How did you decide on your career?

[BlueStarryHat]

I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be an artist of some kind. I went to art school and after a few non-starts I got my footing in the design world and I also did illustration work. I haven't done art for a career in many years because of mental illness, and I miss it. I keep telling myself to get a portfolio together and submit it, already.

 

[gatorlisa]

I didn't decide. I fell into it and stayed with it.

Ditto. In my mid 40s now and I think I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. But the current one allows me to do all the other things I enjoy doing in life.

 

[sasywtch]

I wanted to be a doctor but in my sophomore year of high school, I had to make the decision: driver's training or chemistry. This 15 year old wanted her driver's license. I went to work for the State of CA at 18. I knew the pay wasn't wonderful but the benefits were great. At 65, I now get 60% of my paycheck (would have been 80% had I not taken 10 years off to raise kids) and I pay zero for health insurance.

 

[china mom]

I have never believed that one chooses to be a police officer, I think law enforcement chooses you. I don't recall the defining monument that I knew I was going to be a police officer but I do recall that I ended up at the department I spent my career only because they were hiring cadets at age 18-20 and I was too young for any other agency at the time (just turned 20). Ended up being a good fit and I had a great career.

 

[kdonnel]

Computers were fun and easy to understand. Anything else would have been harder.

I took the easy path.

 

[MamaMermaid]

I knew I wanted to be a history teacher for a long time!

 

[1420Elexismc]

I didn't...there was a very nice woman at my former job that took on a role(A/P manager) because the current person was leaving and she did not want to continue working in her current department(A/R). She got overwhelmed pretty quickly and realized she was not cut out for the A/P role but did not want to leave the company. I was in a unique position there where I was involved in most departments so knew a little bit about what she was doing. They had us basically swap roles. So I became the A/P manager. Then about two months later she ended up leaving. I was bamboozled .

 

[jimmalru80]

Shortly before graduating college, they offered, I accepted, and I've been in the same industry since 1980.

 

[JLTraveling]

100% by accident. After a year from hell I needed a total change in my life. I answered a Craigslist ad from a vacation rental company wanting somebody to write about Disney. Got the job with no previous writing experience and never looked back. That client is long gone now, but I've been writing for a living ever since.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

My parents had a shortlist of careers for me, but basically it needed to be something that paid decently, had steady demand, and involved a college degree or higher.

I’m a tax accountant.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I always wanted to do it, from the time I was 5. I rethought it pretty strongly after my first semester, and again after having done it for a few years, but ultimately decided it really was what I wanted to do.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Currently studying Hypnotherapy because with it, I can help people, set my own working times and yes, I find it interesting to boot!

 

[goofyernmost]

I didn't decide, I just went the way life led me. It was all based on timing and need. I've been, not necessarily in this order, Made it to Staff Sgt. (4 years) as an Inventory Mgmt. Specialist in the Airforce, a Retail store manager, a typesetter/darkroom/Sales manager/general manager of a publishing/ advertising and printing company, owner of a Residential Care Home, Office Manager for an Earthmoving company, Payroll/benefit coordinator for a school district, Payroll and Payables clerk for a major construction company, Temp. on the processing line at IBM, Real Estate sales/Office Manager, briefly a travel agent, Municipal Bus Driver then Field Supervisor to retirement. After that I drove a shuttle bus part time for Enterprise Car Rental and now back to full time retirement. All that and I was never fired from any of them.

While still in High School and College I managed a miniature golf course, stocked shelves in grocery stores, pumped gas, oil changes, tire repairs and tune-ups, drove delivery truck for a Hospital Supply Company and washed and some minor repairs on big rig tanker trucks even unloaded freight cars. No damn wonder I'm tired.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I was fortunate that I grew up in a family where you were expected to go to college no matter your sex. No one made a big deal about graduating from high school; it was expected of you. After receiving your bachelor’s degree you were finally perceived as interesting in your own right and the first question asked by grandparents and such was what would you study your master’s in.

Fell in lust and decided to change major to hotel and restaurant mgmt so the ex and I could open a business of our own; he was already in the business. Didn’t work out but used my degree to move forward . Ultimately became interested in RE and found my existing degree helped.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I have never believed that one chooses to be a police officer, I think law enforcement chooses you.

This is interesting as I teach at a University with a robust Criminal Justice program. Over the years, I've noticed less and less students want to be actual officers (municipal or state) and tend to be focusing on government work like Homeland Security or CBP. Our state police does pay well and requires a college degree so there are still a few of those.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

How did you decide on your career?

Which one? My first career was a software engineer and I sort of went to engineering school since I wasn't sure what else I wanted to do and was concerned I couldn't make a living in the performing arts. I knew I could easily find a high paying job as an engineer, and then I'd always have something to fall back on. Then, once I got fed up with working as a practicing engineer, I said screw it and went back to grad school for Media Studies and have been working in academia ever since, that was 20 years ago. I believe people are really called to be educators, like someone else says, the profession kind of chooses you.

 

[sam_gordon]

I wanted to be in television since Middle School. My second choice would have been aviation. Parents would pay for a communications degree, not one in aviation. I've had a lot of jobs centered around television.

What's your answer @Buzz Rules ?

 

[dizneegirl]

Fell into it as I was trying to get going on what I was studying for. This is career-adjacent to my major(s), but I enjoy it more than I would have the original plan.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I wanted to be in television since Middle School. My second choice would have been aviation. Parents would pay for a communications degree, not one in aviation. I've had a lot of jobs centered around television.

What's your answer @Buzz Rules ?

I’m teaching future tv kids in my communication classes.

 

[adkkev]

What's your answer @Buzz Rules ?

@Buzz Rules likes to ask questions but seldom, if ever, answers them for himself. Maybe he’ll let us know for a change.