Author Topic: Desperate for Life Advice  (Read 14945 times)

Ocon11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Desperate for Life Advice
« on: May 22, 2014, 04:31:42 PM »
Hello Mustachians,

I write this because I am desperate for life advice. I graduated last May with a degree in chemistry. With no real interest in chemistry, I haven't gotten a real job in year. Therefore, I have been working at a fast food restaurant. I make $9.40/ hr and have managed to save nothing (I consider $1000 nothing as it's for emergencies).

I currently owe $7,169.87. My father paid for the majority of the costs.

I drive his truck around to work. I pay him $250/ month to cover insurance and a phone bill. I estimate I pay a minimum of $120/ in gas.

My student loan minimum is $90. My gym membership is $20. So far, that's $550. Two various other bills bring me up to $600 (no disclosure there).

As far as I know, I have no credit simply because I have no credit card.

Finally, I have a girlfriend who likes dates and a lot of various foods and snacks that I always buy for her. Between her and whatever the hell else I spend money on, I save little to no money per month.

I need life advice desperately. I want to be an independent man. I want to retire as soon as possible. I have a feeling you all might tell me to get a new job, but it just doesn't seem that simple or worth it to slog away in misery for ten years to retire.

Please give me any advice possible to let the upper lip hair grow out. Thanks.

Numbers Man

  • Guest
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2014, 04:36:48 PM »
I'm sure your parents are frustrated at your lack of upward mobility. They had to sacrifice and do without to send you to school. Figure out what you want to do and do it. You're educated; start using your brain.

Michread

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 212
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2014, 04:39:49 PM »
What about the chemistry field don't you like?  Have you worked in a lab?  There are many different chemistry jobs depending on where you live.  What about fixing chemistry machines?  What about selling chemistry supplies & equipment, etc.?  What DO you want to do?  WHY did you get a chemistry degree?


CNM

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 700
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2014, 04:40:04 PM »
Ditto.   You don't need to be a chemist if you don't want to.  Figure out what you want to do and do it. What are your interests?

CarDude

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 609
  • Location: Chicago, IL
  • Beep Beep!
    • The CCD
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2014, 04:45:03 PM »
I need life advice desperately. I want to be an independent man. I want to retire as soon as possible. I have a feeling you all might tell me to get a new job, but it just doesn't seem that simple or worth it to slog away in misery for ten years to retire.

To retire early, you need to spend less than you earn to the degree that your invested savings cover your spendings. It's hard to do this if you're making $9.40 an hour. It's doable, certainly, but it's very hard. You need to earn more money.

Argyle

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 904
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2014, 08:02:52 PM »
Also, what kind of girlfriend tries to get someone who makes $9.40 an hour buy her stuff?  What does she make?  If she makes more, she shouldn't be sponging off of you.  If she makes the same or less, then she should know how important it is to be frugal.  Frankly, I'd respect a guy more if he lived under his means than if he were always splurging on stuff he really couldn't afford.  If she's the kind who things that money = love, well, maybe it's time to find other ways of showing love.  You can find ways to appreciate someone that don't involve an outlay of cash. 

Clearly you need to find a better-paying job, or at the least get a low-paying job that is an entry to a better-paying career.  But you also need to be very careful with the money you have. 

Start keeping a record of every penny you spend.  There's some slipping away there and you don't know where it's going.

How far do you like from work?  Is it bikable?  Sure would be nice to cut down on that $120+ for gas.   Assuming $200 for insurance and $120 for gas, you're working 55 hours per month just to get to work and back.  That's before taxes, so it's probably more. 

What kind of a phone arrangement do you have?  You should be able to cut that down too.

Give us a rundown of all your expenses, plus your income, and we can make further suggestions.  Meanwhile, start thinking about what kind of career you'd like, so you can start moving beyond $9.40 per hour.

William

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 194
  • Age: 34
  • Location: Nebraska
    • First Quarter Finance
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2014, 08:14:06 PM »
First of all, it's awesome you're coming here for advice.  Realizing you need advice is the hardest part.

Secondly, you need a new job.  One that pays.  You're way better than fast food.

