Career Choices: "Have you got one?"

[Kitanoru]

Have you ever had a dream job that you've alway's wanted to pursue? Have you ever reached out to obtain that job? If so, what job? note: please give a description for those that might be planning on taking up the job that you have, or want to have in the near future. Have you got a job now? do you have a working job, do you volunteer, or work with an association of any kind? (Who know's, you may even be helping out someone choose their path on taking on that job in the near future. Also you may find other's with similar work to yours, that both you, and that person, or those people your message applies to, you can relate to for assistance, or guidance, if that person or those people plan on taking on that specific job too, or if they have that job already and wish to learn other's opinions on the subject or career.)

An experience for me is that I volunteer part time for an association that has to deal with Marine Wildlife. This includes various fish, mammals, crustaceans, and in parts of the exhibits there are reptiles and frogs, even turtles, and sloths. My main focus area is to deal with Reptiles and Amphibians though. Thus, my dream job that I am aiming for is to become a Herpetologist, or a Park Ranger. Also I volunteer for a Rehabilitation Site that revolves around the sick and injured marine mammal's. There I work mainly with sick, and or injured seal pups, and provide care, by feeding, cleaning tubs, preparing there food- note: the seal pups brought in some are not capable of digesting fish quite yet so at the Rehabilitation Site they ground up un-thawed herring and place it in the blender where fish formula is one of the thing's they feed the seal pups. Another is the milk made formula- honestly I haven't made it myself yet, I have been mainly the volunteer that prepares the herring by weighing with scales for the seal pups that are capable of eating a whole fish. Also the cleaning duties outside with the seal tubs scrubbing with a brush (don't worry it is not a tooth brush...) The brush is the size of a normal broom, and which after I would be responsible for hosing the tub down. I will also fill tubs when fish are being distributed to the seal pups, or when it is time for them to practice there swimming, so that they will be prepared for when they are released into the ocean once they have healed, and over come there sickness. I love animals, and I love helping both animals and people to the best of my ability. If you love animals it may just be possible that you too may take an interest in these fields. Also a herpetologist I have not achieved that status yet or a park ranger, however I plan to get there one day. A Herpetologist has to deal with reptiles and amphibians in which is a branch based off of Zoology, and in which is a branch based off of Biology. I think If I remember reading correctly somewhere that they make around $24.00 an hour. As for a Park Ranger I am not quite sure, however my mom got me interested in that as for supposedly they receive great pensions when they retire. If you have any questions, I will be very glad to try to answer them to the best of my knowledge. You may post questions here, or send me a private message if you'd like.

[viewtyjoe]

Government jobs (which include park rangers) do have great benefits.

My dream job is to be left in a cubicle somewhere to program something.

[Moon Helix Avatar]

I'm already in my careerer, self employed and deal in computer hard wear.

[Sagat]

I want a career where I have complete control and power, but it's not simple power based upon rank and position - although that is included, but based upon my own personal power in which people could not backstab me for fear of the consequences. In my career where I am the de facto leader I'd like to .. to be truthful I don't know. I would simply merge my personal interests and goals into the organization I run.

Failing that, I wouldn't mind getting paid to draw and make manga. What a great career that would be as well...

Lastly, I am considering trying out for special forces next year.. I may end up liking that most of all as well. I would certainly learn some interesting things and it may give me a limited form of my first choice.

[Yuri-chan]

I want to either be a professional mangaka, or a video game programmer.

Though settling down in a small town somewhere running a bakery sounds nice. But thats when I get older.

[Eris]

My plan is a career in academia. Got accepted into a 4.5 year physics program at the local uni. I think the formal translation is something like "M.Sc. in Engineering". Beyond that I can continue with five(-ish?) more years of mixed study and research... After that I've got a Ph.D. By that time I'm soon to be in my 30's, and I've got plenty of time to decide what to do when that time comes.

As for all you wannabe programmers: Programming professionally is very overrated.

[viewtyjoe]

Hey, I program, at least give me a reason it's overrated!

[Gjallarhorn]

I'm considering nuclear engineering or architectural design.

[Sephy]

I am pursuing a driving career right now. My grandfather raced Formula IV. Unfortunately that was before I was born. I do remember watvhing my uncle race SCCA at different race tacks though and it was so fascinating. Then between the ages of 10 and 13 I did go-kart racing at different tracks. Took home a couple trophies but it kind of died after that. But now I am pursuing a driving career in drifting. Right now it's just a hobby but I would like to keep practicing and maybe go pro one day in the not-so-distant future hopefully.

[Akainu]

My Career That I'm working in now is Game Designing in Sony.

[Wespe]

I would like to be an Historian

[Regex]

As for all you wannabe programmers: Programming professionally is very overrated.

As someone who is currently making a living as a programmer, I can say this is true. You have to be pretty much the right kind of person, who enjoys punishment and ridiculous beurocracy.

Personally, I love being able to tell computers what to do. It's so fun for me, despite the stupid crap you have to put up with. But believe me, most people don't feel the same way about it at all.

[viewtyjoe]

If the punishment isn't much worse than being forced to learn awful languages, than it isn't that bad. It is very enjoyable to see that what you code works, and having been programming as a student for three years, I've broken a lot of stuff.

[Eris]

If the punishment isn't much worse than being forced to learn awful languages, than it isn't that bad. It is very enjoyable to see that what you code works, and having been programming as a student for three years, I've broken a lot of stuff.

