Your Career/Job

pampootie

I’m just back to work after a week off and it’s set me off thinking about careers and jobs etc, am wondering about the views of the Ladies Lounge!

Do you enjoy your job? Is it something you a have a passion for or is it a means to an end? Have you any interest in changing career or starting your own business? How much to outside factors like kids, travel etc factor your career decisions?

Personally I work as a pharmacist, and for me it’s very much a means to an end. Had a huge amount of passion for the course, but the job has turned out to be a major disappointment….retail is not fun! It has some enjoyable aspects but for the most part I just don’t particularly like it. Most of my classmates from college feel the same, about retail pharmacy at least, and many have gone back to college to change career.
I would like to change career but I’m not sure how feasible it is for me. I’m 25 now, I’d like a family at a fairly young age and I’d also like to do at least a years travelling. To be honest I think that trying to pack in a career change, travelling and family into the next 5 years isn’t really possible! So I reckon I’ll stick it out and just look at it as a necessary evil to fund what I actually want to do outside of work.

A bit of a rant there, sorry! But I'm interested in other people's views

Ickle Magoo

I love my job - and I'm very lucky that I have a good deal of flexibility and have the choice to work predominantly during school hours only.

Funnily enough it wasn't what I planned to do and has nothing to do with my original qualifications...I got really bored with no job, no friends and two babies to keep me company in a new country and started volunteering and it kind of snowballed from there. Just goes to show you can change direction at any time...

If it's any consolation, I think the vast majority of people work to live, rather than the other way around...

G86

It's never too late!

I studied Media, and I've been working in Advertising for a few years now. I enjoy my job, but lately I started to get in a bit of a rut and began looking at other options. I've a growing interest in family/adolescent mental health work so I looked into doing an evening psych conversion degree, but it's a long hog and I found my self thinking I wouldn't get the chance to travel if I did it now. I've been working for 8 years now(through col etc.) and I think I'll burn out if I don't take a bit of a break! So I decided to do my travelling now to get it out of my system; I got a job abroad, handed in my notice here and I leave in a few weeks. I'm hoping the year or so away will help me to make a solid decision on what career direction I want to take, and hopefully I'll be out of debt when I get back which will help me to fund further study in whichever path I choose to pursue. You never know, I might be dying to get back to Media after I have a bit of a break from it.

I can't really relate to the starting a family thing, as it's not really on my agenda, but I reckon that's something you can't plan for - you decide when you decide, and when you do then your life will just work itself around it.

If you did decide to go back to study, 25 is still really young, and there are tons of older mature students around these days! A friend of mine is actually going back to college now in Sept to do a second degree full time, and another guy is doing his second degree too through the Open University. OU might actually be a great option for you if you look into it, as far as I know you're able to map out your own progression so that you complete the course in your own time, so you can do it in anything from 4-10 years. Although, I'd say most people would rather get it done asap!

You're 25, your life is really only just starting out, so now's the time to make the most of it

pampootie

G86 wrote: »

You're 25, your life is really only just starting out, so now's the time to make the most of it

Oh I know I'm not the old woman of the hills just yet! But at the same time I just wonder if, practically, jacking in what is an OK if not especially enjoyable job makes sense for me personally, given what I would hope to achieve over the next few years.

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

If it's any consolation, I think the vast majority of people work to live, rather than the other way around...

See that's what I'm interested in-is this really the case? Do most people just put up with their jobs or do most people actively enjoy them?

kingelmo

Honestly i hate my job, but im putting this down to having no permanent job (currently covering maternity leave). I finished school very young was only turned 17 and didnt exactly know what i wanted to do. Because of my stupidity i didnt study enough for my leaving and didnt get the points or course i wanted (criminal justice -very csi ), so i flicked through a book and picked a Business Administration course. It was two years long and i finished that in 2010. I have been working in two different type industries covering maturnity leave since then as an Office administrator and in that year iv gone from loving the job to hating it!!

Iv considered going back to college, id love to do nursing or something in that line, but as i didnt have the points, id have to do a pre-nursing course and get full marks in that to even be considered for a nursing course (which to me is putting alot of pressure on myself) or else my other option to to wait and go back as a mature student.

So i dont really know what to do, any college is well over an hour away from where i live, so i would have to stay up there if i even got a course, but on the same time iv also got the 'been there done that ' attitude.

I know being in college and away for 5-6 days at a time put alot of pressure on my relationship with my OH and i dont think i could do it again.

Id love to go travelling and like you start a family in my mid to late 20's. And as you said i dont know can i pack all that in - in a few years.

OP,im in your boat - not having a proper full time job, no exactly that keen on the work, money is shocking. But even going back to college again i dont think i could afford it and the courses i want are extreamly hard to get into esp when i got crap results.

Rant over -sorry:rolleyes:

Semele

I want to be a clinical psychologist, which is hugely competitive. I have a degree and MSc but am still working in fairly low-level support roles (my current is a slightly more senior role thankfully, reflected in the duties and pay) to gain experience and intend to keep applying yearly to the doctorate until I get in or give up!

It's disheartening sometimes but I love the job that I do now, am learning loads and growing in confidence daily and it pays unusually well, so I've sort of relaxed for the first time in years! I used to think that I'd be qualified by the age of 30, which is a joke now! The doctorate is a 3 year course and I'm 27, so I'd have to get on this year for that to happen. Due to messing around a bit in uni and changing direction for a while I've now accepted that mine will be a more scenic route into the profession than undergrad>Masters>couple of years assistant psychologist experience>course...and I'm becoming ok with that idea!

