Confused on which career path to take..

[Hondamaster5505]

Well, I am currently attending 11th grade and really have to start looking at colleges and where I want to go with my life. I've been focusing too much on just having fun and getting through school, and I figure it's time as I only have one year left.

There are two major careers I have thought about, but to be dead honest, I am having such a hard time deciding.

A) Motorcycle Mechanic
B) Psychologist

My original plan was I intended on possibly going to MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute) and getting certified, and possibly trying to get a job as a major mechanic at a Dealership, or such. The thing is, recently I did a research project for English class on it, and they really don't make quite as much as I thought they do. I'm worried that it might not be the right career for the future, for when I grow a family.

So I started thinking, and I have always been good at reading people, and helping friends and such get through tough times. I guess you can say I'm quite a people person.

I'm looking at Psychology primarily because for the most part, they make quite a respectable salary. Plus I figure although it can be a stressful job at first, it isn't horrendously hard.

What is your guys opinions? I'm leaning towards psychology but is it worth the 4 years of college..?

[FHKracingZ]

Do not pic a career just because of the salary biggest mistake of your life. Even if your salary is not as high being a mechanic and its truly what you love to do, then money shouldn't matter.

Do me a favor and just dont goto college not knowing what you want to do. you will be another grad with a 4 year degree in business admin or business and working at a retail store making $9 bucks an hour.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by FHKracingZ
Do not pic a career just because of the salary biggest mistake of your life. Even if your salary is not as high being a mechanic and its truly what you love to do, then money shouldn't matter.

Do me a favor and just dont goto college not knowing what you want to do. you will be another grad with a 4 year degree in business admin or business and working at a retail store making $9 bucks an hour.

That's the thing, I narrowed down my choices to two of which I wouldn't mind doing. I'm not looking at Psychology strictly because of the salary. It's due to the fact it's something I wouldn't mind doing, and just so happens has a decent salary.

The other thing is, a lot of people tell me, if I work on motorcycles for a living every day, I will never want to go home and work on my own.

So I don't know..

[ZeroLogic]

Computers.:o

You don't want to be a mechanic. They have crappy pay, long hours and its just a plain dirty job. Do something thats easy you like and you can do for the next 50 years.

[ProspectorJim]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505

The other thing is, a lot of people tell me, if I work on motorcycles for a living every day, I will never want to go home and work on my own.

I can attest to this. It takes my dad, a mechanic for 30+ years, weeks and a ton of nagging to actually work on my truck when something goes bad.

[Tommy Warren]

keep the bikes as a hobby not a career...you'll get sick of them pretty quick..I worked at a yamaha dealership for 3 years and thought it would be my dream job...my raptor went to chit cuz i had no interest in going to work after going to work...

[quad2xtreme]

Start college even if you don't know exactly where you are heading. You have 2 years to figure it out. Heck, I majored in Accounting and never really did true accounting work. I started out installing PC-based accounting systems and made the full switch to IT field. Now, I am so far ahead of my peers from having a full understanding of accounting and budgeting it is almost sad.

I am going to tell you the opposite of most. Go for the money even if it isn't something you truly love. Eventually you will work your way into the perfect job and you will be making a ton. Now, I manage others who do all the stuff I really hated to do. I've been managing IT engineers for about 10 years and it is the best.

Do I like working with my hands? Love it. Could I have what I have making 50-60k...not in a million years. I'd have a totally different lifestyle. I might still be happy but it sure is easier when you don't live paycheck to paycheck.

[Canadian144]

Hey I'm currently in the same boat... sorta.

Don't 100% know what I want to do yet but I like business! Economics & math are my best marks and probably my favorite classes. I'm in the investors club at school too hahaha. My parents were always nagging me, saying you have to decide what you want to be... well it did take a bit of thinking but I know I like business. Hate science, so medical/engineering was out of the question. My mom's a lawyer, yes she makes a lot of money but her hours are ridiculous and I just find the work she does to be very boring. Couldn't do it myself.

I've already been accepted into two universities in Canada, one out east (Dalhousie) and one out west (Calgary), both for business undergrad. If I go out west I'll definitely be getting into the energy industry. If I go out east, you have to do a co-op... so I was hoping I could get a co-op at a bike company. Sure I wouldn't be down working/designing the bikes, but I think it would still be pretty fun. Maybe one day even opening up my own dealership, once the economy turns around.

