Abstract My career choices have changed through the years from mother and housewife through architect, accountant, or teacher, finally I have arrived at a computer career. The following is an idea of the path I have followed. What I want to be When I Grow Up Coming to the point of my current career choice has been a long road. My idea of what a career is or should be has changed with circumstances and age. According to Weintraub (2005), “the average worker spends only four years in a job and will have 12 jobs in as many as five career fields during his or her working life.” (para. 1) My first career was marriage and motherhood followed by a surprising healthcare career. What the future holds waits to be seen. With a bachelor of science degree in information technology the options are wide open. Childhood Career Choices Most children seem to have ideas of what they would like to be when they grow up. The average person walking into any kindergarten class today would find future teachers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, astronauts, firefighters, and ballerinas; the list is endless. I never had the chance to even dream about what I wanted to be when I grew up and was given little chance to develop my own tastes and ideas towards this goal. I spent my childhood trying to be the good example to my younger brother and sister that my father demanded in his letters. All the while I was hoping and praying that my mother and father would get back together. The only thing I knew was being a mom and that is what I thought I wanted to be. Adolescent Career Choices In high school my ideal career seemed to change from day-to-day. I tried working at a fast food restaurant, and ice cream parlor, a day care, but none of these led to any career decisions. I wanted to join the military so I took the ASVAB but I was not confident enough in my ability to make it through basic training so I gave up the idea. I wanted to be an architect so I applied for admission to the CAD program at ITT Technical Institute and was accepted. I was scheduled to start classes on June 12, 1989, but deep down what I truly wanted was to a wife and mother and the idea of getting out of Rantoul, Illinois did not hurt either. My unspoken desire came to the fore when I met my future husband in January of 1989. We were married on June 10, 1989, four days after my high school graduation and two days before I w... ... middle of paper ... ...ke the road less traveled by. Summary In summary, throughout my life many career choices have crossed my mind. I have tried being a stay-at-home mom and a hospital employee. I am working on trying computers. The path I chose in computers is yet to be decided but the opportunities are vast. My current path leaves me many opportunities in healthcare and computers but the possibilities do not stop there. With further education I could still do anything. References Bureau of Labor Statistics (2004-2005). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on May 15, 2005, from http://www.bls.gov/search/ooh.asp?qu=computers&ct=OOH. Frost, R. (1920). The road not taken. Mountain Interval. Retrieved on May 22, 2005, from http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html Orr, T. (2004). I can go anywhere. But where do I start? What's the best clue for finding your direction in life? That would be you. Career World. Retrieved on May 15, 2005 from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HUV/is_1_33/ai_n6174056. Weintraub, M. (2005). Commentary: Three ways to survive today’s job-change pace. The Daily Record. Retrieved on May 22, 2005 http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4181/is_200503/ai_n13461914.
Have you ever been in a position where you where stuck and couldn’t decide between two careers? Whether it was something that you love to do or something that pays well? The answer may seem easy to you but when you start comparing the facts; that’s when it gets hard to choose. For many of us, graduates and people around the world have a difficult time choosing a career that can be a confusing process. A lot of people tend to settle down on a career quickly. Unfortunately, choosing a rapid occupation often leads to an unsatisfying path in the future, if not sooner. Eventually the individual decides to quit and start all over again. According to choosingacareer.net, “6% of workers over the age 50 are in the process of changing a career, resumes mailed to companies’ staffing departments only accounts for 3% of hires nationwide, and 95% of human resources managers and 95% of job seekers depend on personal contacts and networking to fill and find openings.” (choosingacareer.net) Choosing a career takes time and research, so it’s better to plan your future than rapidly pick one. Although some people claim they are happy with the career they chose of the bat, choosing a career carefully is much more effective because in the long run you will feel content and appreciate more with the choice you made.
From the time a child enters preschool, teachers begin asking a common question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” That dreaded query has always haunted me, mostly because the way it was redundantly asked put a ton of pressure on me and my peers. The question was like a rusty nail being hammered into our head’s by society. I continuously had the cliché answers of becoming a doctor, teacher, or a police officer, but with serious reservations. After years of not having a clue, I started to think about what I like to do after the stresses of work and school were gone at the end of the day.
The following career I have chosen describes who I am, where I want to go, and what I want to accomplish in the near future.
Following college graduation, I desired a purposeful career but was initially unsure which profession to pursue. I
I remember a time in my life when I would always play with little children. At that point, at the age of six or seven, I decided to become a pediatrician or a kindergarten teacher. When I started high school, I started feeling stressed out because of the pressure that I was doing to myself to reach my goal of becoming a pediatrician. I could hardly focus on the topic we would have during class because I would be thinking about my future as a pediatrician. With the help of my friends, they helped me overcome the obstacles that I had. The more I thought about what profession I wanted to be, I thought about how much I loved working and dealing with computers. My friends and cousins told me that I should and can be what ever I wanted, and that helped me decide to major in computer engineering at San Jose State University. So you see when it comes down to life, dreams are not the only thing that can keep men going, friendships, pets and companionships can do the same.
