Maybe someone can give me some advice? :/

[Hydani]

I'm having an extremely hard time deciding what I want to "be" when I finish high school. I'm in grade 12 already and I'm completely lost. Most of the people at school know exactly what they want to do. However I'm clueless about what I want to do. I switch back and forth inbetween different careers. Does anyone know some sort of job that would require you to retain a lot of information that seems pointless to everyone other than the ones who need it? Hopefully it'll lead to a job that I could get in Disney? :confused3

I'm just looking for some suggestions :/ Any help would be really appreciated...

[OrlandoMike]

At your age, thinking you know what you want to do, and finding something that makes you happy, are two different things.

Just about everyone I know has a degree in some field, but works in another.

Advice? Just take life one day at a time. You will find jobs you like, and jobs you hate.....

Now if you like to share "pointless information", sounds like you could get into some sort of guest relations of concerage position. Do you have any local resorts near you where you could try this for a summer job?

[Hydani]

At your age, thinking you know what you want to do, and finding something that makes you happy, are two different things.

Just about everyone I know has a degree in some field, but works in another.

Advice? Just take life one day at a time. You will find jobs you like, and jobs you hate.....

Now if you like to share "pointless information", sounds like you could get into some sort of guest relations of concerage position. Do you have any local resorts near you where you could try this for a summer job?

Yeah, I have been thinking about that for a bit... I don't have anything but I was thinking of doing an International Internship at Disney for the kind of summer job idea of concierge :/

Mhm, a lot of people I talk to say that but it just seems like all the kids in my class know what they want. Ah... I'm researching everything.
Thanks for the advice :)

[OrlandoMike]

Yeah, I have been thinking about that for a bit... I don't have anything but I was thinking of doing an International Internship at Disney for the kind of summer job idea of concierge :/

Mhm, a lot of people I talk to say that but it just seems like all the kids in my class know what they want. Ah... I'm researching everything.
Thanks for the advice :)

Just be advised that Disney doesn't pay all that well, but it is a great experience.

As for the kids in your class, I have $20 that says about 90% of them will not be in the job they "think" they want in another 10 years. In the 12th grade, you really dont know what you want in life yet.......Just my two cents....:confused3

[iwish81792]

INDECISION IS OKAY. I'm in twelfth grade too so I know know where you're coming from...I think I want to go to college for psychology and gender study but to be honest I keep changing my mind. I'm applying to a wide variety of colleges so I have options. It's okay not to know. Most of my friends know exactly what they're doing too but really, they are in the minority.

[jkCT]

I went to college absolutely sure I wanted to be a teacher...then did my teaching internship sophomore year and thought, "oh no way am I doing this for the rest of my life!" I then got another degree in something I was interested in, and I work in a totally different field from what my degree is in(and have for 15 years). My advice would be to explore as much as you can...do "general studies" in college to get the basic requirements under your belt, then take any internship you can, do volunteer work, explore things through part time jobs. Give yourself some time to try different things. And remember, most people will have more than one career in their lifetime, so don't stress about it too much!

[MAF]

Eh the kids who think they have it all figured out are usually the ones who end up changing their majors half-way through college. It's ok that you don't know what you want to do for the rest of your life at age 18. :thumbsup2

[ConcKahuna]

You can always try one of the free career assesment tests there are online. Take a few of them and see what it tells you, you might be suprised at the kinds of jobs it suggests :)

http://www.livecareer.com/default.asp?lp=st01&cobrand=HOTJ&tag=091102131846629

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Plenty of time to figure it out!

If you enjoy school you might as well go ahead and get an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts. Those are all just basic mandatory classes. While you are working on that you might find an interest you want to pursue into a Bachelor's. Colleges have lots of tools to help you choose a career path - they have counselors and advisors on staff to help you sort out your options. I would also suggest volunteering in fields you think you might enjoy so you can get an idea of what it is REALLY like. Talk to as many people as you can in different jobs to find out what they like and don't like about the careers they have. Find out about "shadowing" people in different jobs. (I know I had to do that for one of my college courses, but I don't remember which one!)

