How to make the hardest decision of my life (so far)
June 12, 2010 1:52 AM Subscribe
So I'm going through my quarter-life crisis and need some career advice - betcha haven't heard that one before!
Self-absorbed rant in 3 ... 2 ... 1
I’ll make this a bit shorter because I’m sure some of you have heard all this before:
Mid-twenties? Check. Undergraduate degree? Check. Quarter-life crisis? Check. Neurotic? Check. No idea whatsoever what to do with my life? Triple Check.
Okay, some of you might be saying, just chill out. Well I’m having a pretty hard time being chilled out about this. You see I have a few expectations (yes, I know, expectations aren’t helpful, but hey, I’m only human) about my future. I want to have a good job. Something I don’t hate all the time (I’m being realistic here). Something that allows me to maintain certain standards of living to which I have become accustomed (I’m spoiled, hehe.)
Alright, a bit of my background: I finished high school with really good grades. I went on to do a double BA in Communications/BA International Studies in which I got good, yet not great, grades.
Now I’m sort of at a turning point. I feel as if I need to get on top of this career thing as soon as possible, because I’m getting a bit long in the tooth, if you know what I mean. I’ve identified quite broadly what I could see myself doing, but when I read or research into job profiles, it just feels so wrong. Granted, lots of things feel wrong for me. Maybe I shouldn’t read too much into it.
Anywho, down to the details: I’m thinking about either doing a Graduate Diploma of Law, Graduate Diploma of Economics, or an MBA. Yeah, I’ve narrowed it down reeeeeal good.
Every day I feel different about my choices. I know there’s no clear cut way of assessing someone’s suitability for a job, but if I tell you a few things about myself, maybe it’ll give you a better idea what sort of job I may be cut out for:
-I’m intelligent. There you go. I don’t see any point in being modest about it here. Not crazy intelligent, but I have a high IQ (for whatever that’s worth) and I can generally learn anything I put my mind to.
-I’m pretty introverted. By this I mean that I’m very oriented towards my inner world. I spend a lot of time thinking, formulating, considering. I take real pleasure in identifying patterns and coming up with theories. I tend to look at something, such as a process or a device, and think about how I could improve it. I come from a family of inventors and self-employed professionals. We’re notoriously bad at taking orders.
-I skipped maths in high school because I didn’t like it, but since then I’ve taken a real (albeit casual) interest in applied mathematics and more specifically economics. Not sure if it’s a passing or legitimate interest.
-I’m an IT nut, but I don’t want a job in IT. I don’t code, I just fiddle with things. I could probably learn to code, but then I’d be competing with people who’ve been doing it since the age of 14. I worked on relational databases and found it kinda fun, but I have a real problem with the pseudo-blue collar nature of those jobs (yes, I’m a snob.)
-I like having autonomy. I like having a profession or expertise within which I make the decisions. I don’t mind being told what to do, but I’d like the freedom to choose how I do it.
-This probably goes for most people, but I have real trouble doing simple, repetitive tasks that don’t challenge or stimulate me. I like having to be creative in finding solutions (‘join the club!’, you’re probably thinking.)
-My interests are broad and shallow. That is, I find lots of things very interesting, but generally I get distracted before I get too far into anything.
So that’s that. I’m feeling pretty glum about this decision. My future feels like a minefield. So many choices. So many severed limbs...
What say you, O anonymous masses? Please share with me any wisdom you feel is relevant.
I apologize for the tome-ness of my post. Let me express my deep, deep gratitude to anyone who read this till the end.
Self-absorbed rant in 3 ... 2 ... 1
I’ll make this a bit shorter because I’m sure some of you have heard all this before:
Mid-twenties? Check. Undergraduate degree? Check. Quarter-life crisis? Check. Neurotic? Check. No idea whatsoever what to do with my life? Triple Check.
Okay, some of you might be saying, just chill out. Well I’m having a pretty hard time being chilled out about this. You see I have a few expectations (yes, I know, expectations aren’t helpful, but hey, I’m only human) about my future. I want to have a good job. Something I don’t hate all the time (I’m being realistic here). Something that allows me to maintain certain standards of living to which I have become accustomed (I’m spoiled, hehe.)
Alright, a bit of my background: I finished high school with really good grades. I went on to do a double BA in Communications/BA International Studies in which I got good, yet not great, grades.
Now I’m sort of at a turning point. I feel as if I need to get on top of this career thing as soon as possible, because I’m getting a bit long in the tooth, if you know what I mean. I’ve identified quite broadly what I could see myself doing, but when I read or research into job profiles, it just feels so wrong. Granted, lots of things feel wrong for me. Maybe I shouldn’t read too much into it.
Anywho, down to the details: I’m thinking about either doing a Graduate Diploma of Law, Graduate Diploma of Economics, or an MBA. Yeah, I’ve narrowed it down reeeeeal good.
Every day I feel different about my choices. I know there’s no clear cut way of assessing someone’s suitability for a job, but if I tell you a few things about myself, maybe it’ll give you a better idea what sort of job I may be cut out for:
-I’m intelligent. There you go. I don’t see any point in being modest about it here. Not crazy intelligent, but I have a high IQ (for whatever that’s worth) and I can generally learn anything I put my mind to.
