OT: Poll on your chosen career

[LionJim]

I have been thinking about this question for a while. Ultimately, it was the Technical School thread that forced my hand today.

I'm a #3. More specifically, I'm the blind squirrel. It was just an accident I became a math professor, more of an accident that I got my doctorate, long story. I loved my job and knew that I could make a difference every day. My time at Penn State made me tough, and my students related to that. I told them constantly that nothing good comes easy. Anyway...

 

[psuro]

I was not sure what I wanted to do....and really still don't.

 

[PSUSignore]

My path wasn't formed until after college but my education, despite not directly related to my current career, absolutely opened many of the doors for me.

 

[BobPSU92]

In college. I saw chemistry as a good option when I was in high school, but I didn’t decide on it until college.

 

[Got GSPs]

I didn’t even know my career (quality engineering/quality assurance) existed when I was in high school.

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

I am retired...best job I have ever had. And I am damn good at it!

 

[PhillyBillyReprise]

I was a General Arts & Sciences major my first two years. I was taking different courses searching for a major. I took two Labor Studies courses which I enjoyed and did well in. I transferred into the Labor Relations and Management major. After graduating I was hired as a management trainee in labor relations. 40 years later I retired as director of labor relations. I never thought of it as a major or career until I took the courses.

 

[nl4ever]

I have been thinking about this question for a while. Ultimately, it was the Technical School thread that forced my hand today.

I'm a #3. More specifically, I'm the blind squirrel. It was just an accident I became a math professor, more of an accident that I got my doctorate, long story. I loved my job and knew that I could make a difference every day. My time at Penn State made me tough, and my students related to that. I told them constantly that nothing good comes easy. Anyway...

I'm going to wait until I grow up to decide what to do. I'm 63, so still have time.

 

[helixville]

Graduated college in May got hired to teach in July been doing it ever since 27 years. First 20 as a Biology teacher last 7 as Ag teacher.

 

[psuro]

I'm going to wait until I grow up to decide what to do. I'm 63, so still have time.

The future is....plastics.

 

[OuiRPSU]

I was not sure what I wanted to do....and really still don't.

Me neither. And I’m 55!

 

[CyphaPSU]

I'm currently on my second career in a field which was not a thought I even entertained while earning my undergrad degree at PSU. About five years after graduating I quit my initial career and went to grad school for my first master's. Since then, I've stuck with the new career that resulted from those studies...but, this summer I just entered another grad school program that might potentially take me into a third career path eventually...

 

[UncleRoyBiggins]

My career chose me. When people say that there truly is a higher power, there is. I went to college to be an architect. About the time I was in school, Computer aided drafting was starting to come into its own. (CADD) I found computers fascinating, so gravitated towards them instead of drafting/architecture. Eventually, I found myself doing work for a Private Investigator. While doing jobs for a client, I ended back in the technology side of things at a bank where my job was eliminated due to downsizing. Eventually, I ended up doing desktop support/Sysadmin work which led me into Cyber Security.

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

Graduated college in May got hired to teach in July been doing it ever since 27 years. First 20 as a Biology teacher last 7 as Ag teacher.

35 years in the classroom. Loved my job but I had enough

 

[LionJim]

Maybe I should have phrased #3 as “My career chose me.” That’s me.

 

[BornALion]

Option 4 - took first job out of college while I looked for something more aligned to what I wanted to do. 21 years and 5 promotions later and still here as a leader of our organization. Not sure how much longer tho as we are being phased out.

 

[retrospm]

When I grow up I wanna be retired.

 

[BobPSU92]

The future is....recycling plastics.

FIFY.

CIRCULAR. ECONOMY.

 

[s1uggo72]

how about D. I fell into my career after my other options washed out.

 

[GrimReaper]

Tangential story. When one of my kids was in third-grade, teacher asked the class what they wanted to be. One of the kids wrote "investment banker." When I read that my reaction was what kind of screwed up world is this when an eight-year old wants to be an investment banker.

 

[GrimReaper]

how about D. I fell into my career after my other options washed out.

Same here., sort of. Thought I wanted to be an academic, but grad school changed that real fast.

 

[Tom_PSU]

High school, college or post college doesn’t matter, my varied career plans kept getting interrupted by overly zealous Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.

 

[psu31trap]

My college education and degree is closely related to what I have done throughout my career.

 

[Woodpecker]

When I grow up I wanna be retired.

I'm retired but I never want to grow up

 

[MrTailgate]

Hi everyone, I’m Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute.

 

[GregInPitt]

Current "job" is being retired (golf, hunting and house projects) and investing, and have done pretty well at both the last 6 years.

But I guess I have to answer that I was on a track towards engineering since H.S., mainly because my older brother was the valedictorian of Earth & Mineral Sciences in Metallurgy at PSU, and with math being a strong suit and good paying opportunities prevalent for engineering grads it just made sense. Even for a 17/18 year old....... And worked out pretty well in the short and long term. Got invited and took 11 plant trips to hiring companies and got 10 offers as one of the companies was only hiring one engineer and I was told had to hire a minority. Decided to stay close to home or else I would definitely have went with one of the car industry jobs.

Did some pretty interesting work, with the most interesting and challenging position being the coordination and oversight of structural inspections and repair priorities for a major old school industrial company. **** hit the fan about every day but it made the day fly by....

 

[manatree]

Number three is the closest. Started as an Architecture major. Ran out of money and switched to Integrative Arts. Started working for the Libraries as a student and was working for them full time by the time I finally graduated. They keep paying me so I keep showing up.

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

Number three is the closest. Started as an Architecture major. Ran out of money and switched to Integrative Arts. Started working for the Libraries as a student and was working for them full time by the time I finally graduated. They keep paying me so I keep showing up.

Are you Art Vandelay?

 

[FHSPSU67]

I've been retired for the past 17 years, best job of my life. In my Junior year of high school, I decided I wanted to become an electrical engineer and chose the communications (electronics) option at PS. I, too fell for computers after that, and have been
involved ever since.

 

[PSU73]

There might be a different answer than just the 3 shown. My career evolved not because of my academic focus but was shaped by certain jobs I had taken.

My pre-admission testing, as part of Penn State enrollment, had me with the highest probability of career success as a:
Priest
Printer
Accountant.

I pursued the accounting degree, interviewed with firms for accounting positions and that's were my career started.
About 6 years after graduation I began to work with foreign subsidiaries of our company that had me doing a lot more than head's down accounting.
I set up an office for a JV with a German company in Leiden, Netherlands and got experience bridging language and cultures, with contracts, negotiation, banking, hiring, insurance, benefits, procurement, etc. That moved the accounting to a back seat the rest of my working years. While I was always 'officially' in an accounting/finance position I had more of a business operation role thereafter. At my last employer I helped grow our international business and made many trips to Asia to set up a company and build a manufacturing plant.

 

[psualt]

I graduated with a degree that is my current field. It turned out to be easy and in my wheelhouse, pays well and I got to spend a lot of time with my kids and family. Quite honestly, the daily grind makes me miserable but I get to help a lot of people who seem to appreciate it. At 18, I don’t know how anyone could figure out what they want to do.

 

[Woodpecker]

Are you Art Vandelay?

Milton Waddams

 

[Big_O]

I’m retired and probably didn’t find out about what my career probably would have been as I never heard or was aware of the major until I was getting ready to graduate from Penn State and go on to graduate (professional) school. I had zero guidance in HS. Actually never had a meeting with a guidance counselor because at my high school they were tasked with dealing with ”difficult” students and pretty much had nothing to do with career guidance.

I did have an aptitude for my eventual career and was quite successful at it.

 

[helixville]

35 years in the classroom. Loved my job but I had enough

The plan is to do 6 more and retire with 33 at 55. Still like doing what I do but I’m retiring as soon as I can. Want to be a “full time farmer”. Wife teaches too but has a few more years to go than me. Will say I feel real bad for the newer teachers in PA. The pension was gutted a few years ago. This and other factors will not change the massive teacher shortage especially in math science and tech.

 

[IrishHerb]

Maybe I should have phrased #3 as “My career chose me.” That’s me.

Same here. In high school I wanted to become an aerospace engineer. But the college of choice, I didn't have many, was a school with no engineering. So during my freshman year I considered Physics with thoughts of grad school in engineering. Physics department had only 2 professors and the top professor was really bad (@LionJim knows). So that left mathematics. At first I considered, maybe becoming a high school math teacher (and football coach) ... until one day the chair of the math dept asked me if I ever thought of becoming a math professor where I was ... so that's it.

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

The plan is to do 6 more and retire with 33 at 55. Still like doing what I do but I’m retiring as soon as I can. Want to be a “full time farmer”. Wife teaches too but has a few more years to go than me. Will say I feel real bad for the newer teachers in PA. The pension was gutted a few years ago. This and other factors will not change the massive teacher shortage especially in math science and tech.

33/55 is a good number. I did 35/57. Those extra two years… wow! Any way you can hang in and get 35?

 

[91Joe95]

Co-op program convinced me after I didn't particularly like a few classes.

 

[Whart]

I graduated and actually just wanted to work for 2-3 years then start law school. Well….I never went to law school….recently was blessed to be able to take early retirement from my final position EVP of Sales. I do not have the classic struggle story….I begged my first employer to take me on as a Junior Sales Rep in a underperforming territory. They took a chance on me and I never looked back and loved sales and was blessed with a great career. After 30 years I decided that I had enough….gave them one years notice….and still do some consulting when the spirit strikes me.

 

[helixville]

33/55 is a good number. I did 35/57. Those extra two years… wow! Any way you can hang in and get 35?

Ya I know 33 is the “plan” right now. See where things are then. My father in law died in a freak horse roping accident several years ago exactly one month after he retired. Worked his *** off to only have 1 month of retirement. That was a big wake up call to me.

 

[fairgambit]

I have been thinking about this question for a while. Ultimately, it was the Technical School thread that forced my hand today.

I'm a #3. More specifically, I'm the blind squirrel. It was just an accident I became a math professor, more of an accident that I got my doctorate, long story. I loved my job and knew that I could make a difference every day. My time at Penn State made me tough, and my students related to that. I told them constantly that nothing good comes easy. Anyway...

I first dreamed of becoming a lawyer in elementary school. I chased the dream through high school and college and made it a reality nearly 50 years ago. Even though I am very good at what I do, I have never really been satisfied with my career choice. I should have followed my second choice... being a cowboy.


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