I wasn’t sure if college was the right decision for me.
I considered being a car mechanic like my father, but he was always cynical about the future of his profession.
He hated how car manufacturers were making their systems both digital and proprietary, making automobiles even harder to repair for both the mechanic and the average Joe. This was a deliberate ploy to take business away from small-time auto mechanics, forcing automobile owners to leave their cars with the dealership mechanics whenever needing repairs or quick service. He always said that he found it incredibly disheartening to hear that many auto mechanic school graduates are encouraged to work for car dealerships if they want to survive in the industry. The pay might be better right out of school compared to a small business, but there aren’t exactly opportunities in the future for perpetual upward mobility. You could be stuck as an employee for the rest of your life, although that might be desirable for many people. I worry the same might happen with me as a construction worker. Granted, I managed to find a high paying job right out of trade school, but I wonder at what cost in the future? I want to own a business someday, but that’s becoming increasingly less likely as time goes on. Right now I am tasked with laying steel rebar tie wire and welding it into place with double loop wire ties before the concrete guys come in behind me. I’m glad that I’m getting invaluable welding experience, but working with steel rebar all day long can get a little monotonous after you’ve done it for several months straight.