life advice I gave on Reddit

Not sure what prompted me... maybe it was just some random, fatherly impulse to dispense life-advice to a kid who's just starting out, but here's what I wrote on Reddit recently, in response to a young man who's looking to get work without a diploma or a GED (for you non-Americans: GED originally meant "general educational development" and was considered the equivalent of going through a formal educational curriculum, but the initialism has since become like "KFC," i.e., it doesn't actually stand for anything).

What I wrote:

The eternal paradox: to get a job, people want to see that you have experience. But to have experience, you need to get a job.

What are your talents? What do you do well? What is it you want to do first thing in the morning, right after you wake up? Maybe that's the line of work you should be looking at. Search the job ads for something that more or less fits you.

Starting out can be a bit rough, but there are plenty of jobs that won't ask you for credentials like a GED or high-school diploma. Show a willingness to work hard, to be punctual and responsible, to take direction well, to have pride in what you do (even if it's cleaning toilets or scrubbing floors), and you'll find something. As you gain experience, you'll build up a résumé naturally, and you might even discover that you won't need a diploma or GED, after all. There are plenty of high-paying trades out there (plumber, electrician, contractor) where you can either learn on the fly or learn via trade school. You'll encounter bosses and coworkers of all shapes and sizes. Some will be assholes; some will become people you look up to because they always seem to have the answers. These early jobs will teach you about yourself and human nature, the good and the bad.

The regular, traditional route that leads through college and often goes on to a Master's and/or doctorate usually ends with your becoming an academic, and these days, academics aren't exactly respected: they're often seen as ideologically tainted and out of touch with the wants and needs of average folks. Trades, meanwhile, have gained in respectability, especially as people have come to realize (thank you, Mike Rowe) that trades do require a lot of practical knowledge and skill—a background that many "educated" folks in the cities and suburbs just don't have.

Knowing a trade makes you a more independent person because you've acquired skills that you can use to help yourself should a problem arise. If a pipe bursts in your home, you don't have to sit around helplessly, waiting for a professional: you're the professional, and you'll know just what to do. If I had my life to do over again, I'd pick up several trades: electrician, carpenter, plumber, roofer, welder—hell, even a smith of some sort (I watch a lot of Forged in Fire video clips on YouTube and wistfully imagine a parallel life).

In terms of more "cerebral" trades involving less physical work, there's always the option of becoming a coder/programmer. That sort of job pays a bundle, but it also comes with a lot of stress and pressure. If you're artistically inclined, you can find a fellow artist to work with as an assistant, although going the artsy route is often difficult. Same for cooking as a trade: lots of pressure, but you come away with mad skilz.

I'm half-Korean, and among Koreans, there's a saying: "젊어서 고생은 사서도 한다." (Jeolmeoseo gosaengeun saseodo handa—pronounce the "eo" somewhere between "uh" and "aw.") This basically means that you need to suffer while you're young. It's a hardass proverb, and not as idealistic-sounding as when Americans say "Follow your dreams" or "Do what you love." Fact is, you're not always going to find what you love right away unless you're very, very lucky. And very few people in life are gifted or determined enough to actually realize their dreams. My advice: learn from whatever life sends your way, and accept that, even if you have a ten-year plan in your head, your life will probably veer from that plan almost immediately. As Mike Tyson reputedly said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." Life punches us all in the face, and when we look back, after many years, at the path we've trod, we'll realize the route was full of detours.

Anyway, good luck as you look for work and experience. And don't worry if you find work but leave it soon after, thinking it was a waste of time. For people with open eyes, open ears, and an open mind, every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow. There is no wasted time, not if you're perceptive. So I'll leave you with one other Korean proverb: "거거거중지 행행행리각." (Geo-geo-geo joongji, haeng-haeng-haeng nigak.) This means go-go-going brings wisdom, and do-do-doing brings enlightenment. In other words, everything you do is an education. Life—nature—is always teaching you. Open yourself up to experience.

Again, good luck!