I hated high school, so I didn't go to college until I was 23. I paid for it myself, and I worked MUCH harder than I would have if I had gone right after high school and had my parents pay for it. I was going to get a degree in social work, but I got sidetracked. I have been a nanny for 16 years now. ;)

[Hydani]

Just be advised that Disney doesn't pay all that well, but it is a great experience.

As for the kids in your class, I have $20 that says about 90% of them will not be in the job they "think" they want in another 10 years. In the 12th grade, you really dont know what you want in life yet.......Just my two cents....:confused3

Mhm... I hope so. Yeah I know Disney doesn't pay well, but I'd like to think that I work for the mouse. Although, if I stay here in Canada, I can get married one day.. Meh, I hope I don't change jobs :/

INDECISION IS OKAY. I'm in twelfth grade too so I know know where you're coming from...I think I want to go to college for psychology and gender study but to be honest I keep changing my mind. I'm applying to a wide variety of colleges so I have options. It's okay not to know. Most of my friends know exactly what they're doing too but really, they are in the minority.

I was going to go into psychology, but there's too many people :/ And I know I don't want it enough to work hard enough at it to get a job for sure. I'm taking a fifth year so I have more time to decide, and i can raise my marks :)

I went to college absolutely sure I wanted to be a teacher...then did my teaching internship sophomore year and thought, "oh no way am I doing this for the rest of my life!" I then got another degree in something I was interested in, and I work in a totally different field from what my degree is in(and have for 15 years). My advice would be to explore as much as you can...do "general studies" in college to get the basic requirements under your belt, then take any internship you can, do volunteer work, explore things through part time jobs. Give yourself some time to try different things. And remember, most people will have more than one career in their lifetime, so don't stress about it too much!

Oh man, that kinda makes me feel better haha :) Yeah, part time jobs. I know I don't want to work at Zellers for the rest of my life :laughing:

Eh the kids who think they have it all figured out are usually the ones who end up changing their majors half-way through college. It's ok that you don't know what you want to do for the rest of your life at age 18. :thumbsup2

Lol, yeah. I'd hate to do that. Couldn't imagine spending thousands of dollars to turn around and change careers... I'm crazy saving with my money lol

You can always try one of the free career assesment tests there are online. Take a few of them and see what it tells you, you might be suprised at the kinds of jobs it suggests :)

http://www.livecareer.com/default.asp?lp=st01&cobrand=HOTJ&tag=091102131846629

I'll take that ! Those things help me a lot. I've been using careercruising.com a lot and it's given me martial arts instructor one too many times. Thanks for the link:thumbsup2

Plenty of time to figure it out!

If you enjoy school you might as well go ahead and get an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts. Those are all just basic mandatory classes. While you are working on that you might find an interest you want to pursue into a Bachelor's. Colleges have lots of tools to help you choose a career path - they have counselors and advisors on staff to help you sort out your options. I would also suggest volunteering in fields you think you might enjoy so you can get an idea of what it is REALLY like. Talk to as many people as you can in different jobs to find out what they like and don't like about the careers they have. Find out about "shadowing" people in different jobs. (I know I had to do that for one of my college courses, but I don't remember which one!)

I hated high school, so I didn't go to college until I was 23. I paid for it myself, and I worked MUCH harder than I would have if I had gone right after high school and had my parents pay for it. I was going to get a degree in social work, but I got sidetracked. I have been a nanny for 16 years now. ;)

Yeah! I did think I'd like to be a physiotherapist and I took a co-op there. I hate it so much haha :) I'm so glad I did it. I'll look up on that job shadowing though. Is it for a day or two? That would be my kind of thing... And I'm also going to look into the Liberal Arts courses... Thanks :)


Ah, you guys are great. Thanks :) Your help is Greatly appreciated.

[hematite153]

Does anyone know some sort of job that would require you to retain a lot of information that seems pointless to everyone other than the ones who need it?

Library Science
Teaching
Computing Support
Tour Guide (in many areas)


Now if you like to share "pointless information", sounds like you could get into some sort of guest relations of concerage position. Do you have any local resorts near you where you could try this for a summer job?

You could look at Canada's Wonderland. They usually hire University students for most of their jobs and I think they sometimes include housing -- although you don't make much money, you do get the job experience to know if you want to do it long-term.


If you enjoy school you might as well go ahead and get an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts. ...

