What career do you wish you had pursued?

[Gibonius]



Master Distiller.

The master distiller at Catoctin Creek out in Loudoun County used to be a chemical engineer, and decided to run off and start making rye and gin. Some days that sounds like a great idea.

 

[upthewazzu]

I honestly don't know, I'm really struggling with that question right now. I'm very project oriented, and get a lot of satisfaction out of completing one, but right now I work in a very task-oriented job without any real finish line, per se.

 

[JLibourel]

At one point in my life (or maybe two), I could almost certainly have gained admission to any law school in the USA. I sometimes think that if I had gone that route, I might have prospered a great deal more in this old world.

 

[globetrotter]



The master distiller at Catoctin Creek out in Loudoun County used to be a chemical engineer, and decided to run off and start making rye and gin. Some days that sounds like a great idea.

I have a good friend who was a patent lawyer with a bs in chemestry, and he gave it up to run a micro-distillary. he's won a whole bunch of prizes for this stuff, too, so he seems to know what he's doing. makes fantastic rye

 

[comrade]

double Post

 

[comrade]

...

Poli-sci is very much a generalist degree- you learn research skills, argumentation, and how to understand complex systems and theories. Obviously that's a great primer for law, but it really is something that will serve you well in any environment where you have to respond to new and varied issues on a regular basis. Engineering, where you confront similar problems requiring a specialized skillset, requires a degree heavy in technical skills. But to go into something like venture capital (a field that takes in a lot of liberal arts grads, poli sci included), you don't need a specialized skillset- you need the ability to take in a lot of information, summarize it coherently, make good arguments, and make good judgements. What specialized skills you will need, you learn on the job.

Add to that that there aren't really all that many jobs in straight up politics/public policy, at least compared to the various options around in business, and it's pretty easy to see why poli-sci grads wind up elsewhere. And are more successful than philosophy grads, since they at least study and argue about stuff that's grounded in reality.

I say all this as a poli-sci grad working to get established in politics.[/quote

VCs recruit many ex-tech execs and entrepreneurs or engineeer/MBAs who come out of finance and investment banking.
By my address you can see that this is a local industry. As for Liberal Arts grads, whohave not acquired related experience,
very few are chosen.... and those who are come from the very elite schools, or are connected, or both.

 

[comrade]



I'm really glad you responded, as I have been looking into learning a language. I've been looking at Portuguese as well as others. I have a friend wanting me to learn mandarin, but I'm not too sure about that language. The company I work for is rather large and constantly buying international businesses, just bought comex. Most of it is political when wanting to move outside of your district by they know there losing an asset, not every case but a lot. I've tried to talk to my boss about it but I keeping getting the back burner treatment.

Globetrotter is correct. It sounds like you have already done very well. I also hope that you have put away
some money. I think that it is time to start looking for another job. I have some experience in Intl Sales/Marketing.
I got into it by happenstance via working for the US Gov't abroad and graduate school in Poltical Science.
I do not recommend my route.

 

[comrade]



Well I wish I was a Navy SEAL but my fear of heights and open water got in the way. Plus I am not in very good shape.

For me the lack of Kosher Food was the only obstacle.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Comrade is right. Poly sci, or any other liberal art, is not a background for vc. Try a double grad degree, MBA plus tech specific. It is very specific knowledge that is preferred, not a general ability to take in information and make arguments. Unless by venture capital you mean being the junior loan guy for small businesses at the community bank.

 

[texas_jack]

I was out walking the dog last night and saw another freight train go by. I was feeling very wistful about not being a train conductor. It would be such a drop in my standard of living though. Maybe I should aim for an early retirement and then do it. 20 more years to go!

 

[Huntsman]

Quote:
It always sounds like a great idea to me!! I think that ChemE is a great background for a distiller.

I have a good friend who was a patent lawyer with a bs in chemestry, and he gave it up to run a micro-distillary. he's won a whole bunch of prizes for this stuff, too, so he seems to know what he's doing. makes fantastic rye

Wow, now that cuts close. I love rye, am an engineer, and will be a patent attorney in about 6 mos.

~ H

 

[Piobaire]

Put me down for a case out of your first batch, H.

 

[globetrotter]



It always sounds like a great idea to me!! I think that ChemE is a great background for a distiller.
Wow, now that cuts close. I love rye, am an engineer, and will be a patent attorney in about 6 mos.


~ H

this guy is a really good guy, if you ever want to come up to Chicago and have lunch with him and pick his brains, let me know. he seems to feel that the more micro-distilitrieas there are, the better.

 

[Stubblefield]

I was out walking the dog last night and saw another freight train go by. I was feeling very wistful about not being a train conductor. It would be such a drop in my standard of living though. Maybe I should aim for an early retirement and then do it. 20 more years to go!

My grandfather was a conductor, engineer, and supervisor for the Southern Pacific. Though it might be a drop in pay, working the railways can be very rewarding.

 

[Steve Smith]



At one point in my life (or maybe two), I could almost certainly have gained admission to any law school in the USA. I sometimes think that if I had gone that route, I might have prospered a great deal more in this old world.

But you probably would not have been famous.