Log In · Register

 
2 Pages V   1 2 >  
Reply to this topicStart new topic
What do you want to do with your life?, careers
CandyPop
post May 22 2010, 07:37 AM
Post #1


"One hell of a butler"
***

Group: Member
Posts: 95
Joined: Nov 2008
Member No: 696,422



I have no idea on what career I want to do. I am not really good at anything. I have to figure out what I want to do now because i'm starting college this fall. When ever I take those surveys to find out what careers best fit you, my results always include that I am more of a creative person. The only problem, is that most jobs today seem like they don't pay much for being creative unless you are REALLY good. I am mediocre when it comes to web designing, drawing, and writing stories. I'm no good.

I did want to be a psychiatrist but I stink at talking to people. I get very nervous around people I don't know. And I am thinking about becoming an accountant but I am horrible at math and critical thinking.

I just finished taking a skills test, and my results were horrible. They said that I could be a maid, or a restaurant waitress. That just took a large toll of my self-esteem. =( When people siad that I am smart, they were lying...

I just don't know what to do. I really don't want to just pick any career and end up hating it. I want a career that I know that i'll like.


If you ever were in my position, what did you do to figure out what career fits you the best?
 
queen
post May 22 2010, 08:44 AM
Post #2


‹(. .)›
******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 2,367
Joined: Jun 2004
Member No: 20,089



there have been many 'mediocre' people who have worked hard and became the best. pick something you like and stick with it. if you really want it hard enough, you will make it.

i should take my own advice
 
Blyat
post May 22 2010, 11:13 AM
Post #3


Senior Member
******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 1,938
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 667,832



There are so many people that change their major in college. So you'll be fine

I think im going to do Biology & Criminal justice minor
atm Im rolling towards criminal justice

If I don't like it, then ill so illustration or something :p
 
firechild
post May 22 2010, 02:09 PM
Post #4


BBM: 310ED181
*****

Group: Member
Posts: 613
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 671,976



Nursing Major
Linguistics Minor

Apply for Doctors without Borders
 
Blyat
post May 22 2010, 04:14 PM
Post #5


Senior Member
******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 1,938
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 667,832



/\ I dont think we should tell WHAT she should major in specifically

just drop some hints

What do you enjoy doing? like as a past time/hobby?
 
*futura*
post May 22 2010, 11:48 PM
Post #6





Guest






I don't necessarily think it matters on how good you are at something, just if it interests you enough and if you're passionate about what you do. If you enjoy something but aren't the best at it, so the f*ck what? As long as you like it right?
Because even if you aren't that great at what you enjoy, you'll end up developing the skills in the future with practice and dedication.

I think once you establish what you're passionate about/what you enjoy, then you can go from there.
 
CandyPop
post May 23 2010, 06:51 AM
Post #7


"One hell of a butler"
***

Group: Member
Posts: 95
Joined: Nov 2008
Member No: 696,422



Well, I like to draw, web design, and write stories and poems.
 
Simba
post May 23 2010, 10:08 AM
Post #8


Photoartist
********

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 12,363
Joined: Apr 2006
Member No: 399,390



I just wanna be successful
 
Blyat
post May 23 2010, 11:08 AM
Post #9


Senior Member
******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 1,938
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 667,832



QUOTE(CandyPop @ May 23 2010, 07:51 AM) *
Well, I like to draw, web design, and write stories and poems.


Graphic design, web design, writer, illustrate, Author
your could make logo's for companies
 
kryogenix
post May 23 2010, 11:13 AM
Post #10


Sarcastic Mr. Know-It-All
******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 2,089
Joined: Dec 2003
Member No: 29



College is overrated. Don't waste tens of thousands of dollars on tuition if you have no direction in life.
 