These are US degree designations and fairly different from what you'll find in Windsor. Canadian Universities are starting to have a few Liberal Artzy programs although most of them require really high grades to get in. (You might want to look at Carleton's "Arts One" program though. I think it's easier to get into and it gives you a first year that is a survey of related fields based on your interests.) So, you do need to have a better idea of what you want to do with yourself before it's worth spending all the money on post-secondary education. Taking time to be sure you know what you want will be worth it in the end.

You mentioned that you're going to do a 5th year of high school. Take a look at some of the co-op opportunities and dual credit programs with the Colleges to see if you can get some more work-related exposure to help you figure out what you like doing. (You have 3 more semesters, which means up to 3 more co-op opportunities). There are also some terrific apprenticeship programs out there at the moment. For instance, have you ever thought of being an electrician? If so, it's possible to get them to pay YOU to learn the job.

Good luck figuring it out!

[OrlandoMike]

This....to me...is the perfect example of someone who found their dream job! If you want to be happy in your work life, figure out what makes you happy, set some goals, and go for it! :thumbsup2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OpTO7V2S-U

[kingLouiethe1]

I am 30 years old and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up :woohoo:

I'm only now at the point where I'm starting to make some longer term goals for life in general, up until now I just kind of coasted and ended up in some pretty cool places. I got a degree in journalism, because I enjoy writing, but I ended up working as a graphic designer and layout person based on only a few courses from my major.

My advice would be to get the most versatile degree you find interesting yet still has a focus (and I'm gonna be anti-free spirit a little here and say a useful focus), English, Finance, Business, Philosophy etc. These can be a great jumping off point to finding something you want to do.

The most important things I've learned are skills I've acquired in the workplace, so just remember you never stop learning. The degree is just there to open a few doors for you. Around here you can't be a receptionist without a degree these days.

And as long as I'm doling out life advice that no one asked for. I'm all about options. Don't let your life trap you. Beware of debt. I'm all for going in to debt for higher education, but I would not go into crazy private school debt, not even for USC or Princeton. I have friends who went to USC film school because it's one of the most prestigious in the country, and they graduated with $150K in debt and ended up at $40k a year jobs, figure out how long that's going to take!

[rosiep]

I think college is a great way to broaden your interests. My daughter Zena took everything from Japanese to Women Studies to Family Studies and finally found the area that really held her passion. Sometimes you didn't even suspect it was there!

As many people before me have stated....it sometimes takes a long while to find. I know alot of adults who are still looking. It's ok.....the journey is as important as the destination. :hug:

[rpmdfw]

I know alot of adults who are still looking. It's ok.....the journey is as important as the destination. :hug:

Or even more important. I know for me it is.

[rosiep]

Or even more important. I know for me it is.

Life gets interesting doesn't it? ;)

[rpmdfw]

Life gets interesting doesn't it? ;)

Too much so, sometimes. But it beats the alternatives. :thumbsup2

[Hydani]

I think college is a great way to broaden your interests. My daughter Zena took everything from Japanese to Women Studies to Family Studies and finally found the area that really held her passion. Sometimes you didn't even suspect it was there!

As many people before me have stated....it sometimes takes a long while to find. I know alot of adults who are still looking. It's ok.....the journey is as important as the destination. :hug:

Thank you :) Japanese would be a cool course. I'm hoping to take a few more courses in high school that might help me decide, and I'm going to just chance it and go to university next year. I'll just take a few courses that I like and see where it goes from there I guess haha

I am 30 years old and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up :woohoo:

I'm only now at the point where I'm starting to make some longer term goals for life in general, up until now I just kind of coasted and ended up in some pretty cool places. I got a degree in journalism, because I enjoy writing, but I ended up working as a graphic designer and layout person based on only a few courses from my major.

My advice would be to get the most versatile degree you find interesting yet still has a focus (and I'm gonna be anti-free spirit a little here and say a useful focus), English, Finance, Business, Philosophy etc. These can be a great jumping off point to finding something you want to do.

The most important things I've learned are skills I've acquired in the workplace, so just remember you never stop learning. The degree is just there to open a few doors for you. Around here you can't be a receptionist without a degree these days.

