How did you come to decide what your career was going to be?

93til1nfinity · 2020-08-22T14:17:15+00:00

Personally i didnt look for my current career, I stumbled across it when applying for jobs. Had no idea what the job even was but loved it once i started.

Life is all about experiences. There isnt a sure way to find the career for you. Alpha men take risks and relish the unknown.

Zombiespire · 2020-08-22T17:10:27+00:00

Im truth I have always been a writer since middle school, but I had no confidence in myself because everyone always beats you over the head with "STEM GOOD, ART BAD". So I joined the military, for direction, for challenge, for security. That decision led to a great deal of pain and suffering in both the body and mind. One night in Syria on a guard tower I realized; so painfully exhausted I wanted a stray bullet to give me sleep, so fucking miserable I was far more concerned about the toxic shit leaders behind me than any terrorist that might be in front of me (what has ISIS ever done to me anyway? My leadership made my life far worse than they ever did.) There I had an epiphany, "I don't care if I'm homeless on the streets of San Francisco with nothing left, ANYWHERE is better than being here."

After that I stopped being afraid. Money? Job security? Material possessions? Who cares? They do more to stress us by being dependent on their presence than comfort us. Being free to live your life the way you want and make your own decisions is far more precious. Even if it all comes crashing down, I can just go Fight Club mode, and it still won't ever be as rock bottom as Syria was.

After that deployment I wrote a letter to my father about how much he meant to be and how important he was for me to get as far as I did. The letter was so powerful it made my parents cry, which made me cry tears of joy from knowing I was able to move people with my words, that is when I realized my true life goal. It's not to become some wicked successful author with bestselling books or whatever. Whatever type of writing I happen to be doing, I want to move people emotionally with my writing, and that's it.

When people decide how to live their lives they are so much more caught up in fear and external expectation than anything else. It is very rare that it is truly based on what they want out of life.

signsoflife620 · 2020-08-22T15:00:13+00:00

I don’t really have blanket advice but I can tell you of my own experience.

I had fucked up high school but there was one state university by me that I pretty much begged to get into when a recruiter came to my high school. He recommended I write an essay (even though it wasn’t required). I was surprised I was able to get in and I’m convinced he pulled strings for me. I saw all my friends get into “good schools” blah blah. This was the only school I applied to.

If I didn’t get in I was just planning to keep cleaning pools with my brother. I was confused as fuck about what I wanted to major in. Coming from living alone with a single mom the only thing I knew is that I didn’t want to be broke forever. So this led to changing my major a solid 5 times until I got to engineering and felt like it would be a good path to not being broke.. it took me six years to finish because I had been so indecisive about my major and most classes didn’t transfer over.

Now I’m enjoying my career and I feel pretty safe knowing I’ll never be broke/poor again.

So if I had any advice for you it’s to try to research a very employable sector and don’t worry too much if you will like it or not. I believe liking your career will come from more from mastering it than from actually “liking” what you do.

It’s not like we were born to sell insurance or design machines... it’s all unnatural anyway. You weren’t born to do anything. Just pick something and MASTER it. Try to find the intersection of something decently paying and extremely employable. Maybe check out a trade school to learn about HVAC or electricity. You might not have been “born to fix ACs” but you will find fulfillment in mastering it.

PS: don’t get into debt by going to a fancy school

-Bran- · 2020-08-22T17:14:38+00:00

I was serving at olive garden in college and a friend asked me if I was interested in some help desk work. Didnt know shit but learned the job on the fly. I kinda hated it but was better than olive garden. Users needing stuff unplugged and plugged back in a lot, rebooting etc. Almost quit many times. 10 yrs of good decisions, grinding, and taking some risk later ended up at Microsoft doing cyber security and I love it

wheeets · 2020-08-22T18:04:16+00:00

Ive always been very interested in permaculture designs and have always enjoyed watching many YouTube videos about permaculture and gardening in general. I didn't pursue it when i was younger because I thought that I wouldn't be paid enough at first. However I'm so glad to be pursuing it now. Its worth the effort and even the lack of pay at first (even though its not that low) and as I continue to gain experience and become an expert in my industry the money will follow. But more important than the money, is now I get to do something I've always been passionate about.

