NT, at what age did you start your career?

24 now and recent grad with my masters. Plan to work for a year and a half and begin a doctorate in physical therapy program fall 2014, hopefully. If all goes as planned ill be 28 when I start. Unless in the mean time I find myself in a position I love.
 
“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle." - my old boss, Stevie

In 2 years, I've had several post-graduation business/tech jobs including: Technical Support, Global Sales Operations, Direct Sales, Network Marketing, Online Marketing Consulting, Retail management and Property Management.

Truth be told, I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I'll never conform to a 9-5 type of job.


 
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Thanks for all the responses y'all.

I'm just at a cross road in my young adult life, and it feels like the crushing weight of the world, and the future, is resting on my frail shoulders.

Like I said, I'm at a cross road and I need to decide (or at least I feel like I need to) what path I'm going to commit to for the next four years; a decision that will further shape the rest of my adult life after these next four years.

My two choices are:

(A) the safe choice, where I am guaranteed a potentially stress free life, with a full time job, and steady income, which would then enable me to afford a house, take care of my parents, my children (if I have them), etc. Simply stated, choice (a) is the path most travelled, generally speaking. Because the experience is familiar, I would be able to get advice from various individuals on what to do and when to do it. I wouldn't be alone. I would be extremely safe in this choice.

(B) the not so safe choice. With B, I'd be traversing unexplored territory because I would essentially be following my dreams. Outside of the few brave or crazy souls walking this line with me, I'd practically be on my own. Additionally, If I walk this path, there's a very very slim chance that I'd be able to afford the kind of life described in choice A; the house, the steady income, taking care of my parents...etc. It wouldn't be impossible, but it would be really really difficult. At best, I'd probably have to wait until my 40s before reaping the fruits of my labor.

So yeah, do you follow your dreams and risk being po' for a good majority of your life; or do you play it safe, live comfortably, but spend the rest of your life sharing a space of consciousness with that nagging voice that constantly whispers, "what if...what if you were brave enough...what if you were courageous enough...what if you actually followed your dreams AND MADE IT...what if..."?

Lastly, I'm not American. I immigrated to this country with my parents 15 years ago. Thus, the traditional expectations for me, as the first born and only male child, are extremely high. One can even say that my cultural upbringing is what's really at the heart of this issue. Do I take the safe route, choice A, and do right by parents after they sacrificed so much to put me where I am, or do I follow my dreams, choice B, which is also the selfish choice in this context, and risk not doing right by my parents?

So yeah, that's my career dilemma. Hopefully you can see that this is obviously more than a "career" issue, as this decision really affects all aspects my personhood. What would you do?

Ohh yeah, I have until February 1st to make my decision.

Gonna go man-down and cry in bed.




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wcghost said:
“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle." - my old boss, Stevie

In 2 years, I've had several post-graduation business/tech jobs including: Technical Support, Global Sales Operations, Direct Sales, Network Marketing, Online Marketing Consulting, Retail management and Property Management.

Truth be told, I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I'll never conform to a 9-5 type of job.
Click to expand...


I can appreciate this sentiment, but truth be told, I've slowly come to realization that only a select few individuals have the wherewithal to follow their hearts and their dreams.

Perhaps I've become cynical, in parallel with the progressively worsening state of U.S affairs, but from my vantage point it's the "haves" than can afford, literally, to live a cavalier lifestyle. It's hard to follow your dreams if you're poor--not so much that you have nothing to lose--but poor enough to know that a lil bit of money can put you a better place, mentally and physically speaking. Life would be so much easier, and my problems much less significant if I didn't have money concerns. This is why I'm entertaining the safe choice, so that at the very least in 4 years time I can literally afford to put my family in a better circumstance.

If I follow my dreams, not only do I face the real issue of future financial paucity, but worse, I'd have to watch my parents still grinding it out in the job market, to make ends meet, at an age when they should honestly be retired and living comfortably because their son did right by his parents.

If I was here on this planet by myself, with no one to love and/or care about, then I'd 100% be about the YOLO follow your dreams life. But that aint the situation, feel me?

IDK man...

*sigh*



...
 
