where do you guys work
 

Im 16 and have been around boats my whole life my dad repairs them riggs them and salvages them I have also had the opportunity to do some fibreglass work but when I finish school I was thinking of becoming a marine technician and going to school at MMI in Orlando Florida but, many people were telling me that college is a waste of time and money so what jobs would you recommend me, I would prefer to work on the water and on boats. Also what college would you recommend. Thanks and please don't flame me or tell me I got my priority's mixed up I am just trying to find a job that ill enjoy and if this is the wrong place to post MODS pleas move it.

WORK??? Hey I thought we all had won the lottery.:D

Not going into the college debate. I would never say it's a waste of time or money. Who says stuff like that.

I'm not in the marine industry or on the water, I run a compagny with my wife that deals in corporate healthcare. What I do have, is enthusiasm for boats, and that I also had when I was your age. What I did was to look up the local boat shops, marina ect. and just ask if there was any work to do. I learned to wrench from home, and got my first summer job at the local merc dealer 24 years ago when I was 13. I know others who did things the same way, and today work with boats one way or another. A friend of mine is a ships building engeneer, another works with Maersk a third is with a smaller local hi-perf shop ect. I'm not in the US, but in Denmark. Still, things are pretty much done the same way up here as in the US. What you wanna do, is get your foot in the door, then find out what area you like. Engeneering, building, technical....

Not exactly what you asked, but maybe it can give you a few thoughts.

Good luck with it.

I'm a farmer. My parents taught me to work hard so you can play hard.

dont turn your " hobby " in to your job or you will end up hating your " hobby " i sold used race car parts on ebay for almost 10 years for a living now i work as a service writer for a small auto repair shop

I agree, had a chance to work for one of the top riggers/race teams in South FL a few years back, and turned it dow. Not because it was a bad job, but because I knew it would ruin my passion for my hobby of wrenching on/testing fast boats.

i can't agree more i work in construction and hate working on my own house i do it all day why come home and do it?

that's why I never wanted to be a gynecologist!!!!

And there is why everyone has choices.... first you HAVE to go to college, it is never a waste of money to have an education, its a great insurance policy as a back up. You may never need the what you learned in college to do your job, but you may very well need to be a colleg grad to even get through the door and apply!! On the other hand I do work what my hobby was and love it ... Hardazzchoppers.com

College is never a waste of time and there are many jobs that require a degree to even be considered. If you work college right, you can have the time of your life, make great friends and future contacts.
I believe thet on average you will have at least three jobs after school before you find the one you will call your career and your dream job more than likely will not be as fun as you initally thought. While in High School, try jobs that interst you and if you get a chance to intern, do it.
Good luck

Most of the people who say "A degree is just a piece of paper" don't have one. It's possible, but definitely getting harder to make a living without one.

I work in the IT field. Pay, benefits, and working conditions are pretty good. Plus it's a job I can do until I'm 70 if need be. Any job involving manual labor will get old as you get old.

I went in the Navy after HS. I earned a BS in Computer and Information Science while working full time. No regrets.

my advice...go to school for business and finance. from there you can do almost anything.

When people my age finished school there was a lineup of people that needed you as an employee.

Things arent that way now and wont be for a long time.

Science and technology have eliminated thousands of job titles.
And then there is the economy.:eek:

Entry level qualifications have risen greatly.

Lack of a formal education for the most part is a huge mistake.

Knowledge is power at the beginning of a career, during, and most importantly at the end as young people come into the market to replace you.

Even after you are established somewhat you should continue educating yourself.
The competition for jobs is fierce, including the job you may already have.

You know what they say. "He who think he is done educating himself, is more done than educated."

If you truly have a passion for something you should do it and follow your heart. If you're not in whatever you are doing 100%, why are you in it? MMI is not a waste of your time/money if that is what you want.

Don't be one of those bums wishing they had or just flying under the proverbial radar! Life is too short!

-When I was a teenager, I thought I knew everything. What I've learned is the older I get, the less I know...

FWIW, I'm a 50 yr old guy who has made a living from his hobbies his entire life. No regrets here and few have the totally consumed passion for boating than this guy!:drink:

Best of luck,

Kurt

Well said....and VERY true!

I think I have the same passion....it totally consumes me. We can only boat for 6 months out of the year in CT, but even in the winter months I cant pull myself away from it! It scares me....and my wife!

Very good quote.

