Jump to content

Who Followed Their Career Passions?


Recommended Posts

How many of you did a bachelors degree you were 100%, the most enthused with out of all the degrees on offer, EVEN THOUGH there were not prospects or very LOW prospects of work?

 

Alternatively, how many of you did a degree you were less interested in (but still excited about), because it had good employment prospects, even though it wasn't your first choice of career?

 

Go after your academic passions with low prospects employment wise?

 

Or do your second choice of "degree you are mot interested in" and get a good shot at stable employment at a decent wage?

 

 

 

Please discuss.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

When I was studying real estate, my dad suggested majoring in business instead of real estate as it would open up opportunities should I change my mind. I did just that since real estate only requires a license. I ended up changing my mind and decided to do marketing. I always recommend choosing a major that will help prospects as you still need food on the table at the end of the day.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
Eternal Sunshine

I always followed my passion and I never even looked at employment and salary prospects. However, I was sure of what I wanted to do since I was a teen and never wavered. I think I only changed a single subject during all my years of studying.

 

In your situation though since you are not 100% sure what career you want, I would take into consideration employment prospects, I just wouldn't research them in so much depth. Vague idea will do.

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author

I have other things in mind I would still ENJOY as a career.

 

My university makes it so our entrance scores are ALWAYS valid, plus the first more safe degree I would likely do well in and retain those marks.

 

I can always have a career change later in life once I actually have an income.

 

The safer degree allows you to work part time. I could always revert to part time work if I were to study full time for a career change some day....

 

 

 

I personally believe I am too old to get hard core, heavy involved in science to anything close to a PHD level which is what you need to be successful in niche applied science degrees like the one that I find ground breaking and wish to study....

 

It was definitely in me to do, but I failed to do it by a certain age. Pretty much.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
Glinda.Good

I majored in English Literature.

 

Zero jobs. But that is what I loved.

 

I ended up with a good career anyway.

 

Leigh, you are going to have to take a break from talking about this. You must be driving yourself nuts.

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
I majored in English Literature.

 

Zero jobs. But that is what I loved.

 

I ended up with a good career anyway.

 

Leigh, you are going to have to take a break from talking about this. You must be driving yourself nuts.

 

 

 

 

Yes. Mum has told me to start getting out of the house more and start showering :o

 

I've probably done a bit too much research...

 

 

It all come backs to the same thing: go after utterly interesting, groudbreaking degree with crap prospects yet good pay.

 

My parents thinks I would be better at podiatry. As does my tutor.

 

People who know me best can see me more as a podiatrist than a technician of nuclear medicine.

 

 

 

 

I have done some pretty intensive research

Link to post
Share on other sites

When I was 6 I announced what I wanted to be when I grew. I have been in that field for almost 23 years. You need a graduate degree to do what I go & the year I graduated the job prospects were the worst they had ever been in history. They are actually worse than that now. My undergrad degree was in something I cared about but mostly I picked it because it was something that came easy to me so I didn't have to work very hard to get a GPA that allowed me to get into grad school.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I basically wanted to be adored. Partially am! Enjoyed my studies to the full, knew the kind of people i wanted to work with. But worked very hard and put myself out there many times for little or no reward. Stuck at it and i now think myself quite lucky.

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
When I was 6 I announced what I wanted to be when I grew. I have been in that field for almost 23 years. You need a graduate degree to do what I go & the year I graduated the job prospects were the worst they had ever been in history. They are actually worse than that now. My undergrad degree was in something I cared about but mostly I picked it because it was something that came easy to me so I didn't have to work very hard to get a GPA that allowed me to get into grad school.

 

 

 

I am not trying to get into grad school. Although I have a lot of respect for you for doing so, and then getting work in a field where there were no prospects.

 

If I wanted to get into grad school I know I likely could. I believe I could if I put the work in and it was a degree in which I was interested, in doing the study.... However, I want to get a degree that pays the bills without having to do more than the 3 year bachelor. If at all possible.

