What's your career and do you love it?

kmcc144
kmcc144 Posts: 84 Member
in Chit-Chat
I'm graduating with my bachelor's degree soon and I am working on figuring out a plan for my future. I'm trying to decide between working immediately and grad school... While I'm not looking for someone to tell me what to do, because I actually have a pretty good idea.. well.. at least a few directions. Lol I would love to know what you do for a living and what makes you love it so much!
«13456

Replies

  • jsmith655911
    jsmith655911 Posts: 7 Member
    I was a RN for over 20 yrs and loved almost every day of it. Unfortunetly, I received several skeletal injuries over that time. I've been retired for 5 years but would love to get back to it. That's one reason I'm so gungho about getting back in shape.
  • jenmar222
    jenmar222 Posts: 9,279 Member
    edited February 2017
    I am in grad school. I'm getting my PhD.

    What I love about it: I do love what I study. It's also really self rewarding to get to learn for a living. And I do some really cool "side gigs" working for a media company in LA, that people probably wouldn't believe if I told them. I get paid to do some crazy cool stuff. Plus, it often feels prestigious...which, if I'm honest, is good for my confidence.

    What I don't love about it: Horrible work life balance. I often work 70+ hours a week. I haven't had a weekended off in god knows how long. And during the week, I'm often working until late in the night. Plus it's a lot of pressure. I can never phone it in.

    Another benefit: I do have a lot of flexibility. So if I decide to sleep in, take Tuesday off, or play on MFP instead of working, I can....it just means I'm going to hate my life later when I have to make up the work.

    I just sort of make the "working all the time" thing work for me by trying to not take it too seriously and joke and laugh as much as I can. Sometimes I question whether I want to stay working in University for the rest of my life though. And I question whether I could ever balance this with a family.

    ....I think getting a PhD is quite different from med school, business school, law school (...which I almost did. I got into a couple excellent law schools, but then decided it was def not for me)

    What grad degree are you looking to get?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    edited February 2017
    I studied music when I left school, doing undergrad and post grad, and have worked in that field since - teaching, playing, freelancing in various groups. The flexibility is great, and I love being able to make music for a living, although there are things that aren't so great (work can be inconsistent, I'm restricted to holidays during school holidays, no sick/holiday pay, maternity leave etc... I'm also really busy, which is great for my bank balance. It's hard to say no - saying no too often can lead to not getting asked to do work again! )

    I don't not love it, but decided to go back to university to study a bachelor of science in nutrition, eventually hoping to do masters in dietetics. I'm still working as a musician whilst studying part time. I might be too old by the time I'm finished to find a job in nutrition/dietetics, although I hope not!
  • kmcc144
    kmcc144 Posts: 84 Member
    jenmar22 wrote: »
    I am in grad school. I'm getting my PhD.

    What I love about it: I do love what I study. It's also really self rewarding to get to learn for a living. And I do some really cool "side gigs" working for a media company in LA, that people probably wouldn't believe if I told them. I get paid to do some crazy cool stuff. Plus, it often feels prestigious...which, if I'm honest, is good for my confidence.

    What I don't love about it: Horrible work life balance. I often work 70+ hours a week. I haven't had a weekended off in god knows how long. And during the week, I'm often working until late in the night. Plus it's a lot of pressure. I can never phone it in.

    Another benefit: I do have a lot of flexibility. So if I decide to sleep in, take Tuesday off, or play on MFP instead of working, I can....it just means I'm going to hate my life later when I have to make up the work.

    I just sort of make the "working all the time" thing work for me by trying to not take it too seriously and joke and laugh as much as I can. Sometimes I question whether I want to stay working in Uni for the rest of my life though. And I question whether I could ever balance this with a family.

    ....I think getting a PhD is quite different from med school, business school, law school (...which I almost did. I got into a couple excellent law schools, but then decided it was def not for me)

    What grad degree are you looking to get?

    Your post offered a lot of insight! This is kind of my "problem." I just can't be stretched that thin.. I have 3 wonderful kiddos all under school age, though my first will start kindergarten this fall. Right now I'm a psychology major. I am leaning towards being a school counselor because I love being around kids. I just love working with kids, it's my thing. I also love that I would have a schedule similar to my kids, which, as a single mom... would make my life a lot easier. However, I'm trying to make sure I love it enough that I will want to do it even after my kids are out of school. So that being said, to be a school counselor I have to teach for 2 years. The timing works out perfect though, and by the time I can be certified to teach, my youngest will be entering kindergarten. And then I can do an online counseling master's degree while teaching. :# My other thought is social work... yet again, I would love to work with kids... And I know a masters in social work would be more flexible, but I think I've somewhat decided I would like to work in the school setting.
  • kmcc144
    kmcc144 Posts: 84 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    I studied music when I left school, doing undergrad and post grad, and have worked in that field since - teaching, playing, freelancing in various groups. The flexibility is great, and I love being able to make music for a living, although there are things that aren't so great (work can be inconsistent, I'm restricted to holidays during school holidays, no sick/holiday pay, maternity leave etc... I'm also really busy, which is great for my bank balance. It's hard to say no - saying no too often can lead to not getting asked to do work again! )

    I don't not love it, but decided to go back to university to study a bachelor of science in nutrition, eventually hoping to do masters in dietetics. I'm still working as a musician whilst studying part time. I might be too old by the time I'm finished to find a job in nutrition/dietetics, although I hope not!

    I love this! Nutrition seems to be a growing field right now, or it seems that way anyway. I love music, and am kind of kicking myself for not pursuing music therapy before I had kids.. There's no schools near me that offer it and that ship sailed many years ago. haha It's okay though. I love hearing everyone's perspective on what they've chosen to do with their lives! Just keep going and you'll get there eventually. I went part time for 4-5 years and here I am about to graduate. Time definitely went by quicker than I thought it would. Lol
  • kmcc144
    kmcc144 Posts: 84 Member
    Treehugger_88 wrote: »
    I'm a Geographic Information Services Technician Forester and I love it! I have a bachelors and masters degree but being a forester only requires a bachelors. I get to make digital maps all day combining different layers (roads, forest, wildlife habitat, harvest blocks, traplines), learn new stuff every day, never gets boring. Then in the summer I get to do field work where I get paid to canoe-camp and hike through the bush while collecting forest inventory data. Its pretty amazing!

    That sounds amazing! I love hearing about jobs that aren't so mainstream :-)
  • jenmar222
    jenmar222 Posts: 9,279 Member
    edited February 2017
    Do you already have your teaching credential?

    Is there any way you can swing getting a Masters degree in a traditional uni setting rather than online? Just because doing a traditional program with practicum hours will be seen as more prestigious and will afford you more job mobility (working a wider range of jobs, qualifying for higher pay).

    Also, have you thought about a Masters in education? That should also qualify you to be a school counselor, but could also be a stepping stone in other directions if you decide being a school counselor is not for you after all (like working in school administration).

    My opinion is that it is very hard to know for sure what you want to do for the rest of your life out of undergrad or when you're in your 20s. You just have to sort of go for it...and then be flexible about switching things up if you hate it (which is harder to do when you have kids).

    My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself a lot of flexibility and don't get into too much debt. Especially with these fields which don't necessarily have huge earning potential.
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
    Right now......stay at home mom and yes very rewarding. Previously, Paramedic and loved every minute of it. Hoping to go back to work part time soon (around my hubby's crazy schedule as I don't want to utilize daycare).
  • dwrightlaw
    dwrightlaw Posts: 804 Member
    I studied forensic anthropology in college, loved it! But not a lot of well paying jobs considering the investment in money/time to obtain PhD. I'm a lawyer now...I enjoy it most of the time. There's a lot of flexibility with respect to practice areas.

    Good luck with your decision!
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    Treehugger_88 wrote: »
    I'm a Geographic Information Services Technician Forester and I love it! I have a bachelors and masters degree but being a forester only requires a bachelors. I get to make digital maps all day combining different layers (roads, forest, wildlife habitat, harvest blocks, traplines), learn new stuff every day, never gets boring. Then in the summer I get to do field work where I get paid to canoe-camp and hike through the bush while collecting forest inventory data. Its pretty amazing!

