OT: When did you find out what you wanted to do

[Bitterguy]

I'm fifteen and i feel as if i should be getting a grip on what I want to do for a career, but I have alot of options on my mind. I could try and get a scholarship for music and go to a good college and start a band or teach at a school. I could not deal with college and start a band. The problem with those are from what I've heard it's very hard to get into/ become famous in a band.

 

Since i don't like putting all my eggs in one basket I'm going to a vocational tech school that will switch my elective periods for computer tech classes.

 

And now to the actual question, what do you do for a living and when did you find out you wanted to do that?

[Skyforger]

Well, I'm fast approaching 19 (next month) and I finished an Engineering diploma last year. Still got no idea what to do with my life, so at the moment it's find a job I'm gonna hate, a car I'm gonna be embarrassed about and an apartment I can't really afford. Let the groove of life take you where ever it meanders to and enjoy it. Ya still got a few more years before you need to worry about it, amigo

[ExiledCrow]

I'm a librarian, and I figured out that I could tolerate doing it for a living at around 24. With one thing and another I didn't actually really start being a professional at it until 40. I say tolerate, because honestly if I could I wouldn't work at all. But I'm not in that position, and I haven't been willing to do the things I would have needed to have done to be in the position of not working now. So I gotta work, and this is, to me, a reasonable balance of pay, responsibility and interesting work.

[mistersully]

any day now

[Spike Li]

I had an epiphany when i was 8 that I wanted to be a cartoonist.

I now work in graphic design and do a lot of 3d animation.

God, where did it all go wrong?

[Skyforger]

 

I'm a librarian, and I figured out that I could tolerate doing it for a living at around 24. With one thing and another I didn't actually really start being a professional at it until 40. I say tolerate, because honestly if I could I wouldn't work at all. But I'm not in that position, and I haven't been willing to do the things I would have needed to have done to be in the position of not working now. So I gotta work, and this is, to me, a reasonable balance of pay, responsibility and interesting work.

 

 

This is good advice, and I think I might take it as well. To condense, I think Crow is saying that you've gotta work out what you're willing to tolerate in regard to work in order to live on your own terms. It may be a case of compromising and tweaking the two, your tolerance and your terms, until you find a working arrangement. Best of luck to you!

[clay sails]

To the OP:

 

Good for you for trying to figure out your future now rather than waiting for it to simply dump you off wherever you happen to be.

 

Dont be too quick to give up your dream of being a professional musician, but be aware that very few people make it big. Play in a band regardless of its ability to pay your bills.

 

And keep your main focus on getting practical skills that will land you a job someday. (computers are a good choice, poetry-studies not so practical).

 

Be prepared to try many odd-fitting jobs until you get one that works.

 

I found my true calling (teaching) after many odd, interesting, and ill-paying alternatives. I was 30.

[tiltsta]

Sometimes your career finds you. I was a fine arts student my first couple of years of college, and took a job washing dishes and being a lab assistant in a biology/virology laboratory to pay my rent. I ended up liking working there so much I switched majors to biology. After graduating, I went to grad school, post-doctoral training, and now I am a virology professor at a large private research institute. I've traveled the world, met lots of great friends, published many articles and books, been on the TV news/radio, advised the federal govt. on virus issues, and so on. Plus, they pay me. I can't think of a more fulfilling and rewarding career...and it is really a lot of fun.

 

I guess my advice for someone your age is to try a lot of different things, and if you are very lucky, one of them will just feel right.

[rchiav]

Just for reference, I was 15 in 1987. I had always been drawn to computers and had taught myself Apple Basic when I was about 10. I used to get magazines that would have code in them that you could type in to make really crappy games. Anyway, I had always thought I wanted to be a programmer. I had a lot of family issues and I didn't do well in school. I always got the "You're so smart and you have so much potential, but you just don't apply yourself." Truth be told, I hated school and would never do homework or study, but somehow I managed to pass. I started playing bass about your age and I also loved photography. I had thought I would go to school for that, but then I realized I liked to eat more than I liked photography.

