How did you choose your career?

[bubbles]

How did you get into your current career? Do you like it? Why or why not?

I'll start first:

I'm a student. I have no idea why I'm a student; it just seems like a natural thing to do since most people continue their education beyond high school. I also have no idea about what to major in (that's part of the reason why I started this thread, but I don't want the thread to focus on helping me find a major. I want to hear about others' experiences.)

[apotheon]

I was so burnt out on doing academics after high school, I knew if I went to college that I would not be focused and just not do a good job. I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field so instead of going to college I joined the military. After being in the military for 7 years as an 8404 Corpsmen (think combat medic) I am now 5 months away from leaving the military to start my journey to achieve a M.D. in emergency medicine. Do I like it? Yes, I will say that I have had my happiest times in my life and the worst times hanging out with my Marines and working in a busy E.R. Also I am very hungry to get back to school and start learning more. Just to think it only took me 6 years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, most people never figure out what they want to do.

[INTroJect]

Bubbles. If you figure out how to find that specific perfect career please let me know how you came to it. I was flopping around at 18 looking for 'the definite answer' and I am still have that floppy undertain feeling 9 years later. The BEST thing that I did to get some direction was to learn that I was an INTJ and DISC. I find that when I step into things that are outside of that, rather than just being 'ok neutral' to what I am doing I am completely against it. Ill b following your progress in this thread.

[Pinkie]

I'm a student because I want to learn things, but also because I wanted to meet like-minded people. And I have ^__^

[MichaelH]

I think it's harder for INTJs to figure out what they want to do than for other types. Most types have a follow-the-leader attitude and naturally drift along from one job to another. INTJs are independent enough to see their own abilities, and envision exactly where those abilities could take them if the INTJ invested sufficient time.

The problem is, we've only got one lifetime, and realizing our abilities could occupy several centuries. My best advice is to try different things you're interested in. There's no one purpose to your life unless you choose it. You'll know when you're on the right track by your comfort level doing what you've chosen, and also your feeling of accomplishment.

In my case, I was sure I was going to be a computer programmer. When I went to college for it, I found I was getting really, really bored, and transitioned into electrical engineering. I enjoyed the classes more, but in retrospect changing majors may have been a mistake.

In a weird twist of fate, I got a job programming, and was soon miserable. I interviewed for an engineering position and bombed. (No self-deprecation here, just an honest assessment.) I'm now working as a college instructor and enjoy it much more than the other two positions. (At least, for now...)

[Kfbr]

I'm a Poli Sci major on campus and one day after a particularly meaningful discussion in class about 'armchair politics', I saw a sign about the student government. The elections were coming up and they wanted students at large to run so I figured I would cowboy up and run.

I led an aggressive campaign, learned a lot about myself and now I represent students at 3 campuses. I have the freedom I need (don't really have a boss) and the intellectual creativity as well. I'm free to create my own end goals and the path I choose to get there. I work directly with 10 other students and leading them is a great challenge. It's the most fun I've ever had at a job (I can't believe they pay me to do this!)

Eventually this will lead me to law school, afterwards I want to campaign on the state level.

[rwyatt365]

When I was in grade-school there was one of those tests that showed "what would be your best career". I don't know if this was Jung, or MBTI-based as this was in the late-60s. What came up was that I should be a computer programmer. My first thought was, "No way, I'm going to design cars!", as cars were (and still are) my passion.

During college I was in a co-op program with General Motors (see…cars!) and worked at the GM Tech Center for Chevrolet while going to school. After graduating I turned down several offers from major companies to go work for GM at their Proving Grounds (where all of the pre-production tests are done). To me, that was my dream job because I was surrounded by "car stuff", and working on prototype vehicles every day!

Somehow, early in my career, I got involved in a project where the engineers had to plot out some test results using a Tektronics Graphical Terminal. Since none of them knew anything about the terminal, and I was the junior engineer I got the "crap job" of figuring how to make the plots. This involved learning BASIC and writing a program to import the data and draw the plots. (Unfortunately) I had a knack for doing this and was quite good at it. So good, in fact, that I became the go-to guy for writing BASIC programs. From there I "graduated" to FORTRAN and from FORTRAN to (DEC PDP-11) assembly language. The next thing I knew, I was the de-facto departmental programmer for the entire lab where I worked at the Proving Grounds.

That was the "beginning of the end". From that point on – in one way or another – I was trapped in IT. I've moved from programming, to hardware infrastructure, to supervisor/manager, to architect – but always in the IT arena. So, I guess that first assessment was right – I was always doomed to be in IT!

[Snuggles]

I was where you are now, 4 years ago!

Really, I felt, and still do feel... the same way. My life is really broken down into the very generic "do this, now do this, now do this..." type of living... what kind of living is that?

However, it has led me to be 'successful' thus far in life... I applied to a bunch of colleges... ended up going to one because they won the national championship in basketball while I was up there looking at the campus.

