....

[Iliad]

You shouldn't decide your college major and your career on this.
But saying that, I myself would like to become some game developer, not so video, I'm more into board games.


But I still have a long way to go

[flashleg8]

wow, thanks so much for all of that advice!

No bother - the others are right as well though, it would be a good idea to seek out professional advice. I wouldn't advise the school careers guidance though, I really didn't get anything worthwhile from mine - I would say a much better stop is to go to the college/uni directly. Ask the course controller exactly what modules/subjects are involved; ask what the current job market is like - how have past graduates have achieved (all colleges in the UK [and I assume the US] keep detailed stats of employment of graduates).
Also go to employers or recruitment agencies that specialise in your potential field and ask them what courses and colleges are the best and most relevant for your field. There’s little point going on a course that all the employers think is worthless - even if you get a good grade. Recruitment agencies know the job market well and are easily found on the internet - if they're not too keen on speaking to you, just tell them your a student or you are wanting to retrain in this field and want to know what is the best place to start (or get your parents to do it) - you could also get some good contacts for after you graduate.

from what you said it sounds like graphic design is the best option...in video games I am a total noob right now, I never thought of actually trying to make flash games in my spare time...in fact I really wanted to just skip all the technical stuff and think up ideas for games But you're right I think graphics design is the best choice, thanks!

I thought that’s what you seemed most interested in. As for the games - perhaps its something you could do as a hobby for now and who knows you might get a break and be able to do it for real. I don't like to be to negative as somebody does this job just now - why can't it be you in the future?


A final piece of advice - much as I loved my Uni days (and I would recommend anyone to go - just for the chance to meet many different people and to continue your personal development as well as to continue your education), have you considered looking to work in this field without going to college? I say this because the 3 or 4 years you spend in college could be spent learning on the job (with associated professional training courses paid by the employer) can give you a massive boost on your peers. You would have seniority and also a much more employable C.V. The initial wage might be lower but after 3 years you would be comparable to a graduate salary and far more employable as you have experience. This must be considered carefully though as some of the later promotions might require a degree level background (though this is often superseded with job specific qualifications) in which you would find it difficult to compete. Again this all varies field to field and I suspect in Graphic Design your personal portfolio would mean much more than a "piece of paper" qualification ever will.

[btownmeggy]

So you're a junior in high school, planning to go to college? If so, you don't need to make this decision for three years and probably shouldn't even try to make this decision for a couple more years.

What you need to focus on now is not a career, but making as good of grades as possible and finding "meaningful experience" in community service so you can get into as good of a college as possible. You should apply to several schools, aided in their selection by your HS college counselor, and decide which is the best fit based on size, location, cost, groove, vibe, and babes. The strength of their "industrial engineering" and "graphic design" programs (neither of which are actual majors at most schools) should be among the lowest priorities as an entering freshman. You'll take classes in a variety of different fields that first year and will finally find something that sort of interests you. Go with that.

[AlgyTaylor]

Pick what you actually want to do. Why the hell would you want to work really hard at college/uni to do a job that you don't want to do?

I went to university wanting to be a video game developer, but I've ended up doing something that is way more enjoyable ... working as a web developer at a telly company (the one that produces Hollyoaks - crap show but it has it's perks, wink wink nudge nudge)

[AlgyTaylor]

I thought that’s what you seemed most interested in. As for the games - perhaps its something you could do as a hobby for now and who knows you might get a break and be able to do it for real. I don't like to be to negative as somebody does this job just now - why can't it be you in the future?

A very, very wise piece of advice.

Whatever you want to do - make computer games, graphic design, whatever .... practice. Practice practice practice. Didn't get the job I've got now because I had a piece of paper that said "BSc" on, got it because I spent a year or so trying to get really good at programming.

A final piece of advice - much as I loved my Uni days (and I would recommend anyone to go - just for the chance to meet many different people and to continue your personal development as well as to continue your education), have you considered looking to work in this field without going to college?

Depends on what you're doing, but I agree with this too. I'm really glad I went to uni, really felt that it changed both me and my attitude to a great many things for the better. BUT, my mate dropped out in the first 3 months and is now doing a job that he loves and earning a higher wage than me because of it. You learn 10x quicker in a job than you do at college/uni.

All I'd say is go to college because you want to learn more stuff ... if you just want to get a job - nothing wrong with that - then go for the job, you'll get to where you want to go much quicker that way.

