Desperately Need Some Serious Advice; Life is Slipping Away

[Jr Mouse]

To the OP, it sounds like you have been down lately about your career and life. One thing to keep in mind is you should try not to judge yourself based on those around you. People have a tendency to exaggerate and brag about their career success and lives. It can easily get to you after a while if you are not satisfied with your own. Keep this in perspective and try to drown out the noise.

 

[Tck13]

FWIW, I went to a career counselor and did some testing and it really pointed me in a direction that fit my interests and aptitudes. It was very helpful.

 

[curzon]



here's what I'd do - you know how to build **** (at least theoreticlaly) you're single, young and poor. look for a job with an international project company - build buildings on oil wells, or bridges in the middle of africa or **** like that. if you can't get a job like that, look into an NGO and go build **** in haiti or sudan. get a few more years experience and some cool stories under your belt.

good luck

There's a lot of opportunity overseas, mostly in the newly industrializing countries. And it doesn't need to be be w/ an NGO. Or in a shithole like Darfur. Over the years I've run across thousands of expat engineers, mostly from Europe, but there are plenty from China, Korea and of course Japan. Look to Bechtel, ABB, Halliburton, KBR, GE, Dyno Nobel, etc. Power systems are a huge growth area, as is infrastructure and transportation.

Another course of action is join the military, get commissioned as an officer, and go in the Corps of Engineers.

 

[VelvetGreen]



There's a lot of opportunity overseas, mostly in the newly industrializing countries. And it doesn't need to be be w/ an NGO. Or in a shithole like Darfur. Over the years I've run across thousands of expat engineers, mostly from Europe, but there are plenty from China, Korea and of course Japan. Look to Bechtel, ABB, Halliburton, KBR, GE, Dyno Nobel, etc. Power systems are a huge growth area, as is infrastructure and transportation.
Another course of action is join the military, get commissioned as an officer, and go in the Corps of Engineers.

+2

 

[NAMOR]

Good thread. Great advice that I can relate to. I just got back into the office after being away for two weeks and im pleasantly surprised with how much better I feel about my job now than I did before the trip. Point is a few weeks away from your situation may give you some clarity

 

[Lord-Barrington]



Good thread. Great advice that I can relate to. I just got back into the office after being away for two weeks and im pleasantly surprised with how much better I feel about my job now than I did before the trip. Point is a few weeks away from your situation may give you some clarity

Yes another reason why American workers should get more vacation time. Every time I come back to the office after some time off, everything seems a million times better -- the work itself, my coworkers, the bosses. Take some time off, then come back and see how you feel.

 

[NAMOR]

^ Seriously. I am already planning a trip I can take in 6 months. Hopefully for 3 weeks this time around. Ill echo your sentiments about everything seeming to be better once you return. The time away allowed me to get out of some bad habits, like going to bed late, drinking too much caffeine, etc. I just feel like I have a more positive, productive outlook on life and work. Today I was having a conversation with a coworker about job satisfaction and finding other opportunities. This isnt something I did in the past; having candid conversations with coworkers

 

[1969]

OP when I was your age I was wondering around the streets of Paris wondering where my next snort of China White was going to come from. You sound very introspective...try not to take life too seriously and it will be alright.

 

[BroSharp]

Hi OP--I am 26 and work at a NYC agency too (Dept of Health). Also, first time post, wooo.

I am going to go against what everybody here pretty much said and urge you consider grad school...with the caveat that you get SOMEBODY ELSE to pay for it.

Check out the Mayoral Scholarship if you are a full-time city agency employee. There are a multitude of programs that might fit your interest--of course, I'd only really recommend going if you get a scholarship. Masters programs are just cash cows for schools..all their efforts go into recruiting the best and brightest for their undergrad and doctoral programs (in my non-professional opinion). Besides, a lot of the schools participating aren't exactly top tier...but for the price, it's at least worth considering.

