Career Choices?

[TreyNerd]

Im 17 and i dont really know what career i would like to take

I like sports, i like motorbikes..and i would also like to travel..

If anyone is okay with it could you just tell me abit about the career you have/had in the past and how you felt about them, if you was making the right decisions etc.. just to give me some ideas

thanks

[Fatboyyid]

Ok buddy.

I started at 17 in the Army, as I like using my hands and solving problems I started working on diesel generators.

After leaving the army I had quite a few jobs, AA breakdown patrol, UPS (Uninteruptable Power Supplies) Engineer, Fuel delivery driver, Salesman amongst others but always went back to generators.

I tried a few fields in the generator like internal project work but found myself suited more to "offshore" employment.

I am now currently working off the coast of Spain on a 2 week on 2 week off rotation.

The money is much better than I could earn in the UK and after this job I could be off to either Norway, Nigeria, Angola, Libya or Thailand.

I do travel a lot but my industry is really hard to get into though. It's taken me 4-5 years to get a decent project on good money.

A lot of the guys I work with have several houses and have several holidays a year.

Good luck in your choices. I have.

[Javi]

I didn't know what I really wanted to do until I was 21 lol so don't feel bad I suggest you, by the way "career" is bullshit its a job lol you will hate it like any other sometimes no matter what you decide to do. Get some work experience behind you first and take it easy.

[Adam h]

I started at 16 in the army (only a month before i was 17) I wanted to go infantry but the old dear talked me into getting a trade. I joined the signals and worked in fibre optics, cat 5 cabling installations, underground + overground cabling, (basically like a BT man for the army)
I was posted to Cyprus for 3.5 years then did a tour of the falkland islands doing the same work, from there i went to N.ireland for 2 years as an antenna rigger, (climbing the massive comms towers), absolutely brilliant job, went to an RAF unit next for a couple of years doing my original job, completed several jobs/tours in Kuwait, baghdad, Basra, aswell as loads round the uk. I moved on from this unit just before all the main afghan work started to come in.

Ive always been into bikes and this followed me through all of the places I've lived either through road riding,motocross or enduro, I started stunt riding back in 2006 and a lot of my time and money has always gone on my bikes, so in 2008 I joined the White helmets motorcycle display team (the lot that do pyramids and shit and jump through fire).

So now in 2012 I am still in the army although I havnt touched my main trade since I joined the team, I am currently the chief mechanic with 5 young mechanics working for me, the team want me to extend until 2015 but I'm not sure if manning and records will have the same idea!!
I had a quiet year last year in regards to stunting but have competed in competitions and done a few shows, I'm back on the bikes next week so will be scrubbing up on my riding

Dont get me wrong, the army has it shit bits, I've made plenty of mistakes, but I've never been on jobs that I havnt enjoyed, my latest job in the display team is no good for my career (tbh my career isn't going anywhere anyway) but its an awesome job, I love bikes and I couldn't earn the same money as a mechanic in civvie street,


And slightly off topic but as you like bikes here's my stunt bike ready for the year and one of my work bikes

[Sneeky]

I passed up a yts for IBM at 17 and went to work as a trainee cash register engineer just because i could earn £6.50 a week more... Don't let money guide you, look at the bigger long term chance if poss. Listen to advice from others you trust. From learning electronics i wanted to get a tan and whistle at women so i joined a local builder as a labourer. After 10 years and alot of back ache i went back to what i was good at. I'm now with BT as an engineer looking after IT hardware and networks for mod,gov,police to name a few...
I do miss the sunshine but my plan is to become a consultant and skip off to some rich oil country to end my day's.
As said by Javi, get some different experiances under your belt and enjoy yourself. If things dont go the way you planned.... roll with it..

S.

P.S.
Dont be rude to people on the way up the ladder as you might just bump into them again on the way down.....

[P UNIT 1980]

Trey at 17 you have to live.

See the world before you wish you had seen the world.

I wouldnt change what I have now and I have plans to do the world when I retire on a motorbike with the missus.

But if I was 17 again I'd be off to see the world in a fookin heartbeat.

Work like a slave to get some cash together the fook off for a few years.

[Stateside Nate]

Im 17 and i dont really know what career i would like to take

I'm almost 48 and asking myself the same question!

Seriously, you probabaly won't know what you really want to do for another 10-15 years. Do what sounds interesting. Sometimes it might mean doing it for free. But like @P UNIT 1980 suggested, do what you can while you are young enough to do it. Seeing the world won't be as easy when your 70.