Simba
post May 23 2010, 11:24 AM
Post #11


Photoartist
********

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 12,363
Joined: Apr 2006
Member No: 399,390



QUOTE(kryogenix @ May 23 2010, 12:13 PM) *
College is overrated. Don't waste tens of thousands of dollars on tuition if you have no direction in life.

f*ck yeah
 
tokyo-rose
post May 23 2010, 12:56 PM
Post #12


♡♡♡♡♡
********

Group: Head Staff
Posts: 18,173
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 108,478



QUOTE(CandyPop @ May 22 2010, 08:37 AM) *
I have no idea on what career I want to do. I am not really good at anything. I have to figure out what I want to do now because i'm starting college this fall. When ever I take those surveys to find out what careers best fit you, my results always include that I am more of a creative person. The only problem, is that most jobs today seem like they don't pay much for being creative unless you are REALLY good. I am mediocre when it comes to web designing, drawing, and writing stories. I'm no good.

I used to think that I had to have my major and career path all figured out before I started college, but I learned differently once I actually got to college. I know a lot of people who are exploratory/undecided on a major, which is fine if you're only a freshman; you don't have to declare your major until the end of sophomore year. Just don't fool around with courses and credits, otherwise you might mess up your GPA and/or expected graduation date.

Take classes in all different areas that will fulfill your general education requirements, not just in subjects that interest you, but also in ones that you don't know a lot about. Last December, I registered for RLST-10600 (Intro to World Religions: Western and Modern) mainly because I didn't know what else to take that would fit with the schedule I wanted, but I ended up liking my professor and the class a lot, and I'm now considerably more knowledgeable about monotheistic faiths than I was before. I also took ANTH-10400 (Intro to Cultural Anthropology) and ended up loving that professor and course as well. I'm not sure I'd minor in either religion or anthropology, but I'm glad I took a chance with those two courses. And, of course, I took classes in English, psychology, and sociology, since those are all subjects that I've had interest in since high school, and enjoyed all of them.

I don't know a lot about working in web design, but maybe you could improve your website coding skills and do strictly the technical part of web design under someone else's direction? Like, maybe you don't know how to come up with aesthetically pleasing designs for websites, but if someone else told you what a client wanted, you could code just the website and leave the graphic design to a graphic designer. shrug.gif

If you know that you like to be creative, practice the interests and skills that you listed. You're not going to improve if you keep thinking there's no way you can get better and will never get a decent, enjoyable job. That goes for writing and drawing especially, at least IMO, because it's relatively easy to refresh coding skills once you look at some CSS or whatever, but your art skills will just worsen if you let them remain dormant.
 
CandyPop
post May 24 2010, 02:45 PM
Post #13


"One hell of a butler"
***

Group: Member
Posts: 95
Joined: Nov 2008
Member No: 696,422



QUOTE(kryogenix @ May 23 2010, 12:13 PM) *
College is overrated. Don't waste tens of thousands of dollars on tuition if you have no direction in life.


Well, it's called early college. It's for students who are entering llth and 12th grade. Next year I am just taking basic classes to get my AA degree (Speech, Comp 1, Humanities, American gov., ect.) I am entering the 11th grade next year.

That's why I am trying to figure out what I want to do now, so when I graduate from high school and the early college program, I will know exactly what I want to do so I can avoid wasting money. I'm a lot smarter than that...
 
tokyo-rose
post May 24 2010, 05:44 PM
Post #14


♡♡♡♡♡
********

Group: Head Staff
Posts: 18,173
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 108,478



QUOTE(CandyPop @ May 24 2010, 03:45 PM) *
Well, it's called early college. It's for students who are entering llth and 12th grade. Next year I am just taking basic classes to get my AA degree (Speech, Comp 1, Humanities, American gov., ect.) I am entering the 11th grade next year.

That's why I am trying to figure out what I want to do now, so when I graduate from high school and the early college program, I will know exactly what I want to do so I can avoid wasting money. I'm a lot smarter than that...

Well, I'm glad I put effort into making a thoughtful post that you didn't acknowledge. mellow.gif
 
batman
post May 25 2010, 08:28 AM
Post #15


Senior Member
******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 2,454
Joined: Nov 2008
Member No: 696,018



QUOTE(tokyo-rose @ May 24 2010, 06:44 PM) *
Well, I'm glad I put effort into making a thoughtful post that you didn't acknowledge. mellow.gif

lol usually when people write more than a paragraph it becomes tl;dr for most people.


