That one question was life’s first lesson regarding the importance of semantics as well as as foreshadowing of how convulted the workplace would prove to be.

Silly me, but in my heart, soul, and intellect, my answer then, as it is now, was to answer the question that was asked. I.E., I wanted only to “grow up” to BE a decent, kind person. After that, well, working and paying bills was just something that was supposed to take care of itself.

Little did I know, however, that they were NOT asking about a state of “being,” but rather my plans on what I wanted to DO in order to earn money.

Choosing nothing specific left me living by default, you might say, working at whatever employment came my way.

No real regrets, mind you, but with nearly sixty employers in my past, what once was a mild amusement at the semantics involved has grown into a total contempt for employers and the disenguous manner in which they treat people these days.

Truth? It started with that question which in no way meant what was said, and it found its completion by referring to employees as “human resources”. Yes, we are now “resources” first with our “humanity” coming in a far distant second-place. We’ve been dehumanized, employment has become exploitation, and still people continue to perpetuate the myth of a “work ethic”.

It would be funny as hell if it wasn’t so tragic.

I didn’t even get my first cat until I was nineteen.

But now I am a cat advice columnist. And… loving it!

Income? Not that much, but I think it has potential. And with the economy the way it is, my relatively low expenses are better off being sunk into my cat advice site right now.

If I put the effort into it, it will grow. Because that’s my own skill set at work.

I think whenever someone is asked or asks themselves what they want to be when they grow up, the invariably, and perhaps incorrectly begin trying to identify jobs rather than values. My desire to help people led me down a path that included brief stints trying to get into medicine, law, forensic science, psychology, and finally finance.

But through it all, I always had the solid base of knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up – helpful to others, useful, a good person. I think we have to answer this questions with values, rather than job descriptions. If you follow your values you’ll eventually end up someplace that suits you.

http://www.btgnow.net

[...] you to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Last fall I wrote an entry entitled “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?” I described how it’s difficult to know what you want to do when you’re 21. (And [...]

[...] If you’re new here, you may want to learn what this site is about. I encourage you to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!One recurring theme of personal finance books is that it’s easier to accumulate wealth by working for yourself than by working for others. Many have heard this maxim, but few have heeded it. Some want to, but don’t know how to begin. [...]

Funny thing was, I had valuable skills, but did not start a business with them, and instead stayed in my ;pw end job. Out of curiosity, I stopped into a new business on my way home, the owner/worker had really no knowledge of the skills and products he was selling. I stepped forward during my off duty hours and helped him learn the trade. Without my help, his business would have failed within the first month. He learned to trust me, I learned to trust him, and we both found ways to aid each other. Now I’m his supplier, and clear about 250% a year return on my investments.

The point I’m making is that if you wish to be truly successful, then first you must have the burning desire to help others. If you have that desire, then other’s will come, and success will follow.

In closing, I would like to add that financial success isn’t easy. That burning desire to help has to be strong enough to make you spend twice as much effort as those around you. Count on working till you drop, and giving more than receiving. Count on paying your investments before you pay your own pocket.

[...] J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly wonders what we should do if we’re compelled to change course in mid-stream. So, what do you want to be when you grow up? [...]

There are days I wish I could work in a factory again, with time to think. It’s nice if you have a job you love but they are few and far between.

http://www.violentacres.com/archives/47/is-your-job-ruining-your-life

I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know that I don’t want to be dependant on a job I hate.

For most of my life I’ve been a “grass is always greener” kind of guy…working in one job but pining for something else. I still have those tendencies but have learned to keep them at bay by forcing myself to dig in and do the best I can at the job I have now, finding the fulfillment that lies within and milking it for all it’s worth. I’ve been at my current job for 10 years now, the longest by far that I’ve ever stayed in a job, and while much of it is tedious and I struggle with burnout, I also have been able to experience the benefits that come with sticking with a job long enough to become really good at it.

I work for a large transport and engineering consultancy, I stumbled into my job by accident and I find it fascinating. But, I’m hoping not to do it forever, I think I might enjoy being a librarian at some point, and I’d love to do a PhD in the study of religions later on as well.

I think its ok not to like your job even if its what you trained for. If it makes you miserable, then try to move on. If you can put up with it and get fulfillment elsewhere then hey, maybe you are ok staying where you are.

I switched careers in my 30s, leaving graphic arts to get an MBA, and entered the corporate world in New York. After 1 1/2 years there, I was posted to Amsterdam. The job was okay, the money was good but looking back I realized the job was completely overshadowed by living overseas and getting to travel all over the place for work.