I applied for the business school... but got placed in engineering school... I just said, whatever, I have no idea what I'm doing...

Now what drew me to continue in engineering was how hard everyone was telling me it is... 'oh you'll have no life if you do this' ... 'half of us won't make it' blah blah blah...

This only motivated me more to keep going. I had some rough semesters, even changed majors within the school a couple of times until I found Electrical Engineering. Known at my school as the 'hardest engineering discipline'

I fell in the love with the idea of playing with signals since I was really into music at the time. It's just a ton of neat stuff and it's always changing. There is always something new and you are useful at every company.

Right now I work for a large corporation. It's not exactly what I thought I'd be doing, and it's not always exciting, but still, I'm learning everyday, and I know how much I can grow and develop here.

So seeing as your an INTJ, you've probably got the math and logic skills... that's half the battle. The other half is applying what you learn, and when you get going on something pretty big, or others depend on your abilities to carry them through a project, it can be quite a satisfying ride!

[terencec]

I am not interested in dealing with people but good at/interested in dealing with data and things. There are really not many career choices for me! Maybe the career(s) choose me instead I choose the career.

I don't very love it and I don't very hate it. It is just a job to support living.

[curious1]

I was so burnt out on doing academics after high school, I knew if I went to college that I would not be focused and just not do a good job. I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field so instead of going to college I joined the military. After being in the military for 7 years as an 8404 Corpsmen (think combat medic) I am now 5 months away from leaving the military to start my journey to achieve a M.D. in emergency medicine. Do I like it? Yes, I will say that I have had my happiest times in my life and the worst times hanging out with my Marines and working in a busy E.R. Also I am very hungry to get back to school and start learning more. Just to think it only took me 6 years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, most people never figure out what they want to do.

How old are you? I like this story as I am also about 25 years old(less than 3 days). Will you be starting from scratch or will you receive any credit for your training? It is nice to hear that someone else exists that is 25 years old (about) with an interest in medicine that is starting from scractch.

[ankeshkothari]

I started web designing while in high school for pocket money. That led to me starting my own website. Got lucky - found a mentor - who taught me to take things to the next level.

Am now in the position of systemizing my 14 websites so that they run without me.

What do I want to become? An investor.

I think investing is a good business for NTs. There is constant learning. And if you set systems well, you can setup companies to run without you - and replace yourself when you get bored of a particular venture.

Investing is the ultimate "meta" occupation.

[karen]

For me it was very organic... I decided to go into art because I'm good at it... then I took a botany class my sophomore year in college and I decided on science then and there and ended up essentially adding a year of school onto my roster and then though my degree is a major in zoology with minors in chem and geology, I have veered towards genetics as my interest. Then I met my husband who was a social studies teacher and decided to get hired with him as a science teacher and I'm doing that for now until I can afford grad school. I think its just essential to learn to go with the flow. Don't push it, don't stress, and don't pass up a decent job in the field. A job as a lab assistant, or an internship, etc. will either help you gain experience and a taste for a field, or at least help with references.

[apotheon]

How old are you? I like this story as I am also about 25 years old(less than 3 days). Will you be starting from scratch or will you receive any credit for your training? It is nice to hear that someone else exists that is 25 years old (about) with an interest in medicine that is starting from scractch.

I am 25 years old, and I will be a 26 year old freshman when I start at UCONN. I will also be receiving credit for my military training. It worked out good for me, when I started, I went from wanting to be a RN, PA now I am dead set on being an Emergency Room M.D. and will not waiver. I am still undecided if I want the military to pay for my med school, or if I should do it on my own. I have all my school paid for in full until I start med school. If want the military to pay for it then I will have to owe them 8 years. 8 years vs. 250,000 to 300,000 in student loan debt. Hard choice to make at this point.

[Learning]

Like you I went to college as the "natural next step". My experience was that I stopped going at one point so that I could clear my head & figure out what I really wanted to do. Now I'm looking into going back.

[emaleth]

i am a student :) and it just sort of happened to me.
good grades, good university.
and i picked English language and literature and Czech language and literature.
however i am at the end of my B.A. and for my M.A i think i'll pick linguistics and comparative Slavic studies (Croatian, Czech and Old-church Slavic). :)
and i do that...
hmmm. i don't know by which principle.
maybe liking? or that sounds too lame?!

[Nightelf]

In my country going to university ('college') is not a natural way of continuing education, still young people with better skills choose this. I have not chosen the faculty of law and political science because of the social prestige it has rather because I have seen an abstact system in th law. It is a beautiful intellectual challange, a new way of interpreting the world.

[sds0311]

I am 24, I did a year of law school and now am back home. I have a Political Science and Criminal Justice degree as well as a sociology minor. The only one I really enjoyed acquiring was the PoliSci degree. I am trying to figure out what career to get into, and I do not necessarily want to work for the gov't. Any suggestions on what to pursue or how to figure out what best suites me and my personality, not necessarily my education. What can I do?

