I’m a [blank] and [blank] is what I do
Instead of a photo collage from my birthday, since I forgot to upload pictures to flickr and I can’t right now, here instead is yet another plea for help on my behalf. Please don’t be intimidated by how boring that sounds. You may be able to help and then I’d love you forever.
Yet Another Plea for Help on My Behalf:
I like my job, I really do. But as a person who can’t help but always look to the future, I’m beginning to wonder what to do next, even if next is fifteen years down the road.
One thing I’ve learned about myself is that I don’t have the drive to turn a passion into a career. Everyone always says, “Find your passion, then find a way to do it for a living.” Well, what do I love? I love to read, travel and sleep. Nobody will pay me to sleep unless I become a permanent subject of sleep studies, but then there’s all those wires and machines they hook to you and suddenly sleeping is no fun anymore. I’ve tried to get my foot into the publishing door, thinking I could eventually read manuscripts and edit books and crap, but I hated all six months of that job and swiftly moved on. I still haven’t figured out an easy way to get paid to travel, so that’s a no-go so far.
At one point, I thought I wanted to be a journalist or a writer of some sort, but you know, that takes a lot of drive and motivation. You have to want it pretty bad, and I guess I didn’t want it bad enough.
So here I am, working some ambiguous job that has a very small niche. People don’t even know what I’m talking about when I say what I do. And since many employers hire based on past experience and not on potential or true ability, I’m rapidly pigeon-holing myself into this one type of job that is not in very high demand.
After some pondering, I think I decided that what I need, eventually, is a career that is obvious. That’s the best word I came up with to describe it. Allow me to offer examples, then contrast them with my current reality:
Example 1: “Hi, I went to school for chiropractics. I got a degree in chiropractics and now I am a chiropractor.”
Example 2: “Hi, I went to school for speech pathology. I got a degree in speech pathology and now I am a speech pathologist.”
Contrast (my reality): “Hi, I went to school for journalism and then mass communications. I got a degree in communications, and now I work at a college coordinating a program that’s too hard to explain don’t ask.”
This becomes even more of a problem as I get the urge to return to school. I want to advance my education and know I should, but in which way, I don’t know. Most recently I’ve considered a Master’s of Public Administration. But all that does to the equation is change my statement to this:
“Hi, I went to school for communications. And now I have an MPA, which qualifies for me for about a million different jobs.”
Not helping. What I want to avoid is such a broad scope of potential jobs. With an MPA, I would technically be qualified for many jobs, but not especially qualified for anything. Meaning each time I wanted a new job I’d have to:
—Search for and apply to 600 jobs.
—Interview with hundreds of other potential candidates who are all equally qualified in a variety of ways.
—Try to convince an employer that, based on my degree and experience, I am in fact more qualified than any of the other candidates.
—Start all over again.
Basically, a big pain in the ass the rest of my life. What I want is something more stable, more sure, more obvious! I want a degree that says “I am qualified to do EXACTLY THIS.” No questions asked, no unsurities, no convincing.
Now right away, let me rule out for you a few obvious ones: most types of doctors (blood, guts, internal organs… just no), nurse, lawyer, accountant, veterinarian, movie star. Although, do know that the medical field is not completely ruled out, nor is fame (though I can’t act or sing or dance).
Here is where the actual plea comes in… So what else is there? What am I not thinking of, what else should I look into, what can I do for a living?
Before you answer, let me recap my needs: a degree that leads to an obvious career, a promising job market, and good money (not great, just more than I make now). Seriously, throw out anything. You never know what I may be interested in. Unless you suggest a phlebotomist, I promise I’ll at least look into it.
December 11th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
hah … wish i could help but sheesh, i have an english degree uh what do i do now? get an education degree, sounds simple, i’ll teach, oh wait, there are no jobs and everyone i know who teaches is burnt out so lets do a masters in philosophy cause bartending sounds like fun which is how i somehow landed in government and after seven or eight years of doing this and that and the other while moving up on the civil servant runged ladder, i am finally being paid to … wait for it … to write. (course this is in canada and i have no idea how it all works in america) but if you ever figure out the linear path ~ do let me know
: )
i know, no help whatsoever …
December 11th, 2006 at 5:13 pm
Um, yeah, so here I am thinking, “Yeah, this sounds exactly like me. At least I don’t feel so bad for being so confused, hating my job and not know what to do next because someone out there actually feels the same way.”
One might think that this is a bit more simple for me though. Check this:
Me: Hi, I went to school for accounting. I got a degree in accounting and now I am an accountant.
Randome person (RP):Um, yeah, but what do you do?
Me: Well, I am a Non-general fund accountant. Does that mean anything to you?
RP: Nope
Me: Well, it’s hard to explain actually. I deal with everything that does not pertain to the general fund. I keep track of monies awarded via grants from different organizations. These grants fund a multitude of programs, depending on who/what department applied for the grant. I also do retirement reporting, back-up cashier, back-up payroll and process all W-2’s, 1099’s and 1098T’s. Make more sense?