 

I ended up going to a 2 year college for computer science that I flunked out of my second semester. A came home and got a job selling cars that I was terrible at and hated. They liked me though and offered me a job in the parts department. I worked there for a few years and I can say it was the hardest job I ever had. Physically draining, mentally draining and very fast paced. Anyway, I couldn't see myself doing that for the rest of my life, so I went back to school again. I was working a few part time jobs and going to school and a full time job working at a phone company came along. I left school and took it. Shortly after starting there, they had a need for someone who had some programming skills and I moved into another position. Within the year I was the manager for the group, managing the people who trained me to answer the phones and all of 22 years old. It's probably not a stretch to imagine that that didn't end well. From there a got into computer systems administration because of some of the work I did at the phone company. Fast forward almost 15 years and I'm still in that area of work.

 

Is it what I saw myself doing when I was 15? No. Do I feel like it's my life long dream? Nope. Does it pay the bills and allow me to live comfortably, raise a family and have the time and money to do the things that I really like, like photography and play guitar? Yes. To me a job is what you do in order to make money so you can do the things you really love to do. A lot of times, when you turn the thing you love to do into a job, it's not the thing you love to do anymore.

[BlueSteam]

I'm 29 and I've never decided what I "wanted to be". I did go to college for 2 years, but after finishing my gen ed courses and having had 3 majors, I couldn't decide on anything and just got an office job. I've been working for 7 years now. I don

[Oldskool Texas]

 

I'm fifteen and i feel as if i should be getting a grip on what I want to do for a career

 

 

It's great that you're looking ahead, but IMO 15 is way too young to worry about choosing a career. You will be an entirely different person at 22 than you are now. Deciding that you're going to be a ____ when you grow up prevents you from considering the myriad other choices out there; keep yourself open to anything and everything. If someone had told me at 15 that I'd have a career in education, I would have spilled the bong laughing.

[pixelchemist]

around 8 years old i decided I wanted to be a graphic artist and follow in my grandfathers footsteps (he owned a successful ad agency in the 50 & 60s)... and more or less did it but its evolved into something different over the years. I made it to the creative director level but over time I have fallen more into the development side of things. Right now im the Lead Technologist for a digital innovations lab within a big NY ad agency. Fun job, very creative focused, but I don't really do much conventional design these days, I mostly write a bunch of code, manage a team of developers, and more or less oversee the tech side of what we do within our group. To be honest sometimes I miss just doing design but my career path followed the paycheck and ultimately is still quite enjoyable. I still do creative consulting on the side to keep fresh.

[FoonkySteve]

Lots of great advice here!

 

Im nearly 29 now. Funnily enough bitterguy, im at the same crossroads as you at the moment. idk wtf i want to do!

 

I was like you, i wanted to make music and get paid for it. Who wouldnt? I went to music college and eventually got a degree in music performance. Whilst at college i worked at Burger King part time, not a great job, but i think it was good for me at 16, charecter building and all that jazz. The summer i graduated, i got a job apparently just for the summer, doing clerical {censored} in a hospital. Fast forward 8 years. Im still in the same job!! During all this time; college, work, i have been in loads of bands doing covers, originals, pay ranging from; beer - good. I have a family house=mortgage=responsibilites.

 

The last three years i have been teaching from home part time alongside, working my 9-5 fulltime, and playing with 2 bands. This doesn't leave me much time in my week for much else. If i could, i wish i could survive on my teaching money and gig money and not have to work at all, but unfortunately, my 9-5 is my most stable source of income.

 

Soooo..... i know there are names of famous guitarists you could throw out there who studied music, but i would imagine that the amount of famous guitarists who didnt study music academicaly outwieghs those who did quite signifigantly. So do you need to study music to be a successful musician? Hmmmm.......

 

If i could go back in time and give myself some advice, it would be this: Find out how much money (minimum) would be ideal for you to earn a year which would enable you to live comfortably. Find out what jobs pay that, then work your ass off!

 

Come to think of it. Maybe i'm the bitterguy.........................

[kayd_mon]

I'm a teacher. I wanted to be one as a kid, and even though I wavered with career plans in college, I ended up in a classroom. Music is my "other" job, and if my band really takes off (how awesome would that be?) I would gladly trade careers. However, I really do like teaching.