-I’m pretty introverted. By this I mean that I’m very oriented towards my inner world. I spend a lot of time thinking, formulating, considering. I take real pleasure in identifying patterns and coming up with theories. I tend to look at something, such as a process or a device, and think about how I could improve it. I come from a family of inventors and self-employed professionals. We’re notoriously bad at taking orders.
-I skipped maths in high school because I didn’t like it, but since then I’ve taken a real (albeit casual) interest in applied mathematics and more specifically economics. Not sure if it’s a passing or legitimate interest.
-I’m an IT nut, but I don’t want a job in IT. I don’t code, I just fiddle with things. I could probably learn to code, but then I’d be competing with people who’ve been doing it since the age of 14. I worked on relational databases and found it kinda fun, but I have a real problem with the pseudo-blue collar nature of those jobs (yes, I’m a snob.)
-I like having autonomy. I like having a profession or expertise within which I make the decisions. I don’t mind being told what to do, but I’d like the freedom to choose how I do it.
-This probably goes for most people, but I have real trouble doing simple, repetitive tasks that don’t challenge or stimulate me. I like having to be creative in finding solutions (‘join the club!’, you’re probably thinking.)
-My interests are broad and shallow. That is, I find lots of things very interesting, but generally I get distracted before I get too far into anything.
So that’s that. I’m feeling pretty glum about this decision. My future feels like a minefield. So many choices. So many severed limbs...
What say you, O anonymous masses? Please share with me any wisdom you feel is relevant.
I apologize for the tome-ness of my post. Let me express my deep, deep gratitude to anyone who read this till the end.
-I like having autonomy. I like having a profession or expertise within which I make the decisions. I don’t mind being told what to do, but I’d like the freedom to choose how I do it.
-This probably goes for most people, but I have real trouble doing simple, repetitive tasks that don’t challenge or stimulate me. I like having to be creative in finding solutions (‘join the club!’, you’re probably thinking.)
Appreciate that most entry level positions (even those taken by intelligent, well educated people like you) in most professional careers will require you to do simple repetitive tasks for a while. It usually takes some experience before you know enough about anything to be able to do what people ask you to do independently. If you can incorporate that into your ideas about your first jobs in your chosen field you'll be much happier in these jobs.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:15 AM on June 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
-This probably goes for most people, but I have real trouble doing simple, repetitive tasks that don’t challenge or stimulate me. I like having to be creative in finding solutions (‘join the club!’, you’re probably thinking.)
Appreciate that most entry level positions (even those taken by intelligent, well educated people like you) in most professional careers will require you to do simple repetitive tasks for a while. It usually takes some experience before you know enough about anything to be able to do what people ask you to do independently. If you can incorporate that into your ideas about your first jobs in your chosen field you'll be much happier in these jobs.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:15 AM on June 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
I feel as if I need to get on top of this career thing as soon as possible
No, you don't. Consider Mary Schmich's advice:
“Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.”
In other words: not knowing what to do with your life can make you a more interesting person. Don't trap yourself with ideas about what you "should" be doing at this time in your life. Why exactly do you want a traditional career, anyway? Change is good. Instability is good, too (in moderation). Reread that last line from the quote, and take it to heart. It just might blow your mind.
So what can you do with all your not-knowing-what-to-do-ness? Travel somewhere you've never been before. Pick up a completely new sport. Volunteer. Shadow a job you've been vaguely considering in the back of your mind. Join a group from Meetup.com. Pick a lifelong fear, and conquer it. Try discovering what your life purpose is.
Somewhere in there, you will find what you want to keep doing for the next while. Not the next 20 years -- just the next while. Got tired of it? Just keep moving on until you find something that clicks. After all, the ideal job for you might not even exist yet.
Oh, and read Paul Graham's How to Do What You Love. As he says:
"Some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do when they're 12, and just glide along as if they were on railroad tracks. But this seems the exception. More often people who do great things have careers with the trajectory of a ping-pong ball. They go to school to study A, drop out and get a job doing B, and then become famous for C after taking it up on the side."
Steady careers are so last century. You're young. Live it up while you can!
posted by danceswithlight at 4:27 AM on June 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
No, you don't. Consider Mary Schmich's advice:
“Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.”
In other words: not knowing what to do with your life can make you a more interesting person. Don't trap yourself with ideas about what you "should" be doing at this time in your life. Why exactly do you want a traditional career, anyway? Change is good. Instability is good, too (in moderation). Reread that last line from the quote, and take it to heart. It just might blow your mind.
So what can you do with all your not-knowing-what-to-do-ness? Travel somewhere you've never been before. Pick up a completely new sport. Volunteer. Shadow a job you've been vaguely considering in the back of your mind. Join a group from Meetup.com. Pick a lifelong fear, and conquer it. Try discovering what your life purpose is.
Somewhere in there, you will find what you want to keep doing for the next while. Not the next 20 years -- just the next while. Got tired of it? Just keep moving on until you find something that clicks. After all, the ideal job for you might not even exist yet.