Finally, as Mr Flashleg wrote in his post and I wrote above - for a lot of things (programming, graphic design) you'll get on much better by being sh*t hot at your job than you will by having a piece of paper.

[flashleg8]

So you're a junior in high school, planning to go to college? If so, you don't need to make this decision for three years and probably shouldn't even try to make this decision for a couple more years.

I'm never that sure of how the US grades go - I was kind of assuming static was 16-17 years old, from what your saying I guess he's a good bit younger!

The strength of their "industrial engineering" and "graphic design" programs (neither of which are actual majors at most schools) should be among the lowest priorities as an entering freshman. You'll take classes in a variety of different fields that first year and will finally find something that sort of interests you. Go with that.

I was kind of basing my advice on the UK (in particular Scottish) University system and hoping it would be applicable. Over here you would generally focus your degree on one subject with one or perhaps two other different subjects as part of your curriculum for the first two years. While these are a free choice in general its better to have these subjects related to your main degree as they are often complimentary (some subjects require mandatory partners). While its possible to change what you will study for your honours course to either of these subjects (I guess that’s similar to what the States call "majoring") or have a "joint honours", in reality your module and course decisions become quite limited by this time.
Many people here do go to Uni without an idea of a final degree choice and purposely leave their options open, but this generally leaves them with a less specialised degree and ultimately less employable in their chosen field. I was kind of a victim of this with my first degree so I would recommend that if you still haven't really decided what you want to do - perhaps its better to take a gap year after school. Not to just bum about - try working temporary as a junior in a few of the different fields you'd be interested in, and perhaps combine it with work in a different country or volunteer work (good for your personal development and you won't get a better chance for a long time). Going to Uni a year later puts you behind in the pay grade a bit, but a years extra maturity might help to increase your academic performance. One you've worked for a year you'll realise what you don't want to do if nothing else!

College in the UK is different still to University (not sure your equivalent), it tends to be more vocational than academic and can help you get a job easier. Generally here you will only study one subject and all your classes will reflect some aspect of it.

[btownmeggy]

Yes, I think Static is about 16-17. I think what you call High school is what we call Junior High or Middle School.

High School here is 14-18 year olds. Nearly everyone goes to state-run, free (what we called public) high schools, though there are private schools (with <2% of all US students, I believe.) These days, most students go on to college (your University) immediately following high school.

There are junior colleges (also called community colleges) which usually just offer 2-year degrees, often in vocational or technical fields, colleges which only offer 4-year degrees (usually in the Liberal Arts, which is just all-around studies, but still with a major field of focus--I went to this sort of school for undergraduate studies), and universities which have colleges in them (for 4-year degrees) but also offer graduate degrees and degrees in specialized fields like Engineering and Architecture. When people "go to college" they could be going to any of these three sorts of schools.

Most colleges and universities are public (state-run and funded) but practically none are free. In fact, I think there are just two free colleges in the entire US with just a couple of thousand students between them. State-run schools cost usually about 1/6 as much for residents of that state as a private college or university (yes, when I say state-run, I mean they are actually run by individual states, not the federal government, though the national government does provide funding). The very, very best colleges and universities in the US are all private, but there are many public schools that are much better than the majority of private schools and cost tens of thousands of dollars less per year. New York University (a private school, and I think the most expensive in the US) costs more than $40,000/year. Berkeley, the best public school and a much better school than New York University, costs about $4,000/year for residents of California. However, most students at all colleges and universities receive financial aid, in the forms of scholarships from the government or philanthropists or (more commonly) through loans from the government to be paid back starting 6 months after graduation or when you drop out.

Anyway, the reason I recommended to static that he needn't consider his career options TOO carefully for a few years yet is because the vast majority of college students in the United States get Liberal Arts degrees (mostly at colleges in universities). You don't even need to declare a major until the 2nd or 3rd year of college! While there are a few people who leave high school and enter into 5, 6, or 7 year programs in Engineering, Architecture, Nursing, et al, they are few in number. Most people who become engineers or architects have liberal arts degrees with a major focus in math, chemistry, whatever, then take another year or two of graduate study.

[flashleg8]

It all becomes clear! Thanks for that. Personally I like Scotland's system Uni and colleges are free - even for the best universities (for your first degree and some subsidies towards post graduate work). The government cut out the living grant to students though (apart form means tested grants based on parental income) so it is not everyone that can afford to fund 4 years of study.