My parents said they don't really care what I do as long as I go and do my 4 years of undergrad.

[ZBlaster]

Take it from a motorcycle mechanic, HAVING to work on them and be around them all the time, putting in long hours on them, and dealing with all of their problems REALLY takes away some of the fun of the sport. I LOVE working on my own stuff, and other peoples from time to time, but knowing every morning that you have to get up and go work on them all day kind of starts to grow old. Never try to make a hobby a career IMO

[CJM]

Originally posted by ZBlaster
Take it from a motorcycle mechanic, HAVING to work on them and be around them all the time, putting in long hours on them, and dealing with all of their problems REALLY takes away some of the fun of the sport. I LOVE working on my own stuff, and other peoples from time to time, but knowing every morning that you have to get up and go work on them all day kind of starts to grow old. Never try to make a hobby a career IMO


This is gonna be long, but trust me read it, it will make sense and shed some light on alot of things.


Pretty much hit the nail on the head about being a mechanic. Being any kinda mechanic kinda sucks, dirty, long hard hours, pay isnt that great and advancement..whats that?

True to word guess what I am..An unemployed mechanic. Before I even got a mechanic job I used to go to this mech who owned his own shop (just him and 1 helper guy) and since he knew I knew stuff he would let me help him work on my stuff and others. He is miserable, about all he has is is dragster he races, his job sucks, the shops ok, he hates the hours, the work itself and after 20 years his joints and back kill him. Worst has to be winter working, heater or not the cars cold and wet usually. Guy makes most of his cash selling used cars with a partner they buy and fix up-not on general repairs. So despite seeing this I said what they hey the guys in the dealers aint got it that bad.

So I decided Id pursue it but knew I wanted to get a degree before hand just incase it fell thru or I hated it.
I dont have all those fancy ASE certs (which actually mean zilch other than you pass a crappy bs test) but Ive been wrenching on various things since I was a kid. I thought it was gonna be my dream job, I took auto in HS, I even got myself a job as a mechanic a few years later. Its dirty, disgusting (anyone else hate grease???), long hours, you hurt yourself CONSTANTLY somehow (burns, pinching things, busting your nail, getting junk in your eyes or face, stretching wrong way and pulling something-new cars are made for elves with small hands to repair!), you dont want to work on your stuff ever after a long day of wrenching either-the mechanic drives a beat up busted car alot of the time about all it does is run good if that.

So there I was being a mechanic, I worked in the shop, I worked roadside for an AAA company, I towed cars, I fixed various stuff, I wrenched on my own stuff and my friends stuff. 2 words... it sucks..

Im happy I was pursuing a degree the entire time. I got my AA in 3.5 years (took a year off) in general arts, then I moved on (where Im at now) and Im at uni pursuing a degree in criminal justice-the world always needs cops and if Im not a cop there are tons of other jobs a degree in CJ can get you. Im about 1/4 of the way done and Im 25 now, wish I hadnt gone part time to school and got it finished faster-friend of mine is pulling 50g's to start as a maryland state trooper.

Not saying its a bad idea, you do what you want. But that stupid piece of paper (degree) these days is needed to get a good job. Dont have one, good luck finding a good paying job unless you have a technical cert or lots of expeirance in the field your applying for. Hell, my dad was a foodservice sales man for 25 years-how did he get into it-funny you might say. he worked in the restaurant industry among other places and had 30 creds left to go and dropped out, married my mom and he was selling office supplies and equipement and making less than my mom did as a medical biller.

He found a job for food service sales, aced his interview and the company gave him a shot. My dad can and does sell anything (its quite amazing he really could sell ice to eskimoes) and he tried super hard and did well. Did the sales gig for 25 years and the last 10 he has been a manager. He is in charge of interview and hiring people. he will not hire anyone unless they have prior experience (and quite a bit with good references too) with out a degree. Dont have to have a degree in the field either (guess general biz and marketing would apply for his field), he has a guy who has a degree ins ports medicine, another used to be a chef (where the expierance part comes into play), others who have degrees in history, education, etc. Hey in his field all you gotta do is sell, you can sell your golden. That works in alot of other fields too, so long as oyu have a degree in something marketable its a good thing.

