Career choice...sincere advices needed....

[leung23c]

Hi guys. My name is Joey. I don't know what to do with my life.

I believe life is meant to strive for the biggest success. I am currently 24. Here are my options:

1. Study to be a car mechanic. I can finish schooling in 1 year and make approximately 50k (estimate) annually.

2. Study to be a psychiatric nurse which I can advance to take master degree in psychiatric nursing in the future. Annual expected to be 90k~100k. However I need another 3-4 years of pure schooling to do it but it is a good career and I know I can do it.

3. Fort macmurray gold rush. I have seen quite a few fellows here got their buckets of gold there. But I also know everything comes with a price. Maybe the price is no advancement in life or relationship or happiness whatsoever and I end up doing drugs and become suicidal.

I am a resilient person who has high expectation of myself. But saying that doesn't mean I do silly things. I am a human who makes mistakes. I just mean I am always willing to get back on my feet no matter how hard I fall.

Any opinion are welcomed.

Joey

[nimblestix]

Choose your career based on happiness/interest not dollars and cents. No amount of money justifies getting up on the AM every day to go to a job you hate.

Money is nice but fulfillment is better!

Seriously look into you options for school.

sent from a galaxy far, far away

[ColinR33]

Nimblestix nailed it. You have to be enjoy what you are doing or no amount of dollars will make up for it if you hate your job/career. Choose what YOU WANT to do, the rest will fall into place.

[leung23c]

I completely get what you guys are saying. That's my mentality before, too. However if I live in fort Mac and make 200k a year, versus making 100k as a psych nurse, it may have a point to save up for five years then buy a house with cash!

[cobrAA]

as long as you can live with it.. question is.. will you be in fort mcmurray in 25 yrs ?

Don't think about actual cash, think about long term. what will you do in 25yrs or 15 or 35yrs ?

[louis110]

Like others have said, wherever your passion lies. However I think psychiatric nurse will be a career that you will be proud of and still garner you a well paying lifestyle. The oil rush has its cons, and there's a lot more to it than just the lure of the money. My advice is to make a list of what your priorities are in the next 5-8 years and base it off that. Will you be working in the oil fields the rest of your life?

[r33_gtst]

at the end of the day it's quality of life. Making money isn't everything but making good money to sustain a good living and have a few nice things here there is. when you think long term a pension will set you up for retirement, additional RRSP's or investments are a bonus. I've been going to the psychiatric roots and furthering your education is your best option. There are numerous avenues you can work with education like that and there's always good money along the way. Do you want to have 200,000 a year with toys and cars, working a lot and no family. Or make a hundred grand a year have a little bit more of a simple, and enjoyable life with family and friends.

Finish your mechanic requirement. Then go to school for 3-4 years and then you can do side work. Dual income if you really want

[leung23c]

Thanks for the comments guys. I truly understand how important money is when I am really on my own since 17 but I guess happiness and fulfillment in life is way more important than the extra 100 grand income (before tax LMAO) So now it narrows down to these two options...

1) Finish mechanic degree (or machining, bodywork whatever, as long as I can learn a lot to do works on my own car) then do psych nurse degree.

2) Live like a hobo but start taking nursing degree from the very beginning, then do whatever the hell I want.

Again, any sincere opinions are truly appreciated.

Joey

[Phillyb]

Fort Mcmurray isn't a bad option. I have lots of buddies that go there and do really well. (We are all aged 20-25 my group of friends) They do roughneck work, lots of hard overtime hours and its not fun work, but the money is great. I myself am a welder. I chose that because Ive always wanted to be one since i was a child. And with welding you are always gaining experience and skills that accumulate into very useful traits. Rig work is more of a dead end job, but if you dont have a family or many responsibilities id say go for it. 4 years of school isnt worth the time when u can make much more doing many different things that dont require all that schooling. I am a 3rd year now