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Career Advice (2013)

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Re: Career Advice (2013)

#91

Post by KronisLV »

Swizec wrote: post #78
saganus wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along those lines, one of the things that I still struggle with after 20+ years of working, is squaring this feeling of not working enough/earn enough money to have a comfortable retirement, while at the same time trying to live my life and not just work myself until death (very original, I know). So I've always had this conflict with the saying that goes something like "nobody regrets not working more, while in thei…

Few people regret not working more. Almost everyone regrets not having achieved more.

> Few people regret not working more.

For what it's worth, working more would build a habit of doing so. A good work ethic would mean that you need a bit less motivation or discipline to get things done, due to it basically being just something you do.

It doesn't have to be just for some corporation, but also when you're trying to build some personal project, especially the ones that might get a bit bigger (writing your own blog engine or static site generator, maybe even a game engine, or planting crops or building a shed for all I care). Sometimes there won't be many shortcuts to success, but just boring slog of legwork that needs to be done.

In that regard, I definitely regret not working more, because I still need to rely on motivation, which is fleeting, or discipline, which is unpleasant, all just to get through things sometimes, even when I take care of myself in every other way (sleep schedule, nutrition, activities, mental health).

As for the whole retirement aspect, sadly I don't have answers for that, the state of the economy is concerning sometimes.

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#92

Post by moffkalast »

Swizec wrote: post #78
saganus wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along those lines, one of the things that I still struggle with after 20+ years of working, is squaring this feeling of not working enough/earn enough money to have a comfortable retirement, while at the same time trying to live my life and not just work myself until death (very original, I know). So I've always had this conflict with the saying that goes something like "nobody regrets not working more, while in thei…

Few people regret not working more. Almost everyone regrets not having achieved more.

Eh you gotta curb your expectations with 8 billion people alive trying to out-achieve you every single moment.

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#93

Post by yard2010 »

kstenerud wrote: post #11

No. What the experiment showed is that you can be TEMPORARILY coerced into certain behaviors in abusive environments (especially by authority figures - as was exemplified in the Milgram experiment), but it won't change who you actually are. The SPE is really a study in toxic workplaces and abusive relationships. I really wish people would stop quoting the SPE without researching what actually happened and why (and th…

Nothing lasts forever, and we both know hearts can change

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#94

Post by graycat »

(1) What seem to be relatively small efforts, knowledge, etc. can yield big results.

(2) Think. Continually try to understand what is going on that has any real chance of affecting you.

(3) Get an education, at least a good education at the college level. As silly as this sounds, such an education does provide some discipline in thinking that can be a big advantage. Might apply the advantage just some one afternoon and get big results.

(4) For first earnings, will about have to be an employee. So, do that. Live cheaply; save a lot of your money.

As an employee, might find that if do some work that is especially good, nearly everyone else in the company will try to get you fired. Some business school courses call this goal subordination.

(5) Own something that has a good chance of becoming valuable. One general approach -- real estate. Another approach, a small business that might grow. E.g., at one time could start a simple Web site for romantic matchmaking, as a sole, solo entrepreneur, grow the number of users, and sell out to a large company for $500 million.

For owning a business, do start with a collection of the business basics: Maybe (a) Please the customer. (b) Have a barrier to entry, e.g., geographical. (c) Have something new, e.g., technology. (d) Study what successful entrepreneurs have done, not necessarily building Google or Amazon but, maybe, having 10 of the best BBQ restaurants in town.

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#95

Post by obruchez »

bradley13 wrote: post #89
hypertexthero wrote: post #2

> As a young person, though, I think the best thing you can do is to ignore all of that and simply observe the older people working there. > They are the future you. Do not think that you will be substantially different. Look carefully at how they spend their time at work and outside of work, because this is also almost certainly how your life will look. It sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how often young people imag…

Honestly, that seems really naive. While you probably shouldn't work a job you hate, the fact is that money enables a lot of positive life choices. If you work the "absolute minimum", you are going to be stressing about a roof over your head, about where your next meal is coming from, about how to pay those unexpected medical expenses, or whatever. Find a job you like that pays decently. Use the money to live a good…

I've read "Die With Zero" by Bill Perkins recently.

