General Adulthood, Planning for the Future: Business, College, Budgeting, Investments, etc! $$$ - General

[QUOTE=Anti Christ;51126318]Does anybody have any advice on finding a 'real' job? I've been bouncing from crappy job to crappy job because I have no idea how to find anything. I'm currently stocking overnight at a grocery store, and my boss is demanding more and more ridiculous feats from us while reducing our hours and body count. As it stands, I only have my high school diploma. Am I doomed to work fast food and grocery forever? I certainly won't be going to school on $9/hr any time soon. What I want is to find a job that won't destroy my body, and pays me enough to build up my savings so I can move on in life. But I have no idea how to find such a job. Where do I look?[/QUOTE] What's your experience and education like?

[QUOTE=Adelle Zhu;51126617]What's your experience and education like?[/QUOTE] I'm about a week away from having a forklift certification. Besides that, I have only fast food and grocery on my resume. My only education is high school. I have my diploma. I'm 20 years old, so take that for what its worth.

[QUOTE=Anti Christ;51126318]Does anybody have any advice on finding a 'real' job? I've been bouncing from crappy job to crappy job because I have no idea how to find anything. I'm currently stocking overnight at a grocery store, and my boss is demanding more and more ridiculous feats from us while reducing our hours and body count. As it stands, I only have my high school diploma. Am I doomed to work fast food and grocery forever? I certainly won't be going to school on $9/hr any time soon. What I want is to find a job that won't destroy my body, and pays me enough to build up my savings so I can move on in life. But I have no idea how to find such a job. Where do I look?[/QUOTE] once, you get you're forklift leave that place try serching on indeed,com or someting [editline]29th September 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=KommradKommisar;51123164]I'm two days late but sign up for the BLM in the summer as a wildland fire fighter. Every kind of pay you could imagine for the summer. Typically you'll make enough to live easy until next summer[/QUOTE] hm, alright how does it work do they have them in Canada? I'd have no time spending a summer in this matter

There was a guide to finding scholarships in one of the college threads, can somebody post it?

[QUOTE=Anti Christ;51127122]I'm about a week away from having a forklift certification. Besides that, I have only fast food and grocery on my resume. My only education is high school. I have my diploma. I'm 20 years old, so take that for what its worth.[/QUOTE] Apply at all the car dealerships near you. If you can drive, you're qualified to be a porter. They're usually pretty good about promoting people.

[QUOTE=Ott;51135329]There was a guide to finding scholarships in one of the college threads, can somebody post it?[/QUOTE] Second this, I'd like to know if it isn't entirely hopeless to get scholarships as a non-traditional student.

[QUOTE=viper shtf;51154292]Apply at all the car dealerships near you. If you can drive, you're qualified to be a porter. They're usually pretty good about promoting people.[/QUOTE] I've always been wary about car dealerships. Admittedly I don't know very much about them, but my general idea has been that if you don't have the car salesman personality, you won't make it. Do porters have to fit into that criteria?

Well guys, I fucked up a little by apparently mixing up my schedule. I guess I mixed up next weeks with this week, which is somewhat easy since the dates are not written anywhere on the schedule sheets. I started this new job only 2-3weeks ago, and they have me working 3 days a week, about 8-9hrs a shift. We pretty much agreed I'd work Sunday, Wednesday, Friday. But I noticed I was switched to a Thursday on the schedule, which said next week I believe. Not really having an idea which day they consider the next week didn't help. My stomach dropped when I got the call I was supposed to be there today. But I guess I've essentially been let off with a warning, with my boss saying he doesn't need me today, and to come in on Friday like usual. Anyone have similar experience with misunderstandings in their schedules? I was able to at least explain the reason it happened, but I imagine I may need to do some more when I go back in. What are some good strategies to use so that I make sure I fully understand how their scheduling works?

[QUOTE=Anti Christ;51155147]I've always been wary about car dealerships. Admittedly I don't know very much about them, but my general idea has been that if you don't have the car salesman personality, you won't make it. Do porters have to fit into that criteria?[/QUOTE] Nope. You're basically an errand boy. Drive customers home while their car is being worked on, shuffle cars in and out of the shop, perhaps pick up cars at other dealers, or pick up parts. Easy money.

I've been out of work for a while due to health concerns, for most of this year I've made less than $50 a month through things like yard work, but the thing is all of that has been in cash. Do I have to report that on my taxes? And if so, how? Like how much money do I have to make before I have to declare it as "income"?

If there's no paper trail and its such a small amount then don't bother

Anyone have any experience getting scholarships and such for technical schools in the us? Currently a highschool junior and starting to worry about not having my whole life planned out.