You have to try as hard as possible to make yourself invaluable.
When you get into your late 40s and fifties an employer can find a young upstart that will do your job for half price.
Rather than look over your shoulder for your replacement for the last half of your career its better to have the confidence that no one is looking to save money on your elimination.

I can't believe someone told you not to go to college. It's a huge amount of debt to pay off, but well worth the money. If you're smart, you'll see college isn't just about the knowledge you gain... but the people you meet and social skills you learn.

Was Thinkin the same thing!

Exactly, I think I gained 10 years of maturity in college.......not to mention you have to be crazy to give up the girls!!

Who told you college is a waste of money? If so they either fell into money from their parents, got lucky, or dont have any money. School is an invesment in yourself. If you have college its always something to fall back on it. Sure you can be mechanic and some people are quite successful in doing it. But the majority of mechanic types are not rich people they make an honest living at 20-25 bucks an hour but nothing write home about. You can make it without school, but it is becoming more and more difficult to do so. May I add its proven that somebody with college will make one million dollars more in their life than somebody else, Spread that out over 30 year working career and your talking 33 grand more a year. Trust me its true 2-3 of my friends dont have college and thats about right. Heres the thing with college. I had friend that didnt go and right out of HS made 18-20 bucks an hour, and sat there and had a new car and thought they were rich and I was stupid for going school. Fast forward 8 years and I now make 10-15 bucks more an hour then them, and have better cars, houses, and boats.

Heres the thing with college dont go to school for something that doesnt have a future. Dont pick a degree because its easy or fun. I would say do something you like but pick something that you can sell to employers. If you want to be a teacher fine get an english degree but if you do not end up teaching good luck with an english degree. And thats where people trip up. Look into business, social science degree either those can be used in a lot of different applications.

Have you thought about the military? Worked great for me.

Keep in mind the marine industry is not in good shape right now. You might find yourself working your butt off, not making enough money to afford the toys you watch people enjoy every day. Kinda like being an ugly janitor at a porn studio, sure your around it every day, but sooner or later you are going to want to drive!

You will find people right out of college complaining about spending the money, and the time....but a lot of that is the the economy. Find someone established in life and you will not hear it. Most people in their 30's and 40's that did not go, now wish they did. I can't imagine chasing a degree part time while trying to pay bills. Do it while you are young.

I know people that are very smart, and quit witted, that do not have a college degree. I also know people that have extensive education, but lack so much common senseI wonder how they make it to the grocery store alone. BUT the most sucessful people have BOTH! Strive to be a better person everyday in your young life.

As has been said a couple of times here, a business degree will always serve you well.

Forget just your occupation, you spend your whole existence on this earth earning and spending money.

If its buying toys or homes or having kids it helps to have a basic understanding of economics and budgeting, both for today and the future.

If you take this site as an example of life's cross section of society , you will discover in general terms that those that have the more expensive boats on here, attend the events that require travel and those that get away on the fun adventures are self employed.

With that comes the responsibility of the welfare and security of your employees, your suppliers and your customers who depend on you somewhat.
To that end, a business degree is a good asset.

I'm in the same boat, sort of speak. A contractor and I hate to change a light bulb on my house.
Choose an occupation you like, choose your hobby as your passion. Don't mix them. I like construction but I have a passion for boating and my free time is spending playing with my boats, not on my house.
Education is never a waste of time nor money, but just remember; "it's not just a peace of paper". In collage you also learn about life, and once you do get that little paper, it tells the future employees that you can, willing and able to learn. That means, once you have your foot in the door, you can be trained, and willing to learn more.
Good luck.

same here at 45, my entire life i have made a living from my hobbies. From a bike shop in my dads garage to painting my friends cars to vintage auto restoration to custom street rods to boats to who knows whats next (it will be boat related lol). The key to making a living at your passion is to specialize in some part of it, get your experience where you need to get it but always advance yourself. Make sure you do something that not many or no one else does and do it well. It has its ups and downs but i cannot imagine it any other way.

I do believe education is a very important part of it as well. It may not be so much as the degree but the experience teaches you to think on a different level. I got my degree in engineering in my thirties long after i had set my path and to be honest i am un marketable in that field and i knew that going in but thats not why i did it. Got a lot out of it and also would not change a thing, would like to go back for a minor in physics some day.

best of luck to your future

Good point. Self employed doesnt always mean rich, and if it means good money that person probably worked very hard and it took time.(although I have a feeling a lot of people use their business to sweep money around and make it look like they have money) But dont let them fool you either some of them had some breaks or were handed a successful business from a parent. 20-30 years ago setting up a business was a lot easier then today, due to the fact that somebody already thought it up and is doing it.

