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There are so many different jobs. People do so many different things for work. Sometimes I wonder how people fall into these jobs — or do they fall into them? I know that I sort of stumbled into my last job and, while it wasn’t my absolute passion, I did it well and it was something I did enjoy doing most of the time.
That being said, people blog for a living, people try on clothes for a living, people read the news to other people, people write, people sculpt, people drive, fly, talk, eat, boss others around, watch tv, design plastic spoons, perfect recipes for bread.
How did they all get their start? At almost 27 years of age I have begun to question whether or not I will ever get a start — could it be that I am one of those who drifts career to career? Is it a myth that we can do anything? That there is potential? That, somehow, the expectations of others will be fulfilled for each individual? Are we all destined for greatness?
I suppose there are a few different viewpoints on how to begin a career.
- That of my the generations of our parents and grandparents: start out little. Buy What Color is Your Parachute, go to Brooks Brothers and buy a nice conservative suit, apply at fifty or so companies for whatever position may be available (in the words of an older relative, “how about starting out mopping the floors at Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing”) and work your way up to the much coveted middle-management 9-5 job — eventually ending up with a full pension and retiring at 60.
- That of many a few of my college friends: Decide what interests you, pursue it in school, live at the career development office, hone your internship seeking abilities, apply for fifty or so internships around the country, move around with each internship opportunity, decide that the corporate (or non-profit) world is right for you, then get a masters degree/doctorate/boyorgirlfriend in your chosen field, work steadily within the career that has become your passion, sometimes look at others and wonder why they aren’t like you…
- That of a small portion of my college friends: Try to find what interests you, realize there isn’t really that much other than beer, go to class, since you’re brilliant you don’t need to study, leave college and return home, go to grad school for the hell of it, get a degree, go work somewhere outside of your field because you are just brilliant.
- That of the rest of my college friends (myself included): Try to find what interests you, decide there are too many things, take courses all over the map in college, major in english (or sociology, psychology, biology, art history, political science, music — hell why not a double major?) while buying into the myth? idea that a liberal arts degree is useful in any field, leave college having only a vague notion that you don’t want to live at home, decide to half-heartedly pursue the above mentioned career success path #1, realize that that copy of What Color is Your Parachute is almost a more daunting read than Beowulf in the original old English, end up working at a somewhat lower paying hourly job in the service industry, quickly advance to management because other management realizes you know how to read/write/show up to work, keep advancing almost unbeknownst to yourself, lose sight of goals, get laid off because less people can afford $5 cups of coffee, start blog…
While I have taken the path of #4, I feel like it’s not necessarily the worst way to go about things. My grad school experience was in the real world, it was managing a group of people, it was learning how to do HR, inventory, customer service, networking, maintenance, and crisis management. The problem is that it wasn’t my passion. Perhaps it is a blessing to have been laid off so that I might pursue mine.
In any event, I take comfort in knowing that, while there are many people who have done great/important/impressive things with their lives early on, I feel there almost as many people who didn’t realize greatness until later in life. Those who struggled through their twenties and thirties and built upon these experiences to make great works of art, start innovative companies, raise amazing families, realize their dreams — even at age 50 or 60.
Of course, I hope I get there a bit faster…
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