At what age did you/friends/family seem to 'give up'?

[JackOutback]

ITT: Do what makes you happy, attack life. As long as that is travelling while you're in your 20s. Anything else means you've given up to the daily grind. Go to uni too if you can.

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Theres no set path to happiness. Doctors and lawyers end up making lots of money and may enjoy the spoils, but they make nothing for six or seven years at uni and the first few years of s**t-kicking. Someone who takes up a trade out of high school won’t be as set as a doctor later in life, but they earn full time wages straight out of school and enjoy some freedom earlier. Whatever floats your boat.

Though I’ll always make the case for travel.

 

[estibador]

Silent Alarm mentioned some other degrees above that don't fall under the Arts banner. They are all in the same boat. I know a bunch of people who studied sports sciences. Every year kids go into that thinking they're going to be the next Darren Burgess and work for Liverpool, in the AFL etc. Most of them end up school sports teachers or working in gyms unless they end up studying physio. Which is fine, but that's where the demand is for people with that skill set. Being the head of strength and conditioning at an AFL club is a job that only 18 people in the country can have.

Sports science is also a precursor to studying Exercise Physiology these days, which is a growing allied health field. So there's a bit more scope for the non-Burgesses of the world to have a good career in something other than teaching than there used to be.

 

[edgie]

Theres no set path to happiness. Doctors and lawyers end up making lots of money and may enjoy the spoils, but they make nothing for six or seven years at uni and the first few years of s**t-kicking. Someone who takes up a trade out of high school won’t be as set as a doctor later in life, but they earn full time wages straight out of school and enjoy some freedom earlier. Whatever floats your boat.

Though I’ll always make the case for travel.

I don't know if you're underrated the $$$ for trades but it's not important.

What is, is that the suggestion of taking the path less travelled is actually a ridiculously travelled path, and the case that by choosing to go in another direction with one's time is to miss out is not always the case I think.

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[utility]

Money can be made at any time.

You're only young once. Make the most of it.

 

[Kram]

Theres no set path to happiness. Doctors and lawyers end up making lots of money and may enjoy the spoils, but they make nothing for six or seven years at uni and the first few years of s**t-kicking. Someone who takes up a trade out of high school won’t be as set as a doctor later in life, but they earn full time wages straight out of school and enjoy some freedom earlier. Whatever floats your boat.

Though I’ll always make the case for travel.

Unless you are on big union construction jobs apprentice wages are practically nothing for the first 2 years and although better still crap for the last 2 years. From memory in my first year working 40 hours a week I took home a whole $30 a week more than what I received for youth allowance.

I do find my plumber mate pretty funny though, always complains and says stuff like "This job sucks, my son's never gonna be a plumber!" but he's about the most privileged tradesman I've ever met. Did his whole apprenticeship on Union jobs on good pay, and as a tradesman he's best mates with an older bloke leading hand with a lot of influence at the same company that only does the big stuff. So he gets work there whenever he wants wants, on big money. Doesn't know how good he has it.. would last about 5 minutes if he had to set foot in the housing industry I reckon (that his precious unions wouldn't spit on to help)

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

What advice do you people have for a kid finishing high school in the next year or two?

Don't bother giving a * yet. Just don't do anything too illegal, or if you do then make sure there are no photos/video of it to haunt you in ten years time.

 

[Scotland]

Sports science is also a precursor to studying Exercise Physiology these days, which is a growing allied health field. So there's a bit more scope for the non-Burgesses of the world to have a good career in something other than teaching than there used to be.

Exercise physiology is a pretty niche field, though. Most people don't even know what it is.

 

[craigos]

As a rough guide. The men I know that do a trade seem to be far happier in their job than those who don't.

The last jobs to be phased out by technology will be those that required skilled manual labor. Even then a robot that replaces bricklayers just finished building its first house so they're coming!

 

[Shell]

As a rough guide. The men I know that do a trade seem to be far happier in their job than those who don't.

The last jobs to be phased out by technology will be those that required skilled manual labor. Even then a robot that replaces bricklayers just finished building its first house so they're coming!

