I'm curious to see what decisions/actions you took early on in your career that benefited your long term trajectory? Or the decisions you made that potentially hindered your career in some form?

Took a career I liked which required moving if you wanted a new job. Small world. Now stuck in a related field with now way out due to family and not wanting to move. Oh well.

K Bo said:

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funny timing on this thread...

I chased money from the start and at 34 have found myself unhappy in a very unfulfilling career. Yesterday I quit my job. I don't know what I am going to do next but I know I don't want to do this.

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woah, best of luck to you.

Ragoo said:

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K Bo said:

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funny timing on this thread...

I chased money from the start and at 34 have found myself unhappy in a very unfulfilling career. Yesterday I quit my job. I don't know what I am going to do next but I know I don't want to do this.

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woah, best of luck to you.

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Thanks. I know most will call it a dumb decision, with nothing else lined up, but it had gotten to a point that it was very negatively affecting other aspects of my life.

If I could go back in time, I would spend some time before, in, and after college doing some self exploration exercises to determine a path vs chasing money. When I was a kid I always said I wanted to be X, Y, or Z and I did't pursue any of those things. Perhaps I should have listened to my kid-self

I settled for a Co-op job with an electric utility because it was all I could get in my home town and I needed the money to finish school. I wanted to be more in electronics/computers, but that utility experience side-tracked my resume into the power industry. I think my career would have advanced farther in the booming electronics and computer industry than it has in the static power side.

Then, I looked to make a move in the power industry with a company that was more dynamic and growing. That company was Enron. Great . . .

K Bo said:

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Ragoo said:

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K Bo said:

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funny timing on this thread...

I chased money from the start and at 34 have found myself unhappy in a very unfulfilling career. Yesterday I quit my job. I don't know what I am going to do next but I know I don't want to do this.

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woah, best of luck to you.

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Thanks. I know most will call it a dumb decision, with nothing else lined up, but it had gotten to a point that it was very negatively affecting other aspects of my life.

If I could go back in time, I would spend some time before, in, and after college doing some self exploration exercises to determine a path vs chasing money. When I was a kid I always said I wanted to be X, Y, or Z and I did't pursue any of those things. Perhaps I should have listened to my kid-self

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What do you hope is next for you? What were you doing before?

Next, I am not entirely sure. I'm going to explore all opportunities. Previously, I did oil operations, oil trading, and just left an oil broker shop.

Early on, I made sure I knew the assets better than anyone else in my group in how they operated, alternative operating conditions and established very good relationships with our Field Ops folks. Ten years later and those decisions have paid off ten fold. Being the SME for our pipelines has served me very well.

Impatient about a promotion. I thought my boss wouldn't retire for a long time, so took another job in another city. Uprooted my family and moved. My old boss retired two years later and I would have been sitting pretty for the next 30 years in a city I loved. But things worked out and it's all good now.

I personally knew before hand how volatile an O&G career could be. I didn't want that to be the only industry I knew so I diversified my skill set by taking a different type of engineering job before I hit the 3-5 year experience mark even if it meant I'd leave money on the table.

Then the 2008 stock market crash happened and lost my job only to find one relatively quickly because of my previous O&G experience.

So far I've been lucky to continue to have a job in O&G, but I can always go back to other things in case O&G keeps tanking. Nevertheless, I've always tried to acquire skills that will translate to other industries if needed.

yup!

edit to add - certainly have had numerous lucky (and unlucky) steps along the way.

- stayed in same organization for 33 years with no regrets
- got my PE registration as soon as possible which heavily helped pad my resume
- took projects that no one else wanted and made the best of them (you can't screw up something that is already a disaster, it can only get better)
- retired and now consulting part time

Just hit my 5 year mark at my first real job. This thread is great timing.

Poultry Major. Huge generation gap in my industry and it's not exactly a glamorous industry. If you can stick it out with ****ty pay, crappy hours, and rural locations for a bit, you can set up a decent path.

1) Took a job as a service tech and worked for 3.5 years for a vertically integrated poultry producer. I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do long term, but the knowledge and experience of live production would serve me well for when wanted to move into more of a sales/marketing role within the industry.

