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What do I want to be when I grow up?

Discussion in 'Tilted Life and Sexuality' started by Spiritsoar, Jun 11, 2012.

  1. Spiritsoar

    Spiritsoar Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    New York
    Background:
    I'm almost 29 years old. I've been in the Army pretty much my entire adult life (joined at 18, have done almost 12 years) and will probably retire with around 20-22 years when I'm 38-40ish. During that entire time, I've been a medic. Army medics are a weird mash up of Certified Nursing Assistants and EMTs, with additional skills in both areas that we can perform on the job, but don't get civilian certified in. Civilian-wise, we only fall under EMT-Basic certification. I'm a Non-Commissioned Officer; to those unfamiliar with the military, I'm basically a manager of enlisted Soldiers in my career field, and probably will continue to be so until I retire.

    I'm trying to decide what I want to do after I retire. Though I like what I do, I've pretty much decided that I don't want to continue with the medical field as far as patient care is concerned. I've had some very satisfying experiences, but it can be a very draining profession, and after the military I want to move on to something different. In the military, I've found that I like the NCO aspects of my job more than the medical aspects. I like leading and training my troops. I like planning, and organizing, and motivating people to work together. Because of that, I've considered a degree in management. I've had some experience in the planning aspects of search and rescue operations, and I know that they offer degrees in Emergency Management Operations. I've also considered staying in the medical field in the civilian managerial side as Healthcare Administration. Business Management in general doesn't sound like a bad idea, but I honestly have no idea what sort of businesses you get into with those sorts of degrees.

    Back when I had thought I was interested in a career in Nursing or Physician Assistant, I took some general prerequisite courses. I never declared a degree other than General Studies, because then I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I'm still not sure. But because of the way that the Army helps you pay for your college, I need to pick a focus to start taking courses towards, and I'm still as lost as ever. I need ideas. I need a civilian perspective. I have no idea what's hirable out there. I don't know what job fields would consider hiring a college graduate at 40 with a prior work experience of 20 years military. Hell, I haven't turned in an application since I was 16 years old. So any ideas are welcome. Throw them at me so I can research them. Any help or input is appreciated.
     
    Spiritsoar, Jun 11, 2012
    #1
  2. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    Tough call.
    I'm guessing or hoping that healthcare admin, as you see it in the armed forces, is a lot different that what we see in the civilian world.
    I say this because our civilian health care system is an incredible mess that should not even be called a system.
    What about being a teacher? " I like planning, and organizing, and motivating people to work together"
     
    fflowley, Jun 11, 2012
    #2
  3. chipperaroo

    chipperaroo Vertical

    Location:
    Somewhere, Over The Rainbow (Texass)
    You don't really make this easy. There are others around here who probably know you better (you're "Getting Tilted", I'm a straight-up n00b) than just the description you provide... they'd be better served to RESPOND (people, RESPOND).

    I'll tell you something about myself....
    I've found what I love to do in life... I'm a Programmer / Analyst. I'm more an analyst than a programmer, but programming is part of my job. Apparently it's something I've excelled at for a period of time that I never thought I had a talent for. (I hiss and cuss at fixing half-assed programming code, document my work, which includes the business logic, justifications & reasons, etc...)

    Point being...
    I've found something I love to do.
    I think everybody's capable of this... it just doesn't happen all that often.

    My brother is an example, like you, and like me... and this *should be* more the "norm" than the current "average."
    My brother is 28 years old, going back to school, getting a 2nd Bachelor's degree (what *should be* the norm), this time in Computer Science, because he wants to be a game programmer. He didn't think about this before when he graduated college @ 22 (average)... with a degree in History, even though he knew he loved to play games and wanted to do that. He was just another dumb kid back then, doing what society tells him he should do to live and lead a better life (via making more money).

    The average is getting out of High School, and going to college, or going into the Military.
    Fact is, people don't really have that much life experience at that point in time.
    You're PRIME for now making a decision about how you want to proceed.

    Given it sounds like you have some time left in the military, think on this, carefully...

    So, your title of "What do I want to be when I grow up?" is an excellent title, but only one you can really answer for yourself.

    Is there anything you've found that you love to do, and could do on a day-in, day-out basis, and practically never tire of it? AND, it's something you want to do? I think that defines the closest approximation to "loving a job" as I can describe. And, in my opinion, it's the only way to survive without burning out (even though I'm on the verge of that myself right now). And people who love their jobs, tend to be productive, and happy, and make a good deal of money (especially when your mind is more buried in your work than when the Beer'O'Clock whistle blows money up the waitresses' ass).

    Your current ideas, IMO, would be similar to your military experience. You'd *probably* end up picking a path, and utilizing that military discipline to accomplish whatever you set your mind to. Consider this. Maybe what you would love to do for the rest of your life isn't along these lines at all... ??? !!! :eek:

    A "job" should not just be a "job" but something you love and want to do (aside from making money to live, etc...)