Yeah my ex next door neighbour was an electrician- made an absolute fortune, was very happy AFAIK.

 

[Scotland]

Tradies make a killing because the average person these days can't do anything for themselves.

* paying someone $200+ to cut a bead of silicon because you dropped your iPhone behind the toilet.

 

[Run n Spread]

Tradies make a killing because the average person these days can't do anything for themselves.

**** paying someone $200+ to cut a bead of silicon because you dropped your iPhone behind the toilet.

Reckon there was a shortage and the scarcity has held due to increased licencing and insurance needed. Growing up tradies were seen as low income jobs. Hence everyone went after white collar jobs after Uni and the tradies left could increase their rates.

Can't remember the last time I needed one (and I'm not handy so I'll hire one) but generally it is always to repair something broken down. i.e. Fridge, Burst Pipe.

Know other people thou and they seem to have a tradie round every 5 minutes for some obscure thing. So each to their own. Maybe the renovation property culture has a bit to do with it.

 

[JackOutback]

Can’t imagine it’s much fun being a tradie in your 40s and 50s though.

 

[Scotland]

There was a mining boom and a couple of real estate booms. These really pushed up trade wages.

I have mates that worked doing roofing on new houses here and 10 years ago they had jobs lined up ahead of time and were getting good coin. Now they reckon the rates on offer are lower today than 12-13 years ago and they're off doing something else.

 

[Scotland]

Can’t imagine it’s much fun being a tradie in your 40s and 50s though.

Depends on the nature of the work and how wrecked your body is.

It's amazing the number of older tradies who would rather be on the tools than in the office dealing with paperwork and bullshit.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Can’t imagine it’s much fun being a tradie in your 40s and 50s though.

Eh you get sick of people, it sucks being in the heat, and you've probably got a rooted back but from those I know who are 50 and do physical labour, they actually don't mind it.

Get up early, get home by 3, few beers. You're doing 20 times the physical exercise most other guys your age are and even if you have a guts, you're probably nimble, mentally stimulated, and probably still have alright arms on you and a thin neck.

Working in an office at 55 when you've done it since 25 would suck.

 

[ioppolo]

A 9-5 office job would probably drive me to suicide

 

[WCErevival]

While its not a building trade, I've worked on cars for almost 20 years and my body has definitely felt it.

 

[Gough]

While its not a building trade, I've worked on cars for almost 20 years and my body has definitely felt it.

I can't remember when I saw it but one of the areas where there's been an increase in opiate based pain pill use is middle aged guys who are still on the tools and are struggling with their bodies.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I can't remember when I saw it but one of the areas where there's been an increase in opiate based pain pill use is middle aged guys who are still on the tools and are struggling with their bodies.

That's old boomers in general. Regardless of what they've done, all they do now is pop all sorts of pointless pills, do no exercise, and drink and eat all sorts of s**t.

 

[Cuzz09]

I had a conversation with a tradie mate the other day. I said if everyone fixed stuff themselves then trades wouldnt exist. So you need people who arent hands on to keep these small businesses alive.

Im happy to pay $200 or whatever to do a job I have zero idea about and dont wanna **** up my house.

But I get people having a go at it themselves. Each to their own.

 

[craigos]

I'm awesome with my hands (hello ladies) and even I am not tackling an electrical or plumbing job.

 

[Shell]

I'm awesome with my hands (hello ladies) and even I am not tackling an electrical or plumbing job.

hmmm dunno about that..

 

[edgie]

You'd still need tradies for some jobs. Nobody wants to dig up trenches to put in new pipes if you're adding a toilet.

There's a lot that you can do though. My dad ripped down and replaced the cladding on our entire house across two days and he's not a trade.

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[craigos]

hmmm dunno about that..

I'm 100% assuming this is sexual innuendo. Sexual innuendo that has no place on this family friendly forum.

 

[Shell]

I'm 100% assuming this is sexual innuendo. Sexual innuendo that has no place on this family friendly forum.

Sorry craigos. I promise to do better next time.