Career Development/School/Productivity thread.

No goals here. Just a hate for my current job, which is taking care of a guy with infantile autism and brain damage.He gets a bit violent at times and so on, but overall it's really no challenge or anything. It's just the same thing every fucking day I'm there. 15 hours shifts so only only 2 to 3 times a week, that sounds nice but can also be a pain.

But also getting paid better than I ever have and having amazing benefits, such as all my sick days which there are many of, getting paid by the state, so my work don't even mind it all that much. Also very small risk of the rona, which is nice considering my job alternatives. But fuck me, just doing the same thing over and over with him for almost a year now, every time I'm there, is driving me insane.

Career Goal(s) : Trying to become an illustrator and concept artist and get out of 9-5 hell, I'd love to atleast try freelancing . I

Where ya at?: nowhere close. working a 9-5 that I grow more tired of every day. health insurance is cool though. shitty pay no worse because covid hours

What are you doing?: Trying to study everyday to get my fundamentals/draftsmanship up to industry standard and eventually make a portfolio to get commercial work(think: MtG cards, videogame splash art, covers, marketing images etc). 'm not going to school for it. I post progress on an online blog

I reached one my furthest out professional goals and its just kinda weird now. I look back at how hard I worked to get it and I don't feel the satisfaction a lot of people I do when reaching a goal I guess. Makes the next run harder than it should be.

Best advice I ever got was to shut up. Way too many people show up thinking they've got something to prove when you can prove way more by demonstrating an ability to learn, adapt, and be receptive. I think.... people should also do mock interviews with teachers and mentors when they can too. Far too often guys talk themselves out of jobs and they don't even realize it.

Good thread btw sy. I've put this off for ages.

Cool little timer app: https://neilblr.com/post/58757345346

It floats in the corner of your screen. You tell it what programs you use for work/productivity. Whenever you’re using those programs, it turns a pleasing shade of blue and times you. If you alt-tab over to something that is not one of those programs, like Chrome or Spotify or 3D Pinball, or if you zone out and don’t move the mouse for too long, it turns red and stops the timer until you resume proper grown-up behavior.

yeah that's insanity gl

masochist/10

real protip: get a mentor or find people that are not afraid to fail in front of you - that will do so without harming your own standing

yeaah they installed something very similar for us a while ago, but the timer only stops when the screen goes to screensaver/off

so naturally, I fucked with the screensaver settings

I work in artificial intelligence and machine learning but I’m sort of over with working in tech in Canada. Only way to make silly money doing that here is to up and relocate to the USA and I’m not willing to do that while my family still needs me. Trying to break into finance since there’s a fast growing need for data scientists for use in areas like algorithmic trading and financial modelling.

I’m graduating this year with a degree in political science lol

If you don’t know something, don’t pretend. Admitting ignorance and asking / figuring it out is 1000% times better.

I’m a project manager for a sub contractor. Career path is PM > Sr PM > exec PM > division manager > vice.

At most I want exec PM. Fuck stresses that come from running a division or more. In fact, I don’t even know if the stress of being a PM is worth it sometimes. I feel like I’m in a weekly contractual battle with the prime on my current project. Fuck ... when I started on my project I took the scope over from a PM who fucked shit up. Here’s a 2.5 million dollar budget for energy storage, fender. Now go make it work with a system that costs 7 million. FML lol. Of course this is only one part of my budget and we have contingency, but still. The numbers are just staggering.

I occasionally toy around with pulling my equity and buying a house outright in gods country and then just get a pizza delivery job

Contrary to what I'm about to say, this isn't a shot at Sy. At some point, you're going to have to put yourself out there. If you're in a creative field, someone is either:

- out there now, getting a bag that you should be getting, due to networking. They probably have less than a fifth of your skill, but they're reliable and actually show up to the game. The game you're watching from the sidelines, while running image training, in your head.

- As motivated as you are, but smart enough to actually get paid for growing their skills, while building a resume and actual connections. They get to sleep at night, and you don't.

My resume is all over the place. I'm technically freelance still, but have gotten to play a roll in a lot of different shit...punching way above my weight class, off the strength of my ability to learn. Literally, that's it. Didn't go to school for any of it, and was primarily driven enough to teach myself. Folks that I primarily did contract work with saw it and gave me opportunities.

One of the biggest pieces of advice that I can give, aside from making sure your taxes are in order, is to watch your mental health.

Where ya at?: 9-5
Career Goal(s) : stop 9-5
What are you doing?: making random websites hoping something catches on

I hate the idea of working a standard job for the rest of my life. The dream is to live off passive income, but not really sure how to make that happen. Whenever I get an idea of something I build a website for it, but it's more to learn new tools than actually believing it'll bring in money.

