Friday, June 13, 2008

What I want to be when I grow up...again

I've been a kick-a** communications professional (at least that's what I think I am) for the last three years, but I couldn't help but wonder what I would do if I didn't enjoy my job?

Realistically, 20-something men and women will change jobs multiple times in their lives and even change careers at least two or three times. So if I need to start thinking about a second career, what should I be considering?

A woman I used to work with teased me that I would would do a great job in one of the following professions (should I choose to make a career change):
  • Guidance counselor

  • Game show host (maybe the phrase "no whammies, no whammies" is in my future)

  • Stand-up comedienne

I admit, I did have to laugh at the guidance counselor recommendation. When I asked why she chose that profession for me, she thought for a second and said, "you'd keep it real with the kids, tell them when their dreams are too big or aren't realistic." She might have a point there. But as a child whose parents have worked in education, I don't think the school system is for me, although I would love to have the summer off. I've seen how tough it is for teachers and I don't think I have that level of patience in me.

So then I thought about stand-up comedy. I think I'm pretty funny and entertaining but I don't think that's the right more for me either. I have this horrible prophecy about turning out like Kathy Griffin, given that I love pop culture and swear like a trucker. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but I don't want to become her. And since my original choices of being a doctor, Solid Gold dancer and international supermodel didn't pan out, I need to be a bit more realistic with my choices.

Before I moved to Chicago, I had just about given up on my current profession after a bad string of jobs in Wisconsin. My current company was my last chance at making it in the communications field. If it didn't work out there, I was moving back to Wisconsin and flipping to a coin to decide if I should go to law school or nursing school (I think the latter would have won). Fortunately, I came to Chicago for a three month internship and am still here over three years later and things are actually going pretty well so I'll stick it out, but it never hurts to have options :)

Any comments from my blosse about career options that I can add to the list? Someone mentioned "personal shopper" to me, which is nearly perfect because I love to shop and spend other people's money. So that's another one to add to my list of possible careers.

Note: I just wanted to clarify that I'm not thinking of leaving my job, I like my job but always like to hear interesting ideas of what else I could do if my current career doesn't work out long term :)

26 comments:

  1. It is odd to think about different career paths after you've spent so long getting to one... though I still have fantasies of being discovered by an acting scout while walking out of a Starbucks, despite not having acted in nearly 10 years. They would see my true talent shine through!

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  2. Thanks for the comments! I didn't know people were leaving you mean ones :( I just have the stat counter through wordpress and I'm not really sure how to use it properly but I do know way more people read than comment...not that I'm keeping track or anything ;)

    As far as careers, I would be content to find one! I'm still pretty sure professional blogger wouldn't be so bad.

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  3. First, can I just say that I loved that someone else uses the phrase "no whammies, no whammies, STOP!" I loved that game show.

    As for second careers, I've been giving lots of thought to that recently as well. I don't know that I'll ever find a "career" just things that I like to do at this point in time. Unless you count "mad googler" as a career because in my line of research thats pretty much what I do. :-)

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  4. taste tester for different shots of vodka (hardeehar)

    I think a personal shopper would fit you well, from what I know.

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  5. haha, a friend once told me I should be a personal shopper after a particularly successful shopping trip where i picked out pants (that i just knew were her size, without actually knowing what her size is, if you know what i mean) and a dress for her and she bought them both. :)

    afraid I can't think of anything else for you though...but I do hope you find something that'll make you happy!

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  6. I miss communications SO MUCH it's not even funny. I plan on going back.

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  7. Personal shopper sounds great!

    And I hope you're serious about not wanting to be Kathy Griffin... She's got some problems, doesn't she!

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  8. let's see, everything I know about I have learned on your blog and twitter....I think you should become a professional MeMe filler outer. I shall now tag you for EVERY MeMe I get from now on.

    Bwhahahahaha!

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  10. you know what's great about you bayjb? Having a life that doesn't require you to troll other people's blogs anonymously.

    Then again, it seems my job is to remind certain people that they are really really sad....

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  11. Mmmm, jobbity job job job.

    Nursing school is turning into the "lack of something better to do" thing for disillusioned twenty-somethings. And law school was the new black for my class of English majors.

    Try being one of those work at home survey-filler-outers and MAKE $$$ A DAY!

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  12. Thanks for all of your comments lately, sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner! I think I read somewhere that Johnny is filming in Indiana now, but not sure. I love my GPS its a Garmin and is great!

    A personal shopper would be great! I secretly want to be a photographer, baker, or wedding planner although I'm not good at any of them.

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  13. I think you should be an internet survey writer. If I have to answer "what's your favorite color," "vanilla or chocolate," or "would you rather date 'blank' or 'blank?'" I'll scream.

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  14. Back before I had to think about a job needing to cover rent, food, bills my dream was to run a flower stand in a hospital. I loved the idea that I could provide an outlet to make someone else feel better and being surrounded by what made me happy.

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  15. ha. i still laugh at blosse.

    what about a publicist. i have always wanted to be one of those!

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  16. I've always wanted to be an event planner. I love the idea of having short term projects all the time.

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  17. I always wanted to be an editor, but its so hard to decide what to edit "give me ... or give me..."

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  19. i'm in the situation right now where i am starting to think of other career options - i work in the communications field as well but there is so much i want to do and am interested in that i've really been thinking lately....

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  20. I'm in the communications field as well, and I love it. But if I had to leave, maybe I'd get into some kind of sales. You can make great money, and apparently I could sell hair to a monkey, according to my friends.

    Ooh, or maybe I'd open a restaurant and be a chef. That'd be pretty sweet!

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  21. I always wanted to work for a fashion magazine - I imagine you'd have some awesome perks.

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  22. Summers off? You're kidding right?? Teachers get the summers off from the school they work in, but I don't know a single teacher who doesn't work over the summer.

    I want to stay in my field, but I'm not going to stay in the classroom forever. My goal is to open my own school/clinic sometime in the next five years or so.

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  23. I'm with Alexa - publicist!

    I'm actually seriously considering going to school to be a guidance counselor - so don't knock it too hard, k? :)

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  24. trust me! being a publicist isn't as glamarous as it sounds ;o) sure there are perks but...ya. not as glamarous.lol.

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  25. what i *really* want to do for a career is be paid to sing. I can't imagine anything better than to get up when i want (sometime around noon) work on warming up my vocals and then hit the studio for a session. i could do that *every* day.

    right now i work as a concierge on the weekends and a accounting assistant during the week... i have no idea what i want to do with my life and i'm 28. eventually i'll figure something out if the music career never takes off (doesn't look so good maybe i shoulda moved to memphis or TN instead of chicago?)

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