What Career Path Did You Choose That You Strongly Advise Against?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread makes me so worried for my kids and how they’ll make their career choices. It’s so hard to know what you’re getting into.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread makes me so worried for my kids and how they’ll make their career choices. It’s so hard to know what you’re getting into.

+1
It seems all professions are mentioned.
The exception might be finance.

Cuz that’s where people earn that paper!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Educated cop

I have a master degree, went into “law enforcement “ to make a difference.

Did child abuse/homicide most my career.

Started with a training officer who taught how to legally beat people if you are in a bad mood.

Spent evenings with extreme racists, short men with Napoleon complex, people with little understanding of the law or constitution.

Best part was making friends with 7-11 workers, Dunkin’ Donuts workers, gas station workers, etc.

Spent most my life with people going through the worst days of their life and thankful I had a masters in psychology.

Frustrated that I had a better understanding of law than most prosecutors, judges are the most ego driven group I have ever dealt with ... most lawyers and judges I dealt with had seriously unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

Watched “tiger teams” be formed ever time a white woman was killed, while I alone worked on the rest of the cases. Journalists would demonize my POC victims and paint white victims as heroes and white perps as “mentality ill” when they were just down right evil or selfish.


You get the idea.

Thank you for your service and frankness

Non-POC need to know

Yes, thank you so much. NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread makes me so worried for my kids and how they’ll make their career choices. It’s so hard to know what you’re getting into.

I really wonder how much is being driven by the American work culture, as opposed to individual jobs.

Given the enormous difference in sick leave, vacation time, and work-home balance that exists between us and much of the rest of the world, I wonder if being a teacher, or journalist, or lawyer, or doctor, etc., is very different in Finland or Germany.

Other countries do seem to answer quality of life questions on national surveys differently.

[Anonymous]

I will flip it to best job. NYC Garbage Man. (Or women). My friend took that route, unlike cops or firemen you can start at 18. He joined Sanitation at 16 as a Junior part time street sweeper. It is 20 years to the pension.

He retired at 38. His last salary was $120k pumped up by OT and fact he was a manger level. He got at 60k pension for life and medical.

He was original FIRE. He lived home till
38. Saved 50 percent of salary invested in stocks and his “retirement” home he bought in Florida at 27 which had a tenant in it.

At 38 got engaged at smoking hot 27 year old secretary who also did no HS.

He kicked tenant out, moved to Florida with new wife and started having kids.

He thought college was a waste as money and just delays retirement by four years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will flip it to best job. NYC Garbage Man. (Or women). My friend took that route, unlike cops or firemen you can start at 18. He joined Sanitation at 16 as a Junior part time street sweeper. It is 20 years to the pension.

He retired at 38. His last salary was $120k pumped up by OT and fact he was a manger level. He got at 60k pension for life and medical.

He was original FIRE. He lived home till
38. Saved 50 percent of salary invested in stocks and his “retirement” home he bought in Florida at 27 which had a tenant in it.

At 38 got engaged at smoking hot 27 year old secretary who also did no HS.

He kicked tenant out, moved to Florida with new wife and started having kids.

He thought college was a waste as money and just delays retirement by four years

What sexist boomer still talks like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will flip it to best job. NYC Garbage Man. (Or women). My friend took that route, unlike cops or firemen you can start at 18. He joined Sanitation at 16 as a Junior part time street sweeper. It is 20 years to the pension.

He retired at 38. His last salary was $120k pumped up by OT and fact he was a manger level. He got at 60k pension for life and medical.

He was original FIRE. He lived home till
38. Saved 50 percent of salary invested in stocks and his “retirement” home he bought in Florida at 27 which had a tenant in it.

At 38 got engaged at smoking hot 27 year old secretary who also did no HS.

He kicked tenant out, moved to Florida with new wife and started having kids.

He thought college was a waste as money and just delays retirement by four years

What sexist boomer still talks like this?

Sorry “fat cow” is what you wanted. He wanted a hit young non career girl ready to retire or be a full time mom. College was a turnoff. I actually thought he was super cool. Back in my “club days” he always went clubbing in his pajamas. Theory was he is either hooking up or going home to bed so might as well start the night in his pajamas. Had a hobby (I had same) of meeting celebs. He knew them all. I found it hilarious we were at China Club at 2 am and some big celeb, either Travolta or Terintino goes hey I was waiting for you I called your mom and she said you were on your way.

