Fat Pants: Epic Win, Or Epic Fail?

[Max Quinn]

Devon Hutchins, Sandy Carson, Mike Sieben (I think that's his name, does shit for T1 (And a few skate companies too)), Harrison Boyce, etc. - they all do art/graphicy shit outside of BMX as a result of doing BMX stuff too, so it's not all one-way traffic

Yer, i'm just saying that from what i can tell skating provides alot more work in that sense and has a bigger (/better) arts scene . More focus on photography/videography/graphic design/deck graphics/branding etc so provides more jobs like that. Just as an example of how you can look further afield to something still strongly related to what you're set on being involved in

[Mark W]

Yeah, I getcha. I guess as the new breed of photographers we need to start changing all that

[Fixed Pants™]

Danny, what's wrong with you? You're being a non cock recently! Haha.

Yeah, good points man, you're kinda doing what i'm gonna do, but i'm gonna be in the Evans job for 2 or so years, then go to college, get into a trade, because, that also interests me.

Right. Main points as to why i'm right/at least not wrong.

Money i'm making now is thousands more than what i'll be paying for college fees when i go to college and have to pay = Glen is up on money.

2nd, i'm not staying there for more than 2/3 years hopefully.

I've worked with SHIT bikes for 8 months so far and still love to ride my bike, fix it etc, so no, working on bikes does not make me hate them... Mate who is very similar to me (working with him, he got me the trial day n stuff)'s dad is a do it all man, he does plumbing to electrician stuff, carpentry etc so i've got a step there if i wanted to go to a company to get an apprentiship, and will also know other stuff which i need to know. Mate is also into bikes like me, he's been working there for a year and 3 or so months now and still has the passion for biking... But thinks in maybe another years time he'll get a plumbing apprentiship n stuff, so it's all good.

Now, it's not an epic fail. Maybe just a bit of a pisser for some enjoyment work.

Edited April 20, 2008 by Fat Pants™

[Rich J]

After reading part of this.... Why not go into FREE eduction... Then after you come out do a job like this if it still appeals. Its not like the job will change and with a qualification youll be able to work for a proper company.?

No. Ok do what you want.

[Tom_]

Go into college now, sure you dont get the 24grand (ZOMFG SO MUCH MONEYSSS!!1!!1!1) over the two year but you go to college for two years, then go into better employment and get like maybe 48 grand over the 2 years after you left... at SOME point you will do college so you WILL have those two years of shitty part time employed college work time... DO IT WHILE ITS FREE YOU TIT!!

It will be free education and theoretically you will get a better paying job at the end..... The glen=up on money thing is totally wrong, in the long run glen=down on money...

Also, on mark and maxs conversation, skating and things would interest me I recon I skated when I was like 13 for a year or so.. and it might be a good direction to go in as it doesnt involve bikes meaning its alot less likley my hobby would become my job and loose its initial apeal. Again its just the issue of getting in, I have currently got very few skills that would be of much use! and have NO idea how I could get into the biz..

Edited April 20, 2008 by Tom_

[Max Quinn]

Also, on mark and maxs conversation, skating and things would interest me I recon I skated when I was like 13 for a year or so.. and it might be a good direction to go in as it doesnt involve bikes meaning its alot less likley my hobby would become my job and loose its initial apeal. Again its just the issue of getting in, I have currently got very few skills that would be of much use! and have NO idea how I could get into the biz..

Yer, i don't think it's an industry you can just jump into to be honest. You'd need the passion for it and probably need to skate or something like it to have the contacts in it if you get me? But i was more using it for an example of other things you could go into, dirt jump/downhill and other mountainbiking are all linked to trials for example and i'd be suprised if you don't know a fair bit about that scene.

[Gavyn.]

Danny, what's wrong with you? You're being a non cock recently! Haha.

Yeah, good points man, you're kinda doing what i'm gonna do, but i'm gonna be in the Evans job for 2 or so years, then go to college, get into a trade, because, that also interests me.

Right. Main points as to why i'm right/at least not wrong.

Money i'm making now is thousands more than what i'll be paying for college fees when i go to college and have to pay = Glen is up on money.