Uh, that's the enjoyable part.

And for reference: I program as well, though not professionally.

[Sakura Holic]

Pharmacy Tech. for me.
I have no other jobs that I love. It's safer than doctor...and I can't be a doctor..Im going to faint if I see too much amounts of blood...
x.x

[Manhattan_Project_2000]

I'm somewhere between Programming and Computer Engineer. I really haven't decided yet. I do enjoy bending this contraption in front of me to my Iron Will, though. I didn’t think I would at first, but I took a programming class and said “This is neat.”

So, I want to dominate computers for a living. I’m just still deciding what level I want to do so at.

[Tsuna Kadiri]

Something that has to do with the Sports Medicine field. Not quite sure exactly what I want to do in it (wavering between becoming a doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, nutritionist, maybe even something to do with animal therapy, ect). I've seen how much it can help people, and felt how much it's helped me. Plus, I like the atmosphere of it all.

But, if I were to really wing it, I'd take a shot at some kind of an art school and practice a bunch of different styles. Although no matter what I decide to do, I know I'm going to take some art classes in college. Just for fun.

[hyperpsyco56]

i want to design video games or design military weapons.

[__Jesse__]

i want to design video games or design military weapons.

^According to Jack Thompson, those would be the same exact job...

viewtyjoe, it's not for me, but the millitary is always an option for government job. The dudes that called me today said if I joined they pay the money for college for you to do whatever you wish with. Cool thing is my college is already paid for, so that would've been money in my pocket. The only reason I turned it down was because I'm just not intrested in the millitary. And speaking of the millitary, a postion of defacto power you were talking about, Sagat? Two letters: D.I.

Let me tell all those who are in 11th grade and below that the summer before your senior year, your country's entire millitary will give you a call. I'm not kidding, I just turned down both the Army and Marines in like 2 hours today. Watch 'em call back tommarow. Funny thing is, I come from a millitary family, my dad's a former Marine, my Uncle's currently in the Navy, my sister was in the Airforce until she has kids and my brother-in-law still is in the Airforce. He's in Korea right now working on millitary vehicles, he's a mechanic. So trust me, I definately respect the millitary, it just isn't for me. It's funny this topic should come up, because I just got done with a career assessment program about a week ago. It felt a little like school, but I could get a smoke and coffee break. It was pointless though, the stuff they came up with was useless crap that is way off in terms of abillities AND intrests. The only reason I even did it was to make my mom happy. After all, I'm still living under my parent's roof and have alot to make up for after the kind of motivation I've shown in my high school career.

I want to be a filmmaker. Period. Not just a certain kind of film, I'm talking about ALL kinds of diverse things. Although, I will admit my favorite movie genre is horror, followed by action or fantasy and whatnot. When I say diverse I mean DIVERSE. I have no artistic talent, but if I wanted to say, write and direct an anime, I could just hire a japanese animation studio to do the animation for me. It's not like the dude who directed Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo (I have a hard time remembering foreign names) had to be an artist (and he gets the most credit for the series). But I'd be all over the place, I'd direct a horrific horror movies that would make people leave the theater, then I'd direct an anime with so much American symbolism and patriotism that all the Japanaphiles end up confused, then make a whole bunch of other crazy crap -that's what you call a true artist.

[viewtyjoe]

Yeah, I remember back when the military called me nonstop for months, but thankfully, that's done. And diesel, you say learning the awful languages is the fun part? or am I reading you wrong? Because if you think learning something like COBOL is fun and exciting, I'm very worried. (Unfortunately for me, sometime in college I'm going to have to learn it)

[Eris]

Yeah, I remember back when the military called me nonstop for months, but thankfully, that's done. And diesel, you say learning the awful languages is the fun part? or am I reading you wrong? Because if you think learning something like COBOL is fun and exciting, I'm very worried. (Unfortunately for me, sometime in college I'm going to have to learn it)

Once you've learned a few languages you can pick up a decent understanding of any programming language in a couple of days. It's not very difficult at all.

And as for learning COBOL, it's not that hard, it's just so verbose that actually programming it will damage your fingers ;-)

[Ollie]

Failing that, I wouldn't mind getting paid to draw and make manga. What a great career that would be as well...

May wanna settle for comics or American graphic novels, seeing as how you're not Japanese.

I have no idea what I want to do. I know I plan to publish a few graphic novels, preferably in book format but I may end up doing them online first, and be freelance illustrator on the side. I don't want to do them as main careers or study them seriously in uni; I've gotten this notion in my head that trying to really make a career in any art is a bit of a joke. Have I mentioned I want to publish a few books? Also just another side project. But as a main career, I have no idea.

[viewtyjoe]

yeah, it's just annoying having to remember syntactical changes when you jump from language to language. COBOL is like the rough equivalent of novelizing your program, as far as I can tell.

[Sagat]

May wanna settle for comics or American graphic novels, seeing as how you're not Japanese.

Big friggen deal? Then I'll be the first white devil to invade the Japanese manga scene.

[Regex]

yeah, it's just annoying having to remember syntactical changes when you jump from language to language. COBOL is like the rough equivalent of novelizing your program, as far as I can tell.

Learning a large number of languages isn't the problem. It's the way developers are treated in the office. Imagine Dilbert, without the humor.