2) Had a job offer and took it as a technical sales manager for a feed additives company with in a relatively niche area for livestock production. My live production experience is what they wanted to use Honed my sales/marketing skills a bit and learned a bit more about animal health and nutrition across all species instead of just poultry. Things didn't work out because all of my work and focus was in SE Asia and I was in Houston. The market took off there and they decided it was best to have a local in Asia that knew at least one local language. They half ass offered me a location, but I didn't think I would be happy there on my own, they didn't really want me there, and we parted ways on good terms. Fair severance and all.

3) Consulted for about 9 months for other companies interested in learning about the niche I was working on as a tech sales manager. One of the companies asked me to join them and launch their US market initiative. I foolishly did because the offer was stupid money for the task, but the director was a micromanaging POS that tried to ruin my reputation in the industry (Funny story for a different time. It didn't work out well for him at all). I was miserable. Hated the boss and he was doing some shady crap on registration and slight of hand crap that I didn't want to be associated with when the hammer came down.

4) Another company I consulted for asked me to join. This is the company I should've been with all along. It's a new industry to them and they asked me to launch the division. They've given me total control and have let me do everything I've needed to do to promote and get the job done.

29 years old and director of a division for a company. Never really saw myself getting here this fast, but certain things just fell into place with luck and God. One thing I have never been afraid of is always looking out for myself and my best interest. I'm a free agent and if someone wants to come along and offer me a better deal, I'll listen and likely take it. I'm a number to a company, regardless of the size of it.

This is a great post. A lot of entry level analysts are just like you were, and some of them never figure out that you have to prove yourself before getting the choice assignments and promotions. A lot of times it's very easy to spot in interviews, too.

I can work with missing technical skills, industry knowledge, or even optimal intelligence levels, but sloppy work? Nope. You can't overlook the present because you're dreaming about the future.

I've been working for about 20 years -- 19 of them in the TV news industry. I followed my passion and enjoyed it for the most part -- but the crappy hours, always working holidays and moving around got old really fast. I got married, had a family -- and I wish I would have realized to continue moving up in the career (and I was damn good at it), I'd have to continually change jobs and move cities.

TV news is a young, single person's game. I've seen people who didn't start families until later in their careers move up the ranks to positions like news director. I wish I'd really known that before getting in -- because getting out of that industry was tough. I paid my dues -- dealing with low pay for years. Can you imagine producing two newscasts per day, writing and managing them for less than $7/hour? I did that. I eventually made it to a top 10 market, making good TV money, but it wasn't what I would have been making in another industry.

Now, I'm working in PR. My current job is unfulfilling, but I'm glad I made the move out of TV. The upside is I have more time with my family. The downside is -- I don't have the resume experience in PR to jump to another job. I'm paying my dues again, so that's frustrating. I love TV, but if I knew I'd face this situation, I would have switched career paths sooner.

I also would have told myself not to have signed my last contract. It's ok for moving outside the TV industry, but the non-compete keeps me from getting back in for another year and a half. I've already gotten requests from people inside the industry to come back.

- left my first job after less than 1 year because I was being pigeon-holed contrary to discussions during my interview process. Managed to not burn a bridge.
- client recruited me to join them for my 2nd job change, pivoting from an engineering consultant to a operations role
- after 5 years and working for a horrible boss I had made sufficient area contacts I was able to talk the company from my first job into letting me open a satellite office for them- successfully opened and grew it adding several new clients
- my 4th job change was when I was recently recruited by a client and I am really enjoying my work.

With each move I've pivoted to a different type of work so I've built my resume, took care to foster the relationship I was leaving and managed significant compensation increase each time too. I've been very happy with my career direction so far from responsibility, job satisfaction, and economic standpoint.

Did you leave Houston?

I am in a similar position, although not specialized, and everyday find myself wishing I was going home elsewhere.

If my job where elsewhere that I could live somewhere different I might ha e a different opinion. Although, things seem to be becoming less organized at work. Less focused on a plan and strategy.

Basically, I am updating my resume for the first time in 9 years and looking to pivot career and location.

Didn't start teaching until I was 29. Should have started at least 5 years earlier.

If I had, then I'd be able to retire earlier with the same benefits. I'd also be a building principal or vice by now
and making 40% more.

