Anyone out there have a career that they love?

[learnllovelaugh]

Hi everyone! I'm a recent college graduate (psychology major). I love my life right now and have no intention of applying for any "real" jobs, but I want to start figuring out what to do with my life. For now I have a lot of free time to spend exploring new activities, ideas, places... basically just finding inspiration all around myself (it's easy to do in California). I know very little about what people with careers actually spend their days doing so I am curious to know what it is like. So, if you have a career that you love and don't mind explaining why, I'd greatly appreciate your insight. Thanks!

[spacecadetglow]

I've always worked with children and young adults, and I love it. Currently in education, plan to stay in education. I think it's really satisfying, inspiring work to be around these bright souls. Difficult at times certainly... but so much fun, too!

[learnllovelaugh]

I've been interested in getting into education as well. I feel like it is so important to help kids learn when they are young and still developing quickly. What is it exactly that you do? Are you a teacher?

[marinik]

I have a career I love. I am a Executive HR Director and a Life Coach.

[learnllovelaugh]

Originally Posted by marinik

I have a career I love. I am a Executive HR Director and a Life Coach.

I've been thinking life coach sounds like something I might be good at. I love to inspire other people to make positive changes. How did you go about becoming a life coach? What day to day work does that entail?

[1by1]

I'm in a similar position to you... it's hard to know which path to go on isn't it?

Sometimes I think that at our stage we have so little to offer that we have to take whatever we can get, stick with it for a few years and then we will have more of a choice...

I also think that I don't want to follow the standard career path, since everyone seems so depressed who does! So I guess the challenge is to make our own paths...

[marinik]

Originally Posted by learnllovelaugh

I've been thinking life coach sounds like something I might be good at. I love to inspire other people to make positive changes. How did you go about becoming a life coach? What day to day work does that entail?

I got to life coaching through my studies of HR. The first coaching I did is professional coaching. Life coaching grew out of HR.

[SatvikBeri]

I love my current job. I'm a risk analyst at a big bank. I specialize in automating the monthly reports that we produce for others, which saves the company a massive amount of time and makes the reports available much sooner.

[spacecadetglow]

Originally Posted by learnllovelaugh

I've been interested in getting into education as well. I feel like it is so important to help kids learn when they are young and still developing quickly. What is it exactly that you do? Are you a teacher?

Not teaching currently, but I have. Right now I'm tutoring writing/language arts. Unfortunately the college I work for, ITT Tech, doesn't attract the most, um, academically proficient of students. I mean, I guess not in Composition, anyway. I loved my job at the UCF Writing Center, where I consulted people on their writing... resumes, essays, personal statements, etc.

I have another part time thing with Huntington Learning Center, which is an afterschool tutoring company for kids. I work with children ages 6-10, and it's really fun. I can't imagine not working with kids for my whole life, they really add something special...

I aspire to be a high school English teacher long term, though. I'll be getting my masters in education in the fall for that...

[faithsdaddy]

I really admire anyone who finds a job they love.

[JonRhodesUK]

I love my job! I am a clinical hypnotherapist and a former musician. A few years back I decided to combine these two passions of mine and produce a collection of therapeutic hypnosis audio sessions. To my surprise these proved to be very popular, allowing me to make a full time living on the internet. This means that I can take long long holidays and go traveling, or even move to another country, which I did for 18 months.

As long as I have a laptop and an internet connection I can work anywhere in the world. I have all this freedom AND I get to help people improve their lives. Almost daily I receive nice emails from people I have helped. It doesn't get much better than this!

[learnllovelaugh]

Originally Posted by 1by1

I'm in a similar position to you... it's hard to know which path to go on isn't it?

Sometimes I think that at our stage we have so little to offer that we have to take whatever we can get, stick with it for a few years and then we will have more of a choice...

I hope you just mean that we don't have much work experience to offer. Other than that I feel like I have so much to offer. I will never take what I can get, I will keep looking until I find what I want. I feel like there is an abundance of options and I'm just trying to pursue the best ones.

Originally Posted by 1by1

I also think that I don't want to follow the standard career path, since everyone seems so depressed who does! So I guess the challenge is to make our own paths...

Exactly! Why follow the unhappy majority? Don't these seem like the people who took what they could get and stuck with it for a "few" years?

[learnllovelaugh]

Originally Posted by JonRhodesUK

I love my job! I am a clinical hypnotherapist and a former musician. A few years back I decided to combine these two passions of mine and produce a collection of therapeutic hypnosis audio sessions. To my surprise these proved to be very popular, allowing me to make a full time living on the internet. This means that I can take long long holidays and go traveling, or even move to another country, which I did for 18 months.

As long as I have a laptop and an internet connection I can work anywhere in the world. I have all this freedom AND I get to help people improve their lives. Almost daily I receive nice emails from people I have helped. It doesn't get much better than this!

That does sound pretty ideal. Did you have to get a PhD?

[learnllovelaugh]

Originally Posted by spacecadetglow

I work with children ages 6-10, and it's really fun. I can't imagine not working with kids for my whole life, they really add something special...

I agree! I'd love to to spend more time with kids, not to mention get paid for it.

Originally Posted by spacecadetglow

I aspire to be a high school English teacher long term, though. I'll be getting my masters in education in the fall for that...

That's awesome. I remember having a couple of great english teachers in high school even though I didn't care much for school then. Good luck with that!

