snowbrdr99
01-27-2004, 12:39 AM
Was joking around about QLC before my 25th because I was feeling the effects and then happened upon this site.
So basically my story goes like this...
I'm from a blue collar border city in Canada, first one in family to go to University, graduate and am screwed.
Got entrance scholarship and into my program of choice in 97 which was Criminology (interested in police route), advised after first year to consider something else by high ranking relative in local police force. After second year decided to transfer into business, I thought to myself, hey the opportunities are endless with a business degree. Finished off business degree in December, now I have my Honours B.Comm (Finance). And I turned the big 2-5. Yay.
While in school starting half way thru first year I got a job working part time midnites with one of the local big 3 automakers. 4 year non-renewable contract for full-time students, lasted until end of 4th year, made awesome cash while working there and that helped pay for tuition and other expenses. (I have had no financial assistance thruout university and have paid for everything myself). I also worked as a summer intern at the full service brokerage arm of the largest Canadian bank, I have worked security during a slow period with the automaker, I have had my own small summer business, and I have done a number of small side jobs as well.
In my last year at school I was recruited by a major financial services company to work as a financial advisor. I had limited time to study for my licensing exams but got top marks in mutual fund and life licensing exams. Was under the impression that the firm was full spectrum financial products provider as that is what they held themselves out as. Went to work and found that they were 90%+ insurance and the remainder other financial products (they were "formerly" an insurance company but changed their name and are masquerading as a full spectrum financial institution, something they are not). I was also under the impression that I was given a salary to cover my start up costs for 26 pay periods (1 year) plus any commission I made, but it turned out to be only 26 weeks (6mos) and then went into 100% commission. Wouldn't have been so bad but you are charged exorbitant fees for your laptop/technology/office space/etc whether you use them or not and whether you make any money or not, otherwise you go into a deficit situation with the company. So I immediately said goodbye, not my cup of tea, and that was at the end of October.
So since the economy sucks I ended up only scoring a job as a staff sergeant and patrol supervisor with a security firm in town... crap money and 90%+ of what I make goes onto paying off my student loans (I HATE DEBT!!)... so no cash for myself... slavery I say!!!
Now I know I need to go back to school (no brainer) and pair my biz degree with something. Don't want to get into financial world or banking because I found out I really don't like that and it pays crap. Can't go into police work because process is brutal, lengthy, expensive and I'd need $2500+ laser eye surgery before I could even apply and there's no guarantee I'd make first cut. Even if I made it thru I'd need a few more grand for police college and in the best of circumstances it would be a year before I'd start making money. Don't have that kind of cash under my mattress for that kind of thing at this point in time.
Could go into either mechanical or civil engineering. Definitely going to local college because programs are good (mechanical eng. programs are prolly best in country at college level) and they will both transfer into 3rd year engineering programs at a couple Canadian universities if that's something I'd be interested in sometime down the road, and they're cost effective.
Not really interested in mechanical engineering (industrial management/tool&die/millwright/etc... but the pay is good and jobs seem to be pretty plentiful in this area.
Civil engineering interests me because I grew up with a hammer in one hand and lego in the other, I have a very detailed understanding of construction, I have experience, I think it's fun, I am a visual thinker, I also have an eye for architecture and design. I think having my own building company in the future would be great. BUT... I am less confident of the short term job situation, pay rates, earning ability, etc... compared to mechanical engineering.
Need capital to start my own business and it needs to come from somewhere, also need something that is mobile because I despise the area that I am living in and refuse to stay anywhere near here. So although mechanical eng. is good here and now, I'd have to stay around SW Ontario to take full advantage and that would make my life a living hell... area is ugly, has no trees, is flatter than kansas, and is choking from american downwind pollution with the highest cancer rates in Canada and in some cases the world... scary. Don't want to work in the US because Michigan is dirty and nasty up until the Troy area on the I-75 and that is a pretty good commute and pair that with the morons that the US border shaking down us Canadian "terrorists and evildoers" and probably looking for the elusive Iraqi weapons of mass destruction in our car trunks... yeah... morons I say... I can do without that nonsense.
So does anyone have any insight or advice??? I know I know... go with what you love and the money will follow... but I need to be realistic here and I don't really know what I love just yet. Time is flying and I am not getting any younger... it's sad, I always thought I'd have everything together by this point in my life. Man I hate this... makes me so anxious and frustrated... but that's why I'm here... hopefully I can get some advice and/or answers that will steer me in the right direction.
So I guess to lead, does anyone have any experience in the mechancial eng. or civil eng. field? what are the salaries like? what are the jobs like/opportunities like in the field? future forecast given current conditions? Anyone have any general advice/thoughts/etc???? I am going to the college to meet with the directors of the two fields to try and gain some more insight into those issues but of course their responses will be overly positive and biased... but it's a start.
To sum it up:
25, Canadian, want to stay in Canada (US is waaaaaaay too paranoid these days), don't want to live in SW Ontario, have business degree, QLC, blah blah, maybe considering either mechanical or civil engineering or something else I don't know of just yet... That's about it... oh yeah, frustrated and anxious... yay. :p
So basically my story goes like this...
