »

Did it.

Probably more money in the defence forces
Crap pay, travelling all over the country to work in a hole in the rain.
Bagging and tagging and logging samples knowing full well no one is going to do any follow up work and it's all going to sit in a warehouse.
It's more digging up midden pits and finding old bones and rubbish than swords, skeletons and Arks of the Covenants.

That's commercial archaeology though. Academic is more interesting, but there's fierce competition since it's not widely taught. Lots of further study, volunteering and unpaid work I hear.

But he'll have an army pension to fall back on, so no need to worry about saving for retirement. So he should not be as financially restricted as others in the same situation.

Tacitus Kilgore

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

Quantity surveyor.

Really? arse of a job, salary tends to be good but there's very little else good about it ime.

PhilOssophy

Always like the idea of being a physio.

jeepers101

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Do you mind me asking what type of role you've taken up in the software company and what kind of qualification you needed to obtain to enable you to make the change? I'm tempted to do an app development course and we where I might be able to go with it.

Did an online program in software engineering. Feel free to PM me for details. Crazy amount of work to get through it but well worth it. Currently working on an environments team so a lot of Linux based stuff and nice bit of coding work available if you’re that way inclined.

ancapailldorcha

jeepers101 wrote: »

Did an online program in software engineering. Feel free to PM me for details. Crazy amount of work to get through it but well worth it. Currently working on an environments team so a lot of Linux based stuff and nice bit of coding work available if you’re that way inclined.

I don't really see how these online programs can be viable given the amount of CS graduates Universities must be churning out by the year.

Salary Negotiator

Tacitus Kilgore wrote: »

Really? arse of a job, salary tends to be good but there's very little else good about it ime.

It seems like a job that I’d be good at and interested in though I’ve very little actual experience of it.

ancapailldorcha

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

It seems like a job that I’d be good at and interested in though I’ve very little actual experience of it.

I used to live with one. He worked fairly rough hours (>10/day) and was working all over London. Pay seemed good though.

jeepers101

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I don't really see how these online programs can be viable given the amount of CS graduates Universities must be churning out by the year.

A lot of them are aren’t. A lot of the big name courses/boot camps have gone out of business over the last couple of years.

De Danann

A university librarian.

I might still go for it some day when I'm older and I have my house.

The librarians in my college library were so helpful and I loved spending all my time there. I'd love to do that as a job, hear about the interesting research topics the students are working on and help them find good sources.

ancapailldorcha

jeepers101 wrote: »

A lot of them are aren’t. A lot of the big name courses/boot camps have gone out of business over the last couple of years.

This is my hesitation. I thought I'd love a career in Programming or Data Science so I did two short courses in London but they were geared for IT people (a fact skimmed over by the website) and I just got lost. Still helpful though.

I would like to retrain but as per a previous post, in what I have no idea.