career help

Discussion in 'Safety valve' started by Sniping_G, Sep 10, 2006.

  1. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
    hey guys im 16 years old and in gr 11 and i want a career that has sumthing to do with computers like a computer programer or computer egineer,the thing is i suck at math:( are they any carrers that computers that earn a lot that dont needa lot of math skills?
     
  2. tocool4u

    tocool4u Guest

    Both of your career ideas need math skills. I don't really think there is anything in computers that don't use math. The only thing I cold think of is Computer Hardware worker building PCs. But I think you need to get your A+ cert to get into that career field.
     
  3. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
    Computer Hardware worker -is that a good job,good pay?/
     
  4. gerry1

    gerry1 Guest

    Sniping_G: ....I work with the unemployed for a living; I work essentially in career counseling through government grants.

    Its o.k. to talk about such things but you can't get the proper direction from a site like this. To What degree do you work with computers now? The IT sector is in some serious decline right now but even that is ahead of itself.

    You need to go the library or school guidance counselor and ask to take an "interest inventory"...they're fun to do and rather remarkably accurate in pointing someone in a good direction. It's better to have a living breathing person helping you out with this; don't they have career counselors at your high school?

    I know there are some free career interest inventories online somewhere ... I've never looked for them because we use our own at the office.

    Its an important decision your working on; its worth doing right as its your future.

    At 16, you've got more than enough time to get your math up to par. I'm going to assume you're American because we've got a certain phobia here for math. We're not bad at it; we're afraid of it.

    If I can be of any assistance, PM me......Gerry
     
  5. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2004
    Messages:
    39,169
    Likes Received:
    137
    Trophy Points:
    143
    gerry, he is a crazy canuck just like me!!!!
     
  6. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
    firsly thx for answering the question,

    umm i took a programing class and i really want to learn about it, lol im on the pc about 7 hours a day,i can easily do stuff like reformat or remove viruses and stuff,im preety good with removing and installing hardware,well lets just say pll always ask for my help with my pc amoung my friends and family

    we do but there no help,i asked for co-op but they dont have for that :(

    Can you give me a link,ill pm my email

    LOL im canadian, lol the math dumbness runs in the family :(,but im ok,i wont say ima complete dumb@ss at it

    well n e ways ill send u a pm
     
  7. gerry1

    gerry1 Guest

    @Sniping_G & ddp: Lord, I'd love to pack it all up and move to canada. I was born in the states but spent a good part of my childhood and early teen years in Quebec. While "government efficiency" is an oxymoron in any country, you folks certainly have your act together compared to us. As my parents and family were all born in Quebec, I'm told there are a variety of programs that would assist me...someday!

    Sniping, I'll look into those free interest inventories and career direction sites when I get into the office tomorrow but there is a good chance that I won't be able to look into it until Wed.

    The reason I asked about your experience with computers is because I've seen and heard so many tell me that they want to get these MCSE certs combined with Cisco certs ...etc. etc. because they read somewhere that they can make a lot of money and, as it happens, they've never even turned on a computer or their experience is limited to the fact that they're real ebay experts.

    I work for the dept of labor and industry in Pennsylvania so I'm familiar with our industry trends but I certainly can't claim to know them in canada; you'll have to do your homework on that one. I'm told the industry is healthier in canada than it is in the US but I have no idea if that is true. I'm also told that canada will soon be the king of the hill in areas of software development; again, I don't know if that is true.

    If possible, find someone who knows the different sorts of jobs in the industry and what those jobs entail. Its rather like medicine in that the field is so large, you could really love the responsibilities of a particular job title and totally hate those of another...I was a combat medic many years ago ... I loved emergency medicine, paramedic work etc but HATED nursing in any way shape or form. Both jobs were in medicine but had damned near nothing in common. I know that many different job titles in the IT industry are no different...some are very creative, some are as dry as it can get. Read about the different jobs and what they do but, as always, the human touch is better if you can find someone to explain the large variety of jobs in the field and what you do on those jobs.

