I have no clue what career I want to pursue anymore - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Jesus Pimp · 09-22-2003, 03:48 AM

I went to art school for multimedia specifically focused on web development, got burnt out, graduated. Now I'm not sure if I should continue to pursue it or it go into something else. I was thinking of studying something else but what, I have don't know. I'm also a very techy person and have worked IT, but I don't know I want to do that either. I just don't anymore. I feel like I wasted my life doing what society wanted me to only to become a slave to capitalism. So I guess I need to find a decent career in order to survive on my own. Any advice?

ARTelevision · 09-22-2003, 03:53 AM

quote:
"I feel like I wasted my life doing what society wanted me to only to become a slave to capitalism. So I guess I need to find a decent career in order to survive on my own."

That's not the best way to look at it for you.
The more positive your attitude about these things, the better they will turn out.

lurkette · 09-22-2003, 05:56 AM

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.

Cynthetiq · 09-22-2003, 07:41 AM

my .02 is to look at the lifestyle created by the people that do the things you say you want to do. It's a terrible conflict if you want to be a musician but don't want to live within the possible constraints of the income most musicians bring, especially in the beginning, and then if they don't make it BIG, then they have a decent lifestyle but not an extravagant one.

I like to travel. I need to make enough money to buy the toys I like, and to travel to the places that I want to see. Becuase of those constraints, I cannot do for a living some other things that I think may be more satisfying such as photography, not without sustaining a particular income level.

My mother in law, is a true artist. She lives very modestly, and has had big pieces of work all around Boston. She's well known in her field but she doesn't sell her items commercially. Most of the technology she does have is hand me downs from yours truly.

Being a slave to capitalism? I think you need to rethink your position like art said, from a more positive point of view. I don't think that I'm more than a cog in the wheel of capitalism, but it's the reality of life. We need to provide shelter, food, clothing, and some sort of entertainment for ourselves.

Rodney · 09-22-2003, 03:46 PM

Your options are only limited by your needs. Decide what you need and don't need -- at least for the next ten years. Fine down the list, figure out how much it would cost to live that way, figure in a reserve for buying durable goods and medical emergencies, and you have your range. If you're down with living frugally in shared housing and driving old cars, the world is practically yours. So don't focus on something just because it pays a lot of money; focus on something you find you like because it pays _enough_ money, and make sure _enough_ is none too high.

Eventually you may find that you need to reprioritize, if you decide to marry, have kiddies and all. And especially as you get older. But you have a degree and you are, I think in your early 20s. You have at least ten years of quality FREE TIME to experiment with interesting careers and options regardless of objective success. Try something new, fail or lose interest, start over.

You sound like you're at the end. Friend, you're at the beginning. It's all waiting; just requires courage and a little imagination.

a2k · 09-22-2003, 04:06 PM

Our biggest limitation is our own mind. If we can visualize it, we can almost always make it happen. If we can't, we'll never make it happen.

Do some thinking. Get rid of the assumptions you have right now - they're barriers. Don't even think career. See if you can picture a life that you want. No restrictions. Once you've got that, start describing it to yourself. Break it down. Figure out the pieces. Work backward from there to where you are now. Then do it.

If you just think career for career sake, and don't fit it into a bigger picture life goal, you'll always be working for the man.

Stare At The Sun · 09-22-2003, 06:07 PM

You might want to look into a business field...perhaps managment, get your MBA, and try and get into a related,web design field, but not do the actual work, just manage the shit?

anti fishstick · 09-22-2003, 06:47 PM

a lot of jobs are "slaves to capitalism" even lowly minimum wage starter jobs like fast food, which i work with now. it all feeds the system. you can't really get away from it especially in a *career*. the trick is to finding your niche and what you like, not minding the cogs, and focusing on the day to day things that you like. yeah, i feel a lot of the times that i won't be truly happy in graphic design bcos i'm just going to be burnt out working for whatever my clients want which will strip me from creativity and actual self-expression. BUT, if i just look at it as self gratitude for doing something and helping other people w/ their visions of what they want come to a reality... if i just paint and draw as a hobby and enjoy the day to day deadlines as motivation and the rush of working under pressure... then it's not so bad. ultimately, i AM going to be a slave to capitalism, but am i going to have fun doing it or work grudgingly? it's all about perception and attitude. the main reason i wanted to major in graphic design was to take a skill/talent i have PASSION for, and putting it into a practical career field that'd work for me. i'm sticking to that passion and hoping i won't ever lose it...

if you truly don't want to be a slave, maybe look into freelance. it's a lot more work and probably harder to actually make it as an actual career (maybe a side project?) but it's probably more self-fulfilling as well.

cowlick · 09-29-2003, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Forks
join me and lets start the revolution. down with the evil empire.

btw, im totally serious. waking up in the morning, the first thing i think to myself is how much i hate this society. that's why im an artist. its a way to try and avoid it as much as possible and also to attack it mercilessly.

I'm trying to head down that path. I'm stuck writing software right now, but I've always been an artist inside.

Jadey · 10-02-2003, 10:58 PM

I'm in the same position, kind of. I went to school for years to work in a specific industry, then upon graduation turned donw a number of really good jobs becuase they weren;t exactly what I wanted to do. Then I did get the job I wanted--and hated it. I switched organizations thinking that was the problem. NOPE! I hated it there too. So, now I 've kind of been working a job for the last 6 (!) years trying to figure what I want to be when I grown up all over again.

*sigh*

raeanna74 · 10-03-2003, 12:54 PM

Look at it this way. You have a degree. Any job you apply for will be more possible for you to get simply because you have higher education. Look at what I've done. I have a Bachelors in Elementary Education. I've done a number of secretarial jobs, worked sales, been the assistant for the VP in a coorporation, been Production Control Engineer for another coorporation, been a computer tech for my college, taught school, and now I'm self employed doing day care. I love what I do now. I don't know if I'll ever go back to work in Elementary education. So many people go for one degree and then never work in that field directly. A college degree is partly just showing that you are capable of doing something a little more difficult than a highschooler might be able to do. Yes it does prepare you for that one field but all those general education courses aren't a waste at all. Branch out and get imaginative. Try out a few things maybe before you go back to school. The best way to know what you like and what you do want to do is experimentation and talking to people in the fields that DO interest you. Your education isn't a waste it's just a step in the right direction.

09-22-2003, 03:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jesus Pimp The Original JizzSmacka	I have no clue what career I want to pursue anymore I went to art school for multimedia specifically focused on web development, got burnt out, graduated. Now I'm not sure if I should continue to pursue it or it go into something else. I was thinking of studying something else but what, I have don't know. I'm also a very techy person and have worked IT, but I don't know I want to do that either. I just don't anymore. I feel like I wasted my life doing what society wanted me to only to become a slave to capitalism. So I guess I need to find a decent career in order to survive on my own. Any advice? __________________ Never date anyone who doesn't make your dick hard.

09-22-2003, 03:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	quote: "I feel like I wasted my life doing what society wanted me to only to become a slave to capitalism. So I guess I need to find a decent career in order to survive on my own." That's not the best way to look at it for you. The more positive your attitude about these things, the better they will turn out. __________________ create evolution

09-22-2003, 05:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	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. __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France

09-22-2003, 07:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	my .02 is to look at the lifestyle created by the people that do the things you say you want to do. It's a terrible conflict if you want to be a musician but don't want to live within the possible constraints of the income most musicians bring, especially in the beginning, and then if they don't make it BIG, then they have a decent lifestyle but not an extravagant one. I like to travel. I need to make enough money to buy the toys I like, and to travel to the places that I want to see. Becuase of those constraints, I cannot do for a living some other things that I think may be more satisfying such as photography, not without sustaining a particular income level. My mother in law, is a true artist. She lives very modestly, and has had big pieces of work all around Boston. She's well known in her field but she doesn't sell her items commercially. Most of the technology she does have is hand me downs from yours truly. Being a slave to capitalism? I think you need to rethink your position like art said, from a more positive point of view. I don't think that I'm more than a cog in the wheel of capitalism, but it's the reality of life. We need to provide shelter, food, clothing, and some sort of entertainment for ourselves. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION! Last edited by Cynthetiq; 09-22-2003 at 07:43 AM..

