(Part 2) Best products from r/careerguidance

Basically, you know by looking at other professionals in the field, and some of that is just a matter of talking to other artists and going to conventions (GDC is one, Spectrum Live is another one).

I think I'd worry less about your style, and more about learning technique as best as you can. But, look at what you'd want to work on. Do you want to work on Assassin's Creed? Do you want to work on Mobile games? Do you like book cover art? Do you want to work on Pixar movies? How about editorial illustration? Immerse yourself in looking at art and really listen to what calls to you. If you consider the audience, and also consider the history of what the company has put out, it will give you an idea of what "good" is, and what you should be aiming for. For example, the style of concept art on assassin's creed is more realistic. They use a lot of photos in their concepts, and they paint very realistically as a whole. Mobile games have a gamut- sometimes more cartoony, sometimes less.

Oh, also, you can download a trial of photoshop or maya, and do a Lynda.com membership- that will let you poke around in the program for a while and get a feel for it. Photoshop also does pay-per-month now rather than having to buy a 2grand program.


Check out this site: http://conceptartworld.com/
These guys are some of the best. Sadly, there was a cite called CGHub that just went down, otherwise that used to be such a good resource. Lots of what these guys are doing is more polished work- it would probably be more on the end of market art (concept art can often be more sketchy).
If you want to see approximately mid-level work, this is my portfolio.
http://annafreshlypainted.blogspot.com/p/portfolio.html (I'm currently re-doing my website, so this is my blog) I also have a side bar of other artists I like on there.

Also, Disney and Pixar both put out books on the visual development of their movies. Brave, Frozen, Tangled.. they all have them. http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Frozen-Charles-Solomon/dp/1452117160/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398176010&sr=8-1&keywords=Frozen+art
Some of the best art books out there.

Also check out Gnomon workshop.
http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/

They have classes in drawing, 3d. I think there is some storyboarding classes in there. But I'd also suggest some basic foundation drawing classes. You'll need to really understand color, light, figure drawing, anatomy, landscape painting. You can probably get a start on a lot of that at a community college, but there are online art classes for that stuff. Even youtube will have those basics. For example: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UClM2LuQ1q5WEc23462tQzBg

James Gurney has an excellent blog that talks about technique and a lot of other art-related things. http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/
There is also a blog called Muddy Colors, written by professionals in the field. It's an amazing resource. http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/

It is overwhelming, but the more you poke around the more you'll understand what the field requires, and the more resources you'll stumble on.

Anyway I hope that helps!

Biomedical science/Biochemistry. Can't vouch for forensics degrees as ive not been on one but I think those two are broader spectrum and probably more useful to getting there. If you're interested in the subject, this is a good book and was on my University curriculum. Haematology (Fundamentals of Biomedical Science) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0199568839/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1hyVCbQGJZ8R2
Biomedical and biochemistry aren't forensics but honestly probably go into more detail in terms of analysis. Read into your cell biology and chemistry. Also don't be so prepared to pidgeon hole yourself so early, your interests can change a lot; a goal is good but flexibility is better. Good luck

Is there a way you can add responsibilities or special projects to your current job? Every job has its boring parts. It’s up to you to find ways to make it more interesting. Think about what makes you feel fulfilled and see if there’s ways you can integrate that into your work.

Is there a process that you can update?

Is there a project you can take on? Maybe you’re great at marketing and social media. Maybe you can help your organization have a better social presence.

Although your employer has some responsibility to engage you, you also have a responsibility to try to go the extra mile. What does that look like for you?

Check out this book and complete the activities for more insight into what engages you:
I-Engage: Your Personal Engagement Roadmap https://www.amazon.com/dp/0984532927/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XQNMDb4ZK0MT4

Okay, so first let’s take a moment to appreciate that you’ve accomplished the beginning steps needed to get where you want to be. As a person who has struggled with depression, anxiety, and poverty myself, I applaud the fact that you that you’ve already done the really hard thing by starting therapy and sticking with it.
 

Second, as far the question of a career, I’d say just find a job you can do for the next couple of years. As you get older and understand yourself better, you can decide on a career path. Just don’t hold off on getting a job while you’re trying to decide on a career.
 

Third, you may want to consider taking the TASC test without waiting to do the study classes. Your state’s education department site says the test is free and you can make three attempts per year, so you could look at the first attempt as an information-gathering mission. I’m assuming the depression/anxiety played a fairly large part in your decision to drop out, so as long as you had somewhat okay grades while you were in school, you probably wouldn’t have trouble passing without the study classes anyway. And if you pass it the first time, that’s great! But if you don’t pass on the first attempt, you’ll have better knowledge of the specific areas you need to focus on before you take the next one (instead of unnecessarily studying ALL of the subjects!).
 

