How did you guys figure out what you wanted to be?

[Sylvestre]

moneysense had a great article last year somewhat related to this topic. long story short, they comapred two people, one that worked for a lot of money but didn't really enjoy their job and one that made half but loved their job.
long story short, the person who made lots wanted to retire at 55. the one who enjoyed retired at 65 (but could have potentially kept working). the one making less actually had more cash due to 10 extra years of working & savings.

sure, the best! option is a job you love and that pays very well but if that's not realistic, I'd say you are better of having a job you enjoy doing rather than one you don't but make more.

[Eazy E]

From my other thread, I gathered that a lot of the people on this board are in the same demographic as me: young and Chinese. I'm just wondering how you guys decided what degree and careers to pursue?

I'm at a loss right now with no direction. I really don't like engineering and would not like to pursue a pure-science degree in university. I really like interacting with people and really enjoyed my experience last summer teaching English in Shanghai. I can't imagine working the same job for the rest of my life, I need variety. I was thinking business would suit me. I like challenges when I'm actually doing something, not just scribbling numbers down on a page and I thrive under pressure. Do you guys think I should pursue a business degree, if so, which school should I go to and what courses should I take in my last year?

I'd agree with Kingsley's sentiments.

Being CBC myself, I can appreciate where your parents are coming from (if you're first gen Canadian) but ultimately, you're the one living your life; not them. They mean well when they want you to succeed and they associate success and happiness with prestigious titles (MD, JD, MBA, CA, PEng, PhD) and money.

Being your parents, I am confident they will love you and support you if you decide to switch out of engineering because it doesn't make you happy. Ultimately, they just want you to be happy and they think that you being an MD, for example, will make you happy.

That being said though, because it seems like you don't really know what you want to do, I would suggest doing exercises or tests (Myers-Briggs, Strong Interest Inventory, Seven Stories exercise through Five O'Clock Club) to determine what your strengths and interests are.

I would also suggest informational interviewing with people who are doing those jobs that you think you might enjoy. Through this process, you might realize that it is or isn't a job that you'd like to explore further (through education, professional credentials).

Good luck,

[SamInfinity]

I've always been intrigued by the sciences, and I knew that I would be doing something science. In high school, I wasn't sure what I was going to do in University, so I took all the science and math courses to keep options open. I volunteered at the local hospital and decided that the health field was for me. There was some pressure from family to head towards a doctor of something degree, whether it be dentistry, medicine, optometry or philosophy. I guess there's a bit of prestige in being a doctor. After first year of university, my marks were respectable, but they weren't stellar either...I did a bit of soul searching about what I wanted from life. Do I want to be raking in the big bucks but hating my job? Do I want to live to work or work to live? Do I want to be there for my children when they're growing up? How much more schooling can I handle - being in school until 30 doesn't appeal to me. Long story short, I really didn't want to go into a field for all the wrong reasons. Afterwards, I decided that pharmacy was for me - there's a good balance of all the things important to me. I love my decision right now, and hopefully I'll love it 30 years later.

[Slimfast]

This thread has been a lot of help guys, thanks.

Going into business will be of my own accord. My mom wants me to stay close to her and take some health care degree at UVic. (University of Victoria)
Can someone explain to me all the possibilities for careers for a business degree? Also, what's the difference between consulting, finance and marketing? I heard these word's a lot at orientations, but I can't make heads or tails out of it.

[trusoulja2g]

This thread has been a lot of help guys, thanks.

Going into business will be of my own accord. My mom wants me to stay close to her and take some health care degree at UVic. (University of Victoria)
Can someone explain to me all the possibilities for careers for a business degree? Also, what's the difference between consulting, finance and marketing? I heard these word's a lot at orientations, but I can't make heads or tails out of it.

The possibilities for a business degree can depend a lot on the quality and reputation of your business school. As I mentioned in my previous post, all the big employers have target schools that they visit for recruiting.

You will learn about the different career options for business grads once you start, but I'll get you started by listing some of the more prestigious employers in each field. Go to their websites and figure out what they do. Most of their sites will have a careers section. All of these companies recruit at SOME Canadian business schools.

Accounting: Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte
Consulting: McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Bain, Accenture
Finance: Goldman Sachs, Merril Lynch, Credit Suisse First Boston, RBC Dominion
Marketing: Procter & Gamble, Maple Leaf Foods, any consumer goods company

[Eazy E]

Going into business will be of my own accord. My mom wants me to stay close to her and take some health care degree at UVic. (University of Victoria)
Can someone explain to me all the possibilities for careers for a business degree? Also, what's the difference between consulting, finance and marketing? I heard these word's a lot at orientations, but I can't make heads or tails out of it.

A biz degree doesn't restrict you from other areas either; it should provide you with a general understanding of how different areas of companies work. What you do with that knowledge depends on your aptitudes, interests and experience. That's why, I believe, its so important to take the time to figure out what you want first and then find career areas that cater to your strengths and interests second.

[DirtyDave]

I think my family would disown me if I told them I was going to be an electrician.

id slap your family upside the head then. there is nothing wrong with working in the trades. Very good career choice. union work. always guarenteed work in the GTA since there is a lot of construction. and there is a big demand for new workers!!!!! you will have opertunity to work lots of overtime. its fun and it also pays VERY VERY well. its not uncommon for first year electrician apprentices to be making between $18 and $20 an hour. after several years get some experiance, own your own construction company. Big bucks. if your family frowns upon the trades, then they dont know what they are talking about

[plucky duck]

Yeah, if you enjoy being physical and hands on, trade work can be appealing, with decent pay to boot. Right now, especially in Alberta I think, with the baby boomers retirng there are a lot of demand for truck drivers, electricians, journeymen/women, construction.

University is not for everybody. Don't always go with the flow like others, otherwise you may be wasting time and money, ending up nowhere.

I would say I know myself pretty well. I made the determination in grade 11 that University was definitely not for me. I closed all my doors, didn't take a single science (physics, bio, chem) in grade 12. I know I'm the lazy type, with no desire to climb any ladders. 9yrs later, I am exactly where I expected would be. I'm doing something that I actually enjoy doing, learning new things of the trade, and the pay I don't mind so much but it is decent for this type of work. I too prefer taking a lower pay and do something I enjoy rather than getting paid more and dreading to go to work everyday.

Nobody can answer the question except yourself.

BTW, I'm chinese and my parents (nor any relatives) aren't proud of the route I took. But I'm happy doing what I do, and in the end that's what counts.

And I'm sure in your lifetime you'll have more than one career, so don't sweat it. It's not the end all be all.

[CJ TXB]

Still deciding, it sucks though because even though im 19 I feel as if im in a very crappy downward spiral.

[airodus]

University has its purposes, but don't go there to really "learn" anything. The main purpose is to get your "I'm not stupid." degree. With a decent degree, you'll find a lot more opportunities open up to you as well as experience a higher earnings ceiling.

An MBA does not teach you 50k worth of education. But it "should" either get your a raise or into a higher paying job. You should quickly be able to pay off the initial investment and then start earning more than what you would have if you did not get the MBA.

So do something you will do well in. And get your "I'm not stupid." degree. I wasn't gung ho on going to University either, but I have to admit that it helped me immensely in terms of opportunities.

[airodus]

I thought you only get three choices: Doctor, Engineer or a Lawyer

And don't cave into the pressure from your folks. They mean well, but only you can determine what you will be successful in. I went to University to please my folks (which turned out to be a good choice in the end), but I went my own route during school which did displease them (but turned out to be an even better choice).

Now I make WAAAAAAY more than I would have if I had been an accountant, lawyer or doctor. Hell, I would still be in school if I was doing any of those.

[cell567]

^^^ so wut did u end up doing to make wayyyyy more and go to school less than any of those other professions would require.

[thelaw604]

Yes, please share, I am very interested.

[airodus]

I fit the stereotype, CBC and all. I took comp sci in University since I like computers. My parents did not think too highly of it, they figured I should have been an engineer if I wanted to get into a technical field. But they understood it was my decision and didn't hassle me after I decided.

When I graduated, I took a sales position at a startup software firm. My parents were not impressed at all thinking it was a waste of my education. In many ways it was, since I didn't really get to apply any of my learned skills, however it was a related industry (software development) and wasn't a total loss since I could relate well to our more technical customers and even to our own development team.

I spent a little over a year there. Lots of travel all around the US (2-4 times a month). Lots of money made (our brand new sales team tripled our revenue from the year before, over 2 mill and only a 12 person company). Made lots of contacts and clients, etc... Established a consulting division in the company and was soon Director of Sales and Consulting.

Then I said to hell with it and quit the job. It was way too busy, way too tiring and I wasn't getting as well paid as I thought I should have been. My parents of course went crazy thinking I was insane. Giving up a good paying job with virtually no ceiling and living in Toronto with no income is not the smartest thing to do (my family is in Edmonton). But I didn't sweat it and instead started my own consulting firm (one man show) and started picking up clients.

Now I do IT consulting for a couple clients, health information systems integration for a number of hospitals in the US (my bread and butter), and I also consult for and manage a small division for CN Rail. No experience or prior knowledge required, I just pick it up as I go along. On pace to clear 500k this year (I am currently at 400k after 8 months).

Anyways the point of all that, other than stroking my ego, is to show that you don't necessarily need to pursue a career related to your education or vice versa. Before graduating, I was a typical computer geek (even out of school I was a geek and always had geeky jobs like IT and stuff). I never had a retail job or sold a thing in my life. Never took any business classes. Etc...

I didn't have any real experience or skills that would have made me a good b2b salesman, much less a consultant. But that startup firm took a chance on me because I understood software (at least from a development stand point), and had my "I'm not stupid degree." It was like... "Well, you know all the hard stuff and you made it through school. Selling this stuff should be easy." And they were right... it was easy.

So don't be intimidated to try something new, something you will like, or something you see as a real good opportunity (like when I quit and struck out on my own). Parents are wise and well meaning, but they are often stuck in the stone age. These days, the pace of things is like 10 times faster than they were when our parents were our age. Opportunities come and go every moment. Carpe Diem!

Wow, my life's story (or the last couple years of it).

[TigerEROS]

using your brain.