Youth and work...

[XBoBJ]

19 graduated at 17 went straight into a trade being an electrican.... bad choice with this economy... boss kinda screwed me he got slow and never called me back to work one day didnt, even get my last paycheck..... so im at a supply house right now waiting it out untill this economy settles down and becomes a little more stable to go back out in the field... it does pay decent and i get 45 hours a week right now.... cant complain also i still live at home and pay 50 a week... so bills arnt crazy yet..... untill i get my own place soon

 

[rag]

19 years of age.

Only two jobs so far.

I used to delivery billard tables, pools, spa's, patio furniture and game room equipment for Branchbrook. Drove around in an underpowered truck with some guy from Peru nicknamed chunky, NEVER understood a word the he said in English OR Spanish. One day corp revamped their stores, fired the manager at my store. I lost all my motivation when the new manager made work repetative. I quit.

I have been working for one of the larger Ford dealerships in central NJ for about 14 months.

I started as a parking lot bitch, then played porter/service department bitch, moved to cleaning the messes inside the service bays

I worked along side the shop foreman and eventually became an oilchanger. I managed to get my own lift and bay eventually. Now i do all sorts of things that range from simple maintainence to pulling cabs off 6.4L diesels along side my "mentor". I do not enjoy my job as much as i enjoy the work environment and coworkers. Currently at $12/hr.

currently going to community college. i finish my two year associates in automotive tech in august. Afterwards im going back to study something else, i have not decided yet.

 

[98XJSport]

I picked up a paper after I graduated (Associates Degree in Applied Science, Electromechanical Technology) Saw a small company was hiring. At that point, any job was good, and if it gave me experience in the field even better. Worked there about a year, did really well. Then my boss quit, so I just kind of fell into his job managing the electrical half of the business. It's worked out well so far, 4 years this fall. Housing market is killing us right now, though. Hopefully there is a company to make it to 4+ years.

 

[welldone]

29 retired. do anything i want know.

 

[imma honky]

24, 1 year of college, work for county water dept (in the easiest sub- dept). Pay could be better, but benefits rawk. Been working since I was 15. Had 2 jobs while attending college.

 

[XbajajeepX]

24, been working since I was 14 and have had too many jobs to count/remember... I'm all over the place when it comes to moving... I have lived in OR, WA, CA, AZ, NV, UT.... As of now I was managing a snowboard shop but I have decided to go back to school and finish off my BS. So off to So Cal I go.... 2.5 years to go till I'm done, and maybe then I will start making some REAL money!! WOO HOO....

 

[H8PVMT]

i have two degrees both in turfgrass science (yes i can grow pot) 27 and have lived in 7 states in 5 years. can"t complain, lived with strippers and dealers but survived, my industry pays more than i care to say but knowledge is worth more than money any day. i am currently pursing a job at a 60% pay cut, some things are worth more than money.....


LIKE LIVINg iN maine arty:

 

[jmaxj]

I'm now working my fourth job.
Granted, I never expected to get financially rich. It has never been a goal of mine, in particular. That is why I studied what I studied in college - for fun, not profit.
Shouldn't a 24 year old college graduate, who is willing to work, be able to find better options than four part time jobs? Car payments...
How old are you all, how many jobs have you got / what are you doing? Curious...

well first you came to moab and the jobs suck here. and second want a full time job?

 

[jmaxj]

29 retired. do anything i want know.

thats were i'm looking at being this yr tired of making idiots rich

 

[Mosephus]

I'm 24, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do out of Highschool. I knew I liked playing with cars so I went to UTI and the VW Grad program after that, then I started at a VW dealership close to home and a couple months in I decided I hated it.

I then went to work for the city I lived in, managing the Police and Fire dept's fleet (that job was cool), but I hated the old guys that couldn't hack working with a young person.

Next I tried Fabrication which rocked, I worked at www.wolferacecraft.com , and stayed there for awhile Until I decided I rather be making stuff for myself.

Which leads to today, last year I started a few internet businesses and now I get work from home in my pajamas instead in a freakin hot shop.

So what I learned is that I like playing with cars much more than working on them. Playing with metal is still fun though.

 

[bhansen99xj]

26--process tech for Genencor International producing Enzymes from bacteria/fungus. No degree.

