Stuck between 2 career choices. Need advice

I'd go with Petroleum...work should be aval for quite awhile yet....Computer folks are a dime a dozen.

Destroy the Ozone Layer, or create Skynet. The choice is yours.

Just from what I see here...

They've pushed people into IT for years now. Combine that with the ability to get a BS online and cheap outsourced labor. It's not a great place to start.

The labor reports about what jobs will grow aren't always a great place to find informstion. Talk to people in the field and find out how many compromises they had to make to get their foot in the door. Talk to older people in your classes and find out what degrees they had and couldn't find work in.

If your advisor is worth a shit ask them. They'll tell you what the job market is like and where you're likely to get hired.

Wow.

Someone actually studying for a vocation.

IF it was me I'd choose Petroleum.

Only because those guys get great money and great time off and great travel opportunities.

Many just work when thy want to - do a contract, chill out, do another contract etc etc.

Computers could remain a hobby

Petroleum engineering. Teach yourself coding on the side if you're really interested.

I been thinking about the petroleum engineering. The thing is will the demand for petroleum engineers still be great in 4-5 years? I just wonder. But i think as oil becomes more scarce then the need for more engineers would be needed.

And if im not mistaken we have 40 years supply of oil left. Well thats what they officially say. Till we tap into alaska and what not im sure there is alot more we dont know of.

whiny tone you have. Ozone is doing just fine, and the "culprit" in its day was hairspray propellant, not oil.

OP, it boils down to YOU: a couple of questions that may help you decide:

- do you like being outdoors, traveling, etc.?

- do you prefer more regular hours and staying in one place for longer periods of time?

- are you planning to combine work and family?

- do you like to work alone or with a buddy, or do you like meetings, committees, etc.?

Last Edited by beeches on 02/02/2014 06:38 PM

Check out programs with Petroleum & Mining Engineering- kind of double up on your options. Everyone I know in the industry are very happy.

Computer Science can still be very lucrative, in demand & necessary for the future- depending on exactly what your focus is. But a lot of the focuses have high burn out rates and unfulfilled employees.

Im really open minded when it comes to traveling. Dont get me wrong the idea of traveling to other countries and seeing exotic women is definitely a plus lol. I cant base my decision off that though because i would be thinking with the wrong head ;D. I like working with others but i also like working alone. Im really not picky i can adapt to any situation. Im really just trying to think about what is going to be more stable of a career. If they both are. Then im going for petroleum engineering. And also LOL to the guy worrying about the ozone layer. Stop crying.

Anyhow. I think petroleum engineering would be the way to go then. I just hope that 4-5 years from now that all of a sudden there is no need for petroleum engineers. I just wonder for the demand in the market for it. I been doing some research but really i cant find any solid answers . It all seems like a big gamble really. You can never know how the economy will be going. One thing i do know is that the "Go Green" hippies wont stop the oil companies and that alternative energy is nice but its not nice enough to stop the supply/demand of oil.

I just hope not****

Yeah true. I think in the end petroleum engineering will be the way to go. Plus the pay is ALOT better starting off. Last i checked was 90,000 - 100,000 starting off

Do you think you will pass your English classes? You might be getting ahead of yourself here.

lol. I think for ever thread created a troll is born

don't mean to burst yer bubble, but since you seem like you can study anything and you are looking for ideas:

new sources of energy could come along and wipe out oil…

sure, on the face of it, a lot of people will lose money, but we all know that is not the only determining factor…

technological change runs over a lot of sacred cows…

if I were you: veterinarian…

seriously! you can live in any country and be of use… drop off the grid if you like or get a second home in Costa or some exotic place… everyone needs a vet… not just pets, but farm animals…

also, you could probably study in India and save a ton of bucks…

good luck whatever you do… but personally, I think you are making a mistake and will end up dependent and "eyes wide shut"…

Yeah helping out animals seems like a nice thing to do. But the pay isn't that much. Im in it for the money and security.

lol im not really trying to make the world a better place. Just my pocket a fatter place

what are the prospects for a 32 year old woman to become a petroleum engineer?

Just keep in mind that money is the most important thing in life. You'll hear a lot of nonsense about family and love etc. but in the end the only thing that really matters is money.

Do you know the best way to find a poor loser? Find someone that says money doesn't buy happiness, they are always people without money.

Stay away from IT university programs. There is a million IT grads flipping burgers or working a dull cubicle doing updates for semi retarded office drones. If you were an IT genius who could actually make real money, then you would already be doing so without a degree. Only brains and motivation make you rich in the IT world and more often than not, the real money makers are high school drop out who self taught.

Forget a fancy Petroleum degree.
Go take a basic one or two week truck driving course and go to North Dakota.
You WILL make 80-90k first year. You WILL learn all about the petroleum business and can make a better choice for the future.
IF you go to university, you will have more life experience and a pile of cash banked to avoid student loans.

I read an article a while back about a recent law school graduate who couldn't find a job. He got a CDL, went up to North Dakota working in the oil fields, and he makes over $100k/year with overtime.

Think about a Chemical engineering major & pick up a two year business degree also while you at it. With those two you have a VAST field of job opportunities you can switch between and you won’t get stuck working for just 100k a year.

I got friends working on the pipeline in arkansas making that much now. It's a miserable schedule but the money lasts a lot longer than the misery does n

you will be a wage slave when you could be your own boss…

its not just about doing something that benefits humanity, bro…

there are people making $300K who can't leave their desks or choose their own cloths…

as they say in sled dogging: "unless you're the lead dog the view is always the same."

yes, BUT, the economy is so over-leveraged right now tptb can implode it whenever they feel like it and your cash can be made worthless… this has happened in history and we are seeing all the same ear-marks… so this is not conspiracy… it is econ 101: you don't print money forever…

something like a vet will always come in handy…

you can live anywhere and practice it… and it will barter well… lot of beautiful women love animals and will admire your skills…

and if you are smart it can pay big bucks… naturopathic vets where I live get payed really well and are booked up…

good luck whatever you do… but anyone who says money is everything is a fool… friends, a long-term lover/wife, family… God… these are the things that are important…

and I have seen the kind of people you want to become (both oil peeps and IT) and they don't look super happy to me… they lie to themselves and wonder why they are constantly seeking some new sensation that never satisfies… they look lost…

tell you what: save up several thousand dollars and go blow it on nice living for a few days… it gets old, bro… you have your whole life ahead of you and you have been socially engineered to be a wage slave… life is more profound and interesting than your mind has been allowed to think, at this stage in your life...

I agree with the dude above who says get a trucking license and work in the field for a while… then decide.

cheers!

Amen