County and state jobs get veterans preference......and the rest is true if you do something like jumping out a plane. There are MANY fields that convert to civilian life. And if you didnt get hands on experiemce when you was enlisted...what did you do? As far as military giving you a golden ticket it, its all in what you do and what you take from it.

 

I agree with what a lot of the others said.

I've been through college, got my degree and searched for a good job for a couple years never finding one. HERE IS WHY though...I did not have a passion for what I studied in college which in turn was reflected in my job search and interview skills. College is great as long as you KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. Otherwise you are there to just have a good time.

Now however, I have gone back to school and gotten my Firefighter and EMT certifications. I'm currently working on my paramedic certification and will be done in December. If you are really interested in paramedicine I can give you a heads up as to what you will be getting into, such as first you must complete your EMT-Basic before you can become an EMT-Paramedic. All together school is about 2 years for that. As far as pay goes, you can make decent money as a Paramedic and move through your ranks. If you are interested in the Fire side of things and becoming a fire/paramedic you can make a pretty good amount of money right off the bat. Fire/Medics make about $45k with yearly increases dependant upon the department and have a pension plan. I can give you more info on all that if you want just PM me.

Really it's up to you. I have talked to so many people about this and how you should always do what YOU WANT TO DO. Can you see yourself waking up every day for work knowing you don't fully enjoy your job? Sounds like a dumb question, but most people do it. If you start now by doing what you love, you will end up being the happiest later in life. AGAIN DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, not what pays the best or gives you a good status.

I am typing too much, sorry. I'm just passionate about letting the younger guys know to do what you love. Money is going to be secondary to your happiness.

 

^ I agree completely with you man. I really am interested!

 

Sell AmWay products.

 

If you decide to become a civillian contractor for the government and military, especially if your position required any kind of clearance, military is the only way in. But thats a very limited job field.

Hands-on experience - you get hands on experience with what the government does, not what the civillian world does. I'm an IT tech, for example. Military IT guys generally don't use the software and do the things with the software that most civillian jobs want to hire. Put up a Windows Server Admin with experience actually being a Windows server admin for 4 years vs. any Random military IT guy with 4 years in IT in the military, and the civvie will win.

I've seen a whole lot of military people get out and have absolutely no place to get a job because they're being beat out left and right by civvies who have civillian job experience doing the exact same thing the civvie company they're applying for wants. Its just the way shit goes. Of course, there are exceptions, but generally one way or another, you can accomplish the same thing more effectively in the civillian world. I'm not downing service, I'm just saying if you're doing it to try and get some kinda angle on the job market, there are better ways to do so.

 

Yes and no. I know coming out of high school I had no direction in life and that young and 95% of kids dont. I made a career change in my mid 30's and still dont know if I am doing what I want to for the rest of my working days. Unless you just wanna get buy, any career is all about money. There is a few other jobs that I would love to do, but I couldnt survive off the income....Liking what you do is only a part of survival in a career

 

Everyone was there at one time, I's only natural to worry about what you should do with all these people constantly breathing down your neck about it and asking questions all the time.

Your Dad is only trying to help you see what choices would benefit your life. He prob is unaware he is pushing you or else he would stop. He is correct about there being a future in it, but it doesn't mean you have to do it.




Everyone here wanted to do that at one point. Only the people who dedicate their whole time at this and are competitive succeed, and you have to be innovative. The way things are currently though, you have to ask yourself, will this make me the money I want, or is this just a hobby.

If you just want to sell cars, forget about the Airforce and go fill out an application at a dealership and learn the ins-outs while going to business school to start your own car business.


If you are wanting to secure your future join the AF. And I don't mean that in a sense that it is the only way out. There are plenty of other things and other routes you can go about but if you can get in the AF is a great start at life and almost a guarantee you will be successful in something. Even if afterwards you want to pursue something else, no matter where you fill out an app people will give you first choice because of the AF.

Most guys I know that were in the AF say it was very clean and civilian oriented versus the Marine Corp for instance. So it's not like you are going to a battlefield or anything like that.

If I can press the reverse button to when I graduated HS I would not have wasted as much time as I did and gone right into a community college to get an AA degree while I worked out and got fit. I would have then joined the AF. Get payed to live there and learn there, and I would now be getting out with a better edge at life than currently present. But I was like you very indecisive and unsure. I still have time to join if they accept me, and I think I have a good chance at getting in. But I have other things I want to do in life now and I might just skip that chance.

That's just so you have an idea at what you may or may not feel like if you pass it up. Yes it is a very good choice to do it, but it's also a difficult choice. You can do other things like just go to college and get a part time job like a lot of others. But just think about how boring that sounded Good luck in whatever you decide.


Just stay single no matter what.