Is what you do professionally now, what you wanted to do when you were growing up? Is what you are doing a just a job or your career? Or are you still deciding what you want to do when you grow up?
When I was in high school, I swore that the last thing in the world I would want to do was to become a teacher. I became a high school teacher, a teacher educator, and later a trainer of practicing teachers and administrators and a school improvement facilitator. Iguess that much of my motivation was to help insure to help ensure that more kids had better teachers than most I had.
I'm with you there. I was never, never, ever, ever stepping foot in a school again. Then spent 10 years working in a school. I did learn that going to school is harder for the teachers than the students. Also, solved the mystery of the "Teacher's Lounge".
I'm 56 and in grad school. So, I still don't know exactly what I'll end up doing when I grow up LOL. I love what I do now though, so not in any hurry.
Congratulations!!! I tried many times to get my mother to go to college with me because she loved school and learning but she always insisted she was too old. She was only 52 when I started.
I worked because I need money to live on and that is the only reason that I worked. I am retired now after a 40 year work life and retirement is the life for me. The job that I retired from was just "catch as catch can luck" and was good to me from start to finish. Life is good.
Originally wanted to be an actress.Majored in theatre arts but changed major to Sociology/Social Work. Remained active in community theatre. Started a Masters Program in Special Education,worrked as teacher for a year, Music, Drama and Dance Director Summer Camp. Then found new opportunity as Marketing Asst for Solar Architectural Firm/Solar Age Magazine-became Marketing Director and worked with DOE there and when I relocated to Boston with the Northeast Solar Energy Center. Meanwhile Reagan nixed solar programs and I changed careers again to sales,merchandising and sales management with well known consumer goods companies in confectionary, tobacco and giftindustries. Forced to retire six years ago due to fighting Leukemia.
I'm fine-in remission 5 yrs now thanx
I wandered thru university starting in Architecture, then Civil Engineering. I was interning with a civil engineering firm when they got their 1st PCs. That just made sense to me. BS in Computer Engineering, MS in Electrical Engineering. I've been working in telecommunications for the past 25 years. Moved to engineering manager about 5 years ago.
I like what I do, it requires a strong technical skill set, constant learning and real creativity, although it is stressful for those same reasons.
I'm still working on my career as an indie filmmaker/actor. My current bill paying job couldn't be more unrelated if it tried. However, I figure I'm working towards something that makes me happy so it's worth it.
Back in high school, was good at math and science, and thought that being an engineer might be a good job for me. Got my degree in Civil Engineering. Worked for the USDA for 35 years, last as a "Hydraulic Engineer". Loved what I did, and thought that it was worth doing. Have been retired for 17 years, and do some consulting, mostly flood studies, and hydraulic studies of water flowing in channed. Just like the whole process of being an engineer and problem solving. Currently working on 2 jobs, hydaulics for a channel modification, and a dam breach routing, required for the owner to get a building permit. Feel very fortunate to get a job that I loved that had value in helping people.
If you are still working on 2 jobs, you are NOT retired. IMHO
My mentor in life was my psychology teacher in high school. I would journal and he would comment on my writings. I would look forward to his responses. Sometimes we would talk after school. He got me started on meditation through visualization. I was a lost puppy in those days. I'm not sure I would have made it without him. Later in college I had a gentle soul I saw for counseling. He wasn't as big an influence but kept me going. These two men solidified my desire to be a therapist, so yes I'm doing what I've wanted to do since I was a teen. It is much more than just a job. Am I good at it? Depends who you ask. Hopefully I'm half as good as the gentlemen mentioned above.
When I was a teenager my father had a Catholic Priest friend. He often came over our house and "hung out" with my father. When I was in my senior year in high school the Priest started asking me if I wanted to be a Priest. He guaranteed that he had the "pull" to get me admited to a Seminary. I was very interested in sex and believed that Priests are celibate, so I always said "NO" Now that I am older and wiser I wonder if I might have passed up a good job. Just work on Sundays....and to hell with that celibate rule.
I'm currently an inventory coordinator and a cashier in a grocery store. I wanted, and still want, to be a book editor. Pretty lofty goals. I doubt I'll get there.
