In today’s world it’s almost impossible to function as a successful adult without the inevitable consultation of expert advice. Whether it is health-related, money-related, or simply just too complicated, we all run into a dilemma where we must rely on experts. This is nice – after all that’s what society is for – but more times than not that advice comes with a fee in the form of a professional consultation.
But what if you were friends with these folks? Here are five professionals that, if you ever find yourself befriending, can most definitely help you get through most of life’s burps.
1. Attorney
This is easier than it sounds, because America has more lawyers than it knows what to do with and so the days of legal scholars being inaccessible members of the aristocracy are long gone. Personally I’d peruse the bars closest to your city’s courthouse at around 5 p.m. Knowledge of the law is an incredible asset to have, so if you succeed in ever becoming friends with an attorney, don’t ever pay for legal service until he (or she) has heard your case first and can recommend the right steps to make.
2. Accountant
Someone with even just a two years associate’s degree in accounting can be an invaluable member of your inner circle. Managing money right is a talent most men don’t pick up until after they’ve bailed themselves out of credit card debt. Avoiding that plastic pitfall among many other financial mishaps an accountant can discern is certainly worth having to hear him talk about the 99% of financial knowledge that’s boring as hell and relates to you in no way whatsoever.
3. Automobile Mechanic
This is our third profession that starts with the letter A and another no-brainer – the auto mechanic. This one doesn’t even need explaining, but in case you somehow don’t know why having a mechanic as a friend is important and think watching Top Gear has given you all the knowledge you need, buy a Haynes manual for your car. Did you? It’s a little more complicated than you thought isn’t it?
4. Pharmacist
Why not doctor? Well as I mentioned earlier regarding the bygone era of the attorney, doctors are still kind of hard to come by as personal friends go. Besides, do you really want to be describing the way that boils looks to a friend? A pharmacist or even a pharmacy technician traiing to be a pharmacist will have a plethora of expertise regarding medicine and the way medicines and other health treatments interact with one another. Trust me, as you get older this buddy’s going to help you out a lot.
5. Artist/Craftsman
This is a more general “profession” but anybody with a knack for creativity, whether it is a copywriter or a carpenter, can almost always offer invaluable assistance when it comes to anything from assembling a competitive resume to redecorating your pad to make it more lady-friendly. Most of us don’t have the time to think about these kinds of things, but they’re incredibly important, and any choice you make regarding aesthetics in your personal life should first run through the gauntlet of a professional artist’s opinion.
While I’m not advocating the shallow pursuit of friendship for the sake of free advice, it’s always worth knowing how to get the most out of those around you. Just know it goes both ways, so you better be an expert at something too, besides mooching off your friends.