Spinoff: Did you see yourself in the job you have now?

Belthil

Sounds like I'm a bit of an odd-ball. I've know since I was 5 that I wanted to be in a medical field and by the time I was 12 I knew had it narrowed down to being an optometrist. I loved school so it didn't bother me to do another 8 years of school.

I love my job most days and honestly can't think of a job I'd be happier in.

anjemon

Sort of? I was an English Major in college, but by my junior year I knew I needed a practical job. Eventually I discovered Technical Writing, which is the field I'm in now. I'm quite happy in this field, I just switched to a new job I really like.

But I was also one of those kids who never really wanted be something specific when I was growing up. So I just wanted to be happy and employed when I graduated college. And I am.

larrygaga

I spent a chunk of today cutting up ham and buttering rolls for schizophrenics who also have dementia and need to be in a nursing home. Then I had to remind our very bad doctor what medications a specific patient was on, then had to tell them what the medications do.

Then I talked for a good 30 minutes with one of the patients who got hold of the nurses phone. She thought she worked as the receptionist and she was trying to put me through to the nurse, but didn't know how to transfer. She's 98. I knew exactly who it was when she answered "The hell you want, honey"

Then I did another patient's makeup, as it's the only way she will cooperate and take her medication. And only 3 staff are allowed to do it, anyone else and she will throw a fit.

For the record, it looks like this

If you try to give her more modern makeup, she throws a fit and won't cooperate. 

Not sure anyone can guess they would be doing that. I didn't even think I would be doing all this when I was in social work school. I didn't even think I would be doing all this when I went to work today. 

twoleighs

Career path? Yes.  Computers are my thing.  Got my BS in Computer Science.  

Actual job?  Nope.  Always thought I'd be in a cubicle/office somewhere.  I work in a lab at a manufacturing plant.  WAY better IMO, but also WAY different.

Lovelovelove my job

sarahufl

I got a MS in Higher Education Administration. I manage a master's program at an Ivy League school.

I would say it is what I was looking for/aiming toward. I really enjoy it sometimes but other times I want to strangle people. But the money is good and I am rarely bored.

Plus, I get 6 weeks of vacation a year, 4 personal days, 8 holidays and unlimited sick time. It is pretty tough to argue with that one.

WinstonsGirl

Nope.  You couldn't have paid me enough to be a teacher.  I only did my teaching degree cos it was offered in conjunction with a Phys-Ed degree (4 years for BPE, 5 years for BPE/BEd.  1 year = a second degree, so why not).  I already coached and taught swimming, so I figured it would be an easy extra degree.  I did all of my student teaching in my final year and loved it.  

I currently love my job, especially now that our AP has moved to a new school and everyone at work is much happier.  

wandajune6

southernbelle0915 said:

kvruns said:

cupcait927 said:

7 years later, I'm working for a health and life insurance broker. Totally NOT what I expected to be doing. I only ended up on this path because I was broke a year after college graduation and desperate for a full time job. I had worked on a state senate race and ended up unemployed after our candidate lost. I didn't want to keep doing that work because you never knew when you could be out of a job, plus the pay sucked, even though I loved doing it. A friend of mine worked at an insurance broker who was hiring for entry level positions and I've been in this field ever since. Luckily, I love my current job and I'm quite good at it, just got promoted, and my pay and benefits are pretty great. I have job security, our bills are paid and we have plenty of fun money leftover every month.

me too! what kind of stuff do you do there?  I do compliance work so answering legal questions, ACA stuff, required reporting, client education, etc.

I do health care compliance, too! 

Me too! My company created a compliance product for hospitals/health systems.

I've gotten to the point where I know more about Stark and Anti-Kickback than I ever thought I would.

manillabar

wandajune6 said:

southernbelle0915 said:

kvruns said:

cupcait927 said:

7 years later, I'm working for a health and life insurance broker. Totally NOT what I expected to be doing. I only ended up on this path because I was broke a year after college graduation and desperate for a full time job. I had worked on a state senate race and ended up unemployed after our candidate lost. I didn't want to keep doing that work because you never knew when you could be out of a job, plus the pay sucked, even though I loved doing it. A friend of mine worked at an insurance broker who was hiring for entry level positions and I've been in this field ever since. Luckily, I love my current job and I'm quite good at it, just got promoted, and my pay and benefits are pretty great. I have job security, our bills are paid and we have plenty of fun money leftover every month.

me too! what kind of stuff do you do there?  I do compliance work so answering legal questions, ACA stuff, required reporting, client education, etc.

I do health care compliance, too! 

Me too! My company created a compliance product for hospitals/health systems.

I've gotten to the point where I know more about Stark and Anti-Kickback than I ever thought I would.

hmm... so you all are responsible for those lessons and quizzes I'm forced to complete every year?  lol

As to the original question, I'm not too far from where I thought I would be as I'm still a doctor, but instead of training to be a neonatology hotshot like I always imagined, I'm training to be a family doc, hoping to one day practice in a nice quiet town where I can raise my kids.  I love the field, and I love primary care a whole lot more than I thought I would when I was younger.