Fourth, look into free job assistance programs that can help you learn an actual vocation (even without a diploma/TASC certificate). I don’t know about New York, but in my state these programs will even pay for the equipment and clothing you need to do the job. I just did a quick Google search for “New York Job Training Programs” and these are the kind of interesting results that popped up: http://www.vocationaltraininghq.com/free-vocational-training-programs-in-nyc-new-york-city/ (the Office of Adult and Continuing Education, which offers FREE computer classes) and http://www.allny.com/job-articles/free-job-training.html (All NY, which explains how to find free job programs in New York). The beauty of some of these programs, is that you don’t have to cold-call on businesses to convince them to hire you. The program matches you up with employers who are looking for employees they can train up into entry-level positions. Quite a few of them are permanent too. But even if you decide you don’t want to stay in whatever job they help you get, you’ll walk away with more marketable skills and knowledge than you have now. (And you’d be surprised how often the skills you learn in one industry are useful in another).
 

To help you with the negative self-talk that comes with depression and anxiety, you may want to read “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy” by David Burns, MD (or something similar). His book is an easy to read cognitive therapy book that was written in 1980 but is still relevant today. It will help you learn to short circuit those negative thoughts before they can make you feel bad. It really helped me when I was trying to get my first serious job but kept telling myself I was too stupid/shy to work in that kind of role (it was a courier role in a mortgage company). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380810336/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

And lastly, here’s a link to something that helped me get through a lot of bad things over the years.. It’s called “The Quitter” by Robert W. Service: https://allpoetry.com/The-Quitter.

Honestly, if you are not passionate about library services, you should not be pursuing your MLIS. The job market is hard enough out there for people who are passionate about library services, tossing yourself in the mix (and adding to your debt while you're at it) isn't a great move.

That said, I'm also not sure about how realistic it is to pursue a career in writing for TV, but you seem pretty aware of that, and it sounds as if you've already been able to get writing positions, which seems like a good start. It sounds as if you already know what you want to do.

If you haven't read it yet, you might want to read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. I personally don't know much at all about the business of writing for TV, but scattered throughout her book was her path through writing for TV, which I thought was super interesting.

It's possible without college, but it's not possible without education (leaving aside the incredibly rare exceptions like being a professional athlete.) That education can be apprenticeships; it can be on the job training (which is very hard to get in the US); it can be self taught; it can be college. Usually college is easiest.

Mathematics actually has very wide applicability although I'll grant you that many or most courses don't go out of their way to make that clear.

However, I'm not suggesting you should follow a math program. But you will need some form of education that's in demand to not live paycheck to paycheck. (This was much less true 40 years ago but it's true today, and getting more true with each passing year.)

You network at their place if business (preferred so you can see their environment) or a coffee place nearby. For others you would need to be good on the phone.

It's less important how you find people and more important to prioritize actually meeting them. Introverts actually make great networkers since they traditionally do a better job listening.

Create a script that introduces you and your purpose and requests a small investment time. Start with people you know (practice) and get feedback on your messaging.

Great book on networking:
National Business Employment Weekly: Networking https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471310271/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i9G-yb89HC6PF

Happy Networking

Andrew Beach
@brandingdynamo

This book is a classic as far as figuring out a career that is best suited to you. I’d recommend figuring out what type of day is best suited to your mental health. Remember that perfect jobs are pretty far and few between and you just need to prioritize what’s most important to you. I remember reading in a different book, “what kind of sh*t sandwich do you best tolerate?” Meaning, you’ll have to work your way up in any industry. Try and figure out exactly what that means for life sciences before you make the leap. Also agree completely with prioritizing your mental health. For me, exercise, meditation, a ketogenic diet, multivitamins (especially B vitamins), probiotics (garden of life has a mood one), and regular good nights of sleep go a really long way in keeping depression at bay. When I get depressed everything can feel hopeless and then I’ll say I’m going to prioritize self-care (ie all of the aforementioned) and I end up in a much better state of mind to make decisions.

Have you tried taking a personality test? The Myres Brigg and Self Assessment Search (RIATIC)? are helpful and often recommended that you take them together.

If your school's career center is decent, you should be able to take both, if not one, of free. If not, I'd recommend going to 16personalities.com for the Myres Briggs and selfassessmentsearch.com for the RIATIC. For that one, one test does cost 10 dollars but it is cheap compared to many others out there.

I would also recomment this book:

What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, Third Edition: Discover Yourself, Design Your Future, and Plan for Your Dream Job https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607745771/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_i0H1BbSQMMKAR

The adult version helped me plenty. This one should be more relatable to you.

Finally, try new things. It is cliche, and I hate cliches, but there is really no real shotcut or work around. The above options can help guide you, but what is going to matter is how you like these things in the real world. A job, volunteering, electives, clubs, groups, you and some friends fucking around with something, all good ways to see what would be a fit and what not.

Pretty sure some other people on here can give you more definate advice, but I hope this can help you get started.

And, you are still plenty young. Even if you don't get a job that fits the first time, you have time on your side. 😁

With the caveat that I am also not a mental health professional and I can only speak from an anecdotal / personal reading level:

On another point related to depression, it also sounds like you were making choices that were exceedingly unhelpful to your mental state purely by being heavily invested in drugs and spending most of your time indoors. Your sleep schedule also likely suffered.

