And now for something completely different.
As some of you may or may not know, up till around October-November of last year, I was hoping to look for a career in programming. I've always had an interest in computers and programming, and preparatory courses and such have all lead to optimistic results, so I thought that as long as I make sure I net a job at the end, I'd be golden. And I say "till around October-November of last year" because that's around the time I realized I'm just mediocre at programming. I was struggling to get through the first year.Maybe with a lot of effort, dedication and another retry or two, I'd manage to struggle through, but I'd still be a below-average programmer at best. I just didn't have the ability to keep track of the big picture and stay focused on what I'm supposed to be doing. Frankly, I wasn't planning on being the load of the team my whole life... So I cut my losses and quit.
Only problem is, of course, the eternal question: Now what?
Well, I've asked many different people for advice; friends, family, experts, coaches... They've helped me narrow down the choices. But I'm still very unsure about it. Which brings me to you. You've both known me for a while now and you collectively have a fairly broad knowledge about various aspects of life, so I figured you might be able to give me some advice. Couldn't hurt to ask, anyway.
I've already selected a university I'll most likely be going to. They've got such an absurdly wide range of possible degrees that I can basically choose anything I want. I've also singled out a number of career paths that I definitelywon't be choosing, because I'm simply and utterly unsuited for them: most STEM degrees (I sucked at those subjects in high school), anything involving the military or anything involving teaching (I do enjoy teaching quite a bit, actually, but I've got poor social skills and don't perform well under stress, so that's an absolute no-go). I also hope to avoid the corporate rat race because it would probably just wreck me; I just wouldn't be able to deal with the internal politics and soul-crushing routines of an office job.
The four most likely choices I'm contemplating are:
English Language and Culture: Basically what it says on the tin: Studying the English language and the culture of English-speaking countries. Right away this career path splits into two paths: one for studying the UK and one for studying the US. It involves learning all there is to know about the literature, history, politics and cultural trends of that particular country. I figure this is the thing I'd probably be best at and most interested in, but the problem is; who would hire me for this skill?
History: Well, given what this site's about, my interest in history should be self-explanatory. I'm very good at memorizing and explaining why things happen the way they do, figuring out the enormous, immensely intricate chain reaction that is human civilization. I've little doubt that I'd be good at this career path if I chose it. The problem is much the same as with English, though: What kind of job does that earn me? The obvious answer is history teacher/professor, but I've already explained why that can't happen, so... The other options I've seen listed online are PhD-level researcher or things that don't seem to relate much with history.
Dutch Language and Culture: Basically the same as English, except... Dutch. Not much to say about this one, except that there's a much greater chance that I'd pick English over this, simply because I'm much more interested in English. And of course, Dutch teacher is the most popular job among graduates...
Law: The odd one in the bunch. Especially since the most popular and obvious job (lawyer) is out of the question for me because, once more, social skills. That said, there's still a variety of options here, like being a prosecutor, legal adviser, court secretary, notary etc. Of course, you do need a certain level of social skill for those too, but less so than lawyers, so I'd have more of a chance there. And there's plenty of demand for people with this career path. The only problem is, I'm not entirely confident that I'd be good at this kind of job.
One test also suggested I'd make a decent psychologist, but since I consider myself more likely to require such aid than to be able to offer it, I'm not taking that one too seriously.
Basically, the question I'm mostly asking myself (and the question that my family has been pestering me about ad nauseam the last couple months, as if I'm supposed to have all the answers already) is, what career path will allow me to pay the bills? On one hand, I'm not planning to spend three to four years and several buttloads of cash on a degree that essentially amounts to a one-way ticket to nowhere. On the other hand, I'm deathly afraid of spiraling into what I call "Real Job Syndrome", where I'll dismiss possible choices because it's not a choice most people would make and thus eventually end up studying something I don't even care about purely for the job prospects- because then I might as well have just kept studying programming. What doesn't help is something my coach explained to me, namely that university-level education is often theoretical and not job-focused and as such it's hard to tell where you'll end up, or even if you'll end up anywhere at all. This of course leads to the assumption that if you don't know what you're studying for, you're not studying for anything.
