For people that know me well they know I am one of the most indecisive people out there. It is hard enough for me to decide what to wear, what I should have for lunch, what I should do tonight - how am I supposed to decide what to do with the rest of my life?
Yes, I am 9 months away from being 30 and still have no clear direction as to what my career should consist of the for the next 35 years.
Since the 3rd grade my dream has always been to train whales and dolphins. I dabbled in this for a bit, and realized you can't live on their measly salary (I really didn't want to have to eat Ramen for the rest of my life). I would have loved to say that I'm not in it for the money, but at some point realism has to be a priority.
My next choice was music. I'm not tooting my own horn - or I will since I've got one - but I am naturally good at music. Why not major in music I said? So I did.
But I fell in love - moved to a different state and that was the end of my life as a musician.
With no more music I got back into animals and went to school for Veterinary Technology. I worked in the field for a bit until I hurt my back - so that was unfortunately the end of that chapter.
Fast forward to the present day. I work with the Doctors who created Proactiv in their new skin care line "Rodan and Fields Dermatologists". I love their products, so it is pretty simple to be involved in the company. I've been doing a lot of administrative/managerial work. I am ok with this for now, but I still desire a career.
Here in lies my problem.
What do I want to do?
How are we supposed to decide what to do with our entire life?
I don't understand how someone can limit themselves to one specific area of work. I want to teach and nurse and so many other things but I can't narrow it down to just one.
How do people do it?
Another issue I have with this is the opinions people have of people like me. I get the feeling that people think I'm not smart, not determined, not a good worker because I don't have a clear direction for my working life. Just because I don't have a 'career' doesn't mean I don't work my ass off.
Indulge me please with what you all have decided to do with your lives, and how you came to the conclusion that this career was IT.
I apologize for the mishmash of paragraphs and thoughts on this post, but it was hard to narrow what I was trying to say in an organized lay out.
Oh girl, we really are the same person. I have battled with this very part of my life over and over and over. Constantly settling for jobs that don't make me truly happy. Right now I work in the commercial appraisal world. I have been in the real estate world for the last 8 years...but it doesn't make me feel fulfilled. I honestly do not know exactly what I want to do. I really want to own my own boutique, but who has money to start one up? Not me. I feel for you and am sending hugs. When you figure out how to be happy with your career, please fill me in! I am 30 and clueless.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a clear direction for my life, either. I have my degree and I know what field I want to work in, but with the economy and the job market...I'm at the point where I will take anything that pays well.
ReplyDeleteI still don't know what I want to do despite it perhaps looking like I do. You know about that since we worked together and all. I've never had a particular drive to do anything, really. I picked the career I'm in because I felt pressured and like I needed to pick something and, at the time, it was intriguing. I think you're pretty jazzy and very smart and you know, it's been too long since we last hung out!
ReplyDeleteall through school, i dreamed about being a doctor. worked all through high school and taking the courses necessary to get into university but then when i really sat down and saw how much schooling is required AND how long i'd be in school for -- AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT. switched paths to business/finance.
ReplyDeletewent into uni with that major - HATED IT. first year was awful; i hated every class and cried nearly every day because i was so lost. then i did something crazy - dropped out of my major and enrolled in something else just to pass the time and also to avoid my parents bitchslapping me because leaving school was NOT an option. that "something else" was computer science; computers and gadgets and technology was always a hobby of mine but i never thought to make a career out of it. back in those days, there weren't many females in the industry but i decided i'd continue this path until i figured out what i wanted to do with my life...turns out THAT WAS IT! as i took more courses and came to understand the realm of different areas of IT, i realized that this was where i wanted to be. as soon as i graduated, i was recruited into an IT firm and my years trying to establish myself in a male-dominated industry was hard but when i did it, it was awesome.
13 years later, i'm still doing it and loving every second :)
-kathy
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