I figure I got one more career change in me. Whatever I choose to do in 18 months will be my last career change (for now ;). The ideal, of course, is to publish and become a well respected and highly paid author. And that's the career path I will be pursuing. But... its still fun to speculate.
I have thought that if I have to work for someone else there are a few areas that interest me - dream jobs, so to speak. You might notice a trend here. First, my absolute dream job would be as a Disney Imagineer. To sit around all day and dream, plan, and execute the new rides and attractions at Disney Theme Parks would be the ultimate cool job. Of course, I don't know engineering, nor can I draw anything more complicated than a stick figure (as all the laughs at my pathetic storyboards for my new movie remind me ;) But I am handy creatively speaking and I'm willing to try anything creative, so long as you don't expect Michelangelo. Second, I thought it'd be very cool to work as a sound designer for ILM. But, my level of ignorance in this area astounds me. Still, it'd be a fun thing to learn.
There are, of course, all the tried and true career ideas that have come and gone in my head - travel agent, CIA, teacher, etc... Most of these jobs play to one of my strengths - but a career?
I guess the question would be, regardless of your abilities, if there was one job you could do with the proviso that it paid enough to live off of, what would you want to be when you grow up?
I will continue my "job" search.
8 comments:
I would want to be a chef, one of those people on the travel channel who gets to travel all over the world and do cool stuff (like Rick Steves or Rachel Ray), or perhaps, an actress. Here's my problems:
I can cook. Not well enough to be succesful at it.
The travel jobs are taken.
I can't act.
Surprise, surprise (and I imagine that phone is ringing louder and louder)...
a youth pastor.
Of course, are there any youth pastors who make more than $30K a year? Therein lies the rub.
I'd be happy working in the garden department at Home Depot or Lowes.
I wouldn't mind teaching for a couple years at a school in the bush in a place like Kenya or South Africa. I've never been a teacher, but they have an even harder time finding qualified teachers there than they do here, so there's definitely a need. I don't know if I could do it for more than a few years though. I don't need a life of luxury, but I do like taking hot showers and eating pizza every so often, which you can't always do there. Lots of the schools in Kenya didn't even have electricity.
Sitting in front of a computer hacking away (my real job) is about as fun as breaking rocks in a prison yard. When I decided to go for a computer science degree, I kept reading all these books about how programming was such a great job, because programmers were like artists who got to "express themselves." They lied. It's turning my brain into swiss cheese.
Believe it or not, (1) mayor of a small town, (2)a health professional that listens to people and actually helps to find the cause of their problems, and help them find the appropriate cure, (3) horse ranch owner that uses therapy to help troubled children/adults, (4) Crisis management specialist.
I would love to get paid to write. I would love to be on staff at a Church as a writer. I don't want to do anything but write. So, don't try to put me in charge of the Men's Sofball team or the Bookstore. I just want to write whatever I feel like all the time.
My other would be to do Unchained Men's Ministries full time and set up and facilitate Men's Retreats and seminars.
Andy- Our Youth Pastor throws down about 50G's!!!! Come East Young Man!
Thank you all for your views.
(Andy - I only make 30K now... Poverty, where is thy sting? ;)
You can't be serious. Inventory manager, only $30K/year? That's highway robbery.
Well, yes it is, Andy. But a very wise friend once told me, recently, that we must not measure our worth by monetary gain. I have a place I call home. I have a job. I have food to eat. I have health care. I have a car. I have spending money. I take vacations from time to time. I go freely to church. I have spare time to be a youth leader, to write, to watch TV, to coach T-Ball, to score basketball games, to watch Giants games. I am in almost any other culture rather wealthy.
Its sometimes hard to keep up with the Jones's and if I had more money (lots more) it might be nice to try. But I wonder how quickly that would get old for me? I wonder whether I wouldn't rather spend the money helping others. I help as much as possible now, but not nearly enough. I'd love to spend more time working on things. I'd love to give more money to help people dream of a better life. But I still think of my needs way too much. I still find myself caught up in the cultural epidemic of consumerism. I'm not sure having more money wouldn't make me worse - not better. So, its probably better that I sacrifice a little on the wages in order to better concentrate on more important matters.
It might be nice to have a large bank account for security as I'm often one missed paycheck away from financial hardship. But, on the other hand, true security comes from God. I'll hedge my bets with Him.
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