[Santana28]

career...whats that? do you mean to tell me that it is possible to do the same line of work for the rest of your life? hahaha...

actually, i really enjoy law enforcement i've discovered. i could certainly stick around in this field, and for the first time in 8 years and quite a few jobs, i am actually applying for jobs in the same line of work instead of something completely random and different.

i need to go to school, but i just dont see how i can do it... i cant do both at the same time. its all or nothing for me.

[coffeeloverfreak]

In my case it was pretty mundane. I was good at math and disliked science, so I went into commerce for cegep. In cegep, I took some marketing classes I liked so I decided to major in marketing in university. In university, I took some advertising classes I liked and decided I wanted to work for an agency when I graduated. I got an agency job, worked there for 3-1/2 years, quit due to burnout, traveled the world, soul-searched, tried to figure out what to do with my life, spent 6 months at a mind-numbing job in corporate marketing, and am now back in the ad agency world. As I said, mundane, right? (Well, not exactly...)

[Scooby]

Well, for me, it has been a long road. I started off in the Army and excelled (as much as they would let me). I then did the college bit and got married and burned out on both. I had to pay the bills so I went into working as a councilor in juvenile corrections. Did it for five years and loved it. Hated that the kids went right back to the hell they came from and would re-offend. Went into teaching at a private school and loved it. Hated the fact that it was too religiously biased (it was a Christian school) and went back to get a teaching certificate. Got the certificate and now I teach in the public schools. I love it for the most part. I hate that I have to go to grad school for the rest of my life (you must continue your education to keep your certificate) because it does nothing to help you in the classroom (the state just wants you to look good on paper).

[ElstonGunn]

I just finished my bachelor's degree last December. I've had a part-time business kind of job (market research) since last summer, and I guess I'll stick with that if I can. I'm not a big fan of it, but it's a job. Not that I hate it, either. It's just something I can do to pay the bills without losing my mind.

[Gabrielle]

I'm 18 (5 months and counting), and I'm a Freshman in med school. I want to go into neuropsychology or neurosurgery and research... but I kinda need a MD or MBBS to have the choice of opening people's craniums without them being dead. (shrug)

[INTJoe]

When I was a very young child...back in preschool, during recess, I would dig "roads" in the sand, and create these elaborate street systems, and the chapperones would just watch me and say things like "He just loves being by himself, making roads..." with a smile. The other kids were biting eachoter on the playground equipment and stuff.

This progressed to me creating elaborate roadway systems on the living room floor using popsickle sticks. My roads would bend, and I was meticulous in lining them up. If a road had to go under furniture, it did. This progressed to me creating things such as football fields, and baseball fields on the living room floor. I was probably 6. My mom would take pictures of my creations. lol.

By age 8, or so, I had fallen in love with skyscrapers and baseball stadiums. I began sketching buildings, drawing made-up maps of fake countries, with dots for the major cities...and borders...terrain, etc. I would draw aerial views of baseball stadiums, and draw in each seat, and these drawings would have an amazing amount of detail, and be drawn to scale (except for the seats).

When my mom began seeing this, she told me one day "Looks like we've got an architect on our hands." And I asked, "What is an architect?" "An architect gets to design buildings, stadiums, and plan cities, and all kinds of fun stuff." "NO WAY! You mean people get paid to do this!?" "Of course." So from that day forward, I knew I wanted to go into architecture.

Looking back on it, early on, I had more of a Civil Engineer mindset. Most of my creations were laying out roads. But as I developed, it turned into more artistic creativity. This is interesting because my INTJ dad studied Civil Engineering in college, yet my mother is a writer/photographer/painter/quilter, etc... so I think I was blessed with a good mix of my mother's creativity, and my fathers logical side.

And thank God, because although I was always good at math, there's no way in hell I would choose to be an engineer! Booooooooooooooring. I always thought of Engineering or Accounting as my "fallback" careers. INTJ's...always contingency planning :)

[Nyiah]

I have no idea how I got into pharmacy. I was working on a biology degree but I wasn't sure what I would do with it. My parents are both ISTJs, they plan every single detail of their lives (and mine) and they were distressed by the fact that I had no idea what I was going to do for a living. (To make it worse, they were both successful: MD and PhD.) They kept pushing ideas at me, and it was pretty frustrating having to deal with them (especially since I'm an only-child). I'm not sure what compelled me to do it but next thing I knew I applied for the pharmacy technician exam and passed. So I worked as a tech to see if I'd enjoy working as a pharmacist. Overall it wasn't bad at all. I remember the first time dealing with customers though. Oh I cringed having to talk to strangers. But, since the same people stop by the pharmacy, you soon get used to them. There are definitely some funny experiences being a tech. When I get my pharmD, I don't think I can be a retail pharmacist, I think I'd rather go into research... but who knows.

