Careers

MeredithML

Working moms.....

What do you do for a living? Did you always want to do it? Did you go to school for it? Do you think you will be doing it for the rest of your working life?

I am currently a vet tech, went to school for Zoo Science but DH was offered a job before I got out of college so I found a job close to where he was already living.
I have always wanted to work in a zoo, but honestly would never be able to commit to the hours it takes to be a zoo keeper and raise a family.
Lord, I hope I am not a vet tech forever. Lol.

AmySmolos

I'm a social worker and I went to school for it. I enjoy what I do but I want to be in mental health more than community services. But I have a decent salary for social work and good benefits. I would love to SAH and maybe for number two I will be able to work part time. But it will be tight. Currently my dh is in school so we can't wait for him to be done so we can have some breathing room. I don't know if I will do this forever as being a wife and mom will always come first and if I could ever do something that would allow me to be there for my dh and kids more I would take it!

TechieGirl1

I also teach, I did go to school for this, and at this point due to the climate in education I don't know if I will have the opportunity to do this until I retire. I love my job and students, and I know I have reached many kids already in my classes (they have told me), however between society that dislikes teachers, the current evaluation system in my state (which is insane, I am one of the most active people in my content area. I run state competitions, won teacher of the year twice, and stay after school at least an hour everyday helping students or volunteering my time for other school activities, and I'm just effective as per our system), and a lot of what I consider parenting (like making sure you child does their homework, studying with your child when they are you need, etc.), is now becoming part of our job. These are just a few of things that I currently have problems with. 

Just like Lilli it makes me want to sah. I find the more things I do with our lo, the more I don't understand how some parent just don't want to intrinsically help their child with the basics, and makes me have have more and more problems going to work. Its becoming more and more that it is becoming a job as opposed to something that I love to do, which quite honestly makes me very sad.

vic8504

I am a Tax Analyst. I am a jack of all taxes. Mainly I do state, local and federal income taxes, but have done income and sales and use as well, for a privately held grocery store company. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in accounting but never thought I would end up doing taxes. I was running out of time to get a summer internship and when I finally found one they were like "this is our tax department where you will be working...." awesome.
I really hope that I am not doing taxes for the rest of my life but honestly I feel it is better than "normal" accounting just need to get a couple more people in the department who actually work and pull their weight and it won't be too bad....

chefnicole22

I'm a baker. I always wanted to be a baker and even went to a fancy school for it. I love it and hate it at the same time. I love cooking and baking, but it wasn't a very good career choice for me. Now I feel like I'm stuck doing it, because I don't have money or time for school and I don't know how to do anything else. It's not a horrible job, but it doesn't pay well, it's getting boring and it's starting to wear on me. 

sdlaura

I work for an investment consulting firm, where I advise institutional investors (pension funds, endowments, and foundations) on how to invest. We don't actually manage money, and I only deal with boards of trustees rather than individuals. I majored in international marketing and finance, so I'm using my degree. Since then I've earned a couple of professional certifications. I don't think it's my life's calling, but I find it relatively interesting and rewarding, and I really like the people I work with. I expect that I will work in this industry for the rest of my working life based on the experience I've built so far. I would get rid of the travel if I could, though.

bigbootyjudi

What do you do for a living? I'm a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)/Patient Care Tech.

Did you always want to do it? Lol, no. It was one semester's worth of waiting to get into the nursing program. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Did you go to school for it? I took a one semester course, four days a week, 8am-4pm, and then a state exam. I have to renew my license every two years.

Do you think you will be doing it for the rest of your working life? God, I hope not.

Cbarajas08

I am teacher! I love it! I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I think I get the best of both worlds. I get to SAH for several weeks out of the year but still have a job I love. I don't see my self always being in the classroom, but I feel that I will always work in the school system. Eventually I want to be a math coach at my school, but for now I am enjoying my little ones.

jillybean7582

I SAH right now but I went to under grad and grad school for architecture. It is a long process to become a licensed architect that I don't think alot of people truely understand.

My undergrad program was 5 years and then a 2 year graduate program. Having a professional degree(masters) is required for becoming licensed. After 7 years of school I then had to complete 3 years of intership hours in 20ish different categories. I am currently working on taking the Registration Exams to get my license. There are seven exams. I have taken and passed 4 and am taking number 5 October 14th. After completing all 7, I plan to start my own small consulting practice which will allow me to pick and choose what projects I want to take on and how much time I am putting into working verse being at home.

