How did you end up with your current profession?

I had a career change in my 20s and it worked out for me. At 16 years old I went to a further education college to study Shipping and Transport. I traveled to Finland at age 18 and worked as a children's nanny. When I came home and got a job as a container marketing controller. I got made redundant two years later and it was so very challenging to get another job. I let out my cottage, got a working holiday visa for Australia and bought my airline ticket around the world. My fantastic trip lasted for just over one year. I had done more work as a children's nanny in Australia which led me to think about becoming a primary school teacher. I did some more qualifications before I went to university and did my degree. I am now a primary school teacher and I love my career.

There was a job opening for this government office that I use to think was something that I was lucky enough to get since most people tend to be glad for me whenever they find out where I work. I use to think the same way too but as the years go by I just do my job for the sake that it brings food into the family table. It is not the profession that I wish to go full time on. I still never stop hoping that I will be able to work on my own phase like my side job online while earning big.

Hi there, To speak frankly in our country there are no such practice with the students as it is in Japan. What does it mean is that multiple avenues are open for them when is time to look for a job. If they did not like, they are in, could could opt for another. But here in our country this is hardly possible. If one is professor and due to ill luck got discharged from the service they have no other means to maintain the same standard as before and hence he/she has no other option left to put their hands on. As for me, I had a long cherished dreams to become a professor and finally I succeeded. Now if I am to look for other job, I can teach students and even if I get bored there I can take up Journalism or at least a boat man.

I didn't have a clue what to do after I graduated high school. Yet, I stumble upon Engineering as a course. All through university, I struggled with it, yet I graduated. Then I stumbled into a job in manufacturing. I found line of work making things that meant something to a lot of people, and I liked it. And I have been here ever since.

Well I am still in school. I am a semester away from graduating a course that I did not want. I will be going back to school to earn a degree in Education. I did not know what to take when I was a freshman and when I finally figured out what I wanted to do in life, I was already a junior. My current job is a freelance stylist. The people that hire me are mostly familiar of me because I did a little modeling before. I like the fact that I am not tied up in an organization that I do not like. But in the end, I want to become a teacher.

Hi Seriousnuts, This is a question that gets some of my dormant thoughts manifest into some concrete articulation. If you ask me, vocational training early in the life of youngsters only gives them opportunity to work on their aptitude & develop them into employable skills. Though these have been attempted in curricula in my country, there have been few takers. I guess the reason is that early in life, every one nurtures an ambition of becoming a good engineer, doctor, lawyer, dentist, software expert and so on, as a result of which, they consider it below par getting in to such vocational courses. That is one part of the story. At another level, at the time these lads & lasses have to make a choice of career, they are guided more by emotion than reasoning. Parents as well as wards want to sail with the wind, without properly evaluating aptitude, ability & opportunity. So, either some end up disappointed if they don't make the grade while other lucky ones somehow manage to push through to bag a degree. Whether or not they succeed in the related profession is a different question. As far as I am concerned, I too fancied becoming a doctor because it was the fad at the time I completed the qualifying examination. I wasn't lucky and sulked. I recollected myself and chose another potential course the following year. I did reasonably well and got a good placement post completion. I would have progressed well but Parental sentiments forced me to change track. They wanted me to get into government job [read secure!]. So I was lucky to land another job in which I spent long years. Along the career,whenever it looked like I was stagnating, some good break came my way & I trudged along! I have acquired multidisciplinary skills from long focused work & have proved my worth for the employer. However, I get a feeling at times that I deserve more [rank or position relative to years of service] but we don't control destiny all the time. I may have craving for higher accomplishments but I can say I'm reasonably staisfied with where I am now.