Having trouble deciding on a career

[CroMagna]

Since you all know my value system, I think you would best be able to help me get this show on the road. I am experiencing a lot of frustration about not having a career. The sooner I can decide, the sooner I can get moving. I am debating between 2 careers.

Religion Professor
PROs
-Religion is a huge interest of mine
-I have the analytical reasoning skills
-I would enjoy the opportunity for creativity like with presentations
-Control over lessons
-Get to work alone, no office politics
-Lax environment in certain ways, for instance with dress codes
-Many perks on campus like access to the health facilities
-Flexible schedule
-I would have the opportunity maybe to share my religion which I enjoy doing
-Very unique

CONs
-Don't find it to be "meaningful" work, just fun, it's like a "joke class"
-Would spend long in school
-Not many colleges have religion programs, esp nonChristian ones
-Hate liberal campus politics (protesting certain values, etc.)
-Possibly pressure to write
-While it does not compromise my values, it does not fully dramatize villainry
-I suck at teaching, lecturing
-Does not represent "power" which is important to me

Finance/Banking
PROs
-Analytical reasoning skills
-Meaningful work
-Would help me in a problem area: finances
-Fits perfectly into my darkworker value system
-Prestigious (not that that matters to me but it sure helps)
-May not even need a Master's

CONs
-Have to start from scratch (low level accounting)
-Not good at math
-Feels a little dry
-Feels "herd conformist"
-Have to take prerequisites before applying for a Master's
-The economy has tanked, very hard to find finance/banking job
-I hate office politics, gossip, cliques, sucking up, small talk, fakeness

Thanks in advance for helping me to sort this out.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by CroMagna

Religion Professor
CONs
-Don't find it to be "meaningful" work, just fun, it's like a "joke class"

For that one reason, I'd say the career is not for you. You need to do something meaningful that you'll love, or otherwise, all the PRO in the world won't matter if you want a fulfilling life.

Not saying you should take the other, just seems this one is not a fit for you.

[PetraPortland]

You say "the sooner I can decide, the sooner I can get moving." I would advise you to choose anything - you've narrowed it down to 2 choices - so go on gut feel. I read somewhere it is best to just Fire first & then adjust & aim again if that fire was not right. I have personally wasted so much time trying to make the perfect decision & weigh up pro & con lists it has been mad.

Fire them aim. The worst that can happen is you discover you don't like it. No problem, just change it. Keep doing this until you get closer. Life is a process. Have fun...

[CroMagna]

Well, I've investigated jobs in corporate finance:

"The movies portray "killer" operators in corporate environments, getting ahead by manipulation and chicanery. This isn't exactly how it works. People who like people, can communicate their ideas, build deep networks and are passionate about their work get ahead. "

That sucks. I liked the movie portrayal. I hate teamwork and I don't want to have to pretend to like people, and have them pretend to like me. I want to just go do my job....

That was one of the appeals of being a professor. It's just you and the work.

I'm getting extremely frustrated. I really don't think I'm cut out for a job in the financial world. I'm starting from so far back. If I have to start off as a billing admin., then what hope do I have?

[CroMagna]

Please please please help me decide on my career. An ideal career for me looks like this:

-Get to work alone most of the time, including in the process of getting hired
I think this one narrows it down considerably because most jobs force you to be a sorority girl My worst nightmare is having some anal nasal-voiced girl lecturing me about teamwork.

-Not trying to save the world
I'm all for helping people but I'm not an activist-type. I don't believe I can change the world and I'm not interested in doing so. I would feel compromised if I was forced.

-Upholds American conservative values like security, capitalism, patriotism, and/or technological advancement
This would be a nice added bonus.

-Pays well
I don't think this should be difficult because I'm not planning on having kids

-Is a respectable profession
I know security guards get to work alone and uphold certain values but I don't think I'm being shallow in saying that that's not commensurate with my intelligence

-The work is interesting enough

-Empowering, high-powered
This is the main thing that was drawing me into the world of finance rather than academe.

-Autonomous, individualistic rather than communal
This is the biggest problem I have with being military officer or financial expert.

I'm obviously meant to have my own business where my values can be expressed. But realistically....

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by seeker5

For that one reason, I'd say the career is not for you. You need to do something meaningful that you'll love, or otherwise, all the PRO in the world won't matter if you want a fulfilling life.

Not saying you should take the other, just seems this one is not a fit for you.

That's the thing. For me, religion is just some fun hobby. What's the point of learning about Santeria? Nothing, it's just an interesting thing to know about. It doesn't change anything in the world or at the university or even in the individual's life. I don't think that academics are really changing the world, especially those that aren't famous. I think they're just talking to hear themselves talk. I don't believe that I can change the world. That's why I was just considering doing work I find fun, like religion professor.

[CroMagna]

Ok, I've regrouped.

I read Steve's Polarity and Your Career. It was very enlightening.

The religion professor idea will ultimately be unfulfilling, because it is primarily lightworker based (creative expression).

It was a total cop-out on my part. I was taking the easy way out. So religion professor is definitely out.

