If you could have a do-over with your education and career path...

[16kOrBust]

I've heard a lot of people (including myself) talk about how they would handle their education and career path differently if they had the opportunity. Some are even at the point of doing so now, regardless of where they are in life. Whether it's because of the economy or some other reason, it seems like a pretty common thing these days to go back to school and change careers. I even have quite a few friends who are now studying at a graduate level in a field completely unrelated to their undergraduate degree. I've considered doing so myself and thought it might make for some good conversation.

So here's the scenario: you're in the current world and time but you have the opportunity to go back to the age of 18 and completely start over fresh out of high school. How would you handle your education? What types of schools would you consider and which field/major would you pursue? Take into consideration not only what you would LIKE to do, but also the current state of the economy, job availability, etc, and how all of this would affect your success later in life.

 

[N2DAMYSTIC]

Id imagine I would pick up a Trade and ditch the corporate environment.

 

[newbie1276]

Id imagine I would pick up a Trade and ditch the corporate environment.

i would do just the oppposite. or go into the military. back when i was 18 the world was peaceful..

 

[ViciousJay]

figure out to become a CIO or CEO fast somewhere

 

[Grabber]

I would have stayed in school, and learned to back off so I didn't get hurt and lose my scholarships.

I would do anything to get my Scholarship back from Notre Dame and Augustina University, and eventually moved on to get a degree in Engineering.

 

[W6330]

I would have went into ROTC instead of just enlisting that way I could be an Officer for the pay, and the perks, but nothing beats the hands on training you get as a regular enlisted soldier so I guess after making it to Staff Sergeant and looking back and looking at these new generation of officers I wouldn't change at all.

 

[terrible one]

I often ask myself this question, and if I could go back I'd probably go to a 4 year university straight out of HS. The only thing I was very immature at 18, so I wonder if I would have gone that route could I have handled the responsibility? Oh well, I'll never know.
Learning a trade is definetly a good idea though.

 

[oldmodman]

Would have continued at UCLA school of engineering.

Not a lot of money, but dammit! I want to build stuff!

 

[FL-Orange]

I would go back for an engineering degree. It's what I do now and I enjoy the hell out of most of it but I don't have the degree to put up on the wall so I will hit the ceiling (carreer wise) in the not too distant future.

I might think about enlisting, I was an army brat and most all males in my family have served. I think I could've excelled in the service.

 

[PBLA]

I would be an Engineer and not an Engineering Tech. Pay is better and the opportunity to begin your own firm is always there. Also, at this office anyhow, engineers seem to look down on "non-professionals" regardless of experience or quality of work. That aside, I like my job. Much like a dr./nurse situation, as an Engineer Tech, I'm doing the things I grew up thinking engineers did. Engineers, again we're a very small firm, spend much of their time with clients, whether it's on the phone or meetings. Very little time with design and calculations.

 

[PBLA]

I would go back for an engineering degree. It's what I do now and I enjoy the hell out of most of it but I don't have the degree to put up on the wall so I will hit the ceiling (carreer wise) in the not too distant future.

I feel your pain.

 

[Fuerza]

I would invent Facebook.

:coolman:

 

[ff500]

I'm happy with my career as an Electrician. I may have had a decent career in hockey, maybe even a shot at the NHL.

 

[James Snover]

I'm happy with where I have ended up. But if I did it over, I would have stayed in school, got a degree, and gone into aerospace or physics.

Jim Snover

 

[joeg215]

Would have continued at UCLA school of engineering.

Not a lot of money, but dammit! I want to build stuff!

A lot of money is obviously perspective, but most engineering fields are the fastest growing careers these days.

 

[jliddle]

I would've not went to college and went straight to the military. Instead of waiting til after I graduated

 

[gilby959798]

I have a degree in Electrical Engineering and I love my job for the most part but I think if i could go back I wouldve went for Mechanical Engineering instead. I also wish that I wouldve taken school more serious and got more scholarships. Engineering pays well but as a consultant I dont make as much as I could in other industries. I always tell people to go for an engineering degree though because the possibilities are endless when it comes to jobs (kinda) as far as what you can do.

 

[NestorGT]

I would have gotten my Firefighter and EMT-B certs earlier, instead by the time I got them the economy went to sh!# and now I cant get hired.

 

[trevkm7]

I'm in this position now...well kind of,I'm 19 and a year into community college. So overwhelming and I always think this question will pop into my head 10 years from now.

 

[gilby959798]

I would be an Engineer and not an Engineering Tech. Pay is better and the opportunity to begin your own firm is always there. Also, at this office anyhow, engineers seem to look down on "non-professionals" regardless of experience or quality of work. That aside, I like my job. Much like a dr./nurse situation, as an Engineer Tech, I'm doing the things I grew up thinking engineers did. Engineers, again we're a very small firm, spend much of their time with clients, whether it's on the phone or meetings. Very little time with design and calculations.

this is true to an extent. We have a designer that I am always asking questions because of his experience and then again we have a guy that is a complete idiot because he thinks a job is just like the one before that or it has to be like the "go-by" in all reality though nothing is ever the exact same as another job. he also will take your idea and pitch it to the boss as his on and if something goes wrong he always has an excuse as to why he screwed up.

In our firm respect is given to those who deserve it.