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How did you decide...
How did you decide to do what you do (career-wise)? If you're currently in school for your future career, how did you decide to pick that field of study?
Also, do you feel that your current (or future) career is your "calling", or your dream job? What makes you feel that way? In other words, did you feel like certain things lined up in your life so that you felt you had to do what you do? Or did you feel an intense mental pull towards your field? Was it born from an interest you noticed in yourself in related areas? Was it something you felt "at home" doing/studying, or like you "belonged" there? Did it help fulfill other goals in your life?
And if you are currently not doing or pursuing a job that you feel is your "calling" or dream job, why do you "know" it's not what you really want to do? What holds you back from pursuing your calling/dream job? Is it because you don't know what it is? Money? Time? Fear? You don't know how?
Sorry for such a long question. 
I'm kind of going through my own exploratory process right now and am curious as to how others feel/think about this topic in their own life!
Re: How did you decide...
for me it was easy ... i LOVE history and politics so i already was gravitating towards law but after i saw the movie Wall Street, i knew what part of law i wanted to do - corporate bankruptcy and reorganization.
fast forward to college and i LOVED LOVED LOVED my con law classes so i was torn b/t doing federal appellate work vs corp. bankruptcy. then my 1L implosion happened and i ended up being a litigation paralegal, the area of law that i DID NOT want to practice as an atty but as a paralegal it's much more doable.
the funny thing is that i'm quite happy being a paralegal, i still get to do alot of work that attys do but i also don't share the responsibilities nor do i have to bill the hrs that an atty does. lacking a bar # has been at times, a GREAT thing ! i'm incredibly thankful that i'm still able to be in the legal profession but if i were to win the lottery, back to law school i'd go JUST to get my JD.
I kind of just fell into what I'm doing. I never knew what I wanted to do, but I always knew what I didn't want to do. That kind of left business as a degree in college. Then my first job at out of college was for a financial company, and it kind of went from there. Since I already had a business undergrad degree, I decided to get my MBA. Then since I had experience in financial services, my next job was for another financial services company. And so on and so on.
At this point I make good money so leaving the industry just wouldn't make financial sense. I am lucky though since I do enjoy what I do. Do I love it? No. But I certainly don't dread coming to work everyday (and I have had those jobs so I realize how good I've got it right now!)
I like what I do currently, but I don't *love* what I do. It's definitely not my calling. That said, what's holding me back from pursuing what I might like better is a combination of 1) money, and 2) not knowing exactly what would make me happier.
DH is still earning his PhD, and so I am going to remain the main source of income for at least a couple more years. I have been with my company for a long time now, and I don't feel I can give up the income or benefits to explore and try something new, because what if it didn't work out?
I am applying for other jobs if I see them, but so far, no bites. I would like to take the time to find the "perfect" job for me, but I don't see that being a reality until DH is out of school and into a stable paying position.
I wish you luck in your search for what makes you happy!
When I graduated high school, I thought I wanted to go into real estate. I love LOVE homes, my dad was in real estate and so it wasn't totally unfamiliar to me. I ended up studying marketing because I knew I wanted to be a business major (I had an early love for the cubicle and corporate life thanks to my mom). Marketing sounded interesting because it wasnt' just studying ads like most people assume-it really was incorporating sociology, psychology, business, econ, and other fields into one. I'm creative minded, so it appealed to me more than say econ. Ideally, I would have loved to get into sports marketing because I played sports growing up, enjoyed sports, and honestly thought it sounded like fun.
I graduated and got my first job in refinancing. It was at the peak of the real estate boom...and I hated it. Loved the people part, learned a TON, but hated selling. Not for me. I learned I probably wasn't going to be great at real estate-I back down too easily when people say "no" to money.
I then somehow ended up at a sports manufacturing company...so, I did it. I was working in the sports industry-corporate side. My goal. I loved being surrounded by sport. I was there for 4 years before jumping to Portland and I still work in the industry. I really do enjoy it. I love working for the company I do, and love working for a company that sells relatable items vs. widgets (or medical supplies, etc.). It motivates me and honestly I can see myself here for a long time.
Now...if I could somehow tie international into it, it would be perfect. I'm hoping to get a chance to either work with international markets or live abroad for a little while with my current company, and there is opportunity to do so.
My other dream job is to be a photographer, but more so as a side business and just because I'm passionate about it.