Application of career theories to my own life allows for analyzing past and future career decisions. Holland’s Theory of Careers states that one’s vocation is an expression of self, personality, and way of life. There is an indisputable and fundamental difference in the quality of life one experiences if they choose a career one truly enjoys, versus choosing a career one detests. A true testament to the validity of Holland’s theory, my job/career choices reflect my interests, as well as the evolution of my personality (internal self). My first job as a fine jewelry specialist and second job as a make-up artist echo my love of the fashion world. As I matured and became less fascinated by presumed “glamour” careers, I became captivated by physical fitness, nutrition, and medicine; I received my national fitness trainer certificate so that I may become a personal trainer. Nevertheless, my career decisions do not fit uniformly into merely one career theory.
The career I chose is an Athletic Trainer. “Athletic Trainers are highly qualified, multi skilled healthcare professionals,” (“Athletic Training”). They are also known as a person who is certified in the field of sports medicine. I chose athletic training because it is more than taping ankles and stretching muscles to me. It is my two passions combined into one job. Athletic trainers help people grow on and off the field. I must understand what type of schooling and skills will be required, the income and future of this career, along with the experience and attitude I will need to succeed in this field.
I was on a mission everyday trying to decrypt what type of life I should lead, my mind was always adopting new identities but my options were limitless. I knew I was an individual and since we all do not look the same our purposes can not be either. Pursuing a nursing career was not a plan, throughout my developing years I fathomed the thought of being in the medical field because it is science based and it is persistently evolving which would give me constant interest. My strong passion for science granted me the opportunity of being placed in the STEP program (Science Training Education Program) at SUNY Old Westbury.
For a career, I would like to be involved in the fast developing computer industry and more particularly with the Internet. I think it has immense potential and I would like to be able to develop the Internet to make it help the lives of day to day people. In this way I would also like to help make computers more like humans with for example voice operated user interfaces.
Right now I have a fairly accurate idea concerning what I want to do with my life. My love for computers has taken me a long way and I have a strong feeling that I will continue in the field of computer science. Yet, I am also aware that I may change my mind several times before I begin a career. College will introduce me to new and various things, and I will develop new interests from this exposure. The world of technology is changing rapidly and computers seem like the best way to go. When I combine that and my love for computers I am almost certain that the field of computer science is right for me.
Adamson, had us write letters to our future selves about what we wanted to do with our life after high school. The time capsule may have seemed pointless at the time, but opening the letter a few short weeks before high school graduation I saw that even my fifth grade self knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. In the letter, I wrote that I wanted to go to college then go on to dental school. Whenever I thought about what I wanted out of a career, I concluded that I wanted to never have to worry about paying the bills or putting food on the table. Money is one of the most commonly fought about topics in a marriage, and I do not want my career to jeopardize the most important relationship in my life.
For so many years I’ve asked myself the question, “what are you going to do with your life?” For a period of time I struggled with this question. Today, I sit staring at my computer, confronting myself, asking my subconscious “what do I want to do for the rest of my life?” Have I finally found the answer I 've been looking for, or am I under the false assumption that this is the right path for me. This semester has been the ultimate opportunity to explore my questions, doubt, issues, and concerns. I feel that by the end of this paper I will have answered all these questions, and will have made the best decision for my future.
To this day I still wish I could play football. On a positive note, I found out in my senior year of high school that computers and graphic design sparked my interest. I dabbled in Photoshop. I started off by just editing pictures and doing other little projects. This highly benefited me since I would be going in a related major going into college. When I graduated, I waited a year to go to college because I had to save up money to pay for tuition. So after a year of working at Chick-fil-A, I finally had enough money to put myself through college. I am currently majoring in Web Development. It has been a stressful, but an amazing experience. I have one more semester left and I’ll be able to start my career. I’m ready to begin my future, making money, and do what I love. The web development field is a booming career with
Some day you might find yourself sitting at your desk wondering what life would be like if you’ve chosen a different career path. In today’s world, it doesn’t even need to be a distant dream – career change is possible and a lot of people take the steps to change their career paths in wild ways.
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person has to make in their life. It is so important because that is what we will have to do to support ourselves throughout life. Imagine being stuck in a dead end job and having to go to work every morning and dreading it. That is no spending oneÕs time and life is too short to work 35 years and be unhappy with it. If a person likes the job they do then it is not work, because finding satisfaction out of a job can bring great happiness. That information has enabled me to make the decision of choosing my area of study and career in the field of Information Technology.