I Don't Know What I Want To Do With My Life!

[Kestra]

Aaaah, I feel like there's a million choices and I have no idea what degree specifically to pursue, or if I would even gain admission. And I'm too old for this! Do I want a M.A., Ed.S, M.Ed., Psy.D., Ph.D., etc and so forth. Too many decisions!

Has anyone else made a career switch, gone back for a different degree, or had trouble deciding what to pursue?

 

[Middle Earther]

I am actually in the midst of finishing a Masters degree right now. I took time off from teaching, thinking that I would go into something else, but now I don't know.

 

[John Picard]

Aaaah, I feel like there's a million choices and I have no idea what degree specifically to pursue, or if I would even gain admission. And I'm too old for this! Do I want an M.A., Ed.S, M.Ed., Psy.D., Ph.D., etc and so forth. Too many decisions!

Has anyone else made a career switch, gone back for a different degree, or had trouble deciding what to pursue?

I did not get my AAS in CIT until I was 32. I am now 40 and working toward my BA in Legal Studies. Please do not throw down the "I'm too old" card

 

[Kestra]

Haha sorry, it's just when I start looking at degrees that will take seven years to finish, I wonder what the point is.

 

[Plecostomus]

I originally started working on a degree with the intention of going into the nuclear power field.

Then I switched to manufacturing, with a major in plastic/polymers.

After doing that for awhile I realized the market was in a downswing in this area and went to trade school, learned sheet-metal and machining.

...and I am contemplating Yet Another Switch but I'm not 100% sure which way the market is swinging this time. Manufacturing is dead in this area, and down nationwide so it's time to look into some other fields. Possibly computer something something.

 

[John Picard]

I originally started working on a degree with the intention of going into the nuclear power field.

Then I switched to manufacturing, with a major in plastic/polymers.

After doing that for awhile I realized the market was in a downswing in this area and went to trade school, learned sheet-metal and machining.

...and I am contemplating Yet Another Switch but I'm not 100% sure which way the market is swinging this time. Manufacturing is dead in this area, and down nationwide so it's time to look into some other fields. Possibly computer something something.

Large-scale manufacturing is down, but the small guy makes money. I work in the I/T field and would advise that maybe you look in to CNC machinery, but not "computer something something". That too, is fading.

I'm thinking manufacturing will pick up in another decade due to all of the CRAP that comes out of China. If the dollar continues to weaken and stay weak, that will make our goods more attractive overseas.

 

[RoJoHen]

I got halfway through my senior year of my Accounting major that I hated Accounting and wanted to be a Personal Trainer.

Life is stupid that way.

 

[Holdfast]

Haha sorry, it's just when I start looking at degrees that will take seven years to finish, I wonder what the point is.

Well, the point isn't (or shouldn't be) the degree itself, in my opinion. It should be whether you want to learn the subject matter. If it interests you, do it. If not, don't. Don't do a degree just to gain letters/get a better job, because once you get into that mindset, you'll do the same with all your later career choices too, until it really IS too late to do what you actually want to do.

The idea that an education or a degree is about getting a better job is a terribly limited way of looking at life, I think. Esp. if one is older and not just leaving school (when forcing yourself through a dull but profitable degree is tolerable because you've just come from school where you've had to do a hell of a lot more against your will! ). There are lots of subjects I find interesting but I just like reading about them and wouldn't want to try to get a degree in them, because I know I'd find that process boring.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I just came from a meeting with ASU career services. She pointed me onto some websites but it still seems like a long road ahead and I don't even know what the destination is. Rarely have I known what I want to do. I got a B.A. in political science less because I had a specific use in mind for it and more because going to college right after high school is just something you do in my family. (Mostly. It took my grandfather twice as long to get all his degrees because he alternated with his wife. First she would get a degree while he worked, then vice versa. My sister went to NAU for 4 years right after high school, changed her major 3 times from music education to music to hotel/restaurant management to Spanish before dropping out without graduating. She then moved to Chicago, became a shift manager at Starbucks, and now makes way more money than me.)

Anyway, after I graduated, I still didn't know what to do with myself. I wasn't interested in politics anymore since the 2004 election was so exhausting. (There was too much partisan shouting, not enough substantive debate.) So I got a job at a local used bookstore. That lasted for 3 1/2 years until they fired me last May. Now, I'm living off savings and unspent college money, watching Law & Order DVDs, and trying to answer a question that it feels like I already should have had answered 4-8 years ago.

 

[Kestra]

Haha sorry, it's just when I start looking at degrees that will take seven years to finish, I wonder what the point is.

Well, the point isn't (or shouldn't be) the degree itself, in my opinion. It should be whether you want to learn the subject matter. If it interests you, do it. If not, don't. Don't do a degree just to gain letters, because once you get into that mindset, you'll do the same with all your later career choices too, until it really IS too late to do what you actually want to do.

Oh I don't care about letters, I care about enjoying what I do but also being able to find employment and make a decent living. I'm worried that if I do a masters, I'll be limiting myself too much. But the idea of doing ages of research doesn't really appeal to me and I don't care about titles or prestige or any of that nonsense.

I'm really interested in school counseling (as opposed to school psychology, I think) but I don't know if I'd want to work in schools the rest of my life.

 

[sidious618]

I'm studying to be an English teacher but I'm not sure if I want to be that for the rest of my life. However, I know that I'm good at teaching and I enjoy it so I know that I do want to do it for a little while. I don't expect to do it for my whole life, I'd get bored after a while, I think.

That said, there are times where I doubt myself ("Do I really want to have to get up so early in the morning?") but besides writing, which I can do no matter what, there's nothing else I really want to do at the moment more than teach.

If you want to go back to school I say go ahead and do it.