Learning to start all over again... Blog
When I was a kid, there were various times that I would be helping my dad do something (like, fix the washing machine when I was about 9), and I'd make a suggestion for how to do something, and he'd look at me and be like, "you should be an Engineer." I had no idea what that meant, but it seemed make him proud, lol. I think that was the start of it.
When I was in HS, I really REALLY wanted to be a HS math teacher. I would LOVE (still!) to be teaching calculus to 17/18 year olds. That would be what I would say my "passion" job would be. But when selecting a major and filling out college applications, some of my most inspirational teachers insisted that I should not select teaching as a major, but should pick something more versatile and that I could "always come back to teaching later"...so, I considered engineering. I picked up a course book for Auburn University and started reading through their course descriptions for Civil Engineering, and I loved how versatile the selections were - I took classes in Airport design, wood and concrete structural design, hydrology and environmental engineering...it was just so broad and interesting. So, I went with it. And I loved it.
Am I passionate about my job? I don't know. I think I'd have more of an excitement to go to work every day if I was teaching math, I really do. But, I make good money, have a lot of flexibility and opportunity, and am doing something that I'm pretty good at. So I don't see myself changing it, most likely. Maybe when I have school-age kids, I'll want to me more inline with their schedule, and I could see myself considering teaching again...but I think working with T to start our own engineering business is more likely at this point (he's an engineer also). Time will tell.
That's how I decided. I wonder how many people are doing what they're passionate about...and how many people remain passionate about their jobs once they're their jobs. Good luck with your decisions!!
I've always loved fashion and shopping. But being plus sized I found myself frequently frustrated by what was being offered in the stores I shopped in. Then one day it dawned on me... I could go back to school, study fashion and become a buyer (shopping) for one of stores/companies that caters to the plus size market.
I love what I am studying, I love the other people who take the same classes I just feel like I fit in for a change.
I am one of the lucky few who always knew what I wanted to do. I spent four years in college learning how to do it, and have done it for 10+years now. Writing, PR, employee engagement ... it's right up my alley.
DH is going through a career search right now. He never went to college, and got stuck in a career that he's good at, but hates. He's trying to connect with a career counselor to get some guidance. It's not something I know how to help him with, which is tough for me!
Growing up, I wanted to be a writer. Then I decided on journalism, because I wanted to get paid for writing. I went to SF State because they had a really good journalism program. I went through the program, then halfway through my junior year, I realized that I really hated journalism! I loved the writing part and setting up interviews, but I HATED reporting. I just didn't like walking up to strangers on the street and just talking with them. I would literally cry before going to class.
So then I had to decide what else I wanted to do. I always liked kids and I loved being a teacher's assistant, so I tried that out. I switched majors to liberal studies and started volunteering in classrooms. I loved it, so I decided to get my teaching credential.
After working 3 years as a classroom teacher, I was frustrated with the politics of teaching. I never felt confident in what I was doing. There was never time to teach what I wanted, the way I wanted. And there was always the threat of pink slips. Every year, from February through June, I would be stressed over whether I would have a job or not. Last year, I got pink slipped.
So now I teach an after school program for a Jewish Community Center. I really really enjoy it. I get to teach what I want, how I want, with a great budget and lots of resources. Is this my dream job? I don't know. But then, I can't think of something else I would rather do!
This is all super helpful, ladies!
I feel like I've been struggling for years to figure out "what I want to be when I grow up". I know for certain that what I am doing now is not fulfilling me. There are certain aspects of this job, and my previous jobs, that do really engage and excite me. But, I think it's being applied in the wrong way for me. I have this broad sense of what I need to be doing. But recently, I've been feeling like there's been certain things coming into a different focus for me. I feel like certain key parts of my past, and even my present experiences are converging right now. The last year has been a very challenging and difficult time for me, but at the same time, I kind of feel like I have to be where I am right now -- like there's a higher meaning to it. And the more I learn and grow from it, the more deeply I believe that. And, in a way, this path has always been in the back of my mind -- I've considered pursuing this at other points in my past, but always in a vague way that I didn't feel truly attached to. It always felt like it would be a good fit, but not necessarily like I "had to" do it. But I feel like that's starting to shift.
