What do y'all do for a living?

[Moe2Moto]

Hey guys, I apologize if this is an inappropriate question, but I’m 23 years old, still in college and I still question myself on the profession I want to choose. Just like y’all I have a BMW, but when I look around a bunch of forums, I see people with expensive cars and can’t help to wonder what profession they have to afford it.

So if y’all wouldn’t mind trying to push me onto the same path as y’all or giving me some sort of advice on helping me with trying to get into my profession that would be great.

I’ll start, I’m 23, I’m in college majoring in Chemistry in hopes of being a dentist. Currently unemployed and in school.

[W2k]

Software engineer here, as I've grown older I've mostly transitioned into more leadership'y and sales'y roles, but still very focused on tech and on solving problems by torturing computers until they do my bidding. Currently working for that big tech company what used to just be a dinky online bookstore run out of a garage with door desks.

Is the money good? Yes, talented people can create generational wealth just working a 9-5 writing code if they're lucky enough to be at the right company at the right time, especially in the US. For talented but less lucky folks, it's still a good chunk of cash at the end of the month. I'm somewhere in between the two, due to working in a country that thinks it's entitled to take most of what I make in taxes. It's plenty enough to pay for my BMW addiction, at least.

When evaluating a career, you may see articles suggesting the entire field of [insert name here] is about to be consumed by AI. Ignore them, it's the clueless snake oil peddlers trying to hype up their own stock portfolios. For the most part. My advice, if you're evaluating whether a particular job is a safe long-term bet in the face of rapidly evolving technology, think of these three:

1) Is success in this profession highly dependent on exercising good decision-making based on uncertain information, or is it mostly just pattern-matching?
2) Do people working in this profession spend their time mostly interacting with other humans, or working on their own in quiet isolation?
3) Is the demand for the products or services created in this profession mostly constant (or increasing) over time, or highly sensitive to short-term trends?

If the answer is yes to the first part of all or most of these, then it's a good choice, though not all such jobs make good money. I would say that dentistry checks at least 2/3, possibly 3/3 (I'm not knowledgeable enough to say).

[Katsunaka]

Im Tony Montana and sell coke.

Nah, manager at a commercial tire shop. Ain't bad and I know the industry well from being an owner operator.

[Phillies8008]

I'm in warehousing and logistics.

If I were to advise a young person at the beginning of their career, I would say:

• Finance – potential to make a lot of money.

• Healthcare practitioner – demand will never go away (and is going up as Boomers age-out), the money is very good, it's essentially recession-proof, can't be off-shored, and completely portable (i.e., you can go anywhere and find a job). With some of these you can often find an employer that will foot part or all of the expense of your schooling in exchange for a commitment to work for them for some period of time.

• A trade, but probably only if you go in with the ultimate plan of opening your own business after gaining experience in your chosen discipline. Also fairly recession-proof and your job can't be off-shored. Demand is absolutely skyrocketing as Boomers age-out and we're facing decades of too few people going into the trades. You think plumbers, et. al. are expensive now? Just wait.

• Law, with the intention of focusing on wealth management or related. You need to go in with the mindset that you're going to spend a good decade working very long hours. Junior lawyers are all about generating billable hours, and the top performing ones are the ones who are going to make parter. That's where the real money is.

• Sales, if you have the personality and self-motivation to really make it work. Most people in sales don't, in my experience.

• Engineering of some flavor (I'm not knowledgable enough to recommend which particular disciplines are most desirable).

Those are the ones off the top of my head, and I'm sure I'm missing lots of good options.

[MassWholeBimmer]

I.T. Manager supporting SAP (ERP system) for a large defense contractor.

[unluky]

I'm in Sales & Marketing and one of those "lucky ones" you hear about that stumble into their line of work. I took "a job" when I was 20 that turned out to be in an industry I loved and excelled in because I was in an industry I grew up in and had built in knowledge in without even thinking about it.

35 (almost 36) years later I am still in it and have ran S&M departments for some of my industries oldest companies which were still privately owned - which I highly recommend.

I also have a savers mindset (thanks dad) so I sacrificed more in my youth to enjoy the better things later in life after building a great safety net that allows me to buy expensive things without worry/guilt and walk away from any job at any time should I see fit. It's AMAZING how much more you can enjoy your work when you know you can leave at anytime - you are there because you want to be - not because you feel like you have to.

