Morgan Bellsomething to fall back on . . .
April 22nd 2008 16:53
im talking about how and why we choose our careers and what makes us stick to our choices?
i often wonder with work if there really only a select range of jobs any one person will be suited to?
after studying and working in engineering for eight years i now find myself having to choose a new career direction and i find it really difficult to decide which direction to head in . . .
if you had a million dollars what would you do? hmmmm
some people say do what you love and it wont be like work at all, but surely theres some practical limitations to that or otherwise alot of people would have the job description "gossiping with my friends and drinking beer"? but then again maybe that is a job, maybe social people should work as publiscists or shmoozing new clients for an advertising firm?
i have a friend who has this amazing memory for peoples names and details, she can practically remember every person shes ever met, their surname, profession, their relationships, their family, their tastes, and all of their business . . . my mum said she would be a great concierge at a hotel, or the owner of a small business or host of a restaurant . . . i agree, but i think its more likely she will continue excercising those skills on the gossip grapevine
when choosing a career path out of highschool we often make our decisions based on a projected stable income, we want financial security, we want the best paid guarenteed job we train for with our marks, we want the less exciting but manageable 9-til-5 job to save up our pennies so we can follow our dreams later in life . . . but is that wrong? is training for an occupation "to fall back on" wasting all our natural potential? do we sabotage our success by choosing careers as insurance policies? there may be aspects of the job descriptions we can succeed in but is it all a bit like forcing a square peg in a round hole?
work satisfaction is comprised of only a tiny slither of aptitude for tasks, the rest is the workplace culture, the type of colleagues and clients you interact with, the location, the commute, your potential for promotion, where you sit on the pecking order, whether you are respected, given responsibility . . . whether you can relate to the people you will spend the bulk of your life with . . .
i have now settled on writing and i love writing but sometimes that seems about as useful as saying i love eating . . . as i puddle around with different kinds of writing i wonder which type of writing i could sustain over a long period of time . . . an actual career . . . an income
i think i most enjoy reviewing (whether it be film or current affairs) and forming opinions, i have a streak of the philosopher in me, but i wonder if i should be incorporating my research skills into my writing? will that be my niche? i enjoy picking apart scientific reports and devlopment proposals . . . but that isnt satisfying my creative urges . . . im now studying media and wonder if radio may suit my wandering mind more as i do seem to like talking/writing off the top of my head . . .
i also recently wondered if i might be happier being a cinema projectionist . . . i feel a bit like george from seinfeld saying "well i like sports" haha
then theres the other school of thought where people say that often the hardest thing to do is the most rewarding, life is a challenge, we need to stretch ourselves to achieve things, hard work pays off, work isnt supposed to be fun . . . if this is true i havent seen any living example of it?
or maybe the hard part is really looking inside yourself and being brave enough to be really honest about your aspirations?
maybe the real hard "work" is the journey to discovering your best matched career and the reward is spending the rest of your life enjoying your occupation?
i often wonder with work if there really only a select range of jobs any one person will be suited to?
after studying and working in engineering for eight years i now find myself having to choose a new career direction and i find it really difficult to decide which direction to head in . . .
if you had a million dollars what would you do? hmmmm
some people say do what you love and it wont be like work at all, but surely theres some practical limitations to that or otherwise alot of people would have the job description "gossiping with my friends and drinking beer"? but then again maybe that is a job, maybe social people should work as publiscists or shmoozing new clients for an advertising firm?
i have a friend who has this amazing memory for peoples names and details, she can practically remember every person shes ever met, their surname, profession, their relationships, their family, their tastes, and all of their business . . . my mum said she would be a great concierge at a hotel, or the owner of a small business or host of a restaurant . . . i agree, but i think its more likely she will continue excercising those skills on the gossip grapevine
when choosing a career path out of highschool we often make our decisions based on a projected stable income, we want financial security, we want the best paid guarenteed job we train for with our marks, we want the less exciting but manageable 9-til-5 job to save up our pennies so we can follow our dreams later in life . . . but is that wrong? is training for an occupation "to fall back on" wasting all our natural potential? do we sabotage our success by choosing careers as insurance policies? there may be aspects of the job descriptions we can succeed in but is it all a bit like forcing a square peg in a round hole?
work satisfaction is comprised of only a tiny slither of aptitude for tasks, the rest is the workplace culture, the type of colleagues and clients you interact with, the location, the commute, your potential for promotion, where you sit on the pecking order, whether you are respected, given responsibility . . . whether you can relate to the people you will spend the bulk of your life with . . .
i have now settled on writing and i love writing but sometimes that seems about as useful as saying i love eating . . . as i puddle around with different kinds of writing i wonder which type of writing i could sustain over a long period of time . . . an actual career . . . an income
i think i most enjoy reviewing (whether it be film or current affairs) and forming opinions, i have a streak of the philosopher in me, but i wonder if i should be incorporating my research skills into my writing? will that be my niche? i enjoy picking apart scientific reports and devlopment proposals . . . but that isnt satisfying my creative urges . . . im now studying media and wonder if radio may suit my wandering mind more as i do seem to like talking/writing off the top of my head . . .
