As a young college student trying to figure out his way in life, I always find my self wondering what fellow nexians do for a living. What careers have you and do you inhabit? What in your life led you there and how happy are all of you on the day to day basis with your life decisions?

I am currently studying introductory chemistry, and bio in school and am biochem bound currently, but this path is no doubt subject to change. I realize I am poised to do whatever I like with my life currently (in terms of studying for whatever career I want), but I don't know what I want!

I love geology, botany, chemistry, general biology, you name it, I am fascinated by it, I just struggle every day with what I think I am most apt to do, with what I truly want to do, and what will be practical given the future and job market.

Any advice/criticism on my situation is welcome.

Interesting question... I find that it's best to do work that one truely enjoys. Obviously...

I don't really have much advice cause I just fell into the job I have currently. I do IT work, but this is not something I am doing for much longer. my body is really tired of it after 4.5 years. next month I'm going off to travel for a bit, and will see what happens during that time. I've never really had a purpose or really known "what I want to do when I grow up" so I go with the flow. On my travels I'm hoping to actually sell out musically in another country, not even a joke. that would provide the money to be able to go and do something else that I'd actually like doing. who knows where I'll end up though. good luck to you

I went to college and I just didn't feel like anything spoke to me I like working with my hands. I settled on being an electrician and I love it. I made the right choice.

I've wondered the same thing about fellow nexians.
I have gone my whole life living boring meaningless job to job, but now I am trying to find a job I am excited about and that impacts the world or other people in a positive .

It is a lot harder than it sounds.

I have an obsession with entheogens as I'm sure most of us here do and would love a job in any aspect of the psychedelic field but I dropped out of college and don't have the resources to go back and still provide for my family.

As of late I am looking into environmental services, it's the closest I figure I can get to what I love.

I quit college.

Now Im just a bum..lol.

i have always enjoyed being outdoors in nature.. i like heights. and i like music,i like travel,and mountains.. so i became a tower technician.. i only work from 1000ft up to 2220 ft.. i climb in some of the most extrem conditions.. the work is very hard.. but the view is pricless..and it keeps me in crazy shape....and draws some of the most amazing people i have ever met.. plus.. i get to let clouds hit me in the face sometimes<3

Purges is currently out of work... My last job was rubbish and I was treated as a commodity... Currently looking for a decent workplace with OK money, but looks like I'm going to have to go back to Temping again, which I HATE...

wow, I watched some videos about tower techies... insane. it's my biggest phobia, heights that is.

I am a project manager for large multinational R&D projects financed by National/EU governments.

Sounds grand but in reality very boring sometimes. I have only recently managed to come to terms with it and started to enjoy it a bit more. This is mainly because I now work in the area of climate change and environmentalism which motivates me more.

I've done a lot in my life and I can't go into specific detail as a simple Google search would pull up my real identity!

I've been in the military, travelled extensively, even presented to committees at the UN in my time.

Even with all this I was always looking for the next big thing.

I actually dropped out of College as you Americans would say, but continued my education in my own time. I found this better than going to University.

I would generally advise people starting out.

1. Find something you love doing. (If I had my time again I would be a professional pilot rather than a hobby one)
2. Forget about the money, it becomes a trap very quickly. I now earn 6 figures, but I now have to earn 6 figures. In this climate it is very stressful to ensure I have a new contract all the time. An ex wife doesn't help matters.
3. Live within your means don't get any debt. This helps you to try other things if the no 1 thing ends up not being what you want.
4. Don’t take serious advice from anyone who doesn’t have an investment in the outcome.
5. Education and reading around your subject is key, read all points of view. If you believe in climate change read denier material. If you are an atheist read the bible. Don’t follow the media for your opinion read everything you can, base it on as much as possible on facts and have a true open mind.

https://www.youtube.com/...er-f#p/a/u/1/T69TOuqaqXI

7. remember that Education doesn’t have to come from traditional sources, don’t like school? Then maybe it is not for you. So find another way to learn, self study. 1-1 etc.
8. Take the 3rd toke.

i hate my job, but unfortunately i see no way to greatly change my situation. I spent my youth meandering through life and believeing that everything would work out fine, i am not a genius but im certainly not an stupid and i blaged my way through school with the minimum amount of effort as at the time the things they were teaching had no interest to me. Turns out i should have tried a litle harder, those little bits of paper are quite important.