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In a very similar situation as you OP. Looking at 30/31+ to start my career...been freaking me out a bit. Obviously, the more responsible choice would be the safe choice. However, something can definitely be said for chasing your dreams. I know what I would do, but it's a tough choice man...good luck with whatever path you choose.
 
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"The Seasons of a Man's Life" by Daniel Levinson

I just got done reading this book. I don't know that i can accurately summarize the entire book as it relates to you, but you would likely benefit from reading it.

The main thing it points out is that there is no specific "age" by which soemthing has to happen. Rather, there are developmental processes and lessons to learn that shape a man's life.

The varied responses that you are getting in this thread showcase the fact that in this day and age in society, there are multiple different paths for people to take. Age has less of an impact on so many things at this point in time.

The book deals with a time in life called, "the age 30 transition" which can start at any years around the age of 30 and usually lasts about 4-5 years. It is where the structure that you've built up in your late 20's is perfected and honed to the point of satisfaction, but your ultimate satisfaction with all of your progress is tempered by your increased worldview and heightened sense of justice in the situations around you. Such that you endeavor to make even more gains over the next 5-10 years.

The general fear is that a man will not "complete" the developmental processes of that period at the same 'pace' as his societal peers, and thus will appear to fall behind them developmentally.It's not really possible to grow and advance in life without dealing with the issues of the age 30 transition... it's why you encounter people that just don't have their stuff together well into their 40's and 50's.

I think that you'll do what's best for yourself. That may sound a bit silly, but it's the truest answer you'll hear in here.
 
villansfinest said:
View media item 204070
"The Seasons of a Man's Life" by Daniel Levinson

I just got done reading this book. I don't know that i can accurately summarize the entire book as it relates to you, but you would likely benefit from reading it.

The main thing it points out is that there is no specific "age" by which soemthing has to happen. Rather, there are developmental processes and lessons to learn that shape a man's life.

The varied responses that you are getting in this thread showcase the fact that in this day and age in society, there are multiple different paths for people to take. Age has less of an impact on so many things at this point in time.

The book deals with a time in life called, "the age 30 transition" which can start at any years around the age of 30 and usually lasts about 4-5 years. It is where the structure that you've built up in your late 20's is perfected and honed to the point of satisfaction, but your ultimate satisfaction with all of your progress is tempered by your increased worldview and heightened sense of justice in the situations around you. Such that you endeavor to make even more gains over the next 5-10 years.

The general fear is that a man will not "complete" the developmental processes of that period at the same 'pace' as his societal peers, and thus will appear to fall behind them developmentally.It's not really possible to grow and advance in life without dealing with the issues of the age 30 transition... it's why you encounter people that just don't have their stuff together well into their 40's and 50's.

I think that you'll do what's best for yourself. That may sound a bit silly, but it's the truest answer you'll hear in here.
Click to expand...



This is an awesome post man, thanks!!!

I've added the book to my amazon cart, can't wait to read it.

The fear of not having completed "the developmental process" is very real. Although, for me, it has less to do with keeping up with my peers, keeping up with the jones's, and more to do with being able to provide wonderfully for my parents in their old age-- a responsibility I take very seriously...:\. (Although, my good friend just bought her first house and I see how proud her family is of her and I am a tad bit envious of her "success" and "set my mind to it and go get em" attitude...:lol:).

I was in a similar situation some four years ago; back then, I had to decide whether I was going to keep on with the whole med school "charade", which I really didn't care for, or really make the transition to studying what I was really passionate about. In the end, I made the transition, and looking back it was the best decision I've ever made. Now the issue is whether I should going to continue on that path, where my future is uncertain, or make the transition back to the STEM oriented fields/career track where my future is will be relatively stable. The path that I follow is the one that will shape the rest of my life. I certainly want to continue building on the processes I've already started, but I'm just still nervous about the future...

Anyway, while googling your recommendation, I ran into a "post" from everyone's favorite DCAllAmerican introduced blog, which I found particular prescient, given my circumstances. I'm posting it because it calmed my nerves, but also because it relates to this idea of men constantly living their lives in states of transition--much like the four seasons--with inherent, natural, highs and lows.




