Yes, I forgot about that! I did the 2000 census. It was fun, and paid well too.
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How Did You Decide?
- Thread starter Graceful-Lily
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We did that, too, at the City (of L.A.). It was great. At work at 7 and never saw the sun part of the year. But it was great having that extra day off every 2 weeks!
The STEM fields seem to be the best chances for success. It sort of runs in my family -- my dad was always bringing home coding stuff and he worked in IT as what I call a "money man" (financial field in the DWP) and I took to computers as a fish to water, so most of what I've done has been in IT in one way or another. I wanted to paint or write, but there's no money in either unless you are successful, which few are.
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If your good with math and like it, what about taking an online accounting course and if you can't find a "full time" job with a company you could do some freelance work for several companies or even start your own small business doing taxes and such. While your working on that you can take a part time job in retail/service just to make a bit of income. As you move ahead with the accounting, then you may be able to afford the more expensive courses to pursue engineering.
If there is one bit of advice I can offer is, you can't expect your dream career right off the hop. You need to work the menial jobs to find what you like and are good at.
I was lucky that I knew what I wanted coming out of high school and I took the course and have been doing it for 15 years (physical and massage/manual therapy) How I came to this conclusion was because I knew myself.
1) I did want to help people
2) my science skills were great and something I was interested in, which included health.
3) I knew I did NOT want to go to school forever - so doctor was OUT. and I did NOT want to deal with diapers and vomit - so nursing was OUT.
4) I wanted a job that kept the door open to being self-employed with potential of expansion.
5) I knew I was not comfortable dealing with too many people at once or being in a crowd. (therapy is very one on one)
There are a few more reasons I could list but those are at the top.
I also found that during my "menial job" times, I was and still am VERY good with marketing and sales, so that was also a consideration, but I do not like to travel much so that was not my top choice for a career. Although, my marketing and sales skills are very transferable with my husbands business.
I too am very artistic, and yeah, there's no money or jobs in art, but it is still something you can do as a side job. You could go to craft fairs and sell your art work for extra cash...
Or what about architectural engineering instead of mechanical?
I could never afford college when I was younger and had no other commitments (young kids). I worked various 'jobs' - not careers. Eventually after I went back to work when my kids got older, I worked part time in a floral shop. I loved it! When the chance came along for a management position in the company I applied and got it. I ran the shop for 20 years. I was a self taught florist. I was happy to retire this past December though because there is a lot of stress and manual labor when you play with flowers all day! 
My daughter has a degree in graphic design and it took her 10 years to get a job using her degree. Art is a tough field! I have found most people just fall into their jobs - they find one that pays the bills and stick with it. Very few (in my experience) have a passion for what they do.
It sounds like you could benefit from some career counseling if available in your area. One thing I think may be good is to focus on what you are good at instead of on the things you aren't. Build your self confidence - if you go into an interview doubting yourself, the interviewer is going to doubt you too. Don't listen to nay sayers - if you think you can do it, then do it!
My daughter has a degree in graphic design and it took her 10 years to get a job using her degree. Art is a tough field! I have found most people just fall into their jobs - they find one that pays the bills and stick with it. Very few (in my experience) have a passion for what they do.
It sounds like you could benefit from some career counseling if available in your area. One thing I think may be good is to focus on what you are good at instead of on the things you aren't. Build your self confidence - if you go into an interview doubting yourself, the interviewer is going to doubt you too. Don't listen to nay sayers - if you think you can do it, then do it!
Ok, here's my very long response....
In many ways, I think I fell into my job. I always wanted to go college, but getting married and having a baby at 16 put the kibosh to that idea. I worked in several factories, one making shoes (lasted a day and a half), worked for 7 years in a plant that made stereos. When that place closed, I went to a paper plant.
We got locked out during a contract dispute when International Paper tried to break the union. It was during the lockout that I made up my mind I wanted, no, I needed, to try college. I started out doing a correspondence course with an out-of-state university, but it was taking forever. Then I switched over to a local university, applied, got accepted. IP was willing to pay for my courses as long as I got As and Bs.....a good way to make me work hard. I didn't have the money to start; a GF loaned me the money to start school. I paid her back.
