Preferred profession for your children

[armen34]

I have seen multiple threads on what you do and what watch you have....

I am wondering what you would prefer (realistically) or educate our up and coming generation on a profession, since we don't really have too much information other than what profession you have chosen and feel narrow minded outside of your education.

Let me say i'm in the health field and went to college for 8 years and I feel that I would not want my kids to do what I do, even though I make decent money, I feel that the reward to stress is not there. Especially the debt they would accumulate compared to the annual income is too high these days and I'm sure it's going to be worse in the future.


Anyway, I just want to through it out there and see what fellow trf members think about this topic and maybe I can learn pros and cons of other industries!

Thank you.

[427_Monster]

any profession as long as they are happy and healthy

[Ruud Van Driver]

I don't have kids but if I did, I'd advise them to take one of three possible career paths and that's be a lawyer, a doctor or an undertaker.

1. Lawyer - Elements of society have been badly behaved or stupid since the dawn of time. In other words, some people will always find themselves in trouble, so a good lawyer will never be out of work.

2. People are always going to be sick so a doctor will never be out of work.

3. People will always die so an undertaker will always have a job.

[armen34]

Lol... I thought #3 would be an engineer... Good points though.

[Joearch]

My son is a third year associate in a law firm here in Los Angeles. My daughter is starting her third year of school to be a Podiatrist. Both are happy about their careers. Oddly enough I had thought they were headed to becoming a guitarist in a rock band and a fashion designer. They ended up going a more traditional route, but seem to love what they are doing. I could not get them interested in my career of being an architect of following my wife who is a teacher.

[GradyPhilpott]

I did not follow this path, personally, because I finished college and grad school in middle age and was interested in studying things that interested me without being overly concerned with making a lot of money.

I have no regrets, but I advise young people to pursue a major in business and a minor in sociology or psychology, especially those who seek to get a degree in psychology.

For anyone else, I still recommend a business degree with a minor in some field related to one's interests.

I also recommend using plenty of elective credits to take life-enhancing courses.

I have no children by the way.

[armen34]

Joe, that's great that your children have gotten to where they are. Did you or do you pay for your kids tuition? What are your thoughts on that? Law is a very difficult field as I know several people struggling to make ends meet these days. And your daughters field is good, but what about the debt she's accumulating? Is it a concern for you or her?

[armen34]

Grady, I agree with you to study in business or maybe finance. As major in psychology or sociology doesn't really get you anywhere unless you get a masters or phd. Also, it could be the fact that I did not take fun electives in college except for making my electives count for my double major in bio/chem... Otherwise, how is a young adult supposed to know what they like?

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by armen34

Grady, I agree with you to study in business or maybe finance. As major in psychology or sociology doesn't really get you anywhere unless you get a masters or phd. Also, it could be the fact that I did not take fun electives in college except for making my electives count for my double major in bio/chem... Otherwise, how is a young adult supposed to know what they like?

Interestingly, I majored in sociology and minored in psychology and then went on to earn a Master of Social Work.

It was not a lucrative endeavor, but I thoroughly enjoyed the curricula and my internship in mental health at Charity Hospital's psychiatric triage unit in New Orleans was a dream come true in terms of exposure to human behavior and psychopathology.

Working in Child Protective Services was as about as difficult and thankless as anything I've ever done, but looking back on it, it was one of the major blessings in my life to serve in such a capacity.

Nonetheless, I do stick by my advice to others.

[Fleetlord]

Shepard

[Runnin' Rebel]

Daughter starts Dental School next semester. She already took her DAT

[vman]

Activist investor / money manager / philanthropist / adventurer.

Manages a philanthropical agency funded by parents' successful business ventures.

[Rock]

It would be nice to think that people were able to pick a career that they were passionate about and spend their working life 'self-actualising'.
I notice that the top high school academics invariably choose to study medicine or law - a choice that seems unlikely to stem from any deep passion for those disciplines but rather a passion for the lifestyle they support.
Most people choose something they can do and persevere with it until something better comes along. The smart/lucky ones manage to manoeuvre themselves into something they like along the journey (or maybe don't dislike too much)
I always said to my kids "Find something you like and can do and don't be too focused on what it pays." They have both done that and are happy.

[THC]

My sons are second and third year engineering students.. One in Civil, one in Petroleum

They are way smarter than their old man, and for that, I am eternally grateful

[OmegaJJH]

I just want him to be happy!

[theloxmyth]

The world is lacking newcomers in the trades such as electric, plumbing and carpentry.

That said, my "boys" don't know when to quit going to school!

#1 has a masters in city planning (Cal Berkeley) and is working to remove our auto lanes and replace them with bicycle lanes and #2 (Pitt Med) is a resident physician in the Ohio hospital system.

#1 has pursued HIS dream, as he desired to be in the architecture field, and #2 fell in to his position because one of the doctors he was working for at Pitt suggested he apply to med school, though he Cumma Something Laude'd his way through chemistry, science and quantum something BS.

The world needs more tradesmen, and the trades pay well!

[uscmatt99]

Originally Posted by armen34

I have seen multiple threads on what you do and what watch you have....

I am wondering what you would prefer (realistically) or educate our up and coming generation on a profession, since we don't really have too much information other than what profession you have chosen and feel narrow minded outside of your education.

Let me say i'm in the health field and went to college for 8 years and I feel that I would not want my kids to do what I do, even though I make decent money, I feel that the reward to stress is not there. Especially the debt they would accumulate compared to the annual income is too high these days and I'm sure it's going to be worse in the future.


