Originally Posted by ArreauStandardPoodle

My path was literally dropped in my lap when I was seven and my Mom got her first Spoo. She began breeding a couple of years later and we began grooming our own, breeding and showing. My love for the breed just grew and grew. I am 56 now and realize there were periods when I tried to fight it. I opened a grooming salon in Toronto when I was nineteen. A few years later I closed the shop and began working in a factory because I felt I needed a steady reliable income. The money was awesome, but I was miserable. I took several years to just be a Mom to my three kids. I was then offered a job doing international advertising sales for trade magazines, and was very successful and again, the money was great...but I did not feel fulfilled.

I acquired my first red Spoo and she was bred for her first litter and even though the pups actually belonged to someone else, they were raised in my home for their first six weeks, and I was in bliss. Every day I could not wait to get out of bed and weigh the puppies, feed the puppies, play with the puppies...My TV felt neglected as I had much better things to do than sit watching it when there were babies right down the hall changing a little every minute it seemed.

This is my life. I love it more than anything I could possible think of to spend my life doing. The money is pretty much non existent because of all the expenses involved (testing, feeding, vet care, registrations, stud fees, travel, show expenses) but I have not done anything this rewarding. My fiance and I play "what if" games all the time..."what if you could turn back time, and could do ANYTHING with your life"...my answer was I'd consider being a Doctor but would still breed Spoos to counter all the stress of the other profession. THIS is in my blood.

Originally Posted by muffin

... Personally, I love researching practically everything that comes to mind (Isn't there two fruits that go bad if you put them together? Google, here I come! Literally, anything.) I also love being nosey and have always dreamed of being a spy or criminal investigator or something to that effect.

Originally Posted by Rowan

It's not all it's cracked up to be. You spend 90+% of your time on paperwork.

Originally Posted by muffin

I grew up hearing constantly to do what you love, and I am so mad at the person who started that nasty rumor! I was led to believe that if you like animals, be a zookeeper. If you like home decor, be an interior designer. I could have saved so much time and money if I knew what to really look for in finding a career. To make matters worse, there are all of these (IMHO) baloney schools and degrees created to play into these pipe dreams (music, art, construction, etc.) for the sole profit of these educational institutions. I mean, how many Julliard graduates are you listening to on the radio? What I'm trying to say is, if you're good, you're good. A simple audition on American Idol can do what 50+ years of schooling could ever do. (I am using the word "you" indiscriminately, not talking about you specifically, OP) If you want to follow your passion, by all means, I encourage everyone to do so, but really consider if thousands (tens of thousands, even) of dollars and a fancy degree is really going to get your that much closer to your dream. I may sound a bit harsh, and I am probably biased after my husband last-minute turned down his re-enlistment while I was pregnant for the idea of going to school in California to be a professional drummer. THAT was a reality check for him, and I hate the thought of so many other people making the same mistakes.

That said, I still think you should look for a career that fits your skills and personality, for sure. The key is to not be specific and you will be at some of the options out there! I finally found my niche when I began thinking about things in general that I not only enjoy, but am good at. I am good at staying organized, keeping up with deadlines and schedules, and being really focused. Personally, I love researching practically everything that comes to mind (Isn't there two fruits that go bad if you put them together? Google, here I come! Literally, anything.) I also love being nosey and have always dreamed of being a spy or criminal investigator or something to that effect. I was discussing this with a friend one day, and she suggested being a paralegal. A wha? A desk job? Heck no! I researched it (of course) and it really did fit everything I like and am good at! I got my degree as a paralegal and I LOVE it. I get to research legal stuff, I have to stay on track and organized, and I am constantly challenged. I am now getting my Bachelors in criminal justice and plan on taking some CLE's focused more on criminal law and litigation in order to (hopefully) work under a state prosecuting attorney, where I will be able to do more evidence preparation and all of that fun stuff! I have considered going to law school to be a lawyer myself, but I like not having so much liability, both financially and in terms of malpractice and whatnot.

I think if you focus on your strong and weak areas more so than the actual job you will be able to find what works for you! Things like, would you want to work with other people and if so, employees or customers? Do you like working under someone or would you rather call the shots? A PhD is a lot of time and money so I would chose wisely. There is nothing wrong with being "undecided"
for a while, you still have your whole life! I hope you find something you love and wish you great success with whatever path you take!

Originally Posted by Hayley22

Hi Muffin

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to this. But I've been thinking about the things you said for a while.

I completely understand where you are coming from in terms of people being unrealistic about their 'dreams' and not thinking practically about things. This can be a very frustrating thing to deal with.

However, I do believe that I might disagree with some aspects of your opinion. I don't think that a person who attends Juilliard does so because he/she wants to be on the radio someday, or 'make it big' as a pop star sensation. People who study music, or literature, or art, do it simply for the love of it and because of a profound passion for their area of interest. I don't, therefore, believe that calling such a school 'baloney' is warranted - it is merely a different motivation. Money spent on studying the arts, or getting a PhD in an area of study that is remarkable to one, is not, in my opinion, a waste of money. (Although I agree it can amount to a very expensive pursuit.) Education in all forms is priceless. It is priceless because more than teaching us about the world, it teaches us about ourselves. I agree that academia is not for everyone. I agree that, at some stage, we all have to eat. But if the opportunity beckons, I wouldn't let it pass.

Thank you for stimulating this debate. As I said, your words have been echoing in my mind for a while!

All the best,

Hayley

Originally Posted by muffin

Hi Hayley, thanks for the input, I think you're actually right. I re-read what I wrote, and I did come off as rather negative about the whole thing. I think you're absolutely correct about schools like Julliard do actually promote and educate people towards the real aspects of these art forms. I think if someone is dedicated enough to obtain a PhD in a specific area, they could actually have something genuine to offer to these arts.

When I talk about baloney schools and programs I am more so thinking of the certificate and AA programs offered by (usually) non-accredited institutions. Things like massage therapists and video game designers. I see that you are in South Africa, so I am not sure if you have been to the States, or if there are similar things there, but all the time I see commercials for places like ITT Tech and other institutions marketing to young adults, dropouts, and those just looking for an easy way out to take the "fast track" to some great career. They paint this picture that you're going to be wealthy and just having a grand ol' time playing video games all day, or what have you.

I understand that some people might actually have a genuine ambition to do these things, but for the most part I think it is misleading and false advertisement. People think they can just go to some phony "school" for a few months and be hounded with job offers and have their lives made. I feel like these schools play into our natural human desire to get as much as we can whilst putting no real effort into obtaining it.

I didn't mean to compare this to people's true desire to obtain higher education and expand their knowledge into some of the less-accepted areas of study. There is a big difference between someone who has a true appreciation for the history and continuation of such things, and people who would just like to "make it big" doing something they have a slight interest in because it's easier than having to actually work for a living.

I also just want to be clear that I wasn't referring to you or anyone else in any of this, the sole reason I mention this is that it was a major realization and struggle that lead to my finding my path. I grew up with the the thought that I would be the next Steve Irwin simply by "following my dreams" and I think a lot of people grow up with this mindset because it's taught to us practically since birth. I think it's great to encourage children to be passionate and think big, but I also realize now that it would be good to have also been made aware of the reality of such professions and (I love the way you worded this!) how at some point we all have to eat. I think a big reason so many of us have such a hard time finding our niche is because of this mindset we are raised with. It used to be that you would do whatever your mother or father did before you. We didn't have so many career options, and now with the modernization and technology we have so many opportunities to do something new and rewarding. I feel like we just haven't found the proper way to really express the realities and it leads to a lot of disappointment and people asking themselves "Well what do I do now?"