Career Goals?

[Aethra]

For years, people have been telling me that I need to pick a career like yesterday, and that if I didn't, it would be okay, I just probably wouldn't be as successful as everybody else. At least, that's what they said between the lines. It always bugged me because I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Feeling the pressure, I toyed with a bunch of different ideas (marine biologist, English teacher, lawyer, softball coach--seriously, all over the board) before I decided to stop trying to please all the annoying adults.

Recently, though, I have decided what I would like to do with my life. Of course this revelation came to me at the perfect time: right after I'd finished applying to college. *eyeroll*

But I was wondering, to all you older folks out there (by which I mean, older than me), did you actually end up in the career you wanted for yourself when you were younger? If not, how did you end up what you're doing now?

I'm just curious. I'd like to hope that I'll actually end up doing what I want to do, though I'm not sure I actually have that much faith in the way the world works.

 

[Dancing man]

Hey as long as you dont do what I did. Stick college out. Now im stuck in warhousing for a losuy wage, all because I quite college.

 

[white avenger]

My career was a "path of least resistance" sort of thing. In high school, I wanted to be an English teacher and a writer. I was trained in the Navy to be a communications electrician, so when I got out, I took what I intended was to be a temporary job as an electrician with Georgia Power Company just to make a living while I attended college at night. Forty years later, I'm still in my "temporary" job, planning to retire in just over a year.

 

[Blondie Bear]

I originally wanted to be an actress. More specifically, I wanted to play Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. Then I decided I wanted to be a writer. Then I decided I wanted to be a music teacher. I actually started to major in music but learned that most of those people are uptight snobs, so I switched over to English. I'm graduating with my Master's degree in English on Saturday. I plan to get my PhD (would be getting ready to move in order to do that if schools weren't stupid), but right now I'm looking for a teaching job and desperately slinging short stories at magazines and novel queries at agents.

 

[Tueuse de Vampires]

I'm not significantly older than you, I'm just about to go to college this summer (we have 13 years of school here, so when we go to college we're a little older (I'm actually one of the younger ones)
Ever since 9th grade I knew I wanted to study Psychology. It's like one of my greatest interests, I find it absolutely fascinating. Well, but my grades weren't good enough to study it here in Germany (due to our so called NC (=our average grade at school)). I almost gave up my dream and wanted to go for language study instead (which is also kind of fascinating) BUT my parents didn't want that (not that they were satisfied with psychology, no, but there you at least get beter job chances). Then they even suggested I shouldn't go to university at all and rather do an apprenticeship. It all ended when they sent me to this talent research in January. They did loads of tests on me, with the result that I should most definitely go to college, as I'm extremely theoretical and lack both interest and talent for most pratical things. They then suggested some things I could study: law, teaching, computer linguistics, economics and psychology. So you can imagine how happy I was they actually found I was quite suitable for psychology (smart enough to really go to university, and also fitting emotional and social talents). The catch was I couldn't go for it in Germany (as I've already explained). So now I'll go to the Netherlands. It's not going to be able, as they expect me to know 4 languages, including perfect Dutch, which I've just started learning pretty recently. But I'm determined now to reach my goal!

Actually, thinking about it, everything turned out as I wanted, mostly. On top of the psychology thing, I always wanted to study outside of Germany. Sure, I had Britain, Australia, Russia or the Stated in mind, but the Netherlands work for me as well. And, as an extra, I get to learn a new language, something I also wanted.

 

[Aethra]

I'm glad to hear everything worked out for you! I always thought psychology was interesting, until I took a class on it that was presented in a manor I didn't quite like. Too much bookwork for me! I plan to take it next year though, as I'm still quite fascinated.

One of my friends is actually spending a year in the Netherlands right now, actually. She graduated early and applied for a bunch of different programs in four or five different countries, picking the Netherlands in the end. I can't wait for her to come home though... I miss her dearly!