We have probably more privately funded schools (confusingly called public schools) than you do in the States, which I disagree with. This causes problems for gaining entry to universities here as pupils of a public school generally achieve higher grades than their state funded school peers, leading to vast social inequalities at the top universities.

[wicked]

OK, I'm an engineer, Civil not IE, but I went through the Engineering program at VT. First year is weed-out year usually, where all engineers take the same classes - Statics, Dynamics, a CAD class, and a couple other general engineering classes along with the other non-Engineering classes like Math (Calc every morning at 8am for 2 semesters... ugh), English (unless you place out), etc... Actually, at VT, engineers can't declare their specific major until after the first year.

I only took one IE class, and that was Engineering Econ, a relatively simple class. I honestly don't know what an IE does... what kind of jobs does an IE do/get?? Just not something you usually hear about, and I think it was the least studied Engineering at VT.

What is it you like about IE? What do you think you'll be doing? What schools are you considering? I'd look at their curriculums and see if you'd like those classes. All engineers have to take a wide variety of engineering classes to help with the FE exam, which is the first step in getting the PE, a must for any engineer.

If I were you I'd look at the trends of the current job market (there are plenty of websites with this info). I can tell you Construction/Civil is a very hot field right now. I would guess the game developer field is pretty saturated and I don't think graphics designers make a lot of money?

I'm going to give you opposite advice from the others. Don't pick a major/career based on your favorite hobby, if that's not going to get you a high-paying job, or the market is already saturated in that field. I'd suggest listing the classes you like in high school, seeing what majors incorporate those classes, and starting there. You probably won't ultimately end up there, but it'll get you started in the right direction.

Here's my example and why I give this advice... mostly b/c it was given to me when I was your age and it worked for me. When I was in high school, I was really into riding horses, and competing with them, and wanted nothing more than to do that for the rest of my life. My parents, seeing flaws in my plan (namely a very expensive hobby that doesn't pay jack), gave me the advice I'm giving you now.... Pick a career where you can afford to do your favorite hobby whenever you want. So I found a school where I could ride *and* get my career.

So I really liked my drafting/CAD classes in high school, so that's why I picked engineering. I had no clue which engineering I wanted to do, but after I got into my first level engineering classes, I realized Civil was the way to go for me.

So now I have a job where I can afford to travel every weekend and do/buy whatever the hell I want and I'm SO glad I didn't major in horses!

[static_ice]

thanks guys for all of that info, and yes meggy and flashleg I am 17, not a junior tho, I just finished my junior year so I'm entering my senior (final) year.

A final piece of advice - much as I loved my Uni days (and I would recommend anyone to go - just for the chance to meet many different people and to continue your personal development as well as to continue your education), have you considered looking to work in this field without going to college? I say this because the 3 or 4 years you spend in college could be spent learning on the job (with associated professional training courses paid by the employer) can give you a massive boost on your peers. You would have seniority and also a much more employable C.V. The initial wage might be lower but after 3 years you would be comparable to a graduate salary and far more employable as you have experience. This must be considered carefully though as some of the later promotions might require a degree level background (though this is often superseded with job specific qualifications) in which you would find it difficult to compete. Again this all varies field to field and I suspect in Graphic Design your personal portfolio would mean much more than a "piece of paper" qualification ever will.

Well I was thinking I could work as a part time independent graphic designer during college, but you are right the portfolio means more than your resume. I have a friend the same age as me who's been working as a graphic designer throughout high school, and he is extremely talented. He believes that people will hire him not because he's been working for a couple of years but because of his experienced portfolio.

[static_ice]

OK, I'm an engineer, Civil not IE, but I went through the Engineering program at VT. First year is weed-out year usually, where all engineers take the same classes - Statics, Dynamics, a CAD class, and a couple other general engineering classes along with the other non-Engineering classes like Math (Calc every morning at 8am for 2 semesters... ugh), English (unless you place out), etc... Actually, at VT, engineers can't declare their specific major until after the first year.

I only took one IE class, and that was Engineering Econ, a relatively simple class. I honestly don't know what an IE does... what kind of jobs does an IE do/get?? Just not something you usually hear about, and I think it was the least studied Engineering at VT.