@MarvelAnn I don't have the motivation to anymore. Check my page. I've been dealing with depression. Severe depression. I just don't care anymore. I'm about to leave for work right now and I don't want to. Not because I don't want to work or don't like the job. I love the job and the people but wonder why I'm fighting to survive. What's the point? I have nothing to live for but my cat.
At 64 I am still trying to figure out what I want to be. I've been a funeral director, mass fatality responder for FEMA , a Radio shack employee. Now I'm a employment specialist for the AARP Foundation. I am still looking, but the idea I had at first was to teach history and I am glad that didn't work out, I wouldn't want to be in a school now.
When I was a freshman in highschool I had thought about being a career special forces, By my junior year FBI profiler was also on the table. After high school I joined the Navy watched too many friends have life problems. Returned to civilian life went to school got my teaching certificate 1, got into manufacturing the money was good had set school aside. Had a bad injury got into retail and maintenance past injury put a halt to that. Kids came along and had accumulated tons of knowledge life and observing. Ended up being a single dad devote all extra time to my twins. Helped out in the school. Now I am a poet, the pay is nonexistent and aspiring author.
Yes I am pretty much living my dream... The different aspects of it.
Since early childhood I have been fascinated with planes, trains, streetcars, ropeways, etc...
Grew up to drive trains, tlearned to construct them (mechanical engineering in railways as college major) and now... I am studying in grad school to become an urban planner, sepcializing in transportation. Pretty much my dream!
Electrician and never. Now this is my career I love what I do.
Not at all what intended to do as a kid, but i dig it. Interviewing for a leadership position in a different department Friday. I definitely feel where i'm at now has more "career potential" than any other job i've worked.
36 and still not sure what i want to do when i grow up, though.
I'm working on finishing up a BS in biological sciences and then it's straight into a post baccalaureate program for bio med for me. The hope is to do something with developmental biology and/or population genetics when I finish school. As of right now, I'm just working to pay bills--but in the next couple of years I'll hopefully be doing something that I'll really enjoy.
Wanted to be a lawyer in high school. Sidetracked in the military for a bit as a nuclear engineer, then off to law school. Now a lawyer but my whole line of reasoning has changed. Then I wanted it to do trials ... now I use it to help others.
I've always wanted to be in woodworking. My dad was a furniture maker, and started me helping him when I was very young. I went to work in a cabinet shop when I was sixteen, and I've never looked back. I've been a cabinet maker for 34 years now. I must say though, I'm getting a little burnt out lol. It's very difficult to find a challenge in my field anymore.
I have had to make a lot of adjustments to my life. I wanted to be an Egyptologist as a child, then an anthropologist, then an actress. I ended up being a master groomer, as my career, which I then lost because of my disability. Now I'm a hospital dispatcher. I never wanted to work in the medical field, because my family has a trend: all the men are law enforcement and all the women are medical field lol
I still want to act.
As a very young girl, I wanted to be just like Annie Oakley. As a young teenager-a ballet dancer or opera star, so I practiced both rigorously. With the oncoming of my teen years, I changed, and settled on country music singer and learned how to play the guitar. Being an ugly duckling in the family, my mom sent me to charm school for a day, and I later, after many part-time jobs enrolled in modeling school. Ahh, the art of being taught how to apply makeup. So I went from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. For what’s it’s worth, being a model and what they had to endure to stay on top, I was not willing to pay that price, so I left the industry and got a regular job. Marrying early was not on my list of careers, but do to my family situation it was mandatory. I always wanted to go to college but it was unheard of in my days. My marriage lasted five years plus two kids. Being a single mom I knew I had to financially take care of my family so I started a business, the first year we really struggled, by the second and third it took off like gangbusters. When I turned 60 I finally did what I always wanted to do, and that was to go to college. I was an art major for my undergraduate degree, then went on to receive a Masters of Arts in Applied Linguistics and just finished up a Masters of Science in Human Services. However, to answer your question of ( Are you still deciding what you want to do when you grow up). No, I still do not know what I want to be or what I am going to do next, but it will be something I love to do whatever it is.
I have to admit that I came across my exact job by accident, but it's turned out to be a great fit for me and I enjoy it.