I'm currently in the middle of talking to about four different industries about jobs. Investment banking, ad agency, financial services, and event planning. Through all of this I actually sat back and thought, "where do country boys work?" I've been thinking long and hard about this one, I'm not exactly sure where every country boy is but through a lot of time thinking and a rough survey I've come to a few conclusions, here they are in no particular order:
- Country boy jobs have to offer some sort of mobility and freedom. This stems from our roots of doing things with our hands and getting out and getting dirty. Even if you are in a career, if you're a country boy you really want to have some sort of mobility, maybe it's as little as from one floor to the next, or as much as one country to another, in the end, there has to be some physical mobility.
- The job has to have a result in the end. When were young we built stuff, we saw stuff constructed and had something to see as a result. Forts, pens, fences, barns etc... if we just check in everyday, turn the computer on and bang our heads against the wall just to be a cog in the wheel... we'll go nuts. That being said, there has to be a goal to work towards and something to see in the end.
- We have to be able to laugh at things. It's hard when you are in an environment that is so stinking rigid that you can't even throw out a redneck joke sometimes. I am pretty educated (I have an MBA) but that doesn't mean I'm pretty smart and sometimes I like to digress a little and talk about simple things and laugh with friends. If we are in an environment where we cannot do that... we'll go nuts.
- The job has to be in line with our values and understanding. I'll be honest, I'm sure there are country boy software engineers out there, you guys probably have this level met for you but for me, I have to understand it. I enjoy working with the Energy sector (read: oil) because it makes sense to me and I grew up around it. I believe in drilling and I understand it. If I'm going to be working with flux capacitors, probably not going to cut it for me.
- Last but not least, we as country boys have to be able to maintain our identities. Yep, we can't be forced to leave that behind. I don't care if you work on Wall Street, you are who you are and they cannot take your boots away from you. It is a sad day when you are forced to quit being you... don't do it, fight the power and stay true to your roots! (Read this wives... never try to change a country boy, you'll only get an angry man who will resent you for it.)
I think most of us country boys would agree, we would all love to have a farm or be working in the oil field somewhere but the reality is that it might be in our deck of cards right now... if we stay true to our country boy roots we'll get there.
Ultimately we are all bless with different God given talents, we have to utilize those and parlay those into a career, it can be any sort of career but whatever role you take within that industry, make sure you have the four things involved in your job.
I was brought up in agriculture, beef cattle production, President of the FFA and all of that. But the ONLY job I ever had that I could make a "living at" and work with livestock was training Race Horses. You can't make it in Agriculture, it is controlled by the OLIGARCHS, and if you have enough money to get IN IT, you do NOT need it. Sadly, I my earlier years, I made the mistake of listening to other people about my "career". I was told over and over and over, if I didn't give up horse racing I would NEVER have a Family or a Home or any money, or children. So finally I quit. I went to college - several times, trained and re-trained. Now I am going on 62 and am sick, and guess what, I have no Family, or home, or MONEY or children or ANYTHING!!! I wish so MUCH I had NEVER paid any attention to these "advisors". People I knew back in the 60's and 70's training horse, some of them are MILLIONAIRES!! Nearly all of them have had better lives than I have had BB Ellis County Texas
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