A darkworker's profession has to do primarily with money, status, and power. I can conquer any subject area insofar as I see the light at the end of the tunnel: status, power, wealth.

Now the question remains: what job can I realistically and quickly obtain that has status, power, and wealth?

[catalyst]

If you can get into a good school, big law would seem to match what you're looking for.

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by catalyst

If you can get into a good school, big law would seem to match what you're looking for.

That would have been perfect, but I can't get into a good school

Do you know of any careers that require at most 2 additional years of school and where I can expect to make at least $80K?

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by CroMagna

That would have been perfect, but I can't get into a good school

Do you know of any careers that require at most 2 additional years of school and where I can expect to make at least $80K?

Computer programming! What if it's boring? What if it's hard to get a job? What if I suck at it?

Yeah, what if? There are so many "what ifs".

What if I love it? What if I really good at it? What if I get hired? What if I never want to leave?

This will at least buy me time while I'm searching for my ideal profession, which I imagine is in finance and banking.

[catalyst]

Many typical white collar jobs that only require a Bachelors will get you to $80K with a little bit of time and effort. I know it might sound trite, but even as someone who is focused on wealth, power, status, I suggest you spend a bit more time deciding what areas you have real interest in. Also, don't be deterred from taking an entry level job if it has the potential to open new doors and set you on the right trajectory.

If only $80K is enough to make you feel content (I bet you won't once you get there - you can be sure of that) you can definitely achieve that through perseverance and choosing the right kind of job (Accountants, IT Professionals, IT/Mgt Consultants, Marketers, etc). The power and status in a position usually stem from the high barriers to entry to get that role ($$$$, school, pedigree), but sometimes people find a way around (namely entrepreneurship).

You seem very intelligent and driven, and I believe it's only matter of time before you really start to shine. I know you're really frustrated and anxious to find that path so you can really start getting busy. Keep searching, and even though you may not feel %100 sure of what path you want to take, just start on something and shift your path as need be.

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by catalyst

Many typical white collar jobs that only require a Bachelors will get you to $80K with a little bit of time and effort. I know it might sound trite, but even as someone who is focused on wealth, power, status, I suggest you spend a bit more time deciding what areas you have real interest in. Also, don't be deterred from taking an entry level job if it has the potential to open new doors and set you on the right trajectory.

If only $80K is enough to make you feel content (I bet you won't once you get there - you can be sure of that) you can definitely achieve that through perseverance and choosing the right kind of job (Accountants, IT Professionals, IT/Mgt Consultants, Marketers, etc). The power and status in a position usually stem from the high barriers to entry to get that role ($$$$, school, pedigree), but sometimes people find a way around (namely entrepreneurship).

You seem very intelligent and driven, and I believe it's only matter of time before you really start to shine. I know you're really frustrated and anxious to find that path so you can really start getting busy. Keep searching, and even though you may not feel %100 sure of what path you want to take, just start on something and shift your path as need be.

Thank you. I've decided to look for writing and editing jobs first, since that's my speciality. I am mainly looking for work as a technical writer in IT. I may end up liking it and getting 80K, so I may not even have to switch. But I can still learn computer languages in the meantime.

[Lauxa]

Hey there CroMagna,

Looks like you've already decided to ditch religion prof, but let me just tell you my cousin is a professor (rhetoric) and it's no individualist picnic. You have to suck up and play politics just to get the PhD (writing and defending your thesis), and there's all sorts of politics within the department, etc. Plus you have to publish papers to get your tenure, and she's also involved in organizing conferences, etc. So I think you might not really like that course.

Computer programming rocks and there are lots of superior-acting, contemptuous-towards-all-humainty, just-let-me-work-in-a-dark-room-where-I-never-have-to-talk-to-anyone types in this profession. It can be pure technical mastery. I'm not sure if it's high-status, but you should be able to hit the $80K range within 5-10 years in the field.

Good luck.

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by Lauxa

Hey there CroMagna,

Looks like you've already decided to ditch religion prof, but let me just tell you my cousin is a professor (rhetoric) and it's no individualist picnic. You have to suck up and play politics just to get the PhD (writing and defending your thesis), and there's all sorts of politics within the department, etc. Plus you have to publish papers to get your tenure, and she's also involved in organizing conferences, etc. So I think you might not really like that course.

Oh hellll no...thought it was taking the easy way out, worse yet, come to find out, it's not even the easy way out! LMAO!!

Originally Posted by Lauxa

Computer programming rocks and there are lots of superior-acting, contemptuous-towards-all-humainty, just-let-me-work-in-a-dark-room-where-I-never-have-to-talk-to-anyone types in this profession. It can be pure technical mastery. I'm not sure if it's high-status, but you should be able to hit the $80K range within 5-10 years in the field.

Good luck.

Wow, thanks so much for your input! It feels really good to finally know what I want to do. I want to be a computer programmer and eventually start my own computer programming company. Plan B is to work in finance and banking, but that's just Plan B. Plan A is what I'm aiming for. So my first step is to get a job in IT like as a technical writer.