You mine as well be happy, you only live once.

mchief101 · 2020-08-22T16:11:52+00:00

Just whatever job i started off with out of college to now. I graduated in finance, got a job doing sales ops, next company was sales ops again and then the company i’m at now, i’m doing commissions for sales teams. I wouldn’t say it’s my passion but whatever makes the income haha and i also like excel/spreadsheets.

empatheticapathetic · 2020-08-22T16:41:48+00:00

Stumble around until I found someone who would employ me. Helps that I somewhat enjoy the job. Did an easier/simpler job but it gave me an existential crisis and I got fired because I truly couldn’t give a shit.

liberty1127 · 2020-08-22T17:11:08+00:00

I followed the money. No skills out of highschool other than ones I had acquired doing roofing, construction and other manual labor jobs.

Started working at a moving company and got really good at my job. Now I am an owner/operator contracting to the top rated Allied Van Lines agent in the country.

As long as you have a cdl, some on the job experience (which can be acquired by becoming a laborer), and a business mindset, you can make a shit ton of money....anywhere from 80 to 150k a year take home after all expenses and taxes etc.

Jasperthekitteh · 2020-08-22T17:52:35+00:00

My parents are truck drivers. Tried it, hated it. So I looked for something that interested me and would give me good money without a college degree. I work as a jailer now.

CaptainFajita · 2020-08-22T18:25:10+00:00

I don't really have an answer as to a sure-fire method for finding your purpose, but I do know it can be life changing when you do.

I'm 60. I've banged around at half a dozen different career paths through the years. Some I hated pretty quickly, some took a while before burning out on them. Finally stumbled on my purpose when a relative offered me a job doing something only obliquely related to some of my previous experience.

I came from a very sheltered religious nuttery background, and was not allowed to do much of anything growing up, except go to church. Not bashing religion here, just the way it was misinterpreted at my house. It was a reason I stumbled around most of my life, not knowing I was searching for a purpose.

I strongly recommend that kids and young people be exposed to as big a variety of knowledge, fields of endeavor and career paths as possible. You never know what's going to light a spark in someone and start a fulfilling life.

MGTOW_BEASTMODE · 2020-08-22T15:16:48+00:00

I had a choice between IT or a career in medical sciences.

I don't really feel like saving people... so IT it is!

Maki_Roll9138 · 2020-08-22T17:03:40+00:00

Im on a job of my passion currently, but the pay is kinda low and to get to a good level of payment i will have to switxh. I chose coding because ive done it before and the pay is good on my country

renoka · 2020-08-22T18:26:48+00:00

When applying to colleges I was thinking hard about what career choice I wanted to pursue but it was a difficult question for me to answer at the time as a teenager who had little to no experience in the real world.

After reviewing my own interests, my skills, and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of college majors in terms of job prospects/salary/job security, I ultimately landed with something in the business/technology field.

I admit I don’t love my job 100% but I’m happy with what I do and it keeps me challenged, financially stable, and my company offers an amazing work life balance.

I know there’s other people who will say to follow your dreams with a more entrepreneurial mindset and take risks, which is great, but I wasn’t that much of a risk taker and I never really had huge aspirations growing up besides the pipe dream of becoming a pro athlete hah. Also, don’t forget to find a few hobbies to keep you sane.

Best of luck to you!

superman127 · 2020-08-22T19:33:29+00:00

Wasted years buying in to the "if you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life," motto and watching YouTube videos on finding your passion etc. until I realized successful people don't buy into that shit and just find a career, become extremely good and relentless with it and the money eventually comes. I got into a trade and couldn't be happier and continue to learn, earn and grow more from it every day.

bachbozo · 2020-08-22T19:34:07+00:00

Everyone, this will possibly be the most pivotal vocational advice for those w/o a degree that you can find. Petitioning

You know those degenerates asking you for ballot iniative signatures outside of Walmart? They make fucking bank.

I'm talking 2 grand a day level of loaded if you're at a university or rally. It is absolutely absurd.