[schmidt]

When I was 9 years old, my mother bought our first computer. That's around the same time I got an unhealthy interest in them. By 13 I knew I would be working with them in some way when I grow up. By 16 had I bought my first own computer and two years later I installed a free operating system because windows bored me. Now am I 22 and working full time as a System Administrator for Linux/UNIX systems and I love it. I get paid to research interesting topics, tinker with computers, both hardware and software and they seem very keen to make sure I get additional education in areas I'm interested in or we need.
I'm currently thinking about going back to school and take a MS in Computer Science, mainly because I love learning :)

[Scorne]

I initially wanted to become a paleontologist, but after 2 years I decided I wanted to be a marine biologist, but that lasted a year and my grades in science wern't really up to scratch. My talent is with computer based operations, anything from building them to coding them. I pick it up so fast if it's on a screen (TV doesn't come into this). My other talent is drawing and writing, which is more of a rare hobby I tend to do.

I then just carried on what I was doing and eventually fell into the networking side, if I wasn't so lazy I'd be on a much greater pay and better job. Now I wish I could enlist in the army/navy and learn some real discipline.

[AgentofGaming]

Computer Engineer, 2nd year student.
I've been using computers since I was 4 got used to MSDOS, I've also liked computer games equally as long.
I liked tinkering with the hardware thinking I could fix them since I was 7 and in some cases I did.
In high school, I was th best at Computer Science and Computer Engineering Technology in my school. As well I excelled at math and science (unfortunately not at the same time). I also liked the logic behind programming and the architecture of computer hardware so...

I thought I can be good at it and I have an interest related to it so why not.
The problem is I'm starting to hate math and science courses at this level. Learning Computer architecture however feels like an interesting design art, very interesting.

[bubbles]

I'm also losing my interest in science (but I'm still interested in math and hope to remain so). I never liked science in high school but somehow declared a major with the word "science" in it (computer science, which I find ironic). I still haven't seen the "design art" in computer science yet, but I'm only in my second quarter (will take computer organization next quarter). I also don't see the "science" in computer science, but I guess that's a good thing since I don't like science.

Some of the students in my school's computer science department have been interested in computers since they were 11 or 12. I forgot what I was interested in when I was a kid. I think I was busy daydreaming and playing video games.

[AgentofGaming]

So I see I wasn't the only one who saw Computer Science as a weird word, then there's Information Technology which is also weird because it entails fixing computers.

The art of design is more in choosing your own unique way of implementing a function (There are ugly complex ways and there are beautiful simple ways). Some beauty is like object oriented programming, classes are done for you and you only have to interface it (you don't have to look at the ugly details).

I'm not sure if your computer organization in CompSci will be the same. As engineers we tend to go under the covers and look how the software gets implemented at the hardware level (CMOS, Circuit Theory, semi-conductor physics, electromagnetism, ugh... the science, that's why sometimes I wish I was in CompSci).
So the Computer Organization I'm currently taking is about Assembly language and common PC architecture, later we'll look inside the Processors and modify them. The pre-requisite was Digital Logic and probably programming since we muck around at the compiler/operating system level.


Some of the students in my school's computer science department have been interested in computers since they were 11 or 12. I forgot what I was interested in when I was a kid. I think I was busy daydreaming and playing video games.

That's how my childhood went by.

[Mogura]

How did you get into your current career? Do you like it? Why or why not?

I'll start first:

I'm a student. I have no idea why I'm a student; it just seems like a natural thing to do since most people continue their education beyond high school. I also have no idea about what to major in (that's part of the reason why I started this thread, but I don't want the thread to focus on helping me find a major. I want to hear about others' experiences.)

Interesting thread. I kind of fell into my current career (IT Engineer). It's been a love/hate relationship, for the past several years. However, I seem to be spending more time in the "hate" side of the continuum as of late.

IT as a field is not so bad in itself, but it does tend to attract a lot of idiots and social rejects (you know, the types that think they can avoid dealing with people by choosing a career in computers). IT managers are almost always hacks (in the bad sense) that just fell into their roles. "Real" managers (ones with a proper background in business, etc.) usually end up running non-IT departments in companies. I should mention that I am not in software development, so perhaps the grass is greener over there.

I wanted to go into Engineering (a real Engineer... "IT Engineer" is a joke)-- Civil or Environmental. That's where my interests lie, but I suck at math. I have always struggled with it, as it has never been intuitive for me.

I'm still trying to figure out the ideal career for me...

[PRBori]

Hmm.. My interest as a child was always science and medicine. I was fascinated by open heart surgery and always dreamt of being a surgeon and being bilingual (at least 5 languages for I felt that a doctor should be able to easily communicate with the patiens on their own language)... of course that dissapear as soon as I found out how long I had to go to college before I could become one, the money that I would need to expend and the fact that at the time I was ready for college many surgeons where sue and end it up loosing their licenses... so that said I wanted something that I could take apart but not get sue or loose my education if I did go to which I did tried but did not go thru...

