Need some advice

I trust this forum so I'm going to throw this by you guys.
I am graduating soon, 4 weeks from now soon. I started school with a strong focus on engineering, because math and science was always easy for me in high school. After 3 semesters I started to get bored so I took classes around, eventually taking a economics class which clicked in my mind. It was easy to grasp and I found it interesting enough to major in it. I had already been homebrewing, real basic stuff, for about a year. Ever since I started homebrewing I have lusted after the idea of brewing professionally. I enjoy cooking immensely, mostly because I enjoy it when other people eat my food and love it so much that they eat some more. Brewing is very much the same for me. I feel like I derive a huge amount of satisfaction just from knowing that I can craft something that people other than myself enjoy.
...SO here's the dilemma.
I work on a food truck at the moment. Business is not going so great for our little food truck so I've been looking for more work. I couldn't find more kitchen work because of my brief experience, so I've been looking at mostly office jobs. I've found one willing to hire me that will compensate me generously, like a 40-50K sort of job with plenty of room for advancement. I've also applied on a whim to a local brewery, and the person in charge of hiring was very excited to chat to me. I have another interview on tuesday and I'm fairly confident that they will let me work for them. The job is very low paying, you start out giving tours and helping in the gift shop. I was told that once you're in you can float within the organization no problem. I know some people who work there, and they tell me that they're really bad about paying people. Not that they don't, but rather that they don't ever give people raises. This doesn't concern me as much because I've always figured that brewing professionally is a sort of personal sacrifice you make, doomed to hard work for low pay. I want to do beer things, with beer people, dressed beer casual (their uniform just consists of wearing merchandise from the gift shop) I just feel like I could learn so much if I work for them.

So I'm stuck with this dilemma
should I take the job I've wanted for awhile now, or the job that makes more sense financially.
I feel grossly unprepared to make this decision

Big money full time and brewery part time to start. You are young. See what happens.

Big money full time brewery part time to start. See what happens.

Brewsncrabs said:

Big money full time and brewery part time to start. You are young. See what happens.

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I agree - if you can. If the combination doesn't work, go for the real job. Unfortunately, your career has to be the priority.

My opinion? Take the desk job and cook and brew for your family and friends. I don't know this from personal experience, but have heard that the enjoyment of brewing doesn't always translate when it is a full time job. Brewing jobs are grueling and low paying. I love nothing more than to cook for for family and friends, but I can't imagine doing it for a job. Just my 2¢

I've gotta agree. Life will be a lot more fun when you can pay your bills and enjoy your hobbies. IMO it will be harder to find an office job in a few years with no experience than an entry brewery job.

You are young enough to chase your passion and a mistake will only affect you (no wife & kids I assume) so follow your heart. This is a big moment in your life - will you choose comfort or chaos? The rest of these guys are right - if you can do both then by all means do it, but if you can only choose one thing, let your heart decide. Just my 2¢.

Good point if you have no dependents. Hell you could meet the best beer wench ever at the
Brewery. Who knows ?

Take the brewery gig.

If you start compromising your dreams now, you're in for a long, miserable life.

bottlebomber said:

My opinion? Take the desk job and cook and brew for your family and friends. I don't know this from personal experience, but have heard that the enjoyment of brewing doesn't always translate when it is a full time job. Brewing jobs are grueling and low paying. I love nothing more than to cook for for family and friends, but I can't imagine doing it for a job. Just my 2¢

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Complete agreement here. You're in a position to make good money with a bachelors degree, with room for upward mobility? Couple that with the unpleasant realities of working at the bottom tier of a low-paying brewery and it's a no-brainer to me. Good luck either way.

Aghh. I see why you're looking for opinions! It's just so hard to say. I was a cook (destined to be head chef at small restaurant in a few weeks) right from high school. Took a state government job, non cooking, just for the $$. Then was called repeatedly by a fancy place where I could've been somebody in cooking someday. Been at the state job, doing you-don't-want-to-know-what for 28 years. It worked out well for benefits, etc. Turns out to be the most practical decision.

I hear that a degree won't mean much in the future if you have no experience. After you've gotten financially established, it's easier to get into something like a brewery job than to try to return to the office world ten years out of school.

Now that cooking and chefs are so popular, I wonder what could have been. So my advice is not really advice, nor is it helpful. Let us know what you've decided!

dawgmatic said:

should I take the job I've wanted for awhile now, or the job that makes more sense financially.

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arturo7 said:

Take the brewery gig.

If you start compromising your dreams now, you're in for a long, miserable life.

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Falls a little short of a "dream" on the OPs part, or I'd be with you on that, especially considering his apparent youth and lack of responsibilities.

