What academic advice would you give a college freshman pursuing a lucrative career?

[donuts]

Work at least 30 hours a week in the service sector , learn how to work with people and serve them. Be on time , follow instructions and respect for owners , then stay long enough so you can teach other kids to do the same. You leave college with less debt and a skill set to help that diploma get you down the road.

[sublime1996525]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

Or just get a job with the gov:
no stress - probably more than most as we’re a medical facility
no overtime - OT is not often with current position still happens
no weekends - see above
no standard of performance - not true
zero accountability - see above
lifetime tenure - possibly doing layoffs as we’re needing to cut over 300 positions for FY24
free beenefits - not true
free pension - not true
union gets you a raise every year - as with most places, you get a small COLA raise most years.
etc...

As I VA employee, I wish this was true.

no stress - probably more than most as we’re a medical facility
no overtime - OT is not often with current position still happens
no weekends - see above
no standard of performance - not true
zero accountability - see above
lifetime tenure - possibly doing layoffs as we’re needing to cut over 300 positions for FY24
free beenefits - not true
free pension - not true
union gets you a raise every year - as with most places, you get a small COLA raise most years.

Originally Posted by LATB

I see people with “**** BIDEN” in large letters on their car/truck. IMO anyone who does that is an idiot. Who wants the word **** plastered on their vehicle, and worse who wants BIDEN on their vehicle. Idiots.

I agree. I see it on trucks and flags in people’s front yard. Free speech is great but I wish people would have some class.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

50 years ago, my dad, who was an MD, had a private practice. This is the era when message T shirts were a new thing. A 30 year old man came in for his appointment with a black T shirt that said "SHIT!" across the chest. Dad sent him home. Dad was 45 at the time. I always liked that, looking back. It's about having class and respect for others. Nose rings and arms and necks that look like blue reptiles are just plain ugly and scream low class and bad judgement.

I agree, but is this always a bad thing? I have said for years that if my wife leaves me, I'm going out looking for a woman with a lot of tattoos. It shows that she is willing to take a lot of pain, as well as live with the consequences of bad decisions. She sounds like the perfect match for me!

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by Torqaholic

I'd tell them learn how to read and write. Nothing will make you look stupid faster in the corporate world than being semi-literate.

The most idiotic, ignorant, and frustrating thing I see young people writing, is this:

When writing out a dollar figure, instead of doing this: $321 they do this 321$.

Anyone who does that looks like an ignorant, uneducated fool. The only person who would hire them for any serious job would have to be just as ignorant.

"But that's how you pronounce it!" -- they will retort.

Welcome to the English language. How do you pronounce "enough"? It is pronounced "ee-nuff," but it is not spelled like that. There are endless examples of letters sounding different depending on the word, silent vowels, vowels sounding different in different words.

How do you pronounce "Ginger Ale"?

Kid: "Jinjer ail."

Correct, in English. But in German a "G" is always "hard," and there are no silent vowels. So they pronounce it: "Ging-ger Ollie" -- both "Gs" are hard, and the "e" is not silent.

So, that's German. We are in America and we speak English, and the dollar sign comes before the number. You're an adult now, try to be somewhat literate in your native language.

[SurfnSun]

Originally Posted by LATB

I can’t believe that people will walk around with F*** or other fowl language on their t-shirt. American society is circling the drain.

Or their car. I saw a sticker on a rear window the other day that said "I eat @$$" Love my kids reading that stuff.


Idiots like that need.....

I can't finish the sentence, its not very nice.

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by Mick

I agree, but is this always a bad thing? I have said for years that if my wife leaves me, I'm going out looking for a woman with a lot of tattoos. It shows that she is willing to take a lot of pain, as well as live with the consequences of bad decisions. She sounds like the perfect match for me!

Make sure she is a liberal then. They seem to relish it.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by SurfnSun

Or their car. I saw a sticker on a rear window the other day that said "I eat @$$" Love my kids reading that stuff.


Idiots like that need.....

I can't finish the sentence, its not very nice.

I’ll finish it for you.

Idiots like that need to be taken to the train station.

[Blademaker]

Work your ass off, become self employed, work harder.
Build a business, enjoy the rewards, sell the business, retire young.

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by Blademaker

Work your ass off, become self employed, work harder.

Build a business, enjoy the rewards, sell the business, retire young.

I did all that except the striked parts.

One-man shop in backyard (moldmaker) not worth anything as a business. I've sold maybe half of my machinery, am giving the rest away (hope I get takers).

Rewards: Never made a lot of money, but for 36 years my reward was walking out my back door and going to work -- and answering to no one except my customers (a lot of men on my dad's side did that too, so I guess it was in my blood ).

Loved what I did so I had no interest in ever retiring. But health concerns caught up with me at 71 (2021). But living high now with investment income (all self-taught, income is higher now, by a lot, than it ever was while working).

I would do it all over again.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Blademaker

Work your ass off, become self employed, work harder.
Build a business, enjoy the rewards, sell the business, retire young.

I have a good friend that had his own business and I told him I envied that. He had an interesting perspective.

He said, "When you go to work, you have one boss. When I go to work, everyone is my boss".