Nevertheless, I didn't touch a computer until I was 18 and I decided to attend a technical school. From there I got good jobs and I always exceed it and look for ways of learning more and more.... started as an Administrative Assistant or Executive Assistant until I got a job that allowed me to take over the Network Administration while the actual administrator was out of the country... that is of course how my life in the IT field began 10 years ago and I just kept on feeding my brain with books, going to libraries and moving up on jobs related to IT....

Along the way I did many other jobs... I did construction for a while, it was interesting and I learn a lot but not satisfying enough... I also worked as a dental assistant for a few months but the pay was lousy and the job was repetitive so I felt my brain was dying... somehow along the way with all my ups and downs I always landed jobs with good companies and I always made sure I exceeded on what they required of me until a bit of luck came my way and I got into what I always wanted 2 years ago.. IT Security, the job was posted as a simple Technical Writer position, yet it was really an Information Assurance position and that got me where I am today which I'm the happiest person on earth since it allows me to use all my skills and is challenging at the same time which to me is essential.

Now with the new job I get to travel as well, so I'm excited. If my plans go accordingly I will reach the goals set for 2009 on target.. I use companies to pay for my studies in order to save the money... and I also use companies as a way to keep going up the lader in order to suceed.

Is just my way of doing things. So far is working and that's all I care. Having a job that combines some app development, auditing, technical writing, technical training, and a lot other areas that I love from the IT field is awesome... and so are the opportunities and the income that can be reach if you know and carefully plan how to attain it.

[augustus]

Here's my story, I am sure it might help a few.

When I finished my high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was a complete slacker then but it was more about a lack of focus.

When I looked at my scores I probably had one of the worst scores in math but I decided to go into math anyway. I guess it was because I always enjoyed math. I knew I could do well once I actually started studying for it. The dean of the college in fact advised me not to do it.

In retrospect (10+ years later), it turned out to be the best decision. I really did have an aptitude for math and computer science. I did really well in college and at an MBA.

So the big lesson is to follow your own passion.

I wonder where I would be if I simply decided to follow a career based on the subject with my highest scores at high school.

[SiMey]

My mother wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer, so those two jobs were definitely out. She was always focussed on money and status, so I think that influenced me to seek the opposite. I would have been disowned if I did not go to uni.

My father was into multi-level marketing and was always trying to sell stuff to people he knew. That was not for me.

I was pretty good at most subjects and just about everyone at high school studied economics with a view to doing a double degree in law and commerce.

I often know what I don't want, rather than what I do want. So with this in mind, I just got a book out with all the uni courses in it and went through a process of elimination. Did it three times and came up with the same result.

My second choice was maths teacher.

I chose to study social work.

[kriss]

HI Guy's,

Nice reading the above and thanks for sharing.

I think I can give a view based on the broader picture which I have observed. I believe that there are usually 3 types of people when it comes to choosing their careers. The first one is usually the idealist: "I'll do anything that I love even if I'm not paid for it"......"follow my passion etc etc"...... It's great if you can do this but very few people actually can. The people who can do this are usually broken down into a further 2 categories. Either they are from very wealthy backgrounds and can afford to think like that or they are just plain stupid.

Second type of person is the opposite. Usually the person born with nothing, into nothing.... from here we get our rags to riched stories, ie: risk everything because I've got nothing to lose. Richard Bransons, Harvey Normans, Dick Smiths(in Oz).... Started out with nothing...become v rich. I know many relatives of mine that were in those situations(asian background when asia was very poor many years ago) and made it out into the big $$$.

Third type are people are like me or most people, parents not really rich but not really poor. For me, I look at all my career options and make a list of the negative and positives and take everything into account inclusive of my personality and temperament. Tick of various boxes and narrow it down and make a choice. Go with it based on the practically(which doesn't negate as I have said my own personality or what I wouldn't mind or cant stand doing).

I had several options after I finished my undergraduate degree...surgery vs other specialities to cut it short. Have already explined what I do in other posts and why I like and do it. It also will give me the finances I need etc... looking at the monetary side of things. There are alot more finer details but won't go into them.

[mkay]

I chose newspaper journalism at age 14 because I loved the work. My parents were working-class immigrants, so they definitely had other ideas. I knew what I loved, so I did it -- freelancing steadily during high school, editing my school paper, majoring in print journalism, doing several summer internships. I worked my way through college, went to an inexpensive state school because I didn't want debt when I knew how little many journalists made. I graduated during a recession, when few classmates were getting hired. I graduated with multiple job offers in a very competitive industry. Many journalists don't make it past the first few years -- lots of toil, low pay, bad schedules, you move where the work is. I worked my ass off, had a great time, worked with smart people, lived in fun cities, moved at newspapers' expense each time. I never expected to end up making six figures and having the best papers recruiting me. I just worked smart at a job that I loved.