[GhostGoat]

I'm a graphic artist for a t-shirt prining company, and most days I really enjoy it. It's about 50% graphic design, 25% cartooning, and 25% production art (which involves taking someone else's art and making it printable...which can be pretty technically challenging at times, depending on the project).

I've been doing this over 25 years now, and I airbrushed t shirts for about 5 years prior to that. Its kept me learning...I mastered all the old-school graphics techniques, then computers came along and I learned all new ways of doing everything. I learn something new almost every week.

I am lucky that I have a job where I am able to take my dog to work with me, and can set my own hours (I just cannot fit into the 9 to 5 world). I haven't had to look for a job for over 20 years now...they always come to me.

I've also done work in the animation and comic book fields...that was very creatively rewarding, but often it was a lot more work for a lot less money (especially drawing comics). If I just do t-shirt art now until I retire in another 20 years, I'll be happy.

[Green Lady]

I was a bookseller for five years and I loved it. It was my dream job. It also helped me improve my social skills and I got to meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world (as I was in a place with lots of tourism).

Then the recession happened and if I am really honest, I was ready to move on. I only realise this now because I don't miss it as much as I thought I would.

I am now looking to chase my next dream. I just don't know what it is.

I am not fit for a 9 to 5 job (even though, in a way, the bookshop was that, but it never felt like a job and it was fun as my friends came in and out as they pleased and if I really needed to close earlier I could).

[NewSimon]

Originally Posted by Green Lady

I was a bookseller for five years and I loved it.

I have worked in IT as a programmer for about 12 years and more or less hate it (or dislike it very, very much). During a spell of unemployment I got a temporary job in a bookshop over Christmas for a few weeks. It was great! I was earning about a third of what I normally do, I could walk around, speak to lots of people, find books, recommend books, sell them books they wouldn't otherwise buy. Not a career, but neither is sitting at a desk everyday trying to solve twatty problems.

Originally Posted by mootonandy

some sort of career where you climb the ladder and have people above you.

I won't even get on the ladder. I'll stand at the bottom and shake it till I'm dismissed.

[Drew78]

I work a standard corporate job, but in my spare time I'm a freelance translator, and I really like that. The money is so much better than the jobs I have had and the work is more satisfying. Plus, working 20s a week as a translator is the same as working 80 hours over two weeks at my job when you compare the paychecks.

[Angela]

Ohhhhh, yeaaahhhhhhh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nothing is more rewarding than supporting someone in generating breakthrough ways of being for themselves, and having them be present to choice, freedom, opportunity, and JOY that they may never have even thought was possible. It's the greatest.

[AlmostGodess]

Such a nice thread! I hope it goes on like this

[pyrogen]

Originally Posted by learnllovelaugh

Hi everyone! I'm a recent college graduate (psychology major). I love my life right now and have no intention of applying for any "real" jobs, but I want to start figuring out what to do with my life. For now I have a lot of free time to spend exploring new activities, ideas, places... basically just finding inspiration all around myself (it's easy to do in California). I know very little about what people with careers actually spend their days doing so I am curious to know what it is like. So, if you have a career that you love and don't mind explaining why, I'd greatly appreciate your insight. Thanks!

Don't look for inspiration, pull it from inside yourself. This is not a decision you should make logically. Over time, you will find you are ALREADY DOING the thing that you should be doing. It's easy; think of what you want to spend most of your time doing. If that's playing video games - people actually get paid to make video games and often even PLAY them, and it's a big industry right now.

I'm in a field I love (graphic arts and animation), though not in my career yet per se.

[LoveLightLaughter]

Originally Posted by learnllovelaugh

Hi everyone! I'm a recent college graduate (psychology major). I love my life right now and have no intention of applying for any "real" jobs, but I want to start figuring out what to do with my life. For now I have a lot of free time to spend exploring new activities, ideas, places... basically just finding inspiration all around myself (it's easy to do in California). I know very little about what people with careers actually spend their days doing so I am curious to know what it is like. So, if you have a career that you love and don't mind explaining why, I'd greatly appreciate your insight. Thanks!

Well, I spent 4 years in the military. For the past 3 years (after having finished my enlistment), I have been working for a Fortune 300 company which specializes in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering as a Sales and Marketing Director. I make about $60k/yr and do enjoy my job. I did go to school and receive my degree in exactly the industry that I work in (M&E Eng.)

My average day consists of waking up every morning (Mon-Fri) @ 6AM, being to work by 8, and getting off between 5 and 10 - depending on what's going on at that time. I do make salary which I enjoy but it does have it's cons. While at work, most of my job consists mainly of marketing strategies and accounting. I'm exceedingly personable and talented in the area of math and so I like to think that I do well in my position. I'm one of 4 people in my company that do what I do in the country and I find enjoyment in being "unique" having roles and responsibilities in which very few others can perform or have knowledge of.

Though I do enjoy my career as well as the company, I'm actually going back to school soon to complete my masters in Physics, a bigger passion of mine.

EDIT: And part of the job which I enjoy are the perks. Free computer, phone, internet, travel, etc.

Most say I'm doing well for my age (26).

[AlmostGodess]

Originally Posted by LoveLightLaughter

Though I do enjoy my career as well as the company, I'm actually going back to school soon to complete my masters in Physics, a bigger passion of mine.

EDIT: And part of the job which I enjoy are the perks. Free computer, phone, internet, travel, etc.

Most say I'm doing well for my age (26).

You are doing great for any age. Being brave and getting what you want is one of the biggest favors we can do to ourselves. I am very proud of you