I know youth wants it fast and now, but I see people I went to high school with who have never "gotten ahead" and continue to run at the ragged edge of their pay constantly with the fear and worry that comes with it when you hit 50. A few toys when you are young are not work it I promise you.

Sounds like you are targeting a field that is generally profitable, probably hard to replace with AI ( w2k =) ), but also comes with a ton of debt (my GF daughter is 3rd year dentists student.....) so instead of selling you on the virtues of what job to get - I'd rather tell you to put your head down when you get done with school, get 100% of that debt off your back as fast as you can and then enjoy that feeling of freedom and security that so few people never truly get to feel. It's better that any car or fun toy I have ever bought.

Good luck in your career and life. Doing your research while you are still young and making a plan will pay huge dividends in the future I promise.

[Alfisti]

Cannot lose as a Dentist surely? Gold mine once set up no?

As for me, always worked in various operational roles within Market Research, hit a bit of a mid-life career wall 3 years ago and moved to sales from ops, turns out it was the best move I ever made. On pace this year to nearly triple my income from 3 years ago, if you can generate revenue (with decent margin), you're worth something.

[gblansten]

Nephrologist

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Cannot lose as a Dentist surely? Gold mine once set up no?

As for me, always worked in various operational roles within Market Research, hit a bit of a mid-life career wall 3 years ago and moved to sales from ops, turns out it was the best move I ever made. On pace this year to nearly triple my income from 3 years ago, if you can generate revenue (with decent margin), you're worth something.

Or an orthodontist. The only downside to that is that, much like Jesse James, you have to wear a mask when you rob people.

[unluky]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

Or an orthodontist. The only downside to that is that, much like Jesse James, you have to wear a mask when you rob people.

LOL - this is what my GF daughter has wanted to be since she was 14 for some odd reason. She is a D3 now, but thinks she might dive out and do GD for a bit and then decide is she wants to continue on and be an ortho.

I have a feeling that debt piling up is working on her. I know it would me too. My god............

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

Or an orthodontist. The only downside to that is that, much like Jesse James, you have to wear a mask when you rob people.

[mmarsalone]

I just retired @ 60 from a large medical equipment manufacturer, CTs, MRs, etc. I had been in area manager roles for the past 28 years.

There's some good advice above in saving as much as possible when you're young. Save the big purchase and trips until later in life, delayed gratification.

And just like above, my father told me in my teenage years about the power of compound interest and the Rule of 72. Do not wait to start saving for retirement. You may think when you're young you miss one early "doubling" of your savings isn't big because it maybe $10K to $20K. But the one you're really missing out on is the one that may go from $1.5M - $3.0M when your in your 50s or 60s. Load an interest calculator on your phone and run scenarios.

The first is contributing $1000 / month starting at age 25 for 10 years and stop when you're 35 years old. Just use 7% return. Then load that ending as your start and run it for 30 years until your 65 with no additional contributions at 7%.

The second, start contributing $1000 / month starting when your 35 years old and do it for thirty years until your 65 years old with a 7% return also.

You'll see that your $12,000 starting at age 25 is worth more than the $36,000 from when you started at 35. So start early with as much as you can.

The three "wisdoms" I received when I was young were:

My dad - Save as much, as early, as you can because of the rule of 72 = think 401K (Roth if available).

Salesman at my first real job - Pay yourself first, then pay your bills. = think 401K.

My first roommate out of college (CFP) - Dollar Cost Average = think 401K.

And always contribute as much to your 401K as is needed to get the full company match. Otherwise you're giving away free money.

Now for the disclaimer, I am not a financial advisor and your situation may be different. Use this if you feel it fits for you.

Mike

[Alfisti]

There's balance int he whole save early thing. I get the math but truth be told, once at 45 or so, shit starts to get less fun cos you just cannot do what you could at 22. I dropped a shit ton of money on travel and cars and yeah sometimes I regret it but it's not the same doing it now at near 50... it just.... isn't.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by mmarsalone

I just retired @ 60 from a large medical equipment manufacturer, CTs, MRs, etc. I had been in area manager roles for the past 28 years.

There's some good advice above in saving as much as possible when you're young. Save the big purchase and trips until later in life, delayed gratification.

