Author Topic: The Great Beyond... (Read 4933 times)

willo · « **on:** February 05, 2006, 09:50:56 PM »

OK, a little advice needed. Basically, I'm going to graduate from university this summer. I've really enjoyed it, but in a way I'll be glad to be completely independent. I'm stuck, though, on what I'm actually going to do next year...Obviously, I'm going to need some money for rent etc, so I've got some summer work lined up at a local college, should pull in a grand or two.

My initial plan was to work through the summer and then just work a couple of nights next year in a bar or something, to get enough money for living costs and the occasional rent/council tax. I was thinking of doing this for a year so I could spend plenty of time honing my guitar and giving me a chance to really try and play full time in a band etc...a chance at trying to do what I want to do before surrendering to the 9-5 humdrum.

But then, that wouldn't leave me with any money for any guitars or anything - I would pretty much be spending everything that I earned straightaway. So, I was thinking of then working full time for a year and earning quite a bit of cash, and after that taking a year out to do something special - if not guitar, I was thinking of teaching English out in Japan.

I'd really be interested to hear people's thoughts on the matter - particularly the, ahem, more senior members of the forum who've been in similar situations - any regrets/advice?

Searcher · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2006, 01:08:14 AM »

Do what you enjoy doing. Even all the advice found in career guides essentially boils down to that. If you like what you do, you'll prolly do well at it and, beside, it's cool to do something you like.

Hell Hound · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2006, 06:27:30 AM »

Living in Japan is one of the thing I regreted not doing when I got out of college. If you have something like that you want to do, just do it! (oh my... Nike is at it again :lol: )
If you don't you'll regret it all your life.

(broken english, sorry, very early here and I'm sooooo tired

)

38thBeatle · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2006, 07:35:38 AM »

The only thing wrong with taking a full time job is that you get used to the money and that makes it hard to quit if you decide to go for the music option becasue, as we all know, the music busines can be a fickle misstress.

jt · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2006, 09:15:36 AM »

:D There`s nothing to stop you taking a full time job & playing on the side That`s how most of the rest of us have done it. What i can tell you is that having no money espiecially when you have to pay rent & feed yourself etc is absolutley no fun.

:D 8)

willo · « **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2006, 10:57:30 AM »

Yeah, I'm kind of basically torn between what Beatle and JT are saying. I'm aware of the need for money, but at the same time I'm deeply worried that I'll get so heavily sucked into the world of working and earning money that I'll look back in 10 years and think 'what happened?' I mean, I'm not a particularly great guitarist and I'm not necessarily saying that I'd ever be in anything more than a pub band, but, well, I'd like to at least give myself a chance to be as good as I can be. I'm not a money-oriented person at all, but I'm concerned that, if I do actually end up making decent money for once in my life, then I'll find it too hard to turn my back on the world of work... :(

Dakine · « **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2006, 05:08:29 PM »

VERY difficult choice and question.

In my first hand experience;

Turning your hobby/love into a full-time occupation can be detremental and turn you off of the thing you most love. I got into Diving and went FULL BORE at it. I became an Instructor and Commercial Diver. After 5 years it BURNT me out. Now, this is just me but you have to be careful with the line between going pro. with your "love".

Then I got out of Diving (after burning out) and started to work Offshore etc. in a very tech. job. This gave me more money and time off/travel than I believed possible. The hours of this were amazing though, was nothing for me to work 120 hours a week! So in the end (13 years later) my health told me to quit this! Then I missed the money that I was making big time!

I really cannot advise you either way as both has potential pitfalls. I do wish I had not pursued my love of diving sooooo vigorously though as it actually made diving less "fun/enjoyable" and turned it into somthing I HAD to do to live.

Nick

jt · « **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2006, 10:32:10 PM »

:D Hi mate, the problems will start to arise when your band will want to do some recording in a studio.....You`ll have no money to chip in your share. You don`t need to look for a carrer immediatley though so hows about getting a job that your quite happy to drop if you need to ie when your manager says you`ve got a 30 date tour to do !! :P

you`ll generate enough money to live off & buy gear do recording sessions etc & if anything comes of it you can walk away if not you can look to develope your 9 - 5 carrer instead.

:D 8)

38thBeatle · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2006, 10:37:16 PM »

Hey jt you pretty much summed up my life there only mine went with the "if not" option.

jt · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2006, 11:16:50 PM »

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Tell me about it !! :P

:D 8)

Steve-Mr Pig 2U · « **Reply #10 on:** February 07, 2006, 12:22:01 AM »

One of my lifes ambitions is to spend some time in Japan. I know people who work out there and Its suppost to be a very plesant enviroment, well paid, very good health sevice. Just make shure you learn some Japanese before you get there!

willo · « **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2006, 12:34:06 AM »

Quote from: Steve-Mr Pig 2U

One of my lifes ambitions is to spend some time in Japan. I know people who work out there and Its suppost to be a very plesant enviroment, well paid, very good health sevice. Just make shure you learn some Japanese before you get there!

Konichiwa?

I'm thinking of going with what JT says...low-commitment job, earn some money and drop it when I want/need to. You know, it sounds so simple, all I want from life is to be happy, but damn it's complicated! I would love to do a job that had a humanistic concern, aid work or something. Even though I imagine it would be incredibly draining, the rewards would be so great. I worked for a few weeks last summer punching numbers into a computer...it was really bad for me. It was bizarre, the people I worked with - I felt like I'd just stepped into a sitcom or something. One of the guys was convinced UFO's followed him to work!

Really, I want to get my copy of Kerouac, get a car and drive around the world listening to jazz music. I don't think that's likely to happen, unfortunately

Regarding the guitar...it's strange, very strange. There are days when I feel so much like just chucking it all in, when you just feel like you will never achieve what you want to. It's wierd. When I was say, 15, I was so happy with my guitar playing. Fast forward 5 years and I'm considerably better and more educated at guitar, but I'm much much more dissatisfied...I don't get it? :?