Going back for a second degree??

[MaxManwell]

My career path took me into the industry and I haven't looked back since. It made sense to me when you connected the entrepreneurial portion with Geology, hence my reference to oil and mining.

 

I do encourage you to get more education but only if it's a passion. Otherwise it will turn into a grind.

 

Btw, now that you've confirmed why you're interested, I can now firmly recommend that you don't get into Engineering. It's very cut and dried. My father has a double masters in Engineering, my sister moved from bio-genetic to electrical engineering. I also have a number of extended family members with engineering degrees so it's a field that's near and dear to my family.

 

 

pffft knew it you were a rich kid

[jerbear]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I really enjoy reading what you've all said. I really don't know what I want to do at this point...I'm going through a quarter life crisis. Been out of school for a while, no real job let alone career in sight etc..

 

I just want to find a job that challenges me every day - it seems that with my degree, every job I can get into only requires a H.S. diploma. These aren't challenging jobs and I get no satisfaction. But at the same time, I need to just work my ass off and grunt through the first years anyways.

 

I'm going to sit on this for a while because I just got out of a long term relationship and don't want to make any major decisions while I'm under the effects of that. I'm in a totally new place and have been taking stock of my life lately. It's scary but it's also exciting.

 

I've applied at a few places for project coordinator and market analysis jobs, had my final interview this morning with Edward Jones, and am keeping in contact with everyone I know in the hopes of finding a job somewhere. Ed Jones would be very hard work but hey, I don't have anything else to worry about right now.

 

Thanks for your input everyone...if anyone else has any insight, please keep it coming.

 

Good luck! I do have to say it is hard for the quarter century people to find a meaning for job right now. I still follow your passions, if it happens to be geology then go for it.

 

There was an NPR broadcast about disenchanted lawyers who finish law school only to find that law is not their passion or what they thought it was. Anyway since you are passionate about geology and potentially adding entrepreneurship to the mix; go for it.

 

I've done something similar in my life and I'm still trying to find an interesting niche even after my degrees. Use the energy you have now and don't let others dissuade you. If you feel being a geologist is fun then go for it. Can't beat an hobby where you goto work happy, work on your hobby, and get paid for it!

 

The other thing is, you can use the math from geology in finance, Black Scholes looks very similar to the heat transfer formula. If you can make that leap; you'll do fine at Edward Jones.

[Lucky555]

I know people that have gone to college and are in college to pursue their TRUE DREAMS. They never went back to school before due to a family or other obligations.

 

If you have a passion for this go for it. Remember its a lot of hard work but if u really want it you can do it!

 

I myself didn't know what i wanted to be when i first entered college. However, a couple years later i found my passion and switched my major...i have an extra year to go due to this but I found what i want to do! When i am sitting in classes, doing the homework, and applying myself...I have been getting A's! Its only because I strive to be the top now as before i didnt really care!

 

GOOD LUCK! Do what feels right to you. I think your depressed because your doing something you don't want to do and i think that you will be successful.

[AnLandy]

Just watch out for cleavage on your bedding.....

 

http://netpet.batw.net/humor/geojokes.html

 

Geologists are what accountants call boring they all have Aspbergers syndrome and enjoy sleeping in dirt. Geologists are not normal people they're all utterly insane, or are soon driven insane by isolation in remote areas and drawing sand all day.

 

 

Actually, one of the most interesting, cultured, well-traveled, and sociable women that I know has a Ph.D. in geology. She sleeps in a mid-century Danish Modern king size bed in a six bedroom house with nine bathrooms and a gourmet kitchen. It's in Corpus Christi.

 

Also, don't be so hard on people with Aspbergers. Bill Gates has it, as does Dan Ackroyd, and my favorite nephew.

[MaxManwell]

Just watch out for cleavage on your bedding.....

 

http://netpet.batw.net/humor/geojokes.html

 

Geologists are what accountants call boring they all have Aspbergers syndrome and enjoy sleeping in dirt. Geologists are not normal people they're all utterly insane, or are soon driven insane by isolation in remote areas and drawing sand all day.

 

 

Actually, one of the most interesting, cultured, well-traveled, and sociable women that I know has a Ph.D. in geology. She sleeps in a mid-century Danish Modern king size bed in a six bedroom house with nine bathrooms and a gourmet kitchen. It's in Corpus Christi.

 

Also, don't be so hard on people with Aspbergers. Bill Gates has it, as does Dan Ackroyd, and my favorite nephew.

 

DEPENDS if you get into the right position you can almost name how many $$$ you want but most just end up bitter old men.

[backto1]

Well I'm not going back to school. I just got a job offer as a financial advisor for a big investment company!! Woohoo! I didn't think I'd ever get a decent career going on. This one is going to be hardcore work but I'm looking forward to it.