Where I'm at: In career stasis, while taking care of my grandmother, thanks to Rona. I honestly started to detest where I was. I've seen way to many people come up, online, in ways that I should have been. Ways that my squad should have. Blamed a lot of folks, instead of just holding the L I earned. The time off has given me a renewed sense of purpose and drive, so that when this Saga that I'm in, currently, comes to whatever conclusion, it's go time. I refuse to be elite adjacent like that and let it go, or not finance my own goals ever again. Fuck that. It's not worth the stress.

I'm sort of hoping for a "promotion" but not overly confident, given that my employer is trying to reduce costs (read: employees) so it can get in line with "efficiency ratios" (read: employees) with competitors. My manager had mentioned the promotion as a target goal for the upcoming year, but given the reality of what the company is trying to do, I'm not putting much hope in it.

(The promotion would essentially be putting the word "senior" in my title ["hahaha, matches your age" {fuck you}] with a pay bump and a higher bonus target.)

By EldritchTrapStar Go To PostContrary to what I'm about to say, this isn't a shot at Sy. At some point, you're going to have to put yourself out there. If you're in a creative field, someone is either:

- out there now, getting a bag that you should be getting, due to networking. They probably have less than a fifth of your skill, but they're reliable and actually show up to the game. The game you're watching from the sidelines, while running image training, in your head.

- As motivated as you are, but smart enough to actually get paid for growing their skills, while building a resume and actual connections. They get to sleep at night, and you don't.

My resume is all over the place. I'm technically freelance still, but have gotten to play a roll in a lot of different shit…punching way above my weight class, off the strength of my ability to learn. Literally, that's it. Didn't go to school for any of it, and was primarily driven enough to teach myself. Folks that I primarily did contract work with saw it and gave me opportunities.

One of the biggest pieces of advice that I can give, aside from making sure your taxes are in order, is to watch your mental health.

This attacks me more than sy 😂

I think I told you guys, but I was so stuck in the honest hard work from the bottom state of mind that it actually sent me into depression. I'd look at a friend's resume and give up. Sometimes the resume would be amazing and they'd have a great job. Sometimes terrible, great job. Sometimes great, no job. Either way it caused me to shutdown.

Finally I threw together a real resume of my own, ripped the band-aid of my first interview and was shocked at much of a mountain I'd turned the entire ordeal into.

Fast forward a few months and I'd realized that I was asking for roughly half of what I should've been but learning how to move honestly got me along faster than looking for the money straight up.

Short version - Don't self-eliminate.

I could write essays on each of my interviews now that I think about it. Things I consistently knocked out of the park and questions I should've asked as well. And holy shit "networking" is a concept college kids and recent grads generally cannot understand.

No worries, because you shot me right back. 😭😂

Networking from college got me my first job out of college and my first job after the great recession. Which then parlayed into using those new connections for my current job.

I got burned in my job during the recession so I have made it a point to ask every question related to work environment possible during interviews so it never happens again. I can get an idea of the kind of work I will be doing from the job posting and what the interviewer will tell me. I have to ask to find out what the culture is like. And non - answers are just as revealing as actual answers.

If you can ask your interviewer enough questions that they don't have anything more to ask you because you already covered it all, you did a great job. Imo

Our college regularly set up mixers and conferences. Made you pay ffs

Biggest fucking scam I've ever seen. We all thought being friends with each other and putting a big company on our mailing list meant we were networking professionals while those companies could mark off whatever diversity checkbox they needed filled.

We were all completely unprepared and the only kids that really hit the ground running were ones that had family or friends of family open the doors.

By DY_nasty Go To PostOur college regularly set up mixers and conferences. Made you pay ffs

Biggest fucking scam I've ever seen. We all thought being friends with each other and putting a big company on our mailing list meant we were networking professionals while those companies could mark off whatever diversity checkbox they needed filled.

We were all completely unprepared and the only kids that really hit the ground running were ones that had family or friends of family open the doors.

I was involved with the local chapter of a professional society which got me to talk directly and face to face with companies that were hiring. In addition, there were many grads from my school working at several different companies so I was able to get good references. And then one of my professors I kept contact with knew which local companies were hiring alumni, who was working at them, and who I should talk to to get a job.

It all helped a lot.

By Pac-12 Go To PostI'm sort of hoping for a "promotion" but not overly confident, given that my employer is trying to reduce costs (read: employees) so it can get in line with "efficiency ratios" (read: employees) with competitors. My manager had mentioned the promotion as a target goal for the upcoming year, but given the reality of what the company is trying to do, I'm not putting much hope in it.

(The promotion would essentially be putting the word "senior" in my title ["hahaha, matches your age" {fuck you}] with a pay bump and a higher bonus target.)

Your situation is the same as mine, not counting my chickens yet considering I was passed( don't think I was even a serious candidate) the last two times that the opening was available.

What was more eye opening was that I only go the you have earned it talk about two months ago, thing is nothing has really changed when it comes to my work other than the fact that since I went back from my leave of absence I'm only reporting to the boss of my actual boss, which leads to upper management actually noticing all the shit that I actually do and others get credit for.

guuuuys....comparing yourself to others is a slippery slope, just look down at your own plate, you're putting focus on the wrong person, as the saying goes.

By Yurtlicious Go To Postguuuuys….comparing yourself to others is a slippery slope, just look down at your own plate, you're putting focus on the wrong person, as the saying goes.

Depends. At least in the US, there's this weird atmosphere where you're wrong if you discuss your pay and benefits among coworkers. People need to do it more often or at the very least drop the notion that its taboo.

And if someone makes more than you then you have to understand why without making up a story in your head too. Sometimes you'll work harder than another guy but he's being paid for his additional certs, degrees, experience, etc and that's totally normal.

By DY_nasty Go To PostDepends. At least in the US, there's this weird atmosphere where you're wrong if you discuss your pay and benefits among coworkers. People need to do it more often or at the very least drop the notion that its taboo.
.

💯

The rule in every employee handbook isn’t to prevent company drama as the handbook implies. It’s to prevent employees from entering managers offices with leverage in pay negotiations. That’s it.

I haven't read most (any) of the replies but the one decent piece of unsolicited advice I can give any one of you is to eventually reach that point where you say fuck it, and take a chance on yourself.

Eventually you gotta stop letting others dictate your worth and value, and that includes quitting and finding a better job. A lot of people are afraid that the next thing will just be worse/more of the same/not the thing they actually want, but if the next job isn't that yet you get a payraise/bonus/equity out of it? That's still a step up because now you just shifted your baseline upwards.

By DY_nasty Go To PostBiggest fucking scam I've ever seen. We all thought being friends with each other and putting a big company on our mailing list meant we were networking professionals while those companies could mark off whatever diversity checkbox they needed filled.

We were all completely unprepared and the only kids that really hit the ground running were ones that had family or friends of family open the doors.

Absolutely. These are key facts. It's sad that the main appeal of big and highly-ranked universities isn't the education you are given, but rather that admittance into Harvard or whatever gives you access to key alumni networks that pull the strings in terms of hiring for internships and then jobs after graduation.

Family and friends though is something else entirely, that shit is nepotism.

As for advice, one thing I will add is in regards to the process of applying for a job, especially at a big company. Corporate gigs tend to get applicants in the 200+ range and the vast majority of those people do not get their resumes looked at. Why? Because applicant tracking systems (ATS) and complex algorithms scan through resumes looking for key words and phrases and if you don't have that in your resume? Instant rejection. I straight up copy and paste these phrases from the job description and add it to my resume to make it ATS compliant. There's also that fancy resumes with ornate designs may not play well with a company's ATS platform so it's best to have it be simple and focus on content. Not 100% on this but I've read that submitting your resume in a .DOCX file is better than .PDF but YMMV there.

^Basically use family and friends if the option is available.

By Perfect Blue Go To PostAbsolutely. These are key facts. It's sad that the main appeal of big and highly-ranked universities isn't the education you are given, but rather that admittance into Harvard or whatever gives you access to key alumni networks that pull the strings in terms of hiring for internships and then jobs after graduation.

Family and friends though is something else entirely, that shit is nepotism.

If nepotism worked for me, I'd love it.

I'm not as hardline on Ivy league schools as I used to be. Yes, they have a leg up on name brand alone and there are more connections.... but they're also just a hell of a lot more aware of what image they need to present in order to please the right people.

A switch has to be flipped where the way you answer a question is more important than what the answer actually is. Some schools communicate that better than others.

Nepotism isn’t always bad. Depends on if nepotism is just an in for a interview of it it aids ones career path after the fact. I’ve seen both and the latter is bad and the former isn’t. I generally trust people I know more than some rando resume

I've honestly had little problems with nepotism.... its really, really far down the list on things that I worry about or weigh heavily. The thing about those seats being filled is that they're not even listed more times than not.

And shit, if you nail an interview then its not like you're being thrown in the bushes - good people are hard to find. Any recruiter worth their money is gonna keep your info on hand for similar opportunities because that's how they get paid.

Career Goal(s) :
starting up a Post/VFX house for Film and TV.

Where ya at?:
I currently work for Stargate Studios as a VFX artist.

What are you doing?:
Perhaps Ive reached a point where i have a decent size clientele for me to only work part time at the studio while also growing my business.
I do have a business license and I do subcontract work to my colleagues or farm it out to small VFX houses in India if the workload is too much for me to handle. I dont even have a website up yet and work coming in have been mostly word of mouth. My Independent contractual work has actually increased during covid and I intend to keep the momentum going. My GF has been a big boost in bringing work as well as she's very active networking in film projects.

By Fenderputty Go To PostNepotism isn’t always bad. Depends on if nepotism is just an in for a interview of it it aids ones career path after the fact. I’ve seen both and the latter is bad and the former isn’t. I generally trust people I know more than some rando resume

I don't think it's bad at all, but I think there needs to be a distinction between networking and nepotism. Having friends or family connections I wouldn't really consider networking lol.

Can't really say I've run into any nepotism issues. Moreso "fit" and "culture" aka they only like their minorities a certain way. Which TBH if thats the case I'm dodging a bullet anyway. But it's still frustrating.

By Perfect Blue Go To PostI don't think it's bad at all, but I think there needs to be a distinction between networking and nepotism. Having friends or family connections I wouldn't really consider networking lol.

If there's any risk to those people who bring them on, then its not networking imo

By Kabro Go To PostCareer Goal(s) :
starting up a Post/VFX house for Film and TV.

Where ya at?:
I currently work for Stargate Studios as a VFX artist.

What are you doing?:
Perhaps Ive reached a point where i have a decent size clientele for me to only work part time at the studio while also growing my business.
I do have a business license and I do subcontract work to my colleagues or farm it out to small VFX houses in India if the workload is too much for me to handle. I dont even have a website up yet and work coming in have been mostly word of mouth. My Independent contractual work has actually increased during covid and I intend to keep the momentum going. My GF has been a big boost in bringing work as well as she's very active networking in film projects.

all this time and no website? kado i can't believe this

Career goals: Trying to get off the 9-5 train really and have set some goals to do so by doing yoga on the side, but feel like this pandemic has been an excuse for me not pushing it further (want live classes instead of online ones) as I do want to do it as community classes and then maybe code on whatever I wanna do on the side.

Where ya at?: Contracting as a QA engineer - currently for a government project - pays well but quite slow and boring tbh in terms of what the service and stack is.

What are you doing?: see above really, not much more to add but what I think is important is that if you do change career maybe have some transitional steps/goals to change to instead of doing a full on turn straight away.

By DY_nasty Go To Postall this time and no website? kado i can't believe this

I suck at marketing myself. definitely my weakest aspect of my career. Thank God my GF loves to do that.

By reilo Go To PostEventually you gotta stop letting others dictate your worth and value, and that includes quitting and finding a better job

It took me a while to reach this point. as my skills developed so did my confidence, self worth and value my time as money.
If producers low ball me on budget, I simply walk away and there has been many times they came back with what I asked for.

Career Goal(s): Overall this is my biggest issue. I don't really know where I want to go next professionally. Considering I went to school for Marketing/PR and I have zero interest in getting back into that. My primary concern has always been more location than anything. I'd been kicking around the idea of actually getting certified to be a Trainer or Yoga teacher but COVID got the best of me mentally this year. I already dabble in a bit of both on the side (moreso training) but making money on it was never really a thought. Mostly I just want to do something where I don't wake up in the morning like "fuck".

Where ya at?: Currently working at a sports apparel/equipment company heading up our largest sport segment after building up what are now our 2nd and 3rd largest segments from $0.00 in the last couple years. I've complained more than enough about it on here.

What are you doing?: I'm purely in the idea stage. I'm reevaluating everything in my life. Where I live, what I do, how important X amount of dollars is to me. I figure COVID is as good a time as any to smash the reset button. I don't think it's ideal be turning 30 in 7 months and have no idea what you want to do next, but I at least feel thankful to be in a position to be concerned about what I want to do vs securing basic needs.

By rerixo Go To PostWhere ya at?: 9-5
Career Goal(s) : stop 9-5
I hate the idea of working a standard job for the rest of my life.

By domino Go To PostMostly I just want to do something where I don't wake up in the morning like "fuck".

By batong_doicare Go To PostCareer goals: Trying to get off the 9-5 .

What’s a 9-5?