Anyway, I just want to through it out there and see what fellow trf members think about this topic and maybe I can learn pros and cons of other industries!

Thank you.

Ultimately they should be encouraged to follow a career path that leads them to a job or profession they feel they will enjoy. It's not that easy though, as you can't know if you'll enjoy something until you try it, and it's hard to give the practice of medicine a test run. I'm a radiologist and get to interact with most other types of physicians and providers, ranging from general practitioners to experts who treat very narrow range of disorders. Not all physicians I speak with are unhappy, and many are quite fulfilled in their work and/or well compensated, but not many are happier than they were 10 years ago. The burden of regulation and paperwork has become soul-crushing. Primary care docs split their days 50/50 talking with patients and filling out paperwork. My friend is an ENT and he starts his OR days 30-45 minutes earlier than he used to since the inception of electronic medical records just to click all the right boxes. Show me the evidence that patients are doing any better as a result of all this crap I mean jeez, a colleague of mine ended up on a flight next to a psychologist who almost exclusively treats depressed physicians. So there is that niche...

Radiology is a great subspecialty as we are relatively protected from a lot of the bureaucracy, and have an easier time automating the process or delegating it to other support personnel. I spend most of my day actually doing what I was trained to do, and I get a lot of intellectual enjoyment as well as satisfaction knowing that what I do may help get to the bottom of a patient's woes so they can get the appropriate treatment. The other thing that helps is that my group has a great relationship with both the hospital administration (for now, always in flux!) and the referring providers.

Anyway, medicine is no guarantee. I've got two bright little boys who each love to sit on my lap and look at an X-ray or other scan, and learn little tidbits about science and the human body. But I'm never going to push them to medicine as some of my colleagues' parents did. I'll echo what theloxmyth said, we need more skilled tradespeople, and that's something I'd find very rewarding if medicine ever became intolerable. I'd be proud of my kids if they went that route, so long as they do excellent work and make enough cash to move out of the house

[rmlovett1]

I have 3....no matter what they choose, I just want them to be truly satisfied, content, and comfortable, with their careers and life.

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by armen34

Preferred profession for your children

Whatever they prefer.

[texex91]

Well, an AD for a brand I like would have benefits :-)

[armen34]

Great discussion uscmatt. Of course we want our kids to be satisfied, content, happy,and do what they prefer, but I don't remember if I knew much when I was 15-20year old and had to make college and career decisions, which affected my life. How did you guys plan or decide at those times? How do you plan for your kids to have enough knowledge in career paths they chose, since they don't get exposed other than hearing from friends and colleagues to do this or that???

[Etschell]

anything as long as it is not for the money. money is the worst motivator of all.

[uscmatt99]

Originally Posted by armen34

Great discussion uscmatt. Of course we want our kids to be satisfied, content, happy,and do what they prefer, but I don't remember if I knew much when I was 15-20year old and had to make college and career decisions, which affected my life. How did you guys plan or decide at those times? How do you plan for your kids to have enough knowledge in career paths they chose, since they don't get exposed other than hearing from friends and colleagues to do this or that???

I fell into my career. I was always drawn to life sciences. I thought I wanted to do neuroscience research. Tried it in college, my professor had a heart to heart with me and told me I sucked, and to take a peek at medicine. I took a bioethics class where we visited a hospital, really admired the docs I met, and decided to apply for med school. In med school I though I wanted to be a neurologist, tried that out for a month, didn't like it. Luckily I spent some time with neuroradiologists, and my roommate's dad was a radiologist, and finally felt I found my calling. It's like getting 100-200 puzzles a day to solve, and you gain an intimate appreciation for the human body, all of its mysteries, wonders and faults. Every day I learn how much we don't know, keeps it interesting and engaging.

In the end, all you need to succeed is drive, and the ability to learn anything. I use hardly anything I learned in college pre-med courses day to day, let alone much of what I learned in medical school. What really mattered was the residency and fellowship, and of course everything I continue to learn to stay at the top of my game.

For my kids, I expect them to perform at or above their individual potential for everything in life. It keeps doors open, and eventually they will find something they love, or at least that is sufficiently lucrative while they keep searching.

[maxbaris]

Mathematician. If you are good with numbers, sky is the limit as to what you could do with your life.

[martinr]

Rolex and Patek AD

[Jim M]

I have never preferred one occupation over another. My preference is they choose to make a living doing what they like or love doing. Work hard and live within means. So far, so good, with our four.

Collegiate Men's Lacrosse Coach
Writer/Publicist on "green" construction trade and "green" companies
PR for nonprofit on shopping centers worldwide promotion
Attorney in Big Four accounting firm

[openwheelracing]

Originally Posted by armen34

Lol... I thought #3 would be an engineer... Good points though.

Everyone call themselves "engineer" these days. Sickens me.

[openwheelracing]

Originally Posted by maxbaris

Mathematician. If you are good with numbers, sky is the limit as to what you could do with your life.

LOL I double majored EE and Math. People always ask me if my fall back profession is to be a math teacher.

[openwheelracing]

Anyway back to topic, I want my new born (8 weeks old) daughter to become an Olympic Swimmer :)

[poker]

Both my wife and I are lawyers. So I would be happy if my son becomes one in the future. My wife and I are the first lawyers in our respective family. So we had to figure it out ourselves. Jointly, we have lots to share and we hope our son can have some advantage.