Els Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 (edited) And if you do.. what do you do? Why do you enjoy it? Or do you just enjoy some parts of it? I realized, at the end of my 4-year pharmacy course, that I will not be happy as a pharmacist. It is almost guaranteed, I don't even need to give it a try. The three months of training literally sucked the soul out of me. I dreaded going to bed at night knowing that I would have to wake up tomorrow to do the same damned thing... again. I'm not really sure what other options I have without another degree. If I could choose, my top 3 choices would be writer, lecturer, and coder - all of which, if I follow through, render my 4-year degree entirely useless and irrelevant. Ironically, those were always my top 3 choices when I was a kid, yet unbrainwashed by all the people telling me that I should go for a safe job, one which is always in need and offers stable pay. Guess I always knew myself best as a kid. I also realize that when you turn a hobby into a job, it may cease to be enjoyable altogether. Writers have to write what the masses want so they can sell, or what their editors want. Coders have to stick to it all day, which does make for a rather dreary task. Has anyone made their hobby into a job and still found it rewarding? Edited February 23, 2010 by Elswyth Link to post Share on other sites
RobM Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 I mostly enjoy my job, I write software for a living. I used to love it but 30 years of anything will burn you out after a while. Writing seems like a hard thing to get into for a career, seems like you might have to work fulltime doing something and write part time until you start to get published. When you say "coder" do you mean write software? There are a lot of companies that will train you for what they want, they just want a degree of some sort and they don't really care what. That's just a suggestion if you don't want to go back to school and start over. Link to post Share on other sites
blind_otter Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 I also spent 5 years in college (because I changed my major halfway through from mathematics to psychology of all things). I did my undergrad internship my senior year and realized that I would not be able to work in the field of social work or psychology. Subsequently I spent 10 years dicking around at stupid office jobs that I hated. I went to massage school and got grossed out touching people who had poor personal hygiene. Had a baby, stayed home and my brain drained out of me for a while. I'm doing freelance writing again. Pays for sh*t, at first, but the more people you know and the more contacts you make, the better the gigs get. But if you want to do writing, I would recommend a day job while you get started because if you don't have a cushion, or help, it would be hard to support yourself solely on writing - unless you get a standard day job doing some copywriting or something like that. There are some great MCW programs out there than can help jump start your career though, and help you hone your craft... Link to post Share on other sites
Star Gazer Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Why do I enjoy what I do? The courtroom. Why do I not enjoy what I do? Documenting every .1 hour of my workday. Whether I'm happy on any given day depends on how much time I spent doing the former over the latter. Link to post Share on other sites
threebyfate Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Elswyth, was it the actual work itself, that you didn't enjoy or was it the people contact? If it was the work itself, what part of it was soul sucking during the training? Is it possible that the trainer sucked and was boring as all hell or possibly that as a trainee, you weren't allowed to handle the more interesting aspects of the job? Link to post Share on other sites
Meaplus3 Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 100% yes! I love beign full time stay at home mom.. and doing some web design work from home on a part time basis. Now, in the fall things will change when my youngest goes off to kindergarten. This will be a turning point for me as in which direction to go career wise. I assume, I just might increase my design hours.. and remain at home so I still have the flexibility I have now. Most important.. be there for my kids. Mea:) Link to post Share on other sites
Maxxx Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 I used to love my job but now I hate it.......... I have not been happy for many years and the last two years have taken even more out of me because of the economy..... I am paid a base plus company profit and of course the way things have been going the company profit part of my pay went out the window! (to the tune of about 30k a year if you get my drift.) So now I am not even doing it for the money anymore..... I am in limbo and am trying to figure out what I want to do I may go back to school.... I don't know Link to post Share on other sites
skydiveaddict Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 My job is pretty cool (working on wind turbines). It's a good workout too. climbing a ladder 300 ft straight up really gets your heart going. Plus, the view from atop a turbine is really spectacular. I've never gotten bored with it. Link to post Share on other sites
