A career and college discussion

This thread is my opinions; there is no intent to speak for someone else besides myself.

Throughout high school and especially becoming more prominent in the United States during junior and senior year, personally I experienced a system where I felt influenced me to develop high expectations in aspects of life pertaining to securing a career that provided me with wealth and unreasonable goals.

I focused very heavily on the people around me who seemed to have no problem with affording things and to a point where the light I got from affording something small for myself was overshadowed by classmates getting better things, where no consideration is given to how someone who doesn't have it like that will feel. Less than. But ultimately, I still recognize that a lot of people develop those characteristics just by how their raised and I try not to let that impact how I treat them, but it definitely pushes me away from the people I graduated with because I feel it's very hard to hangout with people who don't struggle financially like I do.

Because of these dynamics, trying to figure out a career path was very hard for me and it's still hard. Most colleges around me have a set list of pathways and most of them don't align with what I want to do. I have trouble figuring it out what I want to do with my life and I think a lot of my experiences in high school was a catalyst to the uncertainty. Wanting a wealthy life over my own happiness and self-discovery and over the top standardized testing and advising.

Throughout my whole high school, I was told constantly to find something that makes me happy. Basically, I wanted to make this thread to invite open communication around the following:

• How did you find your career?
• How did you choose your degree pathway or career outlook?
• Does your current job align with your previous education/degree?
• Does your job make you happy? How do you deal with going to work daily?
• Balancing your own happiness and your career
• What influences you to want to work hard

I welcome all types of responses pertaining to this I honestly just want to hear what someone else has to say about it. I know there are so many people that work jobs that aren't the best but they do it because that's how they make a living and it isn't always what they expected they would be doing. Thank you so much!

 

• How did you find your career? I always wanted to do this but it's impossible to just get hired without networking or having friends inside

• How did you choose your degree pathway or career outlook? Experiential learning, trying different jobs within my chosen industry and seeing what I liked and what I was good at

• Does your current job align with your previous education/degree? About 50/50. I would do a few things over if I could but mostly satisfied with college education in context of covid years.

• Does your job make you happy? How do you deal with going to work daily? Yes. I would not wake up at 4-5am and work 12-14 hrs daily for anything else.

• Balancing your own happiness and your career. You have to prioritize your own self care in this industry and be your biggest advocate because sadly no one else will, and if you don't look out for yourself, you could easily be exploited. Establish reasonable boundaries and stick to them. Examples of this being I require 12 hours off between every shift and payment on a net30 basis (paid within 30 days of final workday) or sooner. This might seem like awhile for people to be paid, but some people I know take net720 (with interest). Also, long hours for 4-5 weeks are offset by 1-2 dead weeks where I won't work at all. This is the time I use to pursue hobbies/interest, catch up with friends/family, or just chill lol

• What influences you to want to work hard. Money and cultural influence. There is nothing better than anonymous wealth, I don't need anyone to know my name, just need to get my work to audiences and set my family up financially. Plus, I work in a "cultural" industry, and politics is downstream from culture, so that influence is important to me.

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This. Haters will look down on this as some sort of nepotism but knowing good people, mentorship, having good friends and loyal family, etc is literally the path to success in most industries.

 

Thank you for your response and advice. And that's incredible that you've gotten to a good place with saving for your new house! I hope everything works out for you! I know that's going to feel incredible to have your own space.

Really nice response, thank you! Like you mentioned trying different jobs, I think there's nothing wrong with that and I think it ultimately helps you find where you're supposed to be in the workplace. And, I would definitely do a few things over if I could as well. COVID really did a number on college education. Still, I think I've been able to experience a good amount of self growth and discovery and its led me to the closest I feel I've been to finding what I'm interested in. I've held several jobs where I didn't speak up for myself in terms of boundaries and recent jobs I've had where I did speak up, even for the smallest things, made the biggest difference and really reinforced a better work environment.

 

• How did you find your career? Pure childhood, however to answer the moment I wanted to do it as a living was when I was about 15 at a concert.
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• How did you choose your degree pathway or career outlook? I figured that it was early days and I best try and find any materials early on that could help me. And everything I was shown on a tour had made me realise this was the start I needed.
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• Does your current job align with your previous education/degree? Yeah, studied it for a while at school and although it wasn’t what I wanted to do initially, it was always a back burner idea.
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• Does your job make you happy? How do you deal with going to work daily? Yeah, it takes a lot of mental energy sometimes if it’s a big or important day, but I walk into the job thinking “Man, you know your own talents”. And being ready to take on the world.
• Balancing your own happiness and your career - It’s important to try to block out what people are saying just build up a resilience and meet things head on. Realise what you have at your disposal and take a breath, sometimes you need to allow yourself to slack off for a bit, and take time to make sure to enjoy the little things.
• What influences you to want to work hard - The success, obviously. But the thought of leaving my own imprint in the world to look back on and say yeah, I did that. Also in general making people happy, giving them a moment or an act to remember, to not be “another shit act” and make them want more.

 

Thank you for responding.

I really like how you talked about the mental energy it takes at times because I think it's super important for all of us to focus on that and make sure we're good above everything else. And I do think a big part of that is blocking out what people say about your job.

I'm learning that your job really is about the bigger picture (growing as a person, pursuing your dreams, developing further skills, and being able to provide financially) and not something that we should or have to dread. There's been times when I've told myself like "You are making the decision to come to work today, but you didn't have to) as I walk into a shift but I feel like if I didn't tell myself that I wouldn't have worked it. Of course, it's responsible to honor your job requirements such as being reliable and showing up. But I think it's important to work on developing a good trust and confidence in your worth and your ability to do the job. It's something I'm working on. For a majority, working is just something that has to be done. And I know some people don't even look at that deep they just get up every day and go to work, but I think I've allowed too much opinions and negativity surround my reputation of employment or just had really bad experiences and it's a fight to let go of all of that. I think we try to do the best we can, and somehow we'll end up where we are supposed to be. As in all other aspects.