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I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up...
Ug, this has been on my mind SO SO much lately.
So, I'm 35 and in my second calendar year of chipping away at my gen eds with the intention of getting an undergrad degree.
The problem is, whenever any one asks me what I'm going to school for and I say "marketing" I'm so completely underwhelmed with the idea.
I've been an admin my entire professional career because as a single mother, it was a good way to make a livable wage for supporting my son and i (i choose to not pursue child support). It's definitely never been what I wanted to do my whole life.
I've worked in the Marketing department the last 5 years and I really like the "sexy" side of advertising but I don't know if I want to work for a big company the rest of my life. I'm not creative enough to be a designer, I don't like mundane things like financials and reporting... I just don't know what the hell I want to do.
Does any one else feel like they still don't know what they want to do? I still have a long time before I'll finish any sort of an undergrad but I don't want to waste my time/money on schooling toward something I don't want to do.
I'm passionate about nutrition and educating people about food but being a nutritionist sounds terribly boring. I really want to own a bar (that has live music) but that's kind of a pipe dream.
Blah, I'm frustrated! Any ideas on how to narrow my focus or find out what I might REALLY be good at? I feel like I'm a jack of all trades, master of none!
Re: I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up...
life coaching can help you?
go to your career center and take the STRONG inventory. It's about your values, interests, skills, compared to people in actual professions/jobs..so you see who you really match.
I'll be 35 soon and am on my...3rd? career? 4th? I can't keep up anymore. Life is an adventure, indeed!
I agree with you that college may not be fruitful financially or professionally since what you will probably end up doing won't require a BA.
Good luck!
I was pretty fortunate to have the opportunity to quit my job and take that year to figure things out last year. I was going through kind of the same thing. I was only doing legal admin because I was good at it and it paid well. Never really had a passion for it.
Quitting my decent salary job and working 2 part-time jobs while I "found myself" is definitely not a path I would recommend to everyone. The financial part of it was a burden, but it did give me a chance to really think about where I wanted to focus, and that's how I got back to science. I mean, I never would have had a chance to spend time at both zoos, spend time at the wildlife center, shadow some people and get to know them and their jobs, and realize that trying to go to vet school was a larger goal than I could swallow. Now I am focusing on applying for an MPH once I finish undergrad, and I'm actually pretty happy with that choice. But I'm doing it at a pace I'm comfortable with because now I've got babies coming into the mix! If I have to work in law firms for a few more years, well so be it.
Anyway, my point is not necessarily to focus on school, but is there any way you can volunteer or spend time with groups/organizations that are involved in areas that interest you? Even if it's something you don't think you'd like, you may surprise yourself. I know I didn't go begging Como Zoo to let me sort through 2 tons of frozen fish last year, clean pools, and do other less-than-fabulous jobs, but I took the chance when I got it and the knowledge and opportunities I got out of that were really valuable! (How many people can say they got to work in a kitchen with a penguin last year?
) If nothing else, it may help you narrow down what does interest you.
I'm babbling, but I hope that makes sense. Good luck! I know it's frustrating. I've been sorting through this kind of thing myself for the past 2+ years and finally feel like I've got a goal now.
You've already got some great advice there!!
I have been second guessing my choice lately as I am coming upon the cusp of applying to nursing programs as I finish my pre-reqs.
I have heard the book 48 Days to the work you love by Dan Miller recommended many times for people in similar situations, questioning what they want to do in life. I picked it up from the library once but never had time to read it and it was more for my husband who never ended up reading it anyways.
After this semester is over in 2 weeks perhaps I will pick it up again and finally read it.
Totally feel you. The only thing I can think of that would provide me with even the tiniest bit of job satisfaction would be to work as an author. But I don't think I'm tenacious enough to sell myself and be successful.
When I think about working in a regular office for the next 30 years it makes me go a little bit insane.
Judging
I know the feeling. I graduated with a sociology degree that prepared me for nothing, worked for a house arrest company, then retail, then banking and finally decided to go to law school. Even after I graduated law school, I still wasn't sure I wanted to be a lawyer.
I agree with the advice to take the Strong interest inventory. There are a crapload of questions but the results, for me anyway, seemed pretty accurate. It only took me 10 years (ha!) to get here but I have a career that was in my top 5 results and I love it. I can't imagine doing anything else. (well, except for being a professional traveler but that's not very realistic.)
I also agree with Josie's advice about volunteering to get a feel for other areas you might like. You could also go on informational interviews. I'm sure your school can help you make contact with alumni who are in different fields and would be willing to talk to you.
Good luck!
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
I can definitely relate. I have an AA, BS in Child Psych and recently got a MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. But I am still at the same job I have been at for 6 years! I have received promotions, but the job is not related to therapy at all!
