Regardless of career choices, my main regret is that I didn't join the Marines right out of college.  I think to be a Marine officer for 4 years would have been an eminently satisfying part of my life.  I took the long route through college, though, and graduated with a wife and a 2-day old son.  Marines weren't an option at that point.

For a really good read on the subject, check out Nathaniel Fick's One Bullet Away.

Gigolo!

At 54 I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.  I have worked at a gas station, managed one, done final inspection for high end commercial photographic printing equipment, tested microfile imaging systems, printing plate processor. various commercial, military anf medical film processor.  Worked on a developemt team for blood analyzers, supervised 31 tech, Q.A. Engineer, Service Engineer and Ffeld Engineer supproting high end digital equipment for the printing industry.

If you read Field and Stream, People, Sport Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, the Cabelas catalog or the Legos catalog with you kids, it the printing plates for those were made on equipment that I repair and maintain.  If you have ever purchased a bottle of Advil or various other OTC medicines the same thing.   Heck, even the Smartsource coupons in the Sunday paper.

Funny thing is, perhaps being a history teacher would have been better.  Beter yet would have been to be a professional lottery winner.

At the gas station I managed I was lucky enough to make the acquaintence of many of the Buffalo Bills and Sabers in the early 70's.  they would leave their cars for service while at away games.   While at Oceana NAS I was able to see the first photographs of the U.S.S. Stark (hit by an Iraqi Exocet missile in 1987) before the JCS got to see them.  

I have been in the NSA, spent two weeks installing equipment at a Korean AFB and visited several military bases around the country.  Worked with remarkably competent people of all races and beliefs.  All-in-all it's been a heck of a ride and not one bit planned for.  All I was trying to do was provide a good living for my family, my main and real career.  As part of that I just kept reaching for the next level.  

Man looking back over it, it seems a lot more interesting now then when I was living it.  What I did learn was that if you think you want a higher position, go for it.  Even if you don't fully know about it.  If you can learn all the ins and outs of your current job, you can learn them in the new one too.  Envision youself six montha after you get the new  job, not on day one of you new job.

All of this with an A.A.S. in Photographic Science and Instrumentation and a few trainnig programs along the way.

While law is a constant industry, I still love politics and would have probably gotten an earlier start in it. However, since the first 1/2 of my adult life was as an entertainer, doing commercials, films, voice-overs, audio mixing, dj, etc., I guess I would rather stick with a fun career rather than something so stodgy and boring such as law. Too bad the earlier career didn't pay enough.

I'd probably get my shit together anda become a Doctor.

TXL

If I had to do it all over again, I'd have gone Army ROTC at 18 and then retired two years from now.

If I could do it over I would hook up with NASA and be a Space Shuttle Door Gunner.

If that didn't work I would find a rich woman to support me so I didn't have to work.

If I could do it over again, I'd get a business degree, then a JD/MBA.  Done with school at 26, make partner at 36, retired by 50.  (Assuming, of course, I was good at it.  )

CO

I would've stayed in the Marine Corps and retired a lifer @ around 40 - 45.






No Shit.

There are lots of things I'd be interested in but few pay as well as the IT niche I'm in unfortunately.   I think lots of people suffer from disappointment with their jobs and think a different one would be better when there's someone else who has that job and wants out of it.

Eventually I'd like to get enough experience under my belt to just work as a self-employed consultant or something like that and own my own business.  Who knows if that'll happen.

Forensic Archeology.

AB

playboy photographer

Accounting, Civil Engineering, Information Systems

Quoted: Accounting, Civil Engineering, Information Systems

Must be doing something really shitty if you wish you were an accountant.

Quoted: Quoted: Accounting, Civil Engineering, Information Systems Must be doing something really shitty if you wish you were an accountant.

Try cruising timber in the worst weather, in the worse terrain with a nasty understory and deal with jerk-off landowners and ignorant loggers then you will know.......in college accounting was the easiest class.  Borring as hell but it is one of the top paying and most in demand proffession right now.

Quoted: Proctology.

Considering a good friend of mine is a proctologist, and I know how much money he makes......that certainly would be a very lucrative field.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Accounting, Civil Engineering, Information Systems Must be doing something really shitty if you wish you were an accountant. Try cruising timber in the worst weather, in the worse terrain with a nasty understory and deal with jerk-off landowners and ignorant loggers then you will know.......in college accounting was the easiest class.  Borring as hell but it is one of the top paying and most in demand proffession right now.

+1 Sometimes I think I should have been one.  I don't mind crunching numbers all day and it pays pretty well.

I'm finally doing what I always wanted to do or atleast trying to.  I spent 10 years of HELL working for UPS.  Now Im back in school going into criminal justice.  Hopefully 1 more semester after this 1 and I'll be in the Academy and after that I hope to be a LEO.  Ive wanted this for 15+ years and finally decided to shit or get off the pot.  

If I had a "way back" machine...   I would have done better in H.S. and gone to school for a couple of years, joined the ARMY again, but this time as a pilot.  I would be damn near retired by now...  If I was still alive.  

Mark.

I would have went MC ROTC and served my obligation, then grad school for a doctorate, and hopefully professor of US history at West Point or Colorado Springs.

Hell of a long way from master HVAC mechanic...

Ops

gigilo

tag

I dunno but I definately wouldnt become a lawyer.

I would have learned how to crap bullets.

Nothing for me, Im in the Marines, I did what I wanted and now Im on my second  tour doing Avionics calibration. The joy of swinging with the wing is working with people that scored very well on their asvab so Im not working around a bunch of idiots. Im young and Ive been told to make a choice and spend the rest of the time making that choice right, an dI have. See everyone wants to be a Marine!

Porn.

Quoted: What would you guys and gals do differently from the paths you have chosen or that possibly chose you. What line of work would you get involved with now if you could could travel back in time? I am looking to some of the older or possibly younger members who have more experience than myself and could give me some invaluable advise. Me: I recently graduated from college and I am eager to enter the job force and make something of myself. I graduated with a degree in Political Science and have a background in sales. I would like a job that would allow me to live freely and provide my family with a well off life. I am very open to suggestions and appreciate all the insight I can get.

Do what you are good at and what interests you.
Working a job you don't like, even if the money is good, is not satisfying.

I have a pretty good job, and I'm not sure I would change much.

Being a .gov employee with the security and sweet pension does look pretty attractive though.
Maybe being a Coast Guard or Border Patrol pilot would have been a good gig.

If I had to do it all again, I would have invested every dollar I could in Microsoft.   I would not have to be worrying about your question then.

Quoted: I am a nurse. If I could start over, I'd get my pharmD and be a pharmacist.

Thats funny, I started out in pharmacy school and am now a nurse.

Lawyer -------->  Doctor