OT advice for employment

[otismotis08]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Gerard10]

UPS

 

[F5Husker]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Local community college should have decent computer programming course work. How is he mechanical wise?

 

[HuskerLove1]

I know a few people who work for USPS - they all seem to enjoy it and the pay/benefits are good considering no college degree is required.

It’s also a job that can definitely be a career (which is important).

 

[schuele]

Has he picked up some useful knowledge of the restaurant business over the past five years? If so, he might use that to get in the door of a food distributor (Shamrock, Sysco, US Foods, to name a few examples). Those companies are always looking for good people who hustle.

 

[otismotis08]

Local community college should have decent computer programming course work. How is he mechanical wise?

Mechanical-wise...he's probably OK. If you show him how, he could do it but probably not the highly instinctive type mechanically.

 

[stxhusker]

Cyber security, robotics are the wave of the future...

 

[SC_'sker]

Military, go signal or Intel if he can do well enough on the asvab

 

[cubsker]

if he wants to learn how to program, there's nothing stopping him. tons of cheap ways to learn online - pluralsight, udacity, etc. if he gets into it, find a mentor. most important thing i had were two good mentors, both of which got me paying freelance jobs.

 

[HuskerOH]

You need to know what his passions are... you will never be able to decide what's best for him, frustration and heartbreak lie ahead if you decide. Is he living at home? Is it rent free? If you are enabling him to live the way he is now, look in the mirror.

Is he happy and able to meet his obligations? If so I see no problem here.

 

[dinglefritz]

Mechanical-wise...he's probably OK. If you show him how, he could do it but probably not the highly instinctive type mechanically.

Internet Technology (IT)/cybersecurity is a GREAT career field. There's a ton of great jobs for people who can deal with network and security issues in small businesses. My middle son took a 2 day course when he was in high school years ago and starting his own business doing hardware repairs as a subcontractor for Dell or HP. Can't remember which. He and his buddy were driving around fixing computers in banks and businesses all over the area. The need for IT professionals just keeps growing and I don't see any end. A person who can work in IT AND has people skills is in high demand.

 

[c3o]

5 years of restaurant mgmt is better than 4 years of almost all degrees other than a few specialized ones.

Find out what he wants to be and what he’s really good at. If he has good computer skills and mgmt experience there’s a job for him somewhere. Especially at places that are not proficient with CPUs

 

[Hugo_Stiglitz7]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Military. If his scores are high enough, he would get a good career field.

 

[tstaup]

Trade school and apprenticeships are a great way to launch a very successful career and life

 

[HBK4life]

2 year tool and die degree from S.E.C. 80 k if he gets with good company.

 

[BigRedBugeaters]

Not sure where he lives but a apprenticeship in a trade can turn into a very nice career. Many to choose from. Warning though. Will have to get up every morning. Will have to show up every day. May get dirty.

 

[huskerfan66]

HVAC at CC. Lot of opportunities both urban and rural. Many would help pay for college if you apprentice there and then go to college with commitment to come back and work

 

[ThereIsNoPlace]

What defensive scheme would your son implement in the B1G Conference, OP?

 

[RiLLLLLLLLey]

I think a big problem, is there aren’t many well-paying jobs, that will also keep a person happy and not miserable at work.

I recently resigned from a well-paying job for a lower-paying job I knew I would enjoy, and I hated my prior job and it stressed the sh** out of me. I’m much happier now. Even with a smaller paycheck.

 

[burgerkirk]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Look into crop adjuster NAU, Rain and hail, Rcis, great benefits and ok salary

 

[redfanusa]

Military. If his scores are high enough, he would get a good career field.

I would second this. My sister flunked out of her first year of school, smoking pot and hiding her loser boyfriend in her dorm room, and seemed to be going nowhere. Our cousin had just joined the Navy, and was really loving being a medical corpsman. She became a sort of mentor figure for my sister, and she enlisted as well. She had real, hands-on lab experience at the Bethesda Naval Hospital over the course of eight years. When she left the Navy, she had a clear goal what she wanted (biology major), and the maturity level to actually work hard in school. The practical lab experience meant she was actually showing some of her professors things she had learned in labs.