I think the fact that my current job pays well is part of it. I did used to have a problem with constantly trying to explain to friends and family that yes, I'm very educated but yes, I am still working my ass off for £15,000p/a in a job that requires GCSEs, thanks very much! I'm not motivated by money but not having to penny-pinch for the first time ever has made such a difference to my quality of life and general well-being that I'm reluctant to give it up yet for more varied experience elsewhere.

My career is hugely important to me. I love psychology and am endlessly fascinated by the clients I work with. I just hope that I can qualify in order to work at the level I want to and feel capable of sooner rather than later. At the minute I'm considering doing another MSc in an area that I'm growing increasingly fascinated with, while continuing to work full-time and potentially developing a PHd proposal out of it, so that I have the option of an academic career instead of/in addition to a clinical one.

I think my perceptions have changed as I've got older. 27 used to sound old to me and I would have been horrified when I was 20 if I'd known that I'd be so unsorted by now! But I don't feel it- with the exception of a few people who've done vocational qualifications such as teaching, almost all of my frinds are doing random long-term interim jobs because they don't have a master plan yet so in that sense I'm more sorted because at least I know what I want to do.

Azureus

I fell into the job Im in now and I really enjoy it. I have my degree, but halfway through the course I knew it wasnt for me and it was only because of money that I stuck through it as I knew it was get a degree that was 'useless' to my long term plans, or get no degree at all. I started a part-time job the summer before college and if it wasnt for that 4 years experience, I would never have got the job Im in today.
Its not exactly groundbreaking but it pays the bills and I never wake up dreading to go to work

Cottontail

OP, in some ways I wish I was where you were now. I got a degree in IT, which I have worked in for the past 8 years and I hate it. I knew early on in the first year of my degree that I didn't like it but being the kind I am, I couldn't just leave it, I had to keep going. I really regret it now. I'd love to have done something in the medical field, Occupational Therapy or Nursing or something like that. However I'm now 31 with my second baby on the way and a mortgage and haven't got the time or money to retrain. If I was 25 with no financial responsibilities I'd definitely give something new a go.

dashboard_hula

I fell into my career by accident - I dropped out of college and kind of did a bit of everything for a few years before I started the job I was last in to earn money to go travelling again. I was lucky enough to really like the job and the type of work, and when I was promoted I enjoyed it even more. Unfortunately, due to restructures I was made redundant in May, however was just in the nick of time to reapply to college as a mature student, and I was offered the place I wanted last Thursday. The job I was in really helped me to drill down into exactly what degree I wanted to do, as before that I was humming and hawing between different things. My degree will be both specific and yet applicable to a lot of areas, if that makes sense, but I definitely want to stay in that field. Redundancy can come good in the end, even though that was most definitely not my thoughts when I first found out!
I think that you shouldn't discount the possibilty of career changing in the future, as life can sometimes make these decisions for you. It doesn't have to be linear, some people can juggle quite a lot at once. Best of luck to you either way

RacoonQueen

I just finished up in a job on Friday after over three years. I loved the work but all the sh*t that went with it I despised. I've always been very ambitious and working at the 'bottom of the pile' with no real chance of career progression while still staying in a similar area, without four years of college wasn't an option for me. I was working in something similarish to what I studied in college but for the last 18 months or so, my heart just wasn't in it anymore. More recently, going in every day was a complete drag. I wasn't enjoying the work as much anymore, I was getting a bit narky, and, to be honest, I was starting to feel a little depressed.

I was going nowhere, standing still, and had no where else to go. For a long time I'd been mulling over starting my own business and opening my own sports injury clinic and I started putting the wheels in motion maybe just over a year ago. Told myself that I didn't want to be full time in my job anymore by the start of 2011, a couple of spanners got thrown in the works and I was still full time at the turn of the year, then as the year progressed I started getting the above feelings. Put in some half hearted attempts to get myself out on my own again, then one day, out of the blue, I heard *click, click, click*. Things started moving FAST and now I'm self-employed, OK, only technically on day two and I've taken a massive risk - there are things I wanted to do, like travel, and maybe one day, my business will be doing well enough that I can leave someone else in charge and I can feck off to the other side of the world for a few months and chill out. I've a LONG way to go before I'm in any way successful in my own business, but I'm on my way. Years of scrimping, saving and dreaming have gotten me here(and I'm technically making losses as it stands). I envisage a long, hard road up ahead but sure the 23 years previous to this one haven't exactly been a piece of cake anyway.

I'm too ambitious and have too much passion to allow work to just be a means to an end, work needs to be satisfying for me, otherwise I just don't see the point. If you want something else, go for it. Dreams are only for those with the guts to chase them.

newbee22

I love my job!although i havent nothing lined up for september yet im gobba be positive,6 weeks left in the summer so hopefully ill have something soon:)

squeakyduck

I am a sales rep. Studied history and english in college.

I enjoy sales but I want to teach English and travel a little before I try and find my career.

Getting there

I love my job. I find it so exciting and every day Im thankful that I got it. I did find myself in this field by accident though sort of found i was good at a partiime job during college and went with it once i finished my unrelated degree.

I'm not a workaholic by any means but because of the limitations in this field in Ireland i've had to move away from friends, family and my relationship has suffered too. I love my job if i didnt i think i might have moved home months ago. Sometimes I wonder if Iv got the balance right at all....