What is it you like about IE? What do you think you'll be doing? What schools are you considering? I'd look at their curriculums and see if you'd like those classes. All engineers have to take a wide variety of engineering classes to help with the FE exam, which is the first step in getting the PE, a must for any engineer.

If I were you I'd look at the trends of the current job market (there are plenty of websites with this info). I can tell you Construction/Civil is a very hot field right now. I would guess the game developer field is pretty saturated and I don't think graphics designers make a lot of money?

I'm going to give you opposite advice from the others. Don't pick a major/career based on your favorite hobby, if that's not going to get you a high-paying job, or the market is already saturated in that field. I'd suggest listing the classes you like in high school, seeing what majors incorporate those classes, and starting there. You probably won't ultimately end up there, but it'll get you started in the right direction.

Here's my example and why I give this advice... mostly b/c it was given to me when I was your age and it worked for me. When I was in high school, I was really into riding horses, and competing with them, and wanted nothing more than to do that for the rest of my life. My parents, seeing flaws in my plan (namely a very expensive hobby that doesn't pay jack), gave me the advice I'm giving you now.... Pick a career where you can afford to do your favorite hobby whenever you want. So I found a school where I could ride *and* get my career.

So I really liked my drafting/CAD classes in high school, so that's why I picked engineering. I had no clue which engineering I wanted to do, but after I got into my first level engineering classes, I realized Civil was the way to go for me.

So now I have a job where I can afford to travel every weekend and do/buy whatever the hell I want and I'm SO glad I didn't major in horses!

I was inspired to be and industrial engineer after...watching a video in Algebra 1 during frosh. year . I liked it because these engineers have clients asking them to improve old products, and what the engineers do is they think creatively and efficiently to work out the problems with a product and improve it. This applies to anything from toothbrushes to scanners, and I liked it because I realized that I am a very efficient person and could do alright with that job. Obviously I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much as Graphic Design or videogames, tho, and actually Graphic Designers can have the same wages as Industrial Engineers. Maybe IE's get a lot more pay when they advance to higher levels, but I'm not looking to be so rich if I can get "enough" money doing something that I love.

And videogame designers also can make a lot of money, sometimes even more than engineers, but the problem is this job can also pay very little money on the other end...

Anyway if I choose IE then I was thinking about Washington University in St. Louis. My friend went there as a computer engineer and is doing great right now, and they have a decent art program...I was thinking I could possibly minor in graphic design if I choose IE, but that would probly be a waste of time because I don't think I could get any Graphic Design jobs with just a minor (it also means less training, and my portfolio desperately needs more training )

[wicked]

here's a good website:
http://www.acinet.org/acinet/occ_intro. ... ,&nodeid=1

and an even better one:
http://www.bls.gov/search/ooh.asp?ct=OOH

[static_ice]

oohh thanks

[The Gunslinger]

kinda off topic but...im interested in going into a job that has to do with the media(newspaper, sports to be specific.) so sports journalism, i doubt anyone on here knows much about it but are the classes hard or easy? im guessing i wouldnt have much competition to get a job a newspaper place because the newspaper is slowly dieing. anyone have some info on it?

[static_ice]

kinda off topic but...im interested in going into a job that has to do with the media(newspaper, sports to be specific.) so sports journalism, i doubt anyone on here knows much about it but are the classes hard or easy? im guessing i wouldnt have much competition to get a job a newspaper place because the newspaper is slowly dieing. anyone have some info on it?

if the newspaper is slowly dying I think that would mean that there would be more competition, because there are less jobs open...

[btownmeggy]

kinda off topic but...im interested in going into a job that has to do with the media(newspaper, sports to be specific.) so sports journalism, i doubt anyone on here knows much about it but are the classes hard or easy? im guessing i wouldnt have much competition to get a job a newspaper place because the newspaper is slowly dieing. anyone have some info on it?

You could major in journalism or communication, which are commonly considered two of the easiest majors. However, the competition is VERY stiff for jobs in journalism. If you're very good looking, you could become a TV newscaster, but that's also a hard gig to land. Still, degrees in communication are pretty useful in business, and lots of communications majors end up working in the business field, which is an attractive option to many college graduates with loans to pay back.