[JRicoC]

"Well, when you go to see the guidance counselor, tell him you want to be a lawyer, or an author, or somethin', but don't you say nothing... about that *bleepity-bleep* guitar!"

 

I have an odd perspective on this, because I went to a specialized high school (Brooklyn [NY] Tech) where we were all forced to select a career-oriented Engineering major. I majored in Electrical, but studied Accounting in undergrad and got an MBA with Finance emphasis. I don't know when I decided not to be an Electrical Engineer, or when I decided to be an Accountant, but I can say the sound primary education helped me immensely. Here's what you should take from this: learn as much as you can, study hard and approach the rest of your high school years like a job. If you take it seriously and look to master the material, rather than "just pass" you'll have a good deal more say in what you decide to do in the future ...

[sk8centilli]

Listening to Wolfman Jack as kid with my dad.

[jelloman]

...still looking...

[d_dave_c]

I think there are a few major philosophical approaches to careers, and at fifteen it's more important to figure out which philosophy you hold to be true than it is to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life.

 

1 - Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. I think for people who need external validation to feel content, this holds true. Some of my happiest friends are the ones who do what they do, not because of the money or because it's a cool job, but because they just love doing it, and that helps them be happy.

2 - Achievements define you - this is for people who feel validated by achievement, or sometimes the status that goes with those achievements.

3 - A job is just a job - You aren't defined by what you do, but doing what you do allows you the time and affords you the opportunity to pursue your interests.

4 - Helpers - You feel compelled to 'make a difference' in what you do.

 

This is not to say that these are the only categories or that they are exclusive, but I think figuring out where you fit in can help you figure out what you want to do. For instance if you value helping and achievement, maybe a doctor or a lawyer for an issue based advocacy organization.

 

If you feel a job is just a job and a means to end (paycheck, stability, etc.), I'd suggest going into technology. There is almost always opportunity, and if you decided that some of the other categories apply to you, there is always the opportunity to take that knowledge and apply it towards something that you really do love.

 

I will point out that the unhappiest people I know are those who don't follow their personal philosophy because they feel pushed into another one. This largely stems from parents who are achievers expecting their kids to be the same, and pushing them to be doctors, lawyers, etc. because that's what they are, that's what everyone in their social tier expects, etc. If you can figure out how your personal philosophy fits in with what you expect for the rest of your life, an plan accordingly, you'll be fine. That fact that you're thinking about it now says a lot.

 

I know we were given a test my sophomore year of high school to give us some ideas of what careers would be best for us and mine came out Engineer, and with my limited worldview at the time I thought, 'Why the hell would I want to drive a train?' Looking back, I should have been an engineer (but not the kind drives a train).

 

So while some people are going to say, 'do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life,' I'll say (with due respect to the Beastie's), 'be true to yourself and you will never fall.'

[Mel Cooley]

At your age you don't have to make any snap decisions. Go to school and get a degree that isn't music or other performing arts. Study those on your own. Then work towards your musical aspirations. If you don't succeed there you will be able to show you're trainable and useful in the "normal job world". Don't even think about fame. Anybody who has been famous will generally tell you it's a pain in the ass. Do you really wanna be hassled while eating dinner? Working as a professional musician, OTOH, can be great. Do not expect great pay even though it may happen, expect to do a lot of hustling to get gigs or pay for an agent, and be prepared to travel. You can meet a lot of cool people (esp. other musicians) and see some great places, all under the guise of your occupation. Keep in mind your aspirations may change. Driving across the country in a stretch van (surely you don't think touring instantly starts in buses much less planes...you'll be logging lotsa highway hours) with a band can be both fun and very stressful. The best advice there is to learn to get along with or at least tolerate others at close quarters. Further, what was fun about it at age 28 will be a different thing when you're 38 and definitely when you're 48. You can also juggle both music and a job. While you read about bands (esp. indie bands) going on tour and having fun all the time, what they don't tell you about are the jobs they keep while off the road. If you can learn a trade skill you can stay marketable when not gigging and not have to do the office work/temp thing (one of the guys in Slobberbone installs duct work for instance). Also know that if you get burnt out being a musician, you can always take a breather. You may not know what you want to do until you've done other things. I started out wanting to be a teacher, got two degrees, but never got the certificate. Money had ran out by that time. My band was getting good reviews so I decided to go ahead and be a guitar player for a while. I juggled that and temp jobs for several years. Now I've found myself in a good day job and at 47 have little interest in long tours. Taking a few days off to do a total of four days on the road is the most I'll bother doing. That can cover a good chunk of ground. In the end, virtually nobody I knew who was interested in being a teacher stuck it out for more than five years.

