Are you working in your Career/Education choice

[disneychrista]

I'm in the field I went to school for. So Yes, I guess.

 

[indimom]

Currently yes, I'm working in my career of choice. But, there's a back story.
I went to college in the 90s, uncertain about my career field, but started out in psych because it was interesting. I changed my degree about midway through to Journalism with a photography minor. I graduated and worked for three years at a small town daily. And hated it every minute of it.
DH and I were ready to have a family and I had always enjoyed babysitting, so we talked it over... and I opened a day care and worked in that field for 16 years while my own kids were growing up. I got my associates degree in child development along the way. I enjoyed the kids, but eventually I wore out on the monotony of it all.
During that 20 years post college, I developed an interest in nursing. So, when the day care started to wear on me, I went back to school for nursing, and have been working in that field since getting my degree.
So, I never really had "one thing" I wanted to do. It was a lifetime of figuring it out....
I think I will safely be able to wrap up my working years in this field, because there are so many options. If I get bored with one area, I can always move into another area.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Yes, based on what degree I ended up with when I graduated.

I started college thinking I was going to teach high school English. I soon learned I didn't like teaching, although I liked literary analysis and writing. However, I wasn't interested in doing that as a job. Fortunately, by the time I figured out I didn't watch to teach, I had also learned HTML (this was 1995-96) and really enjoyed it. So I ended up with a double major in English Literature and Computer Science, but I had also taken 2 or 3 education classes.

My first job was as a technical writer for a company that makes K-12 administration software. It was the perfect synergy. I moved over to software development about 1 1/2 years later, and I've been at that company ever since. It will be 22 years in January.

 

[firefly_ris]

Yes I am; in web development. I did lose the passion for it about 8 years ago and wish I could do something more active and hands on and less staring at a screen, but right now it does give me the most schedule flexibility and I'm self employed on top of it so there's that.

 

[NFLDERS]

Nope, but then again the under-grad degree I got doesn't really qualify anybody for anything in specific. Even when I was taking it I had no vision of how I would apply it. University for me was pretty much a "go just to go" kind of deal. It didn't seem like such a terrible idea at the time (and about 1/2 of it I finished part-time while working full time) but now that my own DS is doing something similar, I worry about his lack of focus and his future prospects.

There's a lot to be said about just having had the University life experience.

My sons are like the ' A tale of two sons.' Our eldest chose a career in Sound Engineering. He has been employed now for 25ish years in the field, and has always loved it.

Our youngest chose Journalism Print what he would have enjoyed had the last minute story stresses not gotten to him. So.. after a few years he switched gears leaned on his new found interest in the Environment. He works in the area of that user friendly liquid they spray on our highways and byways. Also, in Water Purification.

Navigating this horrible Covid scenario for your son must be challenging, but I hope in some ways UV exciting. Also, that the path he chooses is his lifelong career joy.

 

[RUDisney]

I have a BS in Marketing and an MBA. I started as a management trainee in bank operations, but wasn't afraid to touch any of the dumb terminals that they had to fix them sooner than waiting for support to show up. Because of this, my boss asked for help in buying PCs for the bank. That lead to me programming a teller software and accounts desk software and starting the IT department at the bank. I managed that department for 17 years until my boss made it impossible for me to tolerate going there to work. I had reached the level of VP, but would not go further in that bank's patriarchal environment.

Now I work in Systems Integration, procuring IT hardware and software and I love it!

All the degrees have proven is that I had the stamina to stick with the program. I'm sure it's had some influence on my current and previous positions, but not in a direct way.

 

[ronandannette]

There's a lot to be said about just having had the University life experience.

My sons are like the ' A tale of two sons.' Our eldest chose a career in Sound Engineering. He has been employed now for 25ish years in the field, and has always loved it.

Our youngest chose Journalism Print what he would have enjoyed had the last minute story stresses not gotten to him. So.. after a few years he switched gears leaned on his new found interest in the Environment. He works in the area of that user friendly liquid they spray on our highways and byways. Also, in Water Purification.

Navigating this horrible Covid scenario for your son must be challenging, but I hope in some ways UV exciting. Also, that the path he chooses is his lifelong career joy.

Well, currently the university life experience is limited to sitting in his bedroom and staring at a computer screen. His classes aren’t even interactive like zoom meetings - they’re more like watching a TED talk on YouTube. The campus is completely closed except for those with coursework that requires labs. No social activities, no sports, library access only by appointment and even private study groups are discouraged. I’m sure you know young people and their gatherings are under great suspicion as Covid vectors so those that are more responsible in their choices are tending to lay very low right now.