RP: Nope.
LOL
I’m right there with you. I don’t much care for my job either. I keep thinking, now, that I want to be a Personal Financial Counselor but do I know, once I get there, if I’ll really like that or find passion in doing that? No. What if I try it and hate it? Then what?
The dillemma goes on and on…..
um, yeah, I am also no help whatsoever…
December 12th, 2006 at 2:01 am
Well, I went to High School and graduated with a diploma in General Studies and now I’m a WAITRESS.
OK, a waitress in college working towards a degree in Pre-Medicine so that I can get my D.O. or D.C. and eventually become a Doctor of some sort .. but I digress. Let’s see……
You could … Take a few more classes and learn a foreign language. You know, that the CIA is always looking for people who speak other languages (especially Middle-Eastern but they might not be that picky) and they would pay you to travel!
So … I’m sure that you would be able to read/write (your briefings, top-secret reports you have to make to your superiors, the occasional trashy romance), sleep (nevermind where - and ignore all those pesky bullets!), and travel .. possibly somewhere that ISN’T third-world and/or war-torn .. Voila! Your perfect career!
OK, that’s a little out there … (or is it? lol)
So, you have a degree in Communications. Companies are ALWAYS looking for ‘Consultants’ to come in and ‘teach’ their employees how to Communicate with one another better, therefore increasing efficiency & productivity, which decreases payroll and other expenses, therefore increasing bottom-line profit.
SO - You could start your own business, advertise locally and online - You have no overhead, no payroll, and minimal continuing education other than on-the-job experience and the occasional convention… after which you can go back to your hotel room, read a few chapters out of a novel, write in your journal and go to bed. Reading, writing, sleeping and travel! Woo hoo!
Hope that helps… if not, hope it just made you smile…
Gnight!
~Amie Beth
December 12th, 2006 at 3:08 pm
Hey Shannon!
Its Amanda from High School….I read your blog but have yet failed to comment and I feel as if it is due time so here are my two cents….
If you like to travel and want to get paid for it I say teach abroad. Lots-o-benefits, all of which will vary wildly from school to school and region to region but generally you can count on the following. They pay your airfare, your accommodation and transportation to and from work, you will rarely have to pay taxes as the school takes care of that and you arent working in the states so you dont owe uncle sam a dime. You get lots of holidays which enable you to travel around even more and everything is so much closer on the other side of the atlantic.
You dont make buckets of money per say but without rent, insurance, taxes and car expenses what you do make goes a lot farther and you can generally save a lot if you so desire. If you arent particularly fond of teaching kids you can teach adults. And as I hear told (as Ive never taught adults) they are a delight because they all want to be there. I teach economics and psychology and love it but I have also taught english and quite enjoyed that as well. I can go anywhere in the world and get a job and make more than enough money to support myself, except maybe western europe because they like to hire the brits because of the whole EU passport thing.
All you would need is a TEFL and a college degree-and really you dont even need the TEFL but I would recommend it. I got my TEFL in Prague and honestly had an amazing time while there. Im not sure what Brad does but maybe he could take his show abroad too?
So, in conclusion I would highly recommend my chosen profession, the biggest flaw I have experienced is that it does feel somewhat transient so I am perpetually saying OK now what? Another year? Go back home? Go here? Or go there?
Take Care!
December 12th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
My turn!!
First of all, remember Ricardo? Maybe not but he was a J major at Drake. He’s Puero-Rican and now works for one of these big insurance companies making unbelievable amounts of money translating. All he does, really, is help Spanish-speaking clients and applicants fill out paperwork. (Okay, maybe not glamorous, but it sure pays good.)
Or you could be a designer. I’m one. I don’t make loads of money, but I survive and know people who make more (I sacrifice for the love of my company). Honestly, you don’t have to have much creativity in you at all. 80% of the time I’m told exactly what to do. The other 20% I just copy something I like.
Anything technology-related is big. Web design, especially. That market will *never* die.
I also think you might work well in human resources. And that field is ever-changing.
That’s my babble for the afternoon. Good luck with the life changing.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Daisies: how are you paid to write? Lucky.
HR is not my thing, mostly because I hate people.
Jess: At least you make more money than me!
Amie: I’d die in the CIA, and I’ve always said I could never own my own business. But I do like the idea of traveling on someone else’s dime a lot.
Amanda: LOVE your idea, and I’ve thought of it many times. I’ve already contacted you for more info, so check your email.
Lindsay: I don’t remember Ricardo, but I don’t speak any foreign language very well, so his job is out. I like design, but everyone I know in that field struggles with money and other things, so I don’t know. Brad is already a web design expert, so maybe I can get him to teach me a thing or two.
Thanks for the tips everyone! Anyone else?