Careers with endless learning curve? Do they exist?

[f2f]

hmm. i came to this thread thinking that at least one obvious answer would've been given already; then i saw that the word "science" doesn't show up anywhere here.

[AbsolutStoli]

financial market research/analysis was really interesting. the key was working on different projects and finding out new things, then bringing it all together and forming a structured and in-depth analysis. not so much as finances are concerned (at least not for me), but strategic analysis type stuff.

cooking also. as great a chef as one might become, there is ALWAYS new things to learn and master. thats really the art of the profession, innovating the dishes, presenting things in a new way that no one has seen before, but also doesn't scare people off from trying. its a hugely rewarding profession as long as you can deal with the pressures of the kitchen.

[SkiCougar]

He asserted that this was the major difference between "Millenials" and "Baby Boomers"-- that baby boomers are content to complete the same task year after year, day after day, and don't consider it an insult to their intelligence to do so, whereas millenials demand constant stimulation.

well, he needs to meet more people. my stepdad, an engineer; always pushed into new limits as did most everyone i knew that he worked with.

and as a programmer, i meet plenty in technical/scientific fields that are learning new things every year. you'd have to think taxes, law and finance changes pretty fast too. i mean, who knew how to run a hedge fund 10 years ago. also, programming changes pretty fast. 10 years ago, i was doing cobol; now i'm waiting to learn to use the 10 edition of visual studio.

i submit that most anything changes that you want to be the best at and not just a cog.

[Hugh Conway]

Your friend has obviously never had a career. She's just had jobs.

hmm. i came to this thread thinking that at least one obvious answer would've been given already; then i saw that the word "science" doesn't show up anywhere here.

Comeon, cranked suggested "investment banking" which is populated by tons of interesting people like him. Clearly that's got more of a learning curve than Science

[P_McPoser]

Science is no longer part of engineering?

[OSECS]

Architecture: most architects don't get really good till they reach arond 50. It's a constant learning curve of proportion, style, creativity, changing building technology, psychology.

[hutash]

Any job can have as much learning curve as you want. It is what you make of it, and your friend is too lazy to make the effort to learn new things in an old environment. Even a ditch digger can learn new things. There is always a way to build a better mouse trap, or dig a better ditch.

This is especially true for the millennium generation. They just have short attention spans, and expect everyone else to keep them entertained.

Medicine is a perfect example, ( both good and bad.) It is a none stop learning environment. There is no way anybody can keep up with all the advancements, no matter how brilliant, in medicine in general, and often in your own field. At the same time people get bored in medicine because they get lazy and start doing the same thing over and over. Even in the ER. After you have been around a while even cockroaches in the ear can become routine, and one can get bored, but there is still tons of new stuff, or old stuff that can be applied in new ways.

It is just like life in general. It can be boring and suck, or you can make it as fun and exciting as you choose.

[edg]

This is especially true for the millennium generation. They just have short attention spans, and expect everyone else to keep them entertained.

Why would anyone make such a bizarre generalisation about millions of people?

edg

[OSECS]

Why would anyone make such a bizarre generalisation about millions of people?

edg

While it may be a generalization I don't think it's too far off the mark. The immediacy of our society today has given children access to information at a speed never seen before, our consumer driven society bombards us with every creature comfort known to man. It certainly makes sense that this would have an effect on how peoples attention spans would be affected.


Hell people get pissed waiting for information or pics to download to a computer whose speed 20 years ago we'e have done back flips over !!

[cranked]

Your friend has obviously never had a career. She's just had jobs.



Comeon, cranked suggested "investment banking" which is populated by tons of interesting people like him. Clearly that's got more of a learning curve than Science

standard dipshit response from a true dipshit...i am no longer in that world...that being said, i left due to lifestyle, not because of the job.

as for "science", isn't that part of engineering, medicine, etc...

hugh, you should just never speak...that is easier on everyone.

[Hugh Conway]

Mechanic, Engineer, Vintner, CheeseMaker, Machinist, Carpenter, Woodworker, Puppeter, Actor, Nurse, Counselor, Pilot. There's a really long list.

hugh, you should just never speak...that is easier on everyone.

I can type without moving my lips. Read too. You should try it.

[bklyn]

I can't say it is a generational issue. I remember how much they disparaged 'generation x' and as a member I didn't relate to much of what they were saying about us.

I agree that your friend's boredom is rooted in a lack of creative thinking on her part. Every day can be new and precious and special or drudgery.

Boredom is a wakeup call, something should change. Usually the thing that should change is our thoughts and approach to the situation, vs changing jobs.

[grrrr]

25 years into my career, and it continues to challenge.

As far as generational things, there are some very real changes. One of the biggest I see is the lack of mechanical skills. My generation grew up knowing how to rebuild a carburetor, change a starter motor, run a chainsaw and fix a faucet. Now you "call somebody" to take care of those things.

