Career

[Wayne Goodwin]

When you entered the Work Force . What or who inspired to succeed to begin a Career ?

Did you Keep that Career or decide to go in another Direction ?

 

Do you feel you Succeeded ?

[Mickchick]

After 13 moves in 13 years, And constantly starting new bottom rung clerical jobs with no future, I decided I needed a career. Since I liked to read, write, and talk, I decided I would become a lawyer. Didn't have a clue what I was getting into bit knew I never wanted to set foot in a courtroom. My now ex-husband moved again while I was in law school to a small town in Wisconsin. I realized International Law was probably not going to work and I interned with the DA's office and fell in love with being in the courtroom.

I spent the first year and a half doing civil litigation with a small trial practice firm in Milwaukee and the next 20 as an Assistant DA in Georgia and never regretted a minute of it

If success is based on a sense of satisfaction in a job well done, I feel I was successful

[Lifesighs]

Interesting that you ended up loving what you thought you wanted no part of. Life does it's little tricky miracles for us to push us places we thought we didn't want to be. Bet it was a great experience for you Mickchick.

[Lifesighs]

What inspired me to succeed was to keep earning enough to live well, buy groceries and gas and have a roof over our heads. I found I was not able to do a job half way, if I had a task I had to give it everything I had in me plus. It was noticed and appreciated because I always got promoted.

[crestofwaves]

I always wanted to be a teacher, and that's what I was.  My father inspired me to be the best I could be and to be on the quest for learning always, as he was until the day he died at 91.  Even though I was a girl in a time when women were supposed to cook and clean, he would tell me one day I would be a "journalista", in his Italian accent.  I didn't become a journalist, but I taught it for 10 years along with English.  I followed my bliss.  Even though now I am back at work and HATE IT, I did love it for years.  And I still love the words I teach.  I am in the middle of Julius Caesar and still daily in awe of the brilliance of Shakespeare who had such insight into human behavior, politics, relationships, what keeps people interested--sheer genius!!!

[Wayne Goodwin]

Most of my life . I have worked in Furniture Assembly building frames , parts of frames . Mose of my early jobs was job hoping . Never satisfied . Laid out a lot . Mom called me "Triflen" (SP) "Damn Lazy" and would never make anything of myself . When my marriage ended with the task of raising my daughters i decided i needed to work to have anything . I got a job a mile from where i live not . I never for once thought i would stay there . One day , then two then years past . I worked there 25 years till i became disabled . Raised my daughters till they left home getting married . Successful "No" . I just did what it took to live ....

[dwalt]

I am an accountant.  Love my job, just hate the commute and the hours. I make good money, have great benefits and work with wonderful people. Problem is I have no social life. By the time I get home, feed the horses, do chores I am pooped.

[uno,dos,3]

What inspired me was the plight of my parents. They went bankrupt in their early 60's. Lived their retirement in subsidized housing on a $980.00 monthly S.S. check and some help from me. I was in my early thirties when they went bankrupt. I was determined that the same thing wouldn't happen to me. I went back to school, got a Masters degree, and made retirement planning one of my priorities. My career was relatively successful (a big fish in a small pond). I enjoyed my work.......but my main motivating force was to have enough money when I retired.    

[dwalt]

I am doing the same thing.  Everythiing I have is paid for and I am socking away my money and investing(wisely) for my retirement. 

[blithe spirit]

I started working when I was 9 and started a dog walking business. I lived in a lage apartment complex with lots of young couples who had dogs and who didn't want to take them out first thing in the morning, especially on the weekends. I did that for a couple years. When I was a little older, I started babysitting on the weekends and after we moved back to the states, I got a paper route. I went to tobacco camp up in Conn and Mass during the Summer when I was early teen age. When we moved back to Germany, I got involved in a small reprertory company who sponsored several different stage productions and was paid a little as part of it...was considered vocational education in Germany.

I knew I wanted to go to college...that was instilled in me by my folks....the idea that education would allow me to have options in life and become indepedent. There were 5 children in my family...I knew my parents couldn't afford college for all of us, so I had to contribute...my little jobs and making good grades in school so I could get scholarships.

I guess my parents inspired me...not so much for a career choice but to become a self sufficent, independent woman with options in life.

I've had several careers, earned a couple a degrees...and have been teaching school for the last 13 yrs. My interests have always been varied but my career choices have always been focused on being able to make an independent life for myself. In that way, I guess I have suceeded.

[Kim]

As a kid I wanted to be an airline pilot until I heard you needed to be extremely good in math or a  wild animal trainer but unless you got extremely lucky, it was a one in a million shot but that was ok because "career wise", I really hadnt planned on anything. I just wanted to be wife and a mother which is exactly what I did for about 24 years or so. I knew some day the kids would grow up and I would have to do "something else" so it was kinda always on my mind WHAT TO DO. My husband kept pushing me to become a nurse "like my mom". And I could make a lot of money.  Being a nurse was pretty much the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to "work at home" ....always!! I had written since I was 8 but really didnt think I could eveer actually make a living being a writer. BUT I will ALWAYS love writing and will always write!!

Well, my kids DID grow up and I got divorced and suddenly I was at a loss what to do once the money ran out. I mean, I was pretty sure I would have a hard time getting hired at McDonald's and Walmart...I had ZERO experience. I had done an extensive amount of babysitting from newborn to 10 year olds but THAT was IT!! My ex's one sister suggested I do what SHE does...Be a caregiver, helping old or disabled people.  She  thought I would be really good at it. SHE just advertised in the paper but in my state, i didnt think it worked that way so she suggested doing an internet search for "Elderly Caregivers" and I found the first agency I worked for. Some jobs I couldnt BELIEVE I got PAID, it was SO easy THEN i got WITCHY POO as a client....ughhhh!!! BUT what I learned with HER and many people after her that I almost have a "gift" of satisfying the pickiest, most ANAL, Most obscessive compulsive, most difficult, most idiotic thinking people and actually leaving them with a smile on their faces!!  I had many clients over the past 4 years and I have also worked in a nursing home too. Currently,I live with a rich  old lady (and a recent widow) who is mostly independant but needs basic stuff done....cleaning, laundry, bill paying, cooking, and sometimes just companionship. This life suits me just fine and we get along famously!! HOWEVER, she IS in her 80's and I do need to look to the future.  SO, as I still enjoy a "work at home" lifestyle, although if something happened to her, I would be placed right away somewhere else but I am not sure I WANT to do this anymore after HER. SO...I am studying to be a Medical Transcriptionist when she doesnt need me. She encourages me with this, saying, "You cant hang out with ME forever!"  I would LOVE to JUST WRITE but I dont feel like that will pay my rent and stuff, at least not at first so I'm going with what is more of a sure thing.

[uno,dos,3]

"I almost have a "gift" of satisfying the pickiest, most ANAL, Most obscessive compulsive, most difficult, most idiotic thinking people and actually leaving them with a smile on their faces!!"

Where were you when I was looking for a wife?

[Wayne Goodwin]

May i ask whats ANAL about it ?