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what career path will I take?

I want to build stuff with my own hands and not sit in a chair all day doing work because that is boring. I hope to get a collage degree to get a well paying job, Because then when I retire I will have money to relax

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Thank you comment icon do you always work in a group when working in this kind of job john
Thank you comment icon John, I would recommend posting "do you always work in a group when working in this kind of job" as a new question Gurpreet Lally, Admin
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Rucheli’s Answer

Maybe a controversial opinion... but I think if your only reason for wanting to go to college is to get a well-paying job, you might want to re-evaluate! There are plenty of people who go to college who struggle with finding decent jobs, and there are plenty of people with incredible careers and businesses that never went to college at all. I pay my handyman more per hour than I make as a college-educated engineer 🤷‍♀️

Some things to think about:
- What do you love doing?
- When you talk about working with your hands, what kind of things are you talking about?
- Look into trade schools related to that and see if that might be a better fit.

I'd also find small business owners doing things similar to what you want to do, and reach out to them! If they're local, stop by their workshop or store and see what it's really like. I'd also take a look at people online doing what you find interesting... think about how many people on TikTok are making crazy ad revenue and selling their things online doing things like woodworking or pottery just by making it look cool on video.

You can learn to do just about anything online, including how to start and run a business around handmade goods or "trade" services.

College is great for certain fields that require college degrees (think law, certain types of engineering, medicine, etc) but it is NOT a guarantee of a good life. So if you don't specifically want to go into one of the fields that require a college degree, there are a lot of other options you can look into these days!
Thank you comment icon Hi Rucheli, I completely agree with you. Brian Swain
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David C’s Answer

You should first set back and ask yourself some other questions.

1. Would I rather learn a trade that involves working with my hands?
2. What trade would that be that, most importantly, I would really enjoy doing?
3. Is that trade in demand and will continue to be valuable in the future?
4. Will that trade provide me with a good living and future stability?
5. Would that trade or skill of some much interest to me that I would probably still have some connection even at retirement?

You see, it is not just about what will make you the most money. Rather, it should be what will make your choice of skill most enjoyable. There is nothing worst than working at something you do not like just to make money. Your life needs to feel as though it accomplished something. DO NOT think you need to go to college if you just want to have a great trade. Not everyone should be there. There are excellent trade schools to go to with spending a great deal of time and money. There is a very large gap in the US now because fewer wanted to learn a trade. Many college grads end up going into a different field that what they went to college for later because they were guided by money or someone elses desire.

That is what I did and now that I am retired, I still practice it at home.

Designer Dave
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Barbara’s Answer

Just keep looking at the things you enjoy and no matter what career you pursue, know that you have to like what you do. When my son was halfway through his masters degree in communications, he found it was not for him and opted to get a license in massage therapy. Congrats on knowing early that a desk job is not right for you.
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Terry’s Answer

Hi John,

When I first joined the workforce, I had these concerns of being bored from completing mundane tasks, especially in the corporate world. However, the hybrid model has provided me with greater flexibility and improved my work-life balance, making it exciting to work part time in the office and part time at home. Additionally, I suggest considering consulting as a possible career path, as it offers a diverse range of projects to utilize your skillset and sustain interest in your work.

As for career advancement, I believe that experience is more valued than having a college degree, however obtaining a degree can help develop new skills and widen your network. My suggestion would be to remain open to learning and continuously developing your skills.
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Rebecca’s Answer

Thank you for your question. I am glad to know that you are interest in STEM jobs, e.g. engineering, technology, etc. The most important is to find a job you have interest. You can do the job good if you have interest on it and you can progress your career with good income.
Below ae my suggestions :
1. Find our more different STEM related jobs. In engineering world, there are many different engineering jobs, e.g. electrical & electronic engineering, civil engineer, mechanical engineering, etc. In Tech world, there are different tech jobs, e.g. developer, computer engineer, application support, system support, network administrator, etc.
2. Explore what jobs you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working in the career. Seek advice from your mentor, career counsellor, your parents, etc.
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers you have interest
5. Find out the entry criteria of relevant subjects in the college
Hope this can help! Good Luck!
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Sounak’s Answer

Hi John, follow your dream! Strive hard and earn the laurels. The world is extremely competitive and survival is for the fittest and smartest. Earning a let for the future is an outcome. However the journey to get to that outcome is what you are referring to as the "job". This journey, John, is full of ups and downs, filled with gravels and at times boulders, strewn with thorns, and for sure not a bed of roses. However, in order to achieve the outcome all these have to seem sweet to you (name it satisfaction).
It would be ideal as a student answer certain questions:
(1) What makes you most happy?
(2) What do you want in life? (Not money!)
(3) What is the best that you can do?

From your message it seems being creative is your nature. Why not being a sculptor? Or a graphic designer?

Think of the journey that you have to go through to reach your destination. If you follow your passion you would enjoy the journey.

Hope this helps.
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Katie’s Answer

Hi John! What areas of study/focus are you naturally interested in and love? It was difficult to narrow it down but after reading different areas of study and career descriptions, plus the encouragement of friends, family, and business leaders, I was able to stay on track with Business, computers, and leadership. I believe the support of family and friends are very important, for them to be there for me but to also be there for them. Some of the closest people in my life know me better than I know myself. The good thing is...you can always change career roles and companies...It doesn't always have to be permanent. I ended up picking a career with Verizon and love it! I've been with the company over 20 years now. Verizon also has some great intern opportunities. I ended up getting a job in business that aligned well with my focus area. Good luck to you in your future endeavors and careers! Hope this helps.
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Siddharth’s Answer

I would recommend taking a base engineering degree such as mechanical engineering that can support creating a good baseline of building things on your own. Then I would recommend a business degree as well that will help you establish your own company. A great idea would be to set up a DIY company that can help folks build things that can make their daily lives easier.
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Kat’s Answer

I would recommend taking some time to think about and list out the types of activities you really enjoy doing now, and researching careers that map to those skills or activities. You may find that you should go to college and get a degree to excel in a certain field, but you might also find that what you're interested in doing doesn't require going to college. It might instead mean going to trade school, or gaining experience on the job.
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Mohammad’s Answer

I think my answer will go inline with all other answers in here, focus on what you really love and want to do (building stuff can include mechanics, construction, electrical and even trading in general) then try to follow that with a related degree. Obviously your work will fill a major part of your daily life in the future so you need to figure that out. Also want to add that shifting jobs if needed is way better than getting stuck in doing something you don't actually love. Wish you the best of luck!
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Carl’s Answer

Hi John. Sounds like you already have a passion. It's great that you like to build things. You should consider ways to make money off your passion. College can help you do that. A degree in business can provide you with the skills needed to open up a business to profit from your passion. It'll teach you how to manage inventory, follow basic accounting practices to ensure your business is compliant, how to market your business, incorporate technology to reach a broad audience, human resources skills in case you want to bring on help. Think about it. Young people shouldn't have to separate their passion from making a living. You have time to plan. Good luck John.
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