09-22-2003, 03:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	Your options are only limited by your needs. Decide what you need and don't need -- at least for the next ten years. Fine down the list, figure out how much it would cost to live that way, figure in a reserve for buying durable goods and medical emergencies, and you have your range. If you're down with living frugally in shared housing and driving old cars, the world is practically yours. So don't focus on something just because it pays a lot of money; focus on something you find you like because it pays _enough_ money, and make sure _enough_ is none too high. Eventually you may find that you need to reprioritize, if you decide to marry, have kiddies and all. And especially as you get older. But you have a degree and you are, I think in your early 20s. You have at least ten years of quality FREE TIME to experiment with interesting careers and options regardless of objective success. Try something new, fail or lose interest, start over. You sound like you're at the end. Friend, you're at the beginning. It's all waiting; just requires courage and a little imagination. Last edited by Rodney; 09-22-2003 at 03:50 PM..

09-22-2003, 04:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
a2k Crazy Location: Seattle	Our biggest limitation is our own mind. If we can visualize it, we can almost always make it happen. If we can't, we'll never make it happen. Do some thinking. Get rid of the assumptions you have right now - they're barriers. Don't even think career. See if you can picture a life that you want. No restrictions. Once you've got that, start describing it to yourself. Break it down. Figure out the pieces. Work backward from there to where you are now. Then do it. If you just think career for career sake, and don't fit it into a bigger picture life goal, you'll always be working for the man.

09-22-2003, 06:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
Stare At The Sun Eh? Location: Somewhere over the rainbow	You might want to look into a business field...perhaps managment, get your MBA, and try and get into a related,web design field, but not do the actual work, just manage the shit?

09-22-2003, 06:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
anti fishstick Post-modernism meets Individualism AKA the Clash Location: oregon	a lot of jobs are "slaves to capitalism" even lowly minimum wage starter jobs like fast food, which i work with now. it all feeds the system. you can't really get away from it especially in a career. the trick is to finding your niche and what you like, not minding the cogs, and focusing on the day to day things that you like. yeah, i feel a lot of the times that i won't be truly happy in graphic design bcos i'm just going to be burnt out working for whatever my clients want which will strip me from creativity and actual self-expression. BUT, if i just look at it as self gratitude for doing something and helping other people w/ their visions of what they want come to a reality... if i just paint and draw as a hobby and enjoy the day to day deadlines as motivation and the rush of working under pressure... then it's not so bad. ultimately, i AM going to be a slave to capitalism, but am i going to have fun doing it or work grudgingly? it's all about perception and attitude. the main reason i wanted to major in graphic design was to take a skill/talent i have PASSION for, and putting it into a practical career field that'd work for me. i'm sticking to that passion and hoping i won't ever lose it... if you truly don't want to be a slave, maybe look into freelance. it's a lot more work and probably harder to actually make it as an actual career (maybe a side project?) but it's probably more self-fulfilling as well. __________________ And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~Anais Nin Last edited by anti fishstick; 09-22-2003 at 06:50 PM..

10-02-2003, 10:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
Jadey This Space For Rent Location: Davenport, Iowa	I'm in the same position, kind of. I went to school for years to work in a specific industry, then upon graduation turned donw a number of really good jobs becuase they weren;t exactly what I wanted to do. Then I did get the job I wanted--and hated it. I switched organizations thinking that was the problem. NOPE! I hated it there too. So, now I 've kind of been working a job for the last 6 (!) years trying to figure what I want to be when I grown up all over again. sigh

10-03-2003, 12:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	Look at it this way. You have a degree. Any job you apply for will be more possible for you to get simply because you have higher education. Look at what I've done. I have a Bachelors in Elementary Education. I've done a number of secretarial jobs, worked sales, been the assistant for the VP in a coorporation, been Production Control Engineer for another coorporation, been a computer tech for my college, taught school, and now I'm self employed doing day care. I love what I do now. I don't know if I'll ever go back to work in Elementary education. So many people go for one degree and then never work in that field directly. A college degree is partly just showing that you are capable of doing something a little more difficult than a highschooler might be able to do. Yes it does prepare you for that one field but all those general education courses aren't a waste at all. Branch out and get imaginative. Try out a few things maybe before you go back to school. The best way to know what you like and what you do want to do is experimentation and talking to people in the fields that DO interest you. Your education isn't a waste it's just a step in the right direction. __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.