8 answers
Tyler
Student
Vineland, New Jersey
1
Question
Asked
514 views
What is the best way that you decided to reject a career path when you were looking for what to work in?
What is the best way that you decided to reject a career path when you were looking for what to work in?
8 answers
Misha D'Andrea
Learning + Development
37
Answers
New York, NY
Updated
Misha’s Answer
You wake up and dread going to work - more than a day or so - pay attention to ‘gut instinct’
Your wellbeing is impacted (headaches, insomnia, anxiety, etc.)
You are in charge of your own career - others can help (i.e., manager, mentor, etc)... but at the end of the day it is up to you
Self reflection is important. Understanding your interests and needs can help guide you down the right career path.
Courtesy of Cloudera new hires: Javier, Joel, Mary, Nate, Olivia, and Chunhui
Networking - talking to people in the field to understand what the job function entails. From that discussion, does the job sound exciting?
find someone in your network who you know loves their job and ask why
be open to horizontal role changing or learning paths exploration
ask for projects you have interest in
be brave and take risks - go for it
Your wellbeing is impacted (headaches, insomnia, anxiety, etc.)
You are in charge of your own career - others can help (i.e., manager, mentor, etc)... but at the end of the day it is up to you
Self reflection is important. Understanding your interests and needs can help guide you down the right career path.
Courtesy of Cloudera new hires: Javier, Joel, Mary, Nate, Olivia, and Chunhui
Misha recommends the following next steps:
Misha D'Andrea
Learning + Development
37
Answers
New York, NY
Updated
Misha’s Answer
You wake up and dread going to work - more than a day or so - pay attention to ‘gut instinct’
Your wellbeing is impacted (headaches, insomnia, anxiety, etc.)
You are in charge of your own career - others can help (i.e., manager, mentor, etc)... but at the end of the day it is up to you
Courtesy of Cloudera new hires: Javier, Joel, and Mary
discuss with direct manager and/or someone you trust
find someone in your network who you know loves their job and ask why
be open to horizontal role changing or learning paths exploration
ask for projects you have interest in
be brave and take risks - go for it
Your wellbeing is impacted (headaches, insomnia, anxiety, etc.)
You are in charge of your own career - others can help (i.e., manager, mentor, etc)... but at the end of the day it is up to you
Courtesy of Cloudera new hires: Javier, Joel, and Mary
Misha recommends the following next steps:
Kevin Ford
Carpenter
8
Answers
Portland, Maine
Updated
Kevin’s Answer
Hi Tyler, that is a great question. I have always had a wide range of interests in different fields.
As a child and into my early teens, I wanted to be a doctor. The thought of helping people was very appealing to me. At 13 , I broke my leg. When I went to the emergency room, I saw aspects of the job that I had never considered . The doctor who helped me, had to pull my leg straight, so the bone would set right. He told me it would hurt, and he was right! I realized at that moment that , even though it ultimately helped me to walk correctly, I was not capable of doing that to another person.
My next career choice was astronaut. However, I went through a growth spurt, and at 16, I was well over 6’. They design space capsules to be as small and light as possible . This was not going to be a god fit. ( no pun intended)
By posting your question, you are helping yourself with this already. Once you decide on something you are interested in, get as much information as you can about it. Also try to talk to people in the field. If possible volunteer for awhile to see if it is a good fit.
Most schools have resources to research anything. Or post again here. There are many people on here that would love to help you. Ask as many questions as you need to. The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.
I wish you the best on your journey!
As a child and into my early teens, I wanted to be a doctor. The thought of helping people was very appealing to me. At 13 , I broke my leg. When I went to the emergency room, I saw aspects of the job that I had never considered . The doctor who helped me, had to pull my leg straight, so the bone would set right. He told me it would hurt, and he was right! I realized at that moment that , even though it ultimately helped me to walk correctly, I was not capable of doing that to another person.
My next career choice was astronaut. However, I went through a growth spurt, and at 16, I was well over 6’. They design space capsules to be as small and light as possible . This was not going to be a god fit. ( no pun intended)
By posting your question, you are helping yourself with this already. Once you decide on something you are interested in, get as much information as you can about it. Also try to talk to people in the field. If possible volunteer for awhile to see if it is a good fit.
