WomenCo.

As children we are asked that question again and again. But what about as adults? We dont stop growing and learning. Sometimes we start a job that turns into a 15-year career and we look back and say "This is not what i wanted to be!" Has this happened to you? Do you feel stuck in a career that you dont want to be in? Or would you like to just change your career altogether and just do something thats totally not like you at all?

When I was little I wanted to be a space fighter pilot.

Now, I want to be an astrophysicist.

I think I might have mentioned it before, but if 50 is the new 30 then I am only 19. So, I have plenty of time if I get started now.

I am currently struggling with that very question.  I took a "job" a couple of years out of college.  At that time I was still planning to go back to Grad school, but I hadn't yet.  I worked at that job for 11+ years.  I loved it and was climbing the career ladder until the original company was bought out and the work climate changed.  I have been bouncing around ever since.  It is terrible.  I went back and got my teaching license and discovered that I don't like it-I didn't think I would all the way back in college, and I still don't.  Oh the teaching part is okay, but the working environment is poor and there are so many unhappy kids it makes it hard.  I am now working in Mental Health part-time.  I originally wanted to do this, but I don't find it as satisfying as I thought I would. 

I am 45 and I STILL don't know what I want to do when I grow up.  Where can I turn to help me decide?

Thanks,  DeAnna

When is was little I wanted to be a gymnast. Then in 8th grade i out grew the uneven parallel bars. (i grew another 7 inches after 9th grade). So then I set my sites on accounting. A CPA was the direction. About 3 weeks into my second semester freshmen year in college, I had a prof that lectured us for an hour and 45 minutes about how a CPA says what they mean and then shuts up. That lecture fliped some kind of switch in my brain and I jump from left to right. I changed my major to Music Education, dropped the accounting class and replaced it with a pottery class. I finishe my associates and went on to work on my BA. Since going to school and working full time did not agree with my physiology I never reached the BA goal. I started working financing a life, then found myself building a career in the finacial services industry.

Now my facility closed and I am in deep soul search. What do I want to be when I grow up? I know what I don't want to do...going back to school reallly scares me. I've been out so long, but i think thats the direction I'm going to go. I want to design e-learning systems when I grow up. Does anybody have a map to get there?

My dream life....hmmm...I daydream about it all the time.

My current dream life is to be a freelance graphic designer, a full-time yoga instructor, and to generate an income selling my paintings :)

So...anyone looking for some art or yoga??  :)

mdirks says ...

I ahve been stuck at a job for 10 years that I have never wanted to be at. I had been a single mom needing a job with benefits .Now I am trying to build the courage up to quit and find something I really want to do.

I was in the same single mom needing benefits situation you're in when after almost 15 years of loyalty, I was laid off.  I had wanted to get a different job many times, but was too afraid to make a change in case I lost any part of my ability to take care of my head of household responsibilities at home (I never got child support either).  Hindsight being 20/20, I would've ditched that place if I had known they were going to reward my loyalty and intent to retire from there with kicking me in the teeth after 15 years of service.  My point is that you must look out for yourself and your family -- you cannot trust ANY employer to be loyal to you.  They do what is best for them and what they can financially afford.  Period.  Start looking and put your request out to the universe and start sending out resumes.  I wish I had instead of being so trusting.

Oh, when I grow up, I want to be a Fairy Godmother and make wishes come true.  Plus, I dig the sparkly matching crown and wand thing.  I am getting closer to this goal -- I just accepted an invitation to join a board of directors for a peer support clubhouse which serves severely mentally ill adults and I am also volunteering a lot of time and energy to my local NAMI chapter.  Now that I am remarried, I can give my time and skills without worrying about the paycheck.  Of course, we could use the extra money if i worked at a paying job, BUT I promised the universe a long time ago that if it provided me with the opportunity to help others without worrying about food, shelter, and clothing, I would do it.  I'm just making good on that promise.  And I LOVE meaningful worki!

I wanted to be an  eye doctor or a psychologist  when I was little.  When I went to college, I wanted to major in biology so I could go to medical school.  But my advisor was concerned because I have a visual challenge and she was afraid that using too many microscopes would ruin my eyesight.  I ended up working as a medical transcriptionist at an eye hospital for 22 years.  I went back to school to get  a bachelor's in psychology, then moved up to DC to get my master's in professional counseling.  I worked at a nonprofit career counseling facility and fell in love with career counseling.  Right now, I'm looking for work in the career or vocational counseling field.  I'm also considering having my own career coaching or life coaching practice, maybe in 10 years. 

I don't want to grow up!! (just teasing)

My dream was to be in politics (could you not guess that one in a million years?) However, my past is not colorful enough for scandals, lol. Ok, seriously, I did want to be in politics, but that dream has evolved to what my life is now. I have no regrets in the direction my life has taken so I guess you could say I am what and where in life I want to be.

I wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid.  Even played "School" with my friends!!

Now I am in school for office administration.

And my current job is in Human Resources in a retail environment.