So yeah i do think its all about balancing a job you love with the people you love. And not letting one come at a cost to the other.

Now i must go listen to my own advice...

pampootie

RacoonQueen best of luck with it all!

It's interesting seeing the spread of responses. Keep em coming

bigtuna

I went to college to study tourism and languages with business. I graduated the year after September 11th and during the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. I remember being told it would turn around in 5 years!!! I always wanted to be a travel agent. I even offered to work for free but they no longer had insurance to cover work experience.
I fell into catering and later retail. I am a retail deputy manager now. If you had asked me when I was 17 what I would be doing I would never had said this!!! I want to open my own business so for me this is all just a learning experience. For the most part I do enjoy my job. I enjoy the challenge of a fast paced environment and there is always something new to learn. I do have days tho where I want to bang my head off the wall. I think anybody who is working now is doing longer hours with less staff and less money. It is incredibly frustrating to be expected to work to such high levels with so little support at times.
It is very important to have the work/life balance. My job pays for my bills and my handbag addiction

gaeilgebeo

I LOVE my job,(especially this time of year. )
I'm a secondary school teacher.
I love everything about my job. I love the buzz and atmosphere of being in a large school.
I love the different stages of the school year and the different atmospheres they bring.
I love my classroom, my own personal space in a very large building.
I love the craic in the staff-room.
I love working with
(most of ) my students.
I love being around young people and the energy they have. I enjoy the banter with them.
On the teaching side of things, I love teaching. It's what I've always wanted to do. I work very hard and am always trying to come up with interesting innovative ways to teach. I love helping weaker students. I love rewarding them.
Yes, there are bad days caused by nightmare students, fussy parents or even annoying staff! But these days are few and far between and I feel very grateful to have a permanent job that I love.

Princess Peach

I just work in retail. Started part-time when I was in school and all through college and I wanted a year out after college so stayed on full time. Its really just a way for me to make money. Didn't want to start a "real" job after college but needed money so stayed on. Don't really like it and really really don't want to work there much longer. Been sick of it a few years now.

Hopefully going back to do a masters soon so will start focusing on a career after that

ztoical

I adore my work....I work as a freelance animator and illustrator. Currently I work on a kids tv series, the last project was a feature film that was nominated for an Oscar. The working environment is really relaxed, you can dress how like, the work hours are long but there's no clocking I or out people just come in and get the work done.

I also have my own studio space that is amazing where I work on comics and illustration work and my own personal projects. I share with two other artists and there are several more studios in the space so there's always a great atmosphere and energy.

The work is tough, it can be frustrating when things just aren't working, deadlines can be tight and it can be super competitive but I enjoy creating so much, I get to wear what I like and travel alot. A few years back I was picked for a comic book residency in Japan - everything paid for I just had to spend several weeks in the mountains with other artists creating comics . It's also been a great help to me with personal issues. After my dad died suddenly at the end of 07 I spent a year creating portraits of him and putting a comic book anthology together to raise money for Goal who he use to work for. The book to date has raised over €6000 and was a very vital healing process for me with dealing with everything. I just hope I can keep drawing everyday till my time is up.

psycho-hope

ive half a degree in psychology done but im taking some time out to decide if its what i really want, at the mo i work in a pharmacy its ok but very monotonous, i'm at the bottom of the pecking order so monday to friday im just a slave to the others, its only at the weekend i get to do some proper work. I wouldnt mind training to be a pharmacy technician at some stage or if the bf ends up going to the uk for work i might look into doing psych nursing over there

beks101

I love my job, unfortunately. Unfortunately because I work in probably one of the toughest and most competitive industries there is and you don't get anywhere unless you're willing to prioritise work above all else - including social and personal life - and clock ridiculous hours and do a crazy amount of dirty work.

I work as a television producer on a national current affairs programme in Canada, which has been educational to say the least. I arrived in Canada less than a year ago and sort of worked and winged my way into my current position, where I'm expected to know everything there is to know about whatever story I'm working on. The federal election was interesting...'can you put in a call for a local NDP candidate in Sept-Îles?' ...and I'd have to secretly run to the nearest pc and google where the hell Sept-Îles is, google the aRse out of the NDP so I sound like I have a vague idea what I'm talking about and use my secondary-school French to persuade someone to talk to me there.

It's been a real lesson in Canadian politics and life and culture, as well as a lesson in newsroom politics. It's stressful as fcuk - chasing guests to a one-hour deadline, working with reporters who are filing from Japan or Jerusalem or London, fact checking on subjects you know nothing about and co-ordinating resources in Ottawa or Vancouver to help bring a news item together. There's a constant need to 'prove' yourself and one fcuk up can be one too many...

But I can't imagine what it would be like to have a 'normal' job. I can't imagine what it would be like to leave the office at 5pm and be home by 6. What would I do??? For all its downsides, and they certainly are plentiful (stress, lack of sleep, lack of routine, piss-all work-life balance etc), there's not a day that passes at work where I don't learn something new, about Canada or about the company or about myself. I'm constantly challenged and the expectations on me are huge and there's a real buzz in that. If someone had told me five years ago when I was studying journalism that I'd end up working as a tv producer in a national newsroom in Canada I'd have thought it was hilarious. 'So not me!' But there you go.

I do worry about the future a little though. I don't plan on staying in Canada forever and it's a bitch of an industry that relies heavily on contacts and lucky breaks. But my over-riding feeling is that it's better not to think about it too much and to just ride the wave of opportunity I've had here, and the rest will fall into place. Definitely a live-to-work person right now, although I work and play equally hard!