CUNY Baruch - MPA in Public Management
Metropolitan College of NY - MPA in Public Affairs and Administration
The New School - Urban Policy Analysis& Management
NYIT - MArch in Urban and Regional Design
NYU - MPA in Public & Nonprofit Management & Policy
NYU - MUP in Urban Planning
NYU - MA in Construction Management
NYU - Graduate Certificate in Construction Management
Polytech - MS in Construction Management
Polytech - Urban Systems Engineering and Management

Full list here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/downloads/pdf/misc/mgsp_guide.pdf

 

[NAMOR]

^ Great, informative first post

 

[Concordia]



I'd also like to add that although I support young people exploring different cultures, traveling, and generally finding themselves, they need to know when to draw the line. Most careers look unfavorably on someone who spent his/her twenties "self-actualizing" rather than actually working. So there's certainly a choice to be made. You can go teach english in Japan and build houses in Kenya during your twenties, but don't be surprised when you get come back Stateside and have a tough time finding gainful employment.
This may sound rather rough, but it's absolutely the truth.

True enough, although if you're the kind of person who won't be happy working for a large firm later on, there may be no sense in knocking yourself out to please corporate functionaries today.

The skills and contacts you get from the right overseas gig may be very helpful in setting up your own business later on. Just be sure that you use the time well.

 

[globetrotter]



OP when I was your age I was wondering around the streets of Paris wondering where my next snort of China White was going to come from. You sound very introspective...try not to take life too seriously and it will be alright.

just out of curiousity, what are you doing now?

 

[bmathe02]

To OP:

You did the 4 year bachelors of architectural technology and science; so you need 5 years worth of IDP credit not 3 to sit for the license exam. By doing the 4 year program which only has 2 years of design (well 1 because the first year is fundamentals) you already told the hiring job force your not a designer, but only a cad monkey and that is all you are good for. Architectural employers know about all this because they all went through it. You can immediately tell who is creative enough to be a designer and whose not. It tells them you have no drive and will not have the potential to grow in their office. They don't want to take on any costs of hiring you if all you can do is draft for the next 40 years and not offer anything else. Besides, any current college student with knowledge of autocad can do the same level of work you can as an mere intern. The same goes for those who do the five year but at least they show willingness and potential to do more in the future.

Unless you plan on quitting architecture completely don't move from NYC. First The 4 year degree is not recognized in most states as a means to sit for the licensing exam. Ny is one of the few still accepting those. 2nd there is more jobs being offered in BKLYN and Manhattan then anywhere else in the US for architecture. If you go else where you going to do the mundane residential suburbia crap. You might gets some fame being an architect from nyc but thats only relevant if you have any job experience of note worthy.

As for those saying don't get your masters its a waste..... they are either misinformed, jealous or too cheap to take on the added initial costs. You've made bad decisions and you NEED your masters to correct that. Do Urban design. Up and coming field in the US. This major has been around here for maybe 50 years or so only. Plus opportunity to work in other countries where city planning is now the big thing. Plus masters programs only have a minimum GPA to apply. The decision to be accepted is not based on higher GPA's but on your portfolio that you need to submit. Show some design-esq work and your good.

I am a younger than you with a 5 year degree and graduating my masters this DEC in Urban design and I live in NYC to boot. There are more than enough jobs available here.

Hard cold facts.

 

[1969]



just out of curiousity, what are you doing now?

I'm 43 years old and in a leadership position at a Fortune 200. I have a GED ...no college. Passion and vision for what I do but it's definitely been a non-traditional route.

 

[Lord-Barrington]



True enough, although if you're the kind of person who won't be happy working for a large firm later on, there may be no sense in knocking yourself out to please corporate functionaries today.
The skills and contacts you get from the right overseas gig may be very helpful in setting up your own business later on. Just be sure that you use the time well.

If you are absolutely sure you're never going to go the corporate (or even semi-corporate route) than there are many paths to success. But even though the North American corporate ladder is less strict than other places in the world (i.e. Japan or South Korea where you join right after college or you don't join at all) you really can't hope to whittle away your twenties and then get back on train later. Anecdotal evidence to the contrary certainly exists ( see: poster 1969) but in general this is the way things work with big companies.