Took a temp job at a company in the industry I wanted to work in. Got offered a full time position 2 months later.

BrazosDog02 said:

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I went to school for a Bachelor's in Geology. I love rocks. I love oil. I wanted to be a real scientist sustaining the future of energy. I was made an offer by a service company soon out of school for more money than my parents made after 30 years and I took it. Then I went to school to get a Master's degree. I spent over a decade honing my technical skills. Along that time, the money poured in, the company changed, satisfaction went down. Then when the industry crapped out, the company dumped a bunch of employees and we have all been looking for industry work for over a year.

My regret is not having just skipped school and done what I do now for the last 15 years. There are people that do what I do now that make more money than upper management in my old job and I work right along side them. They didn't need a degree for it. Money is now thin because I'm a new guy.

My biggest mistake was 'following my passion'. The second biggest mistake was not leaving when I KNEW the company culture was changing to be more European and toxic management styles were bleeding in. My third mistake was thinking that mom and dad worked for the same oil and gas company until they retired, and so could I. My fourth mistake was not listening to the wife who said "this management team is going to end your career'. The fifth mistake was not leaving Houston when we both decided we HATE it here. The sixth mistake was honing a niche technical skill for 10 years instead of getting to a major oil company when oil was $100 a barrel and they were hemorrhaging money for relatively young people who wanted to learn something else. The seventh mistake I made was keeping the company's interests in mind ahead of my own.

It was just an entire string of slow developing red flags that I, as a young professional, ignored. I liked my company. I liked the people who worked with me. I would love to get back in my old industry. The problem is that to do what I want to do, I don't have the experience required, because I didn't seek to gain it when I should have. It was a classic case of failing to 'strike when the iron is hot'.

Of course, looking back, the issues are obvious. But I did not realize it at the time. Trust your gut. The worst thing you can do in your job is 'keep your head down and plow forward'. You need your head up, work, but keep your head up like a zebra on the Savannah. When you see the lions flanking, be prepared to address it as you need to. No one looks out for your career or interests like you do. Take care of you first.

It taught me that I don't like being in an office. I don't like working extra hard to make no additional money. I was salary...so I work long hours, I get the same pay. Not much motivation there. I don't like making some ***** on top rich. So, I'm now where I get to mostly call the shots for a few years until I gain enough confidence to start my own business. It just requires a little starting over and a lot of 'the old college try'.

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Wow, this sounds like me in so many ways. I'm in a different industry, but also very technical and stayed on for a PhD (too much school!). Now working for a very large, very corporate company and reporting into our Germany office. Very dissatisfied with the work and the pay. Last week I turned down a promotion for a product manager role to get away from all the bureaucracy. I'm now taking a role in the service side of the company that is remote and offers a lot autonomy and much more pay, even though it is mostly a lateral move. But, I like the role a lot more.

The goal is to start my own business in the next three years. I agree, sometimes you gotta trust your gut.

I'm 29.

Started in pharmaceutical sales, wanted to get into medical device sales and luckily I got out of pharma in time (most device companies won't even consider a pharma sales rep) took a small pay cut and entry level role. 18mos later I had basically 4 job offers. I actually took the least paying one because there is currently no business and whatever I sell will result in the company growing because of me rather than getting with a big company and trying to maintain market share.

I start my new job Monday. I really hope I made the right decision.

If i could go back, odds are I would make different career decisions than I have up until now.

First career out of school was with a company in the petrochem construction industry. I had done quite a bit of field work prior to school and during my co-op so I was ahead of most in my class in terms of field experience. Unfortunately the company I went to, while a big and very successful company, didn't have much of a career path for younger guys like myself. Made it hard to get any type of goals established or know if you were working down the correct path. Because of this I felt like i was not being utilized much and got somewhat bitter about it. Instead of asking questions, I let my youth and inexperience get the better of me and sought greener pastures.

The day after I accepted a position with a new company, I was offered a promotion and a raise by another executive. It was hard to leave, but I did. In retrospect, I wish I had stayed -

1. Because the executive was a great guy that I really enjoyed talking with and think I would have enjoyed working for and learning from.

2. It really was putting me in a position that I thought suited my experience and talents better than what I had been doing (I viewed myself as a college grad and young manager who had a lot of field experience, many in the company viewed me as a pipe fitter and crew leader that took a few college classes).