And as long as I'm doling out life advice that no one asked for. I'm all about options. Don't let your life trap you. Beware of debt. I'm all for going in to debt for higher education, but I would not go into crazy private school debt, not even for USC or Princeton. I have friends who went to USC film school because it's one of the most prestigious in the country, and they graduated with $150K in debt and ended up at $40k a year jobs, figure out how long that's going to take!

Oh yes, I know. It's proven that electricians, on average, make more than most doctors do in their lifetime. I really hope I find the job I like :/ I think I'm going to take a degree with English and then I want to try to get a Hospitality Management course. Someone at my co-op is over 45 years old and she still doesn't know what she wants to be.

This....to me...is the perfect example of someone who found their dream job! If you want to be happy in your work life, figure out what makes you happy, set some goals, and go for it! :thumbsup2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OpTO7V2S-U

Wow, haha yeah. Being a greeter probably doesn't make a lot of money, but that man seems really happy. I've never met him, but I wish I would have... I love people like that. They really believe in Disney magic.

[kingLouiethe1]

I think college is a great way to broaden your interests.

Is that what happened to your hips?

[Hydani]

Library Science
Teaching
Computing Support
Tour Guide (in many areas)




You could look at Canada's Wonderland. They usually hire University students for most of their jobs and I think they sometimes include housing -- although you don't make much money, you do get the job experience to know if you want to do it long-term.



These are US degree designations and fairly different from what you'll find in Windsor. Canadian Universities are starting to have a few Liberal Artzy programs although most of them require really high grades to get in. (You might want to look at Carleton's "Arts One" program though. I think it's easier to get into and it gives you a first year that is a survey of related fields based on your interests.) So, you do need to have a better idea of what you want to do with yourself before it's worth spending all the money on post-secondary education. Taking time to be sure you know what you want will be worth it in the end.

You mentioned that you're going to do a 5th year of high school. Take a look at some of the co-op opportunities and dual credit programs with the Colleges to see if you can get some more work-related exposure to help you figure out what you like doing. (You have 3 more semesters, which means up to 3 more co-op opportunities). There are also some terrific apprenticeship programs out there at the moment. For instance, have you ever thought of being an electrician? If so, it's possible to get them to pay YOU to learn the job.

Good luck figuring it out!

Hmm... Yeah maybe I'll take another co-op next year. Or I was thinking a business course to help me decide on whether or not I want to be in the hospitality business(it includes both subjects in our school). Mhm, they were talking about apprenticeship today at the St.Clair College presentation. Apparently they have a LOT of those. I think I'm going to definitely take an English course in my post-secondary education. At St. Clair though, they do have a Tourism and Travel program. Maybe I can try that out for a bit...

[OrlandoMike]

Too much so, sometimes. But it beats the alternatives. :thumbsup2

You got that right! :hug:




Have I told you lately how much I love the Waffle House?

[wallyb]

Too much so, sometimes. But it beats the alternatives. :thumbsup2

I don't get it? :scratchin

[npmommie]

Just be advised that Disney doesn't pay all that well, but it is a great experience.

As for the kids in your class, I have $20 that says about 90% of them will not be in the job they "think" they want in another 10 years. In the 12th grade, you really dont know what you want in life yet.......Just my two cents....:confused3

completely agree.

I started out in college thinking I knew what I wanted to be, then changed my mind, then changed it again :)

I am in a completely different career than I though I wanted back then.

You have plenty of time to explore and find what makes you happy,:)

[DVC~OKW~96]

I've started a reply to this thread several times and end up not posting.

I think what I can most strongly encourage is to explore. Test, experiment, research, anything at all that sounds remotely interesting to you. Don't lock yourself into a "this is it forever" sort of thinking pattern, because I'm here to tell you, that is beyond rare. Most people do not pick their course of life at 18 and stick to it without any changes, or refining of the original mission/goal.

Liberal Arts is a good place to start. It will afford you the opportunity to study any number of subjects and see if one resonates more strongly than the next.

I encourage you with total sincerity to follow your love, your bliss if you will (Yes, I know Joseph Campbell and all that) because that is the seed, the core of the truly satisfied (and therefore most emotionally healthy, socially productive and personally secure) person.

Don't push yourself into something that is offered solely because "the money is good," or "the security of the profession is good," or other old "truths" of that nature.

