-What do you do for a living? Right now I work traffic in radio during the day, do graphic design/illustration on the side, and I train dogs at night.
-Do you like it? No I hate it, yes, and yes.
-Did you need a degree for it? Sort of, sort of, and no.
I don't need any degree to do traffic and I don't need a degree to be on air either, but the current PD is really more concerned with the lack of the communications degree than with my actual talents. Or rather he thinks other people at corporate would have a problem with it so he's too terrified to do anything about it. It didn't used to be that way, and when I first got started in radio (five years ago...) it wasn't a concern, but NOW, since the economic crash, everybody is concerned with the degrees. Some talented people I know who have done radio for years but don't have a communications degree are having problems. I don't really know why it works that way but it does.
Graphic design is sort of the same way, technically it's your skills that matter. But I have seen a LOT of people insisting on a BA in fine arts or graphic design... one place truly insisted on the BA and would not even look at portfolios of anybody without it. My degree is not a BFA so I get passed over a lot, I think. Years ago people didn't care as much, but they do now... again, it seems like since the economic crash.
As far as dog training goes, nope, not really. But I would sort of like to upgrade my psych minor to a BA or BS in animal behaviour. Just can't afford it.
Truthfully I would love to train dogs and have that be my job. I taught two classes tonight and I'm exhausted, but it's a GOOD exhaustion. I feel happy and fulfilled which is completely opposite of how I feel when I leave work in the daytime... really quite different from how I feel after any job. I enjoy graphic design, it's fun, but it's not emotionally fulfilling like training is. I can't explain it. I just kind of fell here by accident. I wish I could stay.