 

[alex22]

20, I've had atleast a weekend job since I was 14 (yardwork), then moved up to a summer job diging holes, carying boards and kinda learning how to be a carpenter. Another job for a general contractor. Currently I'm an EET student at a community college (full time). In the summer I work 50-60 hours , one monday-sat job (automotive machinist) and one sat afternoon and sunday job (carpenter).

~Alex

 

[Tom R.]

yes, if the degree sets you apart from everyone else OR you set yourself apart with actions. Just about every business has full time employment available for the right person, but the additional training, taxes, and benefits makes most of them gunshy about hiring an unproven worker to full time status. Pick something you enjoy doing, research the advancement potential, and accept part time employment in that field. Once you're in the door, you have every opportunity to impress the right people with your actions and earn the promotion over the lazy or unmotivated "I'm just here for the paycheck" crowd.

Solid advice!

As previously mentioned, you might need to move out of Moab to an area where more opportunities exist. And don't underestimate the power of networking. It's the best way to land a job; yet, it's the most under-utilized. Newspaper classifieds are the most utilized method, but the least effective.

 

[DravisAR]

I got damn lucky.

Im 25.

Started at Microsoft when I was 17. Worked there until I was 20 and ended up making above 50k a year. Spent a little time in college, and decided I preferred making money. Bounced around in system admin jobs getting experience, and landed a job in so cal working with some big corporate offices for a year and a half. Gave me all the experience I needed to get another job after I was laid off - so now im being picky.

Being 25 and having 7 years in IT - trumps a college degree anyday of the week.

The one thing I will say: If you want easy foot in the door in the IT world, get your certs done.

 

[Tom R.]

I agree that experience has a lot of value, but I also know of many companies that won't hire any candidate unless he/she has a degree, regardless of experience. So, having a degree and experience is best, generally speaking.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Being 25 and having 7 years in IT - trumps a college degree anyday of the week.

Being 25 with 7 years of experience and a degree was even better

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Give it time. I'm 23. Graduated college at 21. I'm on job #3 after college, and thats not counting temping for a couple months, and working at Costco last xmas because I needed money.

You're young, you don't have many expenses (I hope). Now is the time to try the jobs. If one isn't a fit, move on.

I went through two horrbile jobs that made me miserable daily.

Now I'm running a Boy Scout Camp for a living. I don't make much, but I've got a place to live half the year, and I really enjoy what I do. I feel like I'm making a difference and that makes me feel good. This isn't a long term thing by any means, but for now I can't imagine doing anything else.

 

[Mudderoy]

I agree that experience has a lot of value, but I also know of many companies that won't hire any candidate unless he/she has a degree, regardless of experience. So, having a degree and experience is best, generally speaking.

This is exactly what I have experienced, and why I am pushing my boys to get a 2 year degree at the very least. The 2 year will make it that much easier for a company to hire you, certainly a 4 year degree, but sometimes life messes with ya!

 

[Bdiddy11]

I'm 24, married, go to school part time (2 online classes) and work full time while the wife is working f/t at the moment but will go to p/t when she goes back to school in August full time. She's closer to her degree then I am. I work the front office for the Head Start program. Pretty much a pre-school funded by the gov't. The pay is alright, $9 an hour to sit and answer a phone, do data entry. Really laid back. Just applied and interviewed for the maintenance tech position though. startin $12.50 an hour so we'll see how that goes.

But i'm transferring over to Boise State because they have a certificate program for Web Design, it's approx 300 hours. So i'm going to do that, find some work in that field, then work on an actual degree. I'm going into graphic/web design. Idealy I want to work from home eventually doing graphic/web stuff. My wife will be able to work anywhere as she's going into Kinesiology (health,P.E.) kinda stuff so anywhere with a school she'll be good to go. But she wants to eventually do photographys.

That's where we're at =) I definately suggest some kind of formal education though. Experience helps landing a job...but getting hooked up is the hard part. Not all of us our lucky to land a good job w/out the required experience.

 

[Unearthed]

21 and on the 5 year program in college. I orginally went to Merchant Marine Academy until I felt like a sardine in a can when I got on the ship, but the promise of that degree was 100% job placement out of school and the money that can be made. Now I am a Biology/Chemistry major hoping to land an alternative energy job/internship (hopefully at the NREL in Denver) to be able to solve some of these fuel issues we are having.

My only "real" job has been working at a state park as a ranger, which will probably be one of the more fun things I have ever done with my life so far... not to mention taking the electric cars wheelin.