I didn't know what I wanted to do when I "grew up". But when I started taking a couple Geography classes, it hit. I declared my major (Geography); my minor was Planning and I was fascinated with all of it. It took me ten very long years, working full time and going to classes part time. 2-3 classes a semester, including the summers. I was a non-traditional student, having started college at 40. The kids didn't mind and they were great to be with. When I hurt my knee and was on crutches for about six weeks, the guys in my Public Speaking class would make sure I made it up and down the steps to the classroom (no elevator in that building) without problems. There I was, on crutches, with books, and backpack. And they helped me.
When it came time to do my internship, IP wouldn't let me go; they wanted to keep their senior people. Fortunately at that time, they were going through a big downsizing (basically getting ready to shut the doors) and they were looking for people to take voluntary separations. I called Rick to tell him they didn't want me to do my internship and he said, "Screw 'em. You're done. As of now." I went into the plant, filed my voluntary separation papers, and that was that. Management was shocked; I guess they thought I'd never really do it. Finished my internship the following semester, and came back home. No job. But I had unemployment pay.
Well, I went into our local job-finding office, had a long talk, and filed paperwork. About a week or so later, they called, "The planning department is looking for a planner; your major was Geography with a minor in Planning. Apply!" I did and about two weeks later, started work. For the first 7 years or so, I was a zoning officer, which presented its own set of problems with men who were used to dealing with men, not women. Especially with the Amish and the Mennonite men. Didn't take long, though, and they were calling into the office and saying, "Hey, I need to talk to Pam!". People would call in and say, "I need to talk to the zoning officer. I don't know her name, but she drives a red PT Cruiser and she loves cats!".
I love my job, for the most part. Yeah, the people/public make me spastic sometimes and I'm not overly fond of meetings, but overall, I enjoy reviewing plans. Sometimes I get out to inspect the finished project in the field, taking pictures, etc. Makes it nice on a sunny day, not so much in the winter. I enjoy being with the people I'm working with; my co-workers are a hoot. I really respect my boss' knowledge and expertise; he takes the time to answer questions. If he doesn't have an answer, he'll find it. It's a good department to work in, even if I am old enough to be everybody's mom. (Then again, they probably put up with me because I bake cookies!)
That was 20 years ago. I'm retiring in December. Like I said, it pretty much all fell into place. I was lucky.
Sit down. Make a list of what you're good at. Make another list of what you're not good at. Apply everywhere. There's no shame in working at a fast food place. Or as a janitor. Or as a person cleaning homes. It's a job. Is it the job you want forever? Is it a career job? Probably not. But it's a job. Meanwhile, do a lot of online connecting, talk to people.
I know a lady who couldn't decide what she wanted to do with her life, post divorce. She decided to advertise to clean homes. Turns out she loved cleaning. That was years ago and she now has her own local business. She's busier than ever and has four women working for her. You have to like cleaning. But she does. I know another woman who worked for an office-cleaning company (she was also a former IP employee). She started cleaning at my building; people liked her so much, she got a job here in the Maintenance department.
In many ways, I think I fell into my job. I always wanted to go college, but getting married and having a baby at 16 put the kibosh to that idea. I worked in several factories, one making shoes (lasted a day and a half), worked for 7 years in a plant that made stereos. When that place closed, I went to a paper plant.
We got locked out during a contract dispute when International Paper tried to break the union. It was during the lockout that I made up my mind I wanted, no, I needed, to try college. I started out doing a correspondence course with an out-of-state university, but it was taking forever. Then I switched over to a local university, applied, got accepted. IP was willing to pay for my courses as long as I got As and Bs.....a good way to make me work hard. I didn't have the money to start; a GF loaned me the money to start school. I paid her back.
I didn't know what I wanted to do when I "grew up". But when I started taking a couple Geography classes, it hit. I declared my major (Geography); my minor was Planning and I was fascinated with all of it. It took me ten very long years, working full time and going to classes part time. 2-3 classes a semester, including the summers. I was a non-traditional student, having started college at 40. The kids didn't mind and they were great to be with. When I hurt my knee and was on crutches for about six weeks, the guys in my Public Speaking class would make sure I made it up and down the steps to the classroom (no elevator in that building) without problems. There I was, on crutches, with books, and backpack. And they helped me.
