Anniedeb

I went to a small high school, and most girls took the office route. I started in a secretarial pool of a tire and automotive wholesaler. Worked my way to advertising, and then sales. Did that for 14 years. Stayed home with the kids for 4 years, then decided I wanted a "fun" job. Retail sounded fun, so was a store manager for 20 years...retired when I realized I wasn't having fun anymore!

quiltingcandy

When I was in school I wanted to work for a newspaper but didn't want to be a reporter. (Watergate was happening and Pentagon Papers and I did not want to do the hardcore type of reporting.) My sister worked for a small town paper in Kansas - she was the social page reporter and got fed up with being called about who was visiting who - so became a photographer. Then found out that position also double for the police photographer and she didn't like doing a lot of those. When I went to work as a file clerk for an insurance agency and made more money than she did - I decided maybe insurance was a better choice for me. My immediate supervisor thought I was better suited to handle claims than filing or personal lines insurance. He was right - I was good at helping people with their crisis. After 10 years of handling multi-lines of insurance claims I specialized in handling Workers' Compensation claim. Did that for another 25 years. I did that until it turned out to be more of a keep-away game instead of a benefit delivery system.
I enjoyed working with the programmers developing the computer programs - it kept me sane the last 2 years I was in the business.
My eldest DD knew from first grade she wanted to be a teacher - and she is - she is very good at what she does.
My youngest had no idea what she wanted to do - so started out going to a community college and got a general AA degree. She was working at Balboa Naval Hospital and several doctors told her she had such a good rapport with the patients she should consider social work. So she continued her education and became a social worker working with trouble teenagers. She now counsels kids about to graduate - she has been working with them for about 10 years now and still enjoys the work.

quilterpurpledog

I came from a troubled family. The home economics teacher took me under her wing and encouraged me to believe that I could get an education and escape the problems of home. I became a home economics teacher and taught for seven years before getting married. My husband was subject to transfer at any time; since teachers worked under contract I couldn't envision my staying behind when he was transferred, I stopped teaching and became an at-home mom. I loved being home with our sons. Later, I opened a home based business and made window treatments and my husband installed them. Through college I worked in the insurance business during summers and other break times. During the school year I worked at various jobs with the college to pay expenses. I became a church secretary for ten years when we moved back to Colorado. I really liked all of the jobs I have had over the years. We encouraged our sons to get good educations. I do think kids today have a harder time choosing careers because contemporary job descriptions are so much harder to describe. One son is a software designer. Another is a landscape designer and travels the world designing water parks. A third son is a certified financial planner. None followed in our footsteps but all are happy in their careers.

Battle Axe

What an interesting thread. I learned so much about each one that posted, all very accomplished lives.

I said I wanted to be a veterinarian, but my folks wanted me to marry one. In 1964-5 school year I was in Pre-vet, as anyone could take those classes. But when it came time to apply to vet school, Ha Ha. They took 53 students and the allotment was 50 men and 3 women. I knew the three women, one was rich, one was beautiful and the last one was very smart and my study partner.

Realizing that I was never going to get in with my grades and so many other qualified applicants, I wandered out the Vet school door and came to the entomology building. Of course they would take me, they only had 2 other girls. So I am an entomologist specializing in honeybees, and suddenly became hypersensitive to them. End of career.

At a local fair, I won a class at a Jr. College and took weaving. Became a weaver of rag rugs and in national magazines and newspapers. Burnt out my wrists after 15 years. Bought a pizza parlor and did well for the first time in my life. Sold that and retired ?? 3 years ago but still have the laundromat that was next door to the pizza place.

If I were to do it over I would join the Navy right out of college.

Marcia

SusieQOH

From as early as I can remember I wanted to be a nurse and I loved it. I almost wished I went to medical school. I never thought I could but 4 years of nursing school made me realize I could probably have achieved it. I wanted to be a Psych nurse but changed once I got out of school and ended up in Cardiology. Psychology has always fascinated me but you use it all the time, no matter what is wrong with the patient.
However, looking back I think I would have loved teaching. I almost went for my Master's to teach nursing but changed my mind.
There is such burnout in nursing, as many of you know.
Also looking back I would have loved to become an English teacher.