I was in print journalism for 25 years and had done everything I'd wanted. So I recently left the industry and am figuring out what I want as a second career. Because I've been good with money and have lived well within my means, I can afford to take a lot of time off. The funniest thing is, my parents now want to know why I'd leave journalism. I don't bother to explain, because some people think of jobs as work, period. So explaining will do no good.

I decided young: I'm always going to keep learning, to live life consciously -- everything I do, I do because I want to. ... That doesn't mean I don't have goals, strategies, discipline and such. It just means I don't follow other people's expectations or values.

[deusexmachina]

When I first entered college, I really was gravitating toward numbers, hence I majored in accounting. One semester I took a geology course to fulfill my natural science requirement and loved the *principles* and theory behind the practical applications of it to the real world. I changed my major and never looked back. ISTJ ---- > INTJ? Most likely.

I would recommend you stick with getting your "core" classes out of the way first. It exposes you to a lot of different fields (humanities, business, natural sciences). Your brain will tell you when you've hit gold.

Good luck =)

-Peter

[xtremegeek]

I studied foreign languages in college. I wanted to work for the NSA. In order to put myself through college, I worked in healthcare as a technician. I became the 'go to' person at work for any computer software/data issues. When I graduated from college, I was translating part time, and still working fulltime as a technician. I was promoted to a system administrator; after awhile, I gave up translating and my dream of working for the NSA. I got my MBA, then became a project manager. I've remained in healthcare IT.

[Grizzly]

Interesting thread. I kind of fell into my current career (IT Engineer). It's been a love/hate relationship, for the past several years. However, I seem to be spending more time in the "hate" side of the continuum as of late.

IT as a field is not so bad in itself, but it does tend to attract a lot of idiots and social rejects (you know, the types that think they can avoid dealing with people by choosing a career in computers). IT managers are almost always hacks (in the bad sense) that just fell into their roles. "Real" managers (ones with a proper background in business, etc.) usually end up running non-IT departments in companies. I should mention that I am not in software development, so perhaps the grass is greener over there.

I wanted to go into Engineering (a real Engineer... "IT Engineer" is a joke)-- Civil or Environmental. That's where my interests lie, but I suck at math. I have always struggled with it, as it has never been intuitive for me.

I'm still trying to figure out the ideal career for me...

I ended up in an IT Sales and Project Management role for a high end IT service/Consulting/Outsourcing company.
The best part of it for me is managing all the pieces and persons involved in delivering a project (consulting reports, CRM/ERP Systems).
Lots of timelines and worst case scenario planning.

Though my training has been entirely international business management and entrepreneurial based.

My father was extremely successful in business management consulting, and I grew up discussing such topics over the diner table. So in addition to taking advantage of my high verbal skills, and reducing the amount of math I have to do (thats what accountants are for ;] ) I'm extremely comfortable with the office environment and mindset.

Business Management also appears to be the most flexible career choice ( I can manage a large manufacturing company, or a small chain of McDonalds, or with enough experience act as a market entry strategy consultant).

But the primary factor involved was $$$$
With enough hard work, I can accrue enough funds to do ANYTHING I want. I dont want to ever have to deny myself or my stakeholders something because the price is too high.

[Monte314]

My career found me.

In all the years I've been working, the only job I actually looked for the very first one. Every job after that has come because people saw what I was doing, and came looking for me. (In fact, I was contacted by two totally different organizations about my "availability" TODAY!)

The group I've been in for the last 20 years started as a little software shop. For the first five years, we just cranked out code. Things got kind of difficult when the "evil empire" dissolved, because the government ramped down on spending for defense.

We needed a new business, and our management made the conscious decision to rebuild the company around my work; that was about 130 million dollars ago, and we are going stronger than ever.

[Freak87]

i started working as a courtesy clerk (bagging groceries) for years, and just this last year i decided that i love to work with kids. so now ive been working with kids since i was a camper , and have the best job in the world, i'm a teacher at the YMCA. Its an amazing field to get into if you love people and love to be around kids and are just patient with them. they all need love and support :)

[chogyam]

How did you get into your current career? Do you like it? Why or why not?

I'll start first:

I'm a student. I have no idea why I'm a student; it just seems like a natural thing to do since most people continue their education beyond high school. I also have no idea about what to major in (that's part of the reason why I started this thread, but I don't want the thread to focus on helping me find a major. I want to hear about others' experiences.)
Hard question. In 1996 I went back to school to finish my BFA in Digital Art. After about 20 years since I dropped out of the University of Hawaii. Had to see if I was actually an artist, or if I had been kidding myself (in my head) all of those years. Started teaching digital art after graduating, Got an MFA (in digital art/video) and have taught since then.
So, now, after teaching for 8 years, with a huge education debt, I am not going to teach anymore. I have had a new head of my dept. who is a mean idiot, and a year ago, I was told to dumb down my classes, (after working really hard for 4 years to make them the best...for the sake of my students). So, now, I am totally in debt, broke, and going to figure out (soon!) what is next.