I have wanted to be an Architect since I was in like second or third grade and use to draw house plans for fun instead of typical pictures kids draw (I was such a werido). I cannot see myself switching fields and this will be my career till my DH and I decide to enjoy old age.

fastcarsandfreedom3319

I work in marketing. I am currently between jobs during my move across the country. When I say marketing I don't mean make a Facebook and play on social media all day, although that's what most people think marketing is. There's a lot more to it!

I have not always wanted to be in marketing. My degree is in Political science and sociology. I just kind of fell into it.

I do see myself doing something in the marketing field for the bulk of my working life but I hope to open my own business at some point and be able to work from home.

twoitalians

I am an instructional chemistry lab coordinator and an adjunct chemistry faculty member. My degrees are in chemistry so technically this is my field, but I didn't think I would teach or stay in academia. I knew when I graduated that I wasn't cut out to be your regular lab chemist so I've jumped around from specialty to specialty (electron microscopist, Histotech, DNA analyst). My heart lies with the DNA analyst job. I should have gone to school for a biochemistry/forensic science degree or even a criminology degree, but I had a HS boyfriend who deterred me from that path and I'm still bitter about it. I would like to say I'm getting out if academia soon hopefully, cuz I need to get back in the lab and do the dirty DNA work, but I have a job right now and I'm trying really hard to like it and see it's potential. I do like organizing and managing the labs, but I'm still not considered a "manager" in my realm. So as of right now, no I do not see myself doing this my whole working life.

shakinros

I'm the Associate Artistic Director at a theater. I handle the casting, contracts, rights and royalties for plays, liaise with other departments for artist appearances, and basically handle all things remotely connected to actors. Negotiate with union reps? Me. Accident report? Me. Rehearsal conflicts? Me. Locked yourself out of your apartment, oh visiting actor? Me. Out of half and half in rehearsal? EMERGENCY. DROP EVERYTHING AND GET TO THE STORE.

I have a bachelors degree in theater but I didn't even know that jobs like mine existed until I was doing it. I alternately love and loathe it. The people are mostly great. I have a lot of autonomy. I like theater. But the hours are unpredictable and I'm always "on call." I've been doing it for 6 years and it's the same old issues needing troubleshooting every single blinkin year. And it pays crappy.

I'm applying to grad school to learn more mgmt and quantitative analysis stuff. Then I'd like to work as a manager in a national nonprofit service org or maybe be a consultant. So I don't expect to be doing this job next summer or ever again. I'm sure I'll never have another job as interesting as this one, but it's not for people with families.

ks3pink

TechieGirl1 said:

I also teach, I did go to school for this, and at this point due to the climate in education I don't know if I will have the opportunity to do this until I retire. I love my job and students, and I know I have reached many kids already in my classes (they have told me), however between society that dislikes teachers, the current evaluation system in my state (which is insane, I am one of the most active people in my content area. I run state competitions, won teacher of the year twice, and stay after school at least an hour everyday helping students or volunteering my time for other school activities, and I'm just effective as per our system), and a lot of what I consider parenting (like making sure you child does their homework, studying with your child when they are you need, etc.), is now becoming part of our job. These are just a few of things that I currently have problems with. 

Just like Lilli it makes me want to sah. I find the more things I do with our lo, the more I don't understand how some parent just don't want to intrinsically help their child with the basics, and makes me have have more and more problems going to work. Its becoming more and more that it is becoming a job as opposed to something that I love to do, which quite honestly makes me very sad.

Took the words right out of my mouth. All of this!

alake

I work at home.  I run the day to day stuff of DH's company.  I can do it from home with my computer and a few hours (nap time)
I am a trained secretary/ book keeper.  Which comes in handy for running DH's company.
I have had several different jobs:\I used to drive a semi truck, hauling oil
I was a night Agent for Greyhound (I ran tickets, freight and a small sandwich shop)
My most experience is in retail.  I knew I always wanted to be a mom.  I didn't know what I wanted to be growing up, other than a mom.

brandyleighxx

Also a vet tech! I originally wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I studied parent child development and early childhood education in high school and assisted in a kindergarten classroom the last 2 years of high school. After high school, I did nothing for a while and after my BFF got a job at an animal hospital, I decided I wanted to do the same. I applied at every animal hospital in town with no luck so started applying at retail stores and was hired at the mall. 4 months into that job, I got a call from an animal hospital looking for kennel help so I took the job and worked both jobs. I was accepted into the veterinary medical technology program at my local community college and started working towards a degree and licensure. Unfortunatley, My boyfriend at the time was laid off and accepted a job in another state so I dropped out of school and followed him. I accepted a position as a tech assistant at a small animal clinic once we moved and have worked my way up to a technician. When I became pregnant, I started doing a lot more reception at the clinic, and since 1 of our 2 recepts is retiring at the end of the month, I'll still be doing more reception than tech work. But I am taking the national vet tech exam this winter to hopefully become licensed, finally. I do not see myself doing this but want the licensure because I've already invested 10 years in this field and want something to show for it, plus it's a good thing to fall back on if a new career doesn't work out.