Geri B

I read somewhere that most people will wear at least 7 different career caps in a lifetime...interesting how one career sometimes leads one to another, I think it also has to do with right-brain or left-brain dominance...I myself, altho in high school carried a 4. Average, member of national honor society( does that still exist?) did not have any desire to continue in academia - found a good job in an office, diverse enough to be interesting...then boyfriend, later dh, suggested trying cosmetology- he being a barber, then......so I did, part-time while working in the office....changed to working in a salon after finishing course...then married, had children, was able to "work-hair, while children in school, moved to another city..reverted back to office work. Administrative assistant (fancy name for secretary)in academia (school for "gifted students") retired from there- after 10 yrs-couldn't take the politics of it anymore!, then found quilting-purchased longarm and did client-work, took up much of my time, not enough energy to do my own sewing, quilting, so after about 12 yrs stopped. Now, trying to catch up with all those UFOs I have accumulated. But always find myself doing handwork hobbies in spare time....my therapy, I guess...btw, dh also changed from barber to insurance agent, to financial planner...so, yes, many career caps in my life so far...what's around the corner, I wonder!

Fastpedal

When I graduated from high school I was the first in my family to attend college. I was going to be a physical education teacher. However, for many reasons I left after two years. Needed to earn a living so I went to night school to learn short hand. Found a job while going to night school and before I finished night school I had a job as a private secretary. I loved being a secretary. Married and moved to various cities and was able to work as a secretary for temp organizations. When my husband took a permanent job I became a secretary for a major company. Loved my job and left when we adopted our first child. Stayed home for many years and loved it. Spent hours making cloths for my family. To sharpen my skills I took a night typing course at the local high school. One day I saw an ad in our local paper about a part time job. Applied for it and found out it was the same company I had worked for before my marriage but the company had changed its name. Worked there for a few months and became head of their steno pool. Then an opportunity came to work as a temp for the company I had worked for before I left the work force. Worked as a temp for several years and then became a permanent employee in technical publications. Work at the job for thirteen years and LOVED it. Do your best all the time wheather you like what you are doing or not. Experience is never a waste of your time. Do you best every day in every thing that you do. Never at age 17 would I have dreamed of ending up where I did at 62. For the past 20 years I put my sewing skills learned as a stay-at-home mother to quilting and am enjoying my retirement.

Kids have more choices today. Also, when we went to college we took basic courses the first two years which applied to all majors. When my youngest went to college, her school scheduled her for courses in her major and not basic course. I called the college and said, NO WAY. Give her the basic so that if she changes her mind after a semester or two she will not lose those credits. After the first semester she changed her major and would have lost the credits for the whole first semester.

My oldest daughter was a Psychology major. Worked for a couple of years in elder care and drug rehab and burned out. Went back for her masters in education and has been an outstanding teacher. Fifty years ago a 4 year degree was all one needed to get a good job. (The generation before all that was needed was a two year degree for teaching.) Now the kids need the four year degree and then go on to get a masters degree in a more defined area. Here in New York State teachers need a masters degree five years after college graduation or you are no longer able to teach.

TexasTillie

I worked at the phone company. Then married and had children. Loved being a stay at home wife and mom. But apparently, my then husband did not ! lol I scrambled and worked many part time jobs and just fell into a bookkeeping job. Loved it ! After many years of doing that, i ran across my parents marriage license, On that document, it said my dad was an accountant and my mother was a bookkeeper. So I guess it was just in my blood !

MaggieLou

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be. lol I'm retired but spent 20 years with a major computer company as a Logistics Coordinator and Materials Analyst. It was a good job and paid well so I never tried anything else. My DD on the other hand knew from the time she was in junior high she wanted to be a nurse. She had some challenges along the way but got her RN degree and now runs a home health agency and does very well. I'm very proud of her.

Dolphyngyrl

Loved science so got a degree with dual major in biology and zoology and was working minimum wage in retail because I couldn't find a job in field so ended up going back to school to get a vet tech license so now I am a vet tech at an animal shelter but definitely not what I thought I was going to be doing