Sad though, I loved teaching...(and digital art). It was the most complex, challenging and rewarding career that I have ever had. Passion, I suppose, was my motivating factor, in what I studied in college. I suppose the joy factor was there also.

There you have it...good luck in figuring out your path.

[Mogura]

Hard question. In 1996 I went back to school to finish my BFA in Digital Art. After about 20 years since I dropped out of the University of Hawaii. Had to see if I was actually an artist, or if I had been kidding myself (in my head) all of those years. Started teaching digital art after graduating, Got an MFA (in digital art/video) and have taught since then.
So, now, after teaching for 8 years, with a huge education debt, I am not going to teach anymore. I have had a new head of my dept. who is a mean idiot, and a year ago, I was told to dumb down my classes, (after working really hard for 4 years to make them the best...for the sake of my students). So, now, I am totally in debt, broke, and going to figure out (soon!) what is next.

Sad though, I loved teaching...(and digital art). It was the most complex, challenging and rewarding career that I have ever had. Passion, I suppose, was my motivating factor, in what I studied in college. I suppose the joy factor was there also.

There you have it...good luck in figuring out your path.

That's sad. You're so fortunate to have found something that that you love and ignites your passion. I'd be ever so lucky if I were to do the same.

Forgive me for being so bold in asking, but are you absolutely sure that you cannot make it work (financially)? Have you consulted with a financial planner(s) regarding your situation? And what about changing employers (schools)? It seems such a shame to give up on something you love so much...

[enfpchick]

I actually chose my career the other day while attending a pre-screening of Tropic Thunder. While talking to this girl sitting next to me I realized that I would be awesome in advertising. I realized that I had done it for free for this new business without realizing it and my aunt always says "if you do it for free you wont mind doing it for money". I decided to get my bachelors in advertising and my masters in occupational therapy.
LoL my advice is to you is go to a movie and let it come to you.

[scholarwarrior]

Hi bubbles
I want to share as I think my story is unique enough.

I joined the Marines out of high school, though I worked in computers with them, so nothing too exciting. After 4 years, i did the same thing(mainframe programming (cobol, sql)) for another 6 years in civilian world.
Thing is, I decided after about a year in the civilian world (about 2002-3)that I was bored, so I started going to college at night. GI Bill paid for it. I decided to just study whatever sounded interesting. I chose Liberal Studies because I thought Philosophy, Religion, Literature, etc was the most interesting, and it was more customizable than Lib. Arts.
After a year, I REALLY hated my job, so I reevaluated my studies, as Lib Arts/Studies doesn't prep you for much. Someone coincidentally gave me a software program she had bought for her son (which he never used), sort of a psych tool to help choose careers. Counseling was at the top of the list, after hundreds of questions answered. It sounded cool, so I tested it by taking a couple classes. I liked it. So I switched majors, and graduated. Working at the job I hated the whole time.

Finally quit, then did an extensive search of grad schools, knowing I wanted to do clinical work by this time. I'm now finishing my 1st year at a clinical psych doctoral program and loving it.

What I learned is that I really had no idea who I was, and thus what I wanted, until i was 25 or so. I'd say, if you don't know, take your time and find out. Even in early 20's, I always thought I need to waste no time to get to where I need to be. But at 29, there's plenty of time. So many people end up in jobs they don't like and don't change, b/c afraid to, or have families by the time they realize what they do want.

[chogyam]

That's sad. You're so fortunate to have found something that that you love and ignites your passion. I'd be ever so lucky if I were to do the same.

Forgive me for being so bold in asking, but are you absolutely sure that you cannot make it work (financially)? Have you consulted with a financial planner(s) regarding your situation? And what about changing employers (schools)? It seems such a shame to give up on something you love so much...
thanks for the advice. I have given this a lot of thought for 2 years. Ha ha, unfortunately, I am kind of clueless about what to do next for a career. So at the moment, I have been reading a lot about INFJ and INTJ (think I am a mix) to help
my processing about that stuff. I do tend to change careers every 10 years or so.
Wheeeeeee here we go again, remaking my life.

Well, the $$ thing is mostly about debt load...after being in school for 6 years, after 1996 and teaching as an adjunct (I made 18 grand the first year) credit cards were used for emergencies (holy crap) and that has gotten WAY OUT OF CONTROL...(oopsy) and education loans will be due in October. Its just pragmatic...numbers. Gotta do it.

The college thing is weird. As an adjunct, you really never know if you will be teaching semester to semester (might be Dennys if not). And the Tenure track positions for Art majors are few and far between since 9/11...and hundreds and hundreds of MFA grads apply. (oh, and you work about 60-80 hours a week). : (

Ha ha....I had hoped things would turn out differently...and I have given it my best shot for 8 years, and I have grown a lot because of it (used to be shy in front of groups....but now, after talking in front of 24 people all day, that changed. go figure).