Third, keep your bills as low as possible!  $250 for insurance and phone?  Is that just car insurance and phone?  That's crazy!  I pay $18/month for car insurance and I'm 24.  Phone is cheap as well.  $250 is crazy.  Plus, why in the world would anyone drive a truck to a city job???  Doesn't make sense.  Find a cheap car.

Feel free to message me or checkout my blog.  Time to turn things around, man.  You seem like a smart person.

Oh, and don't let that GF of yours suck you dry.  :)

Blindsquirrel

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 690
  • Age: 6
  • Location: Flyover country
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2014, 08:29:05 PM »
   First off, a big punch in the snoot for no savings and not fixing that. You control your happiness and your destiny. Youth is SO wasted on the young! If you want to try working as a chemist, you may find it much more interesting than school. BS chemist 22 years out of school. I have done everything from hosting FDA audits, auditing others, running an entire plant at night, being a department head with a bunch of people working for me, QA work, QC work, validation work and working on the lab bench writing test methods, validating them, performing them, traveled international, to 4 countries, and all over the USA at various times, can troubleshoot and fix half a dozen lab instruments   if you get bored as a chemist that is your own damn fault IMHO.  At 46 we are FI and I still work as I love my coworkers and my boss, going to pull the plug at 50 ish, maybe sooner. You may wish to investigate your options.

MBot

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 506
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2014, 08:55:14 PM »
There are different, amazing jobs in chemistry.

BUT... even if you hate chemistry... think about how much free time you're giving up, for the exciting privilege of working in fast food instead! Let's ballpark $30/hour as a chemist (if not now, then in a few years of work).

So let's say you would much rather work 30 hours at $10 an hour in fast food ---- than 10 hours for $30 an hour as a chemist!? You'd rather waste THREE TIMES as much life, for the same amount of money? Because fast  food is way more fun? More enjoyable? Less hated then chemistry? That's what you want from your life? Fry grease and odd shifts?

Or is 10 hours of work.... worth 20 hours of free time to do whatever you want? Man, kick yourself for wasting your time. If you worked 20 hours as a chemist, you'd have earmed 1.5x as much money, over fast food -- and still have half your week to do what you wanted!

Now imagine if you spent a few years doing something you hated, and then had the REST OF YOUR LIFE to do what you want.

Work isn't supposed to be your fulfillment, your hobby, your enjoyment or anything else. If it is, great. But if not, it's a means to an end. A way to get the life you want. Not the life you want. Work is work. Grow a pair and use your skills.

Argyle

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 904
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2014, 09:19:30 PM »
If you biked 14 miles each day, you'd be in better shape than you are from spending $20 for the gym each month, right?

Why not give yourself a dare and try it?  I'm old and antique and horribly out of shape and I bike around 10 miles most days.  You don't have to go at top speed and make it a big athletic thing.  I stay in wussy 2nd gear (out of 3 gears) the whole time.

MBot

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 506
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2014, 09:22:55 PM »
Ocon11, do you find it easy to picture what your life would be like in the chemistry field?

Especially if you can't, it can be helpful to check it out a bit.

I'd encourage you to look up a TON of chemist job postings. Not just local, or ones you're qualified for. Look up anything that you could possibly do. Now, or in the future. It can be good to get a bit inspired by all the possibilities that ARE out there, and that it is possible to break out of that rut. And that chemistry can take on a lot of facets.

Daisy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2263
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2014, 09:45:38 PM »
I need life advice desperately. I want to be an independent man. I want to retire as soon as possible. I have a feeling you all might tell me to get a new job, but it just doesn't seem that simple or worth it to slog away in misery for ten years to retire.

I almost didn't want to comment, but I've read a few of these threads recently and see a common theme among recent college graduates wanting to zip-line their way immediately to retirement. I know I'm posting on an early retirement forum, but *GASP* retirement shouldn't be the be-all-and-end-all of your existence.

Most people DO slog away for AT LEAST ten years at a job they are not thrilled with to get to early retirement. Many of the high paying jobs are slog-intensive. As people I work with say when we are tasked with work we don't want to do, "that's why we get paid the big bucks."

If that's not your thing...other people find more enjoyable employment, make less money, and retire at a more normal age. But they are happy with their life and decisions and don't want to sacrifice at the soul-sucking-high-paying jobs to get to early retirement. Heck, most people never get to retire early because they don't make enough money and/or cut expenses enough to save a large chunk of it.

