I was sitting here today - after putting in 3 job applications, sending resumes to 2 other companies and not falling apart! - and I was thinking about all the things I've wanted to be or do over the years. The list is HUGE! In my college career alone I had something like 8 different majors, lol.
When I was a kid I wanted to be a Vet, that changed eventually into Marine Biologist as I grew up. Then I realized I couldn't stand to dissect anything or cause an animal pain of any kind so that shot both those down. Teacher or Trainer (in a corporate environment) have popped up from time to time, but the problem there is I'm really only good at teaching people one on one and even then the person has to not annoy the crap out of me. Once I start getting annoyed that's it, I get snappy and grumpy. I thought for a while that I had a career in corporate management, but I suck at kissing butt and again, I get annoyed with people under me. I'm the type that if you're not going to do it right then just get out of my way, I'll do it and you can go home (I'm a bit of a tyrant when I'm in charge, quite honestly.) I can't stand working with people who have poor work ethics. One of my biggest passions is the water, specifically marine mammals and their environments, and becoming an Oceanographer was a goal at one time. Chef and caterer have also been possible career choices, but I really don't have the skills to run a professional kitchen, plus I would never make it in culinary school - my fine motor skills make it almost impossible for me to do all the fine, precise knife work required. Marketing was something I considered but I never pursued that, I don't think I have enough talent in that creative vein.
In college I started out with a major in Psychology. My second semester saw me switch to Sociology and then Social Worker. I've always liked helping other people and these seemed like ways to do that. When I went back to college in Denver I decided to choose a practical major and went with Business Management. That didn't last long, I was MISERABLE in almost every one of those classes. Computer Science was a flickering idea until I realized that I couldn't make heads or tails of pretty much any of the programming languages. I then moved to Anthropology, the problem was that I don't enjoy physical Anthropology and the college didn't offer enough cultural Anthropology courses to make a major out of it. Then came Geographic Information Systems (map making) because I love maps, interesting maps that have interesting information on them. From there I moved to Land Management with an emphasis in Geology. I have, I think, some where around 180 college credits, with nothing above the 3000 level in courses.
Here's the biggest problem with any career I have ever considered: I am lousy at coming up with a starting idea. However, I am incredible at expanding on some one else's ideas. I'm great at helping people find the most efficient way of doing something but I have to do it first. Without a college degree its hard to become a consultant of any kind, even with a degree its a hard field to get into.
There is one thing that I've always thought I would be very good at doing though, something in editing literature. In both college and high school I was one of those people that you could go to when you had a paper that needed to be checked for editing of any kind. Grammar, flow, improving wording, finding spelling errors (even with modern spell check you have to make sure you didn't type the wrong word correctly,) etc. I would absolutely love to get paid to read books all day. I can devour a six to eight hundred page novel in a day. Granted, I would have to read a little slower to catch all errors, plus the time it would take to make notations, so it would take maybe three days for a book that size. I just have no idea how to get into that field. When I try to figure it out I get completely and utterly overwhelmed.
So here I am, no real career goal, trying to find a job I'm capable of doing and have the qualifications for, and I'm stuck in an economy that is severely limited in choices and isn't willing to take a lot of risks in hiring someone with no experience in a field. Sometimes I wish things were still like they were when a business person would hire as an apprentice and teach you everything you needed to know for that trade. You didn't need a college degree, you just had to bust your butt and perfect your craft. I can do just about anything anyone is willing to teach me, I just find writing a ton of papers for a college class that isn't truly preparing me with on the job experience to be tedious and futile. Don't get me wrong, I love to learn, I love college, and if someone would pay me to go to college for the rest of my life, I would happily do it. What I need, though, is a skill that translates into a job now...
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