Is It Important To Start A Career As Fast As Possible?

[HellCat]

I was wondering if it is a good thing to start a business or career as soon as possible? That way you can learn a lot more at a younger age and be prepared for the crap that people deal with when they graduate? Like you will be prepared for situations that you learned about when you were younger?

Example, you see a guy, he rich has a yacht, mansion, cars, all the good stuff but he is older like over 50 and started his business after college. Why should you or I wait till after college to start a business. Would it be better to start one early as possible and if it fails, you're still young and learned a lot from it?

I know I may not make much sense, but hopefully you get the idea. What do yall think? Would this jeopardize your social life? Is focusing mainly on your social life when younger a good thing? Why not get a head start?

My friends and I are still debating. I want to start a business and he's telling me that my social life will suffer and that I won't have fun with him anymore etc. Does anyone have experience in this situation?

[Hobbs]

I don't think I would be able to maintain my studies and run a business at the same time, not to mention wisdom comes into play just a little bit. I would personally wait til after college to start something like that.

As far as Careers go though, I started mine at the same time I entered college, it's given me a lot of experience and a more decorated resume than just an average student.

[SuburbanSmoker]

Dont take this the wrong way, but as a college student i would find it hard to believe any one my age would be able to start a business, have it be a success while doing school. the fact of the matter is with an economy like ours right now, even alot of the bigger companies are suffering. Its absolutely great that your thinking about entrapenuership, but i honestly think you would be more succesfull if u waited till you were out of college.

In the words of my professor, "there are two ways to make money, inherit it, or marry it"

[Bye bye now have fun]

odds are that rich guy knew someone loaded to keep him afloat and give him nice financing. just from living in state college for 4 years, most new stores here dont last over a year

[HellCat]

Hmmm... guys, that does sound like good advice.

Looks like I will have to scour rich neighborhoods, and find nice rich college girls to seduce

[Bye bye now have fun]

Looks like I will have to scour rich neighborhoods, and find nice rich college girls to seduce

also you have to make sure that they dont sign a prenup and that they are actually getting money

[Dr. B]

Career? probably not. Experience? its a good idea.

Like Hobbs I started experiencing my career when I entered college. I am an accountant for the record. Early on I kept books for my mother's sole prop and a department of the school and took a job preparing taxes at a local office, which I still do now during the season. Additionally, I created records, statements, and budgets for my own hobby business of manufacturing and selling longboards - something which, should I find the time to invest in better infrastructure, I hope to keep up for a while.
I'm in grad school getting my MAcy so I havn't had much time to do real career work aside from internships but being able to have so much scholastic and field experience will allow me to breeze through the learning curve or skip it all together when I choose to work.

I'm still not sure how I would like to specialize but regardless I feel a lot more capable than my peers when it comes to utilizing what we're learning in school. For instance, whenever small business clients need tax counseling or preparation, I am usually deferred to and consequently earn the highest commissions, return clients, and referrals. I also find myself tutoring friends and fellow students before tests.

It's hard work, but I hope I portrayed how helpful small steps can be along the way.

[EternalSoil]

I kinda have...

I'm a computer science major.

i have a position as a manager where i work, so by the time i'm done i will have at least 3 years of management to work with.

I'm also an Eagle Scout, which really does help getting that little bit more above other people.


In your case, i would stay away from it. it is a lot of work, a whole lot... and unless you have money all over the place you can really screw yourself. Also depends on what type of business you plan on starting. If you wanted to open a franchise store, you would be better off i think. that way, even though i think most of the stuff is set up for you the experience in dealing with it all is there.

[Stuie]

It's all in your priorities.

I graduated with my Computer Network and Systems Administration Degree, a few months after the .com bubble burst making IT jobs scarce. Took me another 2 years to get a decent job in the IT field. Most before that was contract work. A LONG TIME later I am now a Systems Administrator. Never being able to break out of my PC and IT Tech for a long time.

I love my job, but I know I am not going to stay in IT Forever. But I never stop looking for opportunities.

