# What to do with my money, what to do with my life?



## WhatToDo62 (Apr 23, 2015)

Hi everyone,

Would just enjoy some basic advice if possible,

I'm 30 years old and I've done the following jobs in my life:

18-22 Construction labourer,
22-22 Snow removal,
25-29 Canadian Forces,
Took a year off,
29-30 Electrical Apprentice,

I hate my job, I hate what I do and I want to live the rest of my life liking what I do and there is no point in just being depressed until you die.
I feel like I wasted my life away not going to school or anything.

Unfortunately I'm not that smart and I have zero communication skills as I kind of suffer from social anxiety and such and I can't shake it off.
I don't like working with groups or others that much but I can if I need to.

I love computers, electronics and networking and I feel like I kind of excel in that area but I have yet to take any courses.

The one benefit I have is that I have $150,000 cash that I can access at any time, I've just been saving it since I was younger.

What should I do from here on out? Should I go back to school? What should I take that will offer me a solid $20/hr job?

I couldn't care less about making $30/hr+, as long as I get to come home at night and not be stressed out or hate my life.


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## WhatToDo62 (Apr 23, 2015)

*tower of strength*

I don't want to work to become rich, I want to work to keep me occupied and to make enough to live.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Why do you hate being an electrical apprentice? It seems like it would be a good fit if you are not real outgoing. And it is a skill that should remain in demand. Maybe you don't enjoy it now because you are just starting out and at the 'low end' of the ladder, but can you see it getting better in the future?


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## WhatToDo62 (Apr 23, 2015)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Why do you hate being an electrical apprentice? It seems like it would be a good fit if you are not real outgoing. And it is a skill that should remain in demand. Maybe you don't enjoy it now because you are just starting out and at the 'low end' of the ladder, but can you see it getting better in the future?


I injured myself in the military resulting in making overhead jobs very difficult on my shoulder.

I can't see it getting any better plus any jobs in that trade usually makes you work over 40hrs a week, life is too short to work that much . 
(I know I sound like a b**** but I want whats best for my life).


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## 0xCC (Jan 5, 2012)

I agree with OnlyMyOpinion. You need to figure out what parts of the jobs you have had that you like and which parts you don't like. There probably isn't a single job that will be all amazing all the time but there could be a job or set of jobs that the good part outweigh the bad parts.

As an example, I work in tech as a programmer. I enjoy the problem solving and creating/coding part of my job. As a professional programmer though that is only about 35%-50% of my job. The rest of it is all of the stuff that goes into making the business function the way it should (things like managing project, reporting status, interacting with other teams to get them to do something that you need done to do your job, dealing with all the tools and processes that in the long run make the business run more efficiently but in the sort term can be a pain to deal with). There are parts of that other stuff that I don't like dealing with and there are parts that I do like dealing with and on-balance the good parts outweigh the bad for me. Not by enough that I am not trying to retire early though. 

You are still fairly young and could go back to school or move to another field but if you don't take the time to figure out what general areas you like working on and the areas you don't like you could easily find yourself in the same position you are in now after making a change.


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## WhatToDo62 (Apr 23, 2015)

0xCC said:


> I agree with OnlyMyOpinion. You need to figure out what parts of the jobs you have had that you like and which parts you don't like. There probably isn't a single job that will be all amazing all the time but there could be a job or set of jobs that the good part outweigh the bad parts.
> 
> As an example, I work in tech as a programmer. I enjoy the problem solving and creating/coding part of my job. As a professional programmer though that is only about 35%-50% of my job. The rest of it is all of the stuff that goes into making the business function the way it should (things like managing project, reporting status, interacting with other teams to get them to do something that you need done to do your job, dealing with all the tools and processes that in the long run make the business run more efficiently but in the sort term can be a pain to deal with). There are parts of that other stuff that I don't like dealing with and there are parts that I do like dealing with and on-balance the good parts outweigh the bad for me. Not by enough that I am not trying to retire early though.
> 
> You are still fairly young and could go back to school or move to another field but if you don't take the time to figure out what general areas you like working on and the areas you don't like you could easily find yourself in the same position you are in now after making a change.


