How did you decide which course to do at college?

[Ross MwcFan]

I want to get a career that I'd enjoy, and I know that to do this I'll probably need to do a course at college.

 

So I thought I could look at what courses are available at a college near to me, and pick something that sounds appealing, that way, the kind of job or jobs that I could get from doing that course would probably be jobs that I'd enjoy doing.

 

The trouble is though, is that I'm not sure what kinds of jobs I could get for any particular course that I end up getting qualifications for.

 

So, I don't know what to do now. I mean I don't want to do a course if it doesn't help me to get a job that I'd like.

[oldguy]

That is excellent Ross. What are your passions? List them & your hobbies & go talk to a career counselor at the college your interested in taking classes at.

Good luck to you.

[Ross MwcFan]

That is excellent Ross. What are your passions? List them & your hobbies & go talk to a career counselor at the college your interested in taking classes at.

Good luck to you.

 

Well, I like animals but there aren't any courses which have anything to do with animals at this college. I like drawing though, and I'm quite good at it. It's a cartoon style, I can't draw realisticly at all, but maybe I could learn.

 

What exactly do you think I should say to a career counselor?

[Ross MwcFan]

I'm quite interested in psychology too, but I think the only kinds of jobs that you could get through that, would be like being a therapist, psychologist, or councellor, which I wouldn't be interested in doing.

 

I kind of like the idea of working in a hospital too.

[oldguy]

Just what you said here; that you like animals & you like to draw. Charles Schulz didn't draw realistically but he made a living drawing an animal named Snoopy.

 

I would head down the path that looks most appealing and see where the journey leads

[Els]

My suggestion: Make some friends who work in the career you are aspiring towards, or ask to shadow some people at work.

 

I don't mean to scare you, but people often romanticize hospital work. Waaaay too much. Hospitals are generally not the nicest places to work in. It takes a particular sort of resilient person to get through that sort of work - you see people die every day, you are often at the beck and call of your pager and hours are usually not good.

[Ross MwcFan]

Just what you said here; that you like animals & you like to draw. Charles Schulz didn't draw realistically but he made a living drawing an animal named Snoopy.

 

I would head down the path that looks most appealing and see where the journey leads

 

Hmmm, at the end of it though once I've got the qualifications, I wouldn't really know how to go about finding out what kinds of jobs I'd be qualified for.

 

Here is the college btw, http://www.burnley.ac.uk/web09/index.asp

[Ross MwcFan]

My suggestion: Make some friends who work in the career you are aspiring towards, or ask to shadow some people at work.

 

I don't mean to scare you, but people often romanticize hospital work. Waaaay too much. Hospitals are generally not the nicest places to work in. It takes a particular sort of resilient person to get through that sort of work - you see people die every day, you are often at the beck and call of your pager and hours are usually not good.

 

I've got no idea how to go about makng friends who work in a career that I'm aspiring towards. I'm not even sure what kind of a career I'd like to do.

 

What does shadowing mean?

[oldguy]

I'm quite interested in psychology too, but I think the only kinds of jobs that you could get through that, would be like being a therapist, psychologist, or councellor, which I wouldn't be interested in doing.

 

I kind of like the idea of working in a hospital too.

 

That is what I did for nearly 30 years

I work mostly with social, statistics these days. If your interested, look into that too. After 30 years I'm probably not the best person to ask however:laugh:

But there are a variety of careers in the mental health field. I even did some work as a business psychologist in which I helped merge management with team members to help build a more productive, cohesive companies. I NEVER even thought that was a job description when I was in college. It was what i found along the path I chose.

 

I laugh when people here suggest that mental health professionals are in it for the money, if they saw my bank account they would realize that had nothing to do with it, but that was never the reason, it was/is a passion & that makes it worth it.

 

If I had only one suggestion it would be this; "Follow your passions".

[Els]

Means you ask very nicely if you can follow someone around while he works. Would be easier if your school arranged it for you.

 

Well, pick a few careers that you think you may like, then enquire about those, and go on from there.

[oldguy]

Colleges will often help you find work as it is to their best interest to show their graduates have found work. Years after I had graduated I was contacted regularly by head hunters.

 

If you continually ask the question, "why not"?, you will only find answers to that question. A passion begs the question, "How too"?

[Ross MwcFan]

Means you ask very nicely if you can follow someone around while he works. Would be easier if your school arranged it for you.

 

I don't go to school anymore.

 

Well, pick a few careers that you think you may like, then enquire about those, and go on from there.

 

It is hard to to find careers that I like, I mean, I bet there's loads of different careers out there that I'd actually really like, but it's just finding out about them that I'm struggling with.

[Els]

Have you ever tried just googling websites that ask for your preferences/personality and then come up with suggestions for you?

 

I dunno, Ross, this sounds an awful lot like hand-holding to me. People aren't generally going to give you a step-by-step answer to your questions, not IRL and not on the forums. I'm sorry to sound harsh, but your questions sound a lot like you haven't done any legwork yourself, and don't intend to. A habit that you may possibly want to break out of, and the earlier the better.

