i know this doesn't belong here or anywhere else but i trust you guys enough to ask for some advice, so here goes: i am 17 years old and will be entering my senior year in HS in about a month. it's time to start looking at colleges. my two feilds of interest are auto work and computer work. i have read somewhere that auto work would actually be a better feild because it will "never go away", whereas computers are becoming more an more disposible (which i hate), so eventually people won't even be paid to fix 'em, people will just get a new one. this won't ever be true of autos. do any of you work as a computer person and have opinions on this? i enjoy working on both computers and autos but i prefer computers. should i stick with what i like and not worry about what the articles and my own common sense have said will happen (is that an exxageration, anyway?), or should i switch to autos because computers will eventually be treated as 100% disposible. ideas? i trust you people a lot more then someone who doesn't work in computers at all. thanx a million. Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

I say stuff what other people say or tell you to do, Do what ever you feel like and enjoy doing best.

I'd explore both areas. You are 17 and you don't have to make a commitment yet. I'm in my 50s and I have my regular job but still play with computers and cars.

Well, I'm in my early 40's. Prior to getting into computers 10 or so years back I worked as a sheetmetal worker (installing HVAC in commercial and industrial sites), a professional meatcutter, truck driver (semi's - short and long haul), drywaller, roofer and a few other assorted things. Of the previous job's I've had, sheetmetal was the most challenging mentally, and in some cases, physically. I've always been a very physical person and still enjoy a lot of outdoor activities. The rest of the jobs I had, while occasionally interesting, were for the most part, not very challening and in some particular cases, quite boring. Since I first got into computers and computing, I've found a place where I'm really challenged mentally. It's a big field which allows you to find a niche that suits you. My first 2 year diploma course taught me several things. I excell at troubleshooting hardware and software problems. I really enjoy networking and excell at troubleshooting network problems. I thoroughly enjoy domain/network administration. I totally suck at programming........LOL. So after a few years of working as a hardware tech I progressed to domain administration, went back to school for a second 2 year diploma course where I got my A+, Network+ and MCSE cert's (as well as the diploma). Subsequent to that I've worked a lot with hardware, domain and network troubleshooting. I've finally recently settled into a position as a network technician in a university and truly love my job and the work I do. I go to work every day with a smile on my face and come home feeling very good about what I've done that day. What I'm getting at is, you have to find something you enjoy that gives you satisfaction and fulfillment. Some people like mindless jobs like working on assembly lines where you do the exact same thing hour after hour, day after day, year after year. Jobs like that make me want to commit suicide! The job I have presently, and all previous jobs in the computing industry give me the challenges and fulfillment I need to be happy at work. If either one of the jobs you mentioned make you feel that way, then by all means pursue one or both. Like Badboy said, you're only 17....there's no reason you can't do both. Perhaps you could pursue the auto thing while tinkering with computers and computing in your spare time to learn as much as you can and find the areas within the field where you excell and are happiest. A few years down the road, if you're not as happy with the auto job as you hoped, or just feel the need for change, go back to school, get some serious training and pursue a job in the computing industry. Worst comes to worst, you would always have your auto skills to fall back on.

I'm a professional finish carpenter and i tinker with computers on the side. I agree with the above comments. You can do both if you like. People will always need computers repaired and they will certainly always need their cars repaired. I'm 56 yrs old and have been a carpenter for 31 of those. The demand for carpenters is very high in this day and age because everyone wants to go to college. That's not a bad thing, but the trades are suffering greatly. The new breed of tradesmen ( and I use that term loosely) are people from other countries who's work is very inferior to mine. I found that a job that provides service to people will always be in demand. Either way you go, I'm sure you'll do fine. Good Luck and trust your guts. Grasshopper Keep Smiling It makes them think you're up to something...

That's interesting Curt R, I'm in my mid/late 40's & have worked in construction all my life. I have a degree & worked contruction while I was in school & I decided I liked getting dirty, talking dirty & being outside...LOL! I've never wanted to pursue a "desk" job. After I got outta college, I went thru a 4 yr sheet metal apprenticeship program & worked as a commercial HVAC mechanic for about 15 yrs. But in my region, it's seasonal work unless you're lucky enough to get put on a huge project. Getting laid off during the winter was OK when I was single, but after getting married & starting a family, it didn't cut it anymore. I took a civil service exam, scored well & got hired by the state as an engineering technician, partially because of my construction background. Now I work with roads & bridges instead of commercial buildings. I've been doing that for about 11 yrs now. It's worked out well for me...the pay is good, the benefits & pension are excellent. Besides, I knew I wouldn't be able to climb ladders & walk the steel all my life. Now, when the weather's good, I'm in the field...when it rains or snows, I do CAD work in the office (while surfing the internet)...lol! Computers are strictly a hobby that's gotten outta hand. I also have an 83 Harley & play around with old cars too. My Harley's hopped up (bored, cammed, ported/polished, peformance carb & exhaust, different gearing, etc), but it looks stock. The ricers still beat me, but they're shocked when I keep right up with em thru the 1st few gears...LOL! Dragon, You've still got a lot of time to sort things out...money is one thing, happiness is another. Try to find "balance". The way the job market is now, most people don't embark on a carreer & stay with it for their entire life like they used to. No one knows what the future will hold for computers, for cars, for anything for that matter. But if you can do PC repairs/upgrades in your garage or basement in your spare time, you can make some extra spending money...even if it's just to finance your own upgrades. I charge next to nothing for the older systems I throw together...some I just give away. I'm really not in it for the money, I just do it because I enjoy it. ASUS A7N8X-X Athlon XP 1800+ 8.5 x 200MHz 1024MB PC3200 2.5-3-3-7 Asus A9550GE/TD 128MB WinME/WinXP Pro SP1

Here's a thought-The average car today has more computing power than the original space vehicles. You can actually combine the 2 for a very good living.