When it came time to do my internship, IP wouldn't let me go; they wanted to keep their senior people. Fortunately at that time, they were going through a big downsizing (basically getting ready to shut the doors) and they were looking for people to take voluntary separations. I called Rick to tell him they didn't want me to do my internship and he said, "Screw 'em. You're done. As of now." I went into the plant, filed my voluntary separation papers, and that was that. Management was shocked; I guess they thought I'd never really do it. Finished my internship the following semester, and came back home. No job. But I had unemployment pay.
Well, I went into our local job-finding office, had a long talk, and filed paperwork. About a week or so later, they called, "The planning department is looking for a planner; your major was Geography with a minor in Planning. Apply!" I did and about two weeks later, started work. For the first 7 years or so, I was a zoning officer, which presented its own set of problems with men who were used to dealing with men, not women. Especially with the Amish and the Mennonite men. Didn't take long, though, and they were calling into the office and saying, "Hey, I need to talk to Pam!". People would call in and say, "I need to talk to the zoning officer. I don't know her name, but she drives a red PT Cruiser and she loves cats!".
I love my job, for the most part. Yeah, the people/public make me spastic sometimes and I'm not overly fond of meetings, but overall, I enjoy reviewing plans. Sometimes I get out to inspect the finished project in the field, taking pictures, etc. Makes it nice on a sunny day, not so much in the winter. I enjoy being with the people I'm working with; my co-workers are a hoot. I really respect my boss' knowledge and expertise; he takes the time to answer questions. If he doesn't have an answer, he'll find it. It's a good department to work in, even if I am old enough to be everybody's mom. (Then again, they probably put up with me because I bake cookies!)
That was 20 years ago. I'm retiring in December. Like I said, it pretty much all fell into place. I was lucky.
Sit down. Make a list of what you're good at. Make another list of what you're not good at. Apply everywhere. There's no shame in working at a fast food place. Or as a janitor. Or as a person cleaning homes. It's a job. Is it the job you want forever? Is it a career job? Probably not. But it's a job. Meanwhile, do a lot of online connecting, talk to people.
I know a lady who couldn't decide what she wanted to do with her life, post divorce. She decided to advertise to clean homes. Turns out she loved cleaning. That was years ago and she now has her own local business. She's busier than ever and has four women working for her. You have to like cleaning. But she does. I know another woman who worked for an office-cleaning company (she was also a former IP employee). She started cleaning at my building; people liked her so much, she got a job here in the Maintenance department.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #28
The thing with the art industry is that there are thousands of talented artist who can do what I do and better. There is way too much competition yet whenever people see my paintings or hear my music, they always tell me that I'm so good and that I should keep it up but if I'm not getting anywhere with it, it doesn't seem worth the effort? The only people who buy things from me are family members and family friends. It's a start, yes, but I can't make a steady income depending on their money. I have no idea what else I'm good at except for art (mostly art) and math. But even with math, there are limits to my skills. Simple equations can become overwhelming if my brain can't see the pattern. The thought of being stuck in college for the next 4 years isn't pleasant.
But lots of you have given me helpful advice.
But lots of you have given me helpful advice.
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I will say this was my biggest mistake when I was in college. I thought that in order to be successful at something I had to be the best - or at least near the top. I thought of going into computer programming but all the kids I knew doing that had been building their own computers since they were little and I thought I wouldn’t be able to compete in that field.
If you want to do art, look into something that’s more commercial. There are lots of places that need illustrations for advertisements, or other things than selling your own works. I’m not that familiar with the art world, but like people say here you can build on your current skill sets. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to work hard where you have aptitude.
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This is what my husband's business is. He opened his own graphic design and print shop where he designs logos for companies and designs graphics to put on signage, clothing/apparel, vehicle decals, wall decals, billboards, business cards, posters, mugs, calendars, promotional items, etc,....he then prints it and if necessary depending on what it is, installs the prints on whatever it's for. We constantly see his works of art all around our city.