i also recently wondered if i might be happier being a cinema projectionist . . . i feel a bit like george from seinfeld saying "well i like sports" haha
then theres the other school of thought where people say that often the hardest thing to do is the most rewarding, life is a challenge, we need to stretch ourselves to achieve things, hard work pays off, work isnt supposed to be fun . . . if this is true i havent seen any living example of it?
or maybe the hard part is really looking inside yourself and being brave enough to be really honest about your aspirations?
maybe the real hard "work" is the journey to discovering your best matched career and the reward is spending the rest of your life enjoying your occupation?
| 85 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Johnny Come Lately
Jack's Back
Comment by the world of gaye
batty
Family Madness
bright lights greedy city
REFLECTIONS
Gaye Land
Comment by Louie
Climate Forum
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
I think it is possible to have a career doing what you love, it just takes courage to go out on that limb, but its worth it ...hmmmmm i hope, out on the limb right now, ill let you know how i fare.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
i change my mind all the time too, and i wonder if you had attempted the thing that was "right" for you if you would ever grow sick of it? (a bit like having a soulmate in the romance department)
Gaye,
thankyou so much for your advice, i think the underlying reason for me trying to choose a stable career was that our family was working class and we didnt have much and i felt pressured (mostly from myself) to be financially secure . . . also on a more personal level even at an early age i knew i would lead a single lifestyle so i wanted a financial independance which was viable . . . but whos to say you cant achieve that in the arts?
Louie,
yeah there has to be something to make you want to get out of bed in the morning hey . . . i also think work has to be important, well important to you anyway . . . good luck being out on that limb!
Comment by Cheryl J
Funny Videos
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
But I don't necessarily think your job has to be the thing you dream. Lots of people dream of being a singer or a painter but just don't have the talent to make it a profession but they can enjoy it as a pastime that can bring them endless joy. I'm in a job many would consider boring and I actually had someone recently ask me why I was doing it as they thought I was too intelligent to be 'wasting my time'. They meant it as a compliment but I felt quite insulted. No it isn't a dream job, no it doesn't pay that well but I can go to work and enjoy it, I can leave it behind at the end of the day and it allows me to do other things in my spare time. I think the main thing is to be happy.
I met a garbage collector once who thought he had the best job in the world. He got to keep fit, run around in the outdoors and be home in time to spend the rest of the day doing whatever he wanted and spent a lot of time with his kids who are his passion. I admire him.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
as you can see the new banner is rockn . . . inspiring me to do more thinking, more writing
i just took on a new business blog as i was advised once that business and science are the sought-after markets for freelance writers
i really need a job auditioning drag acts at a club, or maybe i could hang out on the movie show with david and margaret, or a queer political activist . . . i wonder if theres a course for any of that at tafe?
i think i just have no real role models of people who are happy with their careers . . . and i always look to others to take my cues but maybe i should just look to myself for a change?
go the garbage man!
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
When I finished high school it took me while to choose between economics/psycholgy at Sydney Uni and Communications at UTS. I chose Sydney and I often wonder what my life would be like today if I had gone the other way....
So here I am, more than ten years later following the first dream I ever had- writing. Of course now it seems so much harder when you're not fresh out of school. But maybe some of us just have to take the long way round?
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
its funny i think fresh out of highschool i was such an idiot, i had no idea about the world or life or different cultures and lifestyles, i probably couldnt have written anything then because i was such a blank slate
i think every day, week, month and year of living just makes you a more interesting writer
well thats my press release anyway haha theres still a little compartment in my mind yelling at me "youre so behind! catch up!" haha
Comment by Market Newbie
Stock Market Punk
I do not know if the more seasoned writers will agree, but to me, writing is its own rewards. I had my own "15 minutes of fame" but there's nothing I find more satisfying than being able to compose even just a short article
There was a time when choosing a career is akin to choosing between poverty and great wealth. I think technological advances has changed even that. Nowadays, you can write and still become rich.
And since you have taken that business blog - maybe you'd want to go beyond the current business news and learn a thing or two about making money while in it.
I don't wear business suits, in fact, I used to climb erupting volcanoes, follow rescuers diggings holes amidst the rubbles inside earthquake devastated buildings. Darn, as my friend would put it, I was even "chasing bullets" in some kidnap-for-ransom rescue operations and a series of coup-d-etat coverages - yet, there are some aspects in what i used to think as the boring world of business that I also find rather exciting. You may want to give it a whirl!
My professor used to tell me, "money is not all there is in life". Well, my experiences showed me "self satistfaction is not all there is in life either" It has to be a good mixture of both and, in this day and age, juggling them is no longer impossible.
But I am not saying I have any regrets.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
you certainly have had an interesting life . . . thanks so much for all the advice, i appreciate your sentiments!
thanks for stopping by!