How did all of you...

I just got my BS in BioSci (focus evolution and ecology). I'm starting to apply for stuff now--mostly outdoorsy stuff with the forest services, fisheries and stuff. I worked in a lab for two years (evolution lab--so exciting!) which was amazing, but the grant I was being paid out of ran out. I'm also checking out aquariums and stuff, laying out feelers...

Basically I have no idea what I want to do for my career, but I do fully intend to do something I'm at least halfway interested in.

I still down't know what i want to do when I grow up. I currently work in logistics, but customer service/trucking isn't what I want to do forever. So I'm no help. I have a degree in business management, but I'm not sure I'd be a good manager, so i think that career path is out.

I never thought I'd be a funeral director. Ever.

I wanted to be a vet since forever, got a B.S. in Pre-Vet and during my undergrad "fell upon" funeral service. I say it was a calling and I literally woke up one day and knew I had to pursue it. The hours are long, the pay is mediocre, but it's something that I believe in, see the value of and makes a difference in people's lives.

My own personal life probably suffers because of the extent that me and my colleagues devote our time, but it's all very rewarding to me. And I'm a bit of a workaholic by nature, I like being a constructive member of society. Now that I'm doing it, and find that I can do it well, I never want to do anything else.

Well, teaching and coaching is in my blood... so there is that lol

However, I just know that teaching (& hopefully coaching - softball preferable ) is what I'm meant to do... as cliche as that sounds! I am not sure on WHAT I want to teach at the moment though - I'm stuck between Elementary Education and Physical Education, but I'll make that decision when the time comes.

My first major was Physical Therapist Assistant, but that didn't last very long. I still love that major/job, but I just didn't see myself doing that for my career.

I always, always wanted to be either a Cop or Anthropologist. It just didn't "feel" right in the end and teaching did, so yeah

Well...by the time I was 30 I had done all sorts of odd jobs: Vet Assistant, Kennel Attendant, Security Guard, Retail...

Then I decided to go back to school...at first I was going to get a degree as a Safety Engineer...but somewhere in the middle I ended up with a double major in Biology and Anthropology (and a minor in Microbiology). While in college I worked in a Entomology lab and later in a Molecular Biology lab...

Now I work part time in a quality control lab...

...and I am realizing I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up

Ummm... I still don't know what I was 100% want to do. It's, like, I have a few ideas. But I feel like, now, I'm just focusing on getting my degree. Everyone keeps telling me I'm over-analyzing it, and I probably am. I graduated HS in 2008 and still haven't got to my associates (I think I'll be at around 50 credits, though, after this semester) soooo I'm getting there.

I had finally felt like I made a decision earlier this year about elementary education however when I switched my major, I realized that only 16 of my 40-some credits were going to transfer and I was like, uh, NO. I'm not basically starting all the way over. That's dumb. So I'm just going with my original plan of a communications major and then might consider a masters. We'll see when it comes down it.

But honestly? I think I can have my bachelors within two - two and a half years and that's too bad IMO. I'll be 23/24ish and that's still young, hehe. I admit, I am envious of a few of my friends who just did their thing... left home, went to university, and are graduating with their bachelors this year. And here I am, still living at home, and feeling sooo behind. But I've accepted it and at least I'm THERE and working towards it.

Btw, I haaaateeeee science & math too. I've put it off this long and just now this year am in biology and non-credit math. I need to finish this one, then take one more non-credit before even getting INTO college algebra *sigh* It SUCKS majorly. I SUCK at math so incredibly bad. But I'm getting through, somehow.

I always knew I wanted to do something hands-on. I don't want to be that person that dusts up in his/her office all day. I didn't really know WHAT I wanted to do though.

I ended up studying a semester of Biochemistry, because I wanted to do what my dad does. (sells colors for plastics in places like Asia and Australia - basically gets to travel the world. ) I LOVE travelings, and I'm incredibly jelous of the places he gets to see! (He's taking my to Shanghai in September! yay )

Anyways, studied a semester and noticed, gosh, I have no idea what I want to do with this. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of fun, but I didn't know what I want to do with my degree, and I regreted my major about month after I started.
Anyways, so I dropped out after my 1. Semester, planning to apply for an architecture major at the same University. I needed a 12 week internship at a building company - actually BUILDING houses. It was one of the most exausting internships I've EVER done. I did good though and was even offered a spot in trade school with them. I declined - because I had already recived my acceptance letter to my school of choice.
Now? Im studying architecture, and I LOVE IT. I wouldn't change my major if I was payed 1000000€. Its a wonderful mix of all the things I love to do - math, art and lots of hands on.

I understand most people definitely don't love their jobs. I don't expect to either. But I want to at least have a career that I like a little bit since I will be spending most of my life at work. Most people that I know don't like their jobs hardly at all, and I hope I don't end up like that.

I haven't taken an aptitude test yet. Well, not a real one anyway. I found some online that were less than helpful, haha. But I think I am going to go talk to a career counsellor or somebody like that at one of the universities here and see if they can help guide me in the right direction somehow.

I am most passionate about dogs, so don't even know what else I'd be good at or what would interest me, which makes things hard. But I don't necessarily want a dog related career either (if that makes sense), and that's all people suggest to me. I wouldn't mind training (actually, I'd probably enjoy it a lot) but that would be more of an "on the side" or in my spare time type thing, as I can't see myself being able to live well as a single person if that were my only job. But other than that, and other than the possibility of being a vet, I think I'd prefer a more people orientated job and keep the dogs as my fun hobby type thing (which is a reason why training appeals to me). As much as I love them, I know I got pretty dogged out when I worked as a bather.

Anyhow, thank you for sharing all of your experiences! I really appreciate it and it's given me stuff to think about. I am sure I will get there. Here's hoping it happens sooner rather than later.

It's funny because for me, I think it's ideal to have a career related to my "passion." But I guess it would depend on how closely related they were.... like, I couldn't train dogs all day, and then go home and train my own dogs. It's too much of the same. Something in the veterinary field though, yes I'm with animals all day... but it's completely different from how I interact with my own animals, ya know? So coming home and spending time with my dogs doesn't feel like an extension of my job.

I had a really hard time thinking of ANY careers that might interest me. Realistically, I probably should have taken time off from school in order to think it over, instead of just jumping into a program because I felt like I HAD to. Luckily it didn't really come back to bite me.

Have you thought about training *people* instead of dogs? There is a lot of really good money to be made training people to use software, training people how to do their jobs, training people how to get acclimated to a new company (HR), etc.

Don't feel bad bouncing around for awhile. I sure as heck never envisioned myself selling cars, yet here I am and loving it! Dogs are definitely my passion and there's a lot to do in that field, but the money isn't all the great in most cases.

Otherwise, I've done dog daycare/boarding/training, pet supply retail, restaurant server, bartender, direct sales, receptionist...I'm "well-rounded".

I haven't. That actually sounds kind of good. I like teaching people how to train their dogs because it's something I know and am pretty good at, but if I knew other stuff well enough to be confident with it also, that might be an option too. For me, knowing something is key. But I guess that's what school is for - to learn more things so I can know more things, haha.

I am sure I will probably bounce around a bit until I get a feel for something. This thread has definitely given me a few ideas and I'm not feeling quite as stumped anymore and set on finding just the right thing right away.