Trying to figure out my "dream job" – Does this sort of job exist?
March 10th, 2010 . by adminHi all. I know I’m grasping at straws expecting the Yahoo Answers community to point me in the direction of my dream job, but other than a couple of points I really have nothing to lose by asking, so here I go:
I am a college grad with a Bachelor’s degree and six years of bookkeeping/administrative/customer service experience, as well as supervisory experience. I mostly stumbled into that line of work haphazardly while I was just trying to make some spare change during my school years. I was hoping to switch to a more personally fulfilling career this year, but now rather than figuring things out at my leisure, I’ve been given a strong push to quickly figure out what I want to do since the facility where I worked has shut down and now I am out of work. I have a decent severence package so I still have some time to ponder the situation, but this whole unemployed thing is getting me antsy. Anyway, these are the qualities I have to offer and/or am looking for in a new job:
*While of course it would be nice, I am not really looking nor expecting to make six figures a year. I am more concerned with quality of life and having free time rather than making tons of money. I am willing to forgo luxuries like cable TV as long as I am otherwise financially secure. At any rate, I live in a two income household so I will not be the only one paying the bills.
*I have entrepreneurial inclinations, or certainly a need to work more or less independently (minimal supervision) with an ability to exercise my own judgment. Almost every single member of my family, including my parents, has done the small business thing, so I know what’s involved. Right now I don’t really have the money necessary to jumpstart any ideas I’ve come up with, so this aspiration may be more of a long-term requirement than an immediate expecation.
*I want to do work that is meaningful and fulfilling. While the day-to-day tasks of work ALWAYS become boring over time, I want to at least be able to look at the big picture and feel like I am fulfilling a positive purpose within the world. In particular, my concerns lie with matters of animal welfare, habitat preservation, and the like. I also have interest in spiritually empowering other people, but I shy away from traditional religion and new age type stuff, so that doesn’t leave me much career option of that kind.
*I want to travel. Even if this travel is not explicitly built into my work, I should be able to get away for a vacation twice a year, and at least one of those vacations a couple of weeks long.
*My strengths include strong writing and proofreading skills, typing, computer literacy, and using the internet for research. I am also detail-oriented, organized, and consider myself to be a planner and a problem-solver.
*I consider myself to be somewhat creative and would enjoy composing written works, but I would not feel comfortable composing written pieces freelance as my primary source of income. I would consider this to be a good side project. I also don’t really have a professional portfolio that would land me a full-time gig doing that sort of thing.
*I am introverted and would NOT be happy in a sales or marketing career. IF I was pitching about something I really cared about and thought was worthwhile, I could probably do it, but I am definitely not interested in hawking some hot new product, whether tangible or intangible.
So is there any semi-secure career option that would play both to my interests and my strengths? Preferably without requiring more schooling? I know it’s a longshot, but I’m interested to see what (serious) ideas others come up with that I might not have considered.
Under the bullet-point mentioning travel, I would also like to mention that I have an interest in other cultures, both in the present and in history. For example, I had considered teaching English abroad as an option that fulfilled all of my strengths/interests, but didn’t like the idea of leaving the country for a full year or more.
The thing about careers is, you don’t get what you want right away, you have to earn it. And when you DO decide on something, this should be your all consuming goal. And remember, you own it, you have control, and you get what you want. But don’t let this goal control you, don’t let it get in the way of important things in your life.
From your list, I think there are several great jobs for you, that you could easily do. You could easily do P.R., or public relations, for an animal foundation like the SPCA, or ASPCA. You are pitching something, and from the sounds of it, you would deeply care about what your pitching.
Second, is journalism. Journalism will take writers for just about any subject, but you have to be prepared for rejection. When becoming a writer/columnist/journalist/reporter, you have to be willing to write something, have it turned down, and calling the people who turned it down, and ask "What can I improve on to make this better." And of course, never stop sending them stuff. This is the kind of thing you have to continuously apply to, always. And even if you write for a subject you don’t 100% agree with, do a great job on it anyways, so they start letting you have stuff you DO want to write about.
Lastly, opening your own business. In many places in this country, there are still places that don’t even have an ASPCA. Like in pensacola florida. There is a lot of animal abuse there, and no local corps. Starting a business like that, which is more a pseudo business, can be done by talking with the ASPCA foundation, and asking them to help you start a local ASPCA. This could be a great starter business, as although your not there to make money, or sell an actual product, you are however getting the management and business ethics experience. Not bad I think.
Hope this helps!
