Alternative careers.

I was accepted to social work school out of college. I deferred for a year, because I already had a job in sports journalism.

I never went back to school.

I probably would have been just as overwhelmed and underpaid. But, perhaps, I could have a bigger and more direct impact.

 

Meteorology. I would do tornado chasing.

 

You could have gotten kids scholarships instead of costing them scholarships.

 

About 5 years into my sports writing career, I went back to school to explore the teaching route. A couple months of that with some student teaching involved quickly showed me that following in my father's footsteps was not my cup of tea.

 

The only thing that I ever still think about is being a dolphin-research scientist or a dolphin trainer (or both). It is literally my only regretful path not taken in life. I would drop everything and do it in a heartbeat, even now -- especially now-- if I got the opportunity.

 

I have regrets giving up a career in science with a big company where I did well. My spouse's job was cooler, self employed, odd hours, yet successful. We had young kids and the odd hours took their toll. I quit my job to save the family. It worked in the short/mid term, not so much now, monetarily, considering benefits, etc. I'd love to do dolphin research.

 

I got into this business because I wanted to be involved with sports ... had growth spurts late in adolescence. Not joking ... wasn't yet five feet tall and might have been 90 pounds through sophomore year of high school. So it wasn't in the cards to play.

Had a face made for radio and could analyze a game better than I could announce it. Got a shot to write, got in full time, learned layout because - back in the day - if you weren't a five-tool player, there was no chance to move up or anywhere else. Or four-plus tools at the least.

Looked into teaching because a music minor and years in marching and concert bands yielded a decent music background and I still love seeing strong work or - at the very least - kids who enjoy it and are getting something out of it musically. But lateral entry in the state was somewhere between ridiculous and flat-out Draconian. Had a good guy who was a high school principal offer me a band director position. I gave it a lot of thought, then remembered that "Mr. Holland's Opus" was not an opium dream and that I could have done everything correctly (taken classes, gotten strong reviews, gotten a good grip on how to get a group of inexperienced kids to march in the fall and play more formal music in the spring) and still might not have been renewed.

Thought about something else right after getting dumped from a great spot where I thought I was doing quality work in a market that bordered on a perfect fit. Thought differently when realizing the overall cost of the grad program, the fact that I knew no one in that field, that I would have zero experience and would go to the back of the line again, felt that the field is just flat-out boring and was offered one more chance at a desk without another move.

Did well, got promoted, was doing all I could given less and less staff ... and got dumped again by another cheap, greedy stupid company, anyway. Too many on this board and in the industry have been there. Not much more need be said on this front. Moved in hopes of finding more/better work. Pandemic. Zip, zero, zilch. Not sure if they don't like my background or if there's just nothing opening up despite listings claiming otherwise.

Thinking about moving again because staying here isn't exactly cheap, and because area is not vehicle-friendly, a vehicle I held on to is back home ... paying insurance and maintenance and don't even get the fun of driving it. In desperate need of hope personally, professionally and such ... running on ice isn't what it's cracked up to be. Am not at all interested in taking a crap job to stay because I didn't move here to do that. I can do that where I'm from and live a lot cheaper in the process.

 

I've honestly had two long-term jobs in my adult life.
When I got out of the Navy, I did a 3-4 month cash grab job where I got one day off in that span. I was never going to stay there. It was just about money.
A relative was opening his own machine shop at the same time and hired me as general labor to set up the machines. I was intrigued with the thought of becoming a machinist and gave it a try. It didn't take long to decide I didn't like red hot shards of metal going down my shirt collar and in my mouth. Plus, I preferred a job where I took a shower before work and not after. All of this took place within six months of my discharge, so I really don't count them as adult jobs. They were an extension of me working at the grocery store in high school.

I knew I had GI Bill money to go to school. I started thinking of things I might like to do. I was reading Lewis Grizzard's book about his career in the newspaper business and thought it sounded good. Enrolled in school and started working at the local paper. I can still see this next bit as clear as if it happened yesterday, and it was almost 30 years ago. When I was introduced to one of the old timers at the paper, we exchanged pleasantries, he asked what I was going to school for and what I wanted to do when I got out. "I'm majoring in journalism. I want to work here." He took his glasses off, put his head in his hands, looked back up and me and said, "Oh, son, no. Don't make the same mistake I did." He said a few other things relating the paper to a plantation and how the employees were treated, but I'll just leave out the exact words he used.
I wound up working for my hometown paper for 18 years and remember having the same conversation with many summer interns. Some listened. Some didn't.

At age 40, some events went down - another story, another time - that forced me to jump off the Titanic.
My background and connections got me an interim teaching job while I went to night school to get my masters. I've been at the same school ever since.
I honestly believe the county will get its head out of its rear and build a new school before I manage to retire, but if not, I'll happily stay right where I am for another dozen years.

 

Flip homes.

If I was 18 again, I’m unsure I would go to college. I would work my ass off to buy land and homes and then flip them or rent them out.

I would probably get my real estate license and maybe a business degree but only at the community college level. Real estate license for sure.

And once I get ahead enough, I would travel like crazy.

 

I am happiest on a nude beach with people of all flavors and races.

 

I had the same problem. I joined the swim team my freshman year, and at the physical I was 4-foot-11 and 90 pounds. Topped out around 5-6, 135 by my senior year. No matter how much I loved football or baseball, I just didn't have the physical tools to do it. Even if I'd joined the team I would have sat the bench for four years.
Knowing what I know now, though, I would have become a manager for the football team and tried to follow that career path. Eventually try to work at a big college or pro team. We have a local guy here who went that route, got a scholarship for it at an SEC school, worked his way up the ladder pretty quickly, and is now the head equipment guy for an NFL team. A lot of his successors at that high school have also earned scholarships for it.
I went into sports writing because I was good at writing, loved sports, and it seemed to be the only career that married those two things in a viable way. I wish someone would have come around and explained that there are tons of great jobs attached to the sports world -- like managers, SIDs, statisticians, videographers, etc. -- that don't require you to run a 4.4 40.