I think I would look into the Coast Guard and do 20+ there. Use the education benefits and work to complete a bachelor's degree while in. Then look at a second career. I know it gets a bad rap, but getting into education pays pretty well in the larger cities, and getting a double retirement at 60 or so wouldn't be bad.

HossAg said:

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SchizoAg said:

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Petroleum engineering or nuclear engineering. Energy is the foundation of all industry. That isn't changing any time soon.

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Petroleum is the last engineering degree I would recommend.

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Agreed. It's not as versatile as mechanical or civil engineering. You can get a degree in either of those and go work in O&G if you want. But if you get a petroleum engineering degree doesn't seem like you can transition to other fields easily.

I'd say the best advice to give young people, and what I share with my staff is this:

You can look at this position as a job, and just punch a clock. I can promise you, you will go nowhere. You will be passed over for promotions, your peers will pass you by, and your pay and bonuses will reflect this.

Or you can view this as a career and better yourself through your own effort outside 9-5. Want more responsibility, money, promotions? Get licensed. Want to elevate yourself in the industry? Go to the after work events. Create and foster relationships. Become a subject matter expert. That makes you valuable. This isn't for the company. This is for you.

When I provide a salary adjustment, the firm does not just absorb that added overhead. I have to justify it by changing title and the employee's billable rate…which affects project fees. And on new projects, I am routinely asked who will be on the team - people want the A team.

AggieArchitect04 said:

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HossAg said:

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SchizoAg said:

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Petroleum engineering or nuclear engineering. Energy is the foundation of all industry. That isn't changing any time soon.

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Petroleum is the last engineering degree I would recommend.

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Agreed. It's not as versatile as mechanical or civil engineering. You can get a degree in either of those and go work in O&G if you want. But if you get a petroleum engineering degree doesn't seem like you can transition to other fields easily.

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If your goal is to be an engineer for an O&G company I would go for the PE. Generally, the PE's are prioritized ahead of the other disciplines during the interview and hiring processes.

BBRex said:

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I think I would look into the Coast Guard and do 20+ there. Use the education benefits and work to complete a bachelor's degree while in. Then look at a second career. I know it gets a bad rap, but getting into education pays pretty well in the larger cities, and getting a double retirement at 60 or so wouldn't be bad.

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.................. BB, why the Coast Guard? I did not serve in the CG but I am quite familiar and impressed with the CG as a military service and career. (I chose Army via ROTC @ A&M; son chose CG and served 26 years.)

IIIHorn said:

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AggieArchitect04 said:

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HossAg said:

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SchizoAg said:

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Petroleum engineering or nuclear engineering. Energy is the foundation of all industry. That isn't changing any time soon.

---

Petroleum is the last engineering degree I would recommend.

---

Agreed. It's not as versatile as mechanical or civil engineering. You can get a degree in either of those and go work in O&G if you want. But if you get a petroleum engineering degree doesn't seem like you can transition to other fields easily.

---

If your goal is to be an engineer for an O&G company I would go for the PE. Generally, the PE's are prioritized ahead of the other disciplines during the interview and hiring processes.

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I work in O&G and idk a single engineer in our office with a PE degree.

I was a Navy reservist, so of course we talked crap about the Coast Guard. But they have some interesting peace-time roles, such as search and rescue or marine science specialist, that mean you are doing more than than just drills for war. Plus, you get to be on the water without as much time away from home (potentially).

Have a nephew in the Coast Guard that is DSF(Deployable Specialized Forces)

HossAg said:

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IIIHorn said:

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AggieArchitect04 said:

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HossAg said:

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SchizoAg said:

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Petroleum engineering or nuclear engineering. Energy is the foundation of all industry. That isn't changing any time soon.

---

Petroleum is the last engineering degree I would recommend.

---

Agreed. It's not as versatile as mechanical or civil engineering. You can get a degree in either of those and go work in O&G if you want. But if you get a petroleum engineering degree doesn't seem like you can transition to other fields easily.

---

If your goal is to be an engineer for an O&G company I would go for the PE. Generally, the PE's are prioritized ahead of the other disciplines during the interview and hiring processes.

---

I work in O&G and idk a single engineer in our office with a PE degree.

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So, you haven't been coerced into doing calisthenics?

HossAg said:

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IIIHorn said:

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AggieArchitect04 said:

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HossAg said:

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SchizoAg said:

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Petroleum engineering or nuclear engineering. Energy is the foundation of all industry. That isn't changing any time soon.

---

Petroleum is the last engineering degree I would recommend.

---

Agreed. It's not as versatile as mechanical or civil engineering. You can get a degree in either of those and go work in O&G if you want. But if you get a petroleum engineering degree doesn't seem like you can transition to other fields easily.