Well, that's a big disadvantage in firefighting. The "kids these days" think being a firefighter means fighting fires. They don't seem to realize that they're expected to learn how to keep the fire engines running, write medical reports, clean and sharpen a chainsaw and disassemble machinery to free a stuck kid's hand.

I think some of that comes from my parent's generation. The depression generation sure as hell wasn't about to waste good money on maid services, mechanics or handymen. If something needed attention, we were rounded up and put to work. A lot of the kids that come in now seem to think someone else should take care of cleaning the fire station or fixing the leaky faucet.

I can't say about other generalizations, but these things are true. I didn't have 173 channels of TV as a kid. I had a B&W with 3 channels of very bad reception. I didn't open the hood of my car and recognize nothing but the dipstick. I did spend a lot of time tearing apart an old motorcycle and putting it back together. I didn't spend my days texting my friends. I went swimming at the lake, or biking, or building forts or cutting firewood.

Firefighting is one of the most desirable careers there is. Everybody loves you, you're a hero to the kids, girls think you're hot in your uniform, the pay is decent and the hours can't be beat. For every opening, I get 100 to 200 applications. Out of 100 applications, maybe half will be physically fit for the job. Maybe 3 or 4 will have the skills and abilities to get hired.

[grrrr]

financial market research/analysis was really interesting. the key was working on different projects and finding out new things, then bringing it all together and forming a structured and in-depth analysis. not so much as finances are concerned (at least not for me), but strategic analysis type stuff.

If there were ever a time to cue up the Ogre, now would be it.

[hutash]

Why would anyone make such a bizarre generalisation about millions of people?

edg

Lighten up Francis, I obviously didn't mean they are all that way, just 99.99%

[Dr. Crank]

Over the 4th of July I was chatting with an asset manager guy in his late 30s/ early 40s who randomly brought up the phenomenon of getting bored 6 months into a new workplace as "the problem with [my] generation." He said, basically, that he gets a new batch of analyst recruits every year from the "Millenium Generation," a.k.a. recent college grads/ people in their 20s now, and almost everyone he hires gets into some kind of slump around the same time that they start to get the hang of their job.

I've been wondering the same thing. I've been guilty of that from time to time and wonder why many people in their 20s can't last too long in a job. Not that it's all our fault though. Six months out of university, I was laid off from my first real job due to a takeover. Ever since, I find it difficult to be loyal to any company. Maybe as we move into our 30s we'll start to settle as we acquire families and houses.

As far as generational things, there are some very real changes. One of the biggest I see is the lack of mechanical skills. My generation grew up knowing how to rebuild a carburetor, change a starter motor, run a chainsaw and fix a faucet. Now you "call somebody" to take care of those things.

This is generally true, I think. I'm slowly working to improve my mechanical skills, but of course a lot of these things you're supposed to learn from your parents when you're growing up. Since my dad sucks at that kind of stuff, I have a built-in suck-factor that I'll have to overcome. Not that my pops wasn't (and still is) a great father, that's just not his skill set.

[f2f]

Science is no longer part of engineering?

science is a very big part of engineering. in fact, without science engineering wouldn't exist. however, engineers are considered (witness the definition of "engineering" itself) to be applicators of science, rather than scientists. as such, engineers are rarely given the freedom to take liberties in their craft the same way that a scientist would. quite the opposite: they are trained to apply scientific knowledge consistently and without deviation. only when a particular problem can not be solved with the present facilities in math, chemistry and physics would engineers endeavor to expand a particular scientific field with new knowledge.

in engineering the quest to understand nature is not as primary as it is in science, but is always rooted in a particular problem...

ps: i know you're an engineer and i don't want to disagree with your original point, which i find to be true (science is a part of engineering), but i found the need to express my philosophical musings on the subject too strong.

[gh444]

Now you "call somebody" to take care of those things.

Well, that's a big disadvantage in firefighting. The "kids these days" think being a firefighter means fighting fires. They don't seem to realize that they're expected to learn how to keep the fire engines running, write medical reports, clean and sharpen a chainsaw and disassemble machinery to free a stuck kid's hand.

I think some of that comes from my parent's generation. The depression generation sure as hell wasn't about to waste good money on maid services, mechanics or handymen. If something needed attention, we were rounded up and put to work. A lot of the kids that come in now seem to think someone else should take care of cleaning the fire station or fixing the leaky faucet.

I can't say about other generalizations, but these things are true. I didn't have 173 channels of TV as a kid. I had a B&W with 3 channels of very bad reception. I didn't open the hood of my car and recognize nothing but the dipstick. I did spend a lot of time tearing apart an old motorcycle and putting it back together. I didn't spend my days texting my friends. I went swimming at the lake, or biking, or building forts or cutting firewood.

Firefighting is one of the most desirable careers there is. Everybody loves you, you're a hero to the kids, girls think you're hot in your uniform, the pay is decent and the hours can't be beat. For every opening, I get 100 to 200 applications. Out of 100 applications, maybe half will be physically fit for the job. Maybe 3 or 4 will have the skills and abilities to get hired.

