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If you hadn't gone in the profession you went into which specialty would you have gone in?
#specialty #profession
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Alison’s Answer
Hi Vanisha,
It sounds like you’re giving some serious consideration to your career path! And are maybe trying to choose which path is right for you?
In my case, I went into college sure that I was going to be an elementary school teacher. I figured out about half way through college that what I really wanted to be was a high school English teacher. And, then, I figured out after my first job that education administration, especially for non-traditional education companies, was more my speed.
However, I was also really fascinated by both psychology and linguistics. I feel like I found my niche with education administration, but I also think I would have been quite happy as a speech pathologist or pursuing a career in psychology.
The thing about all three of these areas is that they were (and still are) areas that fascinate me. I could see myself doing any of those jobs, I’ve enjoyed doing the jobs I’ve held, and I still enjoy reading up on developments in the fields I didn’t go into as often as I can. I ended up going in the direction of education, but that doesn’t mean psychology or linguistics aren’t a part of my life. So, if you’re finding yourself in a similar situation of choosing a direction, or worrying that one direction stops you from going in another, don’t worry too much about it. Explore as many of your interests as you can in your classes and your extracurricular activities, and you’ll likely find that your path will seem clearer as you go. And, if you’re truly fascinated by a few different areas, you’ll likely find ways to keep them all in your life, even if just informally.
Best wishes to you!
It sounds like you’re giving some serious consideration to your career path! And are maybe trying to choose which path is right for you?
In my case, I went into college sure that I was going to be an elementary school teacher. I figured out about half way through college that what I really wanted to be was a high school English teacher. And, then, I figured out after my first job that education administration, especially for non-traditional education companies, was more my speed.
However, I was also really fascinated by both psychology and linguistics. I feel like I found my niche with education administration, but I also think I would have been quite happy as a speech pathologist or pursuing a career in psychology.
The thing about all three of these areas is that they were (and still are) areas that fascinate me. I could see myself doing any of those jobs, I’ve enjoyed doing the jobs I’ve held, and I still enjoy reading up on developments in the fields I didn’t go into as often as I can. I ended up going in the direction of education, but that doesn’t mean psychology or linguistics aren’t a part of my life. So, if you’re finding yourself in a similar situation of choosing a direction, or worrying that one direction stops you from going in another, don’t worry too much about it. Explore as many of your interests as you can in your classes and your extracurricular activities, and you’ll likely find that your path will seem clearer as you go. And, if you’re truly fascinated by a few different areas, you’ll likely find ways to keep them all in your life, even if just informally.
Best wishes to you!
Updated
Jami’s Answer
If I was not a nurse I would have gone into law enforcement or psychology. What kinds of things are you interested in?
Updated
charles’s Answer
Vanisha,
That is an excellent question.
It's extremely difficult to unwind our decision-making process and then project what our lives and careers would have been like had we chosen a different career path.
My general advice is to make a tentative decision about career goals, especially while still in school. In my case, I worked extremely hard at a demanding liberal arts college here in California, majoring in the field of Government. As you can imagine, many of my classmates planned on becoming attorneys. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I did make one decision - I did not want to be a lawyer! So I researched fields and decided to apply for positions in the insurance industry, either as a claims representative (handling personal injury and workers' compensation claims), or as an Underwriter (investigating businesses to determine whether to write insurance policies for them). As luck (or fate) would have it, I thought that I was going to interview for my 1st job at Travelers for an underwriter position. In the elevator on the way down to the interview, the HR Manager informed me that the open position was a Claim Representative Trainee. I tried not to panic; instead, recalling the issues and types of questions that might arise during an interview for this job. I got the job, and was relieved when the Claims Manager told me that I could spend my entire career with Travelers. Well, 42 years later, after quitting to attend law school (I found through negotiating with attorneys that I could hold my own), I have worked for a total of 9 different employers. Now I have my ideal job, signing on 10 years ago to start up a house counsel workers' compensation legal department at a California insurance company. I plan to retire from my managing attorney position with this same company.