I love my job. I originally wanted to get into physics research but that did not work out after my masters. So I landed in actuary. I wanted something that would stop me being in a 9-5 rut with evenings doing nothing - as beks said,

I can't imagine what it would be like to leave the office at 5pm and be home by 6. What would I do???

- so I'm even happy about these blasted exams, even if they are far harder to pass than anything I've ever done before
I love working in pensions and some time I will move on to a different area as part of my learning/career such as investing or insurance, and I'm sure that will be interesting too. I love the challenge and how mathsy it is, it's all genuinely very interesting.

Maybe one day when I've qualified and worked as a full actuary for a while I'll go back to physics.

Malari

I love my job too, although it has nothing to do with what I studied for 7 years I kind of fell into it, but I earn good money and it's enjoyable mainly I suppose, because of the company I work in.

I loved what I did in college too, but I just didn't see myself doing it for the rest of my life.

However, I do see my job as a means to an end. I want to make big bucks as fast as possible and have a nice lifestyle. If I won the Euromillions tomorrow and didn't have to work again I wouldn't quit immediately, but I would probably do something else completely again. A little dream I have but not something I would make a good living out of.

Maple

I work in funds. I fell into it by accident, mainly for being a sociable chatterbox. I was working in a private investment company, met someone at a do, they asked if i'd come interview and seven years later here I am.

I do love my job and I'm good at it. There's a lot of juggling and deadlines and pressure involved, but I'm good at organising and streamlining processes, it appeals to my control freak nature. I'm working on a high profile project at the minute which is great to be involved in, there is a lot of waffle tho which I'm finding terribly difficult as I much prefer to get involved at the actions stations stage when all deliverables are agreed and it's a matter of tweaking systems and establishing procedures etc. I seem to spend a lot of my day on conference calls, which are pretty boring.

Is it my life's passion? No, it's not. But it's interesting and challenging and no two days are the same. Besides unless I win the Lotto I don't know of any company that would pay me to sit on my arse reading books and serving up lattes in my own bookshop.

Would I come back to work if I won the Lotto? No way. I think I'd like to go back to college, I'd like to be a children's therapist or something along those lines. I'd spend the next ten years of my life studying and enjoying it without having to worry about working my two jobs or paying my rent like I had to back in the day.

But until I have that winning ticket in my grubby paws, I'm happy doing this.

ger vallely

Wow seems like alot here like or love their jobs. Me too-I'm a preschool teacher. I fell into that having no other qualifications and 2 children of my own. I found I was regularily minding other peoples' children and thought- why not make a career out of it. I don't run my own place(not very ambitious) but I very happily go to work every day and love the fun and energy of the work. I dread the summer time in a way though. I'm off now for 2 months,school is closed. Unlike alot of other countries we don't get paid in the summer. Another downside is back pain. I can't see me staying at this until retirement because of that alone but for now I love it.

MissElle

I currently work in retail part time and am going into my third year training to be a midwife. I had been studying I.T. when I became quite sick and had to take a year out. It was then that I decided to switch to midwifery. My family weren't supportive at all but I love my course and I'm so glad I took the risk to change! I'm not mad on retail, but I do love the people I work with so that really makes a difference I think.

Nightwish

I work in pensions in the public sector, which is something that happened by accident. My engineering degree was pretty worthless when the recession hit, I ended up in a badly paid, low end public sector job. When public sector recruitment embargo hit, I was redeployed into pensions which I have found that I love. No career opportunities that I can see, unfortunately due to the ban on promotions in the public sector, which is a huge pity because I would love to further my career in this area.

Eviledna

I'd flippin want to like my job...I created it myself!:D

I work in the web industry and have a small company of my own. I work hard and get to meet a broad range of people in all different industries. I love that part of the job, and I've a real thirst for learning that is essential in one of the fastest changing industries out there.

I took the leap almost straight out of college and working for myself has been a huge learning experience, a test of wills, of dedication and commitment. I've seen the worst of the recession and the best. I've shed tears over missing semicolons. I've jumped for joy when I've gotten a lovely testimonial or a new project.

It's creative and it's bloody hard work, but I often feel that I'm in control of my own destiny, which I like. That's not for everyone.

Acoshla

pampootie wrote: »

I would like to change career but I’m not sure how feasible it is for me. I’m 25 now, I’d like a family at a fairly young age and I’d also like to do at least a years travelling. To be honest I think that trying to pack in a career change, travelling and family into the next 5 years isn’t really possible! So I reckon I’ll stick it out and just look at it as a necessary evil to fund what I actually want to do outside of work.

I quit my job and started my own business last year at 25, you're in the prime of life!! I want the same things as you (minus the travel really as I did that for a year from 22-23) but I'd prefer to delay all other plans and get THE HELL out of the job I was in than stay there and be miserable another day. I didn't want to work as a means to a particular lifestyle, I'd prefer to be poor and happy than rich and miserable (although I'm not poor for now anyway, yay ). Just did an interview about that subject today as it happens, after 3 days off in the sunshine before coming back to a week of work this evening

@Edna, pretty funny I posted under you without seeing it! Edna is awesome at her job btw

savvyav

This is a really interesting thread, I'm having a bit of a career crisis at the moment so its nice to know there are people still out there who like their jobs! I did languages in college, then did a MA in Politics last year but there's sod all political jobs so I'm currently tour guiding French OAPs around Ireland. I've worked in tourism before and I've been a secondary school teacher as well, and while I enjoyed the jobs, I didn't feel any of them were what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I'm thinking of going back to college to do a Phd as I love doing research...in an ideal world I would be:
- university lecturer
-terrorism expert
-someone Very Important in the UNHCR
-Secretary General of the UN
-a writer

Until then I'll stick with my French OAPs . They're grand really, just have to remember to let them have lots of toilet stops. Plus its nice to be moving around and doing something different everyday, its just a pity its not more regular work....