[Ross MwcFan]

Have you ever tried just googling websites that ask for your preferences/personality and then come up with suggestions for you?

 

I dunno, Ross, this sounds an awful lot like hand-holding to me. People aren't generally going to give you a step-by-step answer to your questions, not IRL and not on the forums. I'm sorry to sound harsh, but your questions sound a lot like you haven't done any legwork yourself, and don't intend to. A habit that you may possibly want to break out of, and the earlier the better.

 

I just find it hard to know what the best kind of thing is to do, and how to go about it, as far as life stuff is concerned. Usually I'll always really struggle and then just give up. But I really don't want to give up as far as this is concerned, as I don't want to carry on living the way I'm living.

 

I'm 36 now, and if I leave things any longer, it may end up being too late for me.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Ross MwcFan

[Els]

Then get your butt down and start doing research! Internet. Friends. Newspapers. Google is your best friend.

 

It's great that you've arrived at this epiphany but surely you need to be capable of doing some research yourself other than asking, "How?" and "It's hard" to suggestions given.

[Ross MwcFan]

Then get your butt down and start doing research! Internet. Friends. Newspapers. Google is your best friend.

 

It's great that you've arrived at this epiphany but surely you need to be capable of doing some research yourself other than asking, "How?" and "It's hard" to suggestions given.

 

I've tried some of those things, but I never really seem to get anywhere.

 

I'll try again though, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

I wonder why I find it so hard when other people don't? Maybe it's not a case of me not being capable of doing it, and more of a case of just not putting in enough effort?

 

It's so daunting though.

[Els]

How have you supported yourself thus far? It must have taken some strength of character to do it without a college degree.

 

You can do this.

[Ross MwcFan]

How have you supported yourself thus far? It must have taken some strength of character to do it without a college degree.

 

You can do this.

 

I've been on sickness benefits, because of anxiety and depression.

[Els]

Have you tried googling for what I suggested yet?

[Dust]

You should take courses that interest you with an eye toward what field you want to work in. You said working at a hospital might interest you. Why not intern or ask to shadow some one in that field. You could also take a psychology course just for fun. Usualy the psychology course can can't toward a filler credit even if its not your major.

[thehead]

I've tried some of those things, but I never really seem to get anywhere.

 

I'll try again though, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

I wonder why I find it so hard when other people don't? Maybe it's not a case of me not being capable of doing it, and more of a case of just not putting in enough effort?

 

It's so daunting though.

 

My guess is it's not harder but your tolerance is lower for getting overwhelmed. The only way to combat that is to push through it. Do it enough and it wil get better. I agree with Dust that taking classes in what interests you is best. Does the college have aptitude testing?

[Ross MwcFan]

*Sigh* Now I've got no idea where I'd park, I've looked on Google Earth, but it's hard to tell which car parks around there are for the college.

 

I had a look on the website but it doesn't say anything about parking.

 

I'm now worried that if I did start going there that I wouldn't know where to park.

 

Why do I find such simple things like this so difficult, whereas most other people would know exactly what to do. What's wrong with me?

 

My guess is it's not harder but your tolerance is lower for getting overwhelmed. The only way to combat that is to push through it. Do it enough and it wil get better. I agree with Dust that taking classes in what interests you is best. Does the college have aptitude testing?

 

Yeah, my tolerance for getting overwhelmed is very low, maybe that's all it is then, I'll try to push through it.

[Els]

Just chill on the parking. At the very worst park a distance away on the first day and walk. Then explore the campus and find out.

[Dust]

*Sigh* Now I've got no idea where I'd park, I've looked on Google Earth, but it's hard to tell which car parks around there are for the college.

 

I had a look on the website but it doesn't say anything about parking.

 

I'm now worried that if I did start going there that I wouldn't know where to park.

 

Why do I find such simple things like this so difficult, whereas most other people would know exactly what to do. What's wrong with me?

 

 

 

Yeah, my tolerance for getting overwhelmed is very low, maybe that's all it is then, I'll try to push through it.

 

Call the school up and ask them for parking instructions. There may be guest parking or something.

[PelicanPete]

*Sigh* Now I've got no idea where I'd park, I've looked on Google Earth, but it's hard to tell which car parks around there are for the college.

 

I had a look on the website but it doesn't say anything about parking.

 

I'm now worried that if I did start going there that I wouldn't know where to park.

 

Why do I find such simple things like this so difficult, whereas most other people would know exactly what to do. What's wrong with me?

 

 

 

Yeah, my tolerance for getting overwhelmed is very low, maybe that's all it is then, I'll try to push through it.

 

Don't worry about it Ross, I sweat the small stuff too .

 

As of right now I'm too anxious to finish breakfast because today I have to navigate through a city I'm not familiar with.

 

But I like to look at fear as a power source for the mind, just like carbs are energy for the body. It only feels so uncomfortable right now because I'm not putting it to good use. I know as soon as I get in the car I'll be fine .

 

Most colleges/universities have pay parking, at least in Canada. I bought a parking permit from the school, but they will have meters or some equivalent to it somewhere in the parking lot. Just bring some change and you'll be fine