    Anyway, enough bull from me LOL! I'll write with those sites as soon as I can....Gerry
     
  8. PeaInAPod

    PeaInAPod Active member

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2005
    Messages:
    3,050
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    66
    @Sniping_G

    A VERY effective interest inventory site (in my opinion) is a site called careercruising.com. after you finish the mandatory set of questions you can either answer more to better define your results or take a look at you current results. Clicking on a job will bring up a page were you can read a description of the job, average pay for that field of work, etc. Our school has the entire student body do it 1-2 a year.
     
  9. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
    wow ur puctuation is excillent :),never seen a mistake from u :p,any ways i researched on many jobs that deal with computers but they all require math:(,the thing is i would do calculas but most likely pass with a 55-60, well i still ahve 2 years b4 i haveto choose so hopefully i can make out a plan,and those free interest inventories can help me out

    @PeaInAPod -u need to pay?:(
     
  10. gerry1

    gerry1 Guest

    There are some excellent freebies...will send links as soon as I can. Sort of a rough day at work today.
     
  11. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2004
    Messages:
    39,169
    Likes Received:
    137
    Trophy Points:
    143
    looks calm to me in your sig!!
     
  12. PeaInAPod

    PeaInAPod Active member

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2005
    Messages:
    3,050
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    66
    lol thanks for the compliment Sniping_G. Yes i am quite the grammar nazi. but yeah some of those higher math classes are killers. Before i posted that "yes the careercruising.com is free" I double checked and sorry to say but you need a login name and password to access the site. After logging in to the site you can creater your own "career portfolio" and keep track of your career stuff. So Sniping_G heres my offer tomorrow when I go to school Ill try to remember to swing by the library and see if they will give me the log-in name and password for our schools careercrusing.com account.
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2006
  13. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
    ohhk thx,looking forward to that :)
     
  14. PeaInAPod

    PeaInAPod Active member

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2005
    Messages:
    3,050
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    66
    Good News Sniping_G :) have you checked your PM's lately? :)
     
  15. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
    thx :)

    Interest Rank


    1.
    Locksmith

    2.
    Multimedia Developer

    3.
    Computer Support Person

    4.
    Ship's Crew

    5.
    Stylist

    6.
    Automotive Painter

    7.
    Website Designer

    8.
    Power Plant Operator

    9.
    Potter

    10.
    Craftsperson

    11.
    Sign Maker

    12.
    Jeweler

    13.
    Tailor / Dressmaker

    14.
    Sheet Metal Worker

    15.
    Interior Decorator

    16.
    Fashion Designer

    17.
    Pet Groomer

    18.
    Autobody Repairer

    19.
    Gunsmith

    20.
    Glazier

    21.
    Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator

    22.
    Computer Programmer

    23.
    Desktop Publisher

    24.
    Dental Lab Tech

    25.
    Tattoo Artist

    26.
    Elementary School Teacher

    27.
    Printing Press Operator

    28.
    High School Teacher

    29.
    Early Childhood Educator

    30.
    Miner (Underground)

    31.
    Webmaster

    32.
    Video Game Developer

    33.
    Bookbinder

    34.
    Appliance Repairer

    35.
    Millwright

    36.
    Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration Tech

    37.
    Industrial Machinery Mechanic

    38.
    Office Machine Repairer

    39.
    Elevator Installer and Repairer

    40.
    Security Systems Technician

    :p
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2006
  16. PeaInAPod

    PeaInAPod Active member

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2005
    Messages:
    3,050
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    66
    1.Computer Support Person


    2.Video Game Developer


    3.Security Systems Technician


    4.Multimedia Developer


    5.Website Designer
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2006
  17. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
    so ,how to u find out what courses u need to get in,it says some courses u should take but doesnt say what u need to take to qualify?
     
  18. PeaInAPod

    PeaInAPod Active member

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2005
    Messages:
    3,050
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    66
    ?? Not quite sure what your going at their Sniping_G, could you clarify? If its a link at careercruising could you tell me what icon/link your talking about so I can take a look.
     
