End of Cegep.

After the end of my 3 years of cegep, I had a tough decision to make about my future career. It was about my choice of either going to university or to go to work. Both decisions have drawbacks. If I go to college I would not make a wage, but I would get internships, and I would learn the ropes.

Choice 1 : Go to university.

Choice 2 : Go to work.

Go to university.

I went to university, but before applying I had to choose a program related to my cegep program, and I really loved quality control, the formulas to find the yield or the backlash of parts so my choice was between mechanical engineering, and aeronautical engineering. Two closely related programs. Either way I was going to have fluid dynamics classes.

Choice 1 : Mechanical engineering.

Choice 2 : Aeronautical engineering.

Go to work.

I was then working at a shop as a mechanical engineering technician, and I used a lot of calipers to find the tolerances of each part, when I took them out of the vice. Some of these parts were almost invaluable. They were made in mills or lathes, and they had a lot of coolant on them. One day HR asked me to pick between machining or work in conception.

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Mechanical engineering.

After I started university, I got really depressed because of all the thermodynamic classes, and the machining classes but after a semester, our teacher said that we had a lack of on-the-job training, and they said we had to make a choice about our internship. I had the choice between working in the mines or to come back in Sherbrooke closer to my family.

Choice 1 : Work in the mines up north.

Choice 2 : Work in Sherbrooke.

Aeronautical engineering.

After I started in aeronautical engineering, I realized that all the overtime I did as a student was too much, I said to myself that I would rather work, and get my hands dirty in oil then to continue that. Anyway, there was a lot of vacant positions in many companies. Dead-end: start over.

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Becoming a conception worker.

I chose to work in the conception department, and I did a lot of drawing that we call CAD, but I could also become a CAD expert that would use software like Mastercam instead of the CAD software like Solidworks.

Choice 1 : Become a CAD expert.

Choice 2 : Become a CAM expert.

Stay as a machinist.

After I chose to stay as a machinist, I really enjoyed using mills, and lathes but let's say I drilled a lot of holes and a lot of chips were made but one day I got hit by a forklift. Dead-end: start over.

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Work in the mines up north.

After working 80 hours a week in the mines up north, making good money and a premium wage I liked it. They even offered me a full-time job, but I had to quit university. It was a tough decision to make.

Choice 1 : Drop university.

Choice 2 : Decline the mine job offer.

Work in Sherbrooke.

I worked in Sherbrooke as an intern, and I like my job, they offer me to work part-time from home, but I did not but because of university I did not have a lot of time, and then I got a girlfriend, and decided to stay in Sherbrooke to work as a mechanical engineering technician, and I dropped college. Dead-end: start over.

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Become a CAD expert.

After becoming a CAD expert, it was clear that I would not touch Allen keys, and bearings anymore but after a few months of good drawings my boss gave me an interesting offer. He asked me if I wanted to become the director of the CAD department.

Choice 1 : Play it safe.

Choice 2 : Become director.

Become a CAM expert.

After I made many costly mistakes, and I got trapped in office politics my lack of professionalism was too much for the company, and they decided to fire me. Dead-end: Start over.

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Drop university.

I decided to drop university to work full-time in the mines but after making a lot of money, I realized that I was far away from my family, and I decided that I would work closer to home, because the 14-14 cycle is really tiring because working 14 days in a row for 12 hours is bad for the mental health. Dead-end, start over.

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Decline the mine job offer.

After I finished my degree I have another tough decision to do, I either become an engineering or continue in university and have my master. I spent a lot of time working on pneumatic, cleaning chucks, but the only thing that was on my mind was this dilemma.

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Play it safe.

I decide to play it safe because I did not think I was built to manage a lot of people but eventually, it became boring, and I did not like my job anymore because of all the misconducts, office politics and the bias that my boss had towards other colleagues work. I decided to leave the job after a few years doing it. Dead-end, start over.

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Become director.

After becoming director, the CEO of the company decides to retire and asked me to become his successor it is a risk because I am already performing well.

Choice 1 : Become the CEO.

Choice 2 : Stay director.

Do my master.

While completing it I found out that a master is completely useless in my field of study, so I decided to stay with my degree and not have a master. Dead-end, start over.

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Work as an engineer.

As you learn the basics of being an engineer I realized that there are too many tasks, and I decided to take a break because I was overwhelmed. Dead-end, start over.

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Become the CEO.

After becoming the CEO for many years, I had the biggest decision of my life to do. Should I retire or stay for longer to help the company who is doing badly because of the world's economy.

Choice 1 : Decide to retire.

Choice 2 : Keep working.

Stay director.

After a while, the direction board thinks that I was not performant, so they decided to fire me. Dead-end, start over.

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Decide to retire.

I realized that family was the most important thing, so I decided to retire to be with them to take a final break for the years I worked.

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Keep working.

After a few years, I resigned because I realized I was too old to fix a sinking boat. Dead-end, start over.

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