    $0.02 paid in full.
     
    chipperaroo, Jun 11, 2012
    #3
  4. Ayashe

    Ayashe Getting Tilted

    In health care administration there are basically two sides of this. There are the processes of running a clinic that are non medical such as scheduling, reception, health information technology etc, with a management degree you could move into that side of it. Otherwise for the management of the clinical personnel they want a registered nurse with a 4 year nursing degree. I don't know if that helps much. There aren't a lot of male supervisors in these fields for whatever reason and you would typically be managing a lot of females. I hope I don't sound sexist but this is the reality, some people may have issue with working with that many women, just a point to mention. We basically have a clinic manager who manages the day to day of everything, she does not have a medical background, then we have a clinical supervisor which is always a RN held position, then a front end supervisor who supervises the non clinical issues and a lab/radiology supervisor who supervises a few clinics, specialties have their own supervisors as well. I did have one post-military employee who worked with the clinical staff as basically an LPN/MA based on his military training who was fantastic but it certainly isn't a highly paid position. Not sure if that helps much.
     
    Ayashe, Jun 12, 2012
    #4
  5. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    This is my perspective...
    1. Always do something that you have a "knack" at. People pay for this, it will give you an advantage over the competion.
    2. If you have a specialty field, especially one that's a commodity, like medicine...try to incorporated it. Again, people pay for this.
    3. If it's not your thing, then do what is your thing...otherwise you will be fighting yourself, and you'll likely fail over the long run.

    When you're off the government tit...you want to make sure you have options.
    Because anything can go down in the outside world.
    Be in a field that has a "market". People won't pay for it otherwise.

    People don't care how hard you work. And they don't pay for what they don't want or need. And you need to compete with others.
    People pay for what they can't do or what they don't want to do or can't deal with.
    Your knack & experience is what they'll pay for.

    Don't discount your medical experience, people always pay through the nose for this.
    There's always a market for it, they always need people for it everywhere. There are ALWAYS options with this market, you aren't left hanging.
    And it's an angle and aspect that goes beyond just straight-forward management, logistics, accounting, etc. It's a "specialty".
    I'd incorporate this experience you have into a new field.
    You like management...there are TONS of medical speciality managers. And there are specific degrees in it.
    You like logistics...again, TONS of work moving medical from one place to another. Source or target side, vendor or client side.
    You can even mix in computers to that mix.

    Don't let go of the medical...WAY too valuable. Just do something that keeps you away from the muck & the yuck if you're tired of it.

    Me, I wanted to be an artist...but I have to be in a really good mood to do it...as a job, you need to produce no matter what...and do others' visions.
    I wanted to be an architect, but I didn't want to draw others' work again & again and so on...for years until someone let's me be original.
    I still want to be a Phyicist, but there's no money in it for the most part...unless you've got paperwork & background like crazy...I'm not there yet.

    Computers, I have a knack at...and it's a specialty market...in that many can't do it or don't want to deal with it.
    They'll pay for it almost everytime for a person who can do the deed. It's everywhere, always needed...so I have options.
    Do I love it? Nah, it's a pain in the ass. But it does bring home a decent paycheck, some consistency...and even if not, there's always another.

    The key is figure out a field that will make you consistent and stable....but not insane.
    Something that you can do day after day, and bring you that paycheck week after week.
    You can make yourself happy with other things, if necessary.
    Find that thing people will pay for...that you are good at.
     
    rogue49, Jun 12, 2012
    #5
  6. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    I wish I had some good advice for you, but since I'm about your age and still trying to figure out this kind of stuff myself, I'm afraid I have no sage advice.

    What you may want to do is get a bachelor's degree in absolutely anything, whatever you think you can get the best grades in, and focus your real attention on what you want to do for your master's degree. Figure out what you want that second degree in before you start on the first so you are careful to get the prerequisites in for the master's. I have a friend who graduated with a bachelor's in business management who had to go back to school (this time at her own expense) to get the prerequisites necessary to do a master's in psychology. That's the kind of hassle you want to avoid.

    When you choose a school, be sure to make use of their career counseling services. They should be better informed as to where the jobs are and will be in the next few years.
     
    genuinemommy, Jun 12, 2012
    #6
  7. Craven Morehead

    Craven Morehead Very Tilted

    Location:
    third rock from the sun
    20-22 years of military experience
    manager of enlisted soldiers
    you like what you do
    you like leading and training
    you like planning, organizing and motivating people

    What about management in the EMT field? Management at an ambulance company?
    How about becoming a trainer or educator of EMTs?

    I would think your experience in the military would be much more valuable if you stayed within your field - that can be medical or managerial. If you go in another direction, you lose the value of those years.

    I don't know how many of the jobs are out there, you might want to first do some research to see what is available. Pick up the phone and make a few phone calls. Call possible employers, give them your background, tell them your a few years from retiring and ask what they would suggest you do.
     
    Craven Morehead, Jun 12, 2012
    #7