 

[randiann]

I'm still in college, and haven't quite figured out what exactly it is I will do. I have one more year, and I will have a BA in Native American Studies, and possibly a minor in Anthropology. Still undecided as to whether I should go to grad school or not...I have a scholarship that will follow me all the way through my doctorate if I want it, but my choices for study for my masters are limited with it...I think I will eventually go into working with different tribes here in Oklahoma, I want to help improve healthcare, so maybe something with IHS (Indian Health Services), although I've also thought about going into tribal politics....don't know if I'm corrupt enough to dabble in politics though!

EDIT
Was gonna say that for now I'm a telephone operator making like $8 an hour, so definately have to finish college! Everyone go to school!

 

[Rebecca]

Like you, I never knew what I career I wanted. I just wanted to stay being a kid forever! I went to an all girls private school where everyone was expected to become doctors or lawyers or some other high salary job, and most have my childhood friends have gone on to become just that.

From a young age most kids decide on what they want to become, one week its a nurse the next it's a pilot, but I can tell you that I never ONCE thought of anything I wanted to be. I did my GCSE's at the age of 16, then my A Levels at 18. I then decided to go to uni to study English Language, however I still had no idea what I wanted to become! I left uni at 21 but even then I still didnt know what I wanted to be.

In fact, it was only this time last year when I finally decided on my career choice - I wanted to become a teacher. So in September I enrolled on a SCITT course in a school nearby, which means I'm full time teaching with a qualified teacher, and once this school year is over I'll be a fully qualified teacher myself.

What I've always been told is "Life is what you make of it", it doesn't matter what situation you're in or what job you have, as long as you're happy. Some people may say different but even at the age of 17, you're still young! I think it's great if people have a goal in life, but I wouldn't worry if you don't. Just get your head down and you'll be fine 🙂

 

[randiann]

^^Yeah guys, but I don't know if I can take 6 more years of school plus kid plus part time job. It wears on you! I'm happy to just be getting my bachelors (in a year) right now, I'll worry about grad school after finals...

Plus I'm really limited on what I can get my master's in. With my major, it's gonna make it hard to get into one of these specific programs...we'll see

I have to pick between like math, physical sciences, teaching, library science, public health, and a few others. If anything, I'll prob do public health.....

 

[Aethra]

I know that it doesn't matter like everyone says it does. I was just curious as to how many people actually end up doing what they'd always planned at around my age. It doesn't seem to me that many people would, and I think the whole idea of deciding your future at 14-15 is ridiculous.

At my school, all sophomores have to do this career workshop. There's a test and computer programs and everything--we even had to write an essay on how we felt about the results. Well, my test told me that my future was to be as a word processor, which just became a huge joke among my friends (hmm, having a "Hey Arnold" flasback 🙂). Honestly, though, word processor? wtf.
So by the time we got to the computer program part, I was sick of the whole thing already and I blew it off, choosing a random profession and a random college. Ironically, though, that random profession is now actually my goal, and I considered that random college for a while.

EDIT
Was gonna say that for now I'm a telephone operator making like $8 an hour, so definately have to finish college! Everyone go to school!

Haha I know what you mean. I just recently started a new job making ice cream sundaes at a restaraunt for $8 an hour. Before that I had a worse income. I started at $7, and after seven months of working there, was only at $7.25. My boss was frugal, and the only reason I got the lousy raise was because I had to take online classes to become a Certified Sandwich Artist. Yeah. I know. Anyhow, both jobs require customer service, and some choice customers out there have definitely given me extra drive to finish college. I hate people!

 

[Joyce Summers]

My friends always used to make me panic about their well planned out career goals. They were like 'And then I'm going to do this and this and so I'll be able to apply here and do this and by the time I've done that I'll be ready to this and then I'm going to be a...'.

I went through several different phases of what I wanted to be though. When I was very little I wanted to be a ballerina and so my Mother enrolled me in ballet classes, but after a couple of years I watched Animal Rescue and decided I wanted to be a vet so I was all over that for several years. When I got to High School I was still a little clueless- I wanted to get that same zing everyone else seemed to be getting about certain careers. I then decided I wanted to teach English (Or possible be a writer but since they were linked I thought what the hey) so I focused on that and really thought that was where I was going, but well I was happy I had direction I still didn't feel the zing.