I always considered becoming a programmer but my memory is terrible and my math skills aren't that great. Seems like you deal with all sorts of extra BS too. 

Do you recommend I pay for a career counsellor or something, maybe they can recommend a specific job or course I could take.


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## MoreMiles (Apr 20, 2011)

I think it's moot point to think too much ahead. If you meet someone and have kids, all plans will change. At your age, it may happen soon so why not just look at the present. The day care can cost $15,000 per year, plus toys and sport activities. You are looking at $20,000 per year for supporting a kid. 

So it's pointless to say I am happy with $20/h because that may change. If you don't like to be told on how many hours to work, you can be self employed. You can then decide what time to wake up and where to rent your office, and how many hours to work, etc.


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## WhatToDo62 (Apr 23, 2015)

*evil eye*



MoreMiles said:


> I think it's moot point to think too much ahead. If you meet someone and have kids, all plans will change. At your age, it may happen soon so why not just look at the present. The day care can cost $15,000 per year, plus toys and sport activities. You are looking at $20,000 per year for supporting a kid.
> 
> So it's pointless to say I am happy with $20/h because that may change. If you don't like to be told on how many hours to work, you can be self employed. You can then decide what time to wake up and where to rent your office, and how many hours to work, etc.


Being self-employed would be awesome but you must have some kind of skill set lol.

I don't think we will have kids unfortunately.

Thanks for the reply.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

What about an engineer? This career has many applications...


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## 1980z28 (Mar 4, 2010)

If you like driving

There is a large shortage for drivers

AZ,DZ and such

Log onto the JOB BANK and look what is out there,just saying


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## MoreMiles (Apr 20, 2011)

Engineer? It means going back to university for another 4 years.... not an easy choice for 30 year old. 

Try to look at a vocational college catalog. Also, why not try to become a police officer given your military training background?


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

No point in hiring anyone to tell you what kind of job you should have. That is like pulling a rabbit out of a hat -- it is all just smoke and mirrors.

In order to make money, you must work. Work is not meant to be enjoyed, it is simply a mental or physical activity as a means of earning income so you can live to see another day. If you so happen to enjoy what you do -- great! If not, work harder so that you no longer have to work to live another day. 40 hours a week is only striving for the minimum. That is about 22% of the year. There are a great number of people in the world that bust their *** off for a much greater amount of time to make ends meet. If you expect minimum effort -- you can expect to receive minimum wage. I can assure you those that hardly work or work less than 40 hours a week with great results had put in substantially more than the minimum effort required to get to where they are.

I don't buy into "I hate my life -- I don't have a good job -- I don't have a skill set -- I can't do "work" because of injuries -- I don't want to "work" for a living BUT I want to make money to live". It just screams of lazy to all of us that busted our *** off to get to where we are today. Sit down and think LONG AND HARD about your life. Set some realistic short term and long term goals. Create a plan how to get there. Follow through with the plan. Continually reflect and reasses. Remove words such as "can't", "but", "won't", "BS", and "unfortunatey" from your vocabulary and you will find yourself progressing faster than you could ever imagine. 


My $0.02 harsh reality.


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## WhatToDo62 (Apr 23, 2015)

MoreMiles said:


> Engineer? It means going back to university for another 4 years.... not an easy choice for 30 year old.
> 
> Try to look at a vocational college catalog. Also, why not try to become a police officer given your military training background?


I thought about becoming a sheriff or police officer but as I stated before I have poor communication skills and social anxieties... good recommendation though.

Not looking to go to school for 4 years and waste 40k+ as I ain't even that smart enough to probably pass my first year in school lol.

I do love driving, but is there a specific job that will guarantee that I get to go home every day? Maybe a delivery driver?

All these answers are great btw and thanks again for your input.