A professor recommended her for graduate school, but she got a good job instead. The person she is now is much different than the path she was on back then. The story might not be so easy for a 26 year old, but I think five years in a dead-end job is sign enough that they need to make a change.

 

[cornhustler]

 

[frogoffbuddy]

One thing for sure, don’t be loyal to a company. Learn a skill, move up and move on. Anyone who says you should be loyal to a company is a moron.

 

[burgerkirk]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Look into crop adjuster NAU, Rain and hail, Rcis, great benefits and ok salary

 

[burgerkirk]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Look into crop adjuster NAU, Rain and hail, Rcis, great benefits and ok salary

 

[burgerkirk]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Look into crop adjuster NAU, Rain and hail, Rcis, great benefits and ok salary

Go to the web. sites and look , do you know any farmers ??? Possibly agents that write crop insurance

 

[ThereIsNoPlace]

S'matter w'choo ??

Go frye up some ferentz fries and cut out the red meat, it's killing your brain.

 

[dsmalls3]

I’d encourage if he is a people person and also technically inclined to get into networking/datacenter/cyber security industry to become an engineer or a sales rep. The sales rep route has less entry requirements, but you will want to start as an inside rep, support outside reps and learn the ropes, find mentors etc.

Also find a cheaper school to earn his degree, as you’ll need it to get an entry level job in the industry. Go the easy route and get a business degree, or really set himself up with an IT related degree.

A list of companies in this industry would include Dell/EMC, Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto Networks, Cylance, Sophos, HPE, Pure Storage, Crowd Strike, Watchguard, CDW, SHI, WWT, and many others. He will likely have move outside of Nebraska to work for almost all of these unless he finds a local VAR out of Omaha or Lincoln

The key will be for him to find an initial mentor to show him the ropes. The hardest part will be landing his first job, but once you are in, I can’t think of a better way to make a great living and truly enjoy your job.

 

[TruHusker]

I am not sure what good at working on computers means. Sounds like he has the soft skills the employers want. He needs to figure out what he really wants to do and is good at doing. He needs to spend some time figuring out who he is and how he has been out together. I believe each person has been given individual skills and abilities. We have to figure out what they are and use them. Does he like working with people or machines? Problem solving or following steps and procedures. Does he like to build something or maintain it? How does he like to learn? I guessing there is a reason his first two years of college were not successful, he may need more application to be practical. Does he someday want to manage or own a business?

I would suggest finding a couple of good technical colleges or CC's that have a lot of technical programs and spend some time there asking questions.

Best of luck

 

[HuskerHusaria]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Anymore, college is never a 4 year adventure. Kids ought to be educated more clearly about college/university. Before I attended, my senior high class was pushed HARD to go to college. Staff preached time after time for years that college was critical - you won't have life success without it.

Btw, college time spent is averaging 5-6 years.

I did the university bit and I am sour. All I have to show for 6 years at UNL is an expensive piece of paper and a job not in my field. There were no career fairs. It was literally here's your degree, good luck!

These days that's a tough spot to be in. It's still hard to get a job out of college, even with a degree.

I sometimes lament that I got a degree. But, it has likely opened some doors that wouldn't be there if without. I spent 6 months interning at another B1G university. I got published twice. Even still, with the credits, it means nothing in the eyes of employers

Does your son look at online job listings? If not, he should look at usajobs.com or even nebraska state jobs. Monster is a good "goto".

I hope you both have good luck!

 

[Huskers7772004]

He could always get his CDL. Many pop companies will train him and pay him as he earns his. Check into Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Coke etc. A CDL is always a job in your pocket

 

[Clemke32]

Military, trust me it’s better then you think... I’ve been in 15 years... it has gave me job skills and an opportunity to progress... there are even career paths in computers, cyber security, graphic design, a whole bunch of things... have him do a little looking into it you maybe surprised

 

[donahues17]

Manufacturing is dying for younger people to get on board. Lots of older people in manufacturing they will be retiring before long. You can move up in the industry as well and there are so many of them you can compete for top pay between the companies.

 

[Joedaly]

If he is good with computers I agree that networking/cybersecurity is a good route. If he is good at math than data analyst/scientist is also a great route. If he has good social skills being a sales rep for one of these fields will also be great experience.