  19. Sniping_G

    Sniping_G Regular member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,028
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    46
  20. gerry1

    gerry1 Guest

    @Sniping_G...I got your PM; how are you buddy? Sniping, career counseling is a rather involved process and, since its your future, your sense of security, your sense of fulfillment and satisfaction...a sense of contentment with the manner in which you live your life and earn your living hangs in the balance. I commend you for asking such questions...for thinking ahead. So many guys in your position don't think ahead at all or....they're unhappy because, despite their best efforts at the time, they acted upon uninformed, poorly informed or entirely "misinformed" decisions but you can avoid that, my friend.

    I am a career counselor as you know but I work with adults who have lost their jobs for one reason or another. I interview, assess, test etc.etc. people who are applying for government funds to get training/education and approve/disapprove said funding requests. These educational grants are not financial entitlements; I cannot approve the llocation of such funds unless the client has no marketable skills with which to find self sustaining employment. It could also be that someone will never find a selfsustaining position similar to their last unless skills are upgraded, so I work with the client to determine how to best upgrade those skills so they can get another job and keep them off the unemployment compensation or welfare rolls. It still isn't uncommon, for example, to get a secretary, administrative assistant or office manager in the office after they've been laid off ... he/she actually types 120 words per min on this ancient IBM selectmatic typewriter and has never even seen word processing software. The same person does payroll and ledgers but doesn't have a clue what a spreadsheet is. Philadelphia is a big printing and publishing city and we get all these off set press operators ... or newspaper advertising people who still "cut and paste" in the original sense of the word from which software gets the term. Frequently, its people who have had no training at all and are trying to support themselves, or worse, a family, by working two full time jobs and a pt job on weekends. There are two things I hear ALL THE TIME...

    1. I wish I had taken myself and my teachers seriously in high school and learnt a skill or a trade. Often, in the event of people who do have good skills, I hear all the time...

    2. I was all wrong ... the job isn't at all what I thought it was. Sniping, I see it all the time. They try to hide it from me and make up scores of reasons why they need to be retrained but the fact is they've got good marketable skills....they simply HATE what they do; whatever they studied or took up, it wan't what they thought and they hate it. That whole list of job titles above....the suggestions are all well and fine but you have to know the ins and outs of those jobs and what they do; it might seem obvious then you find out it isn't what you thought at all even if it seemed obvious ... some of the biggest offenders are nurses of both flavors, cooks/chefs, hair stylists, graphics, medical billing and coding (which are really collections jobs), truck drivers etc. etc. You would think the responsibilities of those jobs are self evident ... they're not.

    First of all, be patient right now because you have time; it's a big decision and you've got the weight of it on your shoulders but you've got time. I've got a few ideas for you and I've sent out some inquiries. I'm going locate some canadian sites for you and that's important because labor market information is going to be different,& for both colleges/ universities as well as proprietary educational facilities, prerequisite experience, knowledge or courses are often different because, sad as it is to say, the canadian standards of education are considerably higher than american and the coursework required for high school graduation are more stringent, particularly in the sciences and maths.

    I need to ask you a few questions so I can try to arrange something for you in your area which is quite possible in my job...professional courtesies are a biggie in my business.

    1.First, I need to know either your city or town,OR the postal code, OR the name of the county your town is in ... something that will give the general idea. DO NOT SEND ME YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS!!! Obviously, you should NEVER do that, but if I know the general area, I can access the social resourses for which Canada is so well known (and for which the U.S. is so miserable lacking).

    2. Can you give me the name and phone number of a public library in that area?

    3. What would be the nearest college or university.

    4. In canada, do the have some sort of job centers where perhaps they help with cash asst while unemployed, help find jobs, etc. If so, what are they called?

    Well guy, sorry for blabbing so much but its what I do for a living and while I can't guarantee it, I may well be able to arrange for you to meet with a professional career conselor which might clear up all sorts of things for you and it won't be your school. I'd be more than glad to try if you want me to.
     

Share This Page