[Willyguitar]

You are far too young to feel that you should know what you want to do with your life. Also bear in mind that what career you want may well change over your life time. It is no longer the case that everyone has a 'career for life'. Personally, I ended up being a Uni prof because I did quite well in my degree, was good at research, and then fell into a PhD, and from there I didn't have so many avenues open to me. However, whoever it was who made the point about 'philosophy' is right - when I was your age, I wanted to be a writer (I know, very pretentious), and in a way I've ended up doing that, but not in the genre I expected.

 

My parents laughed when I told them that - they thought it was pie in the sky. So my second point would be - never decide NOT to do something for fear of failure.

 

Here's another interesting point - nearly all of the students I teach, aging from 18 to about mid 20s, don't really know what they want to do in life. How could they? You don't know until you have immersed yourself in life's experiences, and have been chewed up and spat out at the other end of them. And those experiences can change your choice. I almost trained to be a doctor after my gap year working in a psychiatric institution for children for a year and I sometimes wonder how things would have been different...

[Special J]

I knew pretty early on (about 17) that even if wasn't to succeed as a performing musician, I still wanted to work closely with music and the performing arts. I skipped college and started working in concert production and in recording studios, as well as touring and performing. More or less through trial and error, I settled into doing live sound. I'm 34 now, and running the audio division of the largest A/V company in the state. I still love what I do, and make enough money to support a family. After many years of working ridiculous hours, I'm also now in a position to pick and choose which jobs I do, actually allowing me to spend time with my family.

 

I do regret not going to college, not that I think I'd be any better off in my current career if I had gone. But I feel as if I kind of missed out on the whole experience, and if I decide to change careers which I may eventually, a degree could come in handy.

[RaVenCAD]

In the third grade, I was identified as a gifted child. So once a week I got to go to a day-long class off-site. During that class, we all answered a series of questions that allowed the teachers there to group us according to our interests.. I was placed in the engineering group with kids ranging from 3rd grade up to high school seniors, and I helped design a model rocket that we'd later launch.. From there, I knew my calling was design and engineering.

[cratz2]

I'll be 38 next month and I'm still trying to figure it out.

 

9-12 grade, I wanted to be a music education major with a specialty in early music. I was a physical chemistry major in college. Went into restaurant training and management. Worked in IT for 8 years. Started doing concrete work 7 years ago with my father in law and I take over the company later this year. Money potential is great, but I still need to get a job with proper benefits because concrete 9 months a year and plowing two months a year still won't put much of a dent in the hospital bill for my first heart attack at 45.

 

[cratz2]

In the third grade, I was identified as a gifted child. So once a week I got to go to a day-long class off-site. During that class, we all answered a series of questions that allowed the teachers there to group us according to our interests.. I was placed in the engineering group with kids ranging from 3rd grade up to high school seniors, and I helped design a model rocket that we'd later launch.. From there, I knew my calling was design and engineering.

 

Hell, all this time I thought you worked for the marketing department of Carvin in the role of internet forum subversion.

[Jarick]

At a certain point it becomes less what you WANT to do and more what you can MAKE MONEY doing. I knew my senior year I wanted to study economics, but didn't know what my job would be until after graduation and really when I got my current job.

 

Making it big in music is 99% luck anyway. I'd rather do my passion for fun in my free time than make it WORK.

 

My opinion is to spend a couple years living at home (if possible) and take your generals at a good community college. Before graduation, identify some schools you'd like to go to and make sure they transfer credits to and from other schools. Don't waste $5-20k a year on those generals. Get a part-time job and a car and spend $2-3k a year on those worthless classes, figure out what you'd like to major in, and then transfer to a 4-year university to finish it up. That way your student loans are $100-300 a month instead of $500-1000.