    I did my internship in the GIS department of a water utility. I really enjoyed it. If I ever get back into the workforce it would likely be working with mapping again. Your field work sounds rewarding. Sitting in an office all day can be pretty dull.
  • GreenGoddess22
    GreenGoddess22 Posts: 3,821 Member
    I started college going into public relations and marketing. I needed a humanities course and all that was left was an education course so I took it simply to fulfill my requirement. I loved it so much I switched studies and went into education. I've taught various grades, was a parent educator for awhile and even taught special education, however now I'm a school administrator. My job can be very stressful and I do miss being in the classroom at times, but I can't imagine any other career. Best of luck with your studies!
  • jenmar222
    jenmar222 Posts: 9,279 Member
    GreenGoddess22 wrote: »
    I started college going into public relations and marketing. I needed a humanities course and all that was left was an education course so I took it simply to fulfill my requirement. I loved it so much I switched studies and went into education. I've taught various grades, was a parent educator for awhile and even taught special education, however now I'm a school administrator. My job can be very stressful and I do miss being in the classroom at times, but I can't imagine any other career. Best of luck with your studies!

    That's awesome! :smile: Just curious...did you have to get a Masters degree? Did you need additional qualifications to move from teaching to administration?
  • GreenGoddess22
    GreenGoddess22 Posts: 3,821 Member
    jenmar22 wrote: »
    GreenGoddess22 wrote: »
    I started college going into public relations and marketing. I needed a humanities course and all that was left was an education course so I took it simply to fulfill my requirement. I loved it so much I switched studies and went into education. I've taught various grades, was a parent educator for awhile and even taught special education, however now I'm a school administrator. My job can be very stressful and I do miss being in the classroom at times, but I can't imagine any other career. Best of luck with your studies!

    That's awesome! :smile: Just curious...did you have to get a Masters degree? Did you need additional qualifications to move from teaching to administration?

    Yes!
  • kmcc144
    kmcc144 Posts: 84 Member
    GreenGoddess22 wrote: »
    I started college going into public relations and marketing. I needed a humanities course and all that was left was an education course so I took it simply to fulfill my requirement. I loved it so much I switched studies and went into education. I've taught various grades, was a parent educator for awhile and even taught special education, however now I'm a school administrator. My job can be very stressful and I do miss being in the classroom at times, but I can't imagine any other career. Best of luck with your studies!

    I've thought about school administration as well! My main thoughts right now are to begin with teaching and get in the school system and decide which direction to take from there.
  • kmcc144
    kmcc144 Posts: 84 Member
    jenmar22 wrote: »
    Do you already have your teaching credential?

    Is there any way you can swing getting a Masters degree in a traditional uni setting rather than online? Just because doing a traditional program with practicum hours will be seen as more prestigious and will afford you more job mobility (working a wider range of jobs, qualifying for higher pay).

    Also, have you thought about a Masters in education? That should also qualify you to be a school counselor, but could also be a stepping stone in other directions if you decide being a school counselor is not for you after all (like working in school administration).

    My opinion is that it is very hard to know for sure what you want to do for the rest of your life out of undergrad or when you're in your 20s. You just have to sort of go for it...and then be flexible about switching things up if you hate it (which is harder to do when you have kids).

    My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself a lot of flexibility and don't get into too much debt. Especially with these fields which don't necessarily have huge earning potential.

    So although the Master's degree is online, it's through a major university and set up for teachers trying to get their counseling. Although, the University I am at now does offer one on campus if I could swing it.. it will just depend on timing! Basically, I go to the University of Texas right now, and one of their sister campuses offers an online program. Though, I agree, if possible going to the main campus would be preferable. After much thoughts and lists made tonight, I think I am going to start with teaching and go from there. I know for sure I want to work in the school system, so I think that's a great place to start. Then I can decide if I want to go more towards counseling or school administration.

    And I totally agree with your opinion! It IS hard to know for sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. I guess that's my problem. I know I can't possibly know and I don't want to make myself stuck. However I supposed having a bachelor's in psychology will always be a great building block to add a master's too at any point in life. Affordability is another issue because right now, I am a single Mom (and.. lets face it, BROKE) I get a lot of help with grants and scholarships. Once I start working, I will lose that. So I am trying to be mindful of all of these different areas that will have a really large impact on any direction I choose.

Categories