I think Perkins would say in that case that there's a time for everything. At 20-25, it's maybe a good idea to hitchhike to Alaska. At 45, married, with children and a mortgage, it's probably a bad idea.

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#96

Post by ImPleadThe5th »

hiAndrewQuinn wrote: post #28

Pretty good combined life+career advice I heard a long time ago and followed: If you're going to move countries, the best time to do it is right after college. Starting from scratch in an entirely new country, with no connections, no professional ability to speak the native language, and rapidly dwindling cash reserves, was one of the scariest and most thrilling things I've ever done in my life. I recommend it to no…

I'm currently doing it right now (living abroad, working for a startup). I worked back home for a year and a half after college,but once covid cleared up I immediately started applying abroad. Its a great opportunity because not only can one still develop their career, they get to deep dive a new culture and every day feels like a vacation!

For me, I actually think it was not too hard (I think it greatly depends on where you move, your appetite for challenge and how much traveling you've done before). The process was confusing and long, but nothing a couple of trips to a consulate and a lot of reading couldn't help with.

I was lucky enough to have some friends that live in the country I moved to (albeit quite far away). I felt the hardest part was the first 3 months, it was lonely and some days I was bedridden with homesickness. But then the magic happens. You meet new people, you find your footing, you make lifelong memories.

After that life just feels like normal life but turbo charged by all the new experiences.

The new hard part is deciding if I want to come back or not, I'm having the time of my life out here!

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#97

Post by moffkalast »

Swizec wrote: post #45
hiAndrewQuinn wrote: post #28

Pretty good combined life+career advice I heard a long time ago and followed: If you're going to move countries, the best time to do it is right after college. Starting from scratch in an entirely new country, with no connections, no professional ability to speak the native language, and rapidly dwindling cash reserves, was one of the scariest and most thrilling things I've ever done in my life. I recommend it to no…

I moved countries soon after college with not even a job lined up. From Slovenia straight into SFBA because if you're gonna do something that hard, you might as well go all the way. To anyone asking if they should do the same, I say: Don't do it. Because if you have to ask, the answer is no. The ones who succeed don't ask for permission, they ask for tips about how to get it done. The mind is already made up. Same is…

As a fellow Slovenian who's also worked with Americans, the last part is both hilarious and real. It's just such a weirdly large cultural difference in general behaviour that's hard to explain. I would personally find it near impossible to adapt to that always-fake-cheerful attitude that's common on the west coast.

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#98

Post by Hendrikto »

throwaway_75369 wrote: post #14

Should be labelled (2013). Would be nice if I didn't have to say that; in so many ways the bloom is off the rose of my (admittedly high paying) corporate job. I even recently reunited with some old friends who chose a more independent career path, and was jealous and nostalgic- they're definitely working far closer to their passions with more freedom than I've felt in a decade. But man, what a decade since 2013. I wo…

> Would be nice to be married now.

While the idea and ideal are nice, it often does not work out that way in practice. Lots and lots of unhappy marriages and divorces.

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#99

Post by achenet »

moffkalast wrote: post #92
Swizec wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Few people regret not working more. Almost everyone regrets not having achieved more.

Eh you gotta curb your expectations with 8 billion people alive trying to out-achieve you every single moment.

it's not a zero sum game or a competition though.

You can make beautiful music, and someone else can create a beautiful choreography for it... their achievement will probably increase your joy, not decrease it.

Re: Career Advice (2013)

#100

Post by ImPleadThe5th »

I love this advice. I think more people need to focus on personal capital and not just career.

One of the traps I think this falls into is "I can either work on my career or be adventurous". I consider myself a "work to live" kind of person but still fall into this trap myself.

I believe you can do both, it just takes a lot of effort, planning, and patience (more than a lot of people are willing to put in) to make it work.

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