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I've noticed that on any job forum you post on to ask for advice, the majority of the feedback will be pessimistic. What gives?
Some young naive kid will come on asking for advice about XYZ career field and next you know, the thread is inundated with posts telling the kid to avoid XYZ field AT ALL COSTS! I've realized that if I were to follow the majority of the advice I've received on here, I would not have gone to college and I would probably be unemployed since almost every degree is worthless and every career field sucks.
Perhaps coming onto these kinds of forums for career advice is not in your best interest sometimes. What do you think?
I see absolutely nothing wrong with knocking down someone's dreams. Kids today watch these movies and think that everyone deserves, or expects to get a job as a rockstar, sports hero, or actor, without having any idea at all how much hard work, and how tough it is to break into some of these industries. Sometimes they need a good reality check before the go and drop tens of thousands of dollars to learn these things, then end up working construction or waiting tables, still owing this money. Also if several dozen people say to not enter a field (education, legal, etc) because there literally are NO jobs in that area, and they still go to major in it, they are idiots. Colleges are in the business of selling degrees and could honestly care less if you get a job or not.
I don't sense the majority of threads on the employment forum are in the context described. I haven't read too many threads from people asking about career paths. Most threads seem to be relating to finding a job or dealing with situations in the workplace. (Maybe it should be called the "Unemployment" forum.)
Some people are being realists, others are being douche bags. It's tough out there in most every field, but that's not to say that those who are truly dedicated to making it work can't find opportunities. They just have to understand what they're up against, obtain the proper background, network with others sharing the same interests, and be willing to work their way up.
I don't pay much attention to the job forums anymore, because each situation is different. For example, in the IT field, someone who has obtained the necessary certs and education and who networks and has actively sought out more progressive tasks in the past will stand a better chance of finding opportunities than the person who spent 15 years on a tier-1 help desk with no ambitions to get certified or educated. As companies who cut the fat in the past start to grow again and have opportunities come open who do you think they'll look for, the go-getters or the ones happy with the status quo?
I see absolutely nothing wrong with knocking down someone's dreams. Kids today watch these movies and think that everyone deserves, or expects to get a job as a rockstar, sports hero, or actor, without having any idea at all how much hard work, and how tough it is to break into some of these industries. Sometimes they need a good reality check before the go and drop tens of thousands of dollars to learn these things, then end up working construction or waiting tables, still owing this money. Also if several dozen people say to not enter a field (education, legal, etc) because there literally are NO jobs in that area, and they still go to major in it, they are idiots. Colleges are in the business of selling degrees and could honestly care less if you get a job or not.
I'm not talking about fantasy jobs like rockstars, sports heroes, or actors. For most, these jobs are unattainable. Let me give some examples.
The law profession is often attacked on these forums (education and employment). Apparently there are too many lawyers graduating from law schools and most lawyers hate their jobs. I see this type of criticism most often on these boards. Paralegal is another law profession I've seen criticized. Apparently the pay sucks and the lawyers treat you horribly.
Teachers. There's an over-supply of teachers and the pay sucks. That pretty much sums that up.
Nurses. There's no longer a shortage of nurses. There are wait lists in almost every program. The doctor's treat you horribly and there's too much red tape.
IT/Computer-related Careers. All the jobs are being off shored to China and India. Salaries are deflating. Most IT people want out.
Pilots. The pay sucks and it's very hard to get a job with in the big leagues because of union restrictions.
MBAs. They're a dime a dozen.
Truck drivers. You get treated like sh*t by those who run the show.
Finance. There are no more jobs in this area after the most recent economic collapse.
College degrees. There are too many kids graduating from college and flooding the labor market. Or my favorite, your degree is worthless.
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These are just a few examples of the career advice I read on employment forums (not just C-D). With this kind of advice being dished out all the time, what else is left? Are the only decent paying career paths left for us in accounting, engineering and medical (doctors)? I feel like this is an excerpt out of the Brave New World, where what we are able to do for a living is pre-determined and extremely limited.
I don't sense the majority of threads on the employment forum are in the context described. I haven't read too many threads from people asking about career paths. Most threads seem to be relating to finding a job or dealing with situations in the workplace. (Maybe it should be called the "Unemployment" forum.)
I'm referring to a variety of job-related forums, not just C-D. Have you been to Dice lately?
I'm all for reality checks as needed (If I had a nickel for every "pre-med" freshman I saw in college that got trashed every night and failed their classes...), but that doesn't classify many of the posts here. There are many fields out there that have long, difficult roads to get where one wants to be. But as long as people are realistic about the difficulties and have a "what if I don't get there" plan, then I don't see the problem. Half the people who discourage people from going certain routes know next to nothing about the fields they're quick to disparage.
There are many fields out there that have long, difficult roads to get where one wants to be. But as long as people are realistic about the difficulties and have a "what if I don't get there" plan, then I don't see the problem.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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Depends on your expectations. I find this board (and other general boards) to be fairly general and, as such, I only expect to get general advice/feedback. If I want general work-related advice, I think these boards deliver. I do pick up on negativity with regards to certain professions. But just b/c it's negative or not what I was hoping for, I wouldn't necessarily discount it.
When I want more specific, industry-related feedback, I go to industry-specific boards or, more importantly, attend trade-related conferences, subscribe to industry journals, etc. Gives me a much clearer picture of what's *really* going on.
Keep in mind that part of the issue is that almost ANY field nowadays has more applicants than openings, so a lot of people are pessimistic in these extremely hard times.
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