I think some people just starting out in their lives after high school and college read stories like MMM's and think it was easy for him and others to get where they are. But you are reading his story from the "other side", after he's made it, and may be glossing over the amount of work he and others went through to get to where they are.

I hope you can find a way to use your education to pursue your life's dreams. You show a lot of hard work and grit just by going to college and majoring in such a difficult subject as chemistry. Don't sell yourself short. But realize you do have to work a bit before you can taste the fruits of your labor and retire early. Good luck!

bikebum

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 562
  • Location: Nor Cal
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2014, 10:20:03 PM »
I suppose this whole post is about not unlocking potential. I don't know what I'm afraid of. It has to be fear because I don't believe I'm a lazy guy.

Here is a quote I like:

Quote
There is no failure, only feedback.

Don't be afraid! You gotta suck before you can be awesome!

There are jobs that just require a bachelor's degree or one in STEM. Search online and see what types of non-chemistry jobs you could get with a STEM degree. My bro got a job analyzing healthcare data with a physics degree; it payed $50K a year.

I'd ditch the gym. Work out at home; do push-ups, squats, lunges, dips, lift rocks, run. Search online about home workouts.

$250 sounds like a good deal to live with your dad and drive his truck and use the phone. You might consider moving if you don't have a better job opportunity where you live.

If I were making $9.40 an hour I would never eat or drink out. Just doesn't make sense when you calculate how long you had to work to pay for it. Maybe you and your girlfriend can get into hiking, cooking, something fun and free or cheap.

Nice job with the emergency fund, and seeking advice :)

totoro

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2188
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2014, 10:27:38 PM »
I need life advice desperately. I want to be an independent man. I want to retire as soon as possible. I have a feeling you all might tell me to get a new job, but it just doesn't seem that simple or worth it to slog away in misery for ten years to retire.

I almost didn't want to comment, but I've read a few of these threads recently and see a common theme among recent college graduates wanting to zip-line their way immediately to retirement. I know I'm posting on an early retirement forum, but *GASP* retirement shouldn't be the be-all-and-end-all of your existence.

Most people DO slog away for AT LEAST ten years at a job they are not thrilled with to get to early retirement. Many of the high paying jobs are slog-intensive. As people I work with say when we are tasked with work we don't want to do, "that's why we get paid the big bucks."


Yep.

Your posts don't demonstrate strategic thinking, but the fact that you are posting is great because you want to learn.  I also like that you appreciate what your father is doing for you.

Are you living at home?  You have not posted a complete break-down of costs.  That would be helpful.

The bottom-line is that you do need a different job.  Fast-food is not a great path to FI.   How about you brainstorm some options?

payitoff

  • Guest
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2014, 10:34:40 PM »
why did you take Chemistry in college when you dont like it? just wondering..

how about you apply as an intern in a field that you really like? most companies pay minimum wage for interns, this way, you earn experience and enjoy what youre doing even if you get paid low., normally too companies offer a regular position to interns when they see they are doing a good job. you gotta start somewhere, and try to start it right.

so this weekend, reflect what you like to do, visualize yourself where you like to be, and what you want to be, and start sending resumes.

Ocon11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #15 on: May 23, 2014, 07:33:50 AM »
I appreciate all the advice guys. I'm taking each one into consideration.

I picked chemistry because it was the only class I found somewhat interesting as a 17 year old. This wasn't because the subject matter was so engaging I couldn't get enough, it was because the teacher was the only teacher I've ever had who seemed to care. He made it somewhat interesting.

As I've grown, I've learned to appreciate the other disciplines more and chemistry less. But I could never justify switching to English, history, or writing or anything else liberal arts like because of how they can be learned on the side for free.

There has to be something there for chemistry because I wasn't hopelessly miserable during college. I think the grind of constant lab reports and difficult to learn subject matter put me off. I never tried to appreciate the subject and instead focused on the grades. But I still didn't do well enough for me to consider myself a useful applicant to a job. Therefore, I never got internships or a job, which I realize now may have been my biggest mistake. Nah, it was my biggest mistake. Especially when I seem to enjoy working.

