The Dudeism Forum

In my life I've dabbled working in a few jobs, but nothing I would stick to for the long haul. What I really want is a career that lets me live a Dudeist life-style while still being able to feed the monkey, y'know? I have enough money saved to attend college, university is pretty much off the table, I never had the math or science talents so many university courses require. People say "do what you love and the money follows", but nothing I really love lends itself to a profitable means of living. I also never really developed any unique talents that would be helpful to me, I have experience with a few trades, but nothing worth pursuing. What career paths should I look into, man?

Not sure I can really help, being unable to achieve on a level field of play. Or feed the monkey.
I've had several jobs, usually following my personal interests.
I couldn't really stand to do something unengaging, simply for the money.
Worked for a long time in archaeology, played gigs in the UK and mainland Europe. And then, uh, you know, a little of this, a little of that. Uh, my career's slowed down a little lately.
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir!
But really, follow your instincts and interests, otherwise you'll hate spending your days at work and be unhappy at home.

Just out of curiosity, what are some things you love or enjoy doing?

I suggest getting a job you don't hate. Look at the aspects of the job that you do enjoy or find interesting and ignore those that you don't. Stick with it and move up, if you so choose.

If having a regular job just really isn't your thing and you would rather do some kind of trade skill then look around and find someone doing what you want to do. Go talk to them. Let them know you are interested in learning the trade and that you would like to work for them in some fashion to learn.

I personally think that college is overrated for most people. This is especially true if you have no idea what it is you actually want to do. Why waste the money. If at some point you do want or need to go to college, find a job in the related field and work out a deal with them to pay for it and that you will stick around and continue to work for them after you graduate. Most companies are happy to do this. It benefits you both.

The reality is that even with the best of jobs that you might really like there are going to be days that you just really don't feel like doing it. As long as those days are not every day things should be good. If they are most days you should ask yourself if it is the job or you that is making you miserable.

I would say that a Dudely job/career would be one with little stress and that doesn't want you to work every waking minute of your life. Though some people seem to enjoy these things so they might actually like those kinds of jobs. The important thing is to be true and honest to yourself.

The most valuable thing there is, is time.
My advice is don't waste it dicking around with bullshit.
Get rich if you can. Then you will be able to do whatever you want.

If you can find someone who will pay you to do something you enjoy, that's the answer. Assuming you, like most of us, aren't that fucking lucky it kinda comes down to this - do as little as you can for the most money while generally staying out of jail and other unacceptably dangerous situations. Those jobs seem to involve:

(A) Things few other people are able and/or authorized to do (i.e., medicine, law, professorships, engineers).
(B) Things few other people want to do (i.e., offshore oil rigging, municipal sewage works, fishing and fisheries).
(C) Things few other people can do well. (i.e, athletics, entertainment, art, modeling).

But, really, you gotta just do something - almost anything. The rest kinda falls into place. Maybe the right job will find you, instead.

Yeah it really depends on what you enjoy. And thankfully there are some sweet jobs you can get without college. I'm working on becoming a recording engineer for example. Get to chill and talk to musicians, listen to music, and best of all, when you're in the studio, you're in charge of yourself (except for the people you're recording).

You could also be a park ranger and chill outside, I guess that depends on where you live/want to live.

You could also get work in a charitable organization. It would offer way more than money, and there are lots of jobs involved with it.

just some ideas

Hey guys (yes I'm new)

I'm actually just facing this question right now. I just finished college with a bachelors  in English, and I'm just completely at a loss for what I want to do. I'm thankfully in a position where I have no debt from it, but still I'm feeling the pressure.

The thing is, I really like what I've been doing all through out college: Working in a grocery store. Anything else I say I want to do is just based off those experiences. I've done janitorial work there, collecting carts, it's pretty peaceful just going about your business rocking a podcast in one ear. I've been a cashier my entire time, and that's pretty nice too, especially working the closing shifts where I have free reign of the place. So now I'm being asked what I want and well... Janitor, Security Guard (I'm Licensed in my state, never have used it.)... Kinda just want to maintain a building and be left relatively alone.

Also no one can seem to tell me how much these fabled "Real Jobs" should be paying me (Bare in mind, I currently make 9 dollars) I've got no problems for the forseeable future with my current living space but I need to start paying some rent...

I'm stressing out here and not abiding am I? Some guidance here back to the way would be appreciated.

Quote from: SaneAmongInsane on May 01, 2014, 10:38:23 AM
Hey guys (yes I'm new)

I'm actually just facing this question right now. I just finished college with a bachelors  in English, and I'm just completely at a loss for what I want to do. I'm thankfully in a position where I have no debt from it, but still I'm feeling the pressure.

The thing is, I really like what I've been doing all through out college: Working in a grocery store. Anything else I say I want to do is just based off those experiences. I've done janitorial work there, collecting carts, it's pretty peaceful just going about your business rocking a podcast in one ear. I've been a cashier my entire time, and that's pretty nice too, especially working the closing shifts where I have free reign of the place. So now I'm being asked what I want and well... Janitor, Security Guard (I'm Licensed in my state, never have used it.)... Kinda just want to maintain a building and be left relatively alone.

Also no one can seem to tell me how much these fabled "Real Jobs" should be paying me (Bare in mind, I currently make 9 dollars) I've got no problems for the forseeable future with my current living space but I need to start paying some rent...

I'm stressing out here and not abiding am I? Some guidance here back to the way would be appreciated.