[thfcire]

I started at 16 in the army (only a month before i was 17) I wanted to go infantry but the old dear talked me into getting a trade. I joined the signals and worked in fibre optics, cat 5 cabling installations, underground + overground cabling, (basically like a BT man for the army)
I was posted to Cyprus for 3.5 years then did a tour of the falkland islands doing the same work, from there i went to N.ireland for 2 years as an antenna rigger, (climbing the massive comms towers), absolutely brilliant job, went to an RAF unit next for a couple of years doing my original job, completed several jobs/tours in Kuwait, baghdad, Basra, aswell as loads round the uk. I moved on from this unit just before all the main afghan work started to come in.

Ive always been into bikes and this followed me through all of the places I've lived either through road riding,motocross or enduro, I started stunt riding back in 2006 and a lot of my time and money has always gone on my bikes, so in 2008 I joined the White helmets motorcycle display team (the lot that do pyramids and shit and jump through fire).

So now in 2012 I am still in the army although I havnt touched my main trade since I joined the team, I am currently the chief mechanic with 5 young mechanics working for me, the team want me to extend until 2015 but I'm not sure if manning and records will have the same idea!!
I had a quiet year last year in regards to stunting but have competed in competitions and done a few shows, I'm back on the bikes next week so will be scrubbing up on my riding

Dont get me wrong, the army has it shit bits, I've made plenty of mistakes, but I've never been on jobs that I havnt enjoyed, my latest job in the display team is no good for my career (tbh my career isn't going anywhere anyway) but its an awesome job, I love bikes and I couldn't earn the same money as a mechanic in civvie street,


And slightly off topic but as you like bikes here's my stunt bike ready for the year and one of my work bikes

Jesus mate if that was during the 90s I probily took a few shots at you pmsl. I'm into bikes all my life too riding them 18 years now , you 2 beauty's there good luck with them, I have a Fazer 100 and a 900 blade I was out of work for a couple of months and I had bikes so I said I'd give couriering a go, 11 years ago and I still love it to this day

[P UNIT 1980]

That Kawasiki looks lovely.

[Adam h]

@thfcire , nah it wasn't that far back, I only had the Joy of the odd firework here and there

Ive got a 99 busa on the road but didn't wanna knock this thread off direction with too many bike pics

[thfcire]

You have to get pics up of the buds mate don't mind anyone saying anything here,they moan I'll ban them lol

[Havocc]

@TreyNerd

Travel the world dude!!!!! Backpack around Europe, go to the far east. You are only 17, and there is so much of the world to see before you start the boring road to death. I regret not doing this....

I left school at 16, trained as a carpenter and fitted kitchens and bedrooms. Did this for 7 years and then moved into offices. Worked in IT for 3 years, and then got involved in IVRS systems for clinical trials...being in the right place at the right time....I am now a global manager looking after clinical logistics....just ended up here really, I don't work for any personal gratification nor do I have any career ambitions, as long as the money's good, I will do anything..

Another 2 years in this industry, I may retire and become a house husband....my wife and I own a language school teaching English to foreign students, by then, it should earn enough money to support both of us.

[weirddave]

The money is much better than I could earn in the UK and after this job I could be off to either Norway, Nigeria, Angola, Libya or Thailand....

Choose Norway out of that lot. Libya's still a bit of a mess at the moment; what you wanna go there for

[rossdfc]

Choose Norway out of that lot. Libya's still a bit of a mess at the moment; what you wanna go there for

Norway is too cold and probably expensive too......Thailand hands down!! @Fatboyyid

[Park Lane Yido]

1st - don't shit yourself about all this "career" malarky. IMHO there are no careers as such nowadays. That word is leftover from the old job for life attitude from before you were born. People switch and change "careers" so much in todays world. Why does any job have to last 10 years or more. Thinking about it that way only makes you worry more. "Am I taking the right path"?

Look at jobs you think you'll like.......and see it as just that....it's a job that you like. If you don't get the breaks that you want in that job, or it no longer appeals...SWITCH.

I had no real idea what I wanted to do when I was younger. I enjoyed electronics, and taking things to bits, so spent 6 years as a microchip designer. Most of you have probably used a phone, modem, gps etc with my name in it

Was made redundant from there so thought I'd try my hand at running my own web design company. Was fun, but not for me. Hated paperwork.

Switched to working as a web designer for an internet security company. Left there after a year for my current employer.

Now been in my current job 4.5 years and am a decent web designer with 18 years experience of it.

Do I get fed up with it? Yes, every bloody day. Do I enjoy it? Yes, every bloody day.

I've tried my hand at a few things along a technical line as that's what flicks my switch. I've enjoyed each job.