[COLOR=#red]The Seasons of a Man’s Life[/COLOR]




Embracing the opportunity and promise of self-improvement is a big part of the mission of this website. I’m a firm believer in constantly trying to better all aspects of your life and putting the goal of becoming a better man ever before you. Onwards and upwards, right? Well…yes, but…

I’d like to talk about that but today. Because if you believe that life should be a continual line of progress, you may stall out before you even get going.

This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. When I would get stuck in a rut, whether personal, professional, physical or spiritual, I would immediately feel like something had gone terribly wrong somehow. That the lack of progress was a problem that needed to be fixed. Either I was the problem-I was doing the wrong things or having the wrong mindset-or there were circumstances in my life that needed to be remedied. And I would embark on a combination of self-flagellation and frentic search for what was ailing me. I tried to eliminate my rut through sheer force of will. But the more I fought against the feeling of being stuck, the more stuck I seemed to become! It’s like being in quicksand.

But lately I’ve been rethinking my approach and trying to see these plateaus in my progress in a different way: not as a problem, but simply as a natural part of the different seasons of life.

Instead of kicking against the pricks like a mad man, I’m learning to accept that success doesn’t happen in a straight upward trajectory. Rather, a man’s success in life is often cyclical, like the seasons of the year. All of us will experience the springs of life where everything goes our way. We’re flourishing and blooming in all aspects of life. We start to think it will last forever, that it should last forever. But as assuredly as the sun rises and sets, fall will come and the winds of change will blow in the cold winter season, when everything seems dead and barren.


View media item 204999This is how we imagine our progress in life should go. But success in life never follows a straight, upwards trajectory.​


Just as we don’t have much control over when the seasons of nature change, we often don’t have control of when we get into life’s ruts or when we start to flourish again. We can rant against the change in seasons-bolt the door and crawl under the covers or live in denial and trudge through the snow in the shorts and t-shirts of a warmer time, even though we’re chilled to the bone. Or we can accept the new season and adjust to it, taking advantage of what the season has to offer while preparing once more spring.


[COLOR=#red]Ralph Waldo Emerson and His Pear Trees[/COLOR]




American Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of my favorite thinkers. He’s had a big impact on how I see the world, and lately, I’ve been revisiting some of his writings. One thing I’ve noticed in his journals and letters is that Emerson enjoys talking a lot about the pear trees he’s growing. He gives frequent updates on how they’re doing and what sort of crop they’re yielding.

Throughout his career as a writer and philosopher, Emerson would frequently suffer severe writer’s block. No matter what he did, ideas just wouldn’t come to him. When your life’s work is writing, getting stuck like this is devastating. For a time, Emerson did what most people do when they get in these ruts. He’d fight like hell only to end up mentally and emotionally drained. But Emerson’s pear trees helped him change the way he saw this “problem.”

In a letter to an acquaintance, Emerson compared the mind to a pear tree that goes through a season of barrenness only to suddenly burst forth in fruitful growth. Emerson learned that to avoid the frustration of barren times, a man needs to “adopt the pace of nature” whose “secret is patience.” Just as the farmer must continue pruning and grafting his trees in the winter in order to reap the harvest in the spring, Emerson continued to work and cultivate his mind to prepare for the return of inspiration. After a mental winter, his mind would inevitably bloom once more.


View media item 205013This is how our progress in life can realistically go. In the upwards direction over the long term, but with peaks and valleys along the way. Take note: If we work through the dips, we always rise higher than our previous peak. The valleys are where we are tested to see if we have what it takes to get to the next level.​


....
Click to expand...



You can finish reading the blog post on the website:

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/08/15/the-seasons-of-a-mans-life/





...
 
Skyline said:
If I'm unemployed at the age of 25, I plan on taking my talents to the Navy.
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Just to give you a heads up brother, if you are applying for an Officer position, its VERY competitive. Minimal amounts of positions with LOTS of applicants.

