Career emergency (please help!)

[Lio]

Please help! I've searched for careers in biology and have been unsuccessful in engaging my heart . Instead, I feel numb and pointless when in the laboratory or hospital.

My dilemna is this: When I try to use my intuition to search for another career nothing fits. Every career seems lame. How can this be?

I tried doing Pavlina's recommendation which was to write down what your life's purpose is until you write something that makes you cry. I wrote: To show others truth so that their hearts can be changed and they no longer live for themselves.

How do I match my purpose statement with a career? I thought of history teacher, but I don't have a degree in history only in Biology and Linguistics. I tried law too, but it seemed so dry (no offense to attorneys). I tried forensic science, but that was more lab work and I felt as if I wasn't using my strengths. Am I being a snob? I really just feel like each of the careers above made my eyes cross and everything seemed far away even though it was up close. Any career ideas? I'm really stuck here.

[CoolBee]

I often recommend a book called What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles.
It's updated every year.

It has tons of exercises in it to help you identify your strengths and interests and use that as a starting point to identify and/or create a career rather than what you seem to be doing which is pick an existing career title and try it.

As a taster, one of the exercises he has which I have often used when coaching clients is for you to reflect on your life experience (working, school, hobbies, leisure, whatever) and choose 6 situations where YOU have done something YOU are proud of. Noone else has to know about it, noone else even has to agree that it was something to be proud of.
Think of everything involved in those situations, what was your role, what you did, decisions or choices you made, what you might have done differently, would you do it again, etc.
If you can't think of 6 situations where you felt 'proud' specifically, then think of six situations that were very important to you whatever the outcomes for you and then reflect on what about those situations made them enjoyable, pleasurable, uncomfortable, miserable.

[Lio]

Thanks CoolBee. I came up that I'm most proud of myself when I stand up for something I believe in with truth and love combined. How does that translate into a job though? I'm not so sure.

That exercise helped clarify my values but how about interests?? I find most jobs boring because they are not interesting and/or they fail to actually take on immorality of society which puts profits and pride above truth. I'm not sure how to make a job of this......how it would materialize into the real world....

[CoolBee]

There's a long way to go yet before you translate it into a job - seriously try and get that book - try the reference section of your library if you have one near.

Here's an exercise I just made up but there's probably similar in that book:

Ok so you have got a handle on your values so you might find that useful as a tool in picking things apart or putting things together and in understanding what about jobs so far made them bearable/unbearable.

So, next thing:

Think of your current or last job.

What were all the things that you had to do? wanted to do? Tried to do? weren't allowed to do? Do this in as much detail as possible. Try and get at least 20 specific items.

Don't dress them up in CV talk (which might be 'I was responsible for analysing, planning and strategizing test specimen life quality and procurement") write them in what you actually DID talk (which for the CV talk item might really be "I cleaned out the labrats, applied litmus paper to their poop, and every week wrote a report to the management on how many died or escaped, how to prevent future death and escapes and how many to buy at once".

Now for each item, on a scale of 1-10 where 1 is totally boring and 10 most exciting thing I could ever do on this planet - rate each task.

Now think through each task - what made it boring / exciting or some shade in between?

This is quite a useful acronym to pick things through: SCHEMES

Spaces (where I did it, had to live while doing it, place I had to travel through, my cubicle or lab)
Cash (how much money I got paid, had to pay out eg to get there)
Helpers (other people - who you worked with, bosses, underlings, customers, suppliers etc etc)
Equipment (what equipment did you use, were you comfortable with it, did you need training and if so did you get it etc etc)
Materials (what materials did you need, did you have what you needed, was it a hassle to get it or were you properly resourced?)
Expertise (what training you had, needed, got, asked for, wanted, competence of your colleagues, company in general etc etc)
Systems (all the systems involved - payroll, transportation, distribution, processes for balancing the chemicals, whatever it was that you did that was a process, procedure or system. Which did you like, not like, set up yourself, confounded you and so on.)

Do it again for as many jobs as you feel you need to! Don't forget temporary jobs you might have had which you quite enjoyed eg maybe you were a room maid in a hotel for a summer vacation and got quite a quick out of going into a messy room and making it all neat and clean in 10 minutes. (I know I did!)

[Lio]

I understand that its a long road until I translate it into a job. But what happens if you need income soon and are short on time???? On Maslow's pyramid if the lower levels are not met than the higher levels of self actualization cannot even be addressed. I guess I answered my own question.

My problem is the seemingly only job I can get right now as a lab technician makes me feel mentally ill.