If you read things like John J. Ratey's Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain and particularly some of the research behind it, you see that exercise and time outdoors has a massive, massive effect on mental well-being. Not only are you in better shape, you're also mentally sharper, more resilient to stresses (with brain pathways for stress being literally down-regulated by aerobic exercise, meaning you physically don't even have as strong a reaction when something stressful happens), and there is growing research that several of the chemicals produced by your body during exercise (particularly Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and IGF-1) literally grow your brain and can repair neuronal damage that comes from time.

Others have given good recommendations on how to handle this, but as someone who has spent some time living at home, trying to figure out what to do, here's my digital two cents: take some time to exercise every day. Install a fitness app and shoot for 6000+ (better, 10000+) steps outside every day. Go to the gym several times per week, and spend some time doing intense aerobic exercise to get your heart pumping. Find as regular a sleep schedule as you can, and eat healthy.

Mens sana in corpore sano and all of that. Take care of your body and your mind as well as you can, as that will help in every aspect of this process, both for your own mental health and for your acuity as you perform in job interviews and discussions with recruiters.

To me it sounds like you want to explore product management.

Check out this book:
Cracking the PM Interview

It has a chapter on transitioning into the role from a developer, why technical experience is vital and whether or not you actually need an MBA. It won't have all of the answers but it sounds like it's asking the same types of questions that you are interested in. Hopefully it gives you a better perspective on the role and whether or not you'd really like to pursue that world.

I have a Bachelors in economics and applied for entry-level business/data analyst positions. Business analysis can be kind of broad, but is more operations-related. Some data analyst positions (and data scientist) ask for CS degrees, but others ask for business degrees.

Your experience seems in-line with these positions. Look up some job descriptions/titles that interest you (related positions I looked at included financial analyst, project analyst) and see what they ask for. I found these courses useful:

• Machine learning
  
  
• SQL
  
  
• Business analysis certificate course at a nearby university. Really great for me to learn different skills and use parts of my work as a portfolio. Glance through the BABOK and know the terminology.

Hi Roboman,

If your current position falls within the realm of the Security+ Cert, go after it. If you are hungry to gain knowledge in this field, I recommend https://www.amazon.com/CISSP-All-One-Guide-Seventh/dp/0071849270. You will crush the Security+ exam and the CISSP exam if you engulf this material. If you want a good career in IT Sec, this will help you tremendously. Happy Holidays!

Another thing you want to consider is where you want more income coming from. 'Earned Income' is the highest taxed income. What if you used your talents to create a product or provide a service outside of your current position?

You could work for a company, but really effectively and efficiently. Then on the side have a product you get income from, royalty income, rental income, etc.

Read The Four Hour Work Week

That book is not only for people that want to cut down their work hours, or work remotely, but also for creating additional income streams.

I would also suggest looking at the book Designing Your Life (https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Your-Life-Well-Lived-Joyful/dp/1101875321). I’m in a similar situation to yours and they give you a lot of practical activities you can do to help narrow down on the things that you enjoy doing, and how to go about structuring your career on them. I’m not usually big on self help style books but it actually really helped and is quite popular. Apparently it is based on a popular college course...

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

I actually had a whole class on this some years ago. Essentially after WWII, there was an implicit contract between industry and workers that essentially traded employee loyalty for job security. Many people in the Silent Generation and even Boomers had one or two jobs for their entire lives. People were proud to say, I worked for GM, Ford or Hughes Aircraft my whole life. Today, the average shelf life of an employee is 4.5 years.

When was in high school, I worked after school for an insurance company where it was easy to find people who had been with the firm 10 , 20 even 30 years; cradle to grave as it were. My brother started with "Ma Bell" about a month after he graduated high school and stay with the various telephone companies for 30 years. He never went to college. He retired at 55, full pension and now lives in Thailand. T

Several things have caused this to be a different job market than the one your parents knew. First downsizing, then offshoring and finally automation. All of this done in the name of short term profits. This is where that implied social contract between employer and employer has been broken.

Sources:

1. The Great Reckoning
   
2. Corporate Abuse
   
3. Corporate Executions

Another book you should read is "The Art of Woo". They have a High/Low people network and Other People / Selfish frame work; that's I found very useful in predicting how people will behave in corporate politics.

For Game Theory, I would watch Youtube videos first. More important that you comprehend and apply general concepts; than to know the 'math' of it. Concepts including:

Nash Equilibrium

Expected Payouts and using decision trees

*Maximin/MiniMax concepts
And if you find that it's not dry and boring; then I would suggest taking a course on Coursera.

And following up, on your original post on 'People who talk more or express themselves to directors...' Here's a good link on 'how to speak to CEOs'.

And remember "If you're not playing politics, the politics is playing you" (This is true, as you get into upper management levels).

Digital aspects of Marketing, in particular SEO, PPC and good social media content - video, imagery etc. If you have friends/family that have small business, ask if you can run their social media for a month. Plan an editorial calendar and track your metrics, will look good on your CV. I’d recommend this book. Happy to help if you have any other questions, I’ve helped mentor a few grads in previous roles.