It's often said that most people will change careers several times over the course of their working lives. If money, age and educational resources were all conducive to your trying another line of work, would you do so? If so, what new career would you choose?
Extra Credit: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Even if all the stars were aligned, I don't think I would change my line of work. I am good at it, I am compensated appropriately and I love my people.
However, as I have spent my entire career with one employer, I am in a position to take an early retirement. In twenty years, but whatever. When I think about "what I really want to do when I grow up", I am thinking of the Second Career. The Career in Retirement.
I have often said that I want to be the lady at the spa that brings you your ice water with lemon. Because everyone is in a good mood at the spa. And even if they weren't, who the heck yells at the ice water lady? I sometimes think I would like to work in a book store. But there is no way I am going back to retail. Library? I think that if I knew any more about the municipal funding situation, it would just make me insane. I also wonder about teaching part-time. I believe my Master's Degree opens the door to teach at the local community college.
When I was nine, I didn't know if I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader or a Dallas Cowboy. Then I hit puberty and came to the understanding that neither would ever happen. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a financial mogul of some kind. Or maybe a Senator. Then I got to college (in Washington DC) and determined that political types are crazy and I would never be able to run for office with a straight face. Then I took a finance course. Boring. And too much math. That was when I discovered HR, and the rest is history.
2 comments:
Ooh early retirement. I think I would just end up volunteering more, and maybe train one of those therapy cats to bring around to hospitals and convalescent homes to help people. I know neither of my cats would be able to do anything remotely like that.
Also there is a thought of working some place so you get a discount, so the bookstore idea might be good.
(my code word I have to type in is one letter away from being "deflowers")
Interesting. My mom ended up teaching speech and drama at a community college, although her doctorate was in psychology. She loved it, especially since my dad taught speech for a living (at Lehigh and Purdue and eventually Syracuse) when they were first married.
It must be nice, though, to have an employer you're happy to stick with, and that is happy to stick with you. That doesn't happen much any more.
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