I appreciate all the advice. The desk job in question only becomes an office job after around 5-6 months. If you've ever had some young people show up at your door trying to lure you away from time warner towards at&t with good deals, that is what I would be doing. After awhile I would manage other people doing the same from the office. Not rocket science by any means.

The brewing goal is literally all I day dream about. My mind has been dead set on this ever since I started. So much so that my swmbo has been on my case about it.
I'm also no stranger to hard labor an low pay, my job previous to this one was a installation job where we stocked freshly built dorms with new furniture.

Bottlebomber is correct about my youth an lack of responsibilities. I consider myself blessed that I haven't knocked up anyone yet and that I'm graduating without any debt. It also makes plenty of sense to just make money an use it to finance my hobby

I will just take my time with the decision, I still have several days to make up my mind. I will go to the interview with the brewery with an open mind and weigh all my options.

Again, I appreciate everything you have to say, I've found this forum to be one of the most helpful resources at my disposal.

If brewing is your dream, keep doing it at night.

Use your weekdays to make money. If you are graduating with a 4-yr degree you should be able to get established in a decent job, and you can grow in that job. Money doesn't buy happiness, true, but poverty sure can make happiness difficult. Some day you might be responsible for a wife and kids.

After hearing about the TW job, I'm doubling down on the brewery.

Brewsncrabs said:

Big money full time and brewery part time to start. You are young. See what happens.

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Bingo! Work for the steady, fat paycheck & SAVE. Then you'll be in a much better positoion to do what you want to do without having to sacrifice much.
Just my 2 cents worth. Regards, GF.

This one's easy. Follow your heart and adjust your lifestyle to live within your means.

Coming out of college you can probably find a job doing more interesting office work but the pay isn't bad. Is there a way you could take the office job but volunteer at the brewery on the weekends? That way you could make some money and see which path you like better. You may get very tired of saying, "beer is made of four ingredients..." every day.

What are your long term goals? How does each fit into it? Will you be happy making low pay for a long time/forever? Will you want to take vacations, buy nice things, have a family, etc. that requires more money than what the brewery pays you? Will either better prepare you to be a brewer or brewery owner? Will you be able to capitalize a brewery after working at low wage jobs?

Don't just think short term, think about the long term, too.

Do what you love and love what you do.

I say go beer, but I understand the financial considerations.

TxBrew said:

Do what you love and love what you do.

I say go beer, but I understand the financial considerations.

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+ Infinity
There's wisdom in this statement from Tx.

Spicemon1972 said:

+ Infinity

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..

The best advice I ever got was "Find something you love to do... Then find a way to get paid for it!" I followed this advice and am truly happy with my decision to take lower pay in exchange for personal satisfaction. I have friends that chose better paying careers but they hate their jobs and dread going to work. I honestly enjoy going to work (most days) and that makes up for a lot more than a higher salary. If you're going to spend 40 hours a week somewhere, it better be a place you like!

I don't make a lot of money by any means. I make enough to get by and live comfortably, but I'm far from rich. With that being said I just passed my 4 year anniversary at my current job. I still like coming in to work. I love my job. I could make more at another gig, but I probably wouldn't like it as much. This is the only job I've ever worked at that I lasted longer than 1 year. I can see myself working here for several more and I don't dread the days I'm here.

Basically the point I'm trying to convey is do what makes you happy and your job won't seem like work.

bottlebomber said:

My opinion? Take the desk job and cook and brew for your family and friends. I don't know this from personal experience, but have heard that the enjoyment of brewing doesn't always translate when it is a full time job. Brewing jobs are grueling and low paying. I love nothing more than to cook for for family and friends, but I can't imagine doing it for a job. Just my 2¢

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I agree.. I have been homebrewing for 20 years now, and have always loved it.. However, once you start brewing professionally you can't just walk away from it for a month. Get a solid income under yourself. Then if you still want to work in the Brewing industry take a part time job somewhere to see first hand what the business is REALLY like.

Thats my 2 cents worth.

arturo7 said:

Take the brewery gig.

If you start compromising your dreams now, you're in for a long, miserable life.

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What he said.
You're already consumed.
Open the gates & let the tide take you. There are no mistakes!

arturo7 said:

Take the brewery gig.

If you start compromising your dreams now, you're in for a long, miserable life.

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What he said. You're already consumed. And skilled. You're ready for risk. You just never know. There are no mistakes!

TxBrew said:

Do what you love and love what you do.

I say go beer, but I understand the financial considerations.

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Words of wisdom. If your beer IS damn tasty & maybe a lil unique, try bringing some to your interview. (at a later time, maybe?)
OR just constantly kick-down your killer beer to your choice breweries employee/brewers until they get sick of you & 86' your ass OR give you a job IN the brew house. Bring em a 6er or a growler of whatever's awesome right now. Like every batch. Until they love you or hate you