Guess Who - And Actually Some Serious News.

[H Tower]

Originally posted by David Floyd
That's the same thing I told him Stew....get a job as a bartender.

wouldn't that be like putting a career criminal in charge of security at a jewelry store?

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by H Tower


wouldn't that be like putting a career criminal in charge of security at a jewelry store?

[Seneca]

Move to Prague - there's an entire mini-economy there, where all the Anglo/Irish earn money working in the expat bars and then spend all their money in the expat bars.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Too true AH, and this is the way I looked at it. I just live with my mother so I have no rent/mortgage obligations. The only constraint I have is a car that could be sold if things got bad enough. I also have a reasonable amount of money to keep me going for a while. So I am certain I can manage, and get out whilst I can and look for something better.

One thing I would do whilst staying with mummy is buy a house and pay off as much of it as you can before you marry.

[Gibsie]

We really should've done a betting pool on when he'd be back... but I think he's outlived our expectations for staying away anyhew

What is it with disillusioned graduates of similar subjects to what I'm studying? The first told me how crap his degree is, and PH has dumped his PhD! (And not to mention the PhD student demonstrator who was guiding my group in lab switched to get away from us... bah )

[Seneca]

I've yet to meet anyone who enjoyed their PhD.

Three-plus years studying one itty-bitty thing would drive me mad, too.

[Asher]

Provost: Perhaps you should study proctology. I think they always need people.

[David Floyd]

Proctology. Hmm. That reminds me.

******************

A guy got pulled over past a bridge for speeding. The policeman pulls him over, and asks why he was in such a worry. The guy says, "Well, I'm a doctor on my way to an appointment." The doctor asks, "What kind of doctor are you?" The guy replies, "A proctologist - that means I insert a big pair of pliers into people's *******s and widen them until they're about six feet wide." The cop's eyes get real big, and he says "Whoa. What would you do with a 6 foot *******??" The doctor says, "Give him a radar gun and put him on a bridge!"

[Lefty Scaevola]

Bureau-******!

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
. Yes, very little work has been done since the beginning of December and very little of it has been in my control. NHS/University bureaucracy, delays, .

Univeristy admins and faculty snots can realyy carry themselves away into little egomanic fantasy kingdoms, can't they? From what I hear it is pretty much the same at all public funded universities, and a significant fraction of the private ones.

[The Mad Monk]

1: come to the United States
2: work at a phamaceutical company
3: all of the above.

[ixnay]

You should get a job as a hobo.

[devilmunchkin]

science/drug company research

[yin26]

First, you'll never find out what you want to do by living at home. Move out. Far out.

In my case, I left my Ph.D. program at UCLA early (with an MA in English Lit.) and said: "Screw it. I'm moving to Korea. I've never been there. I really don't know anybody there. I don't have a job there just yet ... but I'm going because I want overseas experience in Asia."

The pieces fell into place from there. It's amazing how many things come together once you point yourself in a direction that interests you and then start walking. And as AH rightly points out, without a wife or kids, you can put a few years into ANYTHING without anything to lose.

So do it!!! Surely there is something that really interests you but you've always told yourself "I don't even know where to start." Just start. Period.

[Alphaman]

Thought provoking answers here Provost. Lucky you have this pool of intellect to tap into. Perhaps I can add something of value.

First you have to decide what you want more out of working. Money or satisfaction. Prioritise whether you want to spend 10 hours a day raking in the green or else you want a better/more stimulating/interesting lifestyle. Not to say of course you cannot combine the two, but you have to be lucky for that. I'm assuming you are not lucky. Balancing money vs lifestyle can often serve to eliminate (or open up) a whole stack of options. I find looking at career choices in this way quite useful. [Example: in my current job I get paid well but work rather long hours. I enjoy the work but that does not necessarily alleviate its crushing effect on my personal life. In the long term I would like to trade off salary for other benefits, such as perhaps working in hospitality as managing a resort or hotel, where the lifestyle is the main reward I seek. Through this analysis I know what kind of work I should seek now, and also in say 20 years time.]

Then you should take a long hard look at yourself and figure out what you want. Easier said than done I know, but no one on this board, or indeed anywhere, can get inside your head and decide things for you like what you enjoy.

Then you should talk to friends/family and various people who actually know you better than some guy on the internet. Get their ideas. Talking to people with lifestyles radically different to your can often be surprisingly thought provoking. They could bring an angle you haven't thought of.

Finally you have to combine all that and choose a career path that best matches your personality, priorities, and personal strengths. In other words, mixing the best of what you enjoy doing, what you want to get out of it, and what you are good at.

Thats the best I can help I'm afraid. If you are still stuck and don't know what to do then perhaps you may want to invest time in getting to know yourself better. Drive somewhere by yourself with a fistful of cash and spend time alone. Go to a small town, or an isolated beach, and just ponder life.

I wish you the best.

[Jon Miller]

Become a Theologian

Jon Miller