Thanks for all the help so far. I can feel the roots of change already setting in.

tmac

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 470
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2014, 07:54:49 AM »
My first job out of college was writing for a trade magazine in the chemicals industry. I didn't know enough chemistry to do well at it. How are your writing skills?

norabird

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7988
  • Location: Brooklyn NY
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #17 on: May 23, 2014, 08:47:28 AM »
It' not too late to try for an internship now. You just graduated--how serious has your job search been? You have to look, and keep looking, and apply for everything, and generally be aggressive in the job hunt. Are you not looking at all right now? go for informational interviews at the very least to explore your options and meet soe possible mentors/contacts that way.

Or see what the teaching requirements are for your local school district. Is a chemistry degree enough to find something as a science teacher? At a private or charter school it might be. Science teachers are harder to come by than humanities ones.

DoubleDown

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2075
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #18 on: May 23, 2014, 09:06:29 AM »
Have you considered government jobs? Lots of interesting, well-paying, and even exciting work for chemists. If you can pass a thorough background check, then the FBI, CIA, ATF and lots of other agencies offer some really interesting jobs.

sly

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #19 on: May 23, 2014, 10:25:46 AM »
As someone who graduated a REALLY stupid major, with no real interest in the field, I gotta say that chemistry isn't actually that bad. Any scientific major is an asset these days, it's a great credential to have, and can actually open a lot of doors. Think about like having a math or physics major, Goldman Sachs is full of Physics PHD's, businesses think very highly of science education, so don't worry about finding a Chemistry job, just look for a good job, your degree does help.

Jamesqf

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4038
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #20 on: May 23, 2014, 10:45:12 AM »
I picked chemistry because it was the only class I found somewhat interesting as a 17 year old. This wasn't because the subject matter was so engaging I couldn't get enough, it was because the teacher was the only teacher I've ever had who seemed to care. He made it somewhat interesting.

Guess what?  It's a fucking JOB.  You do it to earn money.  If you enjoy it too, that's a bonus.  I'm also having real problems understanding a world view in which any job in chemistry could possibly seem less interesting than working in fast food.

Re the girlfriend, this is the 21st century, which means that ideas like you buying her stuff so she'll stick around ought to be ancient history.

And as others have said, biking 7 miles to work is nothing for a guy that pretends to be in decent shape.  Unless there are some serious hills, you could do it without working up a sweat.

socaso

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 698
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #21 on: May 23, 2014, 10:54:18 AM »
You've gotten a lot of good advice but I just want to make two suggestions. First of all you should really consider contacting some chemists and talking to them about the field. It seems like you are throwing in the towel without really exploring your options. You might be able to contact some graduates of your program from your school or just call a company that employs chemists and talk to them about their field and how they like the work and what opportunities they see out there for people with a chemistry degree.

Second of all you sound like you are overwhelmed by post college life and might even be slightly depressed. You might want to consider booking a few sessions with a counselor. I went through a major depression and got counseling and getting my career back on track was part of that. It really helped me and I've always been glad I went through it.

Glenstache

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3493
  • Age: 94
  • Location: Upper left corner
  • FI(lean) working on the "RE"
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #22 on: May 23, 2014, 10:54:41 AM »
Plenty of advice up above about the finances.

Your degree in chemistry demonstrates a few key skills: strong abstract analytical thinking (thermodynamics isn't exactly paint by numbers), follow through (not an "easy" major), and a marketable skill from all of the lab work.

You can apply these either doing straight lab work, as a bridge to something related but more interesting, or as a case to hire you in an unrelated field. As a field, chemistry covers a huge amount of ground from renewable energy to environmental cleanup, to heavy industrial process. Something in that range is bound to be interesting. Most employers you would want to work for over the long term and who will be willing to invest in their employees will see the value in hiring smart people who can adapt and learn. Market your ability to do that.

All of that is nice in the abstract, but what can a new grad specifically do to make headway? Get in touch with people who are in the field and know the lay of the land. Every profession has professional associations. Find out what the local professional associations are and go to their mixer events and meet people. The social rules are a bit different at these events and it is totally normal to walk up to complete strangers and just ask point blank what they do and could they tell you a bit about it. They are mixers because it is an opportunity for those in the field to meet new people and make professional connections. You can also call the local analytical labs and ask to take a manager-type out for a cup of coffee to ask about what they do and what the lay of the land is. Most people will have been in your position and are willing to take a small amount of time out of their day to pay it forward. Odds are someone took the time to do that for them as well. This is not a job interview, but you should have a copy of your resume on-hand if they ask for it. The goal is to get information out of them about what their job and profession is like and learn from them.  This also gets an extra set of eyes out there looking for opportunities that might be a good match. If they don't have time/interest and say no, that is fine too and doesn't really mean anything about you; just move on to the next person on your list and call them up. (PS, this is also called networking).

