Choosing a Career

I'm currently stuck in that no man's land between college and the rest of my life. With a general arts and sciences degree (media studies), I didn't really have a set plan as to what I was going to set out to do after college. Not wanting to have my current gig (typical desk job) become my career, I had been planning on architecture school, but the Physics class I am currently taking to fill a requirement has reminded me that, having not taken a significant math class since 1998 (senior year in hs), math isn't exactly something you can discard and come back to a significant time later. Beyond that, I don't exactly have a great desire to do architecture, it just strikes me as something marketable but creative enough that I won't have the urge to jump off a bridge too quickly.
Anyway, if you're still with me at this point, my question is this: How did any of you come to your current careers? How did you decide what you really wanted to do, and work towards making that a reality? I'm running out of ideas....

Choose Life.
Choose a job.
Choose a career.
Choose a family.
Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers.
Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance.
Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments.
Choose a starter home.
Choose your friends.
Choose leisurewear and matching luggage.
Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning.
Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth.
Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself.
Choose your future.


I hope that answers all your questions!

[Edited on Sep 15, 2004 by EvanX]

I enjoyed the idea of working in a lab far, far away from the general public, knowing way too much about chemical reactions, playing with beakers and really expensive machinery, and being the science nerd that I am... So I became a chemistry major. And hopefully when I graduate in about 7 months I will be living my anti-social, science nerd dream.

to quote "Office Space"...

If money wasn't an issue and you could do anything you wanted, what would you spend the rest of your life doing...

you know the rest

Do what you love. Love what you do.

I'm going back to college to get a Docterate in Biochemistry. At the age of 30 I finally know what I want to do.

Architecture isn't as hot as it used to be. I know many architects that are struggling.

Best of luck.

You pretty much need to go back to school. A BS in Media Studies will get you an entry-level position at Sucking Donkey Dick, Inc. Unless you're remarkably self-motivated - which I'm assuming not, as you wouldn't have posted this inquiry otherwise - and want to start your own company, you need a Masters. There's always plenty of jobs in mental health professions. Consider an MSW, after which you can be a practicing psychotherapist, even though you can't call yourself a psychologist or psychiatrist. You'll need to get some undergrad classes out of the way first, but it's an enjoyable concentration.

As a carpenter, I have met many architects with little or no math background. Actually, most of them are complete idiots. Seriously, do what you enjoy. As I said, I am a carpenter. I have an IQ over 150, and took all gifted and honors classes in highscool, so I could get into just about any college I apply to, but I love working with my hands, so I chose a career that gives me pleasure.

I've been at my current job for about two years. I do basically what amounts to social work. The reason I took this job was because at the time I applied, I was making $10 an hour working 60 hours a week in a warehouse.

When I was a kid, I wanted to play with legos all the time. Now I write software, which gives me the same kind of jolly as putting legos together. You get to build somethng and then watch it work.

Never went to college beyond an acting conservatory - long story.

But none of this came about by design. It was all a series of accidents, that lead to me being in the right place at the right time.

I make movies on the side, in the hope that someone, someday will pay me to do so. But that is a whole other nightmare.

So basically, I don't know. Do something you love and something that is good for the world. Don't be a lawyer, unless you are going to fight for battered women or AIDS patients or something.

Choose whatever you love for your career, just make sure you have a job to support that career.

Thank god someone else is stuck soul searching.

Jenna

Live to work or work to live? Architecture definitely falls more into the former category, but don't let your fear of math scare you off. [if you want to be scared away I would be perfectly happy to list the negatives/frustrations of my chosen profession, though I do find it a rewarding career]. You could always work for a year or two and then hit graduate school when you think you have an idea of what you want to be.

The Sunscreen Song

How did i find my career? Could be one of many things, from playing with lego, to going to a shitass design colledge.... to just doing webdesign in my freetime from junior high... till now.

/shurgs/
everyone finds their path, their own way.

not to be a wise-ass, but i think it's more like... EVERYONE ELSE!