 

[Plecostomus]

I originally started working on a degree with the intention of going into the nuclear power field.

Then I switched to manufacturing, with a major in plastic/polymers.

After doing that for awhile I realized the market was in a downswing in this area and went to trade school, learned sheet-metal and machining.

...and I am contemplating Yet Another Switch but I'm not 100% sure which way the market is swinging this time. Manufacturing is dead in this area, and down nationwide so it's time to look into some other fields. Possibly computer something something.

Large-scale manufacturing is down, but the small guy makes money. I work in the I/T field and would advise that maybe you look in to CNC machinery, but not "computer something something". That too, is fading.

I'm thinking manufacturing will pick up in another decade due to all of the CRAP that comes out of China. If the dollar continues to weaken and stay weak, that will make our goods more attractive overseas.

Dude dude dude... I have a bloody CNC mill in my basement, I program and setup CNC lasers, mills and press-brakes.

Ok it's a benchtop CNC machine but my point is even the small manufacturer is feeling the pinch.

I switched jobs again recently because the shop I was at was on the verge of bankruptcy... customers just simply stopped paying.

With my own business, I see the same thing. I've had to resort to Cash Upfront and that's not attractive to the customers I want to go after... yet I can't afford to hire collections just to get paid.


In other words, I will continue doing what I do as a small hobby/side business but I am pondering a complete and utter career change at this point. I need to make a living independent of the manufacturing market at this point... can't wait 20 years for a possible rebound.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Kes, you've always expressed an interest in psychology/counseling. I think you have great communication and interpersonal skills. Now whether you decide to be a professor of psychology or a therapist is entirely up to you. My therapist has a Psy.D. credential, and he's helped me a great bit.

 

[Taylirious]

I just want to atleast on of my many storiy ideas into a cottage industry. Like a book, then a movie or tv series and stuff.


S.

 

[sidious618]

I debated becoming a therapist but I'd drive someone to suicide because I'm too opinionated.

 

[The Comedian]

Aaaah, I feel like there's a million choices and I have no idea what degree specifically to pursue, or if I would even gain admission. And I'm too old for this! Do I want a M.A., Ed.S, M.Ed., Psy.D., Ph.D., etc and so forth. Too many decisions!

Has anyone else made a career switch, gone back for a different degree, or had trouble deciding what to pursue?

I didn't need a degree. I did whatever the heck I wanted to at the moment and succeeded.

 

[Kestra]

Kes, you've always expressed an interest in psychology/counseling. I think you have great communication and interpersonal skills. Now whether you decide to be a professor of psychology or a therapist is entirely up to you. My therapist has a Psy.D. credential, and he's helped me a great bit.

Thanks dude! Yeah, I'm already going back to school for psychology at an undergraduate level, but now I'm trying to figure out what my end goal is. It's quite competitive out there!

I debated becoming a therapist but I'd drive someone to suicide because I'm too opinionated.

I have my own doubts. But I think with training, I could be pretty effective. It seems like a natural profession for me.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Aaaah, I feel like there's a million choices and I have no idea what degree specifically to pursue, or if I would even gain admission. And I'm too old for this! Do I want a M.A., Ed.S, M.Ed., Psy.D., Ph.D., etc and so forth. Too many decisions!

Has anyone else made a career switch, gone back for a different degree, or had trouble deciding what to pursue?

I guess it would come down to three factors:

1. Which costs the less to botain and pay off over the run?

2. Which leaves you with hte most employment options?

3. Which field do you think you can wake up and go to work in for the remaining decades of your life, without going crazy, buying a assualt weapon, and "go Postal".

 

[John Picard]

I originally started working on a degree with the intention of going into the nuclear power field.

Then I switched to manufacturing, with a major in plastic/polymers.

After doing that for awhile I realized the market was in a downswing in this area and went to trade school, learned sheet-metal and machining.

...and I am contemplating Yet Another Switch but I'm not 100% sure which way the market is swinging this time. Manufacturing is dead in this area, and down nationwide so it's time to look into some other fields. Possibly computer something something.

Large-scale manufacturing is down, but the small guy makes money. I work in the I/T field and would advise that maybe you look in to CNC machinery, but not "computer something something". That too, is fading.

I'm thinking manufacturing will pick up in another decade due to all of the CRAP that comes out of China. If the dollar continues to weaken and stay weak, that will make our goods more attractive overseas.

Dude dude dude... I have a bloody CNC mill in my basement, I program and setup CNC lasers, mills and press-brakes.

Ok it's a benchtop CNC machine but my point is even the small manufacturer is feeling the pinch.

I switched jobs again recently because the shop I was at was on the verge of bankruptcy... customers just simply stopped paying.

With my own business, I see the same thing. I've had to resort to Cash Upfront and that's not attractive to the customers I want to go after... yet I can't afford to hire collections just to get paid.


In other words, I will continue doing what I do as a small hobby/side business but I am pondering a complete and utter career change at this point. I need to make a living independent of the manufacturing market at this point... can't wait 20 years for a possible rebound.

I really wish you lived near me. The FUN I could have at your place. I do believe side jobs are a good thing for you; however, non-paying customers are a sign of the economy. Interestingly enough, a local machine shop was featured in the Business section of the paper as doing very well right now even though business is slow. It seems the owner has this (odd) idea about not carrying debt and keeping a form of cash on-hand, which helps through the slow times.



As a note to Kestra -- I have a friend, in his early 50's, who is on his third career. This is becoming more and more common, so don't buy into the hype that you have to "pick something and then stick with it".,

 

[Supreme Admiral]

Dude,

At this certain point, I don't know if should I be heading back to school to take english and other kind of majors that I'm looking at. Kestra -- you should explore something rather than to sticking to one boring subject!