I've worked some bad minimum-wage jobs in the past, have 3 science degrees, and am currently working as a consultant. Working in science fields is considerably different than school... for better and worse. But it is all much better than fast food.

Oh, and if you are worried about 7 miles on the bike, drive half way to start and make it a 3-4 mile ride and ramp it up from there. It's actually not a bad metaphor for developing a career... break it into bite size chunks you can use to make progress now, and then do them, and work your way up. Sometimes you'll change your route, but keep pedaling.

Good luck!

MountainFlower

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 282
  • Location: Colorado Mountains
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #23 on: May 23, 2014, 12:40:01 PM »
Pharmaceutical sales rep.  They make awesome money and the ones I know never work a 40 hour week.  If you are personable and present yourself well, your chemistry degree will be a huge asset. 

Prairie Stash

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1795
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #24 on: May 23, 2014, 12:46:56 PM »

Guess what?  It's a fucking JOB.  You do it to earn money.  If you enjoy it too, that's a bonus.  I'm also having real problems understanding a world view in which any job in chemistry could possibly seem less interesting than working in fast food.

+1

For never having tried a chemistry job it's amazing that you know so much about it. It's nothing like university labs and classes; for starts it comes with a paycheque.

William

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 194
  • Age: 34
  • Location: Nebraska
    • First Quarter Finance
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #25 on: May 23, 2014, 02:11:30 PM »

Guess what?  It's a fucking JOB.  You do it to earn money.  If you enjoy it too, that's a bonus.  I'm also having real problems understanding a world view in which any job in chemistry could possibly seem less interesting than working in fast food.

+1

For never having tried a chemistry job it's amazing that you know so much about it. It's nothing like university labs and classes; for starts it comes with a paycheque.

If you could make it through college talking chemisty, you can easily make it a career.  College is boring as hell compared to the real deal.

Breaker

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 200
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #26 on: May 23, 2014, 02:55:13 PM »
Hi,

It seems to me that there are only 2 things that are necessary to retiring early.

1.  A good job with decent pay.

2.  A real commitment to living a VERY frugal lifestyle for +/- 10 years. 

So far you are doing neither.

 You have been handed a great opportunity by your parents and here you sit, working in a fast food job and eating out, paying for a gym, buying books and spending a lot of your retirement $$ on unnecessary things. 

If you want it you have to "pull up your socks" and make it happen. 

Jan

Ocon11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #27 on: May 23, 2014, 05:01:32 PM »
Lol, I'm enjoying the vast array of feedback I'm getting. It ranges anywhere from "you can do it" to someone completely shitting on me. I'm willing to change. The advice has been very helpful. Keep it coming.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #28 on: May 23, 2014, 06:01:54 PM »
You might look into seasonal work that would allow you to get your feet wet without the commitment.  For instance, you might be able to get a summer or seasonal job with an agency like the EPA where you go around and collect water or soil samples (just an example).  The one job I had that was tangentially related to chem was collecting and testing samples at a cherry packing plant.  It was a sweet job in that I was able to read for about 1/2 to 1 hour or do whatever else I wanted, then go out on the factory floor, collect and test the samples, then go back to my reading until the next rotation.  And it paid better than minimum wage, and looked better on my resume than my high school job bagging groceries.

Definitely look for something that is least a step up, in pay and in use of your degree.  You'll have options from there, and there are many things you can do with your degree.  It won't be the same as college courses at all.  Are you still near your college?  Maybe they could still assist you with some career development advice or finding opportunities?