Plus you are on your feet all day, always working on your linguisic skills, forced to approach people and face 85%+ chance of rejection, and able to game honnies on the clock anytime anywhere. It is TRP heaven of a job.

Check out Let The Voters Decide on Facebook, thank me later.

ninernation123 · 2020-08-22T20:05:44+00:00

I didn't.

I was a non traditional student who rode out the Great Recession taking out student loans (which I could be paying right now but am glad to be padding my bank account).

I kicked around studying philosophy, and a friend say "Great idea! That way you'll KNOW why you don't have a job."

I went with mathematics. The great thing about prob & stats is you get to play in everyone's back yard.

I'm have a very cool career right now, but it is so niche I can't say more without a major doxxing risk.

That said, I had about 65 applications out at the time. One of them was with an employment law firm, on the side of employers. I sparred with the manager on the first interview, insisting that while I can learn more Excel, I will also need to be able to use R.

I was surprised when I got a call back, one of the lawyers wanted to interview me. Honestly, that could have been pretty cool, doing data analysis for a law firm.

Yes, chase dreams, but the market also gets a say.

throwawayaccccc13844 · 2020-08-22T22:20:32+00:00

I needed a prestigious well paid job so I am going to med school

inkwind · 2020-08-23T01:56:55+00:00

After having ruined my life, I wrote down my alternatives and went after whatever was the hardest thing to do (in my case, go back to college and get a masters). Already being good at thinking using computers helped.

Then just worked on becoming the best man in the room wherever I went and the career just happened. I initially had no purpose. Purpose is something you discover, not make.

Short term career fulfillment came from becoming the best man in the room, then going to a harder room and so on.

Long term deep satisfaction came from solving a very hard problem in my field.

For you it could be working on a really hard problem in a field you're interested in, or raising amazing kids, or making a totally jacked body.

The point is, whatever you pick, become the absolute best at what you do. Picking up girls, making money, writing papers whatever. Read up on kaizen. The only way you get to work on something really hard is by becoming really good. No easy way out.

throwawayok272728492 · 2020-08-23T08:32:32+00:00

Went out of state for a niche engineering degree. Kinda liked it at times. Had three internships around the USA, my favorite was at a gold mine. Improved the mine after accidentally shutting the whole goddamn thing down while working on my project. They offered me a fast track 2yr to chief engineer, good salary etc. turned it down to go where my third internship was. All main managers liked me for who I was and my work ethic, they told me I had a job there when I graduated. When I got there they asked me what I wanted to do- I told them I wanted to be in production. So here I am,as an operator now. I’m about two months I’ll be manning the control room of my unit. Took 2.5 years to get there from entry level. The jobs harder imo than engineering, and much more dangerous. Pay is twice as good. I get filthy almost every day.

I don’t really feel that fulfilled about it. Maybe I will once I’m actually in charge of producing the product. Right now I just find broken/about to fail equipment and fix it/ get it fixed. Then I spend hours waiting. It’s great if you want a job that you just make money because it’s the same shit every day. Not groundbreaking improving shit like I was doing in engineering. Idk. One day I’ll get tired of it.

EthelRosenbaum · 2020-08-23T12:56:09+00:00

Receiving subpar psychiatric care and realizing my own experience with mental illness and extensive research into the topic trying to find out exactly what the fuck is wrong with me would make me a better psychiatrist than all the ones I've seen.

MarsWasTakenWasTaken · 2020-08-24T10:36:05+00:00

Well, after high school I applied for a bunch of jobs. Switched from job to job and eventually found one I love. Did the myers briggs test recently and surprise the job I love is one of those that fit my personality type.

guynpdx · 2020-08-22T17:25:53+00:00

My career/mission is me. I do whatever I want. It's not easy and it's not hard.

Title	How did you come to decide what your career was going to be?
Author	hopp1ngcopter
Upvotes	42
Comments	46
Date	August 22, 2020 1:37 PM UTC (5 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/ieikn6/how_did_you_come_to_decide_what_your_career_was/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/how-did-you-come-to-decide-what-your-career-was.167906 https://theredarchive.com/post/167906

Comments