What's your best suggestion for jobs for traditional Catholics?

Pretty much what the OP said. There's almost no job nowadays in which you aren't "compromised" somehow; that's just the nature of the society we live in. Sad, but true.

Contractor. That way YOU decide who you work for. I contracted for Dell as a field technician, it was great because I got to travel a lot and meet people, and I was basically my own boss. Landscaping and gardening were jobs I always enjoyed when younger because I got to be out in God's beautiful nature. Easy to start your own landscaping business, too. Don't even have to have a mower- most older people have a mower but can't often get out to mow, do the work for them and use their equipment- you both win! Freelance writing for Catholic magazines and other publications. Make and sell rosaries. I make rosaries (though I refuse to sell them, rather I just give them away) and it's easy to learn. For about $15 at Our Lady's Rosary Makers (olrm[dot]org) I can get enough parts and wire to make a dozen nice rosaries. If I sold them they could easily bring $10 each- that's a good profit. I could get the priest's permission to sell them after mass in the parish hall when people are getting coffee and donuts. None of those jobs will make you rich, really, but they can all be very fulfilling. I'll try to think of more.

That brings up another point -- the old days of "I go to work 8 hours M-F, then I have evenings and weekends off to do personal things and spend time with my family" are long gone.

Nowadays you either have to work a part-time job in addition, or you work a series of small jobs (many of them in the category of Self Employment) to add up to "a living".

Yes, many people still have M-F jobs, but they are getting more and more rare. It's getting to the point where that isn't the norm anymore.

I do this myself. I have no less than 4 "jobs" -- and all my programming clients count as one job.

With import visas, you're losing your job to someone who's entered the country to work.

With outsourcing, you're competing against every employee worldwide.

I'd rather compete on the market with a few native & foreign employees, all of which can do the physical work at hand, than do something like Telemarketing or factory work which can easily be moved overseas with the flip of a switch.

I realize that having a skill is not a guarantee of a job. But if you can do something everyone needs (like in the case of a plumber, mechanic, handyman, etc.) you're probably not going to starve. You could go door-to-door offering your services if you had to.

I don't support this American "Empire" thing, but I'd say there's a lot of opportunity in The Military and I think, the government will continue to spend a lot of money in that area, for decades to come.  Lot of opportunities for women too.  I think they're striving for 50%, in that regard and that's where a lot of police will come from in the future.  It would be "nice" if that group of people had good morals and supported the catholic church.  So, work and save to avoid debt and have a decent house and car, get married and have lots of kids and then go back to work once they're raised, to save for your retirement and help your kids.  At least that seems to be the way people are doing it.  Not surprising that leads to a lot of affairs and divorce though.  It's scary.  





 

Unfortunately, the medical profession seems to make unreasonable demands in areas of math and science that seem to be of little use other than weeding out the students who can't jump through each progressivley more abstract and complicated loop of Calculus.

Perhaps I am simply ignorant, but I don't see any practical application of advanced math in the every day occupation of an RN or physician's assistant.

The topic of this thread is quite close to my heart, being a young adult that will be done with college, even should I go on to graduate school, in the next decade.

I'm going to be working on a "useless" degree - music. With maybe a double major in Sociology and a minor in French thrown in the mix.

What am I going to do with the degree? I don't really know, but it simply isn't feasible to change the degree - especially since I'm going to be attending university funded (by over 50%) by the music school.

Post- Bachelor's degree, I don't see much of a future other than odd jobs here and there that I will have probably already begun working during my undergraduate years. Teaching piano can bring in a few hundred extra monthly - and it's not terribly demanding, except time-wise. Being a church organist/pianist can pay reasonably - it's not uncommon for a graduate organ student to make $40,000 + annually with playing the organ for Saturday/Sunday services - throw in the occasional choir rehearsal. Again, not very demanding. I guess when all else fails, I can sit in front of shopping centers and play the violin for a few dollars!

What about the Sociology degree? What type of employment could I seek with it?

I think that after college, I could probably support myself provided I live modestly - which isn't a problem for me. I don't have any reservations working thankless jobs or blending into the backdrop of the mindless workforce, although I'll probably have to buff up a bit before manual labor becomes an option.

The real question is how will I find money to either 1) enter a religious house after to college for recollection and discernment or 2) after leaving the religious house, if applicable, how to find money to support a family.

As eager I would be, starting a family when one is working various odd jobs at the mercy of Protestant music ministry directors, etc seems totally irresponsible.

I've considered both RN and physician's assistanct, but the math is the barrier. I've also considered becoming a mortician. Morbid, yes.

Grow your own food, make your own clothes and produce your own ethanol.  Then you can work at home!