@MeredithML are you licensed??

CrazyDaisy8

I am a sales manager for a boutique hotel. I went to school for Hospitality Management so yes, I am using my degree. However, I hate it. Every fiber of my being fights me because I don't enjoy my job and it is tough going to work every day. I used to think it was my old work but since coming here I just don't have a passion for it. Yes, I am decent at it but it just isn't for me.

I have been looking to go back to school to get my masters in teaching. There is a local college that you can get a masters in teaching as long as you have a bachelors of something. It is a year and a half program so I am hoping to get accepted into that for this coming school year.

Cheerilee

Right now, I'm a PhD student.  I was a special education teacher before going back to school.  When I graduate, I'll (hopefully) teach at a university.

It's not what I always dreamed of.  However, it's what I want.  As a teacher, I saw SO many things I wanted to change.  I saw SO many new teachers teaching in ineffective ways.  I wanted to help change that.  I want to help more kids than just those on my caseload.

I do plan on retiring in a university position.  A bonus of working for most universities is your children go for free/cheap.  I'd love for DD to be able to go to college without student loans.  

BatDaughter4Eva

I'm a cook. I haven't gone to college at all (seems I'm the only one), and I'm glad I didn't. I've overheard a lot of cooks complain that they paid so much money for college to make the same amount as me, who never went.

I have no clue what I want to do career-wise. I know I don't want to end up an old lady breaking my back in the kitchen.

NeneCakies

I have a BBA from U of M - Ann Arbor and it was still a long road to my current business analyst role. I toyed with retail management at first which I hated and then by chance got an opportunity to do retail sales analysis for our store and then the region. From that experience I kept moving back through the supply chain from store to HQ to distributor to manufacturer just crunching numbers. Some of you know I work at a toilet factory now and it's actually pretty cool (except days like today when it smells like the lab had an accident). Belatedly I realized I might have done well as a copy editor for a publishing house. I like letters more than numbers. I'm actually really bad at math. Lol.

vvvvvfee

i work in a library. no, i didn't always want to do it-- i sort of fell into it after college because i had worked in a library as a teenager.  yes, i hope to move on to something else. i've stayed where i am longer than i'd intended to because things kept coming up (long story). my college major was fine arts, and i also love to cook, so i would really like to get into something more creative/hands-on. god knows what that would be, though.

amaite

I am still on maternity leave for another year, but I am a teacher. For a long time I went back and forth about what I wanted to do, but I decided to add on the teacher certification program during undergrad just in case. I didn't start off college with teaching in mind though. I have since completed two master's programs, one in my subject area and one in education.

Once I started teaching, I decided I really liked it, so I do think it's what I'll do for the rest of my career. There are several careers that I think I could be quite happy in, but now that I'm a mom, the teacher's schedule is an added bonus, although it's not so good as far as flexibility goes.

RNbock2

I am an RN. I would love my ideal job, but life doesn't always work that way Right now, I am a nurse at a Coumadin Clinic, we dose patient's Coumadin and check their INR.

Ideally, I would love to be either a hospice RN working part time, or a pediatric oncology RN.

Buuttt, I kind of am working my dream job, b/c I am staying home with my kids for the most part, and I LOVE it!

cedenton

Honestly, I'm too lazy to answer all the questions, but I will say my occupation.

I'm an instructional designer for a Fortune 300 transportation company. I develop training (online and instructor-led) for both technical and professional employees.

Jessica Swanlake

I am an photo and moving image archivist. I mostly work with collections (digitizing, arranging and describing them) and do research for patrons. Most of the time it is for the major papers, authors or documentary filmmakers, although lately I have gotten to help out with some historic preservation projects. I love my job and plan on staying in it as long as we live here. I always dreamed of working in a museum, but this career is even better. It blends my two favorite topics- history and photography- perfectly. FWIW I got my Masters in Library Science and a Certificate of Archival Administration. 

Whittyone12

I am a breastfeeding counselor, I didn't always want to do this specifically, but I always knew I wanted to work with mothers and babies.

I didn't get a degree in lactation or anything but I have taken most of the classes recommended by the International Board of Lactation Examiners, and am continually doing research and education.

I can only hope that I am able to work with nursing mothers for the rest of my life. I love my job and am so lucky to get to do what I love.