QUOTE(queen @ May 22 2010, 09:44 AM) *
there have been many 'mediocre' people who have worked hard and became the best. pick something you like and stick with it. if you really want it hard enough, you will make it.

i should take my own advice


this is important... the sticking with it part. that's the problem with me. there's a lot of things i like or want to do but i'm too lazy to stick with it when the going gets tough.
 
CandyPop
post May 25 2010, 02:14 PM
Post #16


"One hell of a butler"
***

Group: Member
Posts: 95
Joined: Nov 2008
Member No: 696,422



QUOTE(tokyo-rose @ May 24 2010, 06:44 PM) *
Well, I'm glad I put effort into making a thoughtful post that you didn't acknowledge. mellow.gif


=( I'm sorry that I didn't reply to your post first. I only got to read half of it because I had to go somewhere. I do appreciate that you have took the time to write that for me. I 'm not that kind of person to overlook things like that. Thank you very much.

QUOTE(Uso @ May 23 2010, 12:08 PM) *
Graphic design, web design, writer, illustrate, Author
your could make logo's for companies


I'd love to, but like I said, i'm not that great. And I don't know where or how I could improve. I tried taking art at my school, and the teacher wasn't that great so I didn't learn anything. And I took web design this year, and all we learned was how to use Dreamweaver. My teacher didn't feel like teaching us HTML or CSS. But I did learn how to use Flash.
 
tokyo-rose
post May 25 2010, 08:18 PM
Post #17


♡♡♡♡♡
********

Group: Head Staff
Posts: 18,173
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 108,478



QUOTE(batman @ May 25 2010, 09:28 AM) *
lol usually when people write more than a paragraph it becomes tl;dr for most people.

this is important... the sticking with it part. that's the problem with me. there's a lot of things i like or want to do but i'm too lazy to stick with it when the going gets tough.

I know, but that's why I broke my reply up into multiple parts. I know that my eyes kind of glaze over and/or I start to skim when a long chunk of text isn't separated into paragraphs.

There must be one interest/passion you have that you'd be willing to fight through and make a career out of. I have a lot of interests (e.g., reading, writing, helping people with problems/just listening to them vent, certain practices of law, and photography) and have considered copyediting, publishing, counseling/therapy, and photojournalism as possible careers, but I know that copyediting and writing are what I'm best at, so I've narrowed my job choices down to what is realistic for me and that I really don't think I'll ever tire of: book copyediting/publishing or paralegal/lawyer. I remember your saying that you don't think you're cut out to be a doctor and wanted to switch over from premed, but that you don't know what else you could do since you don't have a strong enough portfolio of artwork?

QUOTE(CandyPop @ May 25 2010, 03:14 PM) *
=( I'm sorry that I didn't reply to your post first. I only got to read half of it because I had to go somewhere. I do appreciate that you have took the time to write that for me. I 'm not that kind of person to overlook things like that. Thank you very much.

I'd love to, but like I said, i'm not that great. And I don't know where or how I could improve. I tried taking art at my school, and the teacher wasn't that great so I didn't learn anything. And I took web design this year, and all we learned was how to use Dreamweaver. My teacher didn't feel like teaching us HTML or CSS. But I did learn how to use Flash.

It's okay, at least now I know you read it. You're welcome, and I hope you can find something you can make a career out of.

A lot of people have natural talent for things that are marketable, but even more people have things they're just okay at and have to work to improve their skills for. Was that just a general art class you took? Because if so, that and your web design course sound like they were limited in what you learned in them. Your teacher is just lazy and shouldn't be allowed to teach if s/he didn't want to teach you those important elements of design, wth. Bad, uncaring instructors can often discourage students from doing what they like or wanting to learn more, so don't let this one teacher tell you what you can't do or sell you short.
 
batman
post May 25 2010, 11:27 PM
Post #18


Senior Member
******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 2,454
Joined: Nov 2008
Member No: 696,018



Well the thing is that even though I love art and writing and such, I'm not motivated enough to make a career out of it (right now, anyways). The moment I get a block or lack inspiration or just don't feel like finishing something, I tend to just scrap it instead of powering through.

