Workplace Why did you choose the profession that you're in?

G

Gremlin

Member
Oct 25, 2012
879
1
#1
Just thought it was an interesting topic. What were/are your reasons for wanting to be in your current profession other than the fact that you enjoy/are interested in the particular field?

My area is banking and my reasons for choosing it is because career progression is very easy so long as you are a good worker and if you ever want to go part-time or job share it is very easy to have them let you do that. Also I like the monday to friday aspect (although not all branches are like this, some are open on saturdays) and no matter how long I might have to stay back, I know that I won't have to work on the weekend.
 
#2
I am a social worker because I hate making a living wage and being respected.

(Real answer is that I have always just kinda known I would be in one of the helping professions.)
 
#3
I ended up becoming an attorney because I love researching and writing. Given that there are not a lot of professions (at least that I was interested in) when you graduate with a dual major in Political Science and Psychology (yes, my dad was thrilled at paying $250K for me to graduate with those two majors!), I ended up going to law school. I actually liked law school, but unfortunately, if you don't like arguing and being argumentative, it's hard to find a job as an attorney.

I don't really know what else I would want to do. I would love to have been a vet, but science isn't exactly my forte. And I'd love to be a writer, but you have to have talent for that! :smile:
 
#4
when i was in 10th grade, we had to pick either science or art group (in HK). because of the influence from my dad, i always thought about engineering...so i picked science. but i didn't do well, and architecture was the only major that i know i'd survive. i wouldn't mind journalism though...or accounting.
 
#5
Lindsay2367 said:
I ended up becoming an attorney because I love researching and writing. Given that there are not a lot of professions (at least that I was interested in) when you graduate with a dual major in Political Science and Psychology (yes, my dad was thrilled at paying $250K for me to graduate with those two majors!), I ended up going to law school. I actually liked law school, but unfortunately, if you don't like arguing and being argumentative, it's hard to find a job as an attorney.

I don't really know what else I would want to do. I would love to have been a vet, but science isn't exactly my forte. And I'd love to be a writer, but you have to have talent for that! :smile:
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Well I'm a practicing regulatory attorney and I don't like arguing! There are tons of different types of legal jobs.
 
#6
LeeMiller said:
Well I'm a practicing regulatory attorney and I don't like arguing! There are tons of different types of legal jobs.
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That's true. I was just in a smaller area before where so many firms were involved in litigation. And since I was working in employment law, unfortunately, a lot of our cases ende up in court. Now I am in a larger market so I am hoping I have more options to practice that doesn't involve litigation. :smile:
 
#7
I work in the high tech industry. It was not my plan at all, I wanted to be psychologist but needed to make money sooner than later. And that is why I chose it. Took out several loans to take classes. Plus I got in at a great time and these jobs paid very well.


At the time our family of 4 was living on $20k a year and receiving government assistance for fuel, food, healthcare etc. I did it to bring us out of poverty and my ex-husband was limited in what he could do. Our rodent infested apartment was in a bad neighborhood where pizza places considered too dangerous to deliver. Late night we often had people pounding on our door because they mistook us for the drug dealers next door. The house next door was raided while I was playing with my children in our driveway which doubled as a yard.


Though not planned it was a good move. My children do not remember those living conditions because they were so young. I am divorced now, do not need child support, obviously since I spend time here can afford nice handbags, own a house in a desirable neighborhood, and drive a luxury car. Not trying to boast but saying if I can do this anyone with a goal and the right motivation can do the same.
 
#8
I didn't choose my profession, my profession chose me.

Oh that sounded deep huh?

I wanted to be an interior designer and got the degree for it and everything. Now I'm in automotive. But my dad owned a shop and was a mechanic when I was growing up so I was always around it, so I think subconsciously I fell into it. I used to roller blade around in his lube bays under the cars. He wanted to kill me lol, always "get out of here, what if a car fell on you?!"
 
#9
After I graduated High School I went to college and studied Biology with a Pre-Med concentration. My ultimate goal was to someday become a pediatrician.

Life and money got in the way and I ended up dropping out about 2 semesters before graduation. I moved to Germany and ended up studying Economics and Business Administration.

I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, but thought that those two areas have me a broad range of carreers to choose from.

I now currently work at a large University in the statistics and planning department and handle the worldwide university rankings.
 
#10
I sort of just fell into my current profession of corporation tax.

I went to uni wanting to major in French and Computer Science. I had to take some extra papers, so I opted for a first year law paper. (In New Zealand you usually read law as an undergrad degree.) CompSci was hard and I lost interest in French, so I sort of just kept going and got a law degree.

When interviewing for jobs I applied mainly to law firms, but saw that Big 4 accountancy firms were also recruiting law undergrads for the tax department, even those that don't have a double degree in commerce/accounting. So I went on a few interviews to check it out. It turned out I liked the accountancy firm culture better than I did any of the bigger law firms, so tax it was. And then professional qualifications just as par for the course.

I quite like my profession because it's an interesting intersection between accounting and law. Plus it's a fairly specialised area, so remuneration levels are decent. I also like the relative job stability - unless something catastrophic happens to society, people are always gonna have tax issues that need sorting out. :P
 
#11
Lindsay2367 said:
That's true. I was just in a smaller area before where so many firms were involved in litigation. And since I was working in employment law, unfortunately, a lot of our cases ende up in court. Now I am in a larger market so I am hoping I have more options to practice that doesn't involve litigation. :smile:
Click to expand...

I hope you find a good fit soon!!!
 
#13
I was planning on becoming a lawyer, but a lot of things happened to prevent that from happening. I was completely screwed afterwards and took whatever crappy part-time, no benefits job I could get. One of them happened to be making a database for a public health organization. I started doing more and more IT work, and healthcare organizations and hospitals were eager to hire someone with experience in health informatics. I learned how to do clinical quality measurement and reporting at one of my public health jobs, so that led to my current position in HIT/clinical quality. I'm also an adjunct at a local college and teach a night class at the high school.

I don't like my field at all, but after literally a decade of financial struggle and student loans, the money was necessary.
 
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