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## WhatToDo62 (Apr 23, 2015)

Ag Driver said:


> No point in hiring anyone to tell you what kind of job you should have. That is like pulling a rabbit out of a hat -- it is all just smoke and mirrors.
> 
> In order to make money, you must work. Work is not meant to be enjoyed, it is simply a mental or physical activity as a means of earning income so you can live to see another day. If you so happen to enjoy what you do -- great! If not, work harder so that you no longer have to work to live another day. 40 hours a week is only striving for the minimum. That is about 22% of the year. There are a great number of people in the world that bust their *** off for a much greater amount of time to make ends meet. If you expect minimum effort -- you can expect to receive minimum wage. I can assure you those that hardly work or work less than 40 hours a week with great results had put in substantially more than the minimum effort required to get to where they are.
> 
> ...



That definitely was some harsh reality but it was well needed, thanks for that.


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## 1980z28 (Mar 4, 2010)

WhatToDo62 said:


> I do love driving, but is there a specific job that will guarantee that I get to go home every day? Maybe a delivery driver?



There are dedicated runs you pick the time and distance you like can contact (Transforce)TFI for one there are lots of others


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## 0xCC (Jan 5, 2012)

WhatToDo62 said:


> I always considered becoming a programmer but my memory is terrible and my math skills aren't that great. Seems like you deal with all sorts of extra BS too.
> 
> Do you recommend I pay for a career counsellor or something, maybe they can recommend a specific job or course I could take.


My point is that every job is going to have some level of BS you have to deal with. I wrote my response before you posted that you have an injury that is contributing to your dislike of your current job. I was thinking that there were some areas of your job that you just didn't like dealing with (like maybe working in the cold, not having the freedom to make changes to the layout/electrical plan, dealing with inspectors or property owners or architects or whatever). Every job has those sorts of issues but if you are dealing with pain in day-to-day activities on the job that is different.

I don't know anything about career counselors but that might be a way to help figure out at least areas to look into more.


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

Ag Driver said:


> My $0.02 harsh reality.



What he said ^^^^^.


The days of self-taught computer programmers are long gone ( around 1972 ). These days, nobody will hire an IT professional without some official certification. You might be able to take a course at a community college in some aspect of IT such as installing software or tweaking networks ( provisioning routers and such ) for a company . Nobody expects the IT guy to be socially outgoing, so you're alright there. You'll probably still need to work a 40 hour week. In your spare time, you might want to try to learn programming by writing Android or IOS apps. You might even make some extra cash if you come up with a decent app.

Good luck.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Another thing I should mention is that you should be seeking physiotheropy for your shoulder. Investing in your health is a number one priority. Seek medical attention and get a gym membership.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Userkare said:


> The days of self-taught computer programmers are long gone ( around 1972 ). These days, nobody will hire an IT professional without some official certification.


While generally true if you plan to work for large companies, smaller ones still hire self taught people providing your skills are good enough. Also, once you get some real world work experience it'll increase the number of jobs available to you that don't require a diploma.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Since you want to pursue happiness and avoid unpleasant work but enjoy driving my suggestion is to move to the Banff area...drive snowcat during the Winter months and cut grass on one of the many golf courses during the Summer...not much money but a never ending party till you feel like joining the rest of the rat race.


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

You can try to become a code writer via a bootcamp

http://devbootcamp.com/
http://hackreactor.com/
http://www.appacademy.io/#p-home


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## CalgaryPotato (Mar 7, 2015)

Anyone can write code... who hires people to write code though?

Most software developers in 2015 are expected to have a wide range of soft skills to go with some sort of college/university diploma or degree in the subject.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

I can definitely relate to your situation. I'm not much for working with other people either. I'm far more productive on my own.

I've never really known what I wanted to do with my life. I did various woodworking jobs out of high school. I also dabbled with coding, making web sites and other computer stuff, but there is so much competition in those fields that you really need to excel to go anywhere with it.

I wish I had some advice, but if I knew the answers I wouldn't be in the same boat myself...

You certainly have a good amount of savings for your age. 30 is still fairly young. People change careers in their 40's and 50's these days.


