Sydney
What if your dream job doesn't turn out to be a dream?
I am in my second year of college, and I still don't know what career path I would like to go down. I have several things that I am passionate about (music, animals, art, psychology, public relations, etc.), but I am worried that if I choose one, it will be the wrong one. I'm afraid of entering a career that I got a bachelor's degree for and realizing that it is not as great as I thought it would be, but not being able to change career paths because I already got a degree. Is this a valid question or am I just overthinking this? Are there ways to prevent something like this from happening? If it does happen what is the best thing to do? #dreamjob #rightcareerpath #career-path #career-advice
4 answers
Joe Notter
Joe’s Answer
I think a lot of us wonder about if we'll pick the right career. May I suggest that a slight shift in your perspective is all that you need? The way I like to put it when somebody asks me what I do: "I am a musician who does engineering to pay the bills." That is not to say that I dislike my work. On the contrary, I do enjoy my non-musician primary career quite well. Why? Because it uses things that I have discovered I can do based on abilities, as much as my likes. I have been with the same company for 18 years, and even when I started I had no clue what I was going to end up doing. I don't regret doing something other than music, as I now enjoy that as a pastime rather than my main source of income.
Recognizing what things you can do well, even if they are not your favorite, can put you in a vocation where you will do well, but life extends beyond the ~40-60 hours you give to your career each week. There will be plenty of space for your avocations/hobbies on the side.
So aim for something you're good at that can bring you a salary you would be happy with.
Joe recommends the following next steps:
Gloria Ortiz
Gloria’s Answer
You have a valid concern, although you might be overthinking it a little bit. College degrees may seem like they can result in only one job. For example, if you are an education major, you may think that you can only be a school teacher. The reality is a bit more complex than that. First of all, it is my experience that having ANY college degree is more beneficial than none. I knew someone who was hired as a corporate trainer at a bank with an Art History degree. How? Why? The company saw that the simple act of getting a degree showed tenacity, intelligence, and a willingness to learn that they could work with. In effort, they would train her to be a corporate trainer because she had shown that she could do the hard work. Second, an education degree can be the foundation of many careers beyond public education. However, if you are worried about having say a nursing degree, you are at a point (two years into college) where you can shift to another degree program without too many additional classes being required. I would recommend a Liberal Arts degree. Here is a link to see the wide variety of jobs for this degree: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/what-you-can-do-with-a-liberal-arts-degree.
I would challenge you to look at your degree program and think about its many applications. What I would not recommend is to stop. Whatever you have started, continue. I thought that I needed to know my job at the end of college, so it took me 17 years to get my bachelor's degree. And as I pointed out above, I could have gotten some opportunities earlier for better paying jobs if I had just gotten the original degree, even if I was not going to be a journalist.
Gloria
Sam Seldon, P.E.
Sam’s Answer
Hello Sydney,
I'd like to suggest that you consider a degree in sales and marketing. I believe this is a degree earned from a college of business. I think it would allow you to have a career where you could use your passions for art, psychology, and public relations (3 passions out of 5 isn't bad). You could then do your passions of music (take guitar lessons) and animals (volunteer at a shelter) as hobbies after work and on weekends.
Sam
Kim Gravell
Kim’s Answer
You have been given some great guidance already. One aditional thought would be to find your strengths and go from there. There is a good assessment called StrengthsFinder, that will uncover your true strengths and give some general direction for potential career paths. It can be very informative and reassuring when it comes to career direction.
Kim recommends the following next steps: