I'm in a bit of a crossroads in my life right now. I've been in junior college for a while now, with the intention of transferring to a university and eventually getting a masters in history. It's my intention to become a professor at the junior college level, but I have my doubts. I know what the job market in academia is like, though it isn't quite as bleak where I live. My grandfather is also offering me an opportunity to work for him and learn from him. He's incredibly skilled in a very esoteric trade, and he pays pretty well. My uncle and brother already work for him, and they seem to enjoy it. Thing is, it's a big commitment. 80-100 hour weeks at times, sometimes out working in extreme heat, and it would keep me away from home and away from my girlfriend. All of that I can live with, but I know it would nag at me, the thought that I could've done what I'm really passionate about (i.e. teach history), which it must be said is probably an easier life than trade work.
What on earth should I do? I'm at the point in my life that I should be making some real money, though I'm not hurting for it right this moment. If I can't get the degrees without a mountain of debt, I likely just won't do it, but even if I can manage that, I'd like to know that it won't be impossible to find a job that doesn't involve treading water as an adjunct.
Edit: Wow, I did not expect this many responses. Thank you all so much for your kind words and insight. If nothing else, you've all reassured me that I'll probably be alright either way. I've at least got a fair few options to choose from, and I know many would gladly trade places with me. I'll do my best not to waste it.
It is what I'd most like to do, yes, but ultimately I'm not adamant about it. I know teaching isn't the only prospect for a history major. I suppose one problem I have is that I'm not quite well versed or simply imaginative enough to envision alternatives easily. But I am open to them at least.
But anyhow, to answer your questions, I doubt I would be doing the actual work the rest of my life. It's a family business, which my uncle seems fit to inherit, and if we expanded a bit, we could probably hire contractors to replace us and just do admin and oversight and whatnot. And that's if I stuck with them that long, which I'm not sure I would.
There is a fair bit of commuting involved, but usually not more than three hours or so from home, and it isn't a daily commute either. They usually stay out for days at a time on jobs. The 80-100 figure is often active working time. That said, that's by no means a constant, and there are times they go weeks between contracts. It's all very irregular. That's just the ceiling I was told to expect.
My brother, who mind you is new and still inexperienced, makes $25/hr doing this, which given the hours they work usually adds up to a more than decent paycheck. Good, but not retired-by-40 good. Though I must say, their work isn't usually very physically demanding. Occasionally their contracts require that they do labor, digging ditches and shit like that, but mainly its technical work. Far as I know, the heat doesn't cause them any problems beyond discomfort.
The part I can't get over is how little time I'd have away from work. So I'm constantly being torn between having a guaranteed source of income which comes quite dearly, or continuing on with school for the chance that I'd get a more bearable career which pays at least as well, but that comes with the possibility of it not panning out at all.
I've been tying myself in knots over it.
That's fairer. A ceiling rather than non stop crutch forever. Considering the possibility of debt, of the business expanding and you ending up in an administrative position of some kind, of the involving heat but not being so destructive towards your body, and the possibility of having weeks at a time to dedicate to yourself, to your needs, and to your passions. I'd recommend talking to your brother if you haven't yet, getting more familiarized with the job, and asking yourself: can you enjoy your passion for history, can you read books and talk to people, and join book clubs and so on as a hobby, as something that enriches you as a person, as a part of your life, even if it is not your profession?
You already like working with your hands. Why not get a good stable income professionally, while having history as your essence, as your leisure?
I'm not american either so there's the debt thing to consider. What if you end up joining your grandad's business anyway to pay down that debt?
Now mind you, that's just speculation on my part. I'm still on the outside looking in, and I have no idea what my grandpa's long term plans are, or what the situation will be when he passes. The only sure thing is that right now he can put me to work and give me a decent enough wage.
You and I are more or less on the same wavelength here. I was looking into trades even before the old man made me this offer. And I'd considered working for him to pay off any debt I might incur as well.
I should lay all of my cards on the table here though. Teaching isn't the only thing I can imagine making me really happy. One particular fantasy of mine would be to do field work for the National Park Service. I worked with a few of their field biologists last year, planting Joshua trees in the Mojave desert after a large stand of them was wiped out by a wildfire. I fell in love with the idea of doing projects like that for a living right then and there, but I have no idea whatever how to get into a career like that. Working for the government as a historian or researcher also appeals to me though, not least because those are by far the most stable jobs a guy can get around here.
cam'on ask the joshua trees guys. they won't mind.
Look, you're young and your head is full of ideas. What you need is, well, not a Plan per se, but some long term information. Your grandad's proposal is a pre-packaged debt free plan already. If you want to go the park ranger route, you gotta ask around and see if there's qualifications you can achieve - college or otherwise - that opens more opportunities down the line first. If you want to go the teacher route, you shouldn't just gun straight for academia, you gotta consider your possibilities as a school teacher as well, because that might be the opportunity that will turn up for your life. And with your grandad's business, well, you gotta see how far you came make into it, what courses you could do to help out, and what sort of work/life balance you can achieve.
I love teaching kids. It's great. At least whenever there's job openings to that effect. But with history in particular it's not uncommon for people to dropout and become white collar workers of one kind or the other. Just understand that the time you've spent already at school gives you a horizon of things that academic history students do to acquire the knowledge and the skills needed to write history. And you don't have to be a historian to engage with it.
You're right of course, and really, little of what you're telling me is anything I didn't already feel deep down. I'm looking for certainty, but there's no such thing. What I do have is opportunities, and sooner or later I'll just need to pick one and ride the wave.
You're right, there's no certainty. You'll have to pick a future, and ride with it. And it will be ok to regret it, even if a little bit. As long as you don't lose sight of yourself. There will be things in your life, experiences, that you'd rather not lose even if you could 'reset' and try another path. Those will keep you earthed and capable of carrying the weight of your choices, of your regrets and achievements both.
But seriously that's probably easier to do at 25+USD an hour.
Ha, tell me about it. And that's just for starters. The more work we get and the more I learn, the better it would get. And if not, I'd certainly learn skills I could take elsewhere.