Most schools have resources to research anything. Or post again here. There are many people on here that would love to help you. Ask as many questions as you need to. The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.
I wish you the best on your journey!
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1879
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Tyler !
What an interesting question you have asked ! Basically, what you are wondering about boils down to being true to yourself. You know where your passion lies, what type of work that you enjoy and are inspired by.
There are so many unique reasons why people hold onto a safe or popular career pursuit. They feel that it is expected of them or have received negative feedback when mentioning which type of work they do love. Take it from someone who received a degree in theatre - most theatre majors receive some challenges like that unless they are from a theatrical family. The best thing to do is to make the choice to own your interest and pursue it with all your heart. Your other interest could be your minor while you major in a career path of your choice. It is all in being true to yourself and not worrying about what others say or think.
The best way I decided to reject my perceived interest of being a screenwriter for Film and TV is when I just jumped into what field I really, truly wanted to be in: acting. Actually studying it and acting in plays confirmed that it was real and that I was hiding behind being a writer all that time in high school when I took Journalism and Creative Writing. Events just seem to occur that make the decision very easy as you will see if you are in this situation. You have to be in a place that allows you to be 100% self-determined and self-directing. Than you will see the freedom to make the right, comfortable and beneficial decision for your life.
I hope this has given you some insight on the subject and I wish you all the best as you move forward !
What an interesting question you have asked ! Basically, what you are wondering about boils down to being true to yourself. You know where your passion lies, what type of work that you enjoy and are inspired by.
There are so many unique reasons why people hold onto a safe or popular career pursuit. They feel that it is expected of them or have received negative feedback when mentioning which type of work they do love. Take it from someone who received a degree in theatre - most theatre majors receive some challenges like that unless they are from a theatrical family. The best thing to do is to make the choice to own your interest and pursue it with all your heart. Your other interest could be your minor while you major in a career path of your choice. It is all in being true to yourself and not worrying about what others say or think.
The best way I decided to reject my perceived interest of being a screenwriter for Film and TV is when I just jumped into what field I really, truly wanted to be in: acting. Actually studying it and acting in plays confirmed that it was real and that I was hiding behind being a writer all that time in high school when I took Journalism and Creative Writing. Events just seem to occur that make the decision very easy as you will see if you are in this situation. You have to be in a place that allows you to be 100% self-determined and self-directing. Than you will see the freedom to make the right, comfortable and beneficial decision for your life.
I hope this has given you some insight on the subject and I wish you all the best as you move forward !
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
6183
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Tyler,
Delighted to lend a hand! Back in the 70's, I had dreams of exploring the cosmos as an astronomer. But life had other plans. I found myself engrossed in second-year university mathematics, putting off my decision. Quantum mechanics, however, proved to be a daunting beast that made me rethink my path. At the same time, my family was facing a health crisis. My uncle passed away at the young age of 38 from a severe heart attack, and many of my Greek relatives on my father's side were succumbing to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
This pattern was all too familiar, with doctors in hospitals unable to save their patients with medication. In 1976, I stumbled upon a book by a nutritional doctor titled "Are You Confused." The book's unique biochemical perspective on food choices struck a chord with me and redirected my path towards biological chemistry, in hopes of understanding the root causes of these premature deaths.
Meanwhile, I had been dabbling in computer programming since my high school physics days, so I kept at it. Eventually, I became a dietitian-nutritionist and managed to fuse these two diverse professions into one. While many people express unwarranted fears about artificial intelligence, I firmly believe in keeping humans at the helm. Your parents' professions can indeed influence your skills and partially shape your talents through genetic inheritance.
When choosing a career, consider your natural abilities, what you excel at, what brings you joy, and what gives you a sense of purpose - your "raison d'être". Personally, I find immense satisfaction in assisting people through challenging times, especially severe health issues. As Jesus wisely put it, going the extra mile to help those in distress is truly rewarding.
I trust you'll find this helpful!
Best,
Jim.
