I need some advice

[Nina]

Ok I need help, I am 26 and can't figure out what to do with my life. ( i know sounds lame). TO give you some back ground info, I gradualted highschool and went right into university, with the plan on being a psychology. well after 3 years I just didn't have the passion anymore, and went to hair school. I graduated and became a hairstylist, liked it but there is no money in it. And with the student loans that I have to pay I would be in the poor house in no time, and that is even when I was a manager at a hair salon, so after the sugery I had I quit hair styling ( I still cut my families hair of course)  Anyway now I work at a call center, I gwt paid very well but I hate it. My contract ends in November and I can't wait. I just don't know what I want to do. It is quite stressful. And I feel like such a loser.
 My fiance has a wonderful job, and he never went to university! And he makes awesome money.


Nina

[newflvr]

I think that it would be a great investment if you'd go to a career counselor....s omeone who can look at all the things you've done, help you to build a resume and, if necessary help you get in to training for something that you'd REALLY like to do!  My daughter was so talented in both art and writing and she had NO idea what do do with it.  After getting counselling, she ended up getting degree in communications-screen writing.  Well, that didn't work out so well.  After talking to her counselor again, she got in to graphic design....and LOVES it!  It's a perfect fit.  She's SO much happier.   There just isn't a straight road to "growing up".

[mastiffmommy]

Nina..... I know that feeling. When I was young (like two decades ago lol) I didnt really think about what I wanted to do, and automatically went along and studied economy and finance (I guess because I was kinda okay in math and my dad worked in that area) So after quite a few years and a very expensive education I had my masters in economy. I worked in that field for some time, was never really  happy with it. "Fiddled" around with other things while doing that. trained to be a dog and cat groomer, started a vet. tech edu. which I had to quit when I got promoted and had to work like 80+ hours a week. Today I think that was the biggest mistake I made. I should have continued and become a vet. tech and from there a vet. there is where my passion really is. BUT didnt do that.

Soooo here I am with a great edu. never use it, dont even want to have a job in that field, and am now spending my days taking care of my family, doing rescue work and (not so little time on here lol) Dont feel like a looser, just because you have not yet found what you really want to do, does not in any way make you a looser.

I think newflvrs advice is great. Take the time and the money and go to a career counselor and really take your time to figure out what you want to do.

Meanwhile there are doggies that needs to be fostered and I am sure they will keep you busy.

Good Luck

Marit

[Jenn]

Life is very short!!! The aberage person changes careers at least 5 times so don't feel like you are the ONLY one whose a bit lost. I had a great career in radio but did not enjoy all that came with it including having NO ANONIMITY!!!!Being on billboards was fun at first then scarry when I started to acquire stalkers. Now I am a volcanologist who gets to travel to crazy places and surf some really good waves. I quit radio and went back to school to pursue something I really love. If your mate gives great support and you can live a simpler life for some time maybe you could take a couple of classes and see what interests you. You, and only you, can find yourself. Good luck on the journey. And don't worry...life is short.

[mastiffmommy]

Ahhhhh Jenn...... are you telling us we have a celeb. here 

What kind of radio did you do, and ouch...... I am  not a brave person, so the thought of stalker is real scarry.

hmmmm mind you being way too close to volcanos kinda seems scarry too lol...... Do you go before, when or after they have errupted, or just anytime to messure and do whatever it is a volcanologist does.

marit

[Nina]

Thanks for all the great advice! I am lucky that I have such a wonderful future husband ( Sept 24 is the big day)    He supports whatever decision I make. He suggested that since I love animals so much, why not persue a career involving animals? Don't know why I didn't think of it before. So I am thinking of vet tech, toxicologist, which is a lot of schooling, but I loved biology and chemistry ect in school, and did quite well in it, graduated with honors in school. So I am going to do more research on it, see if I can use some of my credits from university towards a new career! And I feel good about this.



Nina

[mastiffmommy]

that sound like a great thing for you, we all know how passionat you are about the dogs and all. So vet. tech is probabl something you will enjoy a lot. I hope you can use some of your old credits, that will help some.

Good Luck

marit

[mastiffmommy]

I forgot....... sept 24, wow that is just a little over a month left. is it going to be a big church wedding or a informal thing? You must be soooo excited, hmmmm are the dogs invited 

Marit

[Nina]

I forgot....... sept 24, wow that is just a little over a month left. is it going to be a big church wedding or a informal thing? You must be soooo excited, hmmmm are the dogs invited 

Marit

I am so excited, my dress comes in next week!! It is going to be a small church wedding but formal. about 80 people, less stress that way The dogs are coming to Nova Scotia ( not looking foreard to an 8 hr flight) with us but not the wedding.  Jolene ( my cat) is being babysat, she doen't fly well, so I don't want her to be stress out.

Nina

[mastiffmommy]

wow that is soooo great that youll bring your dogs, most people would leave them with someone. Hats off to you 

Friends of ours got married in may, she was all beside herself when her dress came, she isnt the emotional type, but just looking at the dress made her cry. And Im a crybaby so I cried just from watching her cry lol

Marit

[jabear]

COngratulation s on the upcoming nuptuals. I bet you are dying fort hebig day to get here already. And I think it is awesome that you are bringing the dogs with you. Where are you located again- just wondering since the flight is 8 hours. 

