Practical Advice Sought for Near Future

[youngthales]

I need some practical advice for the near future. My goal is to finish a book I’ve been kicking around. There are two ways to get the time to do this. One, the current plan, is living with the parents, working for a year or two, saving everything, then taking two years off to write full time. I did something like this on a smaller scale last year.

Comments

[sholeh]

For web design, you really need more experience. There are a lot of people who really know their stuff out there (including stuff like Flash), so I would say it would be a good skill to learn, but don't expect to get a job doing it. Learn it because it is a good asset to have. I don't know a lot about it personally, but having a good number of friends who do this stuff I've heard enough to know that you really need to get into it to do well.

As for jobs...well, I've mostly had office jobs, even if they were entry level, and it really helped boost my resume. Of course, I was a business major, so it could be different for you. I would say that if you need to live, get what job you can...but if you can be a little picky, get jobs that will help you in the long term. With a college degree, you might be able to find an entry-level job that will sustain you while you write, you just need to apply for a lot of jobs, interview well, etc.

I hope you figure out what you want to do. Good luck!!

[youngthales]

For web design, you really need more experience.

...crap. Oh well, I suspected this. I hope computers go away and we return to abacuses. Being an abacus designer was probably so much easier. All paint; no computer languages.

I don't think I've ever asked you this, but do you have a particular coveted role or job you're working towards in business? Or is it a more open-ended issue of accumulating experiences and following better opportunties as they arise, wherever they lead? If so, would you follow those opportunities even if they led you into a bowl of spaghetti?

Thanks for your advice!

[sholeh]

Event planning/project management seems to be the direction I'm going right now. But really, I am not set on certain things because it is easy to get disappointed. If I am too focused on one thing I MUST do, then I might miss out on something else amazing. ;-)

mmm spaghetti...

I got really lucky with business...I really enjoy it. As for following opportunities...it really depends on a lot of factors. Does it violate my ethical/moral code? Will it take away from my family life? Will it take away from my ability to serve as an active member of my community (religious and otherwise). All of these things are things I have to factor in as the time comes, therefore I can't really make specific plans.

[youngthales]

Berry eenteresting. That makes your work in Haifa planning Bahai events make even more sense, from a career point of view, not just a personal/religious/service point of view. I'm glad you're happy with what you're doing. I can see how planning events, experiences, or products could be a very creatively and socially rewarding experience.

Maybe I should take notes from you on career flexiblity. In some ways, I'm too scared to be flexible. I think it's because when I'm flexible I'm too flexible, and shoot all over the place. I think I'm kind of rigid to compensate. As they say of the reed that bends without breaking, flexiblity is strength! I judging from "mmm spaghetti" that you might be flexible enough to switch over from planning/project management into a bowl of spagetti, provided the spaghetti is ethical. I may be able to arrange that.

[sholeh]

It would be nice if the spaghetti had a 401(k) and benefits, too. :-)

Yeah, you have to be flexible, but also have realistic goals. I think that is the biggest thing for me...it isn't about just floating along. I do have things I want to accomplish, I do have a path of sorts. It just isn't set in stone.