I have made a lot of decisions over the past 44 years–some good, some bad, but mostly pretty awesome. I married the right guy, I chose to have my kids, and I was somehow forward thinking enough to get a highly marketable college degree. Because yes, I am the proud owner of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
I was able to immediately parlay that degree into a satisfying and well paying job I’ve held onto for 17 straight years. Originally I had wanted to be a Certified Nurse Midwife, which would have required an additional master’s degree. But it turned out I found working as a labor and delivery nurse to be immensely satisfying!
My job is unique, as it requires my full focus. The patient I’m working with will remember the birth of her child for the rest of her life, so if I’m distracted and just go through the motions, it’s a big deal. I have to be safe, caring, supportive, a drill sergeant and educational–all the while keeping up with my charting and hospital protocols. (Difficult but possible.)
How I do my job as a nurse makes a difference. Being a hospital nurse is an extremely special career, as it at once all-encompassing yet can be left at the workplace. As the child of teachers, I know how unique it is to have a career that doesn’t take over your home life.
However, a nursing degree can be used in so many different ways. Don’t want to work in a hospital setting? Fine. You can work as a case manager for an insurance company, a drug rep for a pharmaceutical company, an employee health nurse for a company or in research. (All examples of where different friends have worked.) Essentially, you can go through an entire career change while still utilizing the same college degree!
I graduated from a University in New Mexico in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and immediately moved back to Portland. And despite having no professional connections, I was able to land a job as soon as I passed my nursing boards. Why New Mexico? Because my husband was getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography there.
So when BlogHer asked if I would be interested in writing up my experience of being a nurse, I was more than happy to oblige. I’m proud to be a nurse. In 1994 there weren’t any online schools (that I was aware of), but all of that has changed. Schools such as Capella University now offer a variety of degree opportunities (including Master’s and PhD programs) that work wherever you happen to be geographically located. They offer a rigorous and supportive learning community, making for an educational experience which can help you make a difference in the life of others. Your degree can change more lives than your own, if you let it! And if you wonder whether their students are able to find jobs, Capella’s website offers graduate stories, and there’s even a You Tube channel! Heck, they even have a Facebook page.
How about you? Are you happy with the career path you chose? Please share your stories in the comments section below. BlogHer is donating $1 for each comment left here (up to $500) to a charity of MY choice – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Let’s work together to raise money for a meaningful cause.
Rules:
No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total donation entries by leaving up to two comments in response to the prompt on this post.
This promotion is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
The Official Rules are available here.
This promotion runs from 3/13/2012 – 3/31/2012.
Visit the BlogHer.com Capella page to check out more blogger stories and for more donation chances!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
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This has been a paid review through Blogher. All opinions are my own.
{ 171 comments… read them below or add one }
I did not chose a career path, I fell into it. Am I glad? Well it pays the bills. I work for a large corporation from home. While the benefits are great because I work from home, my internet is paid for, I have a great boss and have 5 weeks vacation time, I probably would not have chosen it. My parents weren’t really big on college, or school in general, so I was never pushed into working hard at school. When we met with my high school guidence counselor and I told her I wanted to be an x-ray technician, she said I wasn’t smart enough and my mother agreed! So off to secretarial school I went. However, if I had the choice, I probably would have done something in art.
I am mostly happy. I choose to be a technical writer but then decided to become a stay-at-home mom when my kids were born. I love being able to be around for my kids but it is quite a financial burden. Sometimes I wish I had kept up with part-time work…
Katy, I love your attitude toward your job! When I had my first child, the labor and delivery nurses were outright dismissive of me and to this day, their attitudes color the experience for me. I’m so happy to have had wonderful labor and delivery nurses the second time around…I really want to bake a ton of goodies and bring them in for them, because they were wonderful!
I’m still young, but happy thus far with my chosen career. I stay at home with my kids, do freelance writing and blogging on the side, and work on my own creative writing projects as well. I guess time will tell.
Hi Katy, I’m a medical editor and I do love my job! Right now I have the flexibility to work at home whenever I’d like, and I’m also fortunate to have some great coworkers.
I, too, hold a BSN from a great local private college, also from 1994 (Katy, we’re almost dopplegangers!) Every year my sons’ middle school has career day and I go to talk up the nursing profession. You just can’t beat it for flexibility, having a part-time job that pays great. And like you said, you aren’t stuck in a particular area unless you want to be! I’ve done home health nursing for the past 16 years but specialized within that area (pediatrics/maternal-child health). I’m always encouraging young people to think about nursing! You do a great job of that, too, so keep showing the nursing profession as a wonderful career option, Katy!
Always thrilling to hear of someone who both loves his/her job and is in a profession where there is work to be had! I’m an attorney and, while I love the practice of law, there’s a glut in the market (gross understatement) and not much work to be had. Fortunately, it’s a degree that allows you to work for yourself when you can’t find a job, but it’s a lot of sleepless nights wondering if you can pay the bills 2 months from now. As you say with nursing, there are plenty of related fields where having a law degree would be relevant, but unfortunately the glut of lawyers is currently swamping those, as well. So, while I love the work, if I knew how difficult it would be to earn a living at it, I likely would have gone a different route 🙂 In the meantime, I’m putting all my frugality skills to work — just “made over” a free shirt into one that fits me last week, working on developing alternate streams of income, and appreciate learning all kinds of new tips from your blog!
Linfield College is a great local non-profit option for an online BSN; the main campus is in McMinnville and the Nursing School is on Good Sam’s campus in NW. I know several grads (although not one myself) and prefer non-profit education, so wanted to put it out there. I like my career, I did an MBA while the kids were tiny, and have never regretted that time away as it has more than paid off.
I have a bachelor’s in education. When I graduated, there was a shortage of teaching jobs, so I worked as a secretary for many years and got “comfortable”. It was not my dream job. Now I work as a library clerk. Poor pay, bad hours. Can’t see myself staying in my current situation forever…I’d love to do something more creative.
If you look below, you’ll see I’m a librarian. Other than the pay, do you like working in libraries? Because it WOULD be worth your time and money to get your MLIS. The jobs are much more numerous and you command at least 50% more in salary than a clerk. Even the professional (read: MLIS) substitutes and part-time librarians in my system get more than $20/hour for part time work.
As for the hours, I do have to work 1 night a week and 1 out of every 3 weekends, but I generally work less than 40 hours/week with fulltime benefits. Can’t beat that with a stick!
I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. I personally feel like my degree is somewhat worthless. I’m in a position that I’m over qualified for. I wish I could make a career change, but I don’t even know what I want to do.
I’m sorry Katy, but I have THE best job. I’m a librarian. 🙂 After a brief and disastrous attempt at law school, I went back to my first love – libraries. Most people think I do one of 2 things:
1. Read all day. (I WISH! That would, in fact, be the best job ever.)
or
2. Bite my nails with worry over the internet and e-books. (Not true. Librarians lurve ebooks and the interwebs. Make our lives so much easier!)
With librarianship, you can work in a public library (like me!), an academic library, a medical library, a corporate library, or you can not work in a library at all! You can work with children, teens, adults, nobody, whomever you want! We have mad research skillz, so that makes us very valuable in just about any sector of the information industry. We can also organize information in ways that would make Britannica weep with envy. And no, I do not shush people ever. Wish I could. But I don’t. 🙂
Joanna,
Hi there! Along with nursing, librarianship is a field I have given some serious thought to pursuing as an early/mid-30s career changer. I keep reading and hearing of all these horror stories of recent MLIS grads not being able to find work, however, and it makes me extremely nervous about pursuing this field. Would you be kind enough to share any thoughts you might have about this with us/me? Thank you!
Here’s my $.02. I have heard of some of my classmates not being able to find jobs. But those were also the classmates that did not do significant volunteer work in a library or work in a library while in school. Honestly, you will have a hard time finding a job if you don’t already have an “in” at a library of interest. So, if you want to explore libraries, start volunteering or get a job as a shelver or a clerk. Most libraries hire from within for higher level professional jobs, so getting your foot in the door is very important.
I have been with my current system for almost 4 years. I started as a substitute, then worked as a Children’s Room Library Assistant, and then finally landed a librarian position last autumn. While I was in the Children’s Room, I went to school full-time for my MLIS. It was intense, working full-time and going to school full-time, but I would not recommend quitting a library job to go to library school. Also, library school can mostly be completed online nowadays. I would recommend going through a state school, not a completely online school, so you get the benefit of an established program. I got my MLIS from the University of South Carolina.
So basically, if you want to work in libraries, start working in libraries before you get the degree!
My mama actually did a mid-40’s nursing degree while I was in high school. She would recommend nursing as a great degree to have! I am a bloog-fainter, so it was not a career path for me. 😉
*blood-fainter. Although, if there were a bodily fluid known as “bloog,” it would probably make me faint as well.
Hah! “bloog” really should be a word! And thank you very much for sharing your librarian wisdom with me. Our town’s public library does have a robust volunteer program, I believe, and I will investigate that.
I have a BS in Chemical Engineering, and am almost done with my MS in the same field. I work in the Nuclear Industry, and while it’s not what I thought I would be doing when I first graduated college, I have to say, I really like my job. I had initially started out working towards my PhD because I wanted to be a college professor. Well, that dream changed and I switched to the Masters program, then got a full time job. I now work for a company that designs and builds radioactive waste treatment systems, and I am actually getting the chance to go to Japan to help with the cleanup of the nuclear plants that were damaged from the earthquake and tsunamis last year. I love knowing I get to be part of something so important and essential to helping Japan recover from this crisis. Plus, I get an all expense paid trip to Japan for 6 weeks! 🙂
Yay for another woman in nuclear!
I have a MS in Radiation Protection (sometimes called Health Physics), and while it sounds like it might be a very limiting degree, it actually offers a lot of variety. With my degree, I can work at a nuclear power plant, hospital, university or other research institution, or pharmaceutical company. I make sure that the way we use nuclear technology is safe to workers nad the public…and that’s really rewarding for me.
(PS, super jealous of your Japan trip/experience Jennifer)
Wahoo! It’s rare to find women in our industry 🙂
Since we get to leave two comments, I want to add that my husband is currently working towards his BS in Criminal Justice (he is a USMC veteran.) Once he is done with school, his plan is to work his way towards a job in the DEA. Eventually, our plan is for him to work full-time so that I can move towards being a stay at home mom. We don’t have kids yet, and it will probably be a few more years, but it’s always been my dream to be able to stay home with my kids. Most people think it’s silly that I went to school and got two degrees just so I could eventually stay home. I have a love for learning though, and to me, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I have a BA in Geography which did not lead me down any particular career path, but fed my lifelong love of travel. For many years I was a software trainer traveling the country. Now I work for a company in the Social Media sector,which I also love because it is filled with young people and new ideas.
I am a working at home mom and love it so far. I get to watch a few kids and sill stay home with my youngest, 3, and get to take/pick up my older daughter,6, from school. Pre-kids I worked at a big cruise company and liked it well enough, and got a free cruise out of it. Then wanting to be able to spend more time with my then 2yo, and still needing an income, was able to start working at the center she attended, stayed there until I had my second. Which was wonderful since I always wanted to be with my kids when young, but we didn’t have income to survive on one alone. So now opportunity came to open my own in our new house, and haven’t looked back!
For 10 years I worked in retail banking management. My degree was in communications and my strenghts lie in small group facilitation and public speaking. I enjoyed working with people, but found the sell, sell, sell aspect of retail banking to be against my personal financial beliefs. There were days when I felt I had actually helped people, but these were few and far between. This was back in the day when we would offer “consolidation” loans taking your credit card debt and getting you a home equity loan to pay them off. I initiated and closed more of these than I am proud of and, to this day, I wonder how many of those people actually changed their behaviors and how many went back into credit card debt in additon to their home equity loan. I also wonder how the economic downturn impacted them. Needless to say I did not love my job. I did like that I could do it part time for a few years and I loved that when my husband got a promotion that required a move there was not the option of still working for that organization. My children were young and I had the opportunity to stay at home with them for a few years. I am now in a difficult spot in that my children are in school all day, my husband and family are used to my being available, but I long for the challange of a career. I just wish I knew what that dream career is. I am currently substitute teaching, which I enjoy, but teaching is a difficult carreer path in our state right now. I had actually mentioned nursing to my husband a few weeks ago…perhaps it’s time to take my questions and turn them into a few answers…
I’m medium about my job (I think I also called myself a medium frugalista on your blog). Most days it’s interesting and fine, some days I really just want to be DONE.
I work for an insurance company on auto products. 🙂
I initially thought you wrote that you were a medium for your job. And I thought that was SO COOL. But auto insurance is…uh…almost as exciting?
Another comment for you about my prior career (a year long one only). I have a BS in Math, and I taught high school math in an inner-city private school in Chicago for a year. Never again. It’s such a treat to be able to go to the bathroom whenever I want now..
I have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Not only is this a highly marketable degree, but GA Tech also commands a lot of respect here in the Southeast, so I’ve been incredibly blessed to have jobs land in my lap. And since software engineering jobs pay well, I’ve been able to take a part time remote position in order to be at home with my young daughter. By no means is being a work-at-home-mom the easiest route (it could be the hardest!) but I wouldn’t trade it for the world right now.
Count me as one of those that love their job. I got my bachelor’s in Medical Technology and, like nursing, it’s a well paying job, with great benefits. It’s also one where there are usually more jobs than graduates, so finding a job is not difficult. I work in the blood bank of a large university hospital. With a level one trauma center and a large transplant program we stay pretty busy. But like you, I don’t have to bring work home. We also do lots of bone marrow transplants, which requires the blood bank to be directly involved with all the testing and support. So I really like the charity you chose. I love knowing that the job I do has a direct impact on people’s lives…even if they don’t know it because we work behind the scenes.
Katy,
I’m in my early/mid 30s and have contemplated a career change. I have considered nursing (and librarianship—I know, two pretty different arenas!), but worry I am too introverted (not shy, just tend to recharge by spending time alone) to be successful and happy in nursing. Do you know any successful and content introverted nurses? Any thoughts on this subject? I think nursing is a very admirable, valuable vocation.
Thank you!
One of my best friends overcame shyness by becoming a nurse.
Katy
Once shy nurses realize their patients’ lives can depend on learning assertiveness, they overcome shyness :). (I did!)
Thank you, Katy and Marcey! Point taken that knowing a situation is truly life-or-death makes speaking up non-optional ;). That being said, do you think “quiet” people are easily drained/burnt out by a people-intensive job?
Hi Wit, I have not been in the exact situation you are describing (introvert in nursing), but from my experience as an introvert, I think introverted people are wise to be careful about their choice of activities, including jobs, because getting drained or burned out is a real possibility. There is a difference, IMO, between shy and introverted. I see shy as wanting to interact but finding it difficult to do so due to self-consciousness or other factors, whereas an introvert can be quite good at interacting but still find it draining. Maybe it would be possible for you to volunteer as a patient visitor or reader, or as an activity helper in a nursing home (similar needs to a hospital, actually) to see if this recharges or drains you. Good luck with your decision.
Jo makes a great point – if you find interactions with others unpleasant, that’s one thing – if you just take a while to get out of your shell, that’s another entirely :). I find I rarely need quiet time (believe I am/was basically a shy person), while hubby is truly an introvert forced to be interactive in his work, and he desperately needs disconnection time. It’s on the list of reasons we don’t have a cell phone and we wander around on hikes just the two of us in the great wide open of the west on our vacations.
Econ major here. Not sure my degree makes a big difference in my career. I work in insurance claims and get a great deal of satisfaction of helping people navigate through some challenging times.
I’m fortunate to have fallen into a career during (and now after) school that puts my math degree to pretty good use as a research scientist. I also get a lot of opportunities for writing, formatting, and presenting, which I love but are technically unrelated to my training. Someday I may change fields entirely and make the biology degree work for me too!
My career as a professional orchestral musician hit a few bumps, resulting in my abandoning it completely. I do not regret it:
http://adventuresinthriftland.blogspot.com/2011/11/swimming-in-satisfaction.html
I am a nurse (second degree) and at times my only regret was not doing this the first time – then I remember that a more mature me was a better fit for this career and life. I hope everyone finds a job as satisfying.
Marcey, as a career changer, what type of nursing certification/degree did you pursue? LVN, Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s? Just curious! Thanks :).
I got a bachelors because that was what was available to me at the school I was near – in hindsight I wouldn’t have it any other way – it has more mobility for non-floor jobs. I would not recommend LVN/LPN not because I disrespect that role in any way, but because it pays significantly less and has fewer employment options. Good luck!
Katy, it must be a bit challenging to be as excited as all the new mothers want you to be at the birth of their child for all these years. How do you deal with the emotions of a delivery where the baby or mother do not end up healthy?
I did 3 1/2 yrs of college for OT and realized it was not for me. Got a BA in Communications, worked in radio for 10 years and got laid off. My DH and i started our own business and now run a dog hotel on our 7 acres of land in MA. Gone are the days where you work 40 years at one place. Life is an adventure!
I’m not sure what I want to do when I go back to work, but I’m going to have my second baby any day now. I just had to say “Yay” for good labor and delivery nurses. You make a profound difference in women’s lives and health. When my son was born, there were some complications, and I had several great L&D nurses–I’ll always remember them fondly.
Reading all of the responses to this post has been so enjoyable! What a wonderful opportunity to get a sneak peek into what other people do 🙂 My career path as been quite storied like many other Gen X’ers who’ve found out as a comment from Marianne as stated that gone are the days of working at one place for your entire career.
I received a BS in Communications from Portland State University in 98′ and had worked at the now defunct Meier & Frank Department Stores all through college and ended up in their executive training program. I worked for other big players in the apparel industry Portland is so famous for and enjoyed it. However, after moving to a rural county in Oregon (long story) with little employment opportunities, I was able to use my degree to work for other agencies like schools and DHS. I’ve now found my niche and couldn’t be happier. I took those career experiences from my years in buying / purchasing / inventory control and started my own business doing what I love most…Playing with sparkly beads. So, I run a small supply shop on Etsy that I opened last fall. I work from home now and find life to be in a more balanced state than before, as I have small kids and enjoy gardening and producing as much of our food as possible. The best thing my degree gave me was to think critically and be a problem solver. Those skills have come in handy through the years 🙂
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English; despite what anyone may have heard, it does qualify me for much more than asking you if you want fries with your order.
I never would have suggested that! My father is an English professor, so I know the full value of your degree!
Katy
P.S. I had a minor in English.
Oy….I am a therapist and honestly while I LOVE what I do I wish someone had said “hey before you spend $40,000 a year for 6 yrs look at what people are going to hire you for first…”. I basically can’t afford to work for anyone else besides myself and sadly in Portland the competition for private practice is FIERCE. I thought that if I followed my passion and talents that it would pay off yet after putting hundreds of thousands of dollars into my education to only find jobs that pay under $16 an hour it is painful. I did pay as much as I could by cash, went to community college but with the fierce competition to get into grad school (500 applied to my school and they only admitted 40) you just take whatever school accepts you and you are thankful…even if the price tag is painful. To top it all (hello pity train for one..) I am now having to pay thousands to get my license so maybe one day I can get a job for at least $18 an hour…..seriously. I wish I could have a do over. I could do similar things for a lot less cash out of pocket and a lot more cash being paid to me. Though it could be worse I could be stuck in a job that I hate and thankfully I do love what I do.
I have two degrees in education, taught for 6 years, and now work at a university. My training and experiences allowed me to change careers and pursue different avenues — I’ve worked in museum education, teacher training, and now I’m a news writer. In my experience, my master’s degree didn’t prepare me for the job it purported to, but having it has given me a higher salary and more opportunities at the university level. I’m happy to be paid to write, which was always my dream . . . but now I want to be a farmer who also writes/blogs. Go figure. 😉
I got an AA years ago as a legal secretary, wanting to be able to support myself consistently. I have Always found work! Married a Navy guy, and even when stationed away from our home, I found jobs. I was able to find part-time work when my kids were small, working around their school schedule, and having that extra income made our lives so much easier and less stressful. Plus the work is always interesting! No regrets!
Chris, before my BSN, I actually got an AS as a medical secretary. Like you, there was plenty of work and it actually helped when I went back for my BSN. Plus I had a job as a transcriptionist in a hospital which helped pay for some of my BSN.
I joined the military and became a Medic. I’ve worked Labor & Delivery (my favorite), family practice and as an instructor to train all new medics. Being a medic was a rewarding career. I am now living in Ecuador where I can volunteer and still use some of my skills since it isn’t regulated as much here as it is in the states. We are running a cafe here and meeting new people everyday is a great experience.
My career path is VERY specialized. There’s a grand total of ONE graduate school I can go to lol. I’m still deciding if I want to be that specialized in my field (animal behavior/personality), but I’m looking for other alternatives. Unfortunately, a Bachelor’s does nothing for my field (Psychology & Ecology/Evolutionary Biology). Onward I must go (you know when my unplanned kids get old enough, so I can handle being a Ph.D student and TA).
Kudos to you being a nurse! A CNM would have been amazing too (had a midwife for our 2nd…best decision I ever made!)
I think your nursing degree was a very smart choice!
I have BA in Sociology and a M.Ed . I have taught children of all ages from Pre- School to Middle School. In 1983, I took classes to become certified to teach gifted students and that was my dream job. I had the same kiddos all through their elementary school years and really became more of a second Mom than a teacher. After Hurricane Katrina, I lost my job and reinvented myself as a test scorer of teacher certification essays. Now in my encore life, I also make and sell my handcrafts and hope to return to our local community college one day to study studio art. Life is full of surprises.
What a neat post, and a great charity choice.
I made some really big mistakes in my early twenties, one of which was dropping out of college. I think my biggest problem has always been – I have no clue what career path I am interested in enough to dedicate years of my life to getting a college degree for it. I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but one year in school was enough to help me realize that would have been a poor choice for my personality. I don’t know what the answer would have been- what might have helped me make better choices. Maybe a little less pressure to jump straight into college, or maybe the encouragement to look outside of the box for a career. At any rate, I’ve done ok. I have worked as a travel agent, which gained me some wonderful travel experiences, I went on to working as the office manager for a small computer services company in the early 90’s which gained me invaluable computer experience, from there I moved into admin work and parlayed that into a short stint as an event planner before the economy tanked. But I got to take my mom along as a guest to an event I planned in Cancun at the Ritz Carlton, and that was just the experience of a lifetime. And being able to treat my mom to something that special was a fantastic feeling. Now I’m doing accounting work at a friend’s company, and while it’s not very interesting work, there are lots of perks such as working with my best friend in a very laid back environment.
Who knows what will be next? 🙂
And Katy, I can see that you would be a terrific nurse.
Interestingly enough, I have three degrees, none of which I am using right now. I have a bachelor’s in history with secondary education (’93) (and a minor in theology), a master’s in library science (’95), and a master’s in education (’10). I had a well-paying and well-loved career back in the 90s as a librarian in a medium sized public library system. Chucked the $$, the bennies, and the six weeks off a year for stay-at-home motherhood. However, life with two toddlers (at that point, one kid was ADHD and one was Autistic — no longer, but that’s a story for another day) was a bit much, so I became a Starbucks barista, working opposite my husband. Then back to libraries (part-time) and then, in order to maximize my time with my school aged kids, I became a teacher’s assistant at their school. Finally planning to return to a career next year as a school librarian — back to my professional love in a position that best supports my personal love, being around for my kids.
Rather a meandering path but there isn’t much I would change … I loved being a teacher, I loved being a librarian and next year it looks like I’ll get to do both and still spend the summers with my kids while they still are willing to hang out with me. 🙂
–erin
PS: Katy, you still can become a CNM at some point … you’d be great. Both my kids were ushered into this world by wonderful CNMs and I definitely wouldn’t change a thing about that!
Having just graduated college last May with a degree in Theater, it’s going to be a while before I start earning money in that chosen vocation. Especially since it’s a relatively low priority for me at this point of my life. I got married shortly after graduating and got in touch with a few temp agencies in Chicago to try to get a good job pretty quickly. I trusted that they knew where to look far better than I did! It worked out great, and I started working where I work (an office downtown) in August. I was temp-to-hire and the hired me on full time in November. I love my job because the people are great, it challenges me to innovate and improve myself and the work I do, I get to leave it at the office and not have to bring it home with me, and it pays the rent. 🙂
I am still in graduate school, but so far, the majority of my days are filled with interesting ideas and opportunities. I wish I had about 30 hours a day to be able to do all of the things I love (work AND school), so I end up getting stressed out a bit more than I’d like to.
And to get my second comment in, I’m so happy to see your chosen charity! I’m running the North Shore Half Marathon in June for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society with Team in Training! 😀
Also, I think that the “happiness” I derive from my “job” (grad student/TA), comes from knowing that I chose the right school for me. It’s very reassuring and fulfilling when I think about why I’m here and with whom I get to work.
Nursing is an awesome profession with so many career possibilities
and the opportunity to make such a huge difference in other’s lives at such critical times. Kudos to you Katy, and nurses everywhere!
I am currently retired and have my dream job of being a grandmother, reading, and crocheting to my heart’s content!
Several different careers before that included airline reservations for 8 years, a stay at home mom and community volunteer 15 years, then a return to obtain a BA in psychology and an MSW to complete my working career as a medical social worker for 8 yrs in different areas, my favorite area was working on a mother/baby unit. All of my careers were interesting and the right ones for me at the given time in my life.
Being a nurse if very admirable, certainly stressful, but I’m sure very rewarding. I’d never want to have peoples’ lives in my hands, so I’ve
always shied away from anything in the medical field. I could never
live with myself if I’d made a critical mistake.