In that time I started a coffee catering business on the side (Portable Coffee House) with a buddy. Then I met my wife and priorities changed again. That business went to the side and I focused more on IT for a bigger pay and benefits.

But if I can give you one piece of advice it's this:
Go setup an ROTH IRA...NOW! Put what you can in it every month even if it's on $10 depending on the IRA it maybe yearly.

[TheScotsman]

You are going to change careers enough times it really doesn't matter. At your point I think I would be looking for any chance to gain that one thing you can not buy, or learn from any school... experience.

[Sonthert]

Dont take this the wrong way, but as a college student i would find it hard to believe any one my age would be able to start a business, have it be a success while doing school. the fact of the matter is with an economy like ours right now, even alot of the bigger companies are suffering. Its absolutely great that your thinking about entrapenuership, but i honestly think you would be more succesfull if u waited till you were out of college.

In the words of my professor, "there are two ways to make money, inherit it, or marry it"

Your professor doesn't know what he's talking about, it takes a higher education to make that dumb a statement. Moreover, it presupposes the flaw in the thinking of the current view in the United States and explains a reason for the recession we're in. That stage of thinking says if I have a pile of money, it doesn't matter where it came from and it is independent of what means were required to get it and I don't have any responsibility associated with this money. This line of reasoning also pleads a fundamental lack of understanding of the basis of our capitalist economic system. Money is a unit of exchange, a surrogate for barter of goods and services. The way we make money is through work. Hard work; more work, more money. You can get piles of money by marrying into it, inheriting it, or by conducting yourself in unethical activities. You didn't make the money, though. Having wealth and having money are two different things. Earning wealth is the most coveted of goals, so much so that people try to use shortcuts. The unwise fail to see the soundness of the bromide "Easy come, easy go.". Money that's come by easily is wasted. With wealth comes responsibility.

Either that or your professor was joking.

Hellcat, my prescription is hard work. This so-called social life is just wasting time. You will have plenty of time to socialize. Some people will come up for different reasons to not choose working, but I assure you they are wrong. Just do it. Having fun and working aren't mutually exclusive. The more experience you accumulate now, the sooner you'll be getting that good money, so you'll be enjoying that good money that much sooner. It might be 10 years (which I know sounds like a lot to 18-21 year olds!), maybe sooner, maybe a little longer. When you earn it, the good things are that much better. When they're given to you, they're not quite as good. Would you rather have your dream car when you're 32...or 42...or never at all? The longer you live in your "socializing stage" the longer it'll take to get you to the point where you need a mop wipe the smile off your face (like I am most of the time ). As a 37-year old man, I can tell you there is no last great summer if you're living well. That last great summer is only for people that didn't make it and their life is not what they want it to be.

My mother's family are mid-western farmers, my mother was a school teacher, my father's family are from the mid-west too and were in horse-livery and he was a mining engineer and saw a good number of mines to work in in his life. I'm not borne from lazy people, so consider my opinion preceding to be biased. I was much lazier when I was younger, and I wish I'd gotten out of that phase sooner. I'm still lazy, if I put my mind to it, I can sit around and do nothing for 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

[BrotherBuford]

I got a job before I finished college, and just quit school (I was going nowhere anyway). Really, looking back, I'm glad I did it. I'm still working there over 9 years later. Edited March 23, 2009 by BrotherBuford

[Arcane]

it may not get you a boatload of money, a fancy yacht or anything of that nature...however, the military is a career and probably your best bet if you're looking for job security.

this career isn't for everyone and sometimes the sacrifices are huge. but, hey...i spent almost $1000 for hookah stuff in 2 months and i barely dented my funds. that's gotta tell you something!!

[smokeytheclown]

Hmmm... guys, that does sound like good advice.

Looks like I will have to scour rich neighborhoods, and find nice rich college girls to seduce

College girls, hell, Rich Older Widows !

Smokeytherealistic!

