Career Change

Neutron · January 5, 2010

Hello! I work in IT, have been for 10 years now but am contemplating a career change to the automotive side. What automotive positions pay well? I do have a 4 year degree, but it's in IT. My background is systems support.

dlstewart01 · January 5, 2010

Hello! I work in IT, have been for 10 years now but am contemplating a career change to the automotive side. What automotive positions pay well? I do have a 4 year degree, but it's in IT. My background is systems support.

Stay in IT, the automotive industry sucks right now. Do automotives as a hobby.

orlan85 · January 6, 2010

Automotive sucks right now. Even mechanics are having a hard time finding work. Why would you consider changing careers right now in this economy especially when you see how hard it is for people to find work.

Nytemare · January 7, 2010

If you want a job in the auto industry that pays well...and is totally independent of the economy...become a Vehicle tech for the army. Not sure what they're called state side...but they're called vehicle technicians here in Canada.

If you really want to be smart though...take your IT degree and join a branch of the forces (army, navy air force) as an officer and make the big bucks. Something in Air Force Communications would be probably right up your ally. You would use the training you spent 4 years of your life getting and paying for and it would be enough of a change that it would seem like a whole new exciting job. If nothing else you can do it for 3 years while your deciding on what you really want to do.

gregrocks89 · January 12, 2010

I just did a career change myself

ATMINF · January 13, 2010

Just because you have a degree does not mean you can become a Officer in the US Military. Its alot more than that, we have alot of enlisted that also have degrees. But if you are willing to join up and do all the training and schools being a Officer is a pretty good deal. Right now I have got 15 years in, and as a Major I make a pretty good amount. But the life is more than justa paycheck, it is a way of life, as corny as that may sound. Good luck!

Nytemare · January 13, 2010

Just because you have a degree does not mean you can become a Officer in the US Military. Its alot more than that, we have alot of enlisted that also have degrees. But if you are willing to join up and do all the training and schools being a Officer is a pretty good deal. Right now I have got 15 years in, and as a Major I make a pretty good amount. But the life is more than justa paycheck, it is a way of life, as corny as that may sound. Good luck!

Very true...But are you guys like us, in that you have to have a degree to be an officer? There are a lot of NCM's (Enlisted members) in our military with degrees too...and a lot of officers that have degrees that have nothing to do with they're jobs. I know a Bridge Officer with a Civil Engineering Degree for example. I also know a Petty Officer that has 2 masters, one in robotics and another in electronics engineering....he's working on a PhD now.

Here, you still have to go through all the training to become an officer, but once you complete all your training you get your Captains or LT(N). But thats after about 3 years of training.

fm2176 · February 3, 2010

Sorry for bringing up an old (considering the rapidly expanding post count of this forum) topic.

The Army for one is accepting Officer Candidate School (OCS) enlistments right now, if becoming a US military officer is something you might be interested in. With a four-year degree, you have to score a fifty or higher on the ASVAB (entrance exam), have a recruiter submit a packet for you, and appear before a board that will look at your overall appearance and bearing. If you are accepted, you attend 9 weeks of basic training as a Specialist (E-4 pay grade making $1889 a month), then you will attend 12 weeks of OCS at beautiful Fort Benning, GA. After that you are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, making $2745 a month, plus non-taxable housing and food allowances. You continue your specialized training then move on to do your job.

I am a lowly enlisted Soldier who joined as an E-1 making $964 a month. Now, eight years later, if I get out I have to make over $65k a year to match my military compensation. Granted, when I get back to the job I chose I'll be earning every penny, but right now I have a relatively cushy 9-5 job with almost too much family time. Having started off as a civilian automotive (and then material handling equipment) mechanic years ago, I cannot fathom going back to getting only 12 paid holidays and a week's vacation a year. That can wait until after I retire from the Army. In the meantime, I get free ammo, machine guns, and a four-day weekend nearly every month.

Wingnut · February 3, 2010

Sorry for bringing up an old (considering the rapidly expanding post count of this forum) topic.

The Army for one is accepting Officer Candidate School (OCS) enlistments right now, if becoming a US military officer is something you might be interested in. With a four-year degree, you have to score a fifty or higher on the ASVAB (entrance exam), have a recruiter submit a packet for you, and appear before a board that will look at your overall appearance and bearing. If you are accepted, you attend 9 weeks of basic training as a Specialist (E-4 pay grade making $1889 a month), then you will attend 12 weeks of OCS at beautiful Fort Benning, GA. After that you are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, making $2745 a month, plus non-taxable housing and food allowances. You continue your specialized training then move on to do your job.

I am a lowly enlisted Soldier who joined as an E-1 making $964 a month. Now, eight years later, if I get out I have to make over $65k a year to match my military compensation. Granted, when I get back to the job I chose I'll be earning every penny, but right now I have a relatively cushy 9-5 job with almost too much family time. Having started off as a civilian automotive (and then material handling equipment) mechanic years ago, I cannot fathom going back to getting only 12 paid holidays and a week's vacation a year. That can wait until after I retire from the Army. In the meantime, I get free ammo, machine guns, and a four-day weekend nearly every month.

The Army wants you to get a 50 on your ASVAB to be a donut?

A FIFTY?

As in five zero?

Jeebus.

I scored a 127 out of 130 back when I took it (they've since changed to a 99 point scale).

And people say Marines are stooooopid.

Just pokin' fun

fm2176 · February 4, 2010

The Army wants you to get a 50 on your ASVAB to be a donut?

A FIFTY?

As in five zero?

Jeebus.

I scored a 127 out of 130 back when I took it (they've since changed to a 99 point scale).

And people say Marines are stooooopid.

Just pokin' fun

You may be amazed by the rocks that somehow know how to breathe nowadays. I had one guy call in asking about OCS. He had both a Masters and a Bachelors and had scored a 40 for the National Guard. We have high school grads who score 1s (you read that right, ONE) and college grads who score 10s. I dropped out of high school, took the ASVAB seven years later without studying and still scored an 84 out of 99. Recruiting is causing me to develop a superiority complex having to deal with people with pieces of paper saying they are "educated".