2nd, i'm not staying there for more than 2/3 years hopefully.

I've worked with SHIT bikes for 8 months so far and still love to ride my bike, fix it etc, so no, working on bikes does not make me hate them... Mate who is very similar to me (working with him, he got me the trial day n stuff)'s dad is a do it all man, he does plumbing to electrician stuff, carpentry etc so i've got a step there if i wanted to go to a company to get an apprentiship, and will also know other stuff which i need to know. Mate is also into bikes like me, he's been working there for a year and 3 or so months now and still has the passion for biking... But thinks in maybe another years time he'll get a plumbing apprentiship n stuff, so it's all good.

Now, it's not an epic fail. Maybe just a bit of a pisser for some enjoyment work.

you'd be down on money really, and if those were your main points for staying then you should get an apprenticeship in something mechanical

you'd be on better money, you'd only have to do it for 2-4 years, you'd get the same sense of achievement from building an engine or sorting a compressor as you do from building bikes, and if you play your cards right you can make a shit load more money than you can from college.

[Tom_]

Yer, i don't think it's an industry you can just jump into to be honest. You'd need the passion for it and probably need to skate or something like it to have the contacts in it if you get me? But i was more using it for an example of other things you could go into, dirt jump/downhill and other mountainbiking are all linked to trials for example and i'd be suprised if you don't know a fair bit about that scene.

Yea, over the years I have ridden pretty much every discaplin of bike minus road and cross coutry. Currently im on bmx which I enjoy taking photos of aswell. I have a fairly decent knowledge of the industry, previously I wanted to be a journalist writing for mbuk or somthing but recently I have lost interest in the writing side abit more, and I dont think I have the literacy skills necesary, I dont really have the skills with a camera either although Im happy to learn that as I enjoy it. But to be honest, I dont really have qualifications, so my main way in would be through contacts etc. but living in the middle of no where and currently having none of the skills its abit of an issue...

[Has anyone seen my shoe?]

This thread is an epic fail, theres no point asking opinion if your just gonig to ignore it.

Fat Pants you seem to have a fatal flaw in your thinking that to earn good money you have to behind a desk, go get educated.

People say that degrees have lots they're value, using that logic GCSE's mean f**k all you need more then that.

Go get an apprentiship in some mechanic/engineering based thing you'll get paid to learn have a job afterwards.

What your doing now is a mistake. Quite simple.

[Simpson]

Seems like good money when your living at home.... go into the real world.... especially London and look at renting prices + Bills (internet, leccy, gas etc) + council tax whatever... its a shit load of money

[Muel]

It's pretty obvious that he is going to do it anyway, or he would have replied. The promise of 12k a year is too great for his little mind.

Do you really want to be living with your Mum when your in your late twenties and thirties?

[Fishy]

Why not? Well with his mom anyway...

Edit: There is no point trying to persuade Glen, he's made up his mind and he doesn't listen to other peoples advice unless he asks for it, even if it is a slightly retarded.

Edited April 20, 2008 by Mr Fish

[Tomm]

lol @ £12k/ year.

Take tax, council tax, rent, food, clothes out of that and you're left with about -£2000 before you've spent any of that cash on anything you want to buy or do. And with pretty much zero opportunity for promotion, you're not going to earn next year, or the year after, or the year after

Just, just no.

[Muel]

Why not? Well with his mom anyway...

Edit: There is no point trying to persuade Glen, he's made up his mind and he doesn't listen to other peoples advice unless he asks for it, even if it is a slightly retarded.

He did ask for it...

[Joe_Elding]

I can see where you're coming from, because yes, i do spend all my wages as soon as i get them, but that's because i only get 200ish basic, with Evans, i'll be on 1160 a month i think (think that's after tax) so i will hopefully end up putting a good 100-200 quid a month away.

This was my favourite bit, your gonna be working full time AND at the end of one year only have like 2k to show for it at the end of the year lol. you could have well over that with a part time job + ema if you learnt to stop buying shit

[Fishy]

He did ask for it...

Where?

[Muel]

Where?

I lie, he didn't, he just told us it was happening and we all shouted at him, then OBM made the thread.

[Fishy]

Thank you....

[yoyoyo]

The only thing i can think of that hasn't been said is that if your definatley going back to college to get a better paid job why not do it now. 2 years before = 12k(thats the ampount that always seems to be mentioned) or 2 years after with better pay and probably better prospects to be promoted.

Don't miss out on being a student, i've literally had the best year of my life at uni so far, and college wasn't too bad.

But in the the end it's your choice.

Don't do it

[Luke Drewery]

I worked in a bike shop whilst at school for nearly a year and it was to be frank, shite. I enjoyed it at first but as people have mentioned it becomes incredibly repetitive and most of the bikes you work on are cheap as f**k so they have soft bolts that round, crappy parts that dont fit together properly and are just awful to work on. Building bikes from boxes was what I seemed to do mostly and god it was boring. As a career choice Id really think if theres any other passions you have in life that, with further education, you can develop and use to make a good life for yourself.

[Mark W]

Danny, what's wrong with you? You're being a non cock recently! Haha.

Yeah, good points man, you're kinda doing what i'm gonna do, but i'm gonna be in the Evans job for 2 or so years, then go to college, get into a trade, because, that also interests me.

Right. Main points as to why i'm right/at least not wrong.

Money i'm making now is thousands more than what i'll be paying for college fees when i go to college and have to pay = Glen is up on money.

2nd, i'm not staying there for more than 2/3 years hopefully.

I've worked with SHIT bikes for 8 months so far and still love to ride my bike, fix it etc, so no, working on bikes does not make me hate them... Mate who is very similar to me (working with him, he got me the trial day n stuff)'s dad is a do it all man, he does plumbing to electrician stuff, carpentry etc so i've got a step there if i wanted to go to a company to get an apprentiship, and will also know other stuff which i need to know. Mate is also into bikes like me, he's been working there for a year and 3 or so months now and still has the passion for biking... But thinks in maybe another years time he'll get a plumbing apprentiship n stuff, so it's all good.

Now, it's not an epic fail. Maybe just a bit of a pisser for some enjoyment work.

You'll be paying more than you'll have saved up from Evans if you go to college in a few years, whereas if you go now, you can work at Evans on the weekends (and theoretically not have to pay tax 'cos you're a student? Dunno if that works with college though), so you'll still be earning. In 2-3 years you'll still be on basic pay, whereas if you did an apprenticeship, in a few years time you'll be earning more than you'll ever earn at Evans as a basic salary? Plus it's got massive scope. You could also get some grants from your council/LEA to help you through college now too, so yeah, you wouldn't be 'down'.

I just don't really understand why you'd want to basically waste two years of your life. I wasted a year of mine on my gap year, and by the end of it I was desperate to come to uni so that I'd actually be learning stuff and improving myself. Sitting in a job for 2-3 years is just pointless if you know ultimately you're going to quit it to go BACK to college/do an apprenticeship or something like that. Why not just do it now? You've got plenty of years of menial jobs ahead of you, but not many years of free education.

EDIT: How many hours a week have you been doing at that shop whilst you've been at high school? Just weekends?

[bollo you ball-bag]

Danny, what's wrong with you? You're being a non cock recently! Haha.

Yeah, good points man, you're kinda doing what i'm gonna do, but i'm gonna be in the Evans job for 2 or so years, then go to college, get into a trade, because, that also interests me.

Right. Main points as to why i'm right/at least not wrong.

Money i'm making now is thousands more than what i'll be paying for college fees when i go to college and have to pay = Glen is up on money.

2nd, i'm not staying there for more than 2/3 years hopefully.

I've worked with SHIT bikes for 8 months so far and still love to ride my bike, fix it etc, so no, working on bikes does not make me hate them... Mate who is very similar to me (working with him, he got me the trial day n stuff)'s dad is a do it all man, he does plumbing to electrician stuff, carpentry etc so i've got a step there if i wanted to go to a company to get an apprentiship, and will also know other stuff which i need to know. Mate is also into bikes like me, he's been working there for a year and 3 or so months now and still has the passion for biking... But thinks in maybe another years time he'll get a plumbing apprentiship n stuff, so it's all good.

