Has your career choice been worth it?

[highlander]

I've got a question I would like to pose to all those employed folks out there in radio land, for the benefit of all those who haven't graduated yet.

Given what you've learned since you've been out of school and working, has your Major/Career choice been worth it?

I would especially like to hear from all you folks with soft science, and humanities degrees.

I had a double major in accounting and computer science. Years later, I thought about an MBA from a top 10 MBA school but decided to get a masters in computer science instead. After several years in industry, I ultimately ended up in consulting.

Overall, I think the degrees were a good choice - especially the masters degree because when I did that, I focused my studies on the area where I ended up doing consulting and it gave me an edge in knowledge at exactly the right time. I never used the accounting degree or CPA at all but getting a degree in business and having that basic foundation, has I think been helpful. I think I'm pretty good at consulting, enjoy it and financially it has been rewarding, so it's pretty much worked out.

The two things I wish I'd learned more about in college were how to write and better discipline in how to think. I think some liberal arts programs are better at that stuff. I ended up learning those things on the job.

 

[Qre:us]

My dear, I have no degree. I have no job, either. I was a SAHM for many long years, got divorced, and had to find a way to make a living to support myself and my kids. I'm one of those infamous poor people hard at work milking the system. It's paying off, too. I'll be done with school next May and already going on to UW to finish up with a bachelor's in health informatics. I really want to go into telemedicine...really bad. But I think some personal issues are going to limit my horizons to abstracting registries. That's okay because I can work from home doing this.

If I had it over, I would have stayed my tail in school and finished getting my degree in cytogenetics instead of staying at home with my child to please my ex. Even now, I wish I could do epidemiology but there are life choices and circumstances that limit possibilities. It pinches to know that I've (foolishly) thrown so much away but I'm too pragmatic to cry over that for long.

One thing I've learned is that life can surprise you in the most wonderful of ways, if you are open to receiving it. And things that may seem disconnected at first, will reveal themselves to be perfectly aligned to lead you to where you eventually needed/ wanted to go.

Don't give up. Keep sight of Epidemiology if that is what you truly desire. It's a great field. You never know.

 

[gromit]

I studied civil engineering... it was pretty good, worked for several years in that field but it wasn't a great mesh with my personality and lifestyle goals... just started a Dr of Physical Therapy program and this one seems already like a better fit.

Was it "worth it"?

Can't say. I don't think I'd re-do things differently. That career gave me a lot of insight/perspective and I don't think I'd have been up for a Dr degree at age like 22 or whatnot.

 

[rav3n]

I studied civil engineering... it was pretty good, worked for several years in that field but it wasn't a great mesh with my personality and lifestyle goals... just started a Dr of Physical Therapy program and this one seems already like a better fit.

Was it "worth it"?

Can't say. I don't think I'd re-do things differently. That career gave me a lot of insight/perspective and I don't think I'd have been up for a Dr degree at age like 22 or whatnot.

Can't imagine you as a civil engineer, not because you're not capable because you are, but that it's such a cold, clinical, nitpicky occupation for you.

 

[Edgar]

Don't go to law school, yo.

 

[skylights]

I'm mostly just here to listen, since I don't consider myself into my "career" phase. I'm enjoying reading; thank you to everyone who's sharing.

As for what I can speak to...

I got my degree in Psych, but several majors in college and many job experiences were generally a big lesson in how "enjoyable as a hobby" doesn't equate to "I want to do this as my vocation". Several years post-grad, I just started Nursing school. I'm footing the bills via my retail job, with some very appreciated help from my parents (and my sweet boyfriend, who pays for my internet!).

I don't necessarily recommend that anyone follow the same less-than-direct path that I did, but I don't regret it. My high school experience was very academically pressured, and I think the personal growth and exploration delayed then took up much of my focus early in college. In respect to my major, I first took a psych class because my crush was and it fulfilled a core requirement, and I found it very enjoyable - though I increasingly found myself most interested in the wellness aspects of it. Psychology is useful in day-to-day life and I'm sure it will be even more so in nursing.

I considered going to grad school for counseling, but I'm so glad that I went out into the "real world" instead of plugging on unsure. To be honest, from speaking to some friends in social science grad school, it really doesn't sound like my scene! In any case, I've matured so much - I'm an adult, I know the reality of work, I study because I want to, and I feel ready.

Essentially, my winding path has brought unexpected blessings. My future is bright and I am happy.

Don't go to law school, yo.

That's what I've heard lately. I have quite a handful of friends and relatives who are in it now. Most of the ones I know well have parents or other close family who are in law, so at least they have a taste of what they're getting into. They say the same about med school too, and that's the track my brother's on. My feelings on it right now - on any advanced schooling program, really - are don't go unless you know the realities of the profession and you know you won't be as happy doing anything else. At least for my brother, I think he's exactly the right type of person to be a fantastic doctor, and science is both a talent and passion for him, so I'm trying to help make that a reality for him. As for others... well, maybe they'll have a more winding road too, but I hope they end up happy.