There's a bunch of other "loose change" skills that I have, bits and pieces of creativity and such, but those seem much better suited for a hobby than something I can build a career on (at least, not something I could rely on).
In the meantime I'm still looking for a part-time job, preferably something that would look good on the resume. My uncle has a truck company and he's contemplating offering me a temporary job at his place... Although I've no idea what he intends me to do and little faith that I'd be helpful, but I'll take it anyway since I've little to lose in doing so. I'm just apprehensive because I loathe the idea of being the useless layabout nephew of the company who only got hired because of nepotism.
...So! Anything you could tell me that could help me find a career that won't make me starve and/or want to die inside? I'm all ears.
"Have you ever had a dream that you thought was impossible to achieve? Well, some people say nothing is impossible. But I do nothing every day! So you can definitely do it."
--Tofu the dog's infinite wisdom
"British English is easy! Just use an 's' instead of a 'z' and replace 'or' with 'our' and you're dandy." "Do you want pissa our noodles for dinner?" "u better not piss in r noodles m8"
--Classic exchange between Popeychops and John the Late
As some of you may or may not know, up till around October-November of last year, I was hoping to look for a career in programming. I've always had an interest in computers and programming, and preparatory courses and such have all lead to optimistic results, so I thought that as long as I make sure I net a job at the end, I'd be golden. And I say "till around October-November of last year" because that's around the time I realized I'm just mediocre at programming. I was struggling to get through the first year.
Only problem is, of course, the eternal question: Now what?
Well, I've asked many different people for advice; friends, family, experts, coaches... They've helped me narrow down the choices. But I'm still very unsure about it. Which brings me to you. You've both known me for a while now and you collectively have a fairly broad knowledge about various aspects of life, so I figured you might be able to give me some advice. Couldn't hurt to ask, anyway.
I've already selected a university I'll most likely be going to. They've got such an absurdly wide range of possible degrees that I can basically choose anything I want. I've also singled out a number of career paths that I definitely
The four most likely choices I'm contemplating are:
One test also suggested I'd make a decent psychologist, but since I consider myself more likely to require such aid than to be able to offer it, I'm not taking that one too seriously.
Basically, the question I'm mostly asking myself (and the question that my family has been pestering me about ad nauseam the last couple months, as if I'm supposed to have all the answers already) is, what career path will allow me to pay the bills? On one hand, I'm not planning to spend three to four years and several buttloads of cash on a degree that essentially amounts to a one-way ticket to nowhere. On the other hand, I'm deathly afraid of spiraling into what I call "Real Job Syndrome", where I'll dismiss possible choices because it's not a choice most people would make and thus eventually end up studying something I don't even care about purely for the job prospects- because then I might as well have just kept studying programming. What doesn't help is something my coach explained to me, namely that university-level education is often theoretical and not job-focused and as such it's hard to tell where you'll end up, or even if you'll end up anywhere at all. This of course leads to the assumption that if you don't know what you're studying for, you're not studying for anything.
There's a bunch of other "loose change" skills that I have, bits and pieces of creativity and such, but those seem much better suited for a hobby than something I can build a career on (at least, not something I could rely on).
In the meantime I'm still looking for a part-time job, preferably something that would look good on the resume. My uncle has a truck company and he's contemplating offering me a temporary job at his place... Although I've no idea what he intends me to do and little faith that I'd be helpful, but I'll take it anyway since I've little to lose in doing so. I'm just apprehensive because I loathe the idea of being the useless layabout nephew of the company who only got hired because of nepotism.
...So! Anything you could tell me that could help me find a career that won't make me starve and/or want to die inside? I'm all ears.
--Tofu the dog's infinite wisdom
"British English is easy! Just use an 's' instead of a 'z' and replace 'or' with 'our' and you're dandy." "Do you want pissa our noodles for dinner?" "u better not piss in r noodles m8"
--Classic exchange between Popeychops and John the Late