 

[BrianL]

Not really. I went to school for technical writing though and I do use those skills all the time in my job - it's just that my job isn't technical writing.

 

[Mysterian]

I'm disabled now, but I worked in my chosen field for many years after school. I did design and illustration work for a Holiday decoration and licensing company. I did design work for Lionel Trains, Budweiser, Campbell's Soup, etc. I was happy for a long time before the mental illnesses really became too much.

Design and illustration, that's awesome! I wanted to get into that.

 

[Mysterian]

I'm in a field far different than what I have two degrees for. I'm not where I want to be ideally, but it is a really good career (good pay, benefits). My goal was to fulfill one path one while working in my current career, but that's been a challenge I'm working through.

 

[Monykalyn]

Well if you mean working in field of my degree yes-but I changed majors 6 or 7 times. But have worked in my field for over 20 years now. Have changed focus a few times, but back in area I always thought I'd end up. Registered Dietitian and I have worked just about every area available-in patient in hospital (and all areas there from NICU to trauma to rehab-to bariatric surgery outpatient counseling), community and now back to long term care which I like best.

My oldest has been interested in rocks from time she could walk-is now in grad school for geology, but focusing more on seismic side (earthquakes)

 

[NFLDERS]

Well, currently the university life experience is limited to sitting in his bedroom and staring at a computer screen. His classes aren’t even interactive like zoom meetings - they’re more like watching a TED talk on YouTube. The campus is completely closed except for those with coursework that requires labs. No social activities, no sports, library access only by appointment and even private study groups are discouraged. I’m sure you know young people and their gatherings are under great suspicion as Covid vectors so those that are more responsible in their choices are tending to lay very low right now.

So sorry to read of all the restrictions. Yeah our Premier has thus far called mandate offenders bad apples, yahoos; He is far kinder than I. All I cling to is hope in prayer that Covid19 will soon be a far and distant memory.

 

[ronandannette]

So sorry to read of all the restrictions. Yeah our Premier has thus far called mandate offenders Bad apples, Yahoos; He is far kinder than I. All I cling to is hope in prayer that Covid19 will soon be a far and distant memory.

This isn't a new thing regarding post-secondary school here. They all shut down and went on-line practically overnight in April and there was never any intention of going back in-person for the 20/21 academic year. Our K-12 schools all have an in-person option available but it was never even discussed for Universities.
**NOTE: There is some provision for coursework that requires practicums/labs. Our local trade/technical college, which much more heavily relies on in-person/hands-on instruction has a variety of strategies in place.

 

[Planogirl]

Nowhere close.

I got my engineering degree but it was in Industrial Engineering which wasn't a popular discipline. I took what I could job wise but someone discovered that I was good at talking to people. That gradually snowballed into always talking to people which I never wanted.

Now I have a job but not a career.

 

[Feralpeg]

My degree was in Elementary Education with an English minor. I spent 30 years working as a system analyst and manager in the IT field for a company that supported the financial industry. After I retired, I did teach for a year. If I had to do it all again, I'd go into a trade such as interior design, florist or some other creative niche. That's where I'm happiest.

 

[RangerPooh]

Nope. I wanted to work in wildland fire/forestry. While in college I was in a car accident that necessitated a career change. While I got four fire seasons under my belt, I wish that I had more. These days I work in higher education. I really enjoy my job, but it's not fire.

 

[soccerdad72]

Sort of - my undergrad is in accounting and I have my MBA. I'm not in a traditional accounting position like my wife, but I definitely use my business degree in my job.

 

[bethbuchall]

No. My degree is in Biomedical Computing. I took time off to be a SAHM, and I'm now a preschool teacher. Well, not currently, since our school closed for a year due to COVID.

 

[NFLDERS]

My degree was in Elementary Education with an English minor. I spent 30 years working as a system analyst and manager in the IT field for a company that supported the financial industry. After I retired, I did teach for a year. If I had to do it all again, I'd go into a trade such as interior design, florist or some other creative niche. That's where I'm happiest.

AND, talented at.

 

[NFLDERS]

gotta love those HS guidance folks.....I was deemed to pull green chain in the santiam valley of Oregon.

In my Guidance Dept. Counselor's defence, I had been an Alateen/ Peer youth counselor during my HS years so.. it would naturally seem like good advice. However, my HS Diploma was in Business & Commerce.