What do you think is the best career path? | FerrariChat

What do you think is the best career path?

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by ryalex, Jan 18, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

?

Best career path? (not necessarily your own)

  1. Climb corporate ladder - Management

  2. Independent/Small Firm Professional (doc, lawyer, acc't)

  3. Large Firm Professional

  4. Own small business(es)

  5. Have 'dayjob,' buy rental real estate on side/other investments

  6. Skilled Tradesman/Specialist/Engineer or IS/CS

  7. Sales

  8. Financial management (i-banking, equities/securities)

Multiple votes are allowed.
Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    24,957
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    Although there are many paths to financial success, which way do you think is best?

    It doesn't have to be what you chose, but what you would choose if you could change/do it over again.

    Please post any extra reasons below. Assume that wealth acculmulation is a primary goal, but that other considerations such as quality of life/family time/travel are also important (indicate which if you're explaining your choice).

    If you recommend more than one, please vote for the first step and then indicate the others in a post (e.g. vote professional, then post "Large Firm Professional 1st, then quit and start a solo practice")
     
  2. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 24, 2003
    47,933
    Goodyear, AZ
    Full Name:
    PeterS
    Alex..What are you after here? Are you trying to decide what you want to do?
     
  3. tjacoby

    tjacoby F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,857
    Vancouver Canada
    Full Name:
    tj
    covered elsewhere, but take a read of "The Millionaire next door". Significant majority of US millionaire's are self-made, low-profile types in affordable housing driving used F-150's and own their own small firms.
     
  4. Evolved

    Evolved F1 Veteran

    Nov 5, 2003
    8,700
    US Air Force / Navy officer corps.

    Power is more important then wealth.

    A Navy Captain or an Air Force Major are eligable to have a nuclear armed weapons platform at their command.

    However if it's money you want try politics.

    A favorite quote from a US senator "A billion here and billion there and pretty soon you're tallking about real money"


    OR

    Oppie20 = "just plain nuts"

    Be a plumber. These guys ALWAYS have nice new trucks. One plumber I used to have retired at 48. Take that .com gazilionaires.
     
  5. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    7,765
    Nova Scotia Canada
    Full Name:
    Neil
    Power gives you money, without a doubt.
    Too bad I gave mine up... for nothing.
     
  6. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    24,957
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    Well, not really - I'm already in law school and planning to do the law thing for a while. Don't know which firm size though, going to sample both large national and small local before I graduate.

    In the long run, I'd like to pick up some commercial real estate and maybe some businesses; if/when I retire I'd move into more of a financial management scenario playing with my money and driving my Ferraris, and visiting my property in New Zealand and Italy :D. (BTW, I don't enjoy political power as much as toys and travel... and I'm not the Millionaire Next Door type, I love the books but my tastes are too flashy - well, look where we're posting here!)

    So I realize many people will do more than one of the list. What I wanted to hear from everybody was what they think the best use of your 25-50 years is. I think the other young guys hear would like the guidance of the vast F-chat experience pool too.
     
  7. ralessi

    ralessi Formula 3

    May 26, 2002
    1,093
    Houston, TX
    Full Name:
    Rikk
    This is a great thread, really :)

    Since I have no idea what I want to do, I hope that this will be helpful considering that I have many of the same goals as Ryan.
     
  8. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 24, 2003
    47,933
    Goodyear, AZ
    Full Name:
    PeterS
    Alex wrote:

    What I wanted to hear from everybody was what they think the best use of your 25-50 years is.

    Answer: From 19 to 44, you abuse your body. From 45 to 70, you figure our how to repair it!
     
  9. ralessi

    ralessi Formula 3

    May 26, 2002
    1,093
    Houston, TX
    Full Name:
    Rikk
    anyone else having any responses? I thought that we had a lot of the different career types on here that would be able to offer some input...
     
  10. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,396
    Texas!
    As someone who has never been able to keep a job, I'm not the best person to turn to for career advice. In fact, it has been so long since I had a "real job" that I'm pretty much unemployable by now.

    That said, the number one thing you can do for yourself, regardless of which fork in the road you take, is to learn how to sell. Even if you don't even up selling a product or a service, you will always be selling yourself. Everybody sells. Some just learn how to do it better than the rest of us.

    The other thing you'll need is discipline. One long-term downside to the boom of the 90s is way too many Gen Xs have unrealistic expectations about what it takes to succeed. Granted, beating your head against a wall hurts and should be avoided whenever possible. But, you can't expect to sing da blues until you pay some dues.

    Finally, I'll leave you with this riff from Jim Morrison who, while he drank himself to death, understood the serendipitious nature of life.

    Well, I woke up this morning, and I got myself a beer.
    Well, I woke up this morning, and I got myself a beer.

    The future's uncertain, and the end is always near.

    Let it roll, baby, roll. Let it roll, baby, let it roll all night long.
     
  11. Mojo

    Mojo Formula 3

    Sep 24, 2002
    1,293
    Washington St.
    Full Name:
    Joseph
    Dr Tax
    Thats good.
    If I may quote pink floyd


    "you run and run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but your older, shorter of breath one day closer to death."



    So do whats important in life. What is that? "I don't know" But I don't think its chasing money.
     
  12. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    24,957
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    A blast from the past!
     

Share This Page