 

[The Ü™]

I do work, I get paid, and now I own the eighth generation. I don't see how my current career path would give me or anyone else dissatisfaction.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Don't go to law school, yo.

Wurddd

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

My unsolicited advice: get an undergraduate degree, but don't get a graduate degree unless 1) you absolutely need it to advance in your career path AND you've thoroughly researched that path and know you want it or 2) you need the degree for licensure.

If you're smart, you can qualify yourself based on your experience and your portfolio/resume. You can build up all of those either by freelancing or by working your way up, or better yet, by taking jobs at startups where you can use the company to explore and build your resume by assuming multiple roles. Most of what you need to know you can learn through the internet, magazines and trade publications, and books (sometimes). Most higher ed programs aren't going to give you practical knowledge; they're going to feed you theory that's almost entirely useless once you get out there and start working. Magazines and blogs are a much better way to stay current and build confidence.

 

[five sounds]

No.

A professional career isn't for everyone.

 

[Amargith]

No.

A professional career isn't for everyone.

This.

I dont regret the studies Ive done though and there are two other degrees im contemplating getting, just for. Fun and out of interest.

 

[FDG]

More or less. I was lucky enough to "choose" my career out of my interests (economics, then later changed to mathematical finance). I was unlucky enough to "start" my career during one of the worst recessions that ever hit my home country in the last 30 years, so I've had to move to find a suitable job.

I'm never fully satisfied with my decisions or with my current situation so it's hard for me to give an objective evaluation. If I try to look at my life from the outside, I have a fairly well paid job (without much security, but with employable skills), in a well respected institution, where I have to solve really complex problems but I'm given complete freedom on how to go about it, have no fixed office hours and really nice and smart colleagues.
Sometimes the complexity of the problems is too much for me and I long for a simpler job in the nature but then I might get bored so...

 

[baccheion]

I got a degree in Computer Engineering. Perfect career choice, no regrets. The only downside is that I was too well-rounded and well-experienced coming out of college (started programming when I was 13-14), and so there was a lot of jealousy by management and they worked to box me in and hold me back (the usual shit). The politics of the workplace aside, I'm a natural born programmer. I was born to do it. These days, I think it's about time for me to branch out on my own so I don't have to deal with the BS and have it hold me back. Whatever ability or potential I have, I need to maximize it's impact on the world around me (obviously not in a humanitarian way). I need to start innovating, inventing, contributing, etc.. and not a lot of that was happening on the job.

Knowing what I know now, I'd probably have tried to start my career off at a better company, or worked more aggressively toward becoming an entrepreneur, but no matter how many ways I spin it, my hands were tied. I needed at least a few years of company experience before I'd be ready. That said, I mainly wanted the experience to see how things run in an office and to build a network of contacts. I suppose I've done the former, but due to the low quality of the employees around me and how much time my job took, I didn't develop that network as I had planned.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Don't go to law school, yo.

Somewhat this....

Although, I've benefited greatly from the things I've learned there (how to approach problems etc..).

 

[miss fortune]

other thought here... study a foreign language... the way that it makes you think differently than you usually do is definitely a benefit that's too rarely touted! Also, experience in practicing that language on native speakers can give you some serious sympathy (and awesome points!) with those who speak english as a second language...

 

[Amargith]

other thought here... study a foreign language... the way that it makes you think differently than you usually do is definitely a benefit that's too rarely touted! Also, experience in practicing that language on native speakers can give you some serious sympathy (and awesome points!) with those who speak english as a second language...

 

[chubber]

So if English is your 2nd language, what do I do, learn a 3rd language? ... I bet it will have to be one that windows supports

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I do think my career choice has been worth it.

Although the crooked path my life has taken, has been stressful to say the least, the result is that I'm a more well rounded person than I would have been had I just gone to Poli Sci grad school and called it a day.

I don't know what I would do given the chance to go back and do it all over again.

Finance seems like a good fit and I'm very excited for it.

 

[miss fortune]

So if English is your 2nd language, what do I do, learn a 3rd language? ... I bet it will have to be one that windows supports

learning english counts as learning a second language if it IS a second language

not that I wouldn't advocate throwing in a third... even though my third is SIGNIFICANTLY better spoken than written

 

[chubber]

learning english counts as learning a second language if it IS a second language

not that I wouldn't advocate throwing in a third... even though my third is SIGNIFICANTLY better spoken than written

Hmm... I guess I should try a Latin based language, Portuguese. I tried, but I suck at it. Sucks when nobody talks back to you.