My advice is to learn your strengths, listen to your heart, be flexible and keep fine-tuning your job search to find positions that are more and more just right for your skills and talents. Keep an open mind, and don't pigeon-hole yourself too soon. Early on, I focused on a potential science career, but found out in college that I wasn't good enough at math to compete with the pre-med students. I learned that I loved words, loved the "gray areas", rather than black-and-white-right-or-wrong answers. In the legal field, I had to learn this lesson all over again, as I tried to obtain positions in "transactional" law (wills, trusts, business and real estate deals, etc.), avoiding the contentiousness of litigation. But words are my strength, so here I am, still at it after 36 years as a litigator.
I have a long-standing interest in human nature and psychology, so if I hadn't worked as an attorney, I probably would have become a psychologist. I just wasn't certain that I would enjoy many years of listening to so many people's personal problems. However, I am still interested in human psychology , read about it and apply what I've learned to my interactions with family members and with opposing counsel in litigated cases.
So my advice is to pursue your passion to select the right job and profession for you, but also find ways to integrate your secondary interests into your chosen profession, where possible. You can also pursue those secondary interests through hobbies outside of work. I love to write - that is one of my greatest talents. So in addition to writing legal briefs on the job, I write fiction in my spare time, having completed a novel and a novella that I converted to a play.
Good luck to you in your discernment process!
That is an excellent question.
It's extremely difficult to unwind our decision-making process and then project what our lives and careers would have been like had we chosen a different career path.
My general advice is to make a tentative decision about career goals, especially while still in school. In my case, I worked extremely hard at a demanding liberal arts college here in California, majoring in the field of Government. As you can imagine, many of my classmates planned on becoming attorneys. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I did make one decision - I did not want to be a lawyer! So I researched fields and decided to apply for positions in the insurance industry, either as a claims representative (handling personal injury and workers' compensation claims), or as an Underwriter (investigating businesses to determine whether to write insurance policies for them). As luck (or fate) would have it, I thought that I was going to interview for my 1st job at Travelers for an underwriter position. In the elevator on the way down to the interview, the HR Manager informed me that the open position was a Claim Representative Trainee. I tried not to panic; instead, recalling the issues and types of questions that might arise during an interview for this job. I got the job, and was relieved when the Claims Manager told me that I could spend my entire career with Travelers. Well, 42 years later, after quitting to attend law school (I found through negotiating with attorneys that I could hold my own), I have worked for a total of 9 different employers. Now I have my ideal job, signing on 10 years ago to start up a house counsel workers' compensation legal department at a California insurance company. I plan to retire from my managing attorney position with this same company.
My advice is to learn your strengths, listen to your heart, be flexible and keep fine-tuning your job search to find positions that are more and more just right for your skills and talents. Keep an open mind, and don't pigeon-hole yourself too soon. Early on, I focused on a potential science career, but found out in college that I wasn't good enough at math to compete with the pre-med students. I learned that I loved words, loved the "gray areas", rather than black-and-white-right-or-wrong answers. In the legal field, I had to learn this lesson all over again, as I tried to obtain positions in "transactional" law (wills, trusts, business and real estate deals, etc.), avoiding the contentiousness of litigation. But words are my strength, so here I am, still at it after 36 years as a litigator.
I have a long-standing interest in human nature and psychology, so if I hadn't worked as an attorney, I probably would have become a psychologist. I just wasn't certain that I would enjoy many years of listening to so many people's personal problems. However, I am still interested in human psychology , read about it and apply what I've learned to my interactions with family members and with opposing counsel in litigated cases.
So my advice is to pursue your passion to select the right job and profession for you, but also find ways to integrate your secondary interests into your chosen profession, where possible. You can also pursue those secondary interests through hobbies outside of work. I love to write - that is one of my greatest talents. So in addition to writing legal briefs on the job, I write fiction in my spare time, having completed a novel and a novella that I converted to a play.
Good luck to you in your discernment process!