As for the job thing, I totally understand and am like you in that aspect. I was a psych major in college too and thought I wanted to do that forever but when it came time to graduate I could not even imagine the idea of 4-6 more years of school. So, I did what my family does- become a teacher. I didn't think I liked little kids so I went to work at a junior college and found that to be dreadful. The students were so mean to me because I was 20 years younger than most of them and was the boss.  So the following year I went to the elementary school and did 3rd grade for 2 years and am now entering my 3rd year in 4th grade. I do like it but I hate not having any money. I could make more as a waitress at a nice restaurant so I too wrestle with the job thing. I want a job I love not just like that makes a lot of money. It is scary to change careers since it was natural to enter into the education field and I am good at it since it is in my blood. Hmm.....guess if I was ore confident in myself I could make the move to a more appropriate job...hopefull y someday I can.

Go with your heart and do whatever makes you happy. Remember that you spend the majority of your day at work so it should be something you really enjoy.

[shangrila]

First of all, congrats on your upcoming nuptuals May you be happy together for a lifetime.

Second of all, don't worry so much about your career. If you are miserable at the call center, find another job that you like better - like others have said, life is too short and you spend too much of it at work to be unhappy with it. Everyone changes careers some time in their life, and very few people end up working in the field they went to school for. What are your passions? What is it that made you quit being a hair dresser (besides the money). If it's just the money, are there any upscale salons in your area that would pay enough? If it is not just the money, what parts of your job did you love? Maybe you could build on those - for instance, if it is style that you loved, maybe you would want to be an interior decorator or something else that is very style-centered; if it was interacting with people that you loved, maybe you would like being in sales or  something else where you are constantly meeting new people.

I myself have already abandoned my college degree and I have only been out of school 2 years. Everyone had big plans for me and wanted me to major in something 'intellectual' but I wanted to be a tv producer, so I went to a small school that specializes in media and studies communications . Well, I wasn't willing to move to LA when I graduated (I wanted to work at pbs or a local station here in boston), which it turned out meant that my $130K degree wasn't worth crap since a degree from my college apparently only means something in LA or NY. So I basically had to start from scratch. I didn't want to commit to a job that I didn't think would make me happy, so I tempted until I found one - which ended up meaning I temped for a year and a half. I realized I had to figure out a new career and considered being a vet tech (because I love animals obviously), being a real estate agent (my SO and I own multi-family houses so I know a lot about the field and I am also very outgoing), social work (I'm one of those do-gooders who wants to change the world),  and being a teacher (I have worked with kids my whole life and have always made an effort to teach what I know to help people). I thought really hard about it, and I realized that of all of the jobs I have had so far in life, the only one that gave me true joy was teaching swim lessons to kids, and so off to an elementary school I went. Now I am a teaching assistant and going back to school to get a masters in education. In my perfect world, I would be a media proffesor/teacher so I could combine my love of teaching with my love of creating media, but I know that's not realistic, so I think being an elementary school teacher is a good second choice for me since I love kids so much.... Anyways, my point is, it took me two years of soul searching while I tempted to fill time to come to the conclusion, and even though the pay was (and still is) low as sin I still think it was worth it if I can come home from work feeling good about my job at least most of the time.

[Nina]

Nina, with your love of animals and skill at hair styling, have you thought about becoming a dog groomer? 

You know that is what tim said, and I do have all the equipment for it too. And it is something that I will consider.  :)I just want to do something that makes me happy, with decent wages. I make decent money now, even working at a call center, but I hate it. I wake up in the morning and just don't want to go to work at all.  And life is way to short for that! The only reason I am still there now is because my contract ends Nov 1, I can wait to leave until then.
The reason I don't do hair anymore is one because is really don't pay well at all, like $7.00 an hour at most places, unless you have your own clients then you usually, get commission and make decent money. The main reason I left hair styling is because of severe shoulder pain in my left shoulder, and I can't have it lifted for long periods of time, doesn't mix well with hair styling.
Thanks again for all the great advice, you all made me feel so much better 

Nina

[shangrila]

shangrilarcadia, there are lots of ways to combine your passions for media and teaching--you just have to either seek them out or create them!  I know several people who are working in jobs teaching kids (from preschool through high school) to create video. 

Well I tried this summer actually. They have summer enrichment programs and I applied to teach a video course and didn't get it because they said they were already full... And I know that there are highschools with tv studios, but with school budgets the way they are it is pretty much impossible to find a school who can still afford to run it. The town I live in now has a teacher who teachers a few tv classes - I would love to do that, but it's pretty much unrealistic since there is basically only one spot in the whole area and it's already taken. I am going to pitch the tv course again next summer (earlier this time) and see how it goes.

[Nina]

I hope you get it, the TV course. I would have loved to have somthing like that when I was in school.




Nina