Career Choices

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blue_IHB

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<p>Recently I sat down with my cousin (who is a Senior in HS) to watch a game and talk. After discussing this and that, my fiance asked him if he had given any thought to his future career choices, and to our surprise he replied "I want to be a real estate agent!". When asked why he wanted to pursue such career path, he replied that they make easy money selling other people's homes, and he also wanted to buy homes for himself and sell it to others at a great profit. He has heard the great talk of becoming wealthy in the real estate market, seen the TV shows where people flip their homes form a quick, handsome profit and then move onto the next house to do the very same thing. When asked about other career choices such as medicine, law, education, or engineering, he protested those careers as boring, difficult, hard to make lots of money in a short amount of time, and requires too much education. He questioned why anyone would be stupid enough to go study and work such long hours when this career path is such easy living. After further discussion, this has become the profession of choice for not just my cousin, but for his friends and relatives of his age group. </p>

<p>Is this the norm for the kids in HS today, where they feel entitled to such benefits without hard work and discipline? Did the housing boom not just mess up the moral fabric of responsible lending, but also wash away the discipline of hard work and patience as "stupid" choices?</p>
 
<p>Well, if you feel that the society as a whole has been getting worse every generation, then I think you can say "yes, kids today do feel that entitlement". My personal feeling is that history shows we have been through this before. In the 80's, everyone wanted to be an investment banker or stock broker, with the dream of being rich. Although not exactly the same, in the 60's kids wanted to be "free", with the dream of being... high. I would have to say that for the vast majority, neither of these two generations turned out with a sense of entitlement for excessive greed or high. Once this phase passes, so will the kids' frenzy.</p>
 
I suspect the crash of the real estate market will do some serious damage to the sense of entitlement shared by a great many people.
 
<p><em>'Is this the norm for the kids in HS today, where they feel entitled to such benefits without hard work and discipline? Did the housing boom not just mess up the moral fabric of responsible lending, but also wash away the discipline of hard work and patience as "stupid" choices?'</em></p>

<p>Yes! Why you may ask? One word:</p>

<p>parents.</p>

<p>No offense to those who grew up in California, but there are a lot of people out here who don't know what it means to work. I grew up in the midwest and was raised by young working parents. They were financially sound and unaffected by many of the "fake-wealth" habits of Californians. I love living here now, but I realize that if I grew up out here I probably wouldn't be the same person that I am today. There are bad parents in every state. I am certainly no saying that your cousin's parents are bad by any means, but a lot of realtors have kids, and kids learn about life from their parents.</p>
 
<p>Blue, encourage his career choice. Every bright young adult needs to fall on their ass once.</p>

<p>Besides, he might just succeed at it. You never know. </p>
 
<p>It better do something to knock down the way this country thinks, especially here in SoCal it makes me sick. I have worked my A$$ off to get a Bachelors and Masters in Engineering and working for 5 years and get constantly looked at like I am a cheap bastard cause I drive an older car and won't spend money on designer stuff or leave huge tips to Bitchy waitresses. We (though my wife drives it 90% of the time) have a 2005 Altima SL in Black, tinted windows, real slick looking. I do my own oil changes still for my '95 nissan truck and the altima too. I go to Pep Boys for oil and the kid asked me what I was changing the oil in. This kid is like 17, baggy clothes, gold chains and all. So I'm like yea the wife drives the nice car.."which one?"...oh that Altima out there. He goes...."Altimas? They arent expensive".. Im like, F you dude... Little prick probably drives a Beamer or something. </p>
 
<p>I have to chime in for this one. I just recently graduated with a graduate degree. I put in 5 years after I got my BS (no pun intended there). So one would say that, I am disciplined enough to went through so much schooling etc. I think there are many reasons and factors going into the career decision making process. I have seen many of my friends who make tons of money. I, on the other hand, am still searching of a rewarding career. I am in lots of anguish whether I should go for the money or for career satisfaction (with less money) in the same field. </p>

<p>From my own observation, if one likes what he or she does, s/he will excel at it and makes ton of money. Maybe your cousin really likes real estate. Who knows. If he goes into just for the money, s/he will get bored soon and miserable. I have friends who put up with residency and fellowship. After that, they are miserable and hate what they do. They do make 200K+ per year as oncologist or whatever. No amount of money will make a person happy if s/he makes does not like what s/he does.</p>

<p><em>"When asked about other career choices such as medicine, law, education, or engineering, he protested those careers as boring, difficult, hard to make lots of money in a short amount of time, and requires too much education. He questioned why anyone would be stupid enough to go study and work such long hours when this career path is such easy living."</em></p>

<p>I am not sure how old your cousin is. From what I read here, it seems that he will be disappoint as an agent. Work requires discipline. To be a good agent, one really has to know the market., one has to research etc. I am not an agent. But to be a "super" agent and makes lots of money, your counsin might need some attititude/outlook adjustment first. Patience and discipline go a long way regardless of career path. </p>
 
Yup.



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I've seen this attitude even with college graduates in the late 90's during the tech bubble. Comp Sci grads and other MCSE, CNA's book-certified IT drones were commanding 90-100K+ salaries in the bay area. Once all the dot coms went bust, laid-off 24 year olds were complaining of only being offered jobs at 60K a year and how they've been cheated and would only take jobs that started near 100K. On one hand they did work hard, except they felt entitled and narcissistic about their self-worth. To them they deserved the high salaries.
 
This is an interesting thread, I'd like to ask a question: Does anyone here know what a Toolmaker is, or does? I have a good reason to ask....
 
My grandfather was a tool and die maker in Philadelphia... What I have run into at some companies I have worked with is that all the new kids they try to hire for machining can't read fractions...
 
eff and Screw (sheesh it didn't mean to come out that way) you win first prize, People don't realize that everything we own, our Cars, Trucks, Planes, iPods and Trinkets all come off or out of a Tool, there's been a trend in the US and Europe of Kids not wanting to go into Manufacturing, they just want to either sell or market something...and I can't say I blame them, someone has to make all the Crap we use and help re-build a manufacturing base, that would be the kind of Career Path I'd be telling Kids to go into, they'll make a really good living and beable to live almost anywhere in the world...that's my 2c ;-)
 
<p>QFT! </p>

<p> I see alot of new kids being hired in and for the most part, lots of the engineering students are hard workers. BUT I do see alot of the newer kids that want the higher salaries and are jealous of well paid engineers. I usually tell them, when you've worked 20-30 years THEN you can ask for those salaries, but before that you haven't even proved yourself for 6 months. </p>

<p>Like stated before, I think alot of parents in the OC haven't imbued in their children a sense of responsibility. They want to look good, look like they have wealth, live the "lifestyle". But don't know what it requries.... I've seen WAY too many kids drive luxury vehicles without knowing the TRUE cost. I guess i'm just annoyed, I've made the decision to give up nicer cars and a house to afford appartment properties. It just gets to me when people PRESUME that i'm some dumb jerk because i don't drive a expensive car (BS/MS - 1 year Phd and 15 years expereince as a engineer....)</p>
 
Peter, I've thought about retraining for a different career on several occasions. On one hand, the mfg base in the US is being gutted. On the other hand, journeyman are retiring left and right and there doesn't seem to be too many kids wanting to replace them. Nobody wants to get their hands dirty anymore.
 
<p>Been thinking the same thing, which is why i'm looking at the Phd, possible teaching career in the future. But we will see.</p>

<p>-bix</p>
 
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