 

Podiatry is the most likely medical science related degree that can get me there.

 

In Australia it is still possible to get a bachelors degree and then earn enough income to pay bills and save... for a mortgage, for occasional travel and so on. I still aim to get D's or High D's though in the bachelor....

 

 

 

All I knew when I was young... was that I wanted to aim high etc. But yeah at 28 I would best put my efforts into paying the bills, saving money, and doing it via way of a degree that I do enjoy. Not necessarily the "omg this is fantastic and totally earth shattering" degree.

Link to post
Share on other sites

At the age of 10 I knew what I wanted to be. I went to school with that idea in mind. Concurrently my father's advice was, "if you don't go to grad school major in something that will make money, if you are going to grad school, major in something you love". I planned to go to grad school so majored in English, linguistics and speech.

 

I finally decided that I was not going to go after graduation and sort of fell into my field. In between I had worked other jobs, ran my own business, etc. that really helped me see what I wanted. Ultimately I ended up in a field that is similar to the one I originally wanted to go into and love it. I greatly enjoy what I do and it has become my passion.

 

I would always love to go back to running my own business some day as well. That was very enjoyable but was more in the service industry than what I do now.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
I basically wanted to be adored. Partially am! Enjoyed my studies to the full, knew the kind of people i wanted to work with. But worked very hard and put myself out there many times for little or no reward. Stuck at it and i now think myself quite lucky.

 

 

 

Well you live in Holland park. Nice area, must not be doing too poorly.

 

I get adoration from my partner and other men. I mean, don't all us ladies have another man we know of who is in love with us (yet who we dutifully do not talk to much or see in person?)

 

I am doing this degree for ME. I want to live an intelligent and worthwhile life.

 

Going into podiatry, my second choice of degree which I would " do if I won lotto", I can see myself working with diabetics and the ailing/elderly and obese people that have food problems... of all degrees of severity. The patient care aspect I would love.

 

I just found nuclear medicine a more interesting field but still love the idea of the safer degree (podiatry). It is still something I would like.

 

 

 

 

I mean, don't we all read about the topics of interest that most enthral us, in our SPARE TIME? Not for our every day jobs?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I dropped out of engineering school in my junior year to become a machinist and grew that into my own business and, as with everything in life, it's up and down. I'd probably enjoy a higher standard of living and social status as an engineer but likely would have started on the path of working for others so would have ended up a career employee somewhere, which doesn't fit well with my basic personality. Over the decades, the education itself, even if not a degree, has been a very helpful tool in the toolbox for doing stuff, and I credit a good college-prep high school as much for that as college itself.

 

As far as a life pursuit, my advice to younger people had been to expose themselves to as much of the diversity of life as they can and choose their path as a balance between passion and practicality which fits their intrinsic personality.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites
Glinda.Good
The patient care aspect I would love.

 

What if the patient was a toddler? They get diabetes and foot problems too you know.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

My Stanley Kolwalski was much talked about in the East Acton amateur dramatics society.

 

So are you a movie star?
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
What if the patient was a toddler? They get diabetes and foot problems too you know.

 

 

I don't care if I have to deal with them for appointments, I just don't want to specialise in working with them all day every day. Many women like myself find toddlers unpleasant. Nothing wrong there.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Eternal Sunshine
I don't care if I have to deal with them for appointments, I just don't want to specialise in working with them all day every day. Many women like myself find toddlers unpleasant. Nothing wrong there.

 

Yep. Unpleasant and annoying.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites
Bittersweetie

Like I mentioned in the other thread, I got my grad degree in my late 30s. There weren't a lot of job prospects but I did find a job after graduation. Though I should clarify, the chances of being successful in the specific concentration of the degree I received are next to none. The job I found was in the general industry so I did have interest in it. Plus it was a place I'd interned while in school.

 

I just feel that searching for a career passion (when it's not obvious) is putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on oneself. Every job provides opportunities and they can grow upon each other.