Delighted to lend a hand! Back in the 70's, I had dreams of exploring the cosmos as an astronomer. But life had other plans. I found myself engrossed in second-year university mathematics, putting off my decision. Quantum mechanics, however, proved to be a daunting beast that made me rethink my path. At the same time, my family was facing a health crisis. My uncle passed away at the young age of 38 from a severe heart attack, and many of my Greek relatives on my father's side were succumbing to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
This pattern was all too familiar, with doctors in hospitals unable to save their patients with medication. In 1976, I stumbled upon a book by a nutritional doctor titled "Are You Confused." The book's unique biochemical perspective on food choices struck a chord with me and redirected my path towards biological chemistry, in hopes of understanding the root causes of these premature deaths.
Meanwhile, I had been dabbling in computer programming since my high school physics days, so I kept at it. Eventually, I became a dietitian-nutritionist and managed to fuse these two diverse professions into one. While many people express unwarranted fears about artificial intelligence, I firmly believe in keeping humans at the helm. Your parents' professions can indeed influence your skills and partially shape your talents through genetic inheritance.
When choosing a career, consider your natural abilities, what you excel at, what brings you joy, and what gives you a sense of purpose - your "raison d'être". Personally, I find immense satisfaction in assisting people through challenging times, especially severe health issues. As Jesus wisely put it, going the extra mile to help those in distress is truly rewarding.
I trust you'll find this helpful!
Best,
Jim.
Courtney Hedberg
Project Management
2
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Courtney’s Answer
Hi Tyler,
I found this out in an on-the-job kind of way. I was being put into more analyst-type roles simply because I had done some analyst work as part of other roles. What I realized is that while I could do the work, it wasn't something that I was passionate about nor was it something I could see myself doing long-term. So, I decided to re-focus on the kinds of work I wanted to do vs. the kind of work I was being asked to do. Sometimes, this can go hand in hand. Other times, I had to make a conscious effort to give constructive feedback to, say, my leaders and ask for a change.
As a student, if there is something you are thinking about doing but find yourself unable to feel passionate about it OR you can't see yourself being on that path, say, 3-5 years from now, then it could be an opportunity to make a change. You might think about crafting a 3-5 year vision board for yourself to see if that helps your decision making.
All that said, it is important to know that sometimes life events happen, and you end up wanting to do a complete 180-degree change from what you thought you wanted to do. That is ok, too. :o) It's important to think of your career as a journey, not a destination. And, there could be multiple points in your career you might re-think your focus.
Hope that helps!
Courtney
I found this out in an on-the-job kind of way. I was being put into more analyst-type roles simply because I had done some analyst work as part of other roles. What I realized is that while I could do the work, it wasn't something that I was passionate about nor was it something I could see myself doing long-term. So, I decided to re-focus on the kinds of work I wanted to do vs. the kind of work I was being asked to do. Sometimes, this can go hand in hand. Other times, I had to make a conscious effort to give constructive feedback to, say, my leaders and ask for a change.
As a student, if there is something you are thinking about doing but find yourself unable to feel passionate about it OR you can't see yourself being on that path, say, 3-5 years from now, then it could be an opportunity to make a change. You might think about crafting a 3-5 year vision board for yourself to see if that helps your decision making.
All that said, it is important to know that sometimes life events happen, and you end up wanting to do a complete 180-degree change from what you thought you wanted to do. That is ok, too. :o) It's important to think of your career as a journey, not a destination. And, there could be multiple points in your career you might re-think your focus.
Hope that helps!
Courtney
Jason White
Lead Product Manager- Network Security
68
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Jason’s Answer
Probably one of the most important things I can say based off of people I've spoken with in the cybersecurity field is that Cybersecurity isn't in many cases an entry level field. Not that entry level jobs don't exist for cybersecurity because they do. But more so that good cybersecurity professionals have some type of experience outside of just a cybersecurity degree. Cybersecurity in many cases is securing a network or networks, thus many cybersecurity professionals got their start in networking professionally then moved in to the cybersecurity field. So having a decent or advanced understanding of networking is a big help in progressing ones career.
Jasmine Fly, M.S.
Learning + Enrichment Program Delivery Specialist
12
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Jasmine’s Answer
Answer provided by a new hire cohort at Cloudera:
You are doing something you don't enjoy
Identify what you are interested in.
Research careers that have the things you like as the primary duty.
Develop those skills and surrounding ones to further prepare yourself for a new role in the field.
You are doing something you don't enjoy
Jasmine recommends the following next steps:
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