And just like above, my father told me in my teenage years about the power of compound interest and the Rule of 72. Do not wait to start saving for retirement. You may think when you're young you miss one early "doubling" of your savings isn't big because it maybe $10K to $20K. But the one you're really missing out on is the one that may go from $1.5M - $3.0M when your in your 50s or 60s. Load an interest calculator on your phone and run scenarios.

The first is contributing $1000 / month starting at age 25 for 10 years and stop when you're 35 years old. Just use 7% return. Then load that ending as your start and run it for 30 years until your 65 with no additional contributions at 7%.

The second, start contributing $1000 / month starting when your 35 years old and do it for thirty years until your 65 years old with a 7% return also.

You'll see that your $12,000 starting at age 25 is worth more than the $36,000 from when you started at 35. So start early with as much as you can.

The three "wisdoms" I received when I was young were:

My dad - Save as much, as early, as you can because of the rule of 72 = think 401K (Roth if available).

Salesman at my first real job - Pay yourself first, then pay your bills. = think 401K.

My first roommate out of college (CFP) - Dollar Cost Average = think 401K.

And always contribute as much to your 401K as is needed to get the full company match. Otherwise you're giving away free money.

Now for the disclaimer, I am not a financial advisor and your situation may be different. Use this if you feel it fits for you.

Mike

I'm a big believer in saving early and delayed gratification. The doubling /compounding is a god tier impact later in life.

[Phillies8008]

Another really, really great plan is to have rich parents who'll leave you big fat trust fund. in retrospect, I really wish I'd done that.

[mmarsalone]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

There's balance int he whole save early thing. I get the math but truth be told, once at 45 or so, shit starts to get less fun cos you just cannot do what you could at 22. I dropped a shit ton of money on travel and cars and yeah sometimes I regret it but it's not the same doing it now at near 50... it just.... isn't.

That's very valid. As I said everyone's situation is different.

We traveled and I had fun cars too, just not as expensive as what I can get now.

The hard part now is shifting from a saver to a spender.

Mike

[mmarsalone]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

Another really, really great plan is to have rich parents who'll leave you big fat trust fund. in retrospect, I really wish I'd done that.

That's called the old fashion way.

[dcstep]

Started as a CPA partner with a big international firm, then finance as a mortgage banker C-level, NYSE company, then risk management consulting.

See a lot of medical professionals in the responses so far. General dentistry is a tough one, with high overhead and lower fees vs. oral surgeon or orthodontist. Hands-on professions should stay strong as AI takes over more and more jobs.

Start your retirement savings day-one.

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Started as a CPA partner with a big international firm, then finance as a mortgage banker C-level, NYSE company, then risk management consulting.

See a lot of medical professionals in the responses so far. General dentistry is a tough one, with high overhead and lower fees vs. oral surgeon or orthodontist. Hands-on professions should stay strong as AI takes over more and more jobs.

Start your retirement savings day-one.

I’m planning on specializing in something, probably prosthesis for teeth, because some specializations are phasing out and I think prosthesis is where the money is at.

[Mason Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Moe2Moto

Hey guys, I apologize if this is an inappropriate question, but I’m 23 years old, still in college and I still question myself on the profession I want to choose. Just like y’all I have a BMW, but when I look around a bunch of forums, I see people with expensive cars and can’t help to wonder what profession they have to afford it.

So if y’all wouldn’t mind trying to push me onto the same path as y’all or giving me some sort of advice on helping me with trying to get into my profession that would be great.

I’ll start, I’m 23, I’m in college majoring in Chemistry in hopes of being a dentist. Currently unemployed and in school.

My BMW costs less than the pickups most people drive in Texas. It is also less than many other SUVs. I drive an X3, and it is a tremendous value

If you want to be a dentist why are you majoring in chemistry? Those seem incongruent

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

My BMW costs less than the pickups most people drive in Texas. It is also less than many other SUVs. I drive an X3, and it is a tremendous value

If you want to be a dentist why are you majoring in chemistry. Those seem incongruent

My advisor told me there was no difference. (There is) but I’m still majoring in chemistry, but taking the required classes to get into dental school. Regardless of my major.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by Moe2Moto

My advisor told me there was no difference. (There is) but I’m still majoring in chemistry, but taking the required classes to get into dental school. Regardless of my major.

I don't think it matters on the major so long as the prerequisites are met and met well.