Originally Posted by Soukus (Post 5792119)

The keyword in there is "campus." Are you teaching? Are you the building and ops engineer? I've never thought there was as much money in academia as there is in the private industry.

Although, I had an SAE advisor at the University of Illinois who enjoyed driving Ferraris and Porsches while he was teaching engineering....he also consulted for Penske and other racing teams.

Originally Posted by Soukus (Post 5792201)

I would start by looking for an environmental firm (google - pipeline survey, environmental survey, etc) in your area. See if they are hiring and try to get in without additional educational expense. Otherwise you'll need to get some education in environmental sciences. If you market yourself to the survey firms well, they may see a potential in you to help them long term. Someone with knowledge (or can research) of local history and training in archeology and/or environment and can do the field work would be of some value to a consulting firm.

You have to figure out your objective. Do you want to put your history digree to any use at all? Or you just want to have a good job and enjoy history as a hobby?

Originally Posted by audiman08 (Post 5792208)

I was going to teach Social Studies. However, I did a little work in a museum and loved it, so I decided to change my focus to curating or archival work. The museum I worked at lost city funding and became reliant on private donations. One curator and an educator were laid-off, leaving only one curator. Governments will cut costs by eliminating non-essentials first, like art and history museums. Liberal arts falls under non-essential in most fields outside education and psychology. I worked for a year in the public school system, and I know I don't want to teach. That's about it in a nutshell. :)

Originally Posted by Soukus (Post 5792132)

Sounds great, Tom. I'm sure you've seen me post about this before, but it is only going to get better for a young guy like you as the years pass. The wave of retirement is already starting....

...did you hear that? It's opportunity at your door! SmileWavy

Originally Posted by nostatic (Post 5792340)

Have you looked in other parts of the country? If you really love that line of work, then you'll likely have to be willing to move to pursue it.

Often doing what you love and doing what pays well are two very different things. People have to decide which is more important. Also, mid course corrections are almost always possible, but it takes a lot of work and some faith and luck.

Originally Posted by slakjaw (Post 5791864)

75k ? uh no I would say he makes good money. with overtime I did in the 60s last year. 75 would be nice.

Originally Posted by BRPORSCHE (Post 5792381)

I am trying to get into shale gas where I think there is more of a future.

Originally Posted by audiman08 (Post 5792426)

I think I will adjust my career goals, rather than make her. :)

Originally Posted by Soukus (Post 5791554)

I don't mean to single you out, but this story is too common.

First, would you have had the money to buy all those homes as investments when you were 18 yrs old? If not, then you really didn't have the opportunity to make millions.

2nd- Were you assured a $50K/yr job at 18 yrs old? If not, then college was the right decision.

Finally, why did you choose poli-sci? Were you going to gen a law degree after? How was a poli-sci degree going to make you $50k/per year back then? This is the big problem with college and what kids and their parents don't realize.

You are not guaranteed a job after college. It was never like that,meven in the 80s. Chosing a "useless" degree and wasting 4-5 years of tuition and time was not the fault of the colleges...it was the student's and the parent's fault. Some parents are tickled silly over the thought of their child going to college, but don't about think nor appreciate the bigger picture...

Basically, if you don't have a career plan before college and you chose a degree that can't be marketed and will not be in demand in 4-5 yrs, rethink college.

Originally Posted by audiman08 (Post 5792058)

That has not been my experience, unfortunately. I've almost completed my master's degree, I've interned at a museum and created my own exhibit (which included extensive archival research and writing), and I've joined The State Historical Society of Missouri and other professional organizations to network with people in my field. I've put out more resumes than I can count; with federal, state, and private museums and historical sites.

Still, I haven't been able to land so much as a tour-guide position. I've shifted my focus to landing government or civil service work because historical work is simply unrealistic in this economy. I can't speak for sociology or other liberal arts, but I would dissuade most anyone from working toward a history degree.

Originally Posted by Rot 911 (Post 5792716)

Where are you located at in Missouri?

Originally Posted by nostatic (Post 5792672)

I don't believe that any degree is "useless." But people need to have realistic expectations. College has little to do with content and more to do with process.

Originally Posted by audiman08 (Post 5792746)

I'm from Springfield but I've lived in Lebanon since I got married.

Originally Posted by Rot 911 (Post 5792765)

Ouch. No doubt that is definitely a tough place to land a job related to history.