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Old 09-22-2003, 05:56 AM   #3 (permalink)
lurkette
My future is coming on
 
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Advice?

1. think about what you DO like to do, instead of focusing on how much you don't like what you're doing now.

2. don't go studying something else right now until you've thought some more about what you really love doing, or you will probably end up in the same situation, just with 2 degrees you hate instead of 1. I've been burned by that particular flame. It's awfully tempting to defer self-examination by just going to school some more, but it only makes things worse.

3. do you have a job now, and is there any way you can work with your current employer to change your job into something you'd enjoy more?

4. are you disillusioned with the field you've chosen, or with what you see as the likely application of it? If you're gotten down by "capitalist society" see if there's some way you can either use your skills as a volunteer for non-profit causes you believe in while you make enough money to support yourself at a day job, or see if you can get a job with a non-profit. Less money but there's nothing like loving and being committed to what you're doing for a living.

5. I think very few people figure this out on the first go. It takes a while to figure out what you want to do, and it's just sad that you have to choose a path when you're 18-19 and have no fricking clue. But it's never too late to choose another path. I think I read somewhere that on average a person will have 8-9 different careers in his/her lifetime. Not jobs. Careers. So if you don't like this one, you can always change your mind later. Figure out what kind of life you want to live - do you want to travel a lot? Do you want to stay put and own a house? Do you want a 9-5 job with some stability, or a freelance job with flexibiilty? What's important to you? Making a lot of money? Contributing to society or to a particular cause? What are your passions, and how could you apply your skills to those areas? You're too young to be jaded. You have to be at least, um, 31 So go figure out your passions and chase them.
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