Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Jaguar XF Belongs In my Driveway
So, I was talking to my Father about cars yesterday and he was telling me how he took his Jag in for service, and while he was there, he was looking at the new models. He began to tell me about the Jaguar XF Model, which I was aware of, but never paid much attention to since it was out of my price range...or so I thought. He sat down with the sales rep and ran the numbers just to see what the cost of owning that vehicle would be, and it turns out I could easily afford the monthly payment on the XF. So now, I've been considering a new vehicle purchase, and I might shoot after the XF. After all, the best time to make expensive purchases is BEFORE marriage and kids, right?
Monday, March 22, 2010
College.......
One of the most important lessons a parent can teach their child is: Choose your major well. The importance of selecting a major that has practical applications in the real world cannot be emphasized enough.
Passion alone is not enough to be successful
My undergaduate major was Sociology, with concentrations in Research Methods and Statistics. I selected this major because I loved the subject matter and, although I knew it had no practical use outside of the scholastic environment, I went ahead anyway--since I planned on going to Law School right after undergrad.
Right? WRONG!
As i neared my senior year of college, I began to veer away from the law field and selected technology and business as my graduate pursuits. I took enough classes in each subject to get into a very good program involving both subjects; however, until I finished the program, I had to work.
1st. Sign of an Impractical Major
It took me 4 months to find a job in my field after graduation. Throughout college I worked as a full-time Overnight Security Officer, so--after telling all my co-workers that I was graduating college--imagine their reaction when I was still working security 4 months later. If i had a nickel for every time i heard "Matt, didn't you graduate?" or "Matt, If you have a degree, what are you doing here?"
2nd Sign of an Impractical Major
When I did find a job in my "field," it was in the facet of my field with which i was highly unfamiliar. My undergrad studies focused mostly on harcore research, calculations, and statistical software i.e. SPSS and others. This job I found after graduation was a Counseling Position. As in, counseling troubled teenage girls ages 16-22 who had been through a traumatic experience. I hated that job, and I didn't not care about the clients I was counseling. The worst part is--they could easily tell that I cared nothing for their well-being. I would give them the cookie cutter response and kick them out my office. i'm not sure if i helped anyone while at that job, and i honestly don't care.
Motivation
Graduate School saved me from misery. Taking up the business and technology fields for my Masters Degrees got me into a career with the Federal Government that i absolutely love. I get to use my analytical skills acquired in my major, so I finally have an opportunity to utilize what I learned and enjoy it. You would be surprised how much your attitude towards your job affects your performance.
Summation
I told that story to make it apparent that if you do not select a major wisely, life will be hard once you graduate. I struggled for a while after graduation financially. Why? Becasue there simply is no need for Sociology outside of the research and data analysis worlds-and to become a part of one of those worlds, one must have a graduate-level or higher degree. For those of you who are in college, or getting ready to do to college, heed my words well. Select Your Major, NOT based solely on to your innate passions; select your major based on what will offer you a comfortable life after graduation. I no longer struggle, and i literally make 3 times as much as i did when i first finished college; however, as with anything else worth doing--it is not an easy road to tread. You can always use grad school to pursue your passions, but for your undergraduate education, BE PRACTICAL.
Passion alone is not enough to be successful
My undergaduate major was Sociology, with concentrations in Research Methods and Statistics. I selected this major because I loved the subject matter and, although I knew it had no practical use outside of the scholastic environment, I went ahead anyway--since I planned on going to Law School right after undergrad.
Right? WRONG!
As i neared my senior year of college, I began to veer away from the law field and selected technology and business as my graduate pursuits. I took enough classes in each subject to get into a very good program involving both subjects; however, until I finished the program, I had to work.
1st. Sign of an Impractical Major
It took me 4 months to find a job in my field after graduation. Throughout college I worked as a full-time Overnight Security Officer, so--after telling all my co-workers that I was graduating college--imagine their reaction when I was still working security 4 months later. If i had a nickel for every time i heard "Matt, didn't you graduate?" or "Matt, If you have a degree, what are you doing here?"
2nd Sign of an Impractical Major
When I did find a job in my "field," it was in the facet of my field with which i was highly unfamiliar. My undergrad studies focused mostly on harcore research, calculations, and statistical software i.e. SPSS and others. This job I found after graduation was a Counseling Position. As in, counseling troubled teenage girls ages 16-22 who had been through a traumatic experience. I hated that job, and I didn't not care about the clients I was counseling. The worst part is--they could easily tell that I cared nothing for their well-being. I would give them the cookie cutter response and kick them out my office. i'm not sure if i helped anyone while at that job, and i honestly don't care.
Motivation
Graduate School saved me from misery. Taking up the business and technology fields for my Masters Degrees got me into a career with the Federal Government that i absolutely love. I get to use my analytical skills acquired in my major, so I finally have an opportunity to utilize what I learned and enjoy it. You would be surprised how much your attitude towards your job affects your performance.