[Trialbyfire]

Will you be working with anyone? Sometimes being a junior partner or assistant with a view to taking over his/her client base upon his/her retirement, can help you get a leg up without having to cold call. A mentor/mentee relationship.

 

Good luck!

[backto1]

Thanks!

 

Nope, I'm going to be building my book from scratch. But I've got some good friends in the same company so they'll be great support during the tough first year or two. But I'm ready to work hard for once!

[kivabeach]

Hey there...

 

I jumped in on this post a little late, but read through it all. I'm confused...one side of you says geology is your passion. Then 20 or so posts later, you're already over it because you got a new job that may lead to a career?

 

Hmmm....

 

You seem to take the easiest way out. I'm 31 and about to start grad school in 3 weeks. I have had the same issues as you have...a degree in Religious Studies that basically led me to nothing other than retail and customer service jobs. i have yet to be happily employed. I too, got fed up with it. I finally decided to go back to school for Expressive Arts Therapy. I have spent a huge part of my life analyzing relationships with my lovers, friends, and family...not to mention my friends' relationships. After all of this time, i finally figured out that this is what makes me happy. i do find family dynamics fascinating, as well as couples and children. I already bought my text books and have spent a good part of today at the park reading it!

 

I can understand your need for instant gratification. i am the same way. I didnt really enjoy my undergrad work, so i was nervous about applying to grad school fearing I would be lazy and uninspired, BUT when you really find what you love, you will enjoy doing the work...as i am realizing.

 

I can see it would be easy for me to take a "sounds good on paper" job, but i know that within a year, I'll most likely be miserable and wishing I were doing something else.

 

If you are truly happy with your new job, well great! But i would definitely encourage you to pursue your geology passion. a good friend of mine is a geologist and definately has "rocks in his head." He loves loves loves his job, and he isn't a "special" person...whatever that means.

 

Good luck in your endeavors...

[kivabeach]

The thing is, finance, retail and sales don't really light my fire. Those are just the things I always thought were expected of me. What I really want is a stable career in an interesting field.

 

 

Look here...you said it yourself!!! It doesnt light your fire!!! You feel they are expected from you...and here you go taking a job in finance?

 

I'm not trying to burst your new job bubble, but i just anticipate you being unhappy.

 

Pursure Geology...it lights your fire.

[Desperado620]

backto1, I would say do it now while you're young. Also, don't let a fancy new job get you sidetracked if you want to do this. Who knows how this job will work out or how long you'll last doing something you don't really like?

 

Just a thought, I have a degrees in Graphic Design, Paralegal Technologies and Pre-law. (I only managed that because the course requirements for Paralegal Technologies and Pre-Law were exactly the same.) I still work as a receptionist. How your degrees benefit you depends a LOT upon the job market you are looking in. In a major city, I'd have no trouble getting into a big law firm, if even just getting my foot in the door as a clerk and working up from there. However, in the smaller city where I live, we only have one large firm here and it's almost impossible to get into.

 

However, since taking my job as a receptionist for a physician's office, I've realized how much more I like taking care of people than suing people and am contemplating going back to school myself to become a nurse. Not going for full RN or LPN, but maybe CNA.

 

As long as you can afford the schooling and work it into your schedule, I say do it!

[Virgo822]

I got here late, read the whole thread, and I'm confused as well.

 

You seem to have a passion for geology. Ignore those who insult all geologists. There are many career paths in geology, engineering, or any of the hard science fields. If you really have the passion, spending 6 months of the year in the field will not be a hardship, it will be a delight!

 

Then you get what you think is a lucrative job offer as a financial advisor in a big investment company.

 

Look around. Bear Sterns is dead. Lehman Brothers is on the ropes. The big hedge funds won't redeem their customer's shares. Real estate is tanking. Banks are reporting multi-billion dollar losses every quarter. Banks are failing. The federal government is taking the first giant steps towards nationalizing the entire industry. More regulations are on the way. The stock market is well into Bear territory. We may be entering the greater depression.

 

Financial advisor might have been a great job for an ambitious young man in 1988, or even 1998. But the days of easy money in finance are over. There will be 10-15 years when people move away from stocks, and from financial advisors. That means you.

 

If you have no book, you are dead meat. There is no way you are going to build up a fat book in this investing climate. You think the job pays well, but I'll bet that a lot of your salary is in commissions or bonuses. You won't be seeing those. The low hanging fruit is all gone, and people are leaving in droves. Soon it will be a stampede.

 

Think about the moral differences in the two career paths you contemplate. Financial firms are part of the Federal Reserve money pump. They steal from the poor and give to the rich. They inflate away the wealth of savers, retirees, and anyone on a fixed income, like widows and orphans and disabled. They make nothing of value, but act as parasites on those who have earned real wealth. They enable the endless growth of government and endless wars.

 

Geologists, and engineers, help transform worthless rocks into valuable metals, minerals, and other products the enhance and improve human health and well being.

