Congratulations with your studies to date you have at least proved you have the ability to learn.
My personal suggestion is forget about working for the man in any shape or form. Even if you are able to find a well-paid job in the financial / economic area you won’t be clocking off at 5 pm, any employer these days paying a reasonable salary will expect their pound of flesh.
Find some area of activity you have an interest in and develop your own business then all the hours worked will not feel like work at all.
As you asked for our stories let me share mine. I was not hampered by a university education or a clean well paid job with minimum hours to be worked for a reasonable living. I recall a friend of mine that was bursting to start her own business but found a teacher’s salary and ten weeks annual leave just far too much to give up.
I dare say had my father owned an antique store in the south of England I may also have found myself in similar circumstances. However; my Dad grew up between the two World Wars (hungry 20’s and depression) in the north of England and worked as a blast furnace man in the local steel works. In times of strife he saw the last to be laid off in the steel works were the trade’s men and suggested I at least get a trade. Good advice in the late 1960’s and still not bad today. Today you can see a lawyer or doctor (and probably and economist) 24 hours per day but try and get a plumber or electrician to your house after 5pm on any given Friday!
As a fitter and turner I worked in many industries including steel mills and underground mining. I also spent a couple of years making some real money at the time in a tax free environment in the Middle East. Hot hard work but rewarding and like the steel works and mines character building.
After my spell in Dubai (1977-78) I returned to the UK but having seen marble bathrooms with gold taps and having accommodation with a walk in wardrobe larger than the bedroom I shared with my brother growing up I found it difficult to settle down. I migrated to Brisbane in 1981.
After several different jobs in Queensland I decided to have a go at my own business and sticking to the stick to your knitting rules I started a small mechanical repair shop in Brisbane. I’m not going to tell you it was easy giving up a job with $35 K PA to make around $14 k in business working twice the number of hours. However, at least here I was only competing with 20 million fellow Australians and not 60 million Poms’. I also cut down the competitive odds by simply doing what I promised such as being on site to quote a job at 7 am and finishing contracts on time. You will be surprised just how much of my competition were unable to do just that. There were thousands of similar workshops across Queensland but as my Dad said even if you’re going to be a street sweeper at least you can be the best at it.
The company I founded in 1989 manufactures a range of mining equipment and we have certainly had our share of ups and downs; however, the many hours I put into building this company never felt like real work and in truth I loved it. Building something of your own is very rewarding and satisfying.
Of course you will have the naysayers ready to talk you out of your ideas and telling you times are different now to that I say Taurus Excreta. Clearly we can’t build a car here but we do make an excellent bottle of wine. So young man I suggest you search out a niche for yourself and develop your own business at least that way all the hours put in will be to your own benefit.
Even today a good plumber can make a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year and at least unblocking a few drains is of more value to Australia than the current combined efforts of the bankers, economists and politicians if the current situation the country finds itself is anything to go on!
Mix with bright people avoid those negative to new ideas and cultivate solid relationships with family and friends and don’t lose sight of what’s important to you.
Good luck to you in your future endeavours whatever you decide.
In the end despite any books you may write, how many great buildings you leave behind, any charitable work or great achievements you make in your life attendance at your funeral will be largely dependent on the weather!
