How do i figure out what i want to do for the rest of my life?

[bloodelf34]

I am currently in a Community college to complete core classes, once finished with that, i will transfer to a four year uni. The problem is i really have no idea what i want to do for a career and fear getting stuck doing something i hate. I am pretty good at what ever i do, i really like science and technology, however i am not the best in the world when it comes to math. any help would be great.

[Gingerstar]

check out this site. http://www.bls.gov/oco they tell you every job there is and how much they pay and how much school it requires.

[Gingerstar]

and don't let anything hold you back (especialy your math skills) you can always get a tutor. go for what you love! you're still young, you can try different things and see what sticks.

[dont_know_what_2_say]

check out this site. link removed they tell you every job there is and how much they pay and how much school it requires.

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thank you ginger! as of now im studying to be a teacher, but i'm doing it more just because i wouldn't MIND it but its not something i would love

 

so the website you posted will maybe give me some insights on other careers or if i want to further my education, find something that will be more suitable

 

 

and bloodelf.. im on the same boat..

[bloodelf34]

good lord that site is huge.

[Gingerstar]

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thank you ginger! as of now im studying to be a teacher, but i'm doing it more just because i wouldn't MIND it but its not something i would love

 

so the website you posted will maybe give me some insights on other careers or if i want to further my education, find something that will be more suitable

 

 

and bloodelf.. im on the same boat..

your welcome! glad I could help! it really helped my husband decide.

[Gingerstar]

good lord that site is huge.

yeah, but it will help you to really know everything about every job!

[Gingerstar]

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thank you ginger! as of now im studying to be a teacher, but i'm doing it more just because i wouldn't MIND it but its not something i would love

 

so the website you posted will maybe give me some insights on other careers or if i want to further my education, find something that will be more suitable

 

 

and bloodelf.. im on the same boat..

u have to love teaching or you will hate your job and loose your patience quickly. And it shows through your teaching. I had some lame teachers and I assume it's because they didn't LOVE their job.

[dont_know_what_2_say]

u have to love teaching or you will hate your job and loose your patience quickly. And it shows through your teaching. I had some lame teachers and I assume it's because they didn't LOVE their job.

hmm.. i mean ive gone to the schools already and taught some classes, and i love children and i'm very patient, so i don't think it would be bad..

it's just not something ive always wanted to be type of thing..

but i do enjoy doing it, so its not something i would hate in the long run or anything..

and yeah ive had horrible teachers, so iguess tahts why i chose to be a teacher, because i wanted to make a difference..

but i still want to leave my options open and get my masters in something i would really love (i still don't know what it is yet)

and who knows i might love teaching once i start doing it full time..

[djsh4dow]

Hey, I'm currently an undergrad coming up on my senior year. I've officially changed my major twice, but that doesn't include all the things I considered but didn't actually switch to. Anyway, I'm someone who has done an incredible amount of thought about what I want to do. It's hard to find a career that balances interest and job security. A great site to check out is link removed. It asks you questions about your interests, etc, and then it gives you an extremely in-depth analysis of your choices, including jobs that match them. I've completed it several times throughout my undergrad, and each time it was a little different (because I had learned more about myself). It costs $9.95, but in my opinion, it's well worth it. The document it generates for you is very long and yours to keep once you're done. My father is a clinical psychologist, and he was the one who recommended I complete it.

 

I ended up in engineering. bls.gov is a great site also - I used that, coupled with SDS, to help figure out which engineering discipline I wanted to do.

[djsh4dow]

Also, I wanted to add that it's very important to get invoved in whatever you think you want to do (i.e., involved in that program/community).

 

I've done a lot of research on jobs and careers, mostly in business and engineering/science, but also in academia, so feel free to ask me if you have questions about those (or anything else)!

[poloplayer]

1 - I don't think many younger people know what they want to do for the rest of there life; older people aren't too different believe it or not.

2 - Pick something which interests you, yet be practical and smart about it. For example, philosophy interests me, but getting a degree in philosophy isn't the smartest idea as I won't have a decent paying job afterwards. So I made it my hobby.