I would quit my job tomorrow and start a career as a firefighter. But the last testing cycle I went through, 30,000 people showed up for the written for 25 positions. I scored well, passed the physical and was dropped without reason or feedback (no feedback, how are you supposed to work to improve?) at the oral. Those odds once every six to twelve months.


And as far as those generalizations about my generation. Calling people to do things for us and such. Its not that simple. Ever since the beginning of society, people have been further segmenting what they do for themselves and what services they pay for. Its nothing new.

[AbsolutStoli]

If there were ever a time to cue up the Ogre, now would be it.

huh??

[iceclimb]

So I've had a bunch of careers in my adult life, and in some ways only one career. The first time I was called the "agent of change" I laughed it off, but now I've come to accept the label... I find learning in just about anything I do, because although you can become good at something quickly, mastery takes a long time. In some things I've been a national level consultant, and still had lots to learn. It's in the attitude... not in what you know.

When I was a teacher I used to give my students an assignment, every day on the way into school find something you haven't seen before. Break out of the rut and look for new things. After 15 years of doing this I've learned to break up where I look and what I look for, and to embrace the days I get to work and realize I completely forgot to look... yes, there's even a lot of learning in failing. Perhaps the most learning is in failing, but there's almost never learning in not trying.

[dumpy]

I'm part of the "all jobs can be, but don't have to be boring" camp. In most standard 9-5 type jobs, if you "just do your job", you will eventually be bored out of your skull. Even though the current trend for most people is specialization, I think this is a very bad idea. Being a "jack of all trades" shouldn't be a bad thing.

It doesn't always work so well (usually works better at smaller operations), but if you can take the time to learn about other jobs where you work, learn the full inner workings of an operation, really learn what everyone does and how, you will never be bored. You will also be much more marketable.

I did this at a previous job, where yes, I was bored just doing my job, and used it help me change career fields. It took a long time, but I was rarely bored, learned a lot of interesting stuff (some of it trivial "historical" information, most of it useful) and when I left that job I really felt that I could have done (in emergency circumstances) most of the jobs done at that establishment.

Stagger did really nail it though.

But, if you are at peace with yourself and the world, something can be revealed in even the most humble of tasks. Being bored is the easy way out.

One of my first jobs was working as a produce clerk in a large grocery store. What should have been a stupid McJob was actually great because I let it be great by following a similar mantra as Stagger's.
I learned a lot about different produce, how it's grown, where it comes from, how it can be used, what it looks/smells like when it goes bad, etc. Granted this was in a really large produce section in a really really nice store where we got all kids of exotics and they did encourage us to know the product, but a similar experience could be had anywhere.

Another thing to keep in mind, hobbies were invented because work can be boring. I mean honestly, whats the big deal if you are bored 40 hours out of the week? that still leaves you 128 hours a week to do something interesting. Go to work, get a paycheck, go have fun on your own time.

[jmf]

I highly recommend being a high level IT professional at a company that does something you like. You get the satisfaction of having an interesting job, the main purpose of which is helping people you want to see succeed. And you get to involve yourself in things you're interested in, that aren't actually related to your job, which is usually way more fun than doing those things for pay.

[Buke Skywalker]

I realize that a lot of Sales work is grunt work (been there. done it.) but the best sales/strategic biz dev jobs are constantly challenging. When you are working on very large deals and get to write a lot of your own rules, every deal is very different. The political aspects are different, the financial impacts are different, the personalities and motivations are different. If you have it in you to be a real rainmaker, its a lot of things but it's never boring. There are always things to learn, and if there's ever a point that you feel you've truly mastered the art of high-level selling; you'll look up from your BlackBerry and realize that you're godawful rich that you can quit and ski wherever there's snow all the time. Problem solved.

[Leah]

Journalism - print, radio or broadcast. Everyday you are an "expert" in something new ... meaning you have to research, interview and write about topics you maybe knew nothing about yesterday but have to be knowledgeable enough about today to put together a cohesive article. I used to be a newspaper reporter and each day brought something new and interesting. You are constantly challenged and go home mentally exhausted. I had to leave my job for family reasons or else I'd still be writing. I guess working on a farm ain't so bad either ... yay economy!!!!

[schuss]

Journalism - print, radio or broadcast. Everyday you are an "expert" in something new ... meaning you have to research, interview and write about topics you maybe knew nothing about yesterday but have to be knowledgeable enough about today to put together a cohesive article. I used to be a newspaper reporter and each day brought something new and interesting. You are constantly challenged and go home mentally exhausted. I had to leave my job for family reasons or else I'd still be writing. I guess working on a farm ain't so bad either ... yay economy!!!!

Only problem with this is that most papers are in trouble right now. I have many friends who are journalists, and the whole industry isn't even sure if it'll be around in a major way in 5-10 years.