When I did the list of job tasks I got ten 1's out of twenty tasks.
1. Running DNA gels 2
2. Making solutions 2
3. Following written protocol for prepping DNA, purifying extracting 2
4. Look for gene map on online database 4
5. Teach others how to use rPCR software 4
6. Had to stay in the laboratory 1
7. Not allowed to see what I was working with (DNA is molecular) 1
8. Had to wait for centrifuge spins and incubations 1
9. Had to label tubes 1
10. Had to pipette liquids 1
11. Had to record tasks in lab book 1
12. Had to take pictures of gels 1
13. Listened to music while doing tedious work 1
14. Cleaned gel apparati 1
15. Troubleshoot experiments trying different buffers and restriction enzymes 4
16. Ordering new supplies 1
17. Scheduling meetings with supervisor 2
18. Tried to replicate DNA and then do restriction enzyme digests 3
19. Showing students where lab materials are, like kim wipes 2
20. Tried to make the material seem interesting by reading background info on gene of interest 5


It seems I should do something that involves more people interaction. Since I have limited resources I have to act quickly. Teaching comes to mind or maybe the military? (I'm in my twenties) Thanks CoolBee this exercise helped pinpoint areas of disinterest. If I avoid areas of disinterest and try to integrate my values hopefully it will converge into a job field if not a specific position...

[IEvo]

Lio,

Everyone has a time where they work a job they don't like. You're ahead of the game in that you know you don't like it and you're actively finding alternatives. A lot of people in your shoes would just settle in for a life of security and soul-draining work.

When you're looking for your passion (Or in your own words, 'something that engages (your) heart') you need to look outside the realm of 'careers'. It is a woefully small pool.

Instead, find your passion first and concentrate on that. Again, I realize you hate your current job; but look at it in a positive way. You are, at least, employed. Many people-- now more than ever --are not. You have money coming in and presumably can afford to eat and provide shelter for yourself. This is a very, very good thing.

You said your purpose was: To show others truth so that their hearts can be changed and they no longer live for themselves.

Match that to an activity, not a career. What can you do in life to start fulfilling that purpose?

Once you figure that out, start doing it. Do it every day whenever you get a chance. Do it until you become good at it, and then do it some more until you become great.

I can almost guarantee that during that time, so long as you're actively looking for opportunity, that you will find a way to monetize that passion so that you can make a living doing it. Don't be stuck into the thought that you have to get a career where you're employed by some company who only knows how much you're crediting their ledger with your salary every year. There are plenty of other and more satisfying ways to earn money.

[CoolBee]

Good work so far!

OK - you have a feel for what you like doing more of - engaging with others, teaching and so on - given the economic situation, both your personal one and the general global one - can you think of ways of maximizing those things you do at your current work which give you the greatest fulfilment?

Now, list 20 benefits of your current post.

And list 20 ways in which you can bring more of those things you enjoy doing into your out-of-the-lab life.

[Clint Cora]

I would second the book What Color Is Your Parachute? I was in a similar situation as you many years ago coming out with a bioscience degree and not wanting any lab work, etc. I decided to combine it with business, got a MBA and ended up in pharmaceuticals for 14 years. It was a decent career.

[Lio]

Hi IEvo,

You said "you need to look outside the realm of 'careers'. It is a woefully small pool." which is very good advice. I realize now that the notion of a career is too limiting.

You also said that some people settle for security and soul-draining work. How can anyone actually do that? I tried it for 2 months and got physically sick, adrenal fatigue at age 23. I think you address this zombie like state in your article: Affluenza | Implicate Evolution

I'm in the process of brainstorming activities that match my life purpose. I'm guessing your a fan of the bottom-up approach for career exploration, not the top-down?
This is not an easy task but a worthy one. So far I thought of teacher, speech pathologist, Navy medic or writer of children's literature.
The main problem with my life purpose "To show others truth.." is that its easier to tell people the truth than to show it to them. I guess you show by doing...

Thanks for your insight IEvo.

[CoolBee]

Just one question - what drew you to biology in the first place?

[Lio]

Hi CoolBee,

Thanks CoolBee for the next assignment. I'm working on the list of benefits. Do you mean how does each job task benefit other people or how does it benefit me, society???

Now to answer your question: What drew me to Biology in the first place was pressure from other people to go into the medical field. I was a people pleaser all through high school and half of college. I also was academically competitive, not with others, just with myself. In elementary school they put me with the "gifted" kids since my IQ tested 137...which well isn't exactly genius, but isn't bad. Clearly I'm not that smart if I can't even figure out a career path. In summary, I guess nothing drew me, but I allowed myself to be forced into the biology field to please those in authority.

I think the only part I remotely enjoyed was doing field work in ecology but I think everyone likes that. Forests and creeks are just naturally pretty. Also when outside on field trips I had a tendency to stare at cumulonimbus clouds...they do have a hypnotizing effect. I would have tried a meteorology major, but I was afraid of the math, I barely got a B in Calc 2...math is my weakness. So I stuck with Biology because I didn't know what else to do...and besides I had homework due the next morning so I just ignored my inner voice until I couldn't ignore it anymore (now). I know I have to change course if I want to keep my sanity.

Thanks so much CoolBee for your help. You've got me thinking, and I think I'm starting to come out of my depression. I'm not going to sit in my room and cry anymore. I don't care what I have to do, I have to fight for what I want, and I'm not going to give up until I find it. I may go broke in the process (oh yeah I practically am), but I'm still not giving up.