Good thread to read:

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...-business.html

I am going to have to agree with Sydwayz ;) I am currently in the Army, have been for almost 11 years now, and have had a pretty good run of it. The military (especially some of the other branches like the Air Force) seem to be gearing towards college education for all levels. What is nice about the military is the incentives it gives relating to continuing your education. Besides the GI Bill, you also get tuition assistance (currently at 100%) the entire duration of your career. I am working on a degree in Criminal Justice while I am in the Army, will finish before retirement (hopefully lol) and will still have my GI Bill that I can use or pass on. Of course, I could go back to school after retirement, collect a pension, have health care benefits and love life, or I could go back to work, in the field I want to be in (Law Enforcement) and STILL collect a pension, have health care and enjoy life. Of course, it is all up to you. I would consider all options, but not getting an education should not be one of them.

Good suggestion.

Go Air Force...:D

Well said, this is key, more so today than ever ....I think if you majored in philosophy or "liberal arts" then with the accumulated debt load, college would DEFINATLY be a waste of time considering during that time you could have enrolled in something that could actually help you get a JOB.....I cant believe the number of parents who actually pay for their kids to take such ridiculous programs.....these kids take such stupid programs then cry that the college system doesnt work and their the forgotten 99%.

I spent 4 years in the USAF, from age 18-22. If I had not been chasing women and fast cars so much, I could have gotten out with my BS as well. Most of my time was in the Pentagon, and it set up my whole career/life.

The military is pretty much a guaranteed paycheck for 20 years, and then you get a retirement. I would be retiring this year if I would have stayed in! :eek: I'll be kicking myself on that 20 year mark, but I have NO regrets.

Best post here!

Make sure the debt doesn't overpower the degree!

On the MMI route, Florida has become awash in these "for profit colleges." They have gotten very good at 100% financing and the sales dept pushes the kids to sign on the dotted line saying they will probably get scholarships/grants etc. .........then the troubles hit:
1. Student loans are not dischargable (you can't even declare bankruptcy to get rid of them)
2. Loans are 9% plus
3. Drop out rate at these places is very high, yet the school still got paid and the student is still stuck with the debt
4. Jobs promised don't equal real money jobs

MMI can't pump out 100 kids a semester and expect jobs for those 100 kids in engine repair (there isn't that kind of demand right now). MMI also has a motorcycle school with the same issue (nobody is buying Harleys at the 2004-06 pace). But the school needs the students (and their tuition) to stay afloat so they have flashy TV ads to suck them in!

I blew a full ride acedemic scholarship on beer and girls. Have been a mechanic my whole life and have always been able to pay the bills. I have had a very nice offer on my business, and when the sale is final the first thing I am going to do is GO BACK TO SCHOOL at 45 years old.

Every time one of these threads come up the first posts always start out with "don't make your hobby your career".I have always made my hobbies part of my career and done well at it without losing any passion for the hobby. I think for me it is that I love what I do and look forward to opening the shop door every morning (34 years and counting). As far as not wanting to work on my own boats I do not have that problem, for me its the payoff for all the hard work I do on my customers boats.

theres always the exception

Not a bad route. I went Army and the officer route. I wouldnt reccomend the Army to anybody else though. Try AF or Navy first. You have to be careful with the Army or Marines. You can get stuck in dead end jobs. If you arent going to stay for 20 years infantry, artillery and tanks are cool but good luck getting out of the army at 23 years old no degree and trying to get a job with infantry experience. If you do get out go to college, USE it, ITS FREE.

Another hidden gem I didnt think about until I was out was the Coast Guard, you get the same everything as the military. And to dispell a myth whether your in the AF, Navy, or Army everybody gets paid the same as far as PVT in the Army get paid as the same rank in the AF and Navy. There are some special pays for subs, jump pay etc. But most part everybody has the same pay checks.

You definately want to make you career something you enjoy doing. If you like wrenching on boats, you will be able to learn the technical know how by attending a school like MMI. But I would not stop there. It would still be a good idea to attend college for a business management type degree. That combined with the technical hands on training and experience you can gain while going for your business degree will allow you to elevate from the mechanic, to the shop owner. An education is never a bad thing.

My senior year of college the Air Force sent a recruiting bus to my campus and brought us down to Scott AFB in St. Louis. If memory serves, we would have went in as 2nd LT's and as they continually reminded us, been able to retire after 20 years of service. Had I gone in I would be 5 years retired at this point in life!!