JoanE2012

I'm pretty much where I thought I'd be industry wise (finance).  I don't love my job and I'm a bit jealous of people who do.  I am surprised that I've progressed in my career to the point I am today.....I feel like I'm always winging it.

wandajune6

manillabar said:

wandajune6 said:

southernbelle0915 said:

kvruns said:

cupcait927 said:

7 years later, I'm working for a health and life insurance broker. Totally NOT what I expected to be doing. I only ended up on this path because I was broke a year after college graduation and desperate for a full time job. I had worked on a state senate race and ended up unemployed after our candidate lost. I didn't want to keep doing that work because you never knew when you could be out of a job, plus the pay sucked, even though I loved doing it. A friend of mine worked at an insurance broker who was hiring for entry level positions and I've been in this field ever since. Luckily, I love my current job and I'm quite good at it, just got promoted, and my pay and benefits are pretty great. I have job security, our bills are paid and we have plenty of fun money leftover every month.

me too! what kind of stuff do you do there?  I do compliance work so answering legal questions, ACA stuff, required reporting, client education, etc.

I do health care compliance, too! 

Me too! My company created a compliance product for hospitals/health systems.

I've gotten to the point where I know more about Stark and Anti-Kickback than I ever thought I would.

hmm... so you all are responsible for those lessons and quizzes I'm forced to complete every year?  lol

As to the original question, I'm not too far from where I thought I would be as I'm still a doctor, but instead of training to be a neonatology hotshot like I always imagined, I'm training to be a family doc, hoping to one day practice in a nice quiet town where I can raise my kids.  I love the field, and I love primary care a whole lot more than I thought I would when I was younger.

Nope. I'm not that evil. I like to tell people that we keep hospital CEOs and docs out of jail. But really, we just make life a little bit easier for everyone.

I hated those lessons and quizzes when I was working in hospitals too.

theartistformerlyknownas

Yes. My career as an astronaut ballerina pastry chef is really rewarding, and everything I dreamed it would be.

huskypuppy14

mikenberger said:

I have a history degree. The work I'm doing and have been for the last 3 years is software QA... 

Definitely not in the same career path.

Not sure where you live, but if you wanted to move to the Boston area, I know someone looking to fill a position with this background, but I'm not sure of the software language they use. They can't find anyone.

jdluvr06

Nope. I wanted a job that will pay me to stay in nice hotels in exotic places and eat awesome food. Unfortunately when I finished college there were no openings as a travel show host.

huskypuppy14

Yes, I'm doing what I hoped I be doing. My goal was to do research at a biotech company. I have a degree in molecular biology and I'm doing preclinical research in stem cell biology.  

cupcait927

southernbelle0915 said:

kvruns said:

cupcait927 said:

7 years later, I'm working for a health and life insurance broker. Totally NOT what I expected to be doing. I only ended up on this path because I was broke a year after college graduation and desperate for a full time job. I had worked on a state senate race and ended up unemployed after our candidate lost. I didn't want to keep doing that work because you never knew when you could be out of a job, plus the pay sucked, even though I loved doing it. A friend of mine worked at an insurance broker who was hiring for entry level positions and I've been in this field ever since. Luckily, I love my current job and I'm quite good at it, just got promoted, and my pay and benefits are pretty great. I have job security, our bills are paid and we have plenty of fun money leftover every month.

me too! what kind of stuff do you do there?  I do compliance work so answering legal questions, ACA stuff, required reporting, client education, etc.

I do health care compliance, too! 

I'm on the client side of things - I work with a senior account executive on her book of business. So I spend the day answer questions from employers in regards to their health/life/disability plans, including everything from enrollment issues to billing issues to ACA questions, etc. I also deal with their employees if they have issues with medical bills, coverage questions, and when open enrollment rolls around, their questions about the upcoming plan year. I'm moving into a client account manager roll so soon I'll have my own book of business, which I'm really excited about. I've always been interested in the compliance side of things, as dorky as that sounds. 

allispain

Not really, but related.

I always knew I wanted to do something with foreign languages - I thought I would be working for the UN or maybe the EU (though since I'm not a European citizen, I'm not sure how teenage me thought that would happen...). My junior year of college, I realized that I am way too opinionated to do anything along those lines - I would have a hard time being diplomatic :-) One of my professors suggested grad school for Spanish, so I figured, why not? I never thought I would become a professor. I don't see myself as a very patient person, but apparently I am? I really do love teaching, though, so it all worked out.

louxnoelle

I was pretty convinced I was going to grow up to be Harriet the Spy (I was 5 or 6 when that movie came out and she was my absolute hero). That transitioned to being a detective, to being a forensic psychologist, to being a lawyer. All of those fizzled for one reason or another by my late teens.

I also went through a marine biologist stage, which looking back makes absolutely no sense based on my personality, but is kind of a weirdly prevalent "What I wanted to be when I grew up" job, I've found. Anyone else?

Anyway, my real true love has always been acting, which I went to school for. When I was a kid, I would "direct" my friends in living room plays, and spend a ton of time creating these construction-paper props for (nonexistent) musicals I imagined putting on in local parks. Now I'm in K-12 theatre education, which still allows me time to perform myself. I love my job, and in a funny way it's both nothing like and exactly what I thought I would be doing.

climbingsingle

Sort of, yes. I worked a full time office job all through college and during that experience, I knew that working in a large company was not for me. I definitely saw myself working in an small company and I knew I wanted to be involved in buying and purchasing. 

dolewhipper

Kind of. I got my degree in Hospitality Management at one of the best hospitality schools in the country. Worked in hotels for awhile to realize the last thing I want to be in a director of a luxury hotel department making 40-50k. Now I work in tourism sales, do my regular shift and go home, and make the same amount (if not more at times). 

Considering I hope to a SAHM in a few years, I can't complain about my current position.