You are 19 now and it seems like its a last resort, but if its something you are interested in, look up the Navy's Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program.

http://www.allmilitary.com/gibill/navy/bdcp.html
 
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SuperAntigen said:
Thanks for all the responses y'all.
I'm just at a cross road in my young adult life, and it feels like the crushing weight of the world, and the future, is resting on my frail shoulders.
Like I said, I'm at a cross road and I need to decide (or at least I feel like I need to) what path I'm going to commit to for the next four years; a decision that will further shape the rest of my adult life after these next four years.
My two choices are:
(A) the safe choice, where I am guaranteed a potentially stress free life, with a full time job, and steady income, which would then enable me to afford a house, take care of my parents, my children (if I have them), etc. Simply stated, choice (a) is the path most travelled, generally speaking. Because the experience is familiar, I would be able to get advice from various individuals on what to do and when to do it. I wouldn't be alone. I would be extremely safe in this choice.
(B) the not so safe choice. With B, I'd be traversing unexplored territory because I would essentially be following my dreams. Outside of the few brave or crazy souls walking this line with me, I'd practically be on my own. Additionally, If I walk this path, there's a very very slim chance that I'd be able to afford the kind of life described in choice A; the house, the steady income, taking care of my parents...etc. It wouldn't be impossible, but it would be really really difficult. At best, I'd probably have to wait until my 40s before reaping the fruits of my labor.
So yeah, do you follow your dreams and risk being po' for a good majority of your life; or do you play it safe, live comfortably, but spend the rest of your life sharing a space of consciousness with that nagging voice that constantly whispers, "what if...what if you were brave enough...what if you were courageous enough...what if you actually followed your dreams AND MADE IT...what if..."?
Lastly, I'm not American. I immigrated to this country with my parents 15 years ago. Thus, the traditional expectations for me, as the first born and only male child, are extremely high. One can even say that my cultural upbringing is what's really at the heart of this issue. Do I take the safe route, choice A, and do right by parents after they sacrificed so much to put me where I am, or do I follow my dreams, choice B, which is also the selfish choice in this context, and risk not doing right by my parents?
So yeah, that's my career dilemma. Hopefully you can see that this is obviously more than a "career" issue, as this decision really affects all aspects my personhood. What would you do?
Ohh yeah, I have until February 1st to make my decision.
Gonna go man-down and cry in bed.
View media item 203975...
Click to expand...

Don't be scared. You only live once, why live your life for others? The safety period will feel good for a few years, then the rest of your life will be filled with regret and questioning your boring existence. Ultimately, your parents life will end and they only wished for you to do the things they could not. Having a child = restarting your life through someone else.
 
OP....

No matter what there is no choice A... in this world, nothing is "safe" economy, war, environmental changes can cause such drastic changes to the marketplace that nothing is a given anymore...

As for option B, follow your heart, and atleast you know you tried... even if the result are less than you had hope, you know you tried.
 
I'm 23, haven't started it yet. I'm currently working with ******ed/behavioral children & young adults for income.
 
Everyone has their own path. I went from management program at finishline at 24 to marketing with our public transportation agency at 25 to outside sales at 28. I don't feel that I ever want the office life again unless its my office for my company.

My uncle didn't get into teaching until he was 32. My other uncle didn't become a police office until he was 35.

Enjoy your life. Find a means to support the lifestyle you desire. Have fun. Don't stress! God bless!
 
Just recently, 21 btw. I love it! I never thought I would make a career being in the casino industry. Hopefully after a year or two I will get to be one of those pit bosses.
 
DipsetGeneral said:
I'm 23, haven't started it yet. I'm currently working with ******ed/behavioral children & young adults for income.
Click to expand...
sorry but i lol'd
tired.gif
 
started it at 18, but half assed and only part time 25-30 hours a week while I was in college.

Still in the same field, but in a much larger sense.  Didn't really get serious about until 3 years ago at 22 years old, and that's when everything started to blossom
 
Man, I graduated from college about a year ago and still can't find a decent job/career. :smh: starting to feel hopeless. Don't want to derail your thread super but anybody know where there might be jobs for recent grads?
 
25 for me....in terms of first full time, legitimate employment in my desired field.

Started college at 18, did some internships in my field between undergrad and grad school from ages 18-24. Finished grad school at 24, got the gig at 25.

Later than I would have liked, but the sad truth is, when I graduted undergrad at 21 I wasn't ready nor determined enough to lock down a real job.
 
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