I am in the same. Exact. Boat. I don't know how old you are, but I'm 24, soon to be 25.
I majored in biology in undergraduate. My husband (then boyfriend) was a chemistry major. My original plan was to become an occupational therapist, but after working in that field as a tech, I realized how miserable I would be. SO I was back to square one.
We moved to Georgia almost immediately after graduating college because husband got a job with the state. I figured I would wait out a job in natural resources, and worked as an hourly for Georgia DNR for a bit. That slowly became more and more of a desk job vs. doing actual natural resources work. I was miserable, making minimum wage with my bachelors, and never saw my husband because I was working weekends and he was Monday to Friday. It was after that that I got my job as an aide in a hospital, again making way less than I should have with my level of education.
I quit that job in December and have gone back to school full-time to get an associates in wildlife management. It has been hard, because the school I am going to is 3.5 hours away from my husband and the cats (my mom lives in that area, so I live with her during the week). I also acknowledge how privileged I am to be able to go back to school since we can make due on just one salary. However, I think (hope) that I am doing what is right for us. It's been extremely hard for me to see everyone I went to school with jump start their careers or go to graduate school. It's been three years since I graduated and I would give my right arm to make $15/hr.
After this program, I don't really know what to do. I guess I will start applying to jobs everywhere starting in September. We will probably have to move, which I'm fine with because I don't like it down here very much, and my husband is ready to go somewhere else with his career. I will say, this associate's degree is helping me WAY MORE than a bachelor's ever could. It has given me experience that I never thought I would get in undergraduate, so do not discount that level of education, despite what "the world" wants you to think.
You have a medically oriented mind. Have you considered nursing? Massage therapy? Anything in that general field?
I majored in biology in undergraduate. My husband (then boyfriend) was a chemistry major. My original plan was to become an occupational therapist, but after working in that field as a tech, I realized how miserable I would be. SO I was back to square one.
We moved to Georgia almost immediately after graduating college because husband got a job with the state. I figured I would wait out a job in natural resources, and worked as an hourly for Georgia DNR for a bit. That slowly became more and more of a desk job vs. doing actual natural resources work. I was miserable, making minimum wage with my bachelors, and never saw my husband because I was working weekends and he was Monday to Friday. It was after that that I got my job as an aide in a hospital, again making way less than I should have with my level of education.
I quit that job in December and have gone back to school full-time to get an associates in wildlife management. It has been hard, because the school I am going to is 3.5 hours away from my husband and the cats (my mom lives in that area, so I live with her during the week). I also acknowledge how privileged I am to be able to go back to school since we can make due on just one salary. However, I think (hope) that I am doing what is right for us. It's been extremely hard for me to see everyone I went to school with jump start their careers or go to graduate school. It's been three years since I graduated and I would give my right arm to make $15/hr.
After this program, I don't really know what to do. I guess I will start applying to jobs everywhere starting in September. We will probably have to move, which I'm fine with because I don't like it down here very much, and my husband is ready to go somewhere else with his career. I will say, this associate's degree is helping me WAY MORE than a bachelor's ever could. It has given me experience that I never thought I would get in undergraduate, so do not discount that level of education, despite what "the world" wants you to think.
You have a medically oriented mind. Have you considered nursing? Massage therapy? Anything in that general field?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #32
Hello! I am 20.5 years old actually. In about 6 months, I will be 21. I can relate to the bit where you said that you see your classmates jumpstarting their careers. That's where I made a terrible mistake - listening to others instead of listening to my heart. A few months ago, I reached out to an old friend to try to get clarity on my whole situation. I thought they could help but during the whole duration of us "catching up", it turned more into them judging me and laughing at all my short comings. Mostly because they had a good job before even graduating, more independence and everything going right for them. I remember the evening my mom came to pick me up, I was in tears. This individual even went as far as to tell me how horribly awful I looked in my face due to all my anxiety and depression.
Anyway, I made the mistake of letting their comments get into my head and they have been eating away at my brain ever since.
