I Quit My Job

July 20th, 2014 at 10:25:40 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18556
Quote: beachbumbabs

Smoke jumper, responding to wildfires (mostly out west) during the fire season (now) and making enough to pay for an entire year in just 3-4 months. Ridiculously hard, exhilarating, incredibly rewarding. My ex has a buddy from the service that just retired after 30 years of it.


Sounds perfect, based on what little I know of Face from here.

Jumping into fires -- on purpose.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
July 20th, 2014 at 11:31:55 PM permalink
TheCesspit
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 23
Posts: 1929
I think you are a little crazy quitting before sorting out the next thing... but then I think you are a little crazy punting around in a old car at 100mph on an oval. And a lot crazy for still following the Maple Laughs.

Given your make-do attitude, you are more capable than many I know to get on with it. I've quit jobs with no new job to go to, but had plans for emigration and contracting in that case.

Good luck with it.
It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die.... it's called Life
August 13th, 2014 at 11:35:11 AM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
OK, I'm a little stuck mentally, so why not ask this crew? I figured some may get what I'm saying or may have even experienced it before, so here goes...

Rather than just pick up any old thing and continue this process of "work real hard at something new for years until I get bored and quit", I'm contemplating pursuing something I actually want. FleaStiff's random comment in my Wyoming thread, "It's better to actively choose than passively accept", is hitting me hard right now, and I feel like I'm at a very important fork in my road of life. It's just that the "actively choose" part has some options, options I can't suss out on my own.

Top of the list would be going back to school, full time+, and hammering out my bachelor's in 2.5yrs. My desire is to get a BA in Sciences, with a concentration in aquatic biology and a focus on Limnology and Ichthyology. Accomplishing this is not a concern. My concern is the aftermath. With such a degree, my ignorant self believes employment would be limited to State and Federal organizations, like the DEC or EPA, both of which can be a bitch to get into. If those two lines fail, I don't see a ton of additional options and I face what to me is a nightmare scenario of $X0,000 of debt with a degree on the shelf as I build houses or turn wrenches.

Second on the list would be the same degree but with a concentration in forestry and focus on dendrology and silviculture. Again, my post school options would lie heavily within these same State and Federal organizations; however, there is more leeway as many areas need a forester (real estate development, industry, oil and gas, mining, timber, etc).

I think the key to unlocking the additional options in the water route would be to broaden my studies with engineering, and that, to me, is pretty much terrifying. Despite my ability to intuitively understand just about anything, math has always been my kryptonite. In 4 years of high school, the highest grade I ever carried in math was 63, which I finally accomplished my senior year. Freshman year? I had a 32. I just don't get it, nor can I explain banging out mid to high 90's on all Regents sciences, from Earth to Biology to Chemistry to Physics. 98% on Regents Physics final, but can't even get a 50% in 9th grade math. Ask me how an internal combustion engine works and I could break it down to the molecular chemical level. But figuring out 17% of 34? Beyond my abilities. Go figure.

So I dunno. I don't know what I expect with this post, except to maybe hear something that's gonna pop this clog out of my decision maker.

Ok, go.
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
August 13th, 2014 at 12:24:22 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
A degree in any of the sciences is heavy on
math, you can't escape it. My daughter
teaches college math and about half her
classes drop out by the second month.
She constantly has students crying to her
that they can't get a degree without the math
credits, and her answer is 'try harder'.

I was bad at math too, still hate it.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
August 13th, 2014 at 12:53:51 PM permalink
DRich
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 51
Posts: 4923
Decide what you really enjoy doing and pursue it as a career.

If it is auto racing, pursue it as a career. No, you might not become a Nascar driver, but move to North Carolina and get a position working with one of the racing teams there.
At my age a Life In Prison sentence is not much of a detrrent.
August 13th, 2014 at 1:22:16 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: DRich
Decide what you really enjoy doing and pursue it as a career.

If it is auto racing, pursue it as a career. No, you might not become a Nascar driver, but move to North Carolina and get a position working with one of the racing teams there.