 

Good luck!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I wanted to be a soccer player in my youth and when that didn't materialise, nothing took its place. I was a straight A student, studied Physics at university, graduated, and now 5 years later (at 25)...I'm a postman!

 

I just can't get passionate about the thought of any regular career, being a teacher/lawyer/doctor/accountant etc..

Being indoors all the time would kill me.

 

At the moment I'm getting paid just to walk around in the great outdoors delivering mail, I can listen to my romance language recordings whilst doing so for some intellectual stimulation and to boost my fluency in them.

 

There is zero stress and no work to take home or worry about. I can work all the hours I like, and if I were to do say a fifty hour week, that would come to 27k a year, but I could earn more if I wanted. Newly qualified teachers start on around 20k, with huge stress, working 12+hour days and taking work home with them.

 

Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out and should be getting into a career as all my peers are doing - posting their success and grand titles all over facebook.

But should I really when I have such a nice job and no real work related passion?

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites
reallyhotguy

Can't you start down one path and transfer to another if it doesn't interest you? A friend of mine started out in med school and switched to studying design, which is arguably less "practical" but he's much happier. You can't 100% know what's going to engage you until you try it out, right?

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
Can't you start down one path and transfer to another if it doesn't interest you? A friend of mine started out in med school and switched to studying design, which is arguably less "practical" but he's much happier. You can't 100% know what's going to engage you until you try it out, right?

 

Year one is general so you can get credits transferred.

 

 

At my age I can't afford to waste more time.

Link to post
Share on other sites
TigerLilly78

You know this is off topic and im sorry but I just noticed something Leigh and Eternal you two could be sisters if that's your guys rl pics in your avis...

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
acrosstheuniverse
Well you live in Holland park. Nice area, must not be doing too poorly.

 

I get adoration from my partner and other men. I mean, don't all us ladies have another man we know of who is in love with us (yet who we dutifully do not talk to much or see in person?)

 

I am doing this degree for ME. I want to live an intelligent and worthwhile life.

 

Going into podiatry, my second choice of degree which I would " do if I won lotto", I can see myself working with diabetics and the ailing/elderly and obese people that have food problems... of all degrees of severity. The patient care aspect I would love.

 

I just found nuclear medicine a more interesting field but still love the idea of the safer degree (podiatry). It is still something I would like.

 

 

 

 

I mean, don't we all read about the topics of interest that most enthral us, in our SPARE TIME? Not for our every day jobs?

 

Leigh, what happened to you wanting to do social work?

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
Leigh, what happened to you wanting to do social work?

 

 

 

 

Oh, I always wanted to do a medical science style of degree, originally to be a nutritionist, but then I freaked out because I hadn't done math or physics for over ten years. I didn't even give it a go because I assumed I would fail.

 

I thought I would like social work because it had no math and I wanted to help people and I could avoid math. While I enjoyed reading about social issues, it turns out I cannot stand humanities based degrees as I have always been MUCH more science orientated. I would much rather work out problems all day than writing a huge essay on the same topic.

 

I am now at the stage where I am willing to do what it takes in order to do a science/health science/medical based degree I am actually excited about and therefore willing to battle through the hard times/the boring elements of the degree/the bad points of the actual job. I find that if you are driven by a certain area of study and you like what you job does on a fundamental level, you don't get TOO perturbed by hard work, or boring and monotonous parts of your daily job....

 

I am 100% sure I will be happier in a science/health/medical based degree and resulting profession than I would be in any humanities based degree/career.

 

It has just been a matter of me researching various degrees that interest me and ensuring there are REAL job prospects.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'd advocate a balance. Don't go purely based on salary - salary fluctuates with time and location. But unless you have a substantial trust fund that you can live on for the rest of your life (do you?), you do need to give employability SOME thought IMO. Especially as, as ES says, you're not even 100% sure what you'd really want and keep changing your mind. If you had believed that you had been cut out for some career path for years, then I would've told you to follow your dreams.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...