I’d always wanted to be a florist, but you work every holiday and week-
end. Wanted to be a landscaper, but my back was bad. Wanted to be
a forest ranger, but did not want to leave my boyfriend behind in the big
city without me. Never wanted to be stuck working inside an office,
but, that is exactly were I’d spent the last 25 years of my life. Now, I’m
a late-in-life stay at home mom of a 10 yr. old boy, and would not trade
for all the coffee breaks in the world.
This is so much fun to read about everyone’s career paths! I only wish *everyone* loved their jobs as much as you do, Katy.
I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I had planned to go into manufacturing. I still love manufacturing — the actual production of a tangible product. But, there’s not a heck of a lot of manufacturing in my area (understatement!). So I have a job in technology communications for a financial services firm. And you know what? I love it. I’m always learning something new, and it’s my job to understand the new thingie and figure out who needs to know and how to explain it to them. It’s pretty cool
I didn’t choose my profession, it just evolved (kind of like Maureen, the first response post). I work for a large corporation in their supply chain organization, just hit my 34 yr anniversary. I work from home, have good benefits, company paid pension, 5 weeks vacation a year plus personal days/holidays. I didn’t go to college out of high school (my father didn’t think his daughters needed to be further educated). I worked as a secretary, and did attempt community college in the evening but had to pay my own tuition and had to pay mileage to borrow my Dad’s car on the days I had to go from work to school (took public transport on work-only days), so you can imagine how long that lasted! In the long run, I graduated at age 46 summa cum laude with BS in Business Administration through my company’s tuition refund program (this took ages since I did it part time while having a family — on again, off again student). I am looking forward to retirement to actually do what I want — which I am still figuring out, but will be a little bit of this and a little bit of that!! Whatever spirit moves me!
I have to add that I have had some fabulous business trips over the years… four 2-week trips to Australia, two 2-week trips to China and Hong Kong, trips to Scotland, Mexico, Canada and different cities across the US.
I have a BFA (Hons.) in Theatre Production and Design. I didn’t actually need the degree to work in theatre but it was nice having it anyway. I love working in theatre (actually opera and dance most of the time). BUT! I stopped working when my first was born in 2007. Being self employed, if you don’t hustle you don’t work. So I lost most of my contacts. And then my husband lost his job last year and I couldn’t go back to work to bring in some money. That really really sucked.
So the moral is: pick something with longevity, and something that will let you go back easily.
I work as a freelance union assistant director in film & television. I’m commenting for the Leukemia Society!
I am absolutely happy with my education/career choice. I have a masters degree in counseling and I work with veterans who have PTSD. I work in community-based mental health (nonprofit), so the pay isn’t glamorous, but the benefits and flexibility are excellent! Much like a nursing degree, a counseling degree affords me to do a variety of jobs – case management, therapy, working for insurance companies, working in research, academia, etc…
Mental health counselor and I LOVE it. Couldn’t be happier.
Also happy to contribute to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We lost my mom to leukemia almost 8 years ago. She had excellent care and one of the nurses was particularly helpful to our family during that last day, but she ultimately wasn’t able to beat it.
Thank you for sharing your story, Katy.
I’m a freelance writer and editor. For the last 14 years, I’ve worked from home and enjoyed lots of great writing assignments. I love the flexibility and the chance I have to make my own schedule to fit the needs of the family. This summer, for example, my family and I are heading to Costa Rica for a month.
My husband is a teacher, and my original career idea was to be a teacher, too. After applying and getting accepted into a teaching program, I did a week in the classroom–and didn’t love it. I saw that the job was too demanding not to love it. I have a degree in Communications Studies from UCSB and always enjoyed writing, so that summer I decided I should become a writer and editor.
It’s been a wonderful career.
I’m an architect and like it well enough. It keeps my brain working and my creative side alive, most days. I do like the feeling that I’m improving the world around me. It’s a career that can go in many directions and I like that too. I think it suits my personality really well.
Currently 24 weeks pregnant with my first, I can only hope to have nurses as thoughtful and dedicated as you! Hope you get a lot of comments/donations through this post.
So glad that you enjoy your work! My mom just retired as an RN after more than 40 years in the field. She worked mainly in oncology, and had some pretty rough days, though she always felt the best part of nursing was being there for her patients and their families. Yay for nurses! Currently I’m mostly loving my full-time job as a CEO/CFO of small domestic non-profit. OK, I’m a stay-at-home mom, but you get the idea. 😉
I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up–btw, I’ll be 34 on