3 - Read 'what color is my parachute' if you really don't have a clue

4 - Talk with people in the profession that you have an interest. Shadow them. See what they do day to day. Being a doctor, a lawyer, a banker, or a forensic scientist is NOWHERE near as glamorous as the media paints it to be. These are demanding, tedious jobs. They can be very rewarding, but they are not glamorous like on TV shows.

5 - Take advantage of internships and volunteer opportunities.

 

While in school, pursue some science/tech classes that interest you. If you still have an interest, then speak with professors a bit and establish relationships. Explore part time work and internships in the field. Be proactive. If you're not feeling it, then explore other avenues before you get too deep.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

A great site to check out is link removed.

 

It looks very similar to other personality tests I've seen/taken in the past. Except it's $10. It might be worth it to some people. But one major problem I have with these tests is they guarantee an outcome. No matter what choices you make, the test will conclusively tell you that you lean towards a particular type or proper set of types. This is not good because in reality it is possible to be completely balanced among all types and yet that possibility is excluded from the test results. Moreover, these tests are unable to make the exotic career suggestions necessary to individuals that don't fit well within their predefined types. I imagine a website such as ENA is much more highly saturated with these blended and anomalous personality types than a random population sample. I make this conjecture simply because we have so many people on here often confused and unable to fit into standard boundaries set by our cultures.

 

So not to overly discourage anyone from taking these tests, but in my personal opinion, it would not surprise me if most people on this website found the test results inconclusive and unhelpful.

[djsh4dow]

No matter what choices you make, the test will conclusively tell you that you lean towards a particular type or proper set of types. This is not good because in reality it is possible to be completely balanced among all types and yet that possibility is excluded from the test results.

 

You're kind of jumping to conclusions. This "test" does not exclude the possibility of being "completely balanced," as you say. Hypothetically, if you were interested in everything the survey offered, your results would reflect this. It is, however, based upon the theory that people can be loosely classified into six different groups. The reason I am hesitant to call it a "test" is because the results are not to be taken literally. They are very open-ended and are intended to be a guide to help the individual discover his interests on his own. The actual survey portion is uncomplicated and open to interpretation. Also, although it is possible to be "completely balanced," it is less likely than the alternative. This survey does not assume that there is a "proper" set of types and does not imply that there is a right or wrong type.

 

Moreover, these tests are unable to make the exotic career suggestions necessary to individuals that don't fit well within their predefined types.

 

Actually, the survey has descriptions of thousands of career paths/jobs (over 12,000). If you are destined to find a career or job that is not defined by this survey, then good luck finding it on your own. Again, you assume that the "predefined types" are pedantic or stringent. They are loose classifications based on psychological theory and studies (over 500, according to the site).

 

I imagine a website such as ENA is much more highly saturated with these blended and anomalous personality types than a random population sample. I make this conjecture simply because we have so many people on here often confused and unable to fit into standard boundaries set by our cultures.

 

Confused? What standard boundaries? Firstly, the survey was designed for people who are confused. That's the point. Second, ENA epitomizes real-life situations that random people deal with every day. What sets individuals on ENA apart from the rest of the population is that they have/had the technical knowledge, initiative, and inquisition to seek the site out. It seems to me that the SDS is all about inquisition and initiative to learn about oneself. Upon brief inspection, you've assumed that this survey is similar to other "tests" you've taken. However, you have not actually taken this survey. I have taken it, and I can confidently say it helped me. But hey, I'm just one out of 22 million people who have taken it.

 

I’m not saying that it’s for everyone. Some people may look at it and decide that it won’t help them, but it’s their decision and it is at least worth investigating – especially to someone who is very confused about where their professional interests lie. It is audacious to assume that a random person would not benefit from it. If anything, they would at least benefit from it slightly. Again, whether it’s worth 10 bucks is up to the individual. I imagine this cost is minuscule compared to that of a career coach or counselor.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

I'm thinking part of that $10 is kicked back to you, given how ferociously you defend it =) Hey, keep fighting the good fight my brother.