I have to take my board exams, but the job search has been beyond frusterating. Employers want to hire people who have experience, but you cannot gain experience if no one hires you. Also the jobs starting out are such low paying positions I would never consider taking them. I don't make a ton now, but I can;t imagine making less when I still have a student loan for my grad school.
My main point is to find something you enjoy and can actually get a job doing. I have no idea when I will get a job in my field. I am hoping after I take the board exams that I will be more marketable, but who the hell knows...
Well I generally say that when I grow up I want to be 5'2" (I'm 5'1") so I'm not sure how much help I am. I have a business/marketing degree and I'm currently sitting in product design. I hate it. I was lukewarm to it when I first joined the team but 4 years later, I dread going to work.
I definitely agree with PP about figuring out what it is that you enjoy to do most and then searching for a way to make it a career.
Yes.
Maybe not so much that I don't know what I want to do, but that I don't quite have all the right "on paper" stuff to get in for an interview or have any one take me seriously. As vague as that sounds, I either should have gone back to school years ago or got a degree in something different when I had the chance.
Boy/girl twins born at 37w1d and 37w2d
I totally know what you're going through. I went through the same thing over the last year. I got my BA in Psych in 2005 and started working in social work/mental health. Well after 4 years of doing that, I decided that was really not what I wanted to do with my career. It was far to stressful for me. I had always been interested in HR so I started job searching. Unfortunately, every job I looked for in HR wanted at least 2 yrs of experience, even entry-level ones. It was very frustrating. So I went back to school and got a certificate in HR management. I was finally offered a job in HR a few months ago but had to take a huge pay cut. I decided that my own mental sanity and job satisfaction was more important then a paycheck. Plus, there are lots of opportunities within the company I work for in the future.
That being said, what other areas are you interested in? Have you taken classes that you have really liked? I think getting a BA in something general like business or psych would be more beneficial than something more specific that would only lead you in one area. Meeting with a counselor at your school and doing some testing to find out more about your interests would be helpful too.
Good luck! I know how hard it is!
My H is dealing with the same thing, and has been for the past few years. He hates his job, but he has no idea what he would rather be doing, and it is always on his mind. I never really know what to tell him except that he needs to get out there and talk to people, or go volunteer somewhere.
If you really want to own a bar, maybe there is a way to do it! Randy would really like to do something on his own/own a business, and I tell him that if that's really what he wants, we should find a way to make it work. Sometimes the things that you want mean taking some risks. I know it is easier said than done, but what's there to lose? My friend works for an entrepreneur fund, and I know there is a lot of money out there, especially for female business owners.
I could give you her contact information if you want...
My Bio
Married Bio
:::Waves hand wildly:::
Two expensive degrees down and I still don't have a clue! I know what I most definitely don't want to do (unfortunately that is exactly what the second pricey degree was for), but I have no clarity on what I would like to do! And for those few things that do seem potentially interesting, I'm at a loss for how to achieve them - especially in this economy.
It is so frustrating - I feel like I am spinning in circles and getting no where. At my age I should have career stuff figured out - or at least be deep enough in a "job" to consider it a career. But I've done neither.
Sorry I don't have any advice - but I wanted to pipe-in that I completely understand what you are going through - the frustration, the guilt (about potentially wasting time/money on unnecessary schooling), the confusion - all of it. It's not fun.
I'm always around if you want to get together and chat or vent or whatever.
I don't have much advice, but only to relate a bit of my own story and that of some others I work with...
I have a BS Statistics and don't really use my degree on a day to day basis, but it put me on a path to the job that I have. And I really really like what I do. And I see my career path evolving still into other areas, and this has influenced my MBA emphasis.
I work with: 1 person who has no undergrad degree, one person who has a BA in French/History, one who has a BA in Busniess and Computer science and one person who has a Business/IS undergrad. We all write code of some form or another.
Moral of the story: your undergrad doesn't always dictate your profession. In almost all of our cases, it has influence the path, but not set the job. And I never thought that I'd end up in a role like the one I am in. I always saw myself as a manufacturing or quality engineer (even with my stats undergrad). I couldn't have been more wrong.
So get the degree that interests you and your career will evolve based on your talents and opportunities.
I'm in the same situation. I have a BS in chemistry, and an MA in linguistics. After college I worked in chemistry for a few years, went to grad school, taught for a few years, started working in internet marketing and am now back in chemistry. I don't LOVE my job, but it pays a decent wage and at times I really like what I do. I love going to school and would go back if I could. I just can't justify the expense. I think I am one of those people who will never feel totally fulfilled by my job. Learning new things is exciting, the daily grind is not. I've accepted that I'm never going to be 100% excited about my career but I do the best I can at it. I know I'm a good employee and an asset to my company and I guess I can live with that.
I hope you find a field that you love or that you are able to strike a balance that makes you happy.