[hadi]

curious what got you folks into the career choice that you ended up in? was it location? education? familial responsibilities? just happened to be in the right place right time?
if you could do it again, what would you rather do?

for me, i ended up in Anti Money Laundering. I ended up in it after learning about human trafficking in university, and that deeply disturbed me. I wanted to put some sort of an impact in that world, and thus aimed my goals towards it. took me a while, but i'm here.

Though, thinking it over, i forced myself into business school. Ive always excelled in arts of any sort. Now a days its photography, but art and i have always excelled. Given that art isn't as well respected, or easy to earn a living, i was forced into business school to cover it. Its 'fine' for what it is, but if i was to do it again, i would have put myself further into photography. Maybe go towards fashion or portrait, or travel photography. Even dedicate myself towards wedding photography.

curious to know how you got into your work

[Sprky1285]

Interesting forum post.

I am probably in the majority here where I have not been able yet to enter a career of passion. I am only 26, and after college took a sales job for a company a family member worked for already. Perks, I got to train in Dallas, Texas. Never had been to Texas and got to live in the Mid Cities for 8 months which was a cool experience (work related tasks excluded).

Then after training got assigned to an office in Denver, Colorado which was absolutely incredible. Colorado was one of the most beautiful states I have ever lived in. But alas, I despised my profession. The beauty of the natural environment of Colorado did not help. Seeing such amazing places made me reconsider my choices and confused as to how I could spend all my days in an office when the world is full of such splendor. Seemed like a life wasted.

I then, like a good amount of people my age, yearned for escape. Applied for and got accepted to teach English in Thailand. Taught there for under a year, then travelled SE Asia through various countries and ended up living in Vietnam for about 5 months. That over a year period is probably the most fulfilling of my lifetime. But, then my bank account balance began to dwindle and also the big pandy, COVID hit. It was time to go home.

Upon arriving in the States, the only money making opportunity afforded to me was to work labor for a big construction company. I enjoyed the time spent outside, the manual labor was my exercise and when I clocked out, I clocked out. Did not have to worry about work. It's now over a year later, I was "promoted" back in October to more of a clerical position, but still requiring most of my work to be on-site. I make less money then I was as a laborer and am currently pushing 80+ hours a weeks with only about half of Sunday as free-time.

All that to say many people just work because they have to. I am constantly trying to come up with alternative avenues of money collecting, as this is not the life I desire. One day I hope I find my calling or at least a way to cover my costs of living by utilizing some yet to be seen skills and/or talents.

Long story short, have yet to get into my "career of choice" but simply my career of circumstance.

Thanks for reading!

[trixtroll]

I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger, but my parents pushed me towards IT because it the field was starting to rapidly developing in the early 2000s and they felt it would allow for greater financial stability. My sister became a teacher and seems to have less disposable income, so they were partially right.

My work/life balance sucks right now and I often wonder if a different path would have changed that, but there's no way to find out until someone gives me a time machine. What I do know is that my job has taken me to cities/states that I never would have visited on my own.

[Michail_P]

Well, I am not that old myself, in my 30s... but it’s an interesting question. I also did well in artistic subjects of any kind. Drawing, mostly. During junior high, I started sketching house plans (yes, weird for a 12 year old kid, but very true) and realized I had a thing for maths and physics. I studied and love architecture and at the moment I am very happy to make a living from it. During my studies I learned how to think and create with reason and aesthetics. Life is different ever since. Photography has always been a passion. Never stopped doing it but couldn’t imagine it as a profession.

[i_trax]

I recently retired .
I was playing classical piano since as far as I can remember.
Music Primary school , sport was very limited so we could keep our hands undamaged.
I had no desire to be a pianist , to the big my Mothers disappointment.
High School with enhanced maths and physics.
My first contacts with electronics , became my passion.
I remember building my first FM tuner , valves, all discrete components just hanging down with hundreds of volts in-there.
I loved vodka at that time so dealing with valves probably was not the best idea but I did survive.
Before FM , we could only listen to Radio Luxembourg on AM and read brilliant BRAVO magazine.
I did discover Hammond B3 Organs , did some "modifications" and I was hooked , electronics , keyboards and a bit later , Photography.
Still have a "baby" Hammond XK-1 and NI Komplete S61.
I did work as Electronic Engineer all my life and would not change a thing.
Last 31 years at the University , did enormous amount of traveling , various conferences / symposiums.
I visited many Unis on all Continents. It was very exciting.
It is very fortunate that I have so many hobbies , the only problem is my ageing body.
I would like to do so much but unfortunately getting a constant reminder - slow down , you are not young any more........

[house]

Went on a trip, met a photographer who came to the loft I was staying in to idle time whilst the photos were developed next door. Said photographer was also university professor asked if I wanted to study. Gave me a task over two weeks before meeting up in his office. He had me enrolled two weeks after, I have no idea how that actually happened. 5 years later the course was done and I was asked to come work for someone very interesting. Stumbled on from there. My job is, in a way, my passion but waged work is always 80% rubbish, photography is one of the tools I use at work.

[35mmfilmfan]

I am only 70, and have no idea what I want to do when I grow up.

Spent most of my working life in the IT department of a large local authority (i.e. County Council) - it was an indoor job with no heavy lifting, and doing shift work meant I could have plenty of free day time for other activities.

[7.62lew]

I have always been mechanically inclined. I was the kid that took his toys apart (to see how they worked) before he played with them. I also have a love for aircraft (I am a wing nut).

In my twenties someone suggested that I look into becoming an aircraft mechanic. I went to school and my first job was in aircraft manufacturing, including some time in flight test at Edwards AFB. I was lucky enough to see a lot of historic aircraft while working there. I bounced around some but have been at the same place now for a long time. I still love it aviation! I have been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and avoid any layoffs since beginning my aviation career.

[pepperberry farm]

... they were hiring?

[Mooncatt]

I have a degree for drafting, but multiple life experiences put me in a place with little prospects of using said degree. I had been working retail but was let go while living in Maine. My options for anything that paid worth a darn was either at paper mills, fishing boats, or trucking. The former two stink (figuratively and literally), but I always liked to drive. So off to CDL school I went.

Been at it over 15 years now and love it.

[reduno]

I was always taking things apart as a kid and then putting them back together. I thought about being a cartographer (map maker) in school but ended up getting a degree in electronic engineering. I've been a design engineer ever since.

[forensicscientist]

TV show......Quincy.

retired from a large ME Office after about 25 years...I still remember a number of cases, autopsies like they occurred yesterday.

[bertwert]

I'll let you know... in a decade's time

[carlb]

I just knew I wasn't cut out for anything requiring manual labour. So I ended up in an office and went from there. Ended up self-employed and doing bookkeeping.

[i_trax]

some interesting confessions here.