You are right in part about the medical... But it's more so I find it facinating. There are a few nurses in my family so I never thought to get into it. It never interesed me at all. The only thing that really interested me aside from art is engineering. I forgot to mention that my dad's line of work is similar to mechanical engineering. He designs machines in CAD and draws blueprints. He builds fully functional machines from scratch! He's also built whole buses from scratch. When I was younger, he used to take me to work a lot and showed me how things work.
As of right now, I have a few free online high school courses that I've registered for starting soon. Next month actually... I'll start from there and take advantage of all the cost free resources that I can. When it comes to the paid classes, I will try my best to come up with the money. Even if I have to borrow from family or take out a loan.
Anyway, I made the mistake of letting their comments get into my head and they have been eating away at my brain ever since.
You are right in part about the medical... But it's more so I find it facinating. There are a few nurses in my family so I never thought to get into it. It never interesed me at all. The only thing that really interested me aside from art is engineering. I forgot to mention that my dad's line of work is similar to mechanical engineering. He designs machines in CAD and draws blueprints. He builds fully functional machines from scratch! He's also built whole buses from scratch. When I was younger, he used to take me to work a lot and showed me how things work.
As of right now, I have a few free online high school courses that I've registered for starting soon. Next month actually... I'll start from there and take advantage of all the cost free resources that I can. When it comes to the paid classes, I will try my best to come up with the money. Even if I have to borrow from family or take out a loan.
Can you ask your dad if you could basically intern at his work a few hours a week? That's resume building material right there.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #34
Oh, I've done that already and I have it on my resume. I used to be his receptionist. I'd also clean his office, design business cards and posters, take phone calls, print important emails, file documents, etc. I've put all that on my resume. Even applied to some jobs with all I've done as their criteria but I was still refused a job. A lot of them viewed my resume but never got back to me.
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Coincidental that you should mention your interest in art at an early age. My dad was a talented artist, I inherited his talent and I passed it down to one of our daughters. My original intention was to major in medical art, something you may want to look into. However, my high school counselor helped me apply for a teaching scholarship and that laid the groundwork for the next four years of college. I worked in special education and thoroughly enjoyed my career. I used my artistic talent to connect with many of our nonverbal students. They loved to watch me draw and it helped me bond with them. The nice thing about art is that you can use it in so many areas although finding a job exclusively in it may be more difficult.
Perhaps this website about universities with medical illustration degrees might be helpful for you: Best Colleges with Medical Illustration/medical Illustrator Degrees
Please don't give up on yourself, you're still young and have time to figure out where your interests lie or try different job positions before you find the one that's right for you. Best of luck!
Perhaps this website about universities with medical illustration degrees might be helpful for you: Best Colleges with Medical Illustration/medical Illustrator Degrees
Please don't give up on yourself, you're still young and have time to figure out where your interests lie or try different job positions before you find the one that's right for you. Best of luck!
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I think it’s one of the great mistakes in life to trust some of your biggest decisions to a teenager.
Browse Meetup.com and the like. What interests you there? If income weren’t an issue, what would you do and who would you want to meet up with? Go to those meetups and talk to those people. They may very well have the opportunity you are looking for.
Browse Meetup.com and the like. What interests you there? If income weren’t an issue, what would you do and who would you want to meet up with? Go to those meetups and talk to those people. They may very well have the opportunity you are looking for.
I went to college at 18 thinking I wanted to go into biology. I chickened out on actually going through with it and spent 3.5 years floundering before finally dropping out. I took about 3 years off and went back for biology, but I was starting to have problems with my depression and couldn't commit to finishing my biology degree. Finally another 5 years later, I graduated with a degree in communications and writing.
I've always loved writing, so getting a degree in it wasn't like a last resort type of thing. I graduated almost 4 years ago and I've been working at a library since then and looking for a writing job, but I had a recent epiphany that while I love writing, it isn't something I really want to do full-time. I don't want to lose my love for it by having my livelihood rely on that. This is why I am starting my Master's this fall in GIS (geographic information systems) because I enjoy maps and geography and I also like statistics and analysis.
Deciding what to do with your life is hard. The average person changes careers 5 to 7 times in their life, not jobs, but full-on careers. I would suggest checking out some career books or career aptitude books from the library to get a feel for what you are good at and what you enjoy and then kind of go from there.