dennisflorida Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 like they say, jobs are work and work isn't always fun. I enjoy my job to a point. I like helping people out and providing a service, but there are a lot of politics here that i don't care for. Link to post Share on other sites
She's_NotInLove_w/Me Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 I did not learn until having kids of my own a principle so simple yet so important. Follow your heart and make sure to choose a career you enjoy as deeply as possible. The rewards will follow with hard work, determination and of course a little bit of luck and opportunity mixed in there... My youngest daughters were 5 and 6 at the moment of my epiphany and my wife was complimenting the 6 yr old at what a great job she was doing (I don't even remember what it was she was complimenting). My 5 yr old starting crying uncontrollably... We asked her what was wrong. Picture a 5 yr old telling you "you don't tell me I ever do a great job at anything I do." My wife explained to her that there are many thing she is great at. An example my wife gave was that our 5 yr old was great with hair. She can braid other peoples hair, she loves styling hair, at the age of 5 she could put her own hair in a pony tail, etc, etc... I simply said "but don't think that you are going to grow up and become a hair dresser." My wife looked at me with a look of disdain... I got to thinking, and when my wife and I talked about it later on I had understood my mistake. If she wants to be a hairdresser when she gets older, then she should follow her passion! Mario Tricoci is an Italian male who is a household name in chicagoland area. Very successful and wealthy to say the least. I said to my wife, "imagine if he felt that he shouldn't pursue cutting hair, as it was a feminine profession, or it was beneath him, or for whatever reason." I realized that we should choose something we enjoy and are passionate about, and let the future take its course... Things have a way of working themselves out one way or another. I fortunately enjoy my career very much. Other than the long hours, I wouldn't change too much... Link to post Share on other sites
CarrieT Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Has anyone made their hobby into a job and still found it rewarding? Yes - It took me almost 15 years to get both my bachelors and master's in art and immediately after I graduated, I went to cooking school. I now have my own business which combines my art and my food-and-wine knowledge; I create food-themed art and operate multiple food and wine websites. But it took me getting the degrees and education and being brave enough to try it on my own in my 40s. I never felt I had enough confidence to do so earlier in my life. Also, I take heart in several roll models; Julia Child did not even START cooking school until she was in her 40s. The famous character actor, Sydney Greenstreet did not start acting until is 62nd year. Link to post Share on other sites
SarahRose Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Do I really love my job? Yes and no. Personally I would rather sit around and pursue my many hobbies and travel than do the 40 hour a week thing. I've had my own business where I turned a hobby into a business and did that for 5 years. I had much less free time working 60 hours a week at my own business and it totally burnt me out on my hobby. Since we have to work for food and other things we need in life, my suggestion is to find the best job for you that pays the most for you. What do I do? I've had a very lucrative IT career for many many years. I just got promoted to upper level management yesterday. Go me! Don't think of your pharmacy degree as useless because there are many other medical related jobs you can use it for. Administrative roles and medical information systems. I too got what I thought was a useless medical degree. I used it on the IT side of health care. Link to post Share on other sites
OpenBook Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 I too got what I thought was a useless medical degree. I used it on the IT side of health care. I was thinking along the same lines. What about combining your Pharmacy degree with your love of writing and become a medical writer? Or a technical writer for healthcare websites. Or a marketing writer for a pharmaceutical company. Link to post Share on other sites
Soul Bear Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 I Love my job!!! I'm a Personal Trainer. I meet so many people, I get to help people, I get well paid, I get to keep fit and have free use of all the latest and best equipment. It is very satifying helping someone to better themselves. I used to do business and im also a musician and mechanic, but even those i found a bit of a drag. PTing is the best thing i have ever done!! Link to post Share on other sites
Krytie TV Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 I have never really liked what I did as a job. In fact, I thought I was weird for being over 30 and just really not caring what I did for a living. Everything else in life was and still is more important to me than my job. I even quit grad school after three years because I realized I wouldn't enjoy it. Link to post Share on other sites