Edited to add:  The temp/part time job angle also has the advantage of allowing you to see what the full-time people around you are doing, and what it might be like to have a job like theirs.  You'll get a much more realistic view of the professional working world that way, and have a chance to make some good contacts as well.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2014, 10:02:09 PM by horsepoor »

cygnus

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 12
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #29 on: May 23, 2014, 06:55:42 PM »
I graduated from college in debt and moved to an expensive east coast city with no job.  My goal was to work as hard possible until 30 - take every opportunity to learn, do any job, take any class, work my ass off and volunteer for all possible learning experiences to climb up the rungs of the corporate ladder as high as I could to maximize my income.  After that, I would figure out what I what I wanted to do and what I was good at and then pursue my career from there.  It has worked out pretty well and I reached FI before 40 - you can do it too.

As other have said, you can't just graduate and say you would rather work at a fast food place then pursue a real career without trying.  Delayed satisfaction is key to long term success.  You can get a better job - focus on learning and growing and thinking about your long term plans instead of just giving up.  Give yourself a goal and focus on the goal.

trailrated

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Bay Area Ca
  • a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #30 on: May 23, 2014, 07:07:06 PM »
At the end of the day you have to look in the mirror and realize if you keep doing what you have been doing you are going to keep getting the same results you have been getting.

From your post I can see you are not content with your life as is.

It is simple as this, what are you willing to do to grow as a person? Do it.

Ocon11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #31 on: May 24, 2014, 12:52:45 PM »
An excellent point, good sir. I am full of discontent. I suppose the only thing remaining is to try. I never expected so much help from a forum.

sleepyguy

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 669
  • Location: Oakville, Ontario
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #32 on: May 24, 2014, 02:39:00 PM »
Look into careers you can utilize your degree (it won't be ANYTHING like school).  My niece did the same degree and works QA at a pharma company making like 50k/yr, not bad for a first job as a grad.

You're still young, work up a plan.  Talk to successful people whom are intelligent and will share their knowledge.  If you want nothing to do with your degree (which I think would be a bit silly as you just graduated), read up 50k that MMM posted awhile back.

Nocones

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #33 on: May 24, 2014, 08:49:03 PM »
Live near a nuclear plant?  If you have a clean record and can get clearance the Chem techs at most plants make good money and the hours are regulated.  The entire industry is comprised of lots of people nearing retirement so most facilities should have opportunities to move up if you show initiative.  If you get your food in the door you can move to reactor operations our of any field and make strong income.

ambimammular

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 424
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Indiana
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #34 on: May 26, 2014, 07:48:02 PM »
Ocon11, You've got the right attitude toward all the harsh advice.  That willingness will get you a long way.

Remember, even if you don't love your job, if you save like crazy, you'll only need to do it a dozen years or so.

Erica/NWEdible

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 881
    • Northwest Edible Life - life on garden time
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #35 on: May 26, 2014, 09:48:24 PM »
I suppose this whole post is about not unlocking potential. I don't know what I'm afraid of. It has to be fear because I don't believe I'm a lazy guy.

Just being a bitch.

Stop being such a bitch.

You don't need financial advice, you need to get out of your self-imposed rut. If you need to go find yourself, go do it on the Pacific Crest Trail, or save up for a cheap ticket to Greece and bum around for five months working odd jobs like grape picker. Go do something. You aren't going to find yourself driving your dads truck back and forth between the donut shop and your fast food job.

You want to be independent? Fine. That means you gotta Do Epic Shit. Go read StudentStasher's journal on this forum. That dude is young too, but doing epic shit. Your life as you currently describe it is neither independent nor epic. You can change that.

trailrated

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Bay Area Ca
  • a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
Re: Desperate for Life Advice
« Reply #36 on: May 27, 2014, 10:13:32 AM »
I suppose this whole post is about not unlocking potential. I don't know what I'm afraid of. It has to be fear because I don't believe I'm a lazy guy.

Just being a bitch.

Stop being such a bitch.

You don't need financial advice, you need to get out of your self-imposed rut. If you need to go find yourself, go do it on the Pacific Crest Trail, or save up for a cheap ticket to Greece and bum around for five months working odd jobs like grape picker. Go do something. You aren't going to find yourself driving your dads truck back and forth between the donut shop and your fast food job.

You want to be independent? Fine. That means you gotta Do Epic Shit. Go read StudentStasher's journal on this forum. That dude is young too, but doing epic shit. Your life as you currently describe it is neither independent nor epic. You can change that.

Best advice you are going to get.  Now go do it.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!