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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Posts
    81

    WWMD: feeling lost, seeking wisdom

    I am reaching out to the TGR collective, hoping people sharing my passion for skiing might better understand my dilemma than my ‘real life’ friends, and offer me some useful life advice.

    Here is the background. I am 23 years old, and graduated last year from a top UK university with a BA in History, achieving first-class honours and the best mark in my year group. My life plan following graduation was to move to France/ Switzerland in order to ski as much as possible, and maybe eventually become a mountain guide. I am a German citizen and independently taught myself fluent French to permit this.

    After a summer working in landscaping, I spent seven months in La Grave, skiing every day. I met some great people and skied lines I had long dreamt of, however, by April, and especially after a bit of summer working a dead-end local job, I realised that ski bumming will not fulfil me in the long-term. I have a serious passion for skiing, but began feeling that my identity was increasingly single-faceted, and that all my conversations centred on snow (or the lack thereof), the merits of a long turn radius and heavy skis, and couloirs. My ego was moreover becoming entwined with skiing, which in an environment like La Grave, led to some decisions in the mountains of which I am not proud. Not to mention, I am fed up with being poor, in a place where eligible women are counted on one hand, and working jobs I do not find intellectually stimulating. I decided, essentially, that skiing isn’t ‘enough’; blasphemous, I know.

    So, I started looking for jobs in Switzerland and France, seeking to combine a fulfilling professional career with a location where I could still ski regularly. I applied primarily for Marketing and Business Strategy roles.

    What I hadn’t considered is that my generalised degree is apparently useless on the European job market. Whilst in the UK a History degree from a good institution is highly employable and allows one to go into most fields, in Europe one is expected to have specialised in the domain they wish to work in. I haven’t had a single interview subsequent to over fifty applications in Europe. Comparatively, in the UK, recruiters contact me daily about opportunities, and I have had three interviews in the last week.

    So I am at a crossroads. I am considering the following options:
    1. Give up on the ‘dream’ and resign myself to a pay-cheque in London and limited skiing; something I had sworn I would never do. Finding a truly stimulating, challenging job in consultancy and making good money is tempting, and maybe after a few years, I will have enough relevant experience to relocate to Europe. Maybe not. But, I am not sure I can accept not skiing, and I am worried about getting trapped in the grind, chasing a lifestyle, or tied down due to other reasons.
    2. Get a job in London (so that I don’t have a two year gap on my CV), which suddenly ‘doesn’t work out’ come December, ski bum, then do a masters degree in something useful in the European job market. This would be possible potentially in marketing, but it's not going to fly at a big consultancy.
    3. Find a largely remote job in a UK based company. Potentially difficult as a recent grad lacking experience, also maybe not best for career progression.
    4. Explore other places in the world (with skiing) where I have better employment prospects. How is a History degree viewed in the States? I am prepared to move almost anywhere to obtain the lifestyle I desire.

    Any thoughts?

    TLDR:
    23 year old Brit suffering the TGR typical existential crisis following graduation: ski or work. Ideally I would combine both, but it seems that I am employable exclusively in a place where this isn’t possible. Do I reconcile myself with mundanity, a wife I hate and two spoiled kids?
    Last edited by JackSkier; 07-15-2022 at 10:27 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    The Bull City
    Posts
    14,003
    Get the best job you can with your current qualifications.. Work on an advanced degree and upgrade your career path again in 3 years. I had the opposite problem out of grad school. I had the advanced degree and concentrations that were en vogue but only shitty retail management job experience. I also kicked around partying and playing in rock bands for 10 years out of undergrad school so I had to go back and earn a more recent advanced degree to go anywhere. I had like over 200 rejection letters in the year it took me to find a better job.. then another 2-3 years of experience more directly related to my education.

    You're 23. You got this.
    Go that way really REALLY fast. If something gets in your way, TURN!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    写道
    Posts
    13,434
    Is teaching an option for you? Perhaps if you gain the necessary credentials you could teach history, and maybe English and/or Kraut in a small town school at the foot of the Jungfrau, where you could ski on time off and eat goat cheese.

    What about ski patrol or ski instructor? The later is a great way to meet MILFs!

    Or you can do what Blurred did and give $20 blowjobs.

    Good luck, Kid!
    Daniel Ortega eats here.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    3,301
    Too good to bump chairs I guess?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    333
    Do what gives you joy and purpose, money, etc. will either come or you’ll navigate life with less materialistic proclivities.