Been there. My first Degree was in Literature. Truth is that the farther you go down that more you realize how unlikely it is that you will make a living at it. Just because of what it takes. Total commitment with little chance of a return irregardless of how talented you are. It takes a real commitment to something that is about 99% likely to result in failure.
I went back to school for electrical engineering and later computer science. That pays the bills and then I can stay active in music and writing without starving.
I'd say if your passion is writing take a crack at that but realize you need to treat it like you would any other job. Spend the whole day that the keyboard and work hard while not getting a paycheck for a long long time and most likely not even then. After that you are Leuwen Davis looking for a couch.

Actually I agree with BikerDude.

I write a lot and have been published (in a few obscure magazines), I am also an artist (reasonable technique with pastels and charcoal) but have always been conscious that it's a hard line to take and there is no guarantee of being able to earn a living wage from it (either art or writing). Both in art and writing it tends to be not so much what you can do but who you know. I took A level art but decided not to go forward to the degree, seeing others in my art class who where and they seemed to have a much better technique than myself. Last time I saw one of them he had finished his degree and was now an x-ray technician for a local hospital.

I have moved through a number of jobs (accountant, ran pubs and restaurants, an off-license), finally I settled for one of my personal loves IT, I am now the senior DBA at one of the UK's leading London Museums.

Personally I think DBA is a pretty Dudeist job because I spend most of my time writing myself out of the processes I am creating.

I still use a lot of my art (my instruction manuals are so good even other departments have me consult on writing theirs), being dyslexic I tend to draw processes rather than make notes first off to be able to understand them better.

I am just beginning to look at self publishing through Kindle.

But I think the point I am making is I particularly went the career route that paid the bills first then did the other things off the back of that.

Just a point; friend of mine runs a pretty good eBay business. Affords him the time to bowl when he wants to, and reasonable cash to keep the monkey off his back, while slacking off in a very dude like manner.

Quote from: SaneAmongInsane on May 01, 2014, 10:38:23 AM
Hey guys (yes I'm new)

I'm actually just facing this question right now. I just finished college with a bachelors  in English, and I'm just completely at a loss for what I want to do. I'm thankfully in a position where I have no debt from it, but still I'm feeling the pressure.

The thing is, I really like what I've been doing all through out college: Working in a grocery store. Anything else I say I want to do is just based off those experiences. I've done janitorial work there, collecting carts, it's pretty peaceful just going about your business rocking a podcast in one ear. I've been a cashier my entire time, and that's pretty nice too, especially working the closing shifts where I have free reign of the place. So now I'm being asked what I want and well... Janitor, Security Guard (I'm Licensed in my state, never have used it.)... Kinda just want to maintain a building and be left relatively alone.

Also no one can seem to tell me how much these fabled "Real Jobs" should be paying me (Bare in mind, I currently make 9 dollars) I've got no problems for the forseeable future with my current living space but I need to start paying some rent...

I'm stressing out here and not abiding am I? Some guidance here back to the way would be appreciated.

Welcome to dude-topia, SaneAmongInsane dude! Nice to have you in our quiet beach community. Grab yurself a place on bowling alley benches and abide, mang! Bars' over there.

There's a dude I know...well he's a very good friend of mine in fact.

He was just a kid...but was a bit good at art...then there was the fact he was damned good musician too.

So he went around the world playing in rock bands and drinking and whoring (although he would call that part "womanising") But he continued to draw a bit.

I met him after his art work stuff had taken off but he was still rocking out.. in fact he still does!

He lives in Dubai and he does commissions for the Sheiks over there.

He's the most Dudely dude I know!

I would post his website...but I've forgotten the address....!

Peace.

Quote from: SaneAmongInsane on May 01, 2014, 10:38:23 AM
Hey guys (yes I'm new)

I'm actually just facing this question right now. I just finished college with a bachelors  in English, and I'm just completely at a loss for what I want to do. I'm thankfully in a position where I have no debt from it, but still I'm feeling the pressure.

The thing is, I really like what I've been doing all through out college: Working in a grocery store. Anything else I say I want to do is just based off those experiences. I've done janitorial work there, collecting carts, it's pretty peaceful just going about your business rocking a podcast in one ear. I've been a cashier my entire time, and that's pretty nice too, especially working the closing shifts where I have free reign of the place. So now I'm being asked what I want and well... Janitor, Security Guard (I'm Licensed in my state, never have used it.)... Kinda just want to maintain a building and be left relatively alone.

Also no one can seem to tell me how much these fabled "Real Jobs" should be paying me (Bare in mind, I currently make 9 dollars) I've got no problems for the forseeable future with my current living space but I need to start paying some rent...

I'm stressing out here and not abiding am I? Some guidance here back to the way would be appreciated.

I have worked as a janitor before. I enjoyed it. It can be a pretty Dudely job. People tend to just leave you alone until they need a light bulb replaced or some such. You can usually go at your own pace. If things aren't busy you can usually find a place to just chill all day. I always thought it would be cool to work as an after hours janitor. Have the whole place to yourself after everyone has gone home.

Do what you enjoy. I know a lot of people who have degrees but work in unrelated fields.

I don't know where you live, but if you're willing to relocate there is a huge new business booming in Washington state and Colorado... and from the way it looks, it may even be nationwide within the next 2 years.  I've not worked in the new cannabis industry, (living in KY where we still have the incriminate yourself legislation, ie the marijuana stamp tax), but from what I've seen there are opportunities ranging from entry level to multi-million dollar corporate holdings.

Brand spanking new industry with promise of very aggressive expansion, yet still potentially very Dudely.