[The Gunslinger]

kinda off topic but...im interested in going into a job that has to do with the media(newspaper, sports to be specific.) so sports journalism, i doubt anyone on here knows much about it but are the classes hard or easy? im guessing i wouldnt have much competition to get a job a newspaper place because the newspaper is slowly dieing. anyone have some info on it?

if the newspaper is slowly dying I think that would mean that there would be more competition, because there are less jobs open...

ya i know but i think the newspaper still has quite a bit of time left in it, even if its going to be obsolete eventually, and not many people are interested in that type of job anyway so there will be some spots open.

EDIT: lol i guess i was way off on the jobs being open oh well. as for the t.v. broadcaster, im told i mumble alot so it wouldnt work

[Bertros Bertros]

I know nothing about engineering really so won't comment at all there. I do know a fair bit about the video games industry though.

I don't work in the industry personally but I have a lot of good friends who do work for some of the major international players; Sega, Codemasters, Activision, EA etc Most of my mates are Games Designers or Producers. Though these roles may not be what you initally think of them as, more of that later.

First my general thoughts on the games industry. It is very popular, lots of people want to work on games because they like playing them, hence there is no shortage of people applying for jobs which means two things a) you have to be good at your chosen field to get in and b) don't expect to get paid much, especially not at first. Don't get me wrong if you excel at your field you can earn a lot of money in games but you will have to excel. Secondly its a pretty cut-throat industry, for all the glamour that is associated with it the hours are long, the work is demanding and a lot of the time it will eat away at your passion for gaming. That being said there are great perks, lots of opportunity to work on cool projects (I have friend who produced LOTR online and has been abroad as much as at home for the past year, another who is working on The Golden Compass and has been on the set seeing the movie being filmed and meeting the cast)... Its a double edge sword, as with every job.

So what is a games designer? Most commonly people with the title Games Designers do a lot of project management. Sure they are involved in high-level gameplay design, concepts etc but the bulk of their workload is management, its like a stepping stone into production which is effectively project management. Some games designers do level design and are more creative, others are more production based, its a very generic role which can be very different in different companies.

Where you see three choices I think the lines are a little more blurred. Your artwork is good and shows definite potential to my (relatively (I'm a software developer so I deal with design but am awful at it)) untrained eye. Hows your 3D stuff, use anything other than illustrator, 3D studio max maybe? There is plenty of work for graphic designers in the games industry from in-game sprite, texture and level design to artwork for video cut scenes or packaging or promotional websites etc If you really want to work in games but your skills are in design why not combine the two?

As for university my advice would be go and study something you enjoy and don't worry too much about where it takes you, but make sure you go. I know its clichéd but the fun you will have there and the friends you will make will stay with you for the rest of your life. I studied Marine Navigation and Meteorology for my degree and I spend my days as a freelance .NET consultant so what you study isn't necessarily that important. That being said you obviously enjoy graphic design so it wouldn't hurt to refine your talent and learn some useful skills while your at it

Anyway turned into a bit of a ramble but hope it helps...

[static_ice]

Where you see three choices I think the lines are a little more blurred. Your artwork is good and shows definite potential to my (relatively (I'm a software developer so I deal with design but am awful at it)) untrained eye. Hows your 3D stuff, use anything other than illustrator, 3D studio max maybe? There is plenty of work for graphic designers in the games industry from in-game sprite, texture and level design to artwork for video cut scenes or packaging or promotional websites etc If you really want to work in games but your skills are in design why not combine the two?

As for university my advice would be go and study something you enjoy and don't worry too much about where it takes you, but make sure you go. I know its clichéd but the fun you will have there and the friends you will make will stay with you for the rest of your life. I studied Marine Navigation and Meteorology for my degree and I spend my days as a freelance .NET consultant so what you study isn't necessarily that important. That being said you obviously enjoy graphic design so it wouldn't hurt to refine your talent and learn some useful skills while your at it

Anyway turned into a bit of a ramble but hope it helps...

right now I only know Adobe photoshop, Illustrator, and Imageready, I have no experience in 3D or web design but I'm hoping I can learn that stuff in college...

but yes that is a good idea to combine the two; in one of the art colleges I'm thinking about, the American Academy of Art, two of their graduates went on to design most of the weapons in Halo 2. And I don't haveto stay in videogames if I don't like it, I could just work for other companies. Well thanks that was very helpful.

[flashleg8]

kinda off topic but...im interested in going into a job that has to do with the media(newspaper, sports to be specific.) so sports journalism, i doubt anyone on here knows much about it but are the classes hard or easy? im guessing i wouldnt have much competition to get a job a newspaper place because the newspaper is slowly dieing. anyone have some info on it?

