[DanSC]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

Hind sight is 20/20. We end up where we do mostly by luck. A couple of relatively minor decisions 20 years ago and I'd have a pile of ash parked out front right now.

Fixed that for you.

[Freakinoldguy]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you do or what you did as long as you enjoyed it and did it to the best of your ability.

$1:

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.

Sydney J. Harris

No Regrets.

[fifeboy]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you do or what you did as long as you enjoyed it and did it to the best of your ability.

$1:

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.

Sydney J. Harris

No Regrets.

[bootlegga]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you do or what you did as long as you enjoyed it and did it to the best of your ability.

$1:

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.

Sydney J. Harris

No Regrets.

That's basically what I was trying to say, but great quote, I'll have to remember it.

[Zipperfish]

DanSC DanSC:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

Hind sight is 20/20. We end up where we do mostly by luck. A couple of relatively minor decisions 20 years ago and I'd have a pile of ash parked out front right now.

Fixed that for you.

[ShepherdsDog]

Sorry, but I don't believe hiring someone 'over-qualified' is such a bad idea, unless they are going to buggar off and leave you hanging. I'd just as soon have someone who is obviously competent, rather than some dumbass drop out who has comprehension issues and needs everything explained to them. The head of maintenance in my high school had a PhD.D and worked for the DRB in the 70s, for Christ sakes. There wasn't anything he couldn't handle in the school....except maybe too many people at once. His son, two years my junior and a fellow cadet, was the same way. Brilliant but a little shaky around people and deadlines. He dropped out of engineering at the U of M and went into telecommunications technology at RRCC. He makes good coin at MTS

[JaredMilne]

I'm very nearsighted and I have very poor motor skills, so I don't think I would have done very well in the trades or in the oilpatch. I'm thoroughly awful when it comes to blue-collar work (e.g., car repair, plumbing jobs, etc.) and so I'm fortunate that I have friends and family who can handle that stuff for me.

Not that I ever look down on anyone who works in those types of blue-collar professions. As Steve Smith (who we all know better as Red Green), once alluded to, when those guys need help filling out complicated paperwork, want to contact an elected official, or something like that, they call someone like me. However, when I need help with electrical work, getting my car fixed, or anything like that, I'm definitely going to be calling someone like them.

Studying History, Political Science and Canadian Studies meshed extremely well with my own passions and interests. I could easily have made more money becoming something like a lawyer or a day trader, but working as a policy guy for the government makes me feel like I'm really using my own talents for best effect. And even if my true passion is things like Canadian history, federal-provincial relations and national unity, I can indulge them in my own time.

One thing I really hate in the media is anyone who denigrates the humanities, business ownership and banking, blue-collar work, science or any other broad set of professions as a whole. They're all important to society-without any of them, we'd all be worse off as a result.

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you do or what you did as long as you enjoyed it and did it to the best of your ability.

$1:

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.

Sydney J. Harris

No Regrets.

[Brenda]

In hindsight, I should have made different decisions 20-some years ago as well, but I didn't. It is what it is, and it brought me to Canada. That is an experience not everyone can brag about. There are however a lot of things I would do differently if I had the chance to go back in time. I would like to keep the knowledge I have today tho

[rickc]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Sorry, but I don't believe hiring someone 'over-qualified' is such a bad idea, unless they are going to buggar off and leave you hanging. I'd just as soon have someone who is obviously competent, rather than some dumbass drop out who has comprehension issues and needs everything explained to them. The head of maintenance in my high school had a PhD.D and worked for the DRB in the 70s, for Christ sakes. There wasn't anything he couldn't handle in the school....except maybe too many people at once. His son, two years my junior and a fellow cadet, was the same way. Brilliant but a little shaky around people and deadlines. He dropped out of engineering at the U of M and went into telecommunications technology at RRCC. He makes good coin at MTS

I can see why employers do not want to hire over-qualified people. Over-qualified people are not going to be happy in their jobs. They are not paid what they are worth, they are surrounded by people who are intellectually inferior to them. Their supervisor probably falls into that category as well. They will talk the talk, and walk the walk as long as it takes until they find a job commensurate with their abilities. You are a smart guy. You are well traveled. What if you suddenly had to take a job stocking shelves at walmart to survive? Now I know you are a survivor. I have no doubt that you would show up every day on time, and do the job to the best of your ability. You would give a full days work for a full days pay. You would also spend every free moment looking for a job that better fits your status in life. The longer you had to spend stocking shelves, the more realistically you would become disgruntled.

Someone who is under qualified for a job, has to work a lot harder. They have to stay late, come in on their days off. They are constantly trying to demonstrate that they deserve to keep their job. They will spend much less time bad mouthing their employer, as they feel lucky to even have a job. Hell they will even defend their employer to people. Under qualified people will always outperform over qualified people. Hell go see an American hockey league game. These people are one step away from the big leagues. They pour their hearts out to advance. Anyone near the puck gets checked, BIG TIME! You would think that you were at a roller derby with all the checking going on. Employers know that if they hire under qualified people they can pay less. They will get more dedicated, harder working people who will stay in their jobs longer.