---

If your goal is to be an engineer for an O&G company I would go for the PE. Generally, the PE's are prioritized ahead of the other disciplines during the interview and hiring processes.

---

I work in O&G and idk a single engineer in our office with a PE degree.

---

My dad has a PE degree and has worked in Aerospace for most of his career.

AggieArchitect04 said:

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I'd say the best advice to give young people, and what I share with my staff is this:

You can look at this position as a job, and just punch a clock. I can promise you, you will go nowhere. You will be passed over for promotions, your peers will pass you by, and your pay and bonuses will reflect this.

Or you can view this as a career and better yourself through your own effort outside 9-5. Want more responsibility, money, promotions? Get licensed. Want to elevate yourself in the industry? Go to the after work events. Create and foster relationships. Become a subject matter expert. That makes you valuable. This isn't for the company. This is for you.

When I provide a salary adjustment, the firm does not just absorb that added overhead. I have to justify it by changing title and the employee's billable rate…which affects project fees. And on new projects, I am routinely asked who will be on the team - people want the A team.

---

Good advice.

I would add to this, LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION.
For whatever field you are in, identify the best location to be in. Then move there in the beginning of your career. That is when you catch the latest trends and are available nearby to jump on them.

BurnetAggie99 said:

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If didn't want to attend college and get a degree then I'd recommend being an Electric Utility Lineman working for electric utility. There are lineman making 150k - 200k a year with OT.

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And you can make WAY more than that if you're willing to chase storms.

strbrst777 said:

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BBRex said:

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I think I would look into the Coast Guard and do 20+ there. Use the education benefits and work to complete a bachelor's degree while in. Then look at a second career. I know it gets a bad rap, but getting into education pays pretty well in the larger cities, and getting a double retirement at 60 or so wouldn't be bad.

---

.................. BB, why the Coast Guard? I did not serve in the CG but I am quite familiar and impressed with the CG as a military service and career. (I chose Army via ROTC @ A&M; son chose CG and served 26 years.)

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Where else capture a submarine?

My wife is a nurse and both of my kids are nurses. Sent one through A&M, the other through Blinn. Some people are in healthcare because they have it in their blood. They will never be unemployed or outsourced to India.

Second choice would be Finance. Don't think that I have ever ran across a barista with a Finance degree.

My spouse did this for 40 years. Sociology degree in college. Hired as a trainee for one of the big commercial carriers back in the day. They send her to engineering school. Her specialty was underwriting amusement park ride manufacturers.

Good money and job security. She had better work stories than I ever had! FWIW, none of those rides are really safe.

TRD-Ferguson said:

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My spouse did this for 40 years. Sociology degree in college. Hired as a trainee for one of the big commercial carriers back in the day. They send her to engineering school. Her specialty was underwriting amusement park ride manufacturers.

Good money and job security. She had better work stories than I ever had! FWIW, none of those rides are really safe.

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Petroleum engineering or nuclear engineering. Energy is the foundation of all industry. That isn't changing any time soon.

My son is planning on college followed by law school followed by space force .

I think his goal is to be a colonel and then go private sector.

I have convinced him that while law school is the new MBA for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur, being a lawyer completely sucks.

Of course this could all change tomorrow

TRD-Ferguson said:

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My spouse did this for 40 years. Sociology degree in college. Hired as a trainee for one of the big commercial carriers back in the day. They send her to engineering school. Her specialty was underwriting amusement park ride manufacturers.

Good money and job security. She had better work stories than I ever had! FWIW, none of those rides are really safe.

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Ah man I don't wanna hear that! At 52 I still love great rides especially the Universal style mixed VR rides. Their Hagrid ride is amazingly fun!

MRB10 said:

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Commercial insurance underwriting. I think a good chunk will get automated in my lifetime but underwriting large/complex accounts in a specified industry(construction, healthcare, O&G, etc.) is a really good gig for the right mindset.

Any business or economics degree will get your foot in the door. After that, it helps to know someone at the company.

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I'm in this industry as an engineer. It is very lucrative

Thoughts on a refinery/chemical plant operator, or some other trade in the plants? I&E tech would be great, and as an operator I'd much rather be doing that at times than my job but, there's tons of great benefits.
-I work DuPont schedule. So if no overtime, I only work 14 days out of 28.
-48 hours of vacation gets me 2 weeks guaranteed off
-401K and a pension
-on overtime…it sucks gettign forced to work when you don't…..then your paycheck hits with a few OT days and a double time shift.
-you get on a bigger name company guaranteed you'll be bringing in over 100K/year. Also very easy to bring in over 200K if you have turnarounds/outages/lots of overtime.

Just my .02

IIIHorn said:

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HossAg said:

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IIIHorn said:

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AggieArchitect04 said:

---

HossAg said:

---

SchizoAg said:

---

Petroleum engineering or nuclear engineering. Energy is the foundation of all industry. That isn't changing any time soon.