    I wish I had this advice at 23. I also wish I had the intelligent introspection you seem to have at 23. I’m going to venture a guess that you’re sharp. Things will find a way of working for you.

    For the love of God avoid corporate life if you can.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    The Mayonnaisium
    Posts
    10,467
    When feeling lost, find that edit button and remove the font formatting.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Posts
    100
    You're 23.

    You have lots of time. Go to grad school if you need to to get the job you'll love.

    Don't settle at 23, though. Thats too young. Work some jobs to see what you like, check out some places.

    Figure out whats most important to you and then figure out the best way to get it.

    You're smart and 23!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Nhampshire
    Posts
    7,762
    You're young. Two immediate routes spring to mind:
    1. See if you can get a UK job with your quals - after the first job, your degree matters less.
    2. Get a business masters and branch out from there.

    Life is what you make of it. There's no one right answer, but plenty of wrong ones. Unfortunately, very few are obvious up front.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    59715
    Posts
    7,447
    Aimlessness is a privilege of youth.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    inpdx
    Posts
    20,197
    Don’t use colored fonts

    Name:  BC2EE40D-C0CB-4AB6-81CA-20A1EBBBD734.jpeg
Views: 719
Size:  91.7 KB

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Warrrrrrrshington
    Posts
    1,168
    Get a remote job for a UK company and live in the Alps or wherever. Your stated goal is more money and intellectual stimulation and you want to ski. Do that until you have enough experience to work for a Euro company or decide to go another direction such as getting an advanced degree.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    on the banks of Fish Creek
    Posts
    7,513
    Snowmaking. Work all night, ski all day.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    7,919
    Everyone can make it in a ski town if they are patient enough

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    1,510
    You tried the ski bum lifestyle for a year and are disillusioned. Compromise on the lifestyle, not the the career.

    If your academic standing as good as you say, I would apply to grad schools geographically close enough to the mountains to allow you some of the lifestyle you want and work on a graduate degree specializing in what is intellectually stimulating to you.

    I was staring down a similar situation and chose to pursue the long term career that was exciting to me. The original job didn't work out but I met my wife, and three years later we are back near the mountains. Most likely to stay long term and significantly more financially secure. Life has a way of working out, don't compromise on your long term goals chasing a lifestyle.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Wasatch
    Posts
    7,239
    Maybe find a place to teach and ski. Or get a corporate job which has flexible schedule. I have corporate but we work 9/80 and every other Friday off. It’s a balance. If skiing all day paid $50 an hour we would all do that. Do you want to stay in Europe or have you looked in the US. We have great skiing too


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    I need to go to Utah.
    Utah?
    Yeah, Utah. It's wedged in between Wyoming and Nevada. You've seen pictures of it, right?

    So after 15 years we finally made it to Utah.....


    Thanks BCSAR and POWMOW Ski Patrol for rescues

    8, 17, 13, 18, 16, 18, 20, 19, 16, 24, 32, 35

    2021/2022 (13/15)

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
    Posts
    30,881
    if you are feeling lost and seeking wisdom you are totally wasting time here at tgr

    but my quick n dirty advice is to do a couple of years in canada which you are entitled as a member of the commonwealth find a canadian girl, get her pregnant and get married which gives you the landed immigrant status

    those american wankers can't do this cuz they don't worship the queen

    but they would all give their left nut to be able to do it
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Before
    Posts
    27,911

    I am reaching out to the TGR collective, hoping people sharing my passion for skiing might better understand my dilemma than my ‘real life’ friends, and offer me some useful life advice.

    Here is the background. I am 23 years old, and graduated last year from a top UK university with a BA in History, achieving first-class honours and the best mark in my year group. My life plan following graduation was to move to France/ Switzerland in order to ski as much as possible, and maybe eventually become a mountain guide. I am a German citizen and independently taught myself fluent French to permit this.

    After a summer working in landscaping, I spent seven months in La Grave, skiing every day. I met some great people and skied lines I had long dreamt of, however, by April, and especially after a bit of summer working a dead-end local job, I realised that ski bumming will not fulfil me in the long-term. I have a serious passion for skiing, but began feeling that my identity was increasingly single-faceted, and that all my conversations centred on snow (or the lack thereof), the merits of a long turn radius and heavy skis, and couloirs. My ego was moreover becoming entwined with skiing, which in an environment like La Grave, led to some decisions in the mountains of which I am not proud. Not to mention, I am fed up with being poor, in a place where eligible women are counted on one hand, and working jobs I do not find intellectually stimulating. I decided, essentially, that skiing isn’t ‘enough’; blasphemous, I know.