Summation
I told that story to make it apparent that if you do not select a major wisely, life will be hard once you graduate. I struggled for a while after graduation financially. Why? Becasue there simply is no need for Sociology outside of the research and data analysis worlds-and to become a part of one of those worlds, one must have a graduate-level or higher degree. For those of you who are in college, or getting ready to do to college, heed my words well. Select Your Major, NOT based solely on to your innate passions; select your major based on what will offer you a comfortable life after graduation. I no longer struggle, and i literally make 3 times as much as i did when i first finished college; however, as with anything else worth doing--it is not an easy road to tread. You can always use grad school to pursue your passions, but for your undergraduate education, BE PRACTICAL.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Five Worst Moments of my Life
5th Worst:
Finding out my old Cat Kevin got mauled to death by dogs (1993)
My parents sat my sister and I down in the kitchen and told us that we wouldt not be seeing our pet cat Kevin again. (we named him after our favorite movie character--"Kevin" from the Home Alone Movies) When we started to get nervous, they told us why. He had been killed. At this point, we were starting to cry, and I asked my parents how he died. My dad said dogs mauled him in the middle of the night, and he found Kevin bleeding in the driveway and there was no way to save him. Then my sister and I began SOBBING as in, "snot coming out of the nose, difficult to breathe" SOBBING!
4th Worst: Being cheated on by the woman i planned to marry one day (I'm not putting a year here, because i don't want to blow up anybody's spot) Respect is Respect.
3rd Worst:
Finding out my parents were separating (1994)
Not much to type here, except that it did not come as a surprise to me. Just because I expected it, doesn't mean it hurt any less.
2nd Worst:
Losing my job(2004)
At the beginning of 2004, I was working full-time as an overnight security guard for a new apartment building in DC and pulling a lot of requred overtime (6 shifts a week). Now, at this point, I was a full-time student taking 16 credits with classes every single day. With that course-load and a 48 hour/week job working overnights, it was very busy--and very tired. So during my lunch break, I had permission to go into the concierge's office and sleep for an hour. Now, the building manager did not know I had permission to sleep on my lunch break, and he would sometimes leave his room to check on me. He complained to my supervisors that I was sleeping every night, and they tried to explain to him that I was on my lunch break, and since I was a full time college student, they let me sleep on my lunch break. The building manager thought they were trying to cover up for me, and he gave them an ultimatum: Get rid of him, or I find a new Security Contractor for this building. Needless to say, They respectfully terminated my employment to keep the contract. My world was turned upside down, and this lead to the worst time in my life...
1st Worst:
Being so broke, I had to empty my entire closet to search the floors for pennies to buy food(2004)
I went through an unemployment period in 2004 when i was a College Sophomore, and I was out the dorm and in an apartment by this time. Life was rough; I would buy a bag of chips and make that bag last me an entire day, because I couldn't afford anything more. Of course, life could have been much easier it i had gone to my parents for financial support, but I am a very proud man and I do not like to ask for help. I had JUST moved into an apartment with my college roommate, and there was no way I was going to ask anybody for anything. This was the Nadir of my existence. I will never be broke again...I will never be broke again...I will never be broke again. That was not living--that was barely surviving.
Finding out my old Cat Kevin got mauled to death by dogs (1993)
My parents sat my sister and I down in the kitchen and told us that we wouldt not be seeing our pet cat Kevin again. (we named him after our favorite movie character--"Kevin" from the Home Alone Movies) When we started to get nervous, they told us why. He had been killed. At this point, we were starting to cry, and I asked my parents how he died. My dad said dogs mauled him in the middle of the night, and he found Kevin bleeding in the driveway and there was no way to save him. Then my sister and I began SOBBING as in, "snot coming out of the nose, difficult to breathe" SOBBING!
4th Worst: Being cheated on by the woman i planned to marry one day (I'm not putting a year here, because i don't want to blow up anybody's spot) Respect is Respect.
3rd Worst:
Finding out my parents were separating (1994)
Not much to type here, except that it did not come as a surprise to me. Just because I expected it, doesn't mean it hurt any less.
2nd Worst:
Losing my job(2004)
At the beginning of 2004, I was working full-time as an overnight security guard for a new apartment building in DC and pulling a lot of requred overtime (6 shifts a week). Now, at this point, I was a full-time student taking 16 credits with classes every single day. With that course-load and a 48 hour/week job working overnights, it was very busy--and very tired. So during my lunch break, I had permission to go into the concierge's office and sleep for an hour. Now, the building manager did not know I had permission to sleep on my lunch break, and he would sometimes leave his room to check on me. He complained to my supervisors that I was sleeping every night, and they tried to explain to him that I was on my lunch break, and since I was a full time college student, they let me sleep on my lunch break. The building manager thought they were trying to cover up for me, and he gave them an ultimatum: Get rid of him, or I find a new Security Contractor for this building. Needless to say, They respectfully terminated my employment to keep the contract. My world was turned upside down, and this lead to the worst time in my life...
1st Worst:
Being so broke, I had to empty my entire closet to search the floors for pennies to buy food(2004)
I went through an unemployment period in 2004 when i was a College Sophomore, and I was out the dorm and in an apartment by this time. Life was rough; I would buy a bag of chips and make that bag last me an entire day, because I couldn't afford anything more. Of course, life could have been much easier it i had gone to my parents for financial support, but I am a very proud man and I do not like to ask for help. I had JUST moved into an apartment with my college roommate, and there was no way I was going to ask anybody for anything. This was the Nadir of my existence. I will never be broke again...I will never be broke again...I will never be broke again. That was not living--that was barely surviving.
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