I’m salaried management. Yesterday I did 6:30 - 4 without a lunch I was so busy. Monday I left by 1 cause my day was chill.

By domino Go To PostCareer Goal(s): Overall this is my biggest issue. I don't really know where I want to go next professionally. Considering I went to school for Marketing/PR and I have zero interest in getting back into that. My primary concern has always been more location than anything. I'd been kicking around the idea of actually getting certified to be a Trainer or Yoga teacher but COVID got the best of me mentally this year. I already dabble in a bit of both on the side (moreso training) but making money on it was never really a thought. Mostly I just want to do something where I don't wake up in the morning like "fuck".

Where ya at?: Currently working at a sports apparel/equipment company heading up our largest sport segment after building up what are now our 2nd and 3rd largest segments from $0.00 in the last couple years. I've complained more than enough about it on here.

What are you doing?: I'm purely in the idea stage. I'm reevaluating everything in my life. Where I live, what I do, how important X amount of dollars is to me. I figure COVID is as good a time as any to smash the reset button. I don't think it's ideal be turning 30 in 7 months and have no idea what you want to do next, but I at least feel thankful to be in a position to be concerned about what I want to do vs securing basic needs.

I'm not the best at giving career/life advice as I've been mostly winging it my whole life (and I'd say luck was on my side), but don't be scared to press the reset button when your life just isn't where you want it to be, even if it involves moving away.

I absolutely despise college so the cert life is probably where I'm stuck.

Really thinking I just need a whole spreadsheet dedicated to this stuff though along with dates and POCs now though. I'm good - but I see way too many guys start to fumble their words when pressed on where they got what from. One of my friends bit off way more than he could chew lately as well by talking himself up too much.

doing a 9-5 web development job in India and it's wearing me down. got an appraisal coming up soon and they better pay me good.

I'm aiming to get a job in another country in a few years but it's tough.

basically I'm fucked but let's see what happens! been winging it my whole life and got lucky a bit to even get to this point, kind of like what Yurt mentioned but I'm the poor and third world version.

dunno about the states, but having a Diploma/Bachelor's degree/etc helps with EVERYTHING, unfortunately. From applying to jobs to promotions, it opens up a lot of doors. Don't give people more ways to discriminate lol

I liked college, not so much taking tests and shit, but basically hanging out with people from all over the world 24/7 was quite fun.

that too, opens up a lot of doors lol.

I feel like its never too late to get one really, you can even take night classes or something after work if you're just about getting the certs. I might go for a Chartered Financial Analyst certificate in the future, I dunno.

Canada is near the top of countries with most educated populace (in terms of degrees) and a Bachelor's over here is basically mandatory for anything above flipping burgers.

I think I just passed the point of needing one out of luck tbh. A grad degree? Now that would be dope. But when everyone in a field has a degree and you need people to actually elevate a product or service, places start lookin for more than just that. I think its a gatekeeping mechanism on junior/entry level positions more than anything else in a lot of fields.

By Yurtlicious Go To Postdunno about the states, but having a Diploma/Bachelor's degree/etc helps with EVERYTHING, unfortunately. From applying to jobs to promotions, it opens up a lot of doors. Don't give people more ways to discriminate lol

I liked college, not so much taking tests and shit, but basically hanging out with people from all over the world 24/7 was quite fun.

that too, opens up a lot of doors lol.

I feel like its never too late to get one really, you can even take night classes or something after work if you're just about getting the certs. I might go for a Chartered Financial Analyst certificate in the future, I dunno.

I wish most colleges in the US were actually like this. Instead its just varying types of echo chambers for the most part. I'm gonna start getting into instructional design and stuff once I get some more stability in my day to day.

A degree in the US is how you get your first job. It's almost a requirement for any "skilled" job. After that first job, though, it doesn't matter too much.

Aiming for this month to be my most productive month ever. For the most part, I'm done with learning a lot of theory stuff(linear perspective) so I'm planning on taking that inot actual object studying.

my goal is to start tackling painting/value/light/color/edges stuff by december.

when do you plan to start making money

2029

Career Goal(s) : Fiction Author, Freelance Developer/Consultant

Where ya at?: AS in Comp Sci, just acquired BS in Soft Dev over the summer, finished outlining a novel

What are you doing?: Working on novel at a slow pace, working on projects/portfolio across front end and back end and preparing for code interviews with the vast bulk of my time.

Did two assessments with a major bank and now I’m wondering wtf is next lol. In normal times there’s an assessment centre you go to. I can prepare for that easily since there’s many resources available but COVID-19 jacked all that up, so no clue what is in store for me.

Waiting on another bank to get back to me.