Tracy;

Interesting! I told our son and daughtar to avoid engineering and computer science. I have done both and do not like the technology gods or what they bring.

Our son graduated from college last June and is teaching and our daughter will also go into teaching. They were the ones who made career choices.

My children remember the 20 hour days and 7 day weeks I have worked along with the different environments (management, etc.) over their lifetimes. Technology stops being fun when you enter the human equation.

Corporate buyouts can be devastating to your career but make the bank happy! Markets evaporate for different reasons.

I would not be surprised to see teaching outsourced to India, etc. I can see it now; A wide screen monitor hooked up via satellite to India. Our children being taught by the tele. Computers used to replace books. Oh well, that is the future – perhaps next week.

Only politicians are assured of a job. Well, there is always revolution, civil war, juntas, barracks revolts and invasion to even negate that thought!

I have it! There is always need of a janitor! The janitor is the last one in a company to survive. Who else would sweep out the trash as everyone leaves?

Oh well, those positions are held by illegal aliens. I think we have a problem! :)

Tom



>My two stepdaughters both were deciding on career choices and both considered information technology. I hated to rain on their parade, but I had to remind them that this field is a commitment to a lifetime of learning. Technology changes so quickly that we have to spend what little freetime we have (if any) to study and learn the new stuff to remain competitive in the field. I also reminded them of the many nights they complained because I was on the computer for long hours working and not even to learn new technology but just trying to meet deadlines. Of course, if you love to program then all of that is part of the 'game' and you are happy to do it. To be fair though, many burn out after a few years and switch to something else. Both have since decided to become teachers and the oldest graduates in June. Now talk about a lifetime of learning!
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>>My choice of career path has been less than ideal. You make choices in life and then you go with the flow. President Eisenhower in 1957 was concerned due to the USSR launching a satellite before the United States did. He told the youth of our nation to peruse careers in engineering, physics and science, to compete with Russian technology. So I went into engineering.
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>>My first job before engineering college was in Telecommunications, with the company that invented mobile radio – Secode, in San Francisco. They did this back in the 1920’s. Then the industry changed and so did I.
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>>Having completed engineering college I went to work in Aerospace and worked on the LEM/Apollo projects. Then that dried up so I went to work for Ampex and enjoyed 15 years of audio and video work. That company went from world leader in its field with over 20,000 employees worldwide to 55 people.
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>>My next career choice was Information Technology, only because it seemed like fun and paid well. This field is also changing. The way things are going I am destined to flip burgers at some grease chain.
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>>Our son is now a teacher (history) and our daughter is an English major and will go into teaching also. Perhaps teachers will not be need and even that field is not exempt from unforeseen circumstances.
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>>This is a question that requires one to be attuned to the economy, willing to change careers, keep up your education and have one heck of a sense of humor! :)