I've always loved writing, so getting a degree in it wasn't like a last resort type of thing. I graduated almost 4 years ago and I've been working at a library since then and looking for a writing job, but I had a recent epiphany that while I love writing, it isn't something I really want to do full-time. I don't want to lose my love for it by having my livelihood rely on that. This is why I am starting my Master's this fall in GIS (geographic information systems) because I enjoy maps and geography and I also like statistics and analysis.
Deciding what to do with your life is hard. The average person changes careers 5 to 7 times in their life, not jobs, but full-on careers. I would suggest checking out some career books or career aptitude books from the library to get a feel for what you are good at and what you enjoy and then kind of go from there.
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- #38
Thank you!
I found some high school textbooks online for free download. They are all the areas I will be studying so I'm going to use them to help me decide. Maybe I'll try a few problems and see if I've improved from the past 4 years.
I found some high school textbooks online for free download. They are all the areas I will be studying so I'm going to use them to help me decide. Maybe I'll try a few problems and see if I've improved from the past 4 years.
You know, if you decide to go back to school, you might want to check into CLEP.
CLEP = College Level Examination Program
CLEP Basics – CLEP – The College Board
Exams – CLEP – The College Board
In a nutshell, CLEP offers 33 different courses. They're the basic classes for General Education; even if you declare a major in school, you still have to take a certain number of courses to "round you out" so to speak. With CLEP, you buy a book (Sociology, for example), read and study the book, and then take an exam. If you pass the exam, you automatically get the credits. I'm not sure if you have to be enrolled in a college; I was enrolled already and started taking CLEP exams. Much, much cheaper than actually enrolling in the class on campus. I took a Sociology course, a Psyche course, a History course, College Algebra, a Biology course, a Chemistry intro, etc.
When I was preparing for the College Algebra CLEP exam, I had never had any kind of Algebra in HS because I took the Business curriculum. My son, who was a math whiz and became a Physics major when he went to college, set down with me for months (months!!), preparing me for the exam. I went through some high school algebra textbooks and worked my way through them before working my way through the Algebra textbooks for college. In the beginning, it was really hard. I think my son and I took turns with our faces on the kitchen table. I couldn't get it. I just couldn't. Until one night? It all clicked. And I decided that I absolutely loved Algebra! Go figure. I passed the College Algebra CLEP exam with flying colors. I couldn't have done it without him. And then later on, when I needed a Statistics class for my Geography major, he helped me again. I enjoyed Stats.
You save money by taking the CLEP exams. And you save time. It works.
CLEP = College Level Examination Program
CLEP Basics – CLEP – The College Board
Exams – CLEP – The College Board
In a nutshell, CLEP offers 33 different courses. They're the basic classes for General Education; even if you declare a major in school, you still have to take a certain number of courses to "round you out" so to speak. With CLEP, you buy a book (Sociology, for example), read and study the book, and then take an exam. If you pass the exam, you automatically get the credits. I'm not sure if you have to be enrolled in a college; I was enrolled already and started taking CLEP exams. Much, much cheaper than actually enrolling in the class on campus. I took a Sociology course, a Psyche course, a History course, College Algebra, a Biology course, a Chemistry intro, etc.
When I was preparing for the College Algebra CLEP exam, I had never had any kind of Algebra in HS because I took the Business curriculum. My son, who was a math whiz and became a Physics major when he went to college, set down with me for months (months!!), preparing me for the exam. I went through some high school algebra textbooks and worked my way through them before working my way through the Algebra textbooks for college. In the beginning, it was really hard. I think my son and I took turns with our faces on the kitchen table. I couldn't get it. I just couldn't. Until one night? It all clicked. And I decided that I absolutely loved Algebra! Go figure. I passed the College Algebra CLEP exam with flying colors. I couldn't have done it without him. And then later on, when I needed a Statistics class for my Geography major, he helped me again. I enjoyed Stats.
You save money by taking the CLEP exams. And you save time. It works.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #40
Do you have to be a U.S. citizen? I am a Canadian and a few things people tell me to check out, I have no access to.
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