- Don’t write of an entire line of work because of one job. I always said I hated retail. Truth was, I hated the company, or the customers, or my co-workers, or the low pay, or some combination of those. The actual retail work could be enjoyable – helping customers find what they wanted, learning about new products/books, making displays, etc. Think back over your past jobs and try and find at least one thing you like about each.
- The worst job in the world can still teach you something. Years later you may look back and think “sure, that job was bad, but I learned a lot.” Try your best not to burn bridges- as much as you fantasize about telling the boss everything that is wrong with his/her style of management, keep it a fantasy. In real life, use the “it’s not you, it’s me” line and get out as pleasantly as possible.
- Ask everyone you meet “do you like your job?” If they do, for god’s sake, find out why. Maybe you’d like it too.
- Your past need not determine your future. Because I told everyone for years I was going to be an artist or an art teacher, I was reluctant to change. But it felt right, so I leapt in.
- Your Bachelors degree need not determine your Master’s degree. I didn’t realize how many Master’s degrees don’t require any specific Bachelor’s – only that you have a Bachelor’s, and that your grades were decent (3.0 or higher, usually). You might also have to take a test (like the GRE or GMAT).
My own rethinking of careers was entirely by accident- when I graduated with my Bachelors in Fine Art, the plan was to get a full time job and save so I could go and get my Master’s in Fine Art. I didn’t really have a reason to get my Master’s – the art world business scene annoys me, and I don’t know that I would like teaching (not to mention college level art teaching jobs are nearly impossible to come by), but hey, it was something to do right?
I applied for anything and everything, and landed a job in an academic library. It didn’t take me long to realize I really liked working in a library, and the variety of jobs available to a library school graduate was quite large. I took my first library science class in the fall, and quite enjoyed it. I am now enrolled in the University of Missouri-Columbia. Instead of a year off of school, I only took 3 months. It’s all happened so fast, and I am thrilled- after years of wondering “what will become of me” I finally have an idea.
I have another one for you: Don’t ignore the opinions of others regarding a possible career choice for you. The best and most suitable job I ever had was given to me when I applied for something else and the employer could tell by my resume that I would be perfect for marketing. I had been told that by others in the past and never paid much attention–I never had any clue what I wanted to do, just what I could do. Marketing ended up being a perfect fit for me.