Blush_01

I recently changed career because I hated the company I was working for. Now I'm in a job I don't dislike, but which I don't have any real passion for either.

I would like to find my passion. I want to love my job. I want to feel like I'm making a difference in people's lives, like what I do has an impact for someone. There was a large element of that in my last role, not so much in my present one. I miss doing something I feel I can stand behind.

I am a hard worker, I'm dedicated and driven, I have no real issue with long hours and I think when I find what I want to do with the rest of my life I'll be great at it - that sounds a bit obnoxious, and I don't mean it to, I just feel like I'm pushing hard to reach average at the moment.

--LOS--

shit happens and it's taking me a long time to get there but I think I will like what I'm doing when I eventually get there, don't want to be one of those people stuck in a rut doing something they don't want. My mother always said the reality is most people don't like their jobs which is a damn depressing attitude to have.

Daisies

Hmmmm how do I answer this???? At the moment I am travelling after giving up my job of 2 years (in the middle of the recession, people thought I was crazy, it's the best thing I ever did). I kinda fell into my college course and unfortunately it is such a specific career, I can't exactly do anything else without retraining.
I'm an optometrist and while I enjoy the job, I feel the area I want to get into is too difficult to break into and not catered to in Ireland. I fell exactly like the OP.
Ideally I would love to work in a hospital setting and get to use even a quarter of the info I learnt in college. At times when I was working, I felt like a monkey. People think all you do is test for glasses and the lack of respect for your knowledge would make me so angry at times!

Having worked as an assistant in an eye health centre in Sydney I see how optometry can develop in Ireland if the IMB would ever give optometrist's the responsibilites that they are more than capable of shouldering.

But, having been bitten by the travelling bug I would love to work in this industry or even with a charity that would allow me to travel and make a difference to people's lives.

Sorry for the rambeling post

pampootie

Wow, wasn't expecting so many responses!

Some of the replies really struck a chord with me, wish I knew how to multiquote on my phone! I'd agree with Los, I think having the attitude that most people are miserable with their jobs is so depressing, you spend so much time at work it should be at least bearable! Also like blush I would love to find what I am passionate enough about to make a career out of.
And lastly to all the boardsies who've set up their own business... Wow. I think that's so brave and wish you all every success!

Eviledna

Acoshla wrote: »

I quit my job and started my own business last year at 25, you're in the prime of life!! I want the same things as you (minus the travel really as I did that for a year from 22-23) but I'd prefer to delay all other plans and get THE HELL out of the job I was in than stay there and be miserable another day. I didn't want to work as a means to a particular lifestyle, I'd prefer to be poor and happy than rich and miserable (although I'm not poor for now anyway, yay ). Just did an interview about that subject today as it happens, after 3 days off in the sunshine before coming back to a week of work this evening

@Edna, pretty funny I posted under you without seeing it! Edna is awesome at her job btw

Aw shucks It's gas really, I've actually tasted how flippin brilliant you are at your job! Jeepers that sounds shockin durty!! :eek:

This thread has got me thinking about the career version of the grass being greener saying. Take Acoshla for example. She has a really cool job, the kind that people write books about and make movies about it being their life long dream to do. I'd say alot of people think only about the fun, creative side of it. Yet having seen her in action it really sent home how hard the job can be, how long the hours are, how the creativity involved demands such dedication.

It got me to thinking about people's ambitions, their dream jobs, and the reality of those jobs when they get there. Are they what you thought they were?

For me I did IT in college, and found it had sucked any joy out of my passion for technology by the end of it. It took me to find the "ass groove" in the couch of my career to truly find a place in the industry I was happy to work, truly happy. I'd bet that many ladies here are the same.

For those that are doing what they always planned on, how different was it from the mental picture you had of it?

Catari Jaguar

Primary school teacher to disadvantaged inner city and EAL boys. Love it, just ridiculously enjoy my job so much. Small school, really close community feel and the staff are like family. Everyone cares so much about the welfare of the children, and give it 100% commitment and hard work even though there are limited resources and limited funding. I'm really proud of my class, the other children and the staff. I love those times when you can step back and just enjoy the kids, their cute anecdotes, their hard work and when something just "clicks" or when they come back with something you taught them ages ago. The innocence, the playfulness, the fun they get from the simplest things and how they think you're the bees knees.

I wanted to teach seriously since I was 15 and did everything in my power to go down the teaching path. Initially wanted to teach in a Gaelscoil (like where I went to school) but realised in college that my calling was working with disadvantaged children.

Granted, at times my head is wrecked and you can take your narkiness out on the kids and then feel awful, other times you are too tired to implement all those amazing ideas you found and can get into a rut teaching wise. I feel guilty then, but the amount of inspiration out there is so overwhelming you realistically can only do your best with the resources you have and the time you have. Other things that bother me are the teacher bashing threads and articles that break my heart.

I've had some headcase children that have pretty much given me post traumatic stress, I've been burnt out, had the inspector from hell, had pay cut after pay cut but you soldier on. If you genuinely have a grá and passion for the job you'll see that the rewards are there. If your heart isn't in teaching, you'll have no idea what I'm talking about.

