Career Choice

[Moridin]

For those of you that are working (or retired):

How did you come to choose the work you are doing (did you stumble across it or did you "choose" it)
and, is it the career you invisioned for yourself when you were growing up?

For those of you in school, what do you invision yourself doing...and, do you realistically think you will do it? (i.e. "I want to be an astronaut...but I am failing high school and am 200 lbs overweight")



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Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig
I've got to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time

[Redblueflare]

What do I seriously see myself doing. That's a good question. I honestly see myself becoming a software designer. I'm making good grades, and I kinda have a knack for videogames, and computers. Since I play videogames so frickin much why not create a few? I know I would love it!

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Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I just don't have to listen.

As far as what I am doing now goes, no I never imagined myself being taken care of in return for taking care of others. Lucky for me my mother raised me to be no more than a housewife or I might have had a bit of a harder time when things got rough for me in AZ and I ended up here in Texas.

As far as what I plan on doing, teaching elementary aged kids, yes. I spent my first four years of school being seperated from the rest of the class with a small portion of kids in the same grade in my trust, bringing them up to par by teaching them to read, write and do math. Being a teacher was a dream of mine then and I am grateful that I will get to fulfill it within the next few years.


Moni

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[AliCat]

I'm currently a physical therapist. I'd never heard of such before, but then had PT on my ankle and my hip, got interested, and pursued grad school. After two months in grad school I realized that I'd made a terrible mistake, but I was still going to end up with at least a $20,000 school loan to repay, and the only way I could think of doing that was to graduate (adding another $20,000 for the second year) and work as a PT. Gosh, only six more years to pay it off...

No, I didn't envision this growing up (hadn't heard of it). Envisioned a whole lot of other things along the way, and am still working out which dream I want to follow.

Moridin, I joined the service at 17 as a 51b10. Carpentry and Masonry Specialist. Army to be more specific. I could have had my parents pay for school in a minute but chose this. I spent the next 4 yrs in the Army excelling in Corps of Engineers. I got my Sargent stripes in 3 years and soaked up building knowledge like a sponge. I took night courses in Emergency Medical Technology . I thought that once I got out I would enter this field of medicine. But... once I got out of the service I found out that this is a lower paying job than what I thought(cough..cough).
So I chose to use my building knowledge to make a living. Since that time I have been working in exhibit careers. I have worked many different shops and places and have learned something from every job. (LOA can you relate!) My present job has been the best and I know that whatever you do you must always follow your skills in line with your dreams! (ps. I work with alot of numbers also Moridin! Only we use the metric system.) Oh, I want to learn C.A.D. next and I promise I will never try to become "to comfortable" and not to keep learning somehow!

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Conan ~*~

[This message has been edited by Conan (edited 07-18-2001).]

[Sir Taliesin]

I went to college and started in Business. HATED IT! Then I transferred to Polly Sci. HATED IT! (love politics though!) Then I transferred to Animal Science. Loved it, but hated college! I had joined the US Army Reserve and had also completed Army ROTC. LOVED IT! (but I was tired of school!)
I was given a choice of staying in the reserve and becoming an enlisted man or getting out all together. I stayed and went to AIT (Advanced Individual Training). I became an 82B10, or in laymans terms a Construction Surveyor. When I came back from AIT I went to work for Wendy's as a resturant manager. HATED IT! (slave would be more like it!) I finally got a job with an Engineering firm here in Knoxville TN as a Rodman on a Survey Party. LOVED IT! Worked my way up to Party Chief, then came into the office as a Draftsman. I decided to go back to school. Went to school and worked in the office. Then I started doing CADD. Quit school again. Been doing CADD ever since. Conan, a word to the wise. MICROSTATAION CADD Operators make more money than AUTOCADD Operators. There aren't as many of us. Most of the big engineering firms use Microstation. Most State DOT's use Microstation. Much better program! But I digress. I am now a Senior Environmental Designer. I design sewers, waterlines, pump stations and treatment plants. I am not an Engineer. They do all those calculations. I do all the rest of it. As for the Army. We parted ways about four years after the Gulf war (It was the Army or a divorce. I choose well). I left the Army as a Staff Sergeant (E-6) my MOS (Military Occupation Skill) was now a 51T30. Chief of Survey and Drafting in a Heavy Combat Engineer Battalion. When I left High School, if someone had told me that I'd end up in a engineering field, I'd have told them they were crazy. Actually for all of those that think the Army is only for losers that can't cut it anywhere else, if you don't want to go to college and don't have a trade, they'll give you one. I got a lot out of it, including some discipline.

BTW, Conan, if you haven't met him Lord of Alcohol and you have someting in common. He's a foreman over a carpenter crew in NC. He's also a riot!!!
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Sir Taliesin



If they take my gun can I still use my Axe?

[This message has been edited by Sir Taliesin (edited 07-18-2001).]

[Dreamer128]

I just finished high-school and was planning on becoming a system-manager(thats what they call it here) but i suddenly changed my mind and went back too school so i can become a journalist in two years(if all goes well).


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Those who watch their backs meet death from the front- Dreamer128 paladin of the order of the holy flame.

[bilqis]

I stumbled across mine. Pure unadultered LUCK.

I have a Bachelor degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Gerontology (study of aging) ... but went into Peace Corps directly out of university. When I came back from Peace Corps, I was married - and worked on a psych ward for a few years while my husband studied for his MBA. I then was a stay-at-home mom til our youngest of 4 sons was 5, when I got a job teaching beginning computer skills to Senior Citizens. About 2 years into that job, one of my 'students' suggested I apply to become the supervisor for the Foster Grandparent & Senior Companion programs because the then supervisor (who'd done it 18 years) was moving. I was hired and have done it ever since. Best job in the world.. and there are only a small handful of jobs like it in the entire state of Minnesota.

Blind Luck!!

The job I envisioned for myself as a child was to be a veterinarian. However, I hit high school Algebra and quickly changed my mind!
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Having abandoned my
search for truth, I am
now looking for a good
fantasy.

For R³ in thanks:
Sometimes I think I
understand everything,
then I regain consciousness.

[This message has been edited by bilqis (edited 07-22-2001).]

[Charean]

I do what I love. Driving. I started out doing it and never left. I knew from the git go I wanted to drive. It was a matter of finding out what. Driving fuel trucks for the military got me hooked on trucks... and I love manuevering trucks around corners and such... oddly enough, I love the feeling of accomplishment in displaying skill.

Luck? Nah... just doing what I want to do.


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Defender for the Light -
Goodness knows there is a lot of Dark out there!! - Where are my matches?!? Dang, they are wet... perhaps a Bic... nope... same problem - ok, I will settle for a couple of sticks and a magnifying glass... <grin>
You are what your deep driving desire is; As your deep driving desire is, so is your will; As your will is so is your deed; As your deed is so is your destiny.The Upanishads
Have found the Path I have been searching for... now to Dance upon it!