As for me, being a mechanic sucks and will not bring the money and makes you hate whatever it is you repair (be it cars, boats, quads, etc). Im gonna get my CJ degree and become a cop, park ranger, work for the govt, etc, etc. Another good thing about going to school is although you might get a degree in crim justice like me you can get a minior in various things. i have enough creds to get a minor in psych, sociology and anthropology :)

[hondariderdylan]

Right now i pretty much have my sights set on UTI in NC. I want to get my automotive degree and my ford FACT training, then i can get hired on at a ford dealer (hopefully). And i want to work my way up to a service writer, etc (basically someone who gets paid more but gets to stay out from underneath all the lifts,dirt,grime,etc). Problem being i have to work for all of my schooling and im not sure as to what the employment structures are at some dealership service departments. Heck, i wouldnt be too upset if they put me in sales, reading car&driver and road&track every month i probably know more about most of those cars than the regular salesmen do:p

I know i want to do something involving ford. But working or even opening a "shadetree" place is not my idea of a career.

[blaster99]

I was, and still kinda am in the same situation. I feel like I made the right decision by just going to college, nothing fancy, just a local school that has quite a few different things to major in. I am undeclared as a major, and I am in the 2nd semester of my sophomore year. It is okay to go into school as undeclared or undecided. Your freshman year you will have to take basically the same classes as everyone else with a few different electives that deal with your major. You can take a variety of electives in subjects that may interest you, or you can knock all of your core classes out of the way that you need to graduate. I don't suggest doing that because those tend to be the easier classes, and you will want to mix hard classes in with the easier ones. Once you get a year done with, you should have a much better idea of what you want, I know I changed my mind about 50 times, and I now want to major in Business and Law, which is something I wasn't even considering before. Think back on high school, which classes did you enjoy? try out those, if you didn't have any just go for things that interest you. Don't rush into declaring a major either, being undeclared is fine, all it is is a title. You can take all the classes for your major and be undeclared, you just have to declare at some point, which is normally at the end of your sophomore year.

[Hondamaster5505]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

And CJM, I appreciate all the info.

I probably will end up going to a fairly local college and get a degree in psychology.

I haven't tried anything other then Metal Shop in my high school, because that is really all they have.

[CJM]

Your welcome honda master.


Originally posted by hondariderdylan
Right now i pretty much have my sights set on UTI in NC. I want to get my automotive degree and my ford FACT training, then i can get hired on at a ford dealer (hopefully). And i want to work my way up to a service writer, etc (basically someone who gets paid more but gets to stay out from underneath all the lifts,dirt,grime,etc). Problem being i have to work for all of my schooling and im not sure as to what the employment structures are at some dealership service departments. Heck, i wouldnt be too upset if they put me in sales, reading car&driver and road&track every month i probably know more about most of those cars than the regular salesmen do:p

I know i want to do something involving ford. But working or even opening a "shadetree" place is not my idea of a career.

I would suggest you taking the courses and trying a dealer AFTER you get a degree at your community college. This way if the ford thing doesnt work out you can always fall back on something.

If you really want to make money working for a dealer you have to serve your time in the trenches. You dont get to be a service writer after a year, or two or three or even four just cause they have an opening. Works be seniority usually and just an FYI a service writer makes money on the services he sells along with his base rate, a mechanic makes a base rate and then gets overtime, may get paid more based on the job and there is alot more work for them to do-service writers the first one to get cut. The master tech makes the most, he/she knows the ins and out but thats usually after at least 10 years.

Also as a mechanic at any dealer 90% of your work will be warranties until you served your time and even then you get alot of warranty work. getting the customer to buy parts they need makes you money too-your not gonna get that if all you do is warranty work.

Want to really make it big-custom shop tuning mustangs and other fords. Working for a custom shop involves giving up alot of your spare time and long hours and making sacrifices but it also means you get paid rather well usually if your good at your job.

Trust me guys, you may think the automotive field is great-but Ive been in it for a long time now and it just isnt as glamorous as those UTI guys or whomever that trys to sell you the idea on those techs schools says.

Here is a PRIME example: As I described earlier my friend is a toyota/lexus tech. He went thru 2 years to get it, and he is also certified in a few other areas. He got a job at a dealer for 12, yes 12 dollars an hour. Think of it, you just paid alot of money for those stupid certs and training and your making a few bucks over min wage?? I could be a laborer shoveling dirt all day making that! I made more money driving a tow truck, I made more money today helping a friends boss whose in construction just being the dang helper!

My friend knows this is only for maybe a year or two, then he gets a raise to 16/hr and the chance for more overtime and skilled work that pays more-but still for the first 5 years your not making that 75k the UTI or whomever quoted you..your bringing home 50k if your lucky.

[rbgnwa45]

If you have a queezy stomach than this job isn't for you, but it's an amazing job if you want low hours, good pay, security, pension, benefits, and you do next to nothing.

Federal chicken/beef inspector.

You watch carcasses go past you on a conveyor line. You don't have to ever touch them. Your job is to identify hazards & diseases, and then make daily reports of it (everything). Sometimes you test things in a lab or you send samples to a lab. The government (Canadian atleast) will send you to school once they hire you, for free. The education takes 3 months.

They usually work half-hour on, half-hour off. Regulation.

My mom has been an inspector for a little over 10 years, and she brings home about $1200/week or $62,000/year without over-time. That's putting in 35 hours/week, and many times a plant only kills 2-3 days a week when things get slow. You're on salary so you get paid for that time off. If a plant is operating past 4pm (it's different in places) than the inspectors don't have to stay - that's in Ontario. Over-time after 7.5 hours/day.

Full benefits & dental, and dental for your kids if they're in school. Unionized. Pension included.

With all of the inspectors retiring in the next 3 years, there's a major shortage of them in many plants.

I'll suggest 1 year experience in a slaughter plant, and some basic college courses on agricultural science, food safety & handling, humane transport, etc.

The union is "great". This one east-indian inspector moved to Canada in 05 ish, he stopped going to work, saying that he was "scared to drive", and "fearing for his life" on the way to work. The union awarded him full salary, pension and benefits, and he no longer has to even go to work :ermm:. How's that for job security?

"American inspectors make about half as much as we do" - mom.

The ratio of work and having to think vs. salary and benefits is outstanding.

I'm either going to be an inspector or a housing electrician.

[Tommy Warren]

Originally posted by rbgnwa45
If you have a queezy stomach than this job isn't for you, but it's an amazing job if you want low hours, good pay, security, pension, benefits, and you do next to nothing.

Federal chicken/beef inspector.

You watch carcasses go past you on a conveyor line. You don't have to ever touch them. Your job is to identify hazards & diseases, and then make daily reports of it (everything). Sometimes you test things in a lab or you send samples to a lab. The government (Canadian atleast) will send you to school once they hire you, for free. The education takes 3 months.

They usually work half-hour on, half-hour off. Regulation.

My mom has been an inspector for a little over 10 years, and she brings home about $1200/week or $62,000/year without over-time. That's putting in 35 hours/week, and many times a plant only kills 2-3 days a week when things get slow. You're on salary so you get paid for that time off. If a plant is operating past 4pm (it's different in places) than the inspectors don't have to stay - that's in Ontario. Over-time after 7.5 hours/day.

Full benefits & dental, and dental for your kids if they're in school. Unionized. Pension included.

With all of the inspectors retiring in the next 3 years, there's a major shortage of them in many plants.

I'll suggest 1 year experience in a slaughter plant, and some basic college courses on agricultural science, food safety & handling, humane transport, etc.

The union is "great". This one east-indian inspector moved to Canada in 05 ish, he stopped going to work, saying that he was "scared to drive", and "fearing for his life" on the way to work. The union awarded him full salary, pension and benefits, and he no longer has to even go to work :ermm:. How's that for job security?

"American inspectors make about half as much as we do" - mom.

The ratio of work and having to think vs. salary and benefits is outstanding.

I'm either going to be an inspector or a housing electrician.

I could do that for sure! I've cleaned chickens and turkeys for years! is there any openings in the ottawa area?

[hondariderdylan]

Originally posted by CJM
Want to really make it big-custom shop tuning mustangs and other fords. Working for a custom shop involves giving up alot of your spare time and long hours and making sacrifices but it also means you get paid rather well usually if your good at your job.

^^ dream job right there. Thanks for the advice, im still deciding and weighing my options.

[Black Sheep]

I can understand the "don't turn your hobby into a job mentality" if done incorrectly it can ruin your hobby for you...the key being done incorrectly.

Working for a dealer is in my opinion the incorrect way. Very little pay, long hours, and not very rewarding because most of the time your gonna do general repairs that are not too exciting....ever change a tire on a Gold Wing :grr: Many a wannabe mechanic think they will get to do the kinda stuff they do at home on their own machines.

However, if done correctly it can be very rewarding. I own my own shop and only build custom machines and parts. I won't even touch general repairs...I send them to my local dealer. My income is not the highest I have had...I made the most when I ran a construction company...but the side benefits are what make it all worth it. I get to travel all over the country and ride my wheeler, work my own hours, and if I don't feel like working, I don't. My racing is now fully sponsored by my company (I am a part owner) and a lot of the companies I am also a dealer for and I have been in 10 magazines in less then 2 years time. (and i'm not talking readers rides sections) No amount of money can replace any of that. For many years I chased the best paying job/carreer. now at 43 I am happier then I have ever been.

I was/am the black sheep of my family...most of them went to and or told me I should go to collage so i could get a high paying job/carreer...well now many years later most of them are not doing what they went to collage for and are not making a huge amount of money. By the time they left collage they were burnt out on what they thought they wanted to do.

Money will never make you happy. You have to be true to who you are. No one can tell you who and what you are or what you should do and you should never listen to someone elses plans for your own life. You only have one and the worst thing is to look back on your life with regret.

[fast426]

The mechanic stuff has been pretty much covered, but you also said you were interested in Psyc.

I just graduated in May, and had a few friends that majored in Psychology. If you want to get a decent paying job in the Psyc field, you will have to at least get your Masters Degree, which means 6 years of school. Also, I am not sure how it is there, but around the Chicago area there aren't alot of Psychology Jobs available.

I am not trying to talk to out of Psyc, just something to think about.

[CJM]

Originally posted by Black Sheep
I can understand the "don't turn your hobby into a job mentality" if done incorrectly it can ruin your hobby for you...the key being done incorrectly.

Working for a dealer is in my opinion the incorrect way. Very little pay, long hours, and not very rewarding because most of the time your gonna do general repairs that are not too exciting....ever change a tire on a Gold Wing :grr: Many a wannabe mechanic think they will get to do the kinda stuff they do at home on their own machines.

However, if done correctly it can be very rewarding. I own my own shop and only build custom machines and parts. I won't even touch general repairs...I send them to my local dealer. My income is not the highest I have had...I made the most when I ran a construction company...but the side benefits are what make it all worth it. I get to travel all over the country and ride my wheeler, work my own hours, and if I don't feel like working, I don't. My racing is now fully sponsored by my company (I am a part owner) and a lot of the companies I am also a dealer for and I have been in 10 magazines in less then 2 years time. (and i'm not talking readers rides sections) No amount of money can replace any of that. For many years I chased the best paying job/carreer. now at 43 I am happier then I have ever been.

I was/am the black sheep of my family...most of them went to and or told me I should go to collage so i could get a high paying job/carreer...well now many years later most of them are not doing what they went to collage for and are not making a huge amount of money. By the time they left collage they were burnt out on what they thought they wanted to do.

Money will never make you happy. You have to be true to who you are. No one can tell you who and what you are or what you should do and you should never listen to someone elses plans for your own life. You only have one and the worst thing is to look back on your life with regret.

Very good advice, about all that I can add is you have to start somewhere before you begin the custom endeavor so you can gain some experience. You dont go out and open a biz and become successful overnight.


Originally posted by hondariderdylan
^^ dream job right there. Thanks for the advice, im still deciding and weighing my options.

If thats your dream job then I suggest you get the general mechanic cert, m,aybe some specialized stuff too and work for a shop or a dealer for awhile to build some expierance. On the side do the custom work, maybe you can rent a garage, or maybe you can borrow a shop bay or whatever. Once you have enough notoriety and a following the custom shop will be ready for you. Also bugging a custom shop for a chance then demonstrating the work is what will keep you there.

Good example of doing just what I said:

Riding buddy of mine went to school and got a job at honda doing il changes and stuff during school. Moved up to B level mech overtime and in his spare time he builds race imports. However hes been at it for the past 7 years. One day he hopes to open a custom tuner shop.

Remember the other buddy I described earlier that works for toyota. his dream is a custom 4x4 shop-that means learning 4x4 trucks in and out and moving to a state like cali where something like thatis REALLY big to open or join a shop. He says he wont be doing it for at least another 10-12 years depending onhow the economoy and job market goes.

Remember the biggest factor with any job, if the market is bad people arent gonna spend cash and thats where we are at now.