It's pretty obvious that I'm missing my school like mad now that I'm on summer holidays...

Dudess

Love my job - it's along marketing, communications lines. Exactly what I'm suited to as I love writing and informing and communicating! Took a LONG time to get it though. Spent years in admin, customer service and freelancing before and after doing media in college.

The Sweeper

I have the sort of career history that makes me think "If I knew then what I know now..."

Career guidance in school was non-existent. My folks did the best they could for me, but we were working class and other than half-killing themselves to put us through university, their knowledge was limited.

The first mistake I made was not doing what I really wanted to do in Uni - I wanted to put a portfolio in to NCAD. My mom dissuaded me, on the basis that I 'wasn't good enough at drawing pictures'. She thought that a qualification from NCAD would mean I painted canvas for a living, and in her mind I wasn't good enough to make it doing that.

Subsequently I went after a degree in the other thing I was good at - writing. I studied Journalism. Bad idea.

The course didn't suit me; I didn't suit the course. Six years to get a four year degree (but I *did* go back and get it.)

There followed a bunch of jobs and qualifications - apart from my BA I'm a Prince2 certified project manager, I've a Cert IV in Health Administration and I'm currently studying to be a clinical coder. I've worked in event management (from CPE courses up to national and international conferences and exhibitions at main centres like the RDS, Birmingham NEC and Jeff's Shed in Melbourne). I've worked as a corporate writer. I've worked as an editor. I've worked in public relations.

So in terms of events, PR, writing and editing, I've done it.

Where does that leave me? Not much of anywhere really.

I currently work in health industry projects, and use my skills to improve services for cancer patients. I work full time and study 8 hours a week at the same time because I just want to get into something else.

The thing that astonishes me most is just how little career guidance is out there. My career pathway is like a ball of string for a number of reasons:

• No idea of my own workplace rights.
• Not working in the area I really wanted to get into.
• Not having the right qualifications, and instead of stopping and getting them, fannying about instead trying to make the ones I HAD work in something I wanted.
• No mentoring.

A mentor is invaluable. If one is available to you in whatever industry you work in, use them. If no mentor is made available to you but you get on well with someone senior and experienced, ask them if you could slot a meeting in their diary to ask them about your career. Most people would be flattered that you asked, and their experience is absolutely invaluable.

In projects in health, there are a number of things I know I need to do to further my career. They include:

Publish. Get my name on a piece of research or analysis. Find out when the big conferences are and produce a poster. Write a paper and see if I can get the opportunity to present it at the conference. My desirability as a speaker will be superseded by people with more letters after their name, but the attendees at the 3pm post-lunch final day seminar won't care about much other than whether or not I'm interesting. If I'm interesting, funny and engaging, they'll remember me, and I can make a name for myself.

If I have a good name, it makes me more employable. This is especially applicable in the world of projects where most contracts last the duration of the project and then you're looking for work again.

If you can physically afford the time and the money, continue to study. If you're in an industry like healthcare, education or government, never underestimate the power of letters after your name. My next step is to try for a masters, which'll be a tall ask while working full time, but it will literally pay off.

The hardest bit of all this is that I'm trying to piece it together around a full time job and a bunch of commitment in my mid-thirties, because in my early twenties I didn't have a clue.

starlit

I had a couple of careers in mind when growing up, areas in teaching, nursing, medicine, tourism, interior design, cookery, childcare, psychology or being an artist, loved history and geography as well as art and computers, and some areas of science so could have gone into a lot of those areas really but a mixture of Business and IT seemed to be the way I wanted to go rather than go one way or the other felt there be more job opportunities and was afraid to do a straight forward computer course as I was concerned about the maths but I should have gone with IT in the first place really but then again whether I did a BIS related course or business course I would have ended up doing an IT course at some stage or if I did a computer course first hand I would have got into doing a business course at a later date so thought doing a Business and IT/BIS related course was the best option as I had a few careers I liked to go into either office administration, business, IT, web design, multimedia, software development and business analysis. I decided on business and IT/BIS related degree by the time I got to Leaving Cert. I was always very keen on IT and Computers. Over all I am happy enough with the path I have gone though.

I’m not long out of college about a year, still looking for work but I am lucky that I can swap between business and IT jobs with my qualifications and work experience.
When I first left college, a few years ago I started into my first proper job not long after graduation. Got into IT by accident though! I loved it. I did a business and IT course similar to BIS but was more geared towards business administration and multimedia. Saying that, I enjoyed my first proper job, I always had it in the head to go back to college again to do postgraduate study but to do it in IT. Felt that is where my true passion, calling and abilities lie, more suited to it and what I was born to do in a way! I enjoyed the job so much that I was adamant I go back to do a postgrad in IT. I felt that was the right career path for me, as it was getting difficult to get jobs in business that time when I finished college.