Got it Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Yes I enjoy my job. I am in a junior executive position for a fast growing company. It is stressful, never ending, and overwhelming at times but a blast and I am learning so much. I have had jobs before but this is definitely a passion. What I wish I could balance better is work and life. I always have the work stress with me and with a company that never sleeps you always have to be "on". It is draining but I am absolutely addicted. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I realized, at the end of my 4-year pharmacy course, that I will not be happy as a pharmacist. It is almost guaranteed, I don't even need to give it a try. The three months of training literally sucked the soul out of me. I dreaded going to bed at night knowing that I would have to wake up tomorrow to do the same damned thing... again. i haven't met any pharmacists who have enjoyed their jobs...its hard work, on you feet all day, same drudgery every day, liability issues, high turnover in staff, long hours. the best i guess is a hospital pharmacist, don't do the drug store route Link to post Share on other sites
LucreziaBorgia Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Love my job. Just wish I made more. Then I'd really love it! Link to post Share on other sites
allina Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I work in HR. I think that my job is pretty stupid but I usually like it. While I may not be passionate about my actual work, I never dread going to work in the morning. My work environment is great, I work with good friends and make enough to afford my mortgage at 26. Link to post Share on other sites
Pyro Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I love my job. Good co-workers and the boss is awesome. He communicates with us well and is very fair. Its such easy work and very stress free. This job is certainly not a career job, but its paying the bills and they decided to accomodate to me and gave me the time off while I have my foreign import here with me. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Els Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 Well, there are far too many reasons why I hated my internship, but the greatest reason was that I just found everything boring beyond redemption. Our subject matter - drugs, does not interest me. I find our work redundant. Doctors and nurses have a defined role. Pharmacists don't. The problem with combining my degree and my hobby is that opportunities aren't many. There are definitely far more options for, say, a website or software designer than a medical writer, for instance. Besides, I'm not even recognized as a pharmacist anywhere except my country, and I want to get out. Thanks for your advice and comments, guys. Maybe I really will just follow my heart and apply for that software design degree, and see where it goes. Hopefully I truly will enjoy that, and not be jaded when I go out to work, landing me back at square one. Btw, is it really true that people will take someone with an unrelated degree and train them in coding? What's the point, when coders are a dime a dozen? As for writing, if I had a relevant degree I would apply to work for a magazine or newspaper. I understand that churning out one's own books can't feed anyone until they get published/famous. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Els Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 One thing, though - my mother had always said that it was her dream to see her daughter as a pharmacist/doctor. I am their only child, and she loves me so much. That's why I took the degree. I think it would break her heart if I went into anything else. Link to post Share on other sites
marlena Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 (edited) I am a teacher. For the most part, I enjoy my job although you do need nerves of steel to do it. Kids can be so difficult, each and every one of them coming to class each day lugging with them their very own specific set of age-related problems. They are often rebellious, belligerent, and confused. Add to the mix that they all have their individual personality peculiarities and varied backgrounds and it gets complicated and hard to deal with sometimes but that is what makes my job so interesting, thought-provoking and fulfilling. Patience is the key word but that's always hard to come by, too, as teachers are only humans and have their own problems to deal with. All in all though, I do like interacting with young people, communicating with them, listening to them, offering my help and trying to impact their lives in as positive a way as possible. I find that more fascinating than the actual lessons I teach. I also like working in a learning environment. It is a stimulating and fascinating process and I learn as much from my students as they do from me. It also keeps me young, I think, as I am always involved in their mind process and activities. I suppose you could say they energize me with their enthusiasm and youthful spirit. My colleagues are for the most part pleasant and co-operative and it is a relatively stress-free environment. The time schedule is good, too, as I only work a few hours a day. Just wish it paid better. Edited February 25, 2010 by marlena Link to post Share on other sites
sunrae Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I love my job. Part owner of a medical equipment company. I do a lot of different things, so I never really get bored. Plus, I can sneak in my office and play on LS, when I want.. Link to post Share on other sites
sedgwick Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 After many years of working jobs I hated, I now make my living as a writer, and I LOVE it!! Link to post Share on other sites
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