I'm from a blue collar border city in Canada, first one in family to go to University, graduate and am screwed.
Got entrance scholarship and into my program of choice in 97 which was Criminology (interested in police route), advised after first year to consider something else by high ranking relative in local police force. After second year decided to transfer into business, I thought to myself, hey the opportunities are endless with a business degree. Finished off business degree in December, now I have my Honours B.Comm (Finance). And I turned the big 2-5. Yay.
While in school starting half way thru first year I got a job working part time midnites with one of the local big 3 automakers. 4 year non-renewable contract for full-time students, lasted until end of 4th year, made awesome cash while working there and that helped pay for tuition and other expenses. (I have had no financial assistance thruout university and have paid for everything myself). I also worked as a summer intern at the full service brokerage arm of the largest Canadian bank, I have worked security during a slow period with the automaker, I have had my own small summer business, and I have done a number of small side jobs as well.
In my last year at school I was recruited by a major financial services company to work as a financial advisor. I had limited time to study for my licensing exams but got top marks in mutual fund and life licensing exams. Was under the impression that the firm was full spectrum financial products provider as that is what they held themselves out as. Went to work and found that they were 90%+ insurance and the remainder other financial products (they were "formerly" an insurance company but changed their name and are masquerading as a full spectrum financial institution, something they are not). I was also under the impression that I was given a salary to cover my start up costs for 26 pay periods (1 year) plus any commission I made, but it turned out to be only 26 weeks (6mos) and then went into 100% commission. Wouldn't have been so bad but you are charged exorbitant fees for your laptop/technology/office space/etc whether you use them or not and whether you make any money or not, otherwise you go into a deficit situation with the company. So I immediately said goodbye, not my cup of tea, and that was at the end of October.
So since the economy sucks I ended up only scoring a job as a staff sergeant and patrol supervisor with a security firm in town... crap money and 90%+ of what I make goes onto paying off my student loans (I HATE DEBT!!)... so no cash for myself... slavery I say!!!
Now I know I need to go back to school (no brainer) and pair my biz degree with something. Don't want to get into financial world or banking because I found out I really don't like that and it pays crap. Can't go into police work because process is brutal, lengthy, expensive and I'd need $2500+ laser eye surgery before I could even apply and there's no guarantee I'd make first cut. Even if I made it thru I'd need a few more grand for police college and in the best of circumstances it would be a year before I'd start making money. Don't have that kind of cash under my mattress for that kind of thing at this point in time.
Could go into either mechanical or civil engineering. Definitely going to local college because programs are good (mechanical eng. programs are prolly best in country at college level) and they will both transfer into 3rd year engineering programs at a couple Canadian universities if that's something I'd be interested in sometime down the road, and they're cost effective.
Not really interested in mechanical engineering (industrial management/tool&die/millwright/etc... but the pay is good and jobs seem to be pretty plentiful in this area.
Civil engineering interests me because I grew up with a hammer in one hand and lego in the other, I have a very detailed understanding of construction, I have experience, I think it's fun, I am a visual thinker, I also have an eye for architecture and design. I think having my own building company in the future would be great. BUT... I am less confident of the short term job situation, pay rates, earning ability, etc... compared to mechanical engineering.
Need capital to start my own business and it needs to come from somewhere, also need something that is mobile because I despise the area that I am living in and refuse to stay anywhere near here. So although mechanical eng. is good here and now, I'd have to stay around SW Ontario to take full advantage and that would make my life a living hell... area is ugly, has no trees, is flatter than kansas, and is choking from american downwind pollution with the highest cancer rates in Canada and in some cases the world... scary. Don't want to work in the US because Michigan is dirty and nasty up until the Troy area on the I-75 and that is a pretty good commute and pair that with the morons that the US border shaking down us Canadian "terrorists and evildoers" and probably looking for the elusive Iraqi weapons of mass destruction in our car trunks... yeah... morons I say... I can do without that nonsense.
So does anyone have any insight or advice??? I know I know... go with what you love and the money will follow... but I need to be realistic here and I don't really know what I love just yet. Time is flying and I am not getting any younger... it's sad, I always thought I'd have everything together by this point in my life. Man I hate this... makes me so anxious and frustrated... but that's why I'm here... hopefully I can get some advice and/or answers that will steer me in the right direction.
So I guess to lead, does anyone have any experience in the mechancial eng. or civil eng. field? what are the salaries like? what are the jobs like/opportunities like in the field? future forecast given current conditions? Anyone have any general advice/thoughts/etc???? I am going to the college to meet with the directors of the two fields to try and gain some more insight into those issues but of course their responses will be overly positive and biased... but it's a start.
To sum it up:
25, Canadian, want to stay in Canada (US is waaaaaaay too paranoid these days), don't want to live in SW Ontario, have business degree, QLC, blah blah, maybe considering either mechanical or civil engineering or something else I don't know of just yet... That's about it... oh yeah, frustrated and anxious... yay. :p