How did you choose your job/career path? What did you prioritize in your choice and why?

8 comments

1. Fell into it. Totally by accident.

   But I’m great at it and love it.

2. In 1978 my parents allowed me to move in with my older sister to finish school while they moved to another sate for a job. My dad gave me $500 a month for rent and food. Almost $300 of that went to rent. He said if I needed more money, to get a job. So I did. I got a job as a Cook and was working close to full time while still in my Senior year. A few months later I told him I didn’t need his money anymore and I have been in the Food & Beverage business ever since.

   I did a few years as a cook, got hired on at a Bar & Grill and learned how to Bartend, then went on to management and now I have been a Barista for the last 14 years or so.

3. I wanted a job that paid fairly well, was in demand, and that was easy to explain to people. So I became an engineer. There were other options that fit the criteria as well, but it made the most sense at the time.

4. I kind of fell into it. I had come out of the Army as a mechanic. While I liked the work well enough, it wasn’t something I wanted to do the next 25 years. I started doing everything else you could do with a truck, even back to fixing them for a little while. I would use the experience on one to get experience in another. I finally settled down as a fleet manager.

   What I prioritized was 1) does it pay the bills 2) do I like the work 3) is there work near me.

5. Maximizing my strengths.

   I hate working with people. I like working with computers and machines.

   So I chose engineering and may transition to software if things work out.

6. I didn’t choose shit.

   The last thing I wanted to work with was computers, so I didn’t.

   Except everywhere I went, I ended up being the defacto computer guy, because everyone else was tech-dumb.

   Eventually I was unemployed and a computer job fell in my lap. I figured it was a good enough job to tide me over for a year or two til I could go back to what I enjoyed doing.

   I’m now in my 11th year doing IT full time, and I make so much money that I’d take a massive pay cut to do anything else.

   So… Now I’m an IT guy.

7. Fell ass backwards into it, just like every other job I’ve had. I prioritized getting any job that would pay my bills and support my hobbies. Mission accomplished.

8. Faith > Family > Job

   Found a job that is fine being 3rd and understands when I tell top management that they’re stepping on boundaries.

   I’ve been at the same company for 10 years making progressive steps every 1.5 years and I’m 4 spots from the top. The next step violates my time-off for priorities 1 and 2, so not looking to move further. Any attempt to delegate work that violates that time-off is rejected and a reminder sent of priorities.