I currently work an IT type job and it pains my soul everyday when i have to drag myself out of bed at 7am for another day of unimportant, mindless, meaningless work, while being surrounded by people who just dont seem to grasp that this job is a pointless waste of there existence.

Its pretty low paid(barely above MW) so there isnt much chance to save a large enough amount of cash to make a big change. This job situation must change soon however, as i dont think i can cope for much longer (and eventually they will check my browsing history and i will be sacked, maybe i spend all day on here as a subconscious act toward improving my job situation)

On the plus side i am very happy with my life if i remove work. I feel i have grasped the truely important things in life and with the addition of a job i liked, i would be as happy as a pig in hyperspace.

3rdI; Believe in change and it will come

thankyou tele, in the last 6 months i have realised alot about my situation, i am currently formulating a plan of action.

I currently work in a bakery where I don't even bake... But MAN do I defrost some serious dough!

This is not a career or a life choice, just a lame situation.

If I'm drinking in a bar however and someone asks me what I do "I handle mergers and aquisitions for a global telecommunications company" or "I'm a powerful bio-computer that decodes reality's into processable information".

The latter I use on simple folk to watch the cogs get a spinnin'

Dropped out of high school because I couldn't stand the mindlessness of it. I couldn't relate to anyone around me. I couldn't stand being told what to do. I wanted something real. Got my GED doing some easy online program where I didn't have to deal with anyone.

I was a hippy and I traveled and I tripped and I stole wine and I stole poetry and I made friends and experienced a lot of hard ships and beauty. I realized this lifestyle was not for me.

Through networking I was able to apprentice as a sound engineer @ sony music studios in NYC but I couldn't stand the biz, the coke, the manipulation, being treated like a bitch- so I left.

I farmed medicinal cannabis for a while legally.

Tried to go to college for chemistry but I still couldn't stand school.

I worked construction and damaged my nerve and spent half a year or so unable to walk thinking my life was over. Iboga saved my life.

Now it's up to me to create a new life for myself. I have faith and a few tricks up my sleeve to make that happen.

Someday I would like to have a clinic that focuses on the healing powers of psychedelics somewhere where it is legal to do so. Until then, I will be doing anything and everything in my power to make this dream come true. Even if I never make it, at least I tried, and enjoyed the ride.

Good planning is key. Nothing happens without a plan, you can not make progress wihtout one. You have to translate your wishes into something tangble and be able to monitor your progress.

This is in fact what is behind most self help books, diets etc.

I want to lose weight becomes I will lose X Kg by X date by doing x,y,z.

Write your goals down and review them each day/week/month but ensure they are recorded.

It is not I want to be rich, it is I want to have X amount of money and I will achieve this by doing....

You get the picture.

Also only plan in detail a few weeks or months in advance. You can plan your day probably down to the minute your week down to an hour your month down to the day your year down to a month. But plan what you will do for each goal and stick to it.

1 or 2 small changes are better than lots of big ones.

Want a new job but need new skills? Break the skills down into smaller chunks are work on them one at a time. Nothing worth having is easy, it takes time and commitment. However you can make the process easy and fun. By breaking things into smaller more manageable chunks.

Smaller chunks and goals make you feel like you are making progress. Reward yourself after completing a goal. Smaller more manageable goals allow you to reward yourself constantly and keep up levels of motivation.

It is how alcoholics stay sober, one day at a time.

Could maybe teach english? Ive been working with people with mental health problems for 6-7 years, like my job but im leaving that, split with my long term girlfriend and going to south east asia to teach english. I also plan on selling out musically. Im going to dj using traktor, can dj anything, shit pop shit trance anything that will get me money Ill do it, technology is there to make this possible, just rip from youtube or download and you can pretty much play anything, also want to start a band with my friend, hes a great guitarist and I have ableton maxforlive a few controllers and just seen jazz mutant lemur is out on ios, hopefully ill get a cheap ipad out there and ill have all the controller power I want, the possibilitys are endless. My mate said in some places you can learn a few songs on guitar and get paid for playing in bars, hardly touch guitar this weather but id learn anything to make money, cant wait, sell out city here we come

i think selling out to live the dream is an ok form of selloutism.

Selloutism lol word of the day!!

I'm going to be in Korea and a friend of mine told me that if you can DJ then you can make some money there. Hopefully that can help, but Korea is incredibly materialistic and as another friend of mine said "it takes a special kind of drunk to make it there".