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## Pvo (Jul 4, 2013)

Why not stick with being an electrician? It's a job that you can eventually work for yourself, little social interaction and once you work for yourself you can choose how much or how little you want to work. Work for a company for a few years, then you can go out on your own and just do a few jobs a day or whatever makes you happy.

Electricians are always in high demand. In my neighbourhood people are always asking 'if anyone knows an electrician' for this job or that.

The shoulder issue is an obstacle, but maybe some physio as others suggested can help.

Good luck.


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## CalgaryPotato (Mar 7, 2015)

Also, I don't know if anyone else said it, but social anxiety is a big thing. I'm not saying it'll be easy but rather than resigning yourself to working around it and living with it for the rest of your life, you should really try to get help for it. I'm not saying it'll change who you are completely, but hopefully it'll improve your overall quality of life.


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

I think in your situation I would knuckle down and complete that trade certification. Once you have that, in another 3 or 4 years, you can do whatever you want but will always have that to fall back on should you decide you need to make a good income. I went through the trades program and then used that to allow me to operate my own business. It's all hard work and long hours for a few years to get ahead. Life happens and your wants and needs will change several times on the journey. Lots of people go through the spell of wanting to just enjoy life, at varying ages/life stages. $150k is a great start for a young person but you have a lot of life ahead hopefully.


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## leoc2 (Dec 28, 2010)

CalgaryPotato said:


> Anyone can write code... who hires people to write code though?
> 
> Most software developers in 2015 are expected to have a wide range of soft skills to go with some sort of college/university diploma or degree in the subject.


My son is a Waterloo grad who writes code for Twitter in San Francisco. He says there is a demand for code writers. He is the one who sent me the links for the boot-camp training. I can't argue with his success. He is making outrageous money while being fed at work.


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## Taraz (Nov 24, 2013)

Do you actually have an aptitude for networking? If so, get a CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Analyst - Switching and Routing) certification. You can study on your own with youtube videos and free online resources, then take the test for a couple hundred bucks.

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/associate/ccna/index.html

Within the field, I've heard that the best ways to make money are:

-industrial IT (industrial networking equipment is conceptually the same but physically quite different, and there's a lot of other safety training required to go onto plant sites). 
-pulling network cables (it pays very well, I hear, and it's probably a bit easier than pulling electrical cables)
-if you have ok management skills, start your own business to do this stuff, and possibly hire some staff if things go well.

You can make a lot of money if you're good at it and if you don't underprice your services - most small businesses need networking.

You should be aiming for at least $40 to $60 an hour (preferably more) if you're doing it on contract to get your "$20/hour" target end wage. Remember that small businesses/contractors don't get EI, parental leave, sick days, health plans, stat holidays, etc. and they have overhead costs like paperwork, marketing, travel, etc. You could easily run it as a home-based business and keep your overhead low. 

You can buy cheap cable, and other networking gear at monoprice com (there are probably other cheap places, but that's the cheapest I've seen). 

Anyways, that's my two cents for what it's worth.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Start your own security company. 

Seems like a good fit given your background; you are the right age, have training and a mindset of 'right and wrong' from your time in the military, there is some computer work involved, and you are your own boss, hiring and setting the example for your security force. It's not easy, and there are a lot of legalities and insurance etc, but entirely within your reach and finances. 

How you would go about it is to first get your security license from your local jurisdiction (in BC it's called BST for Basic Security Training and the license is through the Justice Institute). Then you should get on with a company that covers lots of different types of events- festivals, bars, concerts, trade shows, etc. Essentially anywhere there is a gathering of people, there us a requirement for licensed guards. Do this for about three years, learning the ropes, the laws, and how to hire, train, write reports, and how to deal with different situations, safety, and intoxicated people. While you are working your security shifts, take part-time business courses to learn how to run a business at community college and self-study out of the library. (If you qualify due to injury, EI or WCB or whoever may even pay for the courses). 