    So, I started looking for jobs in Switzerland and France, seeking to combine a fulfilling professional career with a location where I could still ski regularly. I applied primarily for Marketing and Business Strategy roles.

    What I hadn’t considered is that my generalised degree is apparently useless on the European job market. Whilst in the UK a History degree from a good institution is highly employable and allows one to go into most fields, in Europe one is expected to have specialised in the domain they wish to work in. I haven’t had a single interview subsequent to over fifty applications in Europe. Comparatively, in the UK, recruiters contact me daily about opportunities, and I have had three interviews in the last week.

    So I am at a crossroads. I am considering the following options:
    1. Give up on the ‘dream’ and resign myself to a pay-cheque in London and limited skiing; something I had sworn I would never do. Finding a truly stimulating, challenging job in consultancy and making good money is tempting, and maybe after a few years, I will have enough relevant experience to relocate to Europe. Maybe not. But, I am not sure I can accept not skiing, and I am worried about getting trapped in the grind, chasing a lifestyle, or tied down due to other reasons.
    2. Get a job in London (so that I don’t have a two year gap on my CV), which suddenly ‘doesn’t work out’ come December, ski bum, then do a masters degree in something useful in the European job market. This would be possible potentially in marketing, but it's not going to fly at a big consultancy.
    3. Find a largely remote job in a UK based company. Potentially difficult as a recent grad lacking experience, also maybe not best for career progression.
    4. Explore other places in the world (with skiing) where I have better employment prospects. How is a History degree viewed in the States? I am prepared to move almost anywhere to obtain the lifestyle I desire.

    Any thoughts?

    TLDR:
    23 year old Brit suffering the TGR typical existential crisis following graduation: ski or work. Ideally I would combine both, but it seems that I am employable exclusively in a place where this isn’t possible. Do I reconcile myself with mundanity, a wife I hate and two spoiled kids?

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    0) Don't use colored fonts.
    1) If you're getting lots of job offers in the UK, surely several of them will allow remote work.
    2) If you get a remote job, consider living in one of the larger towns close to skiing. La Grave is great but it's suffocating from several mobility points of view. Try Annecy, Chur, Innsbruck, Martigny, Luzern or Bolzano. More social mobility in those locales.
    3) Never give up a dream. Keep whittling away at reality and opportunities until you can fit.
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    the Can-Utardia / LMCC VT
    Posts
    11,494
    Buster beat me to it... Get a job out of UK. Remote work.

    Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
    Quote Originally Posted by Hohes View Post
    I couldn't give a fuck, but today I am procrastinating so TGR is my filler.
    Quote Originally Posted by skifishbum View Post
    faceshots are a powerful currency
    get paid

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Orangina
    Posts
    9,172
    OBF? Is that you?
    "All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring."

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Shuswap Highlands
    Posts
    4,345

    WWMD: feeling lost, seeking wisdom

    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    if you are feeling lost and seeking wisdom you are totally wasting time here at tgr
    Heh. Case in point:

    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    you are entitled as a member of the commonwealth
    They mentioned a German citizenship. Might have to settle with sponsorship at a Mennonite community. Don’t think any of those are near good skiing

  21. #21
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Back in SEA
    Posts
    9,657
    Grow up and get a job, ski a few days per year, call it a life.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2021
    Posts
    723
    Read the Cougar Hunting in A$$pen thread. If that doesn't give you ideas, I can't help you.
    Wait, how can we trust this guy^^^ He's clearly not DJSapp

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    STL
    Posts
    13,294
    You need to fucking relax.

    At 23 you are actually rich.

    Wait until you have a wife/husband and kids. Then you will be locked down.

    Keep skiing, go to grad school in 3-4 yrs, then take the job in London.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    The Fish
    Posts
    4,715
    The last couple post in thread are best guidance .

    You are 23, you don’t know shit yet, quit thinking you have to have it all figured out.

    One thing is for sure, you will find your life unfulfilling many more times over. At some point you will find your reason and it will mostly make sense. For me this was 34, though at 40 I’ve lost track again but still live the dream.
    a positive attitude will not solve all of your problems, but it may annoy enough people to make it worth the effort

    Formerly Rludes025

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Sandy
    Posts
    14,041
    Smoke one up and relax, you think you have anxiety now?
    "boobs just make the world better really" - Woodsy

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