Oh, and read Paul Graham's How to Do What You Love. As he says:
"Some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do when they're 12, and just glide along as if they were on railroad tracks. But this seems the exception. More often people who do great things have careers with the trajectory of a ping-pong ball. They go to school to study A, drop out and get a job doing B, and then become famous for C after taking it up on the side."
Steady careers are so last century. You're young. Live it up while you can!
posted by danceswithlight at 4:27 AM on June 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: FYI, the angst is probably not worth it. You're likely to change careers four times in your working life, so what you do next week is not what you're likely to be doing in a decade. Also, life has a way of steering you against all plans.
I'm not really sure why, when you don't know what you want to do, you're sticking like glue to the academic treadmill. How has that worked out for you in the past? Oh wait - you still don't know what you want to do.
Why not get a job or an internship or something in a field in which you are interested and get out there to find your passion?
posted by DarlingBri at 4:53 AM on June 12, 2010
I'm not really sure why, when you don't know what you want to do, you're sticking like glue to the academic treadmill. How has that worked out for you in the past? Oh wait - you still don't know what you want to do.
Why not get a job or an internship or something in a field in which you are interested and get out there to find your passion?
posted by DarlingBri at 4:53 AM on June 12, 2010
If you do decide to pursue the graduate degree in economics, you're going to need to take some more courses in mathematics. Specifically, you're going to need Calculus 1-3, matrix algebra, and real analysis. If you can also take differential equations and statistics, even better. You should also use your math GRE score as a guide, as to get into a decent program, you're going to need to get as close to 800 (and honestly, you need an 800) as possible. The variation in math GRE scores for incoming students is very small and centered around 800, and at good to great programs, they all have 800. You'll also find this article potentially interesting (FYI, that link automatically begins downloading the paper. If you prefer, you can see it as the last article listed under "Useful articles" entitled "Pearson, Matthew. "How to Survive Your First Year of Graduate School in Economics," November 2005.
Economics is a great program to go into, but you need to go into it knowing you want to do it, otherwise it'll be a really discouraging experience. It's a difficult experience for a lot of people, partly because it is so different from undergraduate studies, and because not all students are ready for the intensive math.
posted by scunning at 7:10 AM on June 12, 2010
Economics is a great program to go into, but you need to go into it knowing you want to do it, otherwise it'll be a really discouraging experience. It's a difficult experience for a lot of people, partly because it is so different from undergraduate studies, and because not all students are ready for the intensive math.
posted by scunning at 7:10 AM on June 12, 2010
Based on 'introvert,' I'd rule out the MBA. Based on 'introvert' and 'tinker,' I'd lean toward certain kinds of law and economic analysis. Both have some repetition, and then with the anti-authority thing, signs point just slightly away from law, but the anti-math thing points away from economics. Still, I'd say applied math + econ would provide more career options, fewer annoying rules, and less debt, so I'd start by looking into that. If you decide you prefer tinkering with legal theories more than numbers, decide if you can suck up the entry-level challenges and repetition, and and the procedural hassles.
Also, look up "careers INTP" (my quick guess at your Myers-Briggs type).
posted by salvia at 8:30 AM on June 12, 2010
Also, look up "careers INTP" (my quick guess at your Myers-Briggs type).
posted by salvia at 8:30 AM on June 12, 2010
I sound exactly like you. I started college going after a degree in computer science (from my IT love). I got a part time job in a career that degree would have bought me and I hated it. Glad I could switch to International Business. Something that I absolutely loved was my 3 month internship in London with the Department of State. Nothing like diplomacy and international travel to keep things from getting repetitive. It seems to me like something you should investigate, with degrees that align with the needs of that organization very well. It pays relatively well, you live in housing paid for by the government, get to travel all sorts of places, have amazing benefits packages, and an amazing life experience. Anyways, my 2¢.
posted by msbutah at 8:55 AM on June 12, 2010
posted by msbutah at 8:55 AM on June 12, 2010
Have you ever thought about taking one of those career aptitude tests that tries to assess your personality and then suggests a list of fields that would suit you the best? They sound kind of hokey, but I took one a few years ago (during a time of similar crisis) and I am quite confident that what it suggested really is the right fit for me. They aren't just for blue collar type jobs either, the good ones delve into nearly all realms of work.
posted by mmmmbobo at 1:12 PM on June 12, 2010
posted by mmmmbobo at 1:12 PM on June 12, 2010
As others have said, choosing one thing now does not mean you are eliminating other choices forever. You may want to read the book Refuse to Choose, by Barbara Sher.
posted by jeri at 1:28 AM on June 14, 2010
posted by jeri at 1:28 AM on June 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
In other words, let go of some of the anxiety of making the PERFECT decision. Just make A decision. Then that one will lead to another, and another, and so on.
No one has any idea what you should do--because you don't know yourself. Most of what you describe apply to styles of working, not content of work. This is a start! An MBA is probably the most flexible of the degrees you're considering.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:19 AM on June 12, 2010