Even though it was pure luck I got into IT in the first place after college the job was only short-term contract and wasn’t renewed under certain circumstances they couldn’t keep me on so had to leave. Tried to find work elsewhere but the year I finished there it was the worst year looking for work. I did voluntary work for awhile but with a bit of advice from family and friends that I should go back to college I did. I thought why wait as I always intended to go back so thought it was the best time even if it was a risk. I went back and did a postgrad higher diploma in IT and I am delighted I did it. I have had more success in getting interviews at least even though I have yet to land a job since I finished there. Currently still searching, have looked at all avenues and still not much happening. It’s worrying as I feel either unpaid work with FAS/WPP/Job-bridge, setting up my own business or immigrating is the last resort before I go back to college again. Just have had done a lot of voluntary and unpaid work before and feel I have been there done that and hasn’t got me anywhere much. I feel work experience is more important before doing a Masters. I’d hope to do a Masters next year if all else fails in looking for work. I wouldn't be ready to go back to college this year as I think there are more important things to consider. I am still undecided what Masters to do either related to BIS, Multimedia, IT/Computing. Depending what career path I really want will determine what course I do. Hopefully some job will crop up that I can lead the way with!

I really enjoy my work at the moment, although it's not that well-paid. I'm a freelance translator and do a few jobs a week, working from home and I also have a day job as an English teacher for foreign students.

I do 32 teaching hours a week, so it really is a lot of work when you factor in preparation time, marking, paperwork etc, but on the whole it's a nice job. I can't stand office environments, but like the banter with colleagues so this job is ideal for me. I see the other teachers in the staff room on breaks at lunch time, but the rest of the time I'm in class with my students. Most days I teach 2 x 3 hour grammar classes and then a 'Cultural Awareness' course which is really fun. I have students from all over the world and most of them are nice, although it's awful when you get horrible or awkward personalities. On the whole, it's quite a rewarding job, but if the students are unfriendly or really quiet, it's incredibly draining. It's also frustrating when you give 100% every day and some students just don't appreciate how much effort you put in to give a great class, but that's just part of the job.

I do the translation at home and I like being able to choose when I work and how much work I want to do. I don't really have the time management issues I thought I'd have, as it's easy to motivate yourself when you have a deadline and want to be paid, but I wish I had more time to do it. I often get home from work at 7pm and then spend the entire evening preparing classes and translating. I would like to teach only in the mornings in the future, to give me more free time to translate and find new contacts.

I do feel fortunate that I've found something I enjoy doing, but I really would like to earn a LOT more money. I have a long list of medical issues which would be greatly helped by being able to afford private specialists and alternative therapies. I also love to travel and would love to be able to go on holiday to far-flung places once or twice a year. But I also don't want to end up in a stressful office job I don't enjoy, so I'm still thinking about how I can make it happen.

pow wow

Sadly detest my current job but luckily it's only temporary I'm counting the days until I get out of it.

skywards

I work with saddlery/driving harness/horse tack currently. I don't particularly like it, but I don't entirely dislike it either.

The Sweeper

Something that struck me recently - a young family member was over here a year ago or so, and had gone for an interview for a routine job in a fast food joint. The interview went well, he was offered a start the following week.

We asked him how much it paid. He said he didn't know.

When we asked him why he hadn't asked about the money, he responded that he hadn't asked because he 'thought it was rude'.

Is that logic still out there? That it's somehow rude to ask about the remuneration for a job?

Chinafoot

I'm a library assistant in a public library. I love the work and most people I deal with are wonderful. The younger kids are the best. The look of amazement when they see the junior section and all the books for the first time is heartwarming.

Its tough going at the minute for the public library service. We're losing a lot of staff to retirement and because of the embargo we can't increase our staffing numbers. We're expected to deliver increased services with severly decreased staffing levels. Not an easy task. Not to mention the years of experience we're losing with the those retiring.

I'm working fulltime and completing (rather slowly!) my MSc in Information and Library Studies via distance learning. This is the required qualification to progress to a librarian position. This is something that won't be happening for anyone in the public library service anytime soon. On top of this, most of the lower grade staff are now qualified or are in the process of qualifying so when positions do open up there will be a serious amount of competition for very few librarian jobs. The qualification itself is also very specialised. There's not a whole lot other than libraries that it comes in handy for. There is really nowhere to go at the moment and I do feel that I'm an ambitious person with lots to give.

Having said all that, I do enjoy my job. I love books and have always wanted to open a book shop but without a euromillions win that is something that will never happen for me. I studied English and History in college and while I did stumble across this job the day before the deadline for applicants, it does feel like a natural progression.

However, like Blush_01 said, I would like to find my passion. I feel that there is more that I can give. That there is something else out there that I would really, really love. I do think it's something along the lines of what I'm doing now, I'm just not 100% sure what exactly it is. I have a huge interest in digitisation and am looking into exploring this in more detail. Who knows, maybe someday I'll find myself in Google's digitisation department

Storminateacup

I was working as a makeup artist, which I loved so much, but I also realised, whilst doing it I was interested in more than just making someone look good using makeup. I decided to do beauty therapy, and I could not have made a better decision.

I had a baby almost 8 weeks ago, so I'm due to start a new job (as a beauty therapist!) in dublin in August. I am so excited.

I've also done some modelling, but not "real" modelling. Just bridal, hair and makeup. I loved that too, but don't think I'll have the time to do that anymore.

Maple

This thread has truly been a fascinating read, there are so many varied careers among us all.

I so admire those of you who started your own business, there are days when I think I would love to work for myself but I'm clueless as to what I would do, and then too I like my routine and need pressure of deadlines etc to get projects completed. I like coming into the office as I end up faffing about on days when I've worked from home.

Again, what a great thread.

Dolbert

I'm a library assistant in a public library. I love the work and most people I deal with are wonderful. The younger kids are the best. The look of amazement when they see the junior section and all the books for the first time is heartwarming.

