Ne and the thought of having to pick ONE career for the next 99999999 years!

[Babylon Candle]

So im an ENFP. Ive already changed majors once while at school. i went from business to biology. and i thought i was excited about being possibly pre med.

however. im not even to the heavy upper level courses and im kind of having second thoughts.

i think part of it is:
- i got terrible grades in chem 2 and calculus (math based courses destroy me)
- i got average grades in chem1 and bio2
- i got an A in bio 1!

which basically means that to go to medschool id have to go through the Caribbean. Which i COULD do, if i REALLY felt strong enough about doing this medical thing. but the thought of investing this much start up energy into ONE career path has me a little nervous based on how much i change my mind.


cliff notes:
1. im thinking about changing majors for the second time and im going to be a junior!
2. my grades arent that great so that doesnt help (gpa 3.39)
3. not sure if im focused enough for ANY sort of specifics of focus "career"

i like the mid level psych class i took last year (health psyhc) but im worried the same thing will happen there if i were to switch to psych: ill like it in the beginning and then freak out when it gets too ****ing weird (like what happened to me in my chem class).

[Little Linguist]

Hiya, I am an ENFP, and I have graduated with a four-year university degree (WOO HOO, I stuck with something!!!). I also declared a major, after which I sprang from one interest to the next. How did I manage it?

Well, I got an e-mail from a professor, in which he catagorically stated that I would ruin my intelligence if I didn't reign in my Ne. Well, he did not explain it like that, but that is what he said, essentially. And he said it so directly that I could not ignore it anymore because he said that in spite of my ability he would not be willing to write a recommendation letter because my interests were so sporadic that he was afraid it would fall back on him and ruin his reputation .

After that rude awakening, I managed to stick to one major. And he did eventually write that recommendation letter, which led to a Fulbright fellowship. Thankfully, I got my ass in gear at the last, critical second.

Here's a helpful hint: Remember that you can change your career, especially in the States, if you do not want to do it anymore. It is much easier there than here. So if you think you are not stuck with being a biologist your whole life, it is easier to stick with it, because options are still open.

So do what you love. If you decide after five or seven years that you want to change, no big deal. You can do what I am doing: continuing education. Right now, I am just starting a distance-learning program to become a business translator. In the States, there are even more opportunities for you.

By the way, learn from my experience: You do not have to get perfect grades in school. You need GOOD grades, but there's no need to get a heart attack and change majors if you get a B. It's really no big deal.

[Xander]

I've been reading a book on careers and the major thing I found was the advice to NOT try and choose a career but rather just pick the next job you want to do and let the career be your own path through all the jobs you've done. That sounded a whole lot more flexible and relaxing to me... mind you I've been in one job for like forever... sooo need a change

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Xander

I've been reading a book on careers and the major thing I found was the advice to NOT try and choose a career but rather just pick the next job you want to do and let the career be your own path through all the jobs you've done. That sounded a whole lot more flexible and relaxing to me... mind you I've been in one job for like forever... sooo need a change

Good point. Most changes in your career happen, and they are not planned. If you told me four years ago that I would be teaching English now, I would have told you that you were crazy!!! Just keep your opportunities open, and you will find the change you seek.

[Babylon Candle]

Originally Posted by Little Linguist

Hiya, I am an ENFP, and I have graduated with a four-year university degree (WOO HOO, I stuck with something!!!). I also declared a major, after which I sprang from one interest to the next. How did I manage it?

Well, I got an e-mail from a professor, in which he catagorically stated that I would ruin my intelligence if I didn't reign in my Ne. Well, he did not explain it like that, but that is what he said, essentially. And he said it so directly that I could not ignore it anymore because he said that in spite of my ability he would not be willing to write a recommendation letter because my interests were so sporadic that he was afraid it would fall back on him and ruin his reputation .

After that rude awakening, I managed to stick to one major. And he did eventually write that recommendation letter, which led to a Fulbright fellowship. Thankfully, I got my ass in gear at the last, critical second.

Here's a helpful hint: Remember that you can change your career, especially in the States, if you do not want to do it anymore. It is much easier there than here. So if you think you are not stuck with being a biologist your whole life, it is easier to stick with it, because options are still open.

So do what you love. If you decide after five or seven years that you want to change, no big deal. You can do what I am doing: continuing education. Right now, I am just starting a distance-learning program to become a business translator. In the States, there are even more opportunities for you.

By the way, learn from my experience: You do not have to get perfect grades in school. You need GOOD grades, but there's no need to get a heart attack and change majors if you get a B. It's really no big deal.

thanks so much! im going to comment more late, im off to class right now.

generally yes, a B is no big deal. but for medschool apps here, you are basically "screwed" if you get 2 C's and 2 B's within the premed courses. thats exactly what ive done. theres are about 17000 spots in the medschools US and 20000 perfect applicants (3.7GPA 30 MCAT and higher) and then 20,000 more people with at least descent applications....

so i just kinda feel like:
1. if i REALLY feel strongly about the medicine. then i could still do it, but it would be a harder path...id have to go outside the US.
1a not sure if i like it THAT much...or worried that eventually all that work wont be appreciated by my changing interests
2. so im thinking of changing majors all together... but doing that as a junior just makes me feel like a shit head. but then again, a psych major here is only 10 classes, so i could easily do that in the next two years (im going to be junior) but im also worried about just giving up in that major too once i get deeper into it.

[Oberon]

One career? Forever?

I'm sorry, can I get off this ride please?

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Babylon Candle

thanks so much! im going to comment more late, im off to class right now.

generally yes, a B is no big deal. but for medschool apps here, you are basically "screwed" if you get 2 C's and 2 B's within the premed courses. thats exactly what ive done. theres are about 17000 spots in the medschools US and 20000 perfect applicants (3.7GPA 30 MCAT and higher) and then 20,000 more people with at least descent applications....

so i just kinda feel like:
1. if i REALLY feel strongly about the medicine. then i could still do it, but it would be a harder path...id have to go outside the US.
1a not sure if i like it THAT much...or worried that eventually all that work wont be appreciated by my changing interests
2. so im thinking of changing majors all together... but doing that as a junior just makes me feel like a shit head. but then again, a psych major here is only 10 classes, so i could easily do that in the next two years (im going to be junior) but im also worried about just giving up in that major too once i get deeper into it.

Oh, sorry, hon. My comments must have sounded patronizing, but I surely did not mean it that way: I honestly did not know that the requirements were THAT strict.

That being said, I suppose you have a lot of thinking to do. However, if you really feel that passionately about it, you should stick with it. If that means going to another country, and you are willing to do it, then you should try it. But only if you are really serious. Only you can decide.

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Oberon

One career? Forever?

I'm sorry, can I get off this ride please?

SERIOUSLY!!! I would flip out if I had to do one career forever!!!!!!!!!!!

[edcoaching]

Okay...

Most people have 5-7 careers in a lifetime.

A ton of Ns who change careers go from one thing to something unrelated. Instead of thinking about what their experience/education qualifies them for, they leap to the next most interesting thing.

On my block, half (half!) the women retooled in their 40's to something totally different--math teacher to social worker, actuary to U professor, controller to ed consultant, HR manager to nurse...

Don't think of finishing a degree as the end and your lock/loaded but of something that gets you to the starting line of a race where you set the course. Sorry if that's too sappy--I do a lot of career seminars and the one career forever is usually escaped by NPs

[Cindy]

The problem is how you find studying for a job and how you find the job in reality is a totally different thing.
I'm thinking maybe some work experience in the various areas you are curious about could help.