3. Had it worked out, I'd be 15+ years in with a single company and who knows where life would have me at.

As it stands, I took the other offer. I have been in that particular industry since then, and to be 100% honest - I've never been as happy as I thought I would be working. Nothing says I would have been at my original company either, so there's that. Since then I've changed companies a handful of times, all for what I had perceived as better positions or opportunities. Some of them panned out, others did not. Odds are I will be making another move soon as this current opportunity has turned out to be significantly different than what the discussions were when I moved over, it happens.

What advice I would give to my younger self now:

1. You are young, even if you think you know something - you don't. Accept that, open yourself up to learning from more experienced folks. Stay quiet, spend 20x as much time being quiet and listening as you do talking.

1.a. Don't let emotions or being a hothead rule the decisions you make. Take time, make sound decisions that are best for you long term, and don't make them right after you just got chewed out for a mistake.

2. Not every assignment will be glamorous, and sometimes the assignments given to younger up and comers are purposefully not fun - there is usually a method to the madness, learn that fact, take the lumps of learning the business and do the best you can even on craptastic assignments. Those will be the ones you look back on later in your career and smile about, and learn the most from as it is.

3. Seek out a mentor, even if your company doesn't have a formal program. If they don't, make a program with somebody that wants to be a teacher - even if that person isn't as high up on the chain as you'd like. The CEO probably doesn't have time to mentor you, so don't hit them up. Find a lower level manager that has respect and is willing to dedicate the time to you. Not as glorious, but you'll get more out of it in both the short term and the long term.

4. Ask fuggin questions. Don't be afraid to ask for a review or what your future plans are in the eyes of the company. Do it over lunch, after work, etc. If there isn't a formal program, don't let that stop you. My first company actually had a program - turns out that nobody implemented it, had I (and a couple of other folks that left at the same time) simply asked, we'd have probably changed our trajectory and opinion of things.

5. Seek out learning opportunities. If you hear that a particular type of certification or project or whatever is being talked about, ask to be one of the guinea pigs or be involved. It's amazing how far you can get when people know you want to be involved versus have to be involved.

6. Find something constructive and take the lead on being the expert on it. Seriously, it can be something as simple as estimating software, learning about a potential client's business model, etc. If you are the guy that everybody seems to think knows the information, you are way ahead of everybody else.

7. Remember that you have a life outside of your career, even if you are young. I burned the candle at both ends in my 20's working because I thought that was the way to get ahead. Looking back, I would like to have some of that time back to enjoy life as well.

8. Unless you own the company - the company will always look out for the company. Don't forge that, make sure you do a really good job on establishing relationships and contacts and expand your social network. Most people change companies these days more than once, those contacts and social networks will be what you rely on when the time comes. Remember that during your dealings with them - if you break it off in one of them to make a few extra bucks, it may or may not be somethign that gets back at you later. Be fair, be honest.

1. Laid off in workforce reduction in first job 9 months in. I was in the third round (some I'm guessing not due to performance), but reiterated to me that (1) companies don't have to be loyal to you and (2) work your tail off because if there are only 1 or 2 rounds you will have a better chance of weathering the storm.

2. MBA. Wouldn't say that it made my salary jump 10x, but has opened a lot of doors since then. I'm at a large O&G company now that I probably won't have gotten a look at if I didn't have one.

Moved to California right out of college and sold appliances at a Home Depot in San Jose. Moved back to Texas and was a landman off and on for 3 or 4 years while using time between jobs to travel the world. This cycle got old and I shifted my focus to career, community, and family. Went to grad school to study counseling in 2012. I'm thisclose to being fully licensed and opening my first private practice. I feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be. Retail taught me a lot about working with people. The landman gig taught me how important it is to do something that is personally rewarding as well as financially rewarding. I wouldn't have done any of it any differently. Except maybe investing a lot of money in bitcoin, hindsight huh?

Decided in law school that I wanted to work in O&G. Been practicing within the industry over 4 years now, and I hate it. Which for me, is kinda sad because I love the actual work I do. I just don't want to do it in this industry anymore.

Luckily, the experience I have now can be applied to other industries so I can take my skills elsewhere.