He told folks he was a garbage man who lived at home and gave our home number. We actually went out to eat with Joe Montana and dine 80s movie star at 5 am once. In his pajamas. And yes all the girls were smoking hot. That night I recall I picked up a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. I swear Joe Montana went with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Educated cop

I have a master degree, went into “law enforcement “ to make a difference.

Did child abuse/homicide most my career.

Started with a training officer who taught how to legally beat people if you are in a bad mood.

Spent evenings with extreme racists, short men with Napoleon complex, people with little understanding of the law or constitution.

Best part was making friends with 7-11 workers, Dunkin’ Donuts workers, gas station workers, etc.

Spent most my life with people going through the worst days of their life and thankful I had a masters in psychology.

Frustrated that I had a better understanding of law than most prosecutors, judges are the most ego driven group I have ever dealt with ... most lawyers and judges I dealt with had seriously unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

Watched “tiger teams” be formed ever time a white woman was killed, while I alone worked on the rest of the cases. Journalists would demonize my POC victims and paint white victims as heroes and white perps as “mentality ill” when they were just down right evil or selfish.


You get the idea.

You sound like the youngest cop on Blue Bloods. You should watch it. He went to Harvard Law and became a beat cop for the NYPD. But he comes from a family of cops so...at least he has his brothers?

I tend to avoid cop shows (except Homicide and the Wire and Training Day ) since they are so far from the truth. I will check it out.

Be careful, you're revealing your bias.

Implicit bias!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the women vs men jobs poster. Actually, I make 50% more than DH, and I have a STEM grad degree. He has an English major BA. also, I do most of the personal finance in our house.

My post is not “privileged”, women of every class should be looking for the most lucrative career path, and everyone should learn personal finance. What’s wrong with that?

Wrong. I am a Fed, and could be making 2-3x as much $$ in the private sector.

Instead, I have flexibility, job security, a better retirement scheme, and I am proud to help further my agency’s noble mission.

On top of all of that, I get to live near DC and work downtown. The cultural options in this area (Kennedy Center, Smithsonians, Capitol Steps) cannot be found elsewhere in this country.

Money is like oil - an unfortunate necessity. But there is so much more to life than the almighty dollar, and encouraging women to chase money at the expense of career fulfillment is poor advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems obvious, but I still think women don’t think about making the most money possible the way women do.

This. Women go to Columbia and graduate and aspire to get a low level admin job at a NYC nonprofit, while their male peers target jobs with money and develop skill sets.

Seven years later, the women are making $75k and married, hate their going no-where admin job that rarely has a meaningful difference on the world, and surprise.... when the discussion of babies comes along "it really just made sense for me to stay home because it just happened that DH made four times my salary".

Women: Aim higher. Jobs are jobs and, to the extent you derive pleasure from your job, that pleasure is almost surely rooted 99% in what you do day-to-day and not some larger feeling of doing good. Same thing for those who hate their jobs - they hate it because of the day to day. You can day-to-day at a shitty art collective nonprofit making peanuts, or you can do the same kind of day-to-day at McKinsey. Or a defense contractor. Even better: develop a skill set so you don't just do admin and organize office birthday parties.

I really wish someone had given me this advice when I was younger, "a job is just a job." I'm in government specializing in foreign affairs and was not prepared for the fact that I often feel like nothing I'm working on matters and many of my colleagues are jerks.

[Anonymous]

College professor. They hire you when you are young and they can pay you less. Then getting tenure if you are lucky enough means way out in the boonies. Also you are competing with famous people who have left their fields ( law, govt, State dept etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teaching. It only works if your spouse is wealthy and doesn't leave you for another woman.

Yep that would be me with art teaching.

[Anonymous]

SAHM. One day they are grown you are older and what’s available pays minimum wage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAHM. One day they are grown you are older and what’s available pays minimum wage.

Your kids will love you for it.

[Anonymous]

Rodeo arts. Dangerous, angry animals, no respect from humans, high costs for equipment, clothing, props. A LOT of fun, but so many negatives.