Looking into a few career options.

**Epaphras** · 12-20-2009, 11:58 AM

At least for the next ~20 years, anything having to do with the aging Boomer generation will be, well, booming. So health care obviously (including nursing and hospice care), but also things like financial planning and estate planning (so law or accounting) as they die off and transfer wealth to their children and grandchildren. Also services related to the "sandwich" generation (Boomer's children) as they care for their own kids while balancing caring for mom or dad at home or in a nursing home or hospice.

And in general, things that never go out of business (the form may change, but the function doesn't really change and it can't be outsourced):

Education
Utilties/energy
Grocery/food distribution

Just to name a few.

Gods*Armygirl · 12-20-2009, 10:03 PM

hmm...I'm in the same boat as you, Dan. I don't know what kind of career I can do to bring in a stable income. I want to do something creative, like writing or taking pictures. I've even considered being a wedding planner, because I like to plan things, and I just think it would be something I could do. But it's scary not knowing what might be available later on.

I'm terrified of things like needles and things nurses do, but if I could do some type of rehab therapy work for people that might be something I'll look into. Maybe I should just be a receptionist.

So I really can't offer you any advice at the moment, but thanks for making this thread! haha.

**scared2mosh** · 02-23-2011, 06:57 PM

Sorry to bump this thread.... but I was about to make another and saw this. so I figured I'd resurrect it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Why not an engineer?

I've been really searching out careers lately and what I have been leaning towards is skilled trade type stuff. however as I have researched these jobs I've realized that what I really would like to do is some form of on sight engineering (more working in the field than at a desk).

does anyone here have a job along those lines? any information on the various careers that fit that description?

thanks much

**beanbag** · 02-23-2011, 07:32 PM

it depends on what type of onsite engineering you're talking about.

you can be a field engineer for IT work--implementing/maintaining IT environments for clients, or doing consulting work. example: my dad started out as a software engineer in the 80s, but his job for the past decade or so has been managing and supporting environments for various clients. you can always move around within your field.

you can go into a hands-on branch of mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering.

my cousin's currently studying aeronautical engineering (she wants to build planes and rockets) and in her spare time, she sometimes builds robots.

you can also do civil engineering (building bridges and roads), though i think you have to spend quite a bit of time at a desk designing, unless you're the engineer who supervises or manages teams who go out and build what's been designed.

i encourage you to call around to some companies--tell them you're researching potential career options, and are wondering if one of their employees might have some time to call you and talk to you about what they do, or if they have a career outreach program. you might consider interning at a company that works in your field of interest, to see if you actually want to do that.

also...just because you major in something in college doesn't mean that you'll end up doing it for the rest of your life. i double-majored in music and bible & theology, and i now work in IT support sales. i know way more about machines than i ever thought i would.

**scared2mosh** · 02-23-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beanbag

it depends on what type of onsite engineering you're talking about.

you can go into a hands-on branch of mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering.

That's definitely what I had in mind... like designing and building special machines (for assembly lines or production of some sort) or maybe designing structures of some kind... leaning more towards mechanical stuff in general.

**beanbag** · 02-23-2011, 11:24 PM

well...if you were thinking trade school initially, it might be a good idea to attend a junior college/community college for an AS in mechanical engineering, and see if you like it. if you do, and you want to design machines, you'll likely need to attend school through the post-graduate level. if you decide you just want to take your AS and run with it, i am sure there is plenty you can do with that also. i mean, i think the more education you have, the better, but school isn't everyone's favorite thing. maybe talk to a guidance counselor at a local college and see what kind of job outlook there is for an AS in mechanical engineering, versus a BS or higher.

jthomas1600 · 02-24-2011, 05:45 AM

My brother is an aeronautical engineer. He works for Lockheed Martin. Makes good money. Spends most maybe 3/4 of his time in the office. I think he's been to several shuttle launches and (probably more specifically) landings as he's worked on the landing gear. He also spent a week on an aircraft carrier while one of their planes was being tested. I think he put in a few years of almost all office work though before he started overseeing test runs. Also an unappealing (at least to me) aspect of his job is that it's highly specialized. He's spent most of his career refining landing gear for just a few aircraft and recently doing some fuel delivery systems.