My transition into real estate has been amazing. I'm fully established at my new job, and even dividing my time between multiple projects, I am pulling he paychecks that are almost twice as big as my old job working only 5-6 hours a day. I come in to work when I want to (usually about 10:00), leave when I feel satisfied with the amount of work I have accomplished, and don't have to justify my schedule in any way because I am paid based on the effectiveness of my work rather than the time I put into it, and I'm achieving great results. They brought me in to telemarket, and little else, but I've taken the reigns on overhauling all of their marketing campaigns, including their social media efforts and general web presence. I'll even soon be publishing a local market blog for investors and busines owners. It's been absolutely amazing, and I feel like I've really found my place with real estate. I'll still be getting my license and working as an actual agent soon enough, but I have so much to occupy my time and interest with in my current role that I don't feel in any rush at all. By the time I finally do transition, I'll be branded as one of the foremost experts on local market conditions in the city, and my brokerage's web presence and brand will be huge compared to its (already formidable) current state. In a majorly upsetting piece of news, however, my broker was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a little over a week ago. There's no cure. She's undergoing chemo and such to try and slow it's progress, but she's living on measured time. The survival rate over one year is less than 20%, and that drops even more with every passing year. Only 7% survive longer than five years. It's been a very emotional environment in the office as people struggle to deal with this, because this is a very close knit group. Her husband, son, and daughter are all members of our small team, and everyone else here is very close with her. I love what I do, and everybody has been extremely friendly and appreciative of the work I'm doing, but it's still been a pretty draining experience as far as that goes. [editline]23rd October 2016[/editline] More positive news, my additional pay has allowed us to do some rapid debt pay down. We got to $10k in reserve funds, for emergencies and such, and just started funneling everything else towards debts. Got both of our credits cards cleared up, and paid off my truck a year and a half ahead of schedule. Next up are my girl's student loans (only about $3k left, so shouldn't take too long), and then we can finally get her a more reliable car. After that, it's all saving towards investments! I hope to be ready to pick up my first rental property this time next year! Couldn't happen at a better time, either. We're on the brink of another massive housing market decline, so suitable investment properties will be in high supply, at very low prices. Great deals abound for the savvy shopper.

I've been studying for the MCAT for 3+ hours per day, which, on top of my exceptionally difficult biochemistry and physics classes, is turning out to be quite miserable. And medical school is worse than that. I don't doubt that I'm on the right path to get into medical school, as I have a very high GPA and good extracurriculars, but it really is pushing everything else out of my life right now, and i find myself wondering sometimes if I'll be able to cope, assuming I make it there. Still, I am dedicated to staying on this path because I've already dedicated so much to it

19 Years of age with an annual salary of £14,000 while doing 44 hours a week then an extra four every other Saturday, does this sound right for quite a thick-dumb person

Been setting up [url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-kelder]my LinkedIn[/url] to improve my chances of getting film internships in the short term and a job in the long term, anybody wanna critique it or give suggestions? I'm always adjusting it and making edits, it looks a hell of a lot better now than even a week ago. Also, it wasn't until I started making a damn LinkedIn profile that I realized I'm truly entering the adult world and internship/job market.

So what do I do when my family is trying to screw me over? I have a Job but no car/drivers license and they're trying to throw me out from the looks of things. They're blaming me for causing their problems because I had dishes in my bedroom that I didn't tell them about. I've cleaned them out and they still outright refuse to talk to me, as if I destroyed something expensive. More background, My Dad also accused me of assault for holding him back when he was really freaking POed at me. As in, trying to charge into my bedroom and ransack it. He went and took pictures of his 'injuries' and said he had evidence in case he wanted to prosecute. He is also in denial about comments he made to me over the past 2 days. As in, calling me stupid and drunk while I was practicing driving and he was going "Stop" every 10 feet because he wanted to look at random things. Outright accusing me of lying about it now. I'm also being accused of theft of I dont know what. He smokes marijuana and I'm assuming that's what he is talking about since I do smoke. But I do not go as low as stealing from anyone. (He found a bowl in my room about a week ago. But didnt do any of this when he found it.) It's really affecting my work performance since he was going to give me the car I was practicing in. (I even pay the insurance) but it's not in my name. I can't afford to Uber to and from work every day, so i'm essentially fucked. He's threatened to throw me out in a month and there is nothing I can do. Meanwhile, he is spending his entire day locked in his bedroom with his girlfriend complaining about how I'm crazy and fighting him at every turn. (The last contact I had with him was he drove me to work yesterday. In silence.) He asks me to wake up early so I can practice driving, but I wake up and he goes I'm done with you. It's a constant struggle just to do anything. I'm stuck in such a rut and no matter what I do I can't get out. It's freaking me out and driving me to have panic attacks and crap. I literally feel like death whenever anything happens now. What can I do to turn this around at all?