I'm still considering sticking through with premed, but I'm not sure about that either. I just need to take some time into thinking about what I want, figuring out how to do it, whether i want it enough to do what it takes, then do it. I figure I have some time before I go back to school.
 
tokyo-rose
post May 26 2010, 12:52 AM
Post #19


♡♡♡♡♡
********

Group: Head Staff
Posts: 18,173
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 108,478



QUOTE(batman @ May 26 2010, 12:27 AM) *
Well the thing is that even though I love art and writing and such, I'm not motivated enough to make a career out of it (right now, anyways). The moment I get a block or lack inspiration or just don't feel like finishing something, I tend to just scrap it instead of powering through.

I'm still considering sticking through with premed, but I'm not sure about that either. I just need to take some time into thinking about what I want, figuring out how to do it, whether i want it enough to do what it takes, then do it. I figure I have some time before I go back to school.

All right, thanks for elaborating. Well, you wouldn't necessarily have to become a starving artist or novelist to make a career out of either one of those interests. I don't know enough about digital or traditional art to say anything about those fields, but as for writing, you could try copyediting your friends' essays or short stories if they'd be willing to let you do that, or see if you'd like publishing. I've always been an avid reader and strong writer, but I prefer reading more than writing, so that's why I became interested in book copyediting in the first place. (I think it says a lot that the main highlight of my Halloween in 2008 was editing a friend's ED application essays at 11:30PM, when they were due at 12AM on November 1st, and I've only grown to enjoy editing papers more since then.)

A lot of people I've met have asked me what on earth I plan to do with an English BA, since there's a misconception that you're limited to being either an English teacher or novelist, but that's just totally wrong. Most people can do their jobs well enough, but too many of them can't write well, and English makes good writers into even better ones, which is a skill that can be applied to a ton of jobs out there. Sorry I'm so tl;dr! But yeah, if I don't go into copyediting or publishing then I will likely try to become a paralegal, possibly a lawyer if I develop enough ambition and/or come to like law that much, since you need strong research, reading, and writing skills for that.

I know you'll be able to figure something out, even if it's not right away. You took a year off from school, so you still have like ~10 months to consider your plan of action. We don't know each other too well, but you can always PM me here, or exchange AIM SN's and talk there, about anything at all. :)
 
Blyat
post May 26 2010, 04:53 PM
Post #20


Senior Member
******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 1,938
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 667,832



QUOTE(CandyPop @ May 25 2010, 03:14 PM) *
I'd love to, but like I said, i'm not that great. And I don't know where or how I could improve. I tried taking art at my school, and the teacher wasn't that great so I didn't learn anything. And I took web design this year, and all we learned was how to use Dreamweaver. My teacher didn't feel like teaching us HTML or CSS. But I did learn how to use Flash.


College helps you to improve, learning the basics and doing the assignments will help you improve. that's the whole point
 
*futura*
post Aug 10 2010, 06:18 PM
Post #21





Guest






QUOTE(kryogenix @ May 23 2010, 09:13 AM) *
College is overrated. Don't waste tens of thousands of dollars on tuition if you have no direction in life.

community college ftw
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Aug 10 2010, 09:32 PM
Post #22


/人◕‿‿◕人\
*******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 8,283
Joined: Dec 2007
Member No: 602,927



Ideally, nothing. I would love to be successful doing absolutely nothing. Paris Hilton did it, why can't I?
 
*futura*
post Aug 26 2010, 11:15 PM
Post #23





Guest






I realized now that the only reason I'm majoring in math isn't for medical school but to make good money as a tutor and hopefully pay for acting classes.
 
Blyat
post Aug 28 2010, 06:24 PM
Post #24


Senior Member
******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 1,938
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 667,832



QUOTE(futura @ Aug 27 2010, 12:15 AM) *
I realized now that the only reason I'm majoring in math isn't for medical school but to make good money as a tutor and hopefully pay for acting classes.

Doctors who give people Botox make a shit ton of money
...could just do that
 
LittleMissSunshi...
post Aug 30 2010, 09:42 PM
Post #25


rawr?
******

Group: Official Member
Posts: 2,705
Joined: Nov 2005
Member No: 285,858



i want to become a pediatrician when i grow up. :]
 

2 Pages V   1 2 >
Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members: