How do you figure out what you want to be when you grow up?

[xalos]

I'm 28 years old and I still haven't found anything that I am passionate about doing yet. There has been many things I have learned to do and a lot of jobs and careers that I've tried out and I still haven't found those few things I want to do everyday.

If I could be like Jarod from "Pretender" that would be freaking awesome. I could be whatever I'd want for that given day. But, for some reason my local university doesn't have that major and don't plan on offering it anytime soon. Something about not being able to find suitable professors or somethng.

So, have any of you found that elusive thing that makes you tick yet? I'm not talking to you people who knew who you wanted to be your whole life. You people make me sick from all the envy I have of you

Any suggestions on how to find that career mojo?





Cliffs:

I don't know what I want to be when I grow up..
Can you help?
Prostitution isn't an option unfortunately.

 

[Kirby]

What do you like to do in your non-work time?

 

[meltdown75]

i wish i could help. my job fell into my lap and i've been here 9+ years. i'll retire doing this if i can fly under the radar long enough

 

[rasczak]

not sure. for me i kinda fell into what i am doing. i had no clue what i wanted to do, but then a game called counter strike required me to install a video card and add memory for the first time to my old gateway. from there it just kinda snowballed into what i'm doing now. if there was anything else i would like to do, i'd probably like to be a french teacher or have something to do with language itself. I'm not fluent, but i can do conversational french (proved very useful in France )

do you remember what you wanted to be when you were a kid? maybe you just got lost along the way?

 

[keird]

I was 10 playing with Army toys and I just decided. I've spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and I still have a decent civilian occupation as a respiratory therapist. I don't think I'm doing another 20 in the service, though.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm slightly technical and like working with computers because the pay is better than the customer service jobs out there. I suggest looking into doing something math/science related. Those jobs pay more. Even if you go to school for 2-4 years and rack up $100k in debt, you'll make a higher salary and be able to pay off the debt. My wife is in school to be a Physician Assistant...it was a 28 month program and she has 9 months left before she'll start making more money than I make. The medical field is almost certainly recession proof thanks to insurance & old people.

There are a lot of psychology majors around here that all work for insurance companies answering the phone. I'd much rather have a job that doesn't require me to clock in every day and work on a time clock.

If you're more of the artsy type....good luck to you. Your quality of life will be in the hands of your girlfriend.

 

[xalos]

It depends on my current mood. Like right now, I could probably play a whole season of Madden continuously. Last week, I was all about studying chemistry and was constantly reading about it. I was into photography last year. But, I seem to not enjoy that much because even though everyone else said my work was good. I didn't care for it.

But, my hobbies and interests arent consistent. I was all about motorcycle riding last summer, i entertained the idea of making my own paintball course, I also like politics and law.

 

[dartworth]

i still haven't figured it out...if you do, LMK

 

[BeauJangles]

Xalos,

I think many people are in the same position as you, myself included. I have a broad range of interests, I've been unhappy in past jobs, and I've been having difficulty finding something new to do (unemployed for a while now). I wish there was a simple answer, but there isn't. My dilemma is that I know what I want to try next, but applying for it is at least a year and a half away. Therefore, I have to find something to do now, which isn't that easy!

 

[Kirby]

Sounds like my dad. He got a degree in PolySci and history, and intended to go to law school. He decided not to, so he worked as a mechanic, insurance salesman, then built custom houses. He got into construction a few years back, now he works for a airheater company that works in power plants and really enjoys it. So basically he found the job he likes at about 48 years old.

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

I've known I wanted to run/own a business since I was 13 years old and now I do (age 24).
-AE

 

[darkxshade]

See a psychic

 

[xalos]

I guess life could be just one enterprise after the next. But, I definately don't like the job security in that. It's really sad though. I don't mean to sound self boasting or anything since I'm sure a lot of you on the forum is the same way. But, there isn't much I can't do or at least catch on to in a short amount of time.

I see other people who struggle trying to do or learn the same things that I have no problem learning or doing and I'm not serious about the job or subject. I feel like a big waste of talent. I think thats my biggest problem. I could just work 9-5 doing something odd but I honestly would feel like I'm letting myself down every day. But, there is absolutely nothing I really feel like doing with my talents.

I thought about being a teacher or something. But, I imagine it would get old really quick.

 

[drum]

I went the hobby route. Now since that is more or less my day job I don't enjoy my hobby anymore.
The Pretender was an awesome show btw. Miss Parker ++

 

[djheater]

By way of example here's my story:

I was an art school dropout, living the bachelor life.
I ran a comic shop until I was 22, then I started baking at an artisanal bread shop. I like both of those job, but there was a problem. I wasn't passionate about them and I had gotten a girl pregnant and the pay was crap.
I cast about for jobs and found a secretary type job while writing scripts for on-hold messaging part time. Didn't care for it but the pay was better. My father knew a guy who got me a helpdesk job and I rose through the ranks over 8 years to by a systems administrator which is fine, pay's good, supports the family, haven't ever really cared for it.

My Dad became terminally ill and I would drive an hour both ways 4-5 times a week to be with him and care for him. Late nights coming home, I would put on talk radio and there was a show hosted by a social psychologist that I always enjoyed. Looking up this show, I investigated social psychology and in looking into psychology I found something I'm truly interested and passionate about.

I've been in night school for a couple of years and have recently completed all my psych major courses, In a few years (due to my wife needing to finish her masters first) I'll be trying to get into a grad school program for school psychology.

If you had asked me 5 years ago what I wanted to be when I grew up I wouldn't have known, but I do now. My point being that there are probably things you'd be profoundly interested in that you don't even know about yet. If you're not settle, keep looking, there's thousands of things you haven't explored yet.

 

[xalos]

Great advice djheater.

 

[dmw16]

Still haven't figured it out myself, but this is a very interesting thread.

Good luck on your quest.

One suggestion would be to find a career carousel in your area.

 

[Fritzo]

It's almost impossible to answer that questions when you're young, because you have no idea what life is like yet.

I wanted to be a few things....then found out that life makes it hard to get what you want, but you tend to settle into what you need.

The Rolling Stones were SO right.

 

[Kaido]

I wrote a book about it. It will be available mid-December (it's at the printers now).

Really really

 

[EGGO]

If you don't know, you haven't experienced life enough yet. Everything is going to have hard work and you'll be put down during the journey. For example, advertising isn't for soft people with unoriginal minds. You'll have to get used to the creative director telling your ideas, "No" over and over. But I love the work more than going to the award shows or getting them.

Also, as another anecdote, the happiest people I know don't have the highest paying jobs. There are people who believe your job should be your job and not your life. I disagree. I love waking up (with what little sleep I get) doing this stuff. I love going to commercial shoots and meeting new people or even famous people and my survival depends on what new things I learn, watch and experience everyday. But none of this stuff comes easy. Get ready to start at the bottom of the totem pole no matter what you choose to do.

I think you just have to start out by doing more things that interest you and let it evolve from there.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Kaido
I wrote a book about it. It will be available mid-December (it's at the printers now).

Really really

What if I want to be a writer than makes books to help people decide what to do?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Kaido
I wrote a book about it. It will be available mid-December (it's at the printers now).

Really really

What if I want to be a writer than makes books to help people decide what to do?

Position is taken, sir

 

[Modular]

This is a tough one. I'm going through a very similar dilemma. I wish I could just have a job fall in my lap that I enjoyed, but I'm not banking on that happening. I'm not sure that the whole "follow your hobby to find a job" thing is the right way to go about finding a rewarding career, because I would be scared that I would ruin my hobby. Maybe I should just suck it up and make the switch (currently a financial planner, making ends meet in my first year but unhappy).

 

[vi edit]

I still haven't. I've just sort of done my own thing and had some nice opportunities fall in my lap.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: xalos
I'm 28 years old and I still haven't found anything that I am passionate about doing yet. There has been many things I have learned to do and a lot of jobs and careers that I've tried out and I still haven't found those few things I want to do everyday.

If I could be like Jarod from "Pretender" that would be freaking awesome. I could be whatever I'd want for that given day. But, for some reason my local university doesn't have that major and don't plan on offering it anytime soon. Something about not being able to find suitable professors or somethng.

So, have any of you found that elusive thing that makes you tick yet? I'm not talking to you people who knew who you wanted to be your whole life. You people make me sick from all the envy I have of you

Any suggestions on how to find that career mojo?





Cliffs:

I don't know what I want to be when I grow up..
Can you help?
Prostitution isn't an option unfortunately.

I'm in exactly the same position. I'm 28 and have no friggin clue what i want to do with my life. Right now I'm pretty much tech support and I pretty much hate it.

Work will pay 80% of my tution to go back to school but it has to be in my current field or a position I could reasonably expect to obtain within the company. I really want out of IT so I doubt they'll pay for me to do anything else.

But the other problem is that there is nothing that I can think of that I want to do that I could expect to do or at least make a living off of.