It reminds me of where I was 6 years ago -- working for my first job out of college. I had been given an opportunity to get my MBA, paid for by my employer. I had begun to pursue it (studying for the GMAT), but it never felt right. I had this nagging feeling that I didn't know why I was doing it, except that someone was going to pay for it. I feared writing application letters, because I didn't think I could explain why I wanted my MBA and what I planned to do with it. And that felt wrong, like a waste of time and money. I ended up abandoning it, partly because it felt wrong, and partly because my family imploded at that same point (which caused a lot of other massive changes in my life). To this day, I don't really regret my decision, and feel like it was probably the best choice.
With the path I'm currently considering, I feel like I'm reaching a point where I could actually articulate why I wanted to go back to school, and would already have fairly specific plans for what I'd want to do with it in the long term. There's some fear wrapped up in it for me, though. It would be a major change in my life, and require many years of sacrifice to achieve. And I may never make the income I'm making now (or could make if I followed my current path). Although, I also feel like if I chase money instead of personal fulfillment, that I'll ultimately end up regretting it. Plus, part of me worries that maybe I won't be good at it, or maybe I'm romanticizing it, and there are aspects of it I'd really hate if I got into it. So, exploring that is part of my process right now too. I want to be sure that I've done my homework on any major life changes before I move forward, so I don't wind up feeling like I made a huge mistake!
I'm not doing anything like what I envisioned when I started college. I wanted to be a musician, playing in the NY Philharmonic or something like that. Then I realized that I was never going to be as good as my teacher and he was only getting gigs intermittently and working in a mail room to pay the rent. That was pretty demoralizing for me, but then I discovered arts administration, which would have allowed me to stay in the music field, even though I wasn't playing. My school didn't have a major in arts admin, but I was able to put something together with my electives and ended up with a BS in Business/Marketing.
I think I tried for six years, both in NY and SF, to get into an arts admin position but there were no jobs available and the ones that I was able to find only paid about $15K per year. I had been doing temp jobs while I was looking, and most of those were in accounting, so I eventually decided to go back to school and get my CPA. I'm pretty good at it but I don't really like it much. I was doing taxes and audits for a while, then moved to the nonprofit world, which I like much better because it's more suited to my personality.
Now I'm finishing up a Masters in Public Administration, which hopefully will get me a job that's more management and less accounting, although I'm not really confident of that happening, given my background. I'm still hoping to get a position with a performing arts organization but those jobs don't turn over very often and I think it's going to be a case of "right place, right time" for me to get one.
I think at this point in my life, there's no such thing as a "dream job". I've been around too many blocks and I've realized that if I can find a situation where I like the people I'm working with and can get behind the mission of the organization, that's good enough for me.
Sorry this got so long, but my life has been pretty topsy-turvy so far!
Tea Time for Lulu
As an undergrad, I spent a lot of time working for a student-run corporation, first managing one of the many businesses under their corporate umbrella, then as VP of the whole organization. I loved running my own little business, hiring people, making budget decisions, etc. I was hooked on business as a general discipline from there.
My actual work/career has meandered quite a bit since then though. Where I went to school, there were two primary paths for people like me--consulting or investment banking. I ended up in the latter even though I primarily pursued the former. It was a gut decision based on the people I interviewed with at the i-bank, and overall it was a good move for me. Then I decided to get some industry experience and did business development for a startup. When that didn't work out, I ended up back in finance on the buy side, doing deals for a private equity firm. If my financial skills were better, I might still be there but ultimately decided the environment wasn't for me--too competitive at my particular firm and not a great lifestyle overall. I'm now doing business development at a consulting firm.
So while I've stayed in the business world broadly speaking, I've sort of become a jack of all trades and a master of none. I still don't really know what I want to be when I grow up, to be honest. I would love to run my own business, but don't really know what kind of business that would be or whether I have the courage or skills to do it. I also make very good money working for The Man and the risk-averse side of me is wary of giving that up.
I don't know if I really answered your questions, but feel free to ask for more detail if you want!
i got my BS in chemistry, emphasis in biochemistry, and got a job right after graduation in the biotech industry. after almost 2 years, i was getting bored with my job and knew that i need to go back to school to elevate my career. so, i started researching PhD programs in chemistry/biochem. then my BFF's sister, who was in her first year of pharmacy school, told me to look into pharmacy school since we had done the same major in undergrad and she thought that i would be interested in pharmacy. so, i looked online and the classes involved, and decided i could do it and i applied.
i never thought about being a pharmacist. it wasn't my dream per se. however, i am so glad that i am doing clinical pharmacy. i love my job. and i love it even more here in NZ. i've said it before and i will say it again, i don't think i will ever be able to work in the USA again b/c i love being a NZ pharmacist so much. i just started my maternity leave for the year, and i am missing work already!