That is my plan, hence my idea to pursue limnology. But I was one of EB's daughter's 2 month drop outs, because I'm so bad at math =p

The "science math" I'm not worried about. Like I said, I smashed high school science, and my Biology, Botany, and Chem course in college are the only ones I ever did good at. I'm not worried about that. What I'm worried about is the "extra", like entering the engineering side to give myself an extra boost when it comes to find-a-job time. Being a run-of-the-mill limnologist or ichthyologist is gonna be a tough go, there's so little turnover. Adding that engineering would open a ton of doors, and definitely up the pay check.

I'm just scared of the math.

Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
August 13th, 2014 at 2:14:56 PM permalink
boymimbo
Member since: Mar 25, 2013
Threads: 5
Posts: 732
Right. You're going to have to learn calculus at some point, and I would suggest tutors. I would go the 2nd route. AZ will tell you not to rely on the government to give you a job.
August 13th, 2014 at 2:37:48 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Face


So I dunno. I don't know what I expect with this post, except to maybe hear something that's gonna pop this clog out of my decision maker.

Ok, go.


All due respect, I think you are thinking about it backwards. After reading "What Color is Your Parachute" I found the best way to plan a career of career change is you have to find place.

Step 1: What industry or industries do you want to be in?

You seem to be an outdoor type so start with say Forestry. You should make a list but I will put just one so as to KISS and not taint your thought process.

Step 2: What kind of work do you like doing?

Do you like physical work? Indoor or outdoor? Or do you prefer administrative? Do you prefer to be on site or on your own? Make a list of attributes of what you want.

Step 3: Where do you want to work?

Simple one here, geography.


So you take the most important from each list and get a statement like, "I want to do outdoor work in forestry in Montana."

Then research what you need to do.
The President is a fink.
August 13th, 2014 at 2:56:25 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: boymimbo
Right. You're going to have to learn calculus at some point, and I would suggest tutors. .


Tutors is the only way to go and wait for
the eureka moment. My daughter says
it will come if you work hard enough,
where hard becomes less hard and then
easy.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
August 13th, 2014 at 3:29:14 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: AZDuffman
All due respect, I think you are thinking about it backwards.


No disrespect taken. I'd rather hear "you're #%$^ing up" and fix it, than "good idea" and get screwed.

But, unless I'm misunderstanding, I think I already did that part. Hockey and racing are obvious dead ends, so the outdoors is obvious. That, of course, led me to the DEC. In there, there's about 7 or so main categories that then branch out into their individual specialties, and just about any one I could see myself doing. I went with Aquatic Biologist and Forester because they were the most desirable.

Within each, there are things I'd love and things that would put me in the same position. Like admin? Hell, I ain't wanting to go back behind the desk. But there are several positions in both that give a wide range of responsibilities, each one I'd fit into. There would be time in the field, slugging through mud or digging through snow or tramping around creeks and woods and trapping all manner of critters, big and small. I do that already. There will be time spent in a lab, testing and inspecting what was found and looking for others. I love that, too. There will be time studying research and conducting some of my own, heavy on reading and writing. Hell, that's what I do in my spare time. There will be travel for training and conferences, something that was the only highlight of casino business. There is teaching and community outreach stuff, no problem. The more I looked, the more is just appeared to be a perfect mix, all full of stuff I'd either be good at or do already, stuff that I'm looking for to fill the the requirements I look for in a job (passion and production).

The "where" I'm opening up to "wherever", so I substituted it for "what if". What if being a FOR or AB for the DEC is a no go, then what? With Forestry, it seems open. Any state, several industries, the doors are open. With AB, I didn't find as much. Mostly, expanding the AB into specialized line of AB (like engineer) seemed the best bet to open those doors of fallback.

So, I think I already did what you stated. One of my "wants" is to get into aquatic biology for the DEC, toward the active research and public outreach, and away from the admin side. I'd like to do that here in WNY, but understand even if with the NYSDEC, it'll likely be like Corrections - take the first job that comes to get foot in the door (likely Albany or further downstate) and work my way back. I also am not above moving to PA (Or Idaho, or Montana, etc) if it comes to that.

As far as researching, already done. I already know the degree, the concentration, the electives, the focus, the internships I need to take, already found a school that offers it... I guess Mr Not-scared-of-anything is just a bit scared of this. Like I need to read my and EB's sigs until that bell goes off. I guess mostly I wanted to present it to unbiased eyes that'll say "dude, you're retarded" if my plan is indeed retarded =)
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.