As a guard, you won't make much above $15-18/hr, but if you start a company, you get a premium per hour on each guard- your money is made by charging a venue or event $22/hr per guard for example, and you pay your staff let's say $16.50. So if you get to a point where you have 25 guards a day six days a week out working at various bars and other venues in the city for 8 hours each, you are pulling in $1,100 per day. ($5.50 hour x 8 hours x 25 guards). Out of this you pay your business costs (uniforms, radios, insurance, benefits, accounting, website, etc etc) and the rest is profit.

As someone who is in the bar/service industry/entertainment business and hires security on a constant basis, I can definitely say that good security is hard to come by and if you run a tight ship, you'll have people beating down your door. The company I deal with does most of the large events in Vancouver and have a lot of staff- it's a complex challenge to run something that size but definitely dynamic and rewarding and a service need that is growing by leaps and bounds. And it's definitely not boring- on the contrary it's very interesting. And you can pretty much be as independent-minded and unsocial as you like- security requires a bit of stand-off personality on some levels. And particularly if you're the boss. Most good leaders have certain personality traits that you may already possess.


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## CalgaryPotato (Mar 7, 2015)

Maybe down in Silicon Valley there is more demand for that. Up here most companies are looking for software developers. People like your son who have the degree and the rounded skills behind it.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

My stepson is in Alberta, currently unemployed ... well, he got some work to pay the rent rather than come home, take a break ... he's like that. He and a buddy went out a few years ago, the buddy going the truck driver route. The buddy has made upward of $200K/yr driving truck. My stepson is currently studying, taking the courses to get his licenses. He doesn't expect to make that $200K but he does expect to be driving. He's a bit of a loner, challenged with ADD ... we think the driving will suit him just fine and so are supporting his efforts toward that. You might look into driving truck ... I did parcel delivery for a few years as a young guy, I liked it.


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

For the OP, here is what I found out there in the working world. To be happy, you have to create it and not someone else.

If you work for someone else, you will have some security and a steady paycheck, but you will always be their ***** to some degree. Some bosses are great with their employees, most are not. They basically use their staff to improve their position in the company so they are always expecting more for less. Even if you love the work, this fact is always there and it sucks, period. 

Look at the employees of some of the most successful companies in the world, like Apple. They are working on some of the coolest stuff, but by all accounts their employees and contractors are driven into the ground for it.

If you start a company or business, be careful also. You might have just bought yourself another whole level of frustrations cause now you have to make it all work and keep the employees happy too.


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## Taraz (Nov 24, 2013)

Have you thought about staying on the electrician track and focusing more on PLCs and plant control systems? You would get some networking and PLC programming exposure along with the electrician stuff, and industrial electricans make more than residential eletricians.


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## Laylabaccarini (May 9, 2015)

*Property Manager*

know what I like and what my interests are but when I read about a job woman should do, but I can share what I've learned looking back on my life, and .I don't think money is that important, but making money is difficult.The bridge from passion to money-maker can't be made hastily. I know exactly what I want to do with my life.



...........................
*Property Manager *


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## KevinWaterloo (Mar 5, 2015)

leoc2 said:


> My son is a Waterloo grad who writes code for Twitter in San Francisco. He says there is a demand for code writers. He is the one who sent me the links for the boot-camp training. I can't argue with his success. He is making outrageous money while being fed at work.


The university degree is a big key there, as-is the location. I was a senior software developer and I now manage teams in Waterloo and I've looked through hundreds (or maybe thousands?) of resumes . Good software developers are definitely in demand, but you either need a university degree or a some solid experience to get started. New university grads usually start at ~$60-65K/year. College grads probably around $40-45K. I think the money is good, but you have to like the work, have an aptitude for it, and have some education.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> I think the money is good, but you have to like the work, have an aptitude for it, and have some education.


 Good point! Living in Canada 15+, the best skill to find the job is networking (you need to know someone to get a job), unless you are extremely smart 
Regarding OP. Imo , if you have good health, try to become police officer II used to be one, but not in Canada).


> If you start a company or business


 don't do it...

OP, you don;t have other choice.... you will suffer on job you hate (as majority does), try to save money, live a frugal live and retire when you accumulate enough wealth...


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