But, I will always paint and make video art, and cook. I just realized the other day that I have always taught what I know to people. I tutor people for free at home, art stuff, drawing, cooking, baking, friends and ex students...so I will always teach somebody something just not in an academic environment.

Its around 7 am, and I think I will go back to sleep for a while. Nite nite.

[SmartOne]

I had no idea what I wanted to do after school, it was the worst experience of my life. So first job was working for a company of stone masons. For the first week I had to dig the lead letters out of tombstones! You would not believe the blisters I had! Then they discovered I had a qualification in computing and put me on a computer controlled plotter. This was sooooooooo boring even doing the Hebrew inscriptions. I got the job so well under control that I programmed in about twenty inscriptions at a time and let it run. From there I got promoted to the accounts department where I ran the sales ledger and payroll. This then progressed to include buying. I got so bored that I left the job after eight years and became a salesman for financial products on a self employed basis. After a few weeks and some scary experiences I left that and became unemployed for three weeks. Next job was paper converting and printing. Moved up to become a chargehand and I must admit the way I set those machines and made them sing was a very good feeling (I won't say happy though) Left that job after about five years and joined a coffee company as a technician. Still working for the same company after two buyouts. Ended up running the service centre and had a really good team. Everyone has now gone and its just me and one temp. Shutting the place down and should be made redundant in about five weeks. Not a bad thing as I was getting bored of it and felt as though I needed to move on. Good/bad news is that the company has offered me a contract to go private. So I shall be doing this for a while which gives me a chance to finish my college work and move on to the next part of my life. The question is do I know what I want to do? Not really, looked at what I thought my skills were and picked a course at college to do. Who knows after completion I may decide not to do it after all. There are a few people out there that have a clear sense of what they want and bam! they go and do it. Me, never. I shall be on my death bed undecided whether or not I want to die or go upstairs or down!

[le Duc]

Interesting stories, everyone. I've just kinda rolled with the punches.

1. Involvement in politics
2. Interest in policy / law
3. Go to law school
4. Start working at insurance agency to pay bills
5. Graduate law school, pass bar exam on the other side of the continent
6. Can't move to other side of continent due to unforeseen circumstances
7. Get job at financial firm to pay bills

Been here five years, but in three different roles. Enjoying current role so far. But step seven is pretty far removed from step one. It just kinda happens that way, I guess.

[brainysmurf]

Well, it's a little early to talk about a career in my case, but I will let you know my strategy for picking an university and major:
1. I had a look at lists of different majors and picked out universities that I though would be best for each of these majors.
2. I send out applications for every single major that I found a bit intersting.
3. I waited and hoped I would get turned down at a lot of universities so I would just pick what was left...
4. Unfortunately, I got into every single degree program that I applied for. I was actually mad (I know, hard to believe, but it's true). My strategy didn't work at all! :stunned:
5. I went to a career counselor, but he said because I was equally good at every class in high school, he can't give me any advise. :huh:
6. I picked a major that my parents hated but chose to study at an "elite" university. :)
It was the right choice for me!

[Doppelbock]

I watched the coverage of the Apollo missions when I was a wee lad. Apollo 11 landed on the moon when I was 4. Ever since then all I wanted to be was a rocket scientist. So a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, a couple of masters degrees, twenty years spent in the defense and intelligence business, and here I am (finally!) working at Johnson Space Center.

[Fox]

I didn't choose it. Had school loans. Preferred jobs stopped doing entry level.

[Tempest]

My dream was to write for a living. However, when I reached my senior year in high school, I had a change of heart and entered college as an undecided major. After my first semester, I decided on an English major with the hopes of getting a master's in Library Sciences so that I could be a librarian. I'd been working at a library for a little over a year, and I absolutely loved it.

Unfortunately, I had trouble getting excited about this career path. The library district that I work at happens to be the 5th best American library district in its population category, and I have seen other libraries with poor funding and in bad locations. Considering the limited job opportunities, I know that the chances of me actually becoming a librarian in a nice library are rather slim. The last thing I wanted was to end up in some crappy library with 100 books and 1 patron. So, I began to research other careers.

I knew a couple of things that I wanted. First, I wanted to help people in some way. Second, I wanted to live a financially stable life. Third, I wanted to actually be able to get a job. I looked at many jobs, mainly using Occupational Outlook Handbook (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) for employment and salary data. Whenever I found something that looked interesting, I would Google it and try to find out more about what people in this occupation did every day. It was a difficult process for me, but I finally decided to get an associates in Physical Therapist Assisting. I'm still in school for this, but I feel this is a great fit for me. I'm excited about classes and am looking forward to getting hands on experience in my clinicals. I plan on eventually getting a doctorate in Physical Therapy, but that definitely won't be anytime soon.

It's hard to give advice on how to find your perfect career because it seems to be different for everyone. But if you keep doing your research, maybe even interviewing people who are in occupations that you think you may enjoy, you'll eventually find something you'll like.