ScratchMonkey

You're right, stay away from immoral businesses. Go with the porn job, instead.

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War.mongeR1

Oh yeah! Trucking. You have to be 21 to drive interstate, though. Might as well go to college in the meanwhile.

Common man. Why's it gotta be like that?

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"Common sense is not so common." -Voltaire

ikonic

Becoming an installer for the Satellite/Cable companies is decent money. You need to have a squeaky clean record (driving and criminal), be 18 and carry a ladder (normally a 28 ft) easily. You can also become a contractor and get paid per job instead of hourly at the Sat/Cable provider company.

Right now, these companies are hiring more frequently due to the upcoming DTV transition and from high turnover. I worked at Dish Network for 2 years and started at $13 an hour ($17.55 when I left) and ended up working 50-60 hour weeks, a lot of the companies (DirecTV, Comcast, Charter, Cox, Dish Network) provide bonus pay if you complete your jobs, have a low trouble call rate (in other words, you didn't screw up while installing) and you would get additional bonuses if you consistently hit your required numbers. Depending on the company, they may give you fast promotions if you do a good job. I was consistently pulling in $1000-1500 after taxes weekly between my base pay, cumulative bonus pays and overtime.

The downside: you start around 5-6am and you go home when your jobs are finished. You also work in the weather and in some really dirty places (attics, drug houses, dirty brothels, etc). You work holidays often. You also come across some real jerkweed customers (but during the summer-time, you are rewarded with nude sun-bathing women on their pool decks, which negates all the downsides )


I ended up getting fired from Dish Network because I was involved in a car accident (not on the job) that wasn't my fault. I was about to quit anyways because I was going to college.

I am going to echo what everyone else said before me, GO TO COLLEGE. College ain't cheap, but it is worth it in the long run. You are very off-the-wall on what you want to do after high school (military, police, computers, get involved with a scam artist with an afro.) -- my advice is to focus on what YOU LIKE THE MOST and then pursue it.

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Hambergler

Sounds like your way ahead of me. I'm 33 and I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. Join the army, you can always quit. Just make a pass at your CO.

Back in the tribal days there was no question. You were going to do what your father did. Pimp, baker or candlestick maker and everyone was happy. Nowadays you have to go through the torture of having to figure it out for yourself. The only advise I am qualified to give you is work to live, don't live to work.

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El_Gringo_Grande

I don't think college it is necessary for everybody. A good trade school is good enough if you know what you like to do.

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Sen. John McCain (AZ) For President '08
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I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host.
- "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt
- "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson
- "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta
- If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

machowner

College, trade school, it is still education which is the important thing. Regardless of what you do, being the most knowledgeable gives you the tools to get the job done correctly.

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ScratchMonkey

The college degree is of most use when applying to corporations, because it's on the HR checklist. If you can get past the HR process and see the manager you want to work for first, and she wants to hire you, that can be worked around.

The easier way to get hired by a corporation is to found a successful startup that gets bought by a corporation. (That was my way in. And, boy, am I glad I no longer work there!)

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ikonic

Not everyone is an entrepreneur Scratch

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luna

Speaking as an adult who is now back in college for my undergrad degree at 29, I have to say that I think it's pretty unreasonable to expect a young adult to honestly know what on earth they want to do for the rest of their entire life. While I'm sure there are a handful of really mature, motivated 18 year olds out there who know what they want, I think the rest of us are left with major questions about our career paths at such an early, fresh out of high school age.

My best advice to you is to sit back and take an inventory of what you really want to be doing for the next, say, 5 years. Don't worry so much about a lifetime job, as very few people remain with one career for their entire lives. If police work interests you, find out what sort of steps need to be taken to be able to apply to attend the police academy. If the military interests you, sit down with a recruiter for an honest talk and take some time to review if that's what you really want to do.

Above all, don't pressure yourself just yet to fit into one small position. You have your whole life ahead of you and thousands of different avenues you could take. Start testing them out, trying them on for size, and see where you eventually feel most comfortable.

I didn't finish my undergrad degree when I first went to college around 18 because I honestly didn't know what I wanted out of my life at that point. I withdrew to spend some time thinking about it, because my career choice at that time felt awkward and a potentially bad fit for me. Here I am, a decade later, back in school to finish up what turns out to be the same degree I left for, but now, I have a real passion for it. Back then, it was just something I thought I was supposed to do. Now, it's something that I absolutely *want* to do.

Best of luck to you! PM me anytime if you need an ear to bounce these things off of. As a Secondary Ed major, I need all the practice I can get dealing with you indecisive, wacky kids.

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msdz

You like computers and want to become a police officer, well it looks to me like you already have an idea of what you want to do. You need to look into what jobs law enforcement would have that may involve computers. Whether it be repairing them, CSI work, or finding the next lost kid. I am sure there is a spot in there for you. Law enforcement is relying so much on computters now for just about anythinhg that I will place a bet on it that you have your job you are looking for right there. Now finding out what it is exactly and then training for that particular job is the next steps. Just remember, education IS an important part and the more you have the better it can sometimes be. There are times when to much can keep you from a job though. For instance, to much can cause you not to get hired for the fact you are never supposed to be smarter than the person hiring you, they will be afraid their job is on the line and then turn you down.

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Hambergler

Only barbarians are truly honest. The rest of us are white liars.

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Ferris Bueller

I dont think thats exactly what he meant. The real meaning: many people have misplaced ideas about the military and careers within. Talking to a recruiter is going to give a much clearer picture about what he'd be getting into. Furthermore, I find the reference to military folk being barbarians offensive.

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|TG-6th|Ferris Bueller

GoombaStalker

we need more bartenders

CingularDuality

This is why I recommend enlisting in the Armed Forces to anyone. Regardless of the fact that you learn a skill, it teaches you life lessons that will benefit you for the rest of your life. You'll come out after 4 years with qualities that EVERY employer seeks. You'll also have a much better idea of what you want to do with your life.

The downside, of course, is that you might get shot at while you're defending this great nation. Personally, I consider that part to be an honor...

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ScratchMonkey

No, but some of us work for entrepreneurs.

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