Do you enjoy your job?

[strantor]

I think sometimes schools and society tell kids too much "do what you love"

What I was told in school was more along the lines of "you can be anyone you want be, do anything you want to do. So long as you go college. If you don't go to college you're doomed to the life of a ditch digging pauper. It doesn't matter what you choose to study there, so long as you go and get that paper. That's all that matters. At any cost, including life-long debt. Here's a stack of applications."

 

[Citydude]

What I was told in school was more along the lines of "you can be anyone you want be, do anything you want to do. So long as you go college. If you don't go to college you're doomed to the life of a ditch digging pauper. It doesn't matter what study there, so long as you go and get that paper. That's all that matters. At any cost, including life-long debt. Here's a stack of applications."

That mantra is slowly being tempered in our high school since we have trade schools built into our small community college.

Also, the kids here see their parents making a very good living in blue collar jobs here as well.

 

[4570Man]

What I was told in school was more along the lines of "you can be anyone you want be, do anything you want to do. So long as you go college. If you don't go to college you're doomed to the life of a ditch digging pauper. It doesn't matter what you choose to study there, so long as you go and get that paper. That's all that matters. At any cost, including life-long debt. Here's a stack of applications."

I was always under the impression a ditch digging was a worse job. I get $3 a foot and could probably charge more and it took 20 minutes to dig 130 foot. I had to take another hour and go back and cover it but still not bad. I only dig 1-2 a week but I could do 5 a day easily if the work was there.

 

[paulsharvey]

What I was told in school was more along the lines of "you can be anyone you want be, do anything you want to do. So long as you go college. If you don't go to college you're doomed to the life of a ditch digging pauper. It doesn't matter what you choose to study there, so long as you go and get that paper. That's all that matters. At any cost, including life-long debt. Here's a stack of applications."

Yeah this has been around a long time. I have 3 kids, and would absolutely encourage all 3 to go to college, BUT for a reason. I dont believe in paying to just hang around for 4 years to "become a more rounded (liberal) person". In Florida, we have a pretty good and cheap community College system, and I think 2 years there is worth it. Then if what you want needs more, you've narrowed down a field before moving on to a 4 yr school. Way to many people go to college just to go, with no goal in mind, and the loans stacking up.

I'm not anti schooling, wife finishing nursing school (in her low 30s) has dramatically improved our situation.

 

[Citydude]

I was always under the impression a ditch digging was a worse job. I get $3 a foot and could probably charge more and it took 20 minutes to dig 130 foot. I had to take another hour and go back and cover it but still not bad. I only dig 1-2 a week but I could do 5 a day easily if the work was there.

It would have been 128 feet if it was dug straight.

 

[4570Man]

It would have been 128 feet if it was dug straight.

They put the guide wire stake in the way.

 

[fried1765]

Could you jump into a cockpit and still fly?

Yes.....if a cockpit with conventional yoke controls.
Not so sure....if a sidestick controller type, such as the aircraft built by AirBus.

 

[Looking4new]

I have been driving trucks for the past 50 years. 35 of them at my current company, hauling tar on Super 'B' trains. I love my job and especially the money. $4,000.oo after taxes every two weeks is nothing to sneeze at. All of it out-of-town driving. At 74 I have no intentions of retiring anytime soon. Keep in mind, I only work 5 months of the year. The rest of the year I am semi-retired.

 

[GeneV]

That mantra is slowly being tempered in our high school since we have trade schools built into our small community college.

Also, the kids here see their parents making a very good living in blue collar jobs here as well.

That's really good to hear! We got machining and stuff in community colleges around here too, mostly those in their 30's and older taking those courses, it seems. In high school, it's drummed into these kids to go to college...no real plans, "that's where you'll figure things out". Yeh ok, then they get out with a huge debt, and have to really start figuring out a career path.

I was one of those aged 30's guys taking a machining course at the local community college. The instructor was telling us to go take CNC if anybody needed a job. Caterpillar and Bobcat recruiters would visit the CNC classes regularly, hunting for new employees...they're hurting for qualified CNC operators.

It's like that with any trade around here, the door is wide, just step in. You hear how manufacturing is dead in the US, well it ain't, not by a long shot. Around here, now they're showing commercials, advertising for union apprenticeship exams, even those seats are not being filled anymore, it's unreal! You used to give up one of your nutz to sit for one of those exams, there was such a demand for them.

Now you got these little idiots getting out of a 4-year unnies with a boatload of debt and nothing to show for it besides a starbucks job, meanwhile real good trade jobs out there not getting filled, so wacked.

 

[strantor]

I was always under the impression a ditch digging was a worse job. I get $3 a foot and could probably charge more and it took 20 minutes to dig 130 foot. I had to take another hour and go back and cover it but still not bad. I only dig 1-2 a week but I could do 5 a day easily if the work was there.

Love it! The "ditch digging" is a figurative expression but then the literal ditch digger shows up and turns out to making more money than those lining for service industry jobs with degrees in hand.