I was originally a music major in college and I wanted to be a high school choir director. After a semester, I decided that being a music major wasn't for me. I LOVE music but I was horrible at music theory and the program was so intense it sucked all of the fun out of what I loved. I switched to Liberal Studies with a music emphasis so I still had the option of teaching music but at an elementary or middle school level. I kind of grew into my profession because once I switched to teaching I had a lot of fun being in a classroom and around kids. My college had an amazing liberal studies program where we actually go to go into classrooms and execute our lesson plans as undergrads. My professors were great and I really developed a love for teaching.
However, once I got my credential the market crashed and teaching jobs were scarce so it was and still is discouraging. I've been fortunate enough to get some temporary jobs. My first temporary job was long term subbing for the choir director at my old high school while she was out on maternity leave. I had a blast! I've also had two reading intervention jobs that I absolutely love. I think I like reading intervention better than the regular classroom. If I could find a full time job as a reading intervention teacher I would take it in a heart beat. I'm even thinking about going back to school and getting a Reading Specialist Credential but we don't have the money right now and I don't want to take out more student loans.
Growing up I had always loved to be around kids, as a teenager I loved spending time with my young cousins or babysitting, but never thought of it as a career option. I started college pre-veterinary with plans to attend UC Davis however that didn't last long after a few classes. Then I moved on the Kinesiology, where I decided I hated biology. So I tried Ag Education where I decided I hated all the Ag class but really wanted to stick with education.
It was just something that I kind of fell into after deciding that other things were not for me and I could not be happier. The moment I left my first Liberal Studies class I was in love. The teachers were teaching differently and I felt like I was more of an equal than a stupid student. I definitely think I felt at home and belonged in a classroom and could not be happier with my choice. Plus the fact that I get all kinds of awesome time off and ALL summer helps a lot
Aw heck, Dani, I could have written this myself. I struggle with a lot of the same things. Really thinking there's something better and more meaningful out there, but afraid of a career change, afraid to give up the things I really love about my profession. Who knows where we'll end. I just hope I'm brave enough to make the change when it needs to be made.
Just wanted to say that's awesome! I had no idea what you were going to school for, but dang...go you!!
Learning to start all over again... Blog
I don't work right now and go to school full time. I'm a psych major. I started off as an English major, but after I took my first psych class though I was sold. It was all so interesting to me. I love talking with people, I love listening to people, and friends and family seem to like using me as a sounding board and talk through their feelings with me. It's a great fit for me.
When I'm done with school (Grad school is next-yikes!), I want to be a counselor. I would love to focus on women and teens because that is where my heart really is. I kind of do my dream job now, but I don't get paid for it. I absolutely LOVE my volunteer work. I volunteer at a pregnancy center as a "client advocate". I get to talk with clients about their pregnancies, their expectations, their worries, sometimes I talk with them and their partners, and let them know their options. I also offer help by finding resources in their communities that can help them with whatever they decide. I would totally love to be able to do something similar, but as a professional, and get paid. That's what keeps me going.
If I didn't do that, I would like to be a missionary. Actually, if it wasn't for my Huz's job, that might be something we really could do. And, if I hadn't been so horrible at my Bio classes (and not such a wimp), I would have liked to go to be a doctor, and do something like "Doctors Without Borders".
OMG, I was in the same situation. I got my degree in journalism too and realized I HATED it. I had to finish it up, b/c it was getting too late and I was going to graduate. I went on to get my MA in Education, moved back to the Bay Area to my parents' house and got my credential. I have been teaching for 4 years, got laid off three times and every year from Feb.-June I have the same phobias you described. Luckily I got hired each time, but it's such an awful thing to be afraid of layoffs. I am at a new school this year again, and I am hoping this is the ONE that won't lay me off for once.
P.S. when I heard that journalism jobs required moving to small towns to start at their papers, I totally hated it even more and wanted to change majors. I had friends move to small, tiny towns to write for papers and I thought, there is no way I am leaving the SF Bay Area. Also, they got paid sooo little that a teacher's salary was looking fancy compared to that!
Glad to hear there are other people with my situation!