Its tough going at the minute for the public library service. We're losing a lot of staff to retirement and because of the embargo we can't increase our staffing numbers. We're expected to deliver increased services with severly decreased staffing levels. Not an easy task. Not to mention the years of experience we're losing with the those retiring.

I'm working fulltime and completing (rather slowly!) my MSc in Information and Library Studies via distance learning. This is the required qualification to progress to a librarian position. This is something that won't be happening for anyone in the public library service anytime soon. On top of this, most of the lower grade staff are now qualified or are in the process of qualifying so when positions do open up there will be a serious amount of competition for very few librarian jobs. The qualification itself is also very specialised. There's not a whole lot other than libraries that it comes in handy for. There is really nowhere to go at the moment and I do feel that I'm an ambitious person with lots to give.

Having said all that, I do enjoy my job. I love books and have always wanted to open a book shop but without a euromillions win that is something that will never happen for me. I studied English and History in college and while I did stumble across this job the day before the deadline for applicants, it does feel like a natural progression.

However, like Blush_01 said, I would like to find my passion. I feel that there is more that I can give. That there is something else out there that I would really, really love. I do think it's something along the lines of what I'm doing now, I'm just not 100% sure what exactly it is. I have a huge interest in digitisation and am looking into exploring this in more detail. Who knows, maybe someday I'll find myself in Google's digitisation department

I hear ya. I’m currently working in a publicly funded gallery/ museum and it’s a struggle to keep it open sometimes due to the staff cutbacks. It’s a cool place to work though, there’s a lot to be said about enjoying your surroundings! It’s a shame it’s only temporary (covering maternity leave) but I hope to be kept on in the arts/ culture sector if at all possible.

I’m about to go into the final year of my part-time management degree, in the hopes that when (if?) things pick up it’ll stand me in better stead for a promotion. I sort of fell into the job after college didn’t work out for me the first time – it turns out I am business minded which I would not have suspected when leaving school.

If I won the Lotto tomorrow I wouldn’t stay though... the mortgage would be paid off and I’d set up my own business. It’s still in the pipeline as a side project all going well

panda100

The Sweeper wrote: »

Something that struck me recently - a young family member was over here a year ago or so, and had gone for an interview for a routine job in a fast food joint. The interview went well, he was offered a start the following week.

We asked him how much it paid. He said he didn't know.

When we asked him why he hadn't asked about the money, he responded that he hadn't asked because he 'thought it was rude'.

Is that logic still out there? That it's somehow rude to ask about the remuneration for a job?

I personally would never ever ask about salary in an interview,particularly for a job I really,really wanted. I just think it's innapropriate at the interview stage,and salary should only be discussed If a job offer is on the table.

Eviledna

I just think it's innapropriate at the interview stage,and salary should only be discussed If a job offer is on the table.

I think it's very appropriate. You are interviewing for a job, not a favour. It's expected that you work for money and it could reflect poorly if you show you are uncomfortable discussing the salary issue. It's true that salary negotiation should only be done once a job is on offer, but if you really really wanted a job, does that mean you'd be willing to appear to your future employer that you'd do it for free? Not a great foot to start on...

This is particularly true for a job where you are expected to work from your own initative, or deal with fiscal issues day to day. To not even be aware of a reasonable salary for a position you are applying for shows that you may not be able to deal with money in general. It should be treated like anything else, professionally and reasonably. Most jobs have salary advertised, or on application. This means you should be privvy to that information before you can consider negotiating.

I learned the hard way that the best thing you can do for your career is to get good at talking about money, know what you're worth and what amount you won't settle for.

Blush_01

Eviledna wrote: »

I learned the hard way that the best thing you can do for your career is to get good at talking about money, know what you're worth and what amount you won't settle for.

This is sterling advice, and it's advice I wish I'd followed earlier in the year!

Stheno

The Sweeper wrote: »

Is that logic still out there? That it's somehow rude to ask about the remuneration for a job?

It shouldn't be, know what you are going to be paid, it's come up in every interview I've had, I've been asked straight out what I expect.

Eviledna wrote: »

I think it's very appropriate. You are interviewing for a job, not a favour. It's expected that you work for money and it could reflect poorly if you show you are uncomfortable discussing the salary issue. It's true that salary negotiation should only be done once a job is on offer, but if you really really wanted a job, does that mean you'd be willing to appear to your future employer that you'd do it for free? Not a great foot to start on...

This is particularly true for a job where you are expected to work from your own initative, or deal with fiscal issues day to day. To not even be aware of a reasonable salary for a position you are applying for shows that you may not be able to deal with money in general. It should be treated like anything else, professionally and reasonably. Most jobs have salary advertised, or on application. This means you should be privvy to that information before you can consider negotiating.

I learned the hard way that the best thing you can do for your career is to get good at talking about money, know what you're worth and what amount you won't settle for.

+1 to this, I've had situations where I've been in a second/final interview stage without realising it as it's been couched as a "chat" after previous interviews, and most of them were all about the money, and not being afraid to bargain and negotiate.

Morag

Domestic engineer (cos Godesses don't clean toilets).

Been stuck at this for the last oh nearly 11 years. Going back to work has not been an option due to have a special needs kid. Have to wait until they are a older before it can be an option. I try to be positive about it and try and think that when it does happen it will be a reboot and I pick something I want and really go for it, but 10 years of being at home leave a huge be chasm in a c.v. and I want to do more then just work in Dunnes.

SO I could be 40 and looking to get back to work and start a new career, I know no one stays in the same job these days for 20 years but it's still daunting.