Then I auditioned for the school play (for credit and for fun since it was me and a group of friends). It was Dracula Spectacula (Ironic, considering the board I'm posting on, I know) and none of us knew whether we had the guts to go ahead and actually sing and recite lines in front of a music teacher. We eventually did though and I auditioned for the role of Miss Nadia. And erm...got the part. It was a decidedly pleasant surprise and it while I was rehearsing and then eventually doing the final perfomances that I realized THAT was what I wanted to do. And considering how I used to act our Disney movies and pretend I was Anna in Rogers and Hammerstein's King and I when I was little, it kinda made sense.

I got the acting bug there and then. And I haven't looked back; I love acting. It's challenging in an entirely fun way.

The only downside to that realization was that when in High School you tell people 'I want to be an actress' people don't take you very seriously. Even my Mother was like 'Yes, but what ELSE would you like to be? Wouldn't you like to work in a nice publishing house?'. The concept of nine to five type work has always scared me though because it just seems too restrictive for me and so acting fit in with that criteria as well- my mind was not to be changed. But after several people- friends and family that is- taking what I claimed with a pinch of salt and dismissing it as a phase I learnt to keep my mouth shut. Until I landed a role in A Dream Play. (A very odd yet intriguingly enjoyable play. It was especially fun because around forty different parts are shared between just around ten to twelve actors so you get to play many different things) Then I was basically able to go 'AHA!' to all those people who didn't take me seriously.

My point is I didn't realize what I wanted to do until it came out of nowhere. Really I should thank for my friends from school for being such silly idiots as to want us all to make fool of ourselves auditoning for a teacher we didn't like.

 

[Chocolate-Drop]

I don't know what I want to do at the moment. I keep getting told to carry on at school but I don't know if I want to.
I think I'd like to be a teacher, but I find it hard to relate to people so that probably won't be a good idea.

Also, I just don't like education. I'm not good at it, because I don't respond well when people push me so its kinda hard to 'achieve my full potential' and all that rubbish.

 

[RogueHunter]

The majority of people I know are not in the field they went to school for. A little thing called life generally gets in the way.I started off majoring in business and management and was bored to death, so I switched my major to art after my first semester. I was putting myself through school, then my parents died, took a year off and ended up in management which i did for 10 years. Then my Kung Fu teacher went into missionary work so he asked me to take over the school for him.
My advice is to look around at things that interest you where there is an actual market for a job, but not so specialized that you can't move laterally. You never know where life will take you, just be ready to change with the changes.

 

[NightBird]

I wanted to study law from about the age of 10, I don't know what I liked about lawyers or the idea of being one but it's what I wanted to do.

This was until I hit 6th form (for guys and gals in US, 6th form is like the last two years of high school but we get to pick what we want to do), the head of 6th told me that uni's don't like you to study Law at A level (british qualification) so do something else.

I did Biology and Psychology, and to be honest I messed about and ended up leaving with pants grades.

I then enrolled on a music course, but it wasn't ran all that well and I left.

Then bam job hunts.

Somewhere in 6th I decided that I want to write my own comics and thats now what i'm working towards by doing a part time course.

I don't think it matters when you figure out what you want to do, as long as once you do, you try and do it, no matter how long the road may be.

Life is way too long to spend it doing something that you really don't want to.

I hope you find your calling soon.

 

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

i happened to be one of those people who kind of always had some idea that id be following my writing. When i took a journalism course as a senior elective in high school i realized that was the route i wanted to take. So i am now a Media major, English minor and ill be graduating in the fall/winter.

But even that is pretty, well, broad. Im not even sure WHAT journalism i want to do. Newspaper, magazine? Print, online? I guess im leaning towards one of two things. Travel or video games. But i know it may take a job or two doing other things before i get into what i absolutely want or love. But thats ok, i like the idea of not holding the same job for the rest of my life. I could do copy editing, or go into publishing, or public relations... i like the openness of my choice i guess.

 

[Aethra]

Well I've just recently realized that I'd really love to be a film editor. I just have nooo idea how to get on that track, other than the obvious film major. So that got me to wondering where I'll actually end up. That and my new job, where I realized that so many people live off waitressing. All of which prompted me to ask you guys. But we're supposed to get school/career counsellors next year, so maybe I'll just wait 'til then to think about it any farther! Honestly I don't think I can do anything about it now anyway.