[Bulldog_916]

Dont take this the wrong way, but as a college student i would find it hard to believe any one my age would be able to start a business, have it be a success while doing school. the fact of the matter is with an economy like ours right now, even alot of the bigger companies are suffering. Its absolutely great that your thinking about entrapenuership, but i honestly think you would be more succesfull if u waited till you were out of college.

In the words of my professor, "there are two ways to make money, inherit it, or marry it"

Your professor doesn't know what he's talking about, it takes a higher education to make that dumb a statement. Moreover, it presupposes the flaw in the thinking of the current view in the United States and explains a reason for the recession we're in. That stage of thinking says if I have a pile of money, it doesn't matter where it came from and it is independent of what means were required to get it and I don't have any responsibility associated with this money. This line of reasoning also pleads a fundamental lack of understanding of the basis of our capitalist economic system. Money is a unit of exchange, a surrogate for barter of goods and services. The way we make money is through work. Hard work; more work, more money. You can get piles of money by marrying into it, inheriting it, or by conducting yourself in unethical activities. You didn't make the money, though. Having wealth and having money are two different things. Earning wealth is the most coveted of goals, so much so that people try to use shortcuts. The unwise fail to see the soundness of the bromide "Easy come, easy go.". Money that's come by easily is wasted. With wealth comes responsibility.

Either that or your professor was joking.

Hellcat, my prescription is hard work. This so-called social life is just wasting time. You will have plenty of time to socialize. Some people will come up for different reasons to not choose working, but I assure you they are wrong. Just do it. Having fun and working aren't mutually exclusive. The more experience you accumulate now, the sooner you'll be getting that good money, so you'll be enjoying that good money that much sooner. It might be 10 years (which I know sounds like a lot to 18-21 year olds!), maybe sooner, maybe a little longer. When you earn it, the good things are that much better. When they're given to you, they're not quite as good. Would you rather have your dream car when you're 32...or 42...or never at all? The longer you live in your "socializing stage" the longer it'll take to get you to the point where you need a mop wipe the smile off your face (like I am most of the time ). As a 37-year old man, I can tell you there is no last great summer if you're living well. That last great summer is only for people that didn't make it and their life is not what they want it to be.

My mother's family are mid-western farmers, my mother was a school teacher, my father's family are from the mid-west too and were in horse-livery and he was a mining engineer and saw a good number of mines to work in in his life. I'm not borne from lazy people, so consider my opinion preceding to be biased. I was much lazier when I was younger, and I wish I'd gotten out of that phase sooner. I'm still lazy, if I put my mind to it, I can sit around and do nothing for 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

Agreed. Hard work is pretty much the only way to get where you need to go. If you want to start your business, the sooner you do it the better, true. But I would finish your education first and possibly look into some council on starting a business so that at least you can understand the tax code relating to it, finances, investment, all the laws and regs, etc. At least then you have clear picture of the work you have ahead of you.

[Voski]

I wouldn't worry about the social life part but more towards the strain on your schoolwork. If you can work and go to school at the same time then I think you should work. I had to quit my job this semester because I am taking 21 units and I just don't have the time.

[ilikemyusername]

its important to enjoy your life.

[Grand Nagus Zek]

You'll meet alot of people who will help you in your future career

just dont go majoring in ridiculous subjects like Entomology or Chinese History..or history in general. There are alot of majors where your only career choices are going to be Teacher, Professor, or Author.

If having your own business, or having a business career, is your choice, then I would recommend getting a MBA. But specialize, everyone now days has an MBA and having one isn't going to mean a whole lot beyond a masters in business. I got an AA then took time off cause I didn't know what I wanted to major in, then went to a professional College for a Professional Degree in Hospitality.
Now i plan on getting an IEMBA. International Executive Master of Business Administration

[Tuscani]

Hard work is really your only way... you can start the buisness during college, I can refer you to a com[any called Diode dynamics (diodedynamics.com) which is a fairly popular company that tiburon owners buy all sorts of lighting modifications from. The owner of this company is just a kid... started the company in high school and now is in college taking 21 units and still running the buisness. although, I can say since the beginning of this past school year, customer service has been somewhat lacking... (still waiting on parts)