Now, it's not an epic fail. Maybe just a bit of a pisser for some enjoyment work.

seriously do you know hoew hard it is to find an apprenticeship. u cant do n appreniceship with a do it all man as o get on the college course the employer must have all the relevant qualifications (not just experience. i did college for a year at 16 i did engineering it was boring. i quit after a year of the 2 year course and left college with nothing so in effect a wasted year. i got a job on crap money. but then i looked at everything seriously. i have 10 gcse's. i spent 14 months trying to find an employer to do an apprenticeship of any kind with. im now an apprentice electrician. i earn around 10 k a year and im in my first year.think about it dont waste 2 or 3 years earning crap wages and getting no qualifications

[Luke Rainbird]

Money OR qualifications

vs

Money AND qualifications

I know what I'd do

[Fish-Finger-er]

also thought id add to this, fat pants, youve got into the whole "make money, spend money, buy sh*t, play with sh*t for a bit, hoard sh*t" mentality, your used to being able to spend money, once youve got used to that, going back to being a skint student is pretty much impossible.

[Fixed Pants™]

Take tax, council tax, rent, food, clothes out of that and you're left with about -£2000 before you've spent any of that cash on anything you want to buy or do. And with pretty much zero opportunity for promotion, you're not going to earn next year, or the year after, or the year after

Tom, i'm 16. I don't pay council tax, rent or for food, as guess what, I'm living at home! I spend a maximum of 150 quid on clothes every 2-3 months, and only plan on giving my mum around 200 quid a month, because she'll be losing 300 quid from child benefits (single parent, don't start on pikey stuff etc)

I'm also not planning on staying there for more than 2/3 years so i'm not bothered about promotion.

= your post loses.

I worked in a bike shop whilst at school for nearly a year and it was to be frank, shite. I enjoyed it at first but as people have mentioned it becomes incredibly repetitive and most of the bikes you work on are cheap as f**k so they have soft bolts that round, crappy parts that dont fit together properly and are just awful to work on. Building bikes from boxes was what I seemed to do mostly and god it was boring. As a career choice Id really think if theres any other passions you have in life that, with further education, you can develop and use to make a good life for yourself.

FFS! I'm not you! I'm getting seriously pissed off with people saying that they hated it, i'm still more than enjoying Halfords with shitty bikes, and considering i'm going to Evans who sell bikes upwards of 2 grand, i don't think i'll have the problem of cheese bolts.

[/end of aggressively typing, just so you can gauge the anger in the above writings]

You'll be paying more than you'll have saved up from Evans if you go to college in a few years, whereas if you go now, you can work at Evans on the weekends (and theoretically not have to pay tax 'cos you're a student? Dunno if that works with college though), so you'll still be earning. In 2-3 years you'll still be on basic pay, whereas if you did an apprenticeship, in a few years time you'll be earning more than you'll ever earn at Evans as a basic salary? Plus it's got massive scope. You could also get some grants from your council/LEA to help you through college now too, so yeah, you wouldn't be 'down'.

I just don't really understand why you'd want to basically waste two years of your life. I wasted a year of mine on my gap year, and by the end of it I was desperate to come to uni so that I'd actually be learning stuff and improving myself. Sitting in a job for 2-3 years is just pointless if you know ultimately you're going to quit it to go BACK to college/do an apprenticeship or something like that. Why not just do it now? You've got plenty of years of menial jobs ahead of you, but not many years of free education.

EDIT: How many hours a week have you been doing at that shop whilst you've been at high school? Just weekends?

Paragraph 1, Evans only pay minimum wage for part timers as far as i know, so that'd be pointless. And can i not get grants to help when it's not free? Is that not more logical?

Paragraph 2, enjoyment. I don't mind wasting 2 years of my life while i'm young and don't have many cares in the world, i'll havg at least 400 quid a month spare, sometimes up to 600 so i'm gonna be having fun. Then when i've had my fun, i'll go get a 'serious/normal' job. Cba to go to college now, i'm pissed off with school and need a nice long break

I've been doing 9 hours a week at Halfords, Wednesdays 5 till 8, Sundays 10 till 4.