After 12 years and 4 moves, my job was eliminated and as I told my husband at the time, “it feels like I graduated without having to take my last final…” In other words I was burnt out but didn’t realize it until I was set free.

I received “outplacement services” and became the poster child for a bad attitude because I knew I didn’t want another corporate job but I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

Along the way I’ve worked in a bookstore, owned a bookstore, been a “financial planner” (read salesperson; the worst of the lot for me), worked for a lawyer, been Exec. Dir. of a small chamber of commerce, and been a tour manager for educational travel programs and an assistant manager at Starbucks.

As a result of living overseas and the tour manager job, I have already been to a lot of the places people dream of and save for. I would love to travel more; can’t get enough, really, but if I die tomorrow I won’t regret places not seen.

At some point I realized my lifelong “obsession” with makeup, fashion and style deserved more attention than I had given it so I’m now selling Origins cosmetics at Macy’s while I still work part-time at a nearby Sbux. I also write two columns a week for the local paper.

I’m thinking the writing and the fashion/style passion will eventually come together in a blog or a book but right now I don’t have a plan.

Luckily I have plenty of stamina. I’ve found I love this more physical work and I love dealing with the public.

For perspective, I’m the main breadwinner; my husband’s retired but his social security accounts for less than 20% of our income.

Am I rich? No. Am I using my MBA? Not really. Am I having fun? yes yes yes. My husband and I live frugally but not meagerly; our cars are old but paid for; our house, a 130-year old Victorian, will probably be our retirement, although we aren’t completely resourceless in that department. We married late so there are no kids to worry about.

My way is not for everybody but I encourage you to factor fun into your choices.

Elizabeth

I’ve come to realize that I’ve pushed aside most of the creative apsects of my work and cut myself off from many of my interests and talents simply because they didn’t fit the “professional” mold I was aiming for. Well, I’ve been there and done that, and it ain’t all that it promises to be.

I’ve also had a tortuos affair with “art”. Somewhere along the way I got it into my mind that I can’t be an artist, don’t have what it takes, or the right personality, etc. Yet, it is the act of creation (photos, fiber arts, food, gardens, interiors, etc.) that gets my blood pumping more than anything. This is what I am trying to be open to, to listen to.

Think about what is required to work with computers. What thinking skills do you use with your computer work? Do you have to make decisions? Do you have to do research?

Don’t focus on the technical skills.

Just a thought.

jd

I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately and i’ve decided that whoever said “if you do a job you love, then you’ll never work a day in your life” was absolutely full of it. I’ve used computers my whole life and i’ve been a computer programmer for the last 4 to 5 years… and I hate it (i’m 25 now).

A small piece of advice from the other side is this:

When you’re forced to do something for 40 hours a week to make a living then you’re not going to enjoy it. Nothing takes the pleasure out of what you enjoy doing than not having the choice to do it.

The best job I ever had was pumping gas while I was studying. It was brainless, dead end, and put me out in the cold… but do you know what? That was one of the happiest times of my life. I would go to a stress free job and then get to go home and indulge in my hobby of messing with computers. Such a simple thing really. Perhaps, that’s the secret for some people, to keep your hobby a hobby and cut back on your working hours. If anybody says that it’s not that simple then remember that this is a blog on living frugally

As for the reason that people don’t enjoy their careers when they get to their 30′s. Well that’s easy:

It’s because you’re working a career that an 18 year old decided for you.

Hope somebody finds some of what I wrote useful, this is a topic close to my heart.

Iain

I’m fast approaching this category of people who reach their mid 30s and realize that they have been doing something that they no longer want to do. They only went into it because of decent career prospects and social acceptance of the job. Now that things have changed, the job’s appeal has gone down too.

I try to fill this gap by writing make money online blogs. Visit for review and comment!

I stayed at a job I didn’t like because I was worried about the 2-3 week gap in salary between pays. I was there for years because of something insignificant. I’m no longer willing to accept that and I’m willing to consider things that might not pay as well as long as I’m more fulfilled.

Worse comes to worse; construction pays well and they’re always looking for people.

There are others, but you can start there.

[...] J.D.’s post today at Get Rich Slowly highlighted a conversation he had with a friend about their jobs and how much they hate them. Much of the conversation dealt with his friend Wayne’s outlook on his job, how he felt limited to work that made other people happy or not upset. [...]