Revel in the options out there and wallow in the glee of having so many choices!!!

Take care and always ask yourself, "what sort of person do I want to be" then go out and BE that person. :hug:

[wallyb]

I've decided - You should be the person who puts the aglets on shoelaces.
But - be the worlds best aglet attacher! ;)

[DVC~OKW~96]

Aglets are very important things. Ever try to lace a shoe without one in place? :)

[kingLouiethe1]

Aglets are very important things. Ever try to lace a shoe without one in place? :)

I'm hearing one of those Budweiser commercials playing "Real men of genius!"

[Hydani]

completely agree.

I started out in college thinking I knew what I wanted to be, then changed my mind, then changed it again :)

I am in a completely different career than I though I wanted back then.

You have plenty of time to explore and find what makes you happy,:)

Haha, yeah see, I hear a lot of that. Maybe it's not so bad if i decide to change my career a few times before I figure out what I want :confused3

I've started a reply to this thread several times and end up not posting.

I think what I can most strongly encourage is to explore. Test, experiment, research, anything at all that sounds remotely interesting to you. Don't lock yourself into a "this is it forever" sort of thinking pattern, because I'm here to tell you, that is beyond rare. Most people do not pick their course of life at 18 and stick to it without any changes, or refining of the original mission/goal.

Liberal Arts is a good place to start. It will afford you the opportunity to study any number of subjects and see if one resonates more strongly than the next.

I encourage you with total sincerity to follow your love, your bliss if you will (Yes, I know Joseph Campbell and all that) because that is the seed, the core of the truly satisfied (and therefore most emotionally healthy, socially productive and personally secure) person.

Don't push yourself into something that is offered solely because "the money is good," or "the security of the profession is good," or other old "truths" of that nature.

Revel in the options out there and wallow in the glee of having so many choices!!!

Take care and always ask yourself, "what sort of person do I want to be" then go out and BE that person. :hug:

:hug:
Wow, yeah. I don't know, it feels so crazy. Like what if you have a job you love but lose it because there are too many people, not enough jobs? I'm always scared of that. But I guess, if youre good enough at something with a lot of experience, it'll be easy to get paid an average amount of money. I've always wanted to work for Disney, no matter what the pay is. I'm actually thinking about going there for 6 months and doing an internship. I just feel so attached to the magic of that place that I don't care how much they pay. I'm not going to work there as a store clerk for the rest of my life though haha, that wouldn't be too good.

I think I'm going to look up some more programs for colleges and universities in ontario. I'll figure something out hopefully :/

[Hydani]

I've decided - You should be the person who puts the aglets on shoelaces.
But - be the worlds best aglet attacher! ;)

:rotfl: kk, I will be an aglet attacher :) Hopefully they make more than $5 an hour haha

[DVC~OKW~96]

Doing an internship, or working stint at WDW would be a great way to explore your options. It's no secret that WDW does not pay well, and that the majority of folks who work for the corporation are not on "easy street." :)

It would give you a chance to decide in what capacity you may want to work for WDW. Or it may convince you that the magic is for vacation, and you don't want to work where you most like to play. You won't know until you explore. ::yes::

Good luck to you. I like the sharing that you are doing here. It's exciting to see someone embark upon the beginning of a journey. ::yes::

[Hydani]

Doing an internship, or working stint at WDW would be a great way to explore your options. It's no secret that WDW does not pay well, and that the majority of folks who work for the corporation are not on "easy street." :)

It would give you a chance to decide in what capacity you may want to work for WDW. Or it may convince you that the magic is for vacation, and you don't want to work where you most like to play. You won't know until you explore. ::yes::

Good luck to you. I like the sharing that you are doing here. It's exciting to see someone embark upon the beginning of a journey. ::yes::

And I thank all of you guys for helping me out with this :grouphug: You really have all been a help. I think I know what I'm going to try for now... May change it later, but everything seems good. :goodvibes

[hematite153]

I want to be in the hospitality business(it includes both subjects in our school). Mhm, they were talking about apprenticeship today at the St.Clair College presentation. Apparently they have a LOT of those. I think I'm going to definitely take an English course in my post-secondary education. At St. Clair though, they do have a Tourism and Travel program. Maybe I can try that out for a bit...

St. Clair College has some great programs!