A good option might be plant design. There's a major amount of engineering that goes into setting up a new lumber mill, chemical plant, bottling facility, etc. etc. etc.

A career I always thought was interesting was pipe fitting. Think of all the pipe fitting involved with a new plant. Water pipes, sewage pipes, hand rails, delivery pipes for any product involved.

Good luck my friend.

athanatos · 02-24-2011, 07:17 AM

If you go for a 4-year degree in electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering you're gonna have a lot of math. Hard math. Tons of it. Enough to scare away the weak in constitution. Enough to keep the market competitive. Enough to make sure you dream (i.e. nightmares) about it.

I have several engineer friends.

**scared2mosh** · 02-24-2011, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthomas1600

My brother is an aeronautical engineer. He works for Lockheed Martin. Makes good money. Spends most maybe 3/4 of his time in the office. I think he's been to several shuttle launches and (probably more specifically) landings as he's worked on the landing gear. He also spent a week on an aircraft carrier while one of their planes was being tested. I think he put in a few years of almost all office work though before he started overseeing test runs. Also an unappealing (at least to me) aspect of his job is that it's highly specialized. He's spent most of his career refining landing gear for just a few aircraft and recently doing some fuel delivery systems.

A good option might be plant design. There's a major amount of engineering that goes into setting up a new lumber mill, chemical plant, bottling facility, etc. etc. etc.

A career I always thought was interesting was pipe fitting. Think of all the pipe fitting involved with a new plant. Water pipes, sewage pipes, hand rails, delivery pipes for any product involved.

Good luck my friend.

My dad has been a pipefitter at GM for 46 years... it's actually what I was originally looking into. What I've found though is that pipe fitters maintain pumps and build the setups while the person who designs the same systems gets paid alot more and usually only goes to school for an extra year or 2. Plus alot of times they are still involved in the hands on building aspect of it. It seems as though I would be qualified to do alot more jobs which would give me more career flexibility/security.

jthomas1600 · 02-24-2011, 09:06 AM

Unfortunately you go and get that extra education and go to work in the corporate world you probably won't get much on site/hands on work. In order to get the best of both worlds you may have to go into business for yourself. I think that's why pipe fitting has seemed interesting to me... that's the angle I've always seen it from. I've seen commercial fishing boats have new refrigerated circulating sea water systems put in and it's a guy drives his work truck down and he's got one welder and a helper with him and the three of them lay out the wholes system and do the complete install. Of course there's less security with that, but every job is different and you face new challenges each day. How about architecture?

**scared2mosh** · 02-24-2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthomas1600

Unfortunately you go and get that extra education and go to work in the corporate world you probably won't get much on site/hands on work. In order to get the best of both worlds you may have to go into business for yourself. I think that's why pipe fitting has seemed interesting to me... that's the angle I've always seen it from. I've seen commercial fishing boats have new refrigerated circulating sea water systems put in and it's a guy drives his work truck down and he's got one welder and a helper with him and the three of them lay out the wholes system and do the complete install. Of course there's less security with that, but every job is different and you face new challenges each day. How about architecture?

I've considered that... but my cousin is an architect and he works entirely out of an office... which I think is what most if not all of em do

**scared2mosh** · 03-01-2011, 09:35 PM

I've been doing more research.. especially about where I would go to school and how to pay for it.

I really am interested in Kettering University. I'm sending in my application this week, but according to their financial calculators I think I can honestly afford to go there... even though my parents cant help me pay for school. Between their merit awards and such the cost is more than cut in half... and since i would work co-op I could easily afford to pay the difference.

I've never been so excited or felt so much drive to work hard in my entire life.