I’ve heard a lot of advice from a lot of people but I never expected Mike Rowe to have some of the best advice I’d heard. If you hadn’t read it yet, here was some spot on advice he gave the other day
Hey Mike!
I’ve spent this last year trying to figure out the right career for myself and I still can’t figure out what to do. I have always been a hands on kind of guy and a go-getter. I could never be an office worker. I need change, excitement, and adventure in my life, but where the pay is steady. I grew up in construction and my first job was a restoration project. I love everything outdoors. I play music for extra money. I like trying pretty much everything, but get bored very easily. I want a career that will always keep me happy, but can allow me to have a family and get some time to travel. I figure if anyone knows jobs its you so I was wondering your thoughts on this if you ever get the time! Thank you!
– Parker Hall
Hi Parker
My first thought is that you should learn to weld and move to North Dakota. The opportunities are enormous, and as a “hands-on go-getter,” you’re qualified for the work. But after reading your post a second time, it occurs to me that your qualifications are not the reason you can’t find the career you want.
I had drinks last night with a woman I know. Let’s call her Claire. Claire just turned 42. She’s cute, smart, and successful. She’s frustrated though, because she can’t find a man. I listened all evening about how difficult her search has been. About how all the “good ones” were taken. About how her other friends had found their soul-mates, and how it wasn’t fair that she had not.
“Look at me,” she said. “I take care of myself. I’ve put myself out there. Why is this so hard?”
“How about that guy at the end of the bar,” I said. “He keeps looking at you.”
“Not my type.”
“Really? How do you know?”
“I just know.”
“Have you tried a dating site?” I asked.”
“Are you kidding? I would never date someone I met online!”
“Alright. How about a change of scene? Your company has offices all over – maybe try living in another city?”
“What? Leave San Francisco? Never!”
“How about the other side of town? You know, mix it up a little. Visit different places. New museums, new bars, new theaters…?”
She looked at me like I had two heads. “Why the hell would I do that?”
Here’s the thing, Parker. Claire doesn’t really want a man. She wants the “right” man. She wants a soul-mate. Specifically, a soul-mate from her zip code. She assembled this guy in her mind years ago, and now, dammit, she’s tired of waiting!!
I didn’t tell her this, because Claire has the capacity for sudden violence. But it’s true. She complains about being alone, even though her rules have more or less guaranteed she’ll stay that way. She has built a wall between herself and her goal. A wall made of conditions and expectations. Is it possible that you’ve built a similar wall?
Consider your own words. You don’t want a career – you want the “right” career. You need “excitement” and “adventure,” but not at the expense of stability. You want lots of “change” and the “freedom to travel,” but you need the certainty of “steady pay.” You talk about being “easily bored” as though boredom is out of your control. It isn’t. Boredom is a choice. Like tardiness. Or interrupting. It’s one thing to “love the outdoors,” but you take it a step further. You vow to “never” take an office job. You talk about the needs of your family, even though that family doesn’t exist. And finally, you say the career you describe must “always” make you “happy.”
These are my thoughts. You may choose to ignore them and I wouldn’t blame you – especially after being compared to a 42 year old woman who can’t find love. But since you asked…
Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job. Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired. Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable. You can always quit later, and be no worse off than you are today. But don’t waste another year looking for a career that doesn’t exist. And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs.
Many people today resent the suggestion that they’re in charge of the way the feel. But trust me, Parker. Those people are mistaken. That was a big lesson from Dirty Jobs, and I learned it several hundred times before it stuck. What you do, who you’re with, and how you feel about the world around you, is completely up to you.
Good luck –
Mike
PS. I’m serious about welding and North Dakota. Those guys are writing their own ticket.
PPS Think I should forward this to Claire?
Credit: The Real Mike Rowe
Here are today’s names.
NetGrow.com 16 years old. I think it’s a great brand because all companies want to grow something. Only three bidders
www7.com Gets some traffic, has some age. Memorable but already a little more than I wanted to pay
eReporter.com Surprised this isn’t much higher. This would have gone for 4 digits back in the day
73787.com Can’t believe I’m saying this, but at $100 at press time, this one would be a steal.
JobGuru.com You can have this one for $20, How much for job.guru and which would you rather have?
PGirls.com I don’t know who the P Girls are but they probably exist and may want this name. I’m hoping it stands for Pretty girls. They are my favorite of the girls.
FreeYourHeart.com Good brand or marketing name. A lot of lonely single,divorced people need to
HeavyDutyBooty.com If nobody has this brand they should start it. I can already see the shirts
LifeHaus.com Surprised there are NO bidders. Tons of companies using the name. Ok not tons, but a few
NMTN.com At $100 at press time. Under $200 is a good buy IMO
52606.com I like the 606 part of it. But it’s a 5N.com with no 4s so it will do well regardless
NEW!!!! Working Godaddy Domain Code of the day.. $2.95 cent new registration Dot Com hard295
TheDungeon.com 18 years old. A club or a place you get your ass whipped by a slightly overweight women in her late 40s
Kera.com Great CVCV or boring girls name
Emanuelle.com Some girls spell it this way. Reminds me of watching soft nudity through scribbly lines on Showtime
Tortillas.net It may be a dot not but it’s a pretty sweet dot net
FMBR.com Good letters. 16 years old
Punchbowls.com Rick Schwartz sold the singular for a lot of money. Don’t expect the same but still a nice name
Stalone.com I only know Sylvester. I take that back. Frank had a song too
777.asia 888.asia broke $3800. This won’t reach that number but should be right behind
555.asia This one will do even better. Chinese like 555 after 888
29262.com Lots of 2s. So you got that going for you
Have a name at auction and need more exposure? Send me an email. We may be able to help. If you have an auction you want to promote, email us for details. *All names chosen by me, Shane, and the goal of this list is to have all links be paid through commission . (ie you click through and purchase a name you like) or an occasional paid listing. Everything I say is based on my own research or is opinion. Do your own due diligence. That means look it up yourself if you don’t think the stats or my opinion is correct.