[ddk632]

I'd be a regular customer at that sandwich shop, for sure.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by adriang

m_six if you don't mind my asking, are you married?

You're not paying enough attention.

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by ddk632

Some great points and stories in here, especially Mark's recounting of how life can sometimes take you in directions when you go with the flow.

For myself, I am a computer programmer. ....

Originally Posted by BMW F22

^ too long to quote so I'm just going to reply.

First, thank you for the insightful post! Second...

I had a similar life experience as ddk632, in High school, i didn't really care, i had poor grades.
As a kid, i always enjoyed building my own stuff. I always had this fantasy of creating my own company and my own products.
I will take cereal boxes, turn them inside out and use pencil to draw logos, connectors etc.
I made VHS players, TVs, game consoles, i made anything.

I ended up studying computer engineering in college. I have a passion for designing things and writing codes.
I currently work for a company where we design Medical ventilators as a software engineer. This was the 3rd job i got after college. I was hired to help develop their new project, i enjoy working here and being creative and the freedom the owners give me to basically design the new project however i like.

To BMW F22, Try starting your own organization where you help underprivileged children, or relationship advice, auto motive advice, etc. That should be challenging enough.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by Whostheboss

I had a similar life experience as ddk632, in High school, i didn't really care, i had poor grades.
As a kid, i always enjoyed building my own stuff. I always had this fantasy of creating my own company and my own products.
I will take cereal boxes, turn them inside out and use pencil to draw logos, connectors etc.
I made VHS players, TVs, game consoles, i made anything.

I ended up studying computer engineering in college. I have a passion for designing things and writing codes.
I currently work for a company where we design Medical ventilators as a software engineer. This was the 3rd job i got after college. I was hired to help develop their new project, i enjoy working here and being creative and the freedom the owners give me to basically design the new project however i like.

To BMW F22, Try starting your own organization where you help underprivileged children, or relationship advice, auto motive advice, etc. That should be challenging enough.

That's pretty awesome! Nice to hear that what you enjoyed doing as a kid turned into a career.

There are a lot of things that I would like to do. However, I tend to get into it, learn the steps, and then get bored because I'm not really learning anymore. I think starting something on the side could be the answer. I am in the process of writing a business plan for a consulting business to help small businesses that I plan to launch in the new year. I figured it could be something I can do after work or on the weekend.

[Sara]

I havent figured it out yet myself. Right now I work in an office with attorneys. I used to work for these attorneys before. I quit because I thought I wanted to do something completely different. 2 years later I realized I didnt like what I was currently doing and met some of my old coworkers for lunch and the attorneys I worked for previously, hired me back right on the spot. Its a very "chill" work environment. I am able to take off whenever I need and I can work my own hours around my daughters daycare schedule and I arrive/leave work everyday to avoid rush hour traffic both times of the day. It pays above average, we have lunch bought for us every day, breakfast provided every Friday. 100% of health insurance premium plus 100% of our monthly parking is covered by the firm. The attorneys act more like coworkers than actual bosses. I can dress up or wear jeans any day that I want. It really is the perfect job. Especially when my daughter is sick, I'm allowed to bring her to work and I dont have to miss work to stay home with her. But I'm also allowed to stay home with her if I choose too. All in all its not exactly the "dream" career but it is the perfect job for me for my current lifestyle

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by BMW F22

That's pretty awesome! Nice to hear that what you enjoyed doing as a kid turned into a career.

There are a lot of things that I would like to do. However, I tend to get into it, learn the steps, and then get bored because I'm not really learning anymore. I think starting something on the side could be the answer. I am in the process of writing a business plan for a consulting business to help small businesses that I plan to launch in the new year. I figured it could be something I can do after work or on the weekend.

Thanks.
Good luck.

What type of family did you come from? Me, i lost my dad when i was 10yrs and watched my mom raise 5 kids all on her own. Life was very difficult, we went from being poor to being very poor. I was the kid that couldn't afford shyt in school, i wore hand-me-downs and used cloths from donation centers.
When we moved to USA, i made a promise to myself that i'll live out my dreams with no limitations.
This is what keeps me going each day. Success and money is what keeps me going and i never get bored when working on the same project for a while.