I think AnarkistsDream on here is a journalist - perhaps give him a PM.
I would say start with writing pieces and submit the anywhere you can - even online for free. If people like it you might get a regular slot offer from some of them.
Don't study something like Media studies etc (not offence to anyone who does by the way) - I would say do like btwonmeggy adviced and go for something like English/Journalism/Lit: you can always trade downmarket with a good degree but its much harder to go up market with a poor one

[Bertros Bertros]

Where you see three choices I think the lines are a little more blurred. Your artwork is good and shows definite potential to my (relatively (I'm a software developer so I deal with design but am awful at it)) untrained eye. Hows your 3D stuff, use anything other than illustrator, 3D studio max maybe? There is plenty of work for graphic designers in the games industry from in-game sprite, texture and level design to artwork for video cut scenes or packaging or promotional websites etc If you really want to work in games but your skills are in design why not combine the two?

As for university my advice would be go and study something you enjoy and don't worry too much about where it takes you, but make sure you go. I know its clichéd but the fun you will have there and the friends you will make will stay with you for the rest of your life. I studied Marine Navigation and Meteorology for my degree and I spend my days as a freelance .NET consultant so what you study isn't necessarily that important. That being said you obviously enjoy graphic design so it wouldn't hurt to refine your talent and learn some useful skills while your at it

Anyway turned into a bit of a ramble but hope it helps...

right now I only know Adobe photoshop, Illustrator, and Imageready, I have no experience in 3D or web design but I'm hoping I can learn that stuff in college...

but yes that is a good idea to combine the two; in one of the art colleges I'm thinking about, the American Academy of Art, two of their graduates went on to design most of the weapons in Halo 2. And I don't haveto stay in videogames if I don't like it, I could just work for other companies. Well thanks that was very helpful.

Pleasure... and there is no only in photoshop and illustrator, thats your industry standard where 95% of all the graphic design I work with gets done so your certainly on the right path.

[static_ice]

oh alright, thanks I guess I just need to learn more about photoshop's capabilities then

[Iz Man]

My .02:

This may sound extremely cliche, but you really should pursue what you really find intellectually, emotionally, and mentally stimulating. Money should be somewhat of a factor, but way down the list.

Case in point:

My brother graduated with a Civil/Environmental Eng degree from Clarkson U. He ended up (after a stint in the Army) as an Engineer specializing in hazardous waste management. After a few years, he really felt "unfulfilled", even though he was in his late twenties, single, and making good money. So one day he decided to leave his job, cash in his 401k, and head to California to enroll in U.C. Davis' Brewmaster school to be a professional brewer, a passion he had for years.
Now he lives in Boulder, CO, brews professionally for a couple of breweries, and loves his life (unlimited free beer can be quite a benefit ). He took a HUGE paycut doing this, but he loves going to work every day.
You cannot put a price on that.

[debra79]

Statistics show that the average career changes in a person's lifetime is at least 3.

I say go for the job that gives you the most satisfaction. Life is too short to be mindlessly rumbling along in a job you don't find stimulating, purely because you thought it would give you the best monetary gain.

If you're sensible with your finances you can make a little amount go a long way.

I spent four years straight out of high school completing a degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry, just because it was what people said I should do, and have never worked a day in the field. Trust your instincts (even though male instincts suck ), and do what's best and right for YOU!

[flashleg8]

My .02:

This may sound extremely cliche, but you really should pursue what you really find intellectually, emotionally, and mentally stimulating. Money should be somewhat of a factor, but way down the list.

Case in point:

My brother graduated with a Civil/Environmental Eng degree from Clarkson U. He ended up (after a stint in the Army) as an Engineer specializing in hazardous waste management. After a few years, he really felt "unfulfilled", even though he was in his late twenties, single, and making good money. So one day he decided to leave his job, cash in his 401k, and head to California to enroll in U.C. Davis' Brewmaster school to be a professional brewer, a passion he had for years.
Now he lives in Boulder, CO, brews professionally for a couple of breweries, and loves his life (unlimited free beer can be quite a benefit ). He took a HUGE paycut doing this, but he loves going to work every day.
You cannot put a price on that.

What a story! Thats inspired me to quit my job (kind of similar to your bros old one) and seek employment in a glue factory! Bliss....