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But you're right: a lot of women go into it, as a lot of women are office assistants, but not all, of course.
Back when I was growing up, women were secretaries and men were managers. Some of that gender stereotyping still holds on in some places, but -- honestly -- don't let that stop you if you are interested in pursuing it.
My parents both came from immigrant families and always raised me to aspire to be in a white collar type of environment as far as work goes. They wanted me to have a career that I could advance in, not a factory job like they had (still have).
I have had a white collar office job since I graduated high school and I have advanced twice in my career so far. I'm very good at what I do but I don't get as much enjoyment out of it. I get very bored very easily.
This past week I've been helping a friend do some landscaping work for a client of his who is relocating to the area. I've done everything from planting trees and flowers (something I've never done before), moved ridiculous amounts of furniture in and out of the house, and helped with the pool de-construction and construction. The days were long but I enjoyed being in the sun.
Best part was at the end of each day all the guys would hang out and have a couple beers or tea or lemonade and just kick it. Talk for a bit into the night and then head home and come back early morning to do it all over again. I found it much more satisfying than coming home after an 8-5 office job where I was sitting all day at a computer. I don't drink a lot but sometimes I come home and crack open a beer that I drink with dinner and that's it.
It's kind of neat how accomplished I felt after seeing the work I had done manually really turn that house around.
Anyway, I told my parents my experience with everything and they couldn't believe I actually planted a tree or did anything with my hands for that matter. I've always been teased (not in a bad way) in the family as the guy who doesn't get his hair messed up or his hands dirty.
Thing is, my buddy who I was helping gets paid at an hourly rate that's pretty low. I think it's like $15 an hour and no health benefits. At my current office job I get a nice salary that comes out to a way better hourly rate and full benefits. I think only $200 a month comes out of my paycheck for whatever benefits and retirement accounts I have.
Is it worth starting a blue collar career at a lower pay? Or do you think I should stick with my office job and just deal with it?
Not saying 'blue collar' isn't (or can't be) better. But the bolded part above isn't unique to blue collar work. I do that all the time with my co-workers. I think it just comes down to the environment you are in.
The most fun I had in my career is also when I worked the longest. We'd get there at 7am, and we probably didn't leave until 8pm. However, the environment was so much fun. It was a biotech start-up during the late 90s. Yea, we all worked hard - but the Fridge full of beer starts flowing around 4pm. As the company grew, things changed - with more people, you started to have individual agendas, politics creeped in, etc. The "events" were still there. But the environment changed. We no longer stayed till 8pm unless we absolutely had to. It was simply no longer "fun".
I do get the thing about doing something where you can see immediate results. This is something I relish when I do stuff around the home - the feeling you get looking at a nice mowed lawn, the nicely mulched areas, new painted room, how my "man room" looks after I clean it up etc. That said, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it as much if I had to depend on it for a living.
Started my career as an electrician. 10 years of hard work always sweating and lugging stuff around. Paid well, but I elt physically tired and actually hurt my knee and needed surgery.
I left that career for a similar paying white collared field and haven't looked back. It works well for me.
What is a good career that will keep you fit but not wear you down? That has good job opportunities and fair pay?
I don't want to sit infront of a computer all day
working in a medical lab keeps you active without being "physical" like construction/mining/oil... pays ok depending on what you want, starts from just above minimum wage up to doctors...
Trying to find a job you feel challenged at, and enjoy doing is the real key regardless of the type of job.
If your bored and unchallenged in your present position, evaluate your best and most marketable skills which you like to use, and search for something which will allow you to use them and grow.
If you are content with the work, the rest will fall in line (usually).
Thanks for this post. Lots of good insight. It's funny you mention being a paralegal. I did want to pursue that at one point in my life but I got a lot of crap for it because it's mainly a female dominated profession.
You're right about the health problems that can come from working physically intensive jobs. That's something I wasn't taking into consideration. Maybe I just need more outdoor hobbies.
About the drinking - it's never been a problem for me. I drink once a week if that. If I go out to a restaurant with friends I'll have a couple glasses and that's it. I never drink to get blackout drunk and controlling my intake isn't a problem for me. Thanks for looking out though.
Paralegals get paid well. Screw what your friends say. Around her paralegals make like $85-90k. Not too far off the engineers.
I agree with the other post, it sounds like you have the wrong office job. You might like sales or other roles better!
Blue collar jobs can make more that what your friend is making- especially if you enter a trade such as electric, plumbing or carpentry. 100k+ sometimes.
Great sense of belonging there too- especially in the unions- which i think is in the heart of your message.
I am a light blue collar as a business owner nowadays, but as you mentioned, there is something quite rewarding about physically transforming an object. I spent several years at IBM and realized office work was not going to bring me fulfillment, so I left that world behind and have no regrets. Obviously you do not want to be the laborer your entire career for reasons mentioned, but learning a trade and getting into a supervisory/ownership role in due time is a great way to make money and create something tangible.
Just last week I was driving by a house where I worked as a grunt on a beautiful stone wall about twenty years ago. It is still there, and will remain there long after I am gone. No one is looking at the spreadsheets I made working at IBM years ago. It gave me a sense of satisfaction far beyond anything personally accomplished in the "corporate world" even though I was just mixing mortar and laying stones.
Do what makes you happy, not what others expect you to do.
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