---

Petroleum is the last engineering degree I would recommend.

---

Agreed. It's not as versatile as mechanical or civil engineering. You can get a degree in either of those and go work in O&G if you want. But if you get a petroleum engineering degree doesn't seem like you can transition to other fields easily.

---

If your goal is to be an engineer for an O&G company I would go for the PE. Generally, the PE's are prioritized ahead of the other disciplines during the interview and hiring processes.

---

I work in O&G and idk a single engineer in our office with a PE degree.

---

So, you haven't been coerced into doing calisthenics?

---

they had to do 10 Iroquois twists before they could leave work today.

Some fatso fell into the radioactive gas tank valve when they were doing them.

Hagen95 said:

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Do you like dealing with people's ***** Because that's what plumbers do. It's literally ****ty work.

Climbing in attics in the summer to work on A/C systems is pretty taxing labor, but it can be a good wage. There are plenty of trade jobs for a reason. Very few people want to do the labor involved.

My kids are looking at careers as they graduate HS now and it's still easily more lucrative to go to a good college and get a good degree. There are plenty of outliers but the averages are still there for college being a good successful life.

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That's what service plumbers do. Plenty of plumbers do new build and renovation work only, meaning they're really only in the business of installing new stuff. They're not the ones you call for stopped up drains.

Same for HVAC. Some of it may be crawling in attics and servicing equipment, but others are only installing in new builds. Others are doing commercial work, which is very different.

Honestly, being an elevator installer or technician is a pretty nice gig. You're pretty much only going to work in conditioned space, and the pay is really high. Median is about $100k, and even the lowest of the low paid make decent money, like $50k-$60k.

infinity ag said:

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AggieArchitect04 said:

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I'd say the best advice to give young people, and what I share with my staff is this:

You can look at this position as a job, and just punch a clock. I can promise you, you will go nowhere. You will be passed over for promotions, your peers will pass you by, and your pay and bonuses will reflect this.

Or you can view this as a career and better yourself through your own effort outside 9-5. Want more responsibility, money, promotions? Get licensed. Want to elevate yourself in the industry? Go to the after work events. Create and foster relationships. Become a subject matter expert. That makes you valuable. This isn't for the company. This is for you.

When I provide a salary adjustment, the firm does not just absorb that added overhead. I have to justify it by changing title and the employee's billable rate…which affects project fees. And on new projects, I am routinely asked who will be on the team - people want the A team.

---

Good advice.

I would add to this, LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION.
For whatever field you are in, identify the best location to be in. Then move there in the beginning of your career. That is when you catch the latest trends and are available nearby to jump on them.

---

Bingo! Its like the old advice says, follow the money and go where the work is. You dont want to be a Petroleum Engineer looking for work in New York. Its what prevented me from moving out of Texas even when working from home for a long time, most of the jobs in my field are in Texas. If I moved to Florida and got laid off, it would have been very hard to find a new job over there.

Become a grifter streaming on Twitch and YouTube

ABATTBQ11 said:

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Hagen95 said:

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Do you like dealing with people's ***** Because that's what plumbers do. It's literally ****ty work.

Climbing in attics in the summer to work on A/C systems is pretty taxing labor, but it can be a good wage. There are plenty of trade jobs for a reason. Very few people want to do the labor involved.

My kids are looking at careers as they graduate HS now and it's still easily more lucrative to go to a good college and get a good degree. There are plenty of outliers but the averages are still there for college being a good successful life.

---

That's what service plumbers do. Plenty of plumbers do new build and renovation work only, meaning they're really only in the business of installing new stuff. They're not the ones you call for stopped up drains.

Same for HVAC. Some of it may be crawling in attics and servicing equipment, but others are only installing in new builds. Others are doing commercial work, which is very different.

Honestly, being an elevator installer or technician is a pretty nice gig. You're pretty much only going to work in conditioned space, and the pay is really high. Median is about $100k, and even the lowest of the low paid make decent money, like $50k-$60k.

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I wasn't going to say anything.. but clearly this person doesn't really know the industry.

I don't know a single plumber that deals with people's ****, or a single HVAC tech thats crawls in attics.

That's because I work in new build, commercial, and so do all my plumbers and hvac techs.
It's pretty kush for these guys. Maybe a little cold if the timing is bad and there's no heat yet in Dec-Feb.

My buddy is executing a pretty solid plan, although I'm not sure how easy it is to walk this path. He's in federal law enforcement. Worked several years as an air marshal and now has worked up to be a SAC with another agency. He's in his early 40s and can retire in a little over 5 years with full benefits. He then plans to work in security in some capacity for a local private university so that his kids can go to college there for free/reduced cost.

Only fans.