[Lio]

To CoolBee,

As an afterthought, another reason I was drawn to Biology is because it seemed more female friendly than Math and had better profs. The humanities and most of the social sciences were too soft and politcally driven...the profs were just brainwashing us, we werent really learning anything, so I knew I had to stick to a science. The only subjects left were languages, physics and biology.

[Lio]

Hi Clint Cora,

Thanks for the suggestion. Hmm...MBA I will look into it.

[CoolBee]

Originally Posted by Lio

Hi CoolBee,

Thanks CoolBee for the next assignment. I'm working on the list of benefits. Do you mean how does each job task benefit other people or how does it benefit me, society???

.

Either - whatever occurs to you! The answers are for your use so whatever strikes you!

[IEvo]

Originally Posted by Lio

Hi IEvo,

You said "you need to look outside the realm of 'careers'. It is a woefully small pool." which is very good advice. I realize now that the notion of a career is too limiting.

You also said that some people settle for security and soul-draining work. How can anyone actually do that? I tried it for 2 months and got physically sick, adrenal fatigue at age 23. I think you address this zombie like state in your article: Affluenza | Implicate Evolution

I'm in the process of brainstorming activities that match my life purpose. I'm guessing your a fan of the bottom-up approach for career exploration, not the top-down?
This is not an easy task but a worthy one. So far I thought of teacher, speech pathologist, Navy medic or writer of children's literature.
The main problem with my life purpose "To show others truth.." is that its easier to tell people the truth than to show it to them. I guess you show by doing...

Thanks for your insight IEvo.

I'm glad I could help! I do believe in the bottom up approach because it's hard to know exactly what you love and what you want to do if you've never done it before.

You're right, it is easier to tell people the truth than to show it to them, but I imagine you'll find that you're better and get better results from one method in particular.

In regards to the careers you thought of, start trying them out and see which you like best. For teacher, you can put up posters for tutoring in biology or linguistics, seeing as you have a degree in both. Try it on, see how you like it. College students will jump all over tutoring opportunities if they're in the same stream of courses you had to take to get your degree.

To try on a the idea of being a navy medic, you might want to see if you can volunteer at a hospital or somewhere else. I realize a volunteer job won't necessarily allow you to use any medical expertise, but it will give you a much closer look at what it's like to be a medic. (Maybe you can volunteer to ride along with EMTs? That would be closer to being a Navy Medic than working in a hospital.)

If you want to try on children's literature, write a few short stories and post them in writing forums-- there's plenty of creative writing forums out there that will allow you to share your work and get some constructive feedback. See how you like it.

My point here, as I'm sure you've gathered, is that you should try stuff out and see which you like best and which helps you achieve your life purpose in a way you feel is right for you. There is no substitute for experience, and it is the best way to find out what you love.

I realize this means you'll have to hang onto your current job longer than you probably want to, but you may be surprised to find that you're not as bothered about working there when you're actively pursuing and making progress toward fulfilling your life purpose. Instead of the job being your life, it will merely be a stop-gap on the way to what you really want to do.

[Lio]

Hi IEvo,

Well, I am currently unemployed as I just dropped out of graduate school and no longer have my work study position. I didn't see the point of racking up thousands of dollars in debt for education in a career I didn't like. If I find employment I can at least get paid for doing something I don't like instead of paying others. Of course there is no guarantee I will find employment...

I can still find opportunities to volunteer as you suggested. Yes experience is the best teacher. Thanks for your help.

[Clint Cora]

Originally Posted by Lio

Hi Clint Cora,

Thanks for the suggestion. Hmm...MBA I will look into it.

I only got my MBA because I stumbled into a business position after my science degree by accident and then quickly realized that if I wanted to advance, I would need more education in business so I went back to school for it.

[CroMagna]

I read that MBAs are useless.

What about an MSW (masters in social work)? What about med school?

I'm curious about your life purpose. What's "the truth"? And what if people want to live for themselves?

[Donatas Kaulinis]

"Every career seems lame. How can this be?"

I've read some psychology research that people are astonishingly bad at imagining how would they like a certain experience in the future that they have never had before. Unfotunately, I can't remmember it.

[shaneketterman]

Hi Lio,

Just saw this thread. First, I can confirm that an MBA is useless. I got one and regret every dime of it. Let me share with you a better way to learn the very same principles without spending nearly as much:

It's called the personal MBA and here is the reading list:

The 99 Best Business Books - The Personal MBA Recommended Reading List

However, I know exactly where you are at right now - trying to figure out what you want to be doing and frustrated that what you really love does not translate into a career.

I've been there and you know what? The first thing I had to do is let go a little. I had to realize that what I love doing may not translate into a career but I listed all the reasons I loved doing it and that started to click....

The reasons were what drove me. I discovered something miraculous while listing those out - - I discovered that it wasn't what I was doing but why I did it is what made me cry as Pavlina says.

And those core things then opened up new doors....so instead of saying that I loved IT work, I began to see that it wasn't the IT work, it was the fact that I loved learning and teaching.....and guess what? Now I have a blog where I can do that...and while it's not IT work, I'm doing what drove me in the first place.

-sjk