 

Unlike financial advisors, there is a real shortage of engineers, geologists, and field workers of all types. The world is hungry for oil, gas, metals, and minerals. There are 800 million Chinese who are going to want cars, houses, TVs, advanced medical care, and a whole lot more in the very near future. Americans need to revitalize their industries as well.

 

The choice you face couldn't be more stark. Take a job in a dishonest, dead-end field that is already dead but is still thrashing, one that you don't care for but sounds easy and well paid. Or work your butt off for a field that excites you, and spend the rest of your career advancing human wealth and happiness.

 

The choice is yours. Choose carefully, and wisely. Good luck.

[MaxManwell]

I think Geology is one of those things that if you need to ask the question you shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

 

I got here late, read the whole thread, and I'm confused as well.

 

You seem to have a passion for geology. Ignore those who insult all geologists. There are many career paths in geology, engineering, or any of the hard science fields. If you really have the passion, spending 6 months of the year in the field will not be a hardship, it will be a delight!

 

Then you get what you think is a lucrative job offer as a financial advisor in a big investment company.

 

Look around. Bear Sterns is dead. Lehman Brothers is on the ropes. The big hedge funds won't redeem their customer's shares. Real estate is tanking. Banks are reporting multi-billion dollar losses every quarter. Banks are failing. The federal government is taking the first giant steps towards nationalizing the entire industry. More regulations are on the way. The stock market is well into Bear territory. We may be entering the greater depression.

 

Financial advisor might have been a great job for an ambitious young man in 1988, or even 1998. But the days of easy money in finance are over. There will be 10-15 years when people move away from stocks, and from financial advisors. That means you.

 

If you have no book, you are dead meat. There is no way you are going to build up a fat book in this investing climate. You think the job pays well, but I'll bet that a lot of your salary is in commissions or bonuses. You won't be seeing those. The low hanging fruit is all gone, and people are leaving in droves. Soon it will be a stampede.

 

Think about the moral differences in the two career paths you contemplate. Financial firms are part of the Federal Reserve money pump. They steal from the poor and give to the rich. They inflate away the wealth of savers, retirees, and anyone on a fixed income, like widows and orphans and disabled. They make nothing of value, but act as parasites on those who have earned real wealth. They enable the endless growth of government and endless wars.

 

Geologists, and engineers, help transform worthless rocks into valuable metals, minerals, and other products the enhance and improve human health and well being.

 

Unlike financial advisors, there is a real shortage of engineers, geologists, and field workers of all types. The world is hungry for oil, gas, metals, and minerals. There are 800 million Chinese who are going to want cars, houses, TVs, advanced medical care, and a whole lot more in the very near future. Americans need to revitalize their industries as well.

 

The choice you face couldn't be more stark. Take a job in a dishonest, dead-end field that is already dead but is still thrashing, one that you don't care for but sounds easy and well paid. Or work your butt off for a field that excites you, and spend the rest of your career advancing human wealth and happiness.

 

The choice is yours. Choose carefully, and wisely. Good luck.

[BannaBee57]

 

Geologists are what accountants call boring they all have Aspbergers syndrome and enjoy sleeping in dirt. Geologists are not normal people they're all utterly insane, or are soon driven insane by isolation in remote areas and drawing sand all day.

 

 

Geology is for 'special' people...

 

This is rediculous. My uncle is a geologist and absolutly loves it. He basically works for a small firm, searching for oil deposits in the ground. He gets a percentage of the profit from each well he digs.

 

Everything he does is in the US. No time away at sea or in a 3rd world country. It all depends on what area of the field you go into.

 

Anyway, he retired at the age of about 45 because it's such a lucrative career, but went back to work after a few years, not because he had to, but because he LOVES the work so much.

 

Also, he is not "special" or a lonely old man. He's happily married, has 4 grown children, several grandchildren, a beautiful house, and plenty of other fun toys and opportunities.

 

Doesn't sound like such a bad life to me.

[MaxManwell]

It depends... anyone who does it for the money or to have a 'career' now, is an idiot. Seven to ten years ago was the time to get into Geology not now, now the boat is gone its over, if you want to do it you need to be totally passionate. From the sounds of the OP he was not that passionate about Geology he just wanted a job.

 

 

This is rediculous. My uncle is a geologist and absolutly loves it. He basically works for a small firm, searching for oil deposits in the ground. He gets a percentage of the profit from each well he digs.

 

Everything he does is in the US. No time away at sea or in a 3rd world country. It all depends on what area of the field you go into.

 

Anyway, he retired at the age of about 45 because it's such a lucrative career, but went back to work after a few years, not because he had to, but because he LOVES the work so much.

 

Also, he is not "special" or a lonely old man. He's happily married, has 4 grown children, several grandchildren, a beautiful house, and plenty of other fun toys and opportunities.

 

Doesn't sound like such a bad life to me.