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by Aerovette

I have a good friend that had his own business and I told him I envied that. He had an interesting perspective.

He said, "When you go to work, you have one boss. When I go to work, everyone is my boss".

My motto for myself, after years of watching various types of businesses succeed while others failed:

"Give your customers what they want, when they want it, to the best of your abilities."

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by Bruze

My motto for myself, after years of watching various types of businesses succeed while others failed:

"Give your customers what they want, when they want it, to the best of your abilities."

After I retired from construction as I had a CDL I went to work for a outfit that delivered building supplies. (Did not need the money it was just something to do till the wife retired)

My potential employer gave me a good interview as he stated you do not have retail experience and will be dealing with a different bunch of people that your used to dealing with.

He asked me "Whats you opinion of the customer is always right". My reply was "the customer is always right <pregnant pause> most times.

He laughed and said you have your act together, can you start Monday?


My thoughts- Common sense many/most times will take you farther than book learning

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by 6spdC6

After I retired from construction as I had a CDL I went to work for a outfit that delivered building supplies. (Did not need the money it was just something to do till the wife retired)

My potential employer gave me a good interview as he stated you do not have retail experience and will be dealing with a different bunch of people that your used to dealing with.

He asked me "Whats you opinion of the customer is always right". My reply was "the customer is always right <pregnant pause> most times.

He laughed and said you have your act together, can you start Monday?


My thoughts- Common sense many/most times will take you farther than book learning

And a bit of humility goes a long ways.

As one of my (long dead) bosses used to say, after I questioned him about a confusing blueprint: "Give them what they want, not what they ask for."

In other words, don't call the engineer and point out the contradictions, we know what they want so just go ahead and do it.

And my dad, who ran two successful bakeries (before I was born) told me once: "If there's some problem, it's better to take the hit because the good will you will generate (word of mouth) will pay you back many times over."

Another creed I came up with in recent years after dealing with ALL kinds of businesses who seem to go out of their way (mostly regarding computerized phone systems) to insulate themselves from potential customers:

"Be nice to people who want to give you money."

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by Bruze

And a bit of humility goes a long ways.

As one of my (long dead) bosses used to say, after I questioned him about a confusing blueprint: "Give them what they want, not what they ask for."

In other words, don't call the engineer and point out the contradictions, we know what they want so just go ahead and do it.

And my dad, who ran two successful bakeries (before I was born) told me once: "If there's some problem, it's better to take the hit because the good will you will generate (word of mouth) will pay you back many times over."

Another creed I came up with in recent years after dealing with ALL kinds of businesses who seem to go out of their way (mostly regarding computerized phone systems) to insulate themselves from potential customers:

"Be nice to people who want to give you money."

You have some good advice here!

My son is a for want of words a "experimental machinist" working for the US Navy. Your first bolded is something that they have found works out well.

Your seconded bolded is a variation of some things I have said for years. Emails and voice mail is just a very good excuses to never return a call.

[Onebadcad]

Originally Posted by sublime1996525

As I VA employee, I wish this was true.

You are an exception, as I think all of us have exposure to those in education, city and county workers, usps, etc... and none have stress or concerns.

I know many who are self-employed, suffering through this economy, working more and making less.

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Aerovette

I had a guy with atrocious grammar proudly declare that he made a fortune in his business and how he spoke or wrote was unimportant because he was successful. I asked him if he knew how much MORE successful he might be if he didn't sound like a complete dumbass.

I guess there is a crossover point. If you are stacking cash, maybe it seriously doesn't matter. Success in spite of yourself, is still success.

I fat finger words now and then, but I "try" to go back and correct the errors (when I see them).

I find it best to turn on the spell check feature so I know if something is incorrect or if it thinks what I meant to type doesn't look right. Too easy and I find it to be a feature I absolutely must have enabled when using MS Outlook.

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by LATB

Tattoos (especially face and neck) and piercings and not having the ability to write or speak with a decent level of articulation is the downfall of these idiots.

Sadly, the media (tv shows and movies and commercials etc) are doing everything they can to normalize this awful behavior.
I am shocked when I see a corporation have some tattooed and pierced idiot on TV representing their product or services.

Here's where we differ a bit. I have no problem with tattoos as long as they can be covered in the work place. That's the reason why I didn't do anything more than half sleeves on my arms. Sure, people know I have ink, but it's not in their faces and immediately drawing their attention.

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by LATB

Tattoos (especially face and neck) and piercings and not having the ability to write or speak with a decent level of articulation is the downfall of these idiots.

Sadly, the media (tv shows and movies and commercials etc) are doing everything they can to normalize this awful behavior.
I am shocked when I see a corporation have some tattooed and pierced idiot on TV representing their product or services.

Agree.

I am highly prejudiced against all those types of people.

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by Bruze

Agree.

I am highly prejudiced against all those types of people.

Case In Point? ... Beetlejuice scares me less.

[sublime1996525]

Originally Posted by Red Baron

Case In Point? ... Beetlejuice scares me less.

It’s funny you post this. Post Malone seems like a pretty cool dude. Has some awesome cars and an amazing gun collection. See him around Utah often.