Sales will always be a field that is really hard to outsource or replace with automation or robots. If you have good sales experience you can work for a company or work for yourself.

Going back to school without a plan and commitment to that plan will just be a waste of time and money.

He could spend that time and money spent on school instead of learning how to become a freelancer and work for himself. There are tons of opportunities online to learn how to do this. I use Udemy.com a lot but also these books helped me and they aren't fluffy sales book where the book is nothing but a pitch to buy a bigger course online.

-The Millionaire Fastlane and Unscripted by MJ Demarco.

 

[Sinomatic]

Is he willing to get dirty and tired?

I worked with a guy who worked for Hess oil. They pull oil out of the Bakken(sp) oil field between Montana and Canada. He made 10000 a week.

If I was young, I would suggest going into the gas and oil industry for 8 years and quit. Then go do what I want to do.

After 8 years of working and saving he would come out with about 1.2 mil after tax in the bank. Invest that into dividend paying aristocrat mutual funds and he's making something like 40k a year mailbox money.

Then he can go get a job at a coffee shop flirting with the girls making coffee and BS'ing all day.

 

[WestCoastCornhusker2]

My 26-year old son is a dependable, smart, and loyal worker. He did very well in high school, graduated, went off to college, but just never engaged there. Spent a couple years floundering and not knowing what he wanted to do with college. Left college after 2 years without much to show for it. Took some classes at the local community college over the next couple years while working. He's never seemed to figure out his career path, and has been working full-time at the same retail restaurant chain for 5 years now. I'd really like to see him figure out a career path soon...whether that means getting a degree or finding another place of employment that would offer some real career advancement potential without a degree. As time goes by, I'm not seeing the traditional 4-year college degree being in his future. Similar to many people his age, he enjoys working on computers but also has good people skills. I think if he found the right company to work for...one that would allow him to grow and advance...he would really excel. The retail restaurant business is not that, and he knows it is time to move on.

Any suggestions appreciated.

I'd recommend getting an Electrician or Plumber job and certf. Maybe he could start his own business down the road if he's a go getter making as much as Drs.

That, or maybe he could apply at Rivals and rate HS prospects, he's probably just as qualified as the current evaluators.

 

[ADV1]

2 year tool and die degree from S.E.C. 80 k if he gets with good company.

Agreed! This is my industry and I can tell you that we have been in a severe shortage of skilled craftsman for quite some time and it's about to hit critical mass with guys retiring... If you're son applied himself he could do very well!

 

[tpmcg]

Not sure where he lives but a apprenticeship in a trade can turn into a very nice career. Many to choose from. Warning though. Will have to get up every morning. Will have to show up every day. May get dirty.

true, but the trades we deal with - dirt guys, underground, paving companies, and all the subs (foundation/flatwork, steelwork, framing/sheetrock, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, roofers, mechanical, painters, floor/tile, low voltage, etc.) - tend to show up around 9 and leave before 3, with a lunch in between. no weekends. if the weather is crappy they get a day off. if they ever get paid overtime - id spit my coffee out.
they drive nice vehicles and spend their weekends at the lake...im not saying its easy money, but im saying it looks like easy money...some guys get there earlier and some guys leave later, but vast majority work in the time frame i've mentioned above.

 

[SeaOfRed75]

If I could go back in time?

Still get that degree. But not in what i did. Teacher.

Id convince my wife to do the same. We'd work for LPS

That would suck you say.

We'd start at 45k a year. Not that hard to find programs at LPS where they pay for you to get your masters. Then they are required to pay you more even if you do the same damn job.

Summers off. Fall break off. Thanksgiving break off. Christmas break off. Spring break off.

Rule of 85 to retire fully vested in your pension. Age + years of service add up to 85 and you can retire fully vested.

Not rolling in the money I know. But for a job that is supposedly low paying and is supposed to be all about the children? Not a bad gig.

 

[bleedhuskerred]

Cyber security, robotics are the wave of the future...

I will second this on Cybersecurity. Get a two year degree from a local community or tech school in computer security. He will have a great career.