 

[Lou]

Although, it's a little absurd to think you can live 17 years (2 of those not really even able to communicate with the world at large) and decide what you want to do with the next 50 or so, I think that it IS a good time to examine what you LOVE to do.
It's weird. I know so many people who "chose" due to other things. Some because they picked a career that they were "expected to" or would give them loads of money, some life just took over. Oddly, the ones who had life take over or picked something they really loved....they're happier.

I didn't really like much of anything else. There wasn't much deciding for me. I wanted to draw. I WANTED (when I was 17) to do Disney movies. That was before I lost faith in Disney and before they seemingly switched to computer generated everything. My Dad may not have been thrilled with my decision at the time, but he knew better than to try and push me into something else. I didn't want to do computer generated art. I didn't want to be an architect. I just wanted to draw. Life "took over" twice.
The first time, I was forced to work at many random restaurants, answer phones, work at a vet, work at Home Depot...lots of stuff. And I LEARNED SO MUCH, it was fabulous.
Sadly, none of them brought in much money.
So, when we had a kid on the way, it didn't make any sense to work solely to pay the daycare, and life took over a second time.
I was bored. Not that I didn't adore my son, but I felt so cut off from the rest of the world. And my sister popped up one day showing me all these artists on eBay. When I started, it was only to pay for more supplies and continue to paint. Then it just grew. Last year, I was able to support the whole family, pay the mortgage and keep us nice and afloat when my husband lost his job. I bet I put in more hours than I would have if I was being a secretary someplace. But, it didn't SEEM like it was that bad because I loved it. I still catch myself working that hard sometimes....just for kicks.

 

[Hello Cutie]

Well, I always wanted to be a world-famous professional ice skater, like Torvill & Dean. No thats not me being stupid- i actually am a professional now, yet I was made to stop competing when I was 14 and my mother decided that education was more important. I was gutted, because I was under-18 champion at 14, and had I carried on, probably would have competed in the last Winter Olympics. However, I did get to take some teaching courses, and as a result am a qualified ice skating teacher.

So, being unable to follow my dream in that respect, I decided to be a solicitor. So here i am finishing my last year at university doing my first degree, and I have a job over the next year working at a criminal solicitors. I knew it was going to be hard work, but I wasn't prepared for how little I was going to enjoy it, so I've taken a year out to work in the profession to see if I could actually enjoy it once I'm finally qualified.

I'm a little scared actually, because if I decide not to do it, I really don't know what else to do, so I admire that you want to follow your goals and do what you want to do- I'm worried that even if i dislike it, I'm going to continue towards that aim because i dont want to have to sit down and figure out what else to do.
And if i do like it.... well I'll end up being a real life Lilah Morgan 🙂

 

[Legate Damar]

When I was 16, I didn't know what I *wanted* to be, but I thought that being an engineer would be tolerable. So since it was the hardest set of courses in college (and therefore much easier to transfer out of than into) I started studying that. Then nothing else really came to me that I'd rather be doing, so since the pay was good, I finished my degree and started working. I've been doing it for 7 years now. It beats the hell out of service jobs! It's pretty good, but it's not phenominal (in that I don't feel like it's what I was meant to do) but at this point it would be tough to switch (since everything would be a pay cut.) The truly smart ones are the ones who get the engineering degrees so they have that option available to them in the future, but then become a ski instructor or a fishing guide or a band member or whatever for 2-3 years. They have their good times, then when they're ready to make real money, they have the engineering degree to fall back on.

 

[Aethra]

Part of me wants to let life happen the way you all say it does, but another part really wants to have a goal and achieve it, just to spite my father, who would force me to be a computer scientist if he could, despite the fact that I fail at computers. I had to take a programming class (outside of school), and somehow managed to pass with top marks while having no clue what I was doing (softball practice interfered with the class, so I only made it to about every third one or so 🙂), and then I had to do an internship in the Computer Science department of the state college for two years and I hated it, passionately.

And if i do like it.... well I'll end up being a real life Lilah Morgan 🙂

Oh dear! The world is not ready!