Trying to think of self-projects I can do relevant to Civil Engineering as a resume boost, since our capstone design projects are less freeform and more assignment-based. Already got some ASCE stuff under my belt. Maybe build up an AutoCAD portfolio?

I decided to plan a somewhat spontaneous vacation. I'm taking my girlfriend to Japan! We're spending almost two weeks divided between Tokyo and Nagoya. I'm gonna propose. :) [QUOTE=Flicky;51262893]Been setting up [url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-kelder]my LinkedIn[/url] to improve my chances of getting film internships in the short term and a job in the long term, anybody wanna critique it or give suggestions? I'm always adjusting it and making edits, it looks a hell of a lot better now than even a week ago. Also, it wasn't until I started making a damn LinkedIn profile that I realized I'm truly entering the adult world and internship/job market.[/QUOTE] I wonder about that, myself. I haven't used LinkedIn much, but need to update my profile and begin properly networking through it. Let me know if you've got any pointers!

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51281798]I decided to plan a somewhat spontaneous vacation. I'm taking my girlfriend to Japan! We're spending almost two weeks divided between Tokyo and Nagoya. I'm gonna [B]do a thing[/B]. :) I wonder about that, myself. I haven't used LinkedIn much, but need to update my profile and begin properly networking through it. Let me know if you've got any pointers![/QUOTE] I'm not saying I know anything about it, but maybe atleast spoiler tag that? If she knows you moderate a forum then it isn't unheard of that she might browse and see that you are going to do [i]that[/i].

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;51281802]I'm not saying I know anything about it, but maybe atleast spoiler tag that? If she knows you moderate a forum then it isn't unheard of that she might browse and see that you are going to do [i]that[/i].[/QUOTE] Not too fussed about it! Very much doubt she'll check, and even if she does she basically already knows. It was the first thing she asked when I invited her. Been dodging giving a real answer, but it's pretty obvious.

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51281798]I wonder about that, myself. I haven't used LinkedIn much, but need to update my profile and begin properly networking through it. Let me know if you've got any pointers![/QUOTE] Accept any and all connection invites, and try to reach out to those you connect with who you aren't immediately familiar with. Someone from a film society in Austin connected with me and vastly expanded my network of secondary connections. Also, your LinkedIn should essentially be an online resume and basic cover letter; give people an idea of what you're about and what you want to do. I'm still not entirely sure how well my LinkedIn will work out but just try to get as much relevant info in there as possible (for instance, I don't see it necessary to put my 3 months working at a Staples onto my LinkedIn I use for film-related jobs).

Working in a financial advising firm is pretty great, not gonna lie. Great potential and awesome group of people. I'm learning from a great mentor, who already seems like wants me to be his successor.

[QUOTE=Flicky;51262893]Been setting up [URL="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-kelder"]my LinkedIn[/URL] to improve my chances of getting film internships in the short term and a job in the long term, anybody wanna critique it or give suggestions? I'm always adjusting it and making edits, it looks a hell of a lot better now than even a week ago. Also, it wasn't until I started making a damn LinkedIn profile that I realized I'm truly entering the adult world and internship/job market.[/QUOTE] Hi Flicky. I've just checked your LinkedIn profile. Looks really good mate. If you want to really make your profile stand out, I think endorsements, achievements and recommendations really take it to the next level. Like someone else said, add as many connections as you can. There is no limit to how many connections you can have. So add heaps of people in the industry you are in and endorse their skills so hopefully they endorse yours. I've put a bit of effort into my profile and have actually had people seek me out and offer me management level jobs as well as had people ask if they could enter me into their competitions (which i have then won places in them without doing anything and been able to put on my profile). So there are definitely heaps of benefits to occasionally working on improving and expanding your account.

[QUOTE=Squad1993;51289572]Working in a financial advising firm is pretty great, not gonna lie. Great potential and awesome group of people. I'm learning from a great mentor, who already seems like wants me to be his successor.[/QUOTE] A good friend of mine is a financial adviser, and I send a lot of people his way. If you are looking for clients, I'd suggest trying to forge professional relationships with some local real estate professionals! We run into a lot of people who [I]want[/I] to buy or sell a home, but aren't financially ready for it yet and need help putting together a solid plan of action. [editline]1st November 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Flicky;51287241]Accept any and all connection invites, and try to reach out to those you connect with who you aren't immediately familiar with. Someone from a film society in Austin connected with me and vastly expanded my network of secondary connections. Also, your LinkedIn should essentially be an online resume and basic cover letter; give people an idea of what you're about and what you want to do. I'm still not entirely sure how well my LinkedIn will work out but just try to get as much relevant info in there as possible (for instance, I don't see it necessary to put my 3 months working at a Staples onto my LinkedIn I use for film-related jobs).[/QUOTE] Thanks! I'll have to work towards updating and professionalizing mine tomorrow. In my continued quest to build a web presence for our firm, and to establish powerful business relationships with the community, I've been making cold introductions to small, local businesses to discuss writing articles of the businesses and bios of the entrepreneurs behind them for our upcoming "marketwatch" website.

So i might need a little advice here covering... well, cover letters. Or rather the envelope that said cover letter and CV would come in. How exactly would i address it to the manager when I'm giving these out in person? Would i be better off writing on the envelope "To Head Office" or something along those lines instead of just the address of the place I'm giving the cover letter to?

Owning vs renting an apartment? I've always looked into renting but I heard a good argument for straight up just purchasing an apartment instead recently. While renting, that money you pay is money you won't get back. So while its more expensive to buy an apartment you're eventually gonna get all of that back again (give or take depending on when it's sold) once you sell it which can be re-used for a new place to live. Thoughts?

It actually just depends on your area. In my area, it's way cheaper to own. But that's because real estate prices are extremely low here and because most people are renters, most don't qualify for purchasing a home themselves, so rent prices are extortionate. Like, I can rent a three bedroom doublewide trailer for like 800 a month but I could own a 3br stickbuilt actual house for a mortgage that would be only like 600 or less per month. But then depending on your situation and the area, if your potential mortgage payments on the house you'd like are higher than the rental payments on a place that you can tolerate temporarily, I think the decision makes itself. I think realtor.com has a calculator for this. They have a dozen or so calculators for different shit. But the "rent vs own" calculator is obvious.

Looking at moving out soon too, the rent prices I've looked at are somewhat terrifying and the mortgage prices not much better. I'll be moving out with a friend so perhaps we'll have enough money left afterwards to live/exist but would be quite cool if someone had advice on it. Not too interested in building a real estate empire here, just looking for something suitable/cheap for two people, only needs to be a small property with a garden really. I am a little worried renting won't allow us to do much with the property but that might be because of not understanding what you can/can't do in a rental property, that + being evicted on a whim by the owner doesn't excite me too much. What would you recommend if for example, I want to have a bit of a garden growing in the back/front of the property, things like painting, replacing the floor and maybe fixing some of the plumbing? I was a little concerned because if we rented and found out half the building is in a state of disrepair that we didn't know about would we even be able to do anything beyond complain to the owner to fix it or have we other options.

I don't know how it works in the UK, but here in the US, properties are typically managed by a property management company who deals with the tenants, maintains the properties, collects the rent, etc. They might all be owned by separate individual owners, but because the owner doesn't want to or doesn't have time to manage the property, they'll usually sub that out to a company. This company would be responsible for replacing the floor and fixing the pluming. Literally anything that you would ever have a problem with, aside from your own belongings, are theirs to maintain. The owner would have their own specific rules as to what you can and cannot paint and what you can do with the yard, but they also typically don't mind anything that can't be put back to normal. So paint on walls is usually no problem as long as you repaint back to a neutral color before you leave. A nicely landscaped lawn probably wouldn't hurt an owner's feelings, as long as it isn't an eyesore. These are specific things you'd discuss with the management company or the owner. This'll all be in the lease, too. Also pets are discussed prior to moving in. The way it works (here) is that you sign a lease with specific terms, put down a security deposit that covers the owner/PMC for potential damages/upfit cost when you leave, and if you break those terms you can be evicted without getting back your deposit. If you have no problems and complete the lease to term, you'll typically be able to stay there as long as you like, or they'll have you sign another lease. There are also protections in place where there are legal eviction proceedings that the landlord needs to undertake. They can't have you out on a whim. Or, rather, it'd be unheard of to come home one day to find your stuff outside and the locks changed. You'll have time to relocate, surely. Again, I don't know what the law is over there, but I do know that over here, they don't let landlords run over you too much. On the other hand, owning means that you are in charge of everything, and if it's shit when you get there, it's your shit. There's nobody to call other than licensed contractors and be prepared to write big checks. This is the advantage of renting; You have someone to call who is prepared (and required by law usually) to write the check required to fix it. On a hot day when the A/C dies suddenly, do you want to be the one to have to buy a new one? Or would you rather pay rent and have someone else do it for you for a premium? Which option is better or worse is really situationally dependent and there is no right answer. Young people moving in with roomates though, typically rent. Someone may leave and the whole house then becomes only your responsibility. So it's handy to have year long leases where you can say oh well I only have to put up with it for another few months. As opposed to "oh fuck now I own and have to maintain this entire house on one income".