The thing about careers is, you don’t get what you want right away, you have to earn it. And when you DO decide on something, this should be your all consuming goal. And remember, you own it, you have control, and you get what you want. But don’t let this goal control you, don’t let it get in the way of important things in your life.
From your list, I think there are several great jobs for you, that you could easily do. You could easily do P.R., or public relations, for an animal foundation like the SPCA, or ASPCA. You are pitching something, and from the sounds of it, you would deeply care about what your pitching.
Second, is journalism. Journalism will take writers for just about any subject, but you have to be prepared for rejection. When becoming a writer/columnist/journalist/reporter, you have to be willing to write something, have it turned down, and calling the people who turned it down, and ask "What can I improve on to make this better." And of course, never stop sending them stuff. This is the kind of thing you have to continuously apply to, always. And even if you write for a subject you don’t 100% agree with, do a great job on it anyways, so they start letting you have stuff you DO want to write about.
Lastly, opening your own business. In many places in this country, there are still places that don’t even have an ASPCA. Like in pensacola florida. There is a lot of animal abuse there, and no local corps. Starting a business like that, which is more a pseudo business, can be done by talking with the ASPCA foundation, and asking them to help you start a local ASPCA. This could be a great starter business, as although your not there to make money, or sell an actual product, you are however getting the management and business ethics experience. Not bad I think.
Hope this helps!
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Sorry your workplace collapsed.
You’ve obviously done serious reflection on what you hope for. That’s a lot of work and you’ve done it well.
Do you hope for a career with some kind of outfit that has a mission? Some businesses have a mission, and others don’t. You can tell from their job ads and their web sites whether they have a mission or not. (Note: making a fortune for their executives doesn’t count as a mission, but if a business that has a mission can also do that, there’s nothing wrong with it.)
You mentioned you’re introverted. That’s Jungian talk. Remember that Carl Jung taught that we all have dominant and shadow personalities. He also taught that our shadow personalities develop as our lives go on. So please expect your shadow side (extroversion) to grow and change in ways that surprise you. I’m not suggesting that you get a job selling some crappy product. I’m just saying avoid pigeonholing yourself a certain way.
You have lots of hard-won skills. Bookkeeping and customer service are not easy to learn to do well. Lots of places that have a serious mission need people who can do what you know how to do, and do it right without a lot of drama or foolishness.
Some ideas:
health care administration. Work for a bunch of docs. Hire on with ones that go to Haiti or Rwanda once in a while to help out, on condition they take you along.
arts. Get a job with an arts organization (museum, theater, etc). Your kind of skills can spell the difference between success and failure for that kind of outfit.
office administrator for a house of worship. The pay tends to be low, but they are definitely mission oriented and often have surprisingly complex business stuff going on. Again, your kind of skills can spell the difference between success and struggle.
travel agent / guide for an educational or eco tourism outfit.
References :
Jobs for a person with a BA and experience in accounting are:
(1) Financial Analyst – work with financial systems and general ledger management , payroll, credit cards. amd bank processing.
(2) Economic Consulting – economic analysts with consulting firms often work with data, develop models of specific markets, and provide testimony in public hearings and in lawsuits. Many go on to an MBA, a law program, or graduate study in economics. Good luck.
(3) Law and other professions – economics majors go on to careers in the law that emphasize extensive reading and library research, skill in synthesizing large amounts of information, and logical thinking.
(4) Governments and Non-profits – Governments at every level hire economists to manage and evaluate their operations. The Office of Personnel Management of the Federal government provides information about Federal employment opportunities. Good luck.
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I was a college professor who taught education to graduate students at four universities in the Midwest, the East, the South, an Washington, DC. I was a member of the admissions committees at all of those universities. I also was the chairman of the admissions committee at one of them.
Pardon me for answering your question somewhat indirectly. It sounds like what you’re looking for is a way to figure out what work will make you happy by asking a few folks online. A better way might be to take a test that’s been given to lots of other people and comparing the answers. Such a test has been developed (actually, there are several), the Strong Interest Inventory. Many college’s offer this to their students at a discount, it’s also available online:
http://www.yourlifespath.com/?gclid=COfzpf3FhqACFSJ25QodaTgLlQ
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M.S. Counseling Psychology
1.) Don’t ask questions this long. I hate reading.
2.) You could be a hooker. They get plenty of money and usually LOVE their job.
3.) I have an uncle that used to touch me. He knows a few hookers you should meet.
4.) Don’t talk to my uncle. He used to touch me.
5.) You could be a hooker.
6.) Penis.
7.) Hookers make a lot of money.
8.) I LIEK HOOKRS!
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