What does everyone do for a living and how do you like it? (Career Search)

[KevenAtWakeUSF]

I am on my 3rd year as an accounting major at the University of South Florida. I am pretty good at accounting, and doing very well in classes. Only problem is, I can not see myself as being an accountant for the rest of my life. I started accounting because I felt it would be something good to know in the future as someday I plan on running my own business and being my own boss.

As part one of my career search, I would like to know:
*What you guys do for a living
*What do you like about it
*What your daily/weekly duties include
*What do you dislike about it
*What did you have to do to get where you are now (internships, schooling, previous jobs, etc)
*How much you make per year (if you would like to give up that information)
*Any other info you could give me. Perks of the job, vacation time, time away from home/family, ANYTHING

Thanks guys!

[TMCNo1]

-Self employed Signwriter and Pinstriper, Vehicle Cleanup and Detailing.
-I do everything including the bookkeeping and no 2 days are alike and that's a good thing.
-Self taught, after being a Draftsman for 13 years.
-More than doubled my income as a Draftsman.

[Muttley]

Originally Posted by TMCNo1

-Self employed Signwriter and Pinstriper, Vehicle Cleanup and Detailing.
-I do everything including the bookkeeping and no 2 days are alike and that's a good thing.
-Self taught, after being a Draftsman for 13 years.
-More than doubled my income as a Draftsman.

Wow. Another one. Except for the vehicle detailing.

Was a self employed signmaker for 20 years. As a subcontracting service I did drafting, permits and design. Started with an awning and tent company as their total Drafting/Design/Permit/Sign manager. Now I'm running the place.

I like it because it's creative, hands on. I get to do some cool stuff for the movies (tents for X-Men, "Dr. Ray's Electronics" for a looting scene in the upcoming "Day The Earth Stood Still" with Keanu Reeves, Fantastic Four, Catwoman... Lots of Stargate stuff, and X-Files when it was done here). I get the challenge of handling really large projects like shopping malls and a five star tent resort.

I like the people I work with. I like the respect. I admit, I like being the "Go To" guy.

Don't like? The odd crappy customer. Architects who design stuff that defies basic physics (sorry, dude, but yes, trhe fabric needs a spport system), dealing with 10 different municipalities with different and ridiculous permit requirements (TWO engineers, one to check the others work??) and whiny employees. All of that is just part of the challenge I guess.

[h2oskifreak]

Real Estate-love it!
Work like a dog all the time but that's my personality.
Self employment is where it's at.
If you're thinking about it have lots of cash reserves, it takes 3-5 years of negative cash flow. Be prepared to work harder than the next guy, and don't do it if you have a young family. Divorce is a certianty.
I'm 20 years in and if you are good and have staying power you can make good $ even in a down market. Not for the faint of heart. Forget about it if you think it is easy money, you'll be gone in a year or two. I worked 60-70 hrs. 7 days/week for 3 years w/o a day off and that is the honest truth, then it gets better

[robisjo]

I'm a CPA. Get out while you still can! Ask me in the summer when I'm skiing everyday, the answer might be different.

[Marcos]

I'm project manager at a Telecom operator in the Netherlands. I am responsible of building the opticalnetwork. Which is always hectic, but I love it, as I can do a lot of my work from my own home. This is convinient, as I live in Italy and work in Holland. So I take the plane to my work.....sounds crazy and it is!
For me it's a nice combination of tech and desk work.
I'm trying to start off in the real estate sector in Italy, so I can quit the job and no longer have to fly back and forth...
Next to that, in the summer I operate a skischool on lake maggiore. This is more to pay for the hobby then earning a living......

[STLer645]

I'm still in school myself, so I can't exactly answer the question. But I will say that two of my close friends did the 5-year CPA and are now in auditing. They really enjoy it.

I will also share with you my forcasted future career path. I'm personally looking to get into I-Banking, Private Equity or Hedge Funds. I'll be out of undergrad next December and will attempt to go for the MBA the next fall, as I already have a considerable amount of qualifying work experience. If I'm not accepted to a top 20 MBA, I'll probably put in a few 70 hr/week years at a respectable brokerage house and then head for the MBA.

If you want to be your own boss, this time of your life will probably be a lot easier. For me it is networking with extreme net worth individuals, meeting with alums of desired b-schools and generally a tremendous amount of politicking. I already took the LSAT (considered compliance) and I am now beginning to study for the GMAT. In the summer I'll be pursuing an unpaid internship (debating between firms in San Fran and NYC.) After months of writing applications and interviewing, I will likely be weighing whether I should hold out for the Yales, Cornells and UNC's or consider the Rochesters, IUs or Pepperdines of the world. In finance it is all about rank and perception, as investment houses and fund managers view academic pedigree as shorthand for intellectual capabilities.

For an entrepreneur (in my opinion) you can just pursue angles which seem beneficial and enjoyable to you. My father is what I would consider to be an extremely successful entrepreneur and did it all without spending a single semester in college. Different industries bring obviously different requirements. Prior to founding your business, I would definitely try to gain employment at the exact type of firm which you hope to start.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope it is useful. Insomnia has set in.

[JoshBuzz]

I'm running into the same wall as you Kevan, I was an English major, just switched to communications, I don't plan on rolling in the big bucks, but I am going to venture into the wake/boating world as a career and not just a hobby. I've already got a great job opportunity at Houston MC working with people I love to be around, in a great atmosphere, and I'm very well networked for a 19 year old. I love networking, and would love to be a representative for Hype or for MC in the near future!!

[msutoad]

I am a Network Engineer and love it. I work alot of hours but that is because I love my job. No 2 days are the same, and I get to work with bleeding edge technology. Pay is very good, but not over the top. With many years in, you can get the pay to be over the top, but it is a tough road to get there with so many people coming out of college in engineering. Good Luck

[D3skier]

Originally Posted by msutoad

I am a Network Engineer and love it. I work alot of hours but that is because I love my job. No 2 days are the same, and I get to work with bleeding edge technology. Pay is very good, but not over the top. With many years in, you can get the pay to be over the top, but it is a tough road to get there with so many people coming out of college in engineering. Good Luck

I'm in the IT field as well and don't have a lot of years in and it has been a real struggle to start making any decent $$$ it's been about 7 years now and still struggling to get out of the helpdesk roles....