[UncleWede]

Billups Bacony Place "I got 99 problems, but bacon isn't one of them"

I went to TGIFridays this weekend, I got the ribflight special. BACON-encrusted RIBS!!!!!!!!!!! Sweet Jesus, they make both, together, even better!!!!!

[Quicksilv3r]

I'm 28 and in the mortgage finance business. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

[MMMCOOKIES55]

I am in your exact situation OP, That is why i'm the Spring I am enrolling Back into College to finish my Degree. I make good money where I am but it lacks any form of intellect on my part, I can feel my brain shrinking by the day.

[Sephiroth]

I picked electrical engineering mostly because i couldn't think of anything else i liked at the time, but also because i loved computers and electronic gadgets. I graduated Dec 2008 but having interned at the same company 5 times i was lucky to have a job waiting for me. Fast forward to this year and im back in school. Done being an engineer and onto the next, but i have built a network of people who will always take me back if i want.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by Whostheboss

Thanks.
Good luck.

What type of family did you come from? Me, i lost my dad when i was 10yrs and watched my mom raise 5 kids all on her own. Life was very difficult, we went from being poor to being very poor. I was the kid that couldn't afford shyt in school, i wore hand-me-downs and used cloths from donation centers.
When we moved to USA, i made a promise to myself that i'll live out my dreams with no limitations.
This is what keeps me going each day. Success and money is what keeps me going and i never get bored when working on the same project for a while.

Came here when I was 10 so none of us was born here. My family is supportive in that they want me to find something stable. I have been raised up that way. We have always been middle-class so I have not faced what your family had faced when you were growing up. With that said, I have never looked down on people. In fact, I always feel that if I could spare certain things, I would love to give them to others. I have enjoyed a pretty good life but in recent years I feel I need to do something and make something out of myself. I mean I would like to be able to provide for my family and parents when they get older and retire. I'm not sure if that makes any sense. I basically feel like I am not being all that I can be.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by MMMCOOKIES335...

I am in your exact situation OP, That is why i'm the Spring I am enrolling Back into College to finish my Degree. I make good money where I am but it lacks any form of intellect on my part, I can feel my brain shrinking by the day.

I am thinking about picking up some more classes in different fields and see if anything else opens up. I just feel that I have done enough schooling and it is now time to go out there and make something happen. I got my MBA about 9 months ago and I'm not looking to get a Ph.D. It's time to do something with what I've learned. I feel that we learn more by doing.

[ddk632]

^^

I agree.

There are some people (this is a generality, not aimed at anyone here) that are "perpetual students" - they go to school over and over for more degrees as a way of avoiding actually starting life in the real world.

There's nothing inherently wrong about more school, but one must be honest with themselves about whether they are genuinely interested in the knowledge to do something with it, or if they are avoiding something by continually going back to school.

Sounds like you're getting some good food for thought from this thread, though.

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by BMW F22

Came here when I was 10 so none of us was born here. My family is supportive in that they want me to find something stable. I have been raised up that way. We have always been middle-class so I have not faced what your family had faced when you were growing up. With that said, I have never looked down on people. In fact, I always feel that if I could spare certain things, I would love to give them to others. I have enjoyed a pretty good life but in recent years I feel I need to do something and make something out of myself. I mean I would like to be able to provide for my family and parents when they get older and retire. I'm not sure if that makes any sense. I basically feel like I am not being all that I can be.

Makes perfect sense.You have good intentions.
I once had that feeling, I felt like i wasn't living to my full potential. The best suggestion i can possible give you is to try running your own organization. You'll be surprised how much potential and skills you have.

I started my own little software gig, i'm currently making iPhone games. I just released my first game on iOS called AbsoluteShell. If you have an iPhone/iPad/iPod check it out.

Making the game and the entire process was definitely a challenge that kept me going everyday.

Try starting up your own charity and just watch how much you'll learn.

[UncleWede]

Atari 80 for Christmas, got bored with the Pong and found it had a BASIC compiler. Wrote stories about Conan the Barbarian. Junior high school had one of the first computer labs. I helped the teacher make sure everything worked. Someone offered me a job out of high school if I went to college and got an EE. I went from 4.0 to subject to academic DQ by junior year, but it was the best 4-year vacation I ever had.

Still managed to get a degree in math and stay with the original recruiting organization. Started doing dBaseIII programming, benevolently hacked into the networks, and got promoted to a network admin position. Been cruising there ever sense, although at a few different locations.

[MrPrena]

I agree with NKC's post.
Although chemical sector is fun and all, but there is hardly any profit margin on those.
Hire top notch engineer and scientist who are probably smarter than people who design smart phones, but it is like selling commodities.

One of my bud I know took a low paying job at optical/laser company (coming from global 100 company). Found out he has a little agreement with the President (biggest private sr holder) that he can recycle, buy those old equipment, and sell it online for a huge profit.
Salary is lower than $20k/mo (as some gets real comfortable), but he makes ton more than that off of selling equipment while working there. Some ONLY look at the salary, but some sees niche, and other opportunities as well.

Sad to say, but most of stuff I had highest profit was stuff people throw out on a trash bin I resold on craigslist and/or eBay. (took me about 8 minutes to load, unload, post it on a listing, and clean it up?)

My favorite is broken screen LCD TV. Those goes for about $50 avg on craigslist.

[M3LISSA]

I changed my career out of boredom. I was a hygienist now I am a nurse... Same field sort of, but more options... Hygiene is boring

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by M3LISSA

Hygiene is boring

Be careful how you say that.

[MidwestGolfBum]

Where I first got my start was when a buddy and I joined forces and basically started a lawn mowing business. This got to the point where we were able to hire "employees" and by the time we were both 18 and actually formed a company, we had 6 employees and had over 150 contracts that we worked. It got to the point that we were able to hire a a few people who were more the landscape design part of the business and we went from there. Now, that business basically runs itself and he and I just check in on things a few times a week, do the books (AR/AP) and run payroll.

Because it got to the point that neither of us really needed to be involved, we diversified. The two of us found a few apartment complexes that were for sale and went that direction together as well.

He and I both have separate businesses from those as well, because assuming you hire a management company, you don't have to do anything with apartments and you just reinvest as you get the money and a deal comes up.

My main focus is now a VAR (value added reseller) in the IT space. We sell to large, enterprise America across 8 states and that is something that has always been interesting to me, I just didn't have the time to devote to it before. My father has been in the IT world for countless years and has wanted to go out on his own for some time, so he and I started this company.

Find something that you can do on the side that won't take up a ton of your time, and you will find that you are slowly able to devote more and more time to it as the money you are able to net becomes higher.

[davis449]

I had always liked playing around with computers. They had been a part of my household since I was like 3. I got an internship at the oil co. my dad was working for when I was 17 right before my Sr. yr. in HS. I volunteered to help out the two IT people in the office moving some old computers into a conference room for the employees to bid on in an auction (something they did when a refresh was taking place) and they asked me afterward if I was interested in being THEIR dept.'s intern. I said yes, of course (it beat coloring maps and filing well logs in the repository). I guess I just had a natural talent for it because before I knew it I was out troubleshooting issues ranging from normal desktop problems to WAN connectivity problems (back in the modem\ISDN\T1 days). I enjoyed it so I pursued it as a career. So now I work Tier 3 support for very large clinical laboratory company.

[BMW F22]

Some of you guys have very good stories. It is inspiring and great at the same time to hear how many of you were able to find your calling early on in life. It sounds like others were in the same situation I am but eventually found out what they like to do and have settled in.

I have been trying to think of something to do on the side, anything really. I have not come up with any concrete ideas just yet.

[M3LISSA]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Be careful how you say that.

Lol point take .... I'm clean... Let's say that.... Lol