careers in growing things

[Zoe Girl]

my son is working in fast food, he took the ged test so he is officially graduated and just turned 18 on sunday. He doesn't have much of a focus idea yet but i am mom and i am going to keep pushing for a path towards more enjoyable and better paying jobs of course!

he loves to grow things, he has an extensive cactus garden right now. i am hoping he won't be stubborn and will work in my garden this year. that is one interest that he could develop.

He is also a total foodie, his stepmother is an instructor at a chef school in walking distance of our house! how stupid is this that he is not doing anything about it. he just got special butter coffee for his birthday that uses grass fed unsalted butter, geez.

i think one of the issues is that he is very talented in guitar, i have not seen him play in a couple years. He went to the art school on a guitar major and after 2 years basically anxiety'd out, they wouldn't let him stay when a grade dropped. so he says that experience made him not enjoy guitar anymore. i can see him (very stubborn with some anxiety driving it) not wanting to do a job with things he actually likes in case it ruins what he likes, but i still think it has got to be better than fast food.

[herbgeek]

Maybe his current job meets his needs at the moment, he has no incentive for a "better" job.

[zeaxmays]

He is also a total foodie, his stepmother is an instructor at a chef school in walking distance of our house! how stupid is this that he is not doing anything about it. he just got special butter coffee for his birthday that uses grass fed unsalted butter, geez.



well the question is, can he cook?

if so then maybe a better restaurant job would satisfy you? i can understand being embarrassed if my kid was working at mcdonalds.

if he likes growing things maybe fill out an application for him at a garden center/nursery.

[Ali]

I wouldn't be embarrassed if my child worked at McDonald's. I might want "better" but I'd be proud that they had a job when very many don't. My eldest son worked at Pizza Hut whilst at college and then afterwards until he stumbled upon his current career. My youngest is at school still and is a part time kitchen porter.

Id be more worried if he had no work at all - my nephew is 20 and does, literally, nothing. Most days he doesn't even get dressed.

[iris lilies]

So your son is a cook? His step mom is a teacher at a culinary school? that puts the vegetable peeler Christmas gift into context.

I hope you son develops his interests and finds his path. 18 is very young to have to make any decisions. He's lucky to have you in his corner. Fast food is a job, and he'll learn many valuable things in his first job.

[razz]

Until he chooses to move in special directions, just be proud that he is working. FYI, horticulture is not a high paying option unless one can own the shop. DD2 found that out very quickly.

[kib]

Sigh. 18 is such a great age to be starting off on the right foot, before you've stumbled into a morass of debt or family obligations or, hopefully, unresolvable substance issues. This is off the subject a little, but I've been over on mr. money mustache, and there are a few young people over there who impress me as actually grasping what a gift it is to be at the beginning. (I know I certainly didn't.)

What I'm thinking is just that your kiddo needs the motivation that comes with that understanding. Not having the handicaps of bad choices - or maybe only a couple - is such an awesome gift, such an amazing jumping off spot! I have no idea how one gets it so young, I'm 99% certain it doesn't come from parents. ... you could tell him I said so ... :~)

[pinkytoe]

There seem to be a lot of young people here in Austin that sound like that - love music and food- and somehow work at both. Perhaps he could gravitate to working at an area restaurant that uses locally grown food while he is finding his way. Work at a plant nursery this summer? Does he play in a band or perform at all? At that age, a parent always hopes that their fledglings will fall into some inpirational experiences and mentors by trying lots of things. And not get stuck...

[herbgeek]

maybe fill out an application for him

What??? The man is an ADULT. He gets to pick what HE wants to do.

[rosarugosa]

Sometimes a crappy first job is just the eye-opener one needs to get some motivation and some direction. My short stint on an assembly line in a factory certainly did the trick for me, and I went from there to college like the hounds of hell were snapping at my heels!

[Zoe Girl]

he is definitely feeling that fast food is not a long term option! not only does it have all the issues a fast food job in general has but it is also not far from us which means there are some people who work there and live in motels in the not so nice area. His coworkers are motivating!

i will admit to some embarrassment at this point to have 3 kids who are very bright, identified gifted and only one real graduation and almost no college work. i also focus a lot that they are employed, 2 are living on their own, and are basically really good people. But i am mom so i get a certain amount of room to encourage this. i want my kids to find some amount of enjoyment and challenge in what they do. they all have a lot of talent artistically too.

it is good to know the horticulture does not have many well paying jobs, better to know now and keep that one a hobby. and NO, i do not fill out applications for kids, i help when they need it but i am not dragging the kid through life,

[sweetana3]

Well, my husband worked on a dairy farm at 14 to earn money. State would not allow a minor to work in a donut shop but he could work all the equipment and with cows/bulls on a dairy farm. He says he learned he did not want to work on a farm, with animals, with heavy machinery or for long hours of hard work for little pay. Good lesson. He still took awhile to decide on what he did want to do and just taking some risks and trying new things led him into his career. So much easier to do things and even fail when young. So many lessons can be learned.

[iris lilies]

DH has a masters' degree + 60 hours toward Phd in horticulture. No, it doesn't pay "well." But he was always fine with the pay. He is a simple guy with ability to live simply. He generally made in the mid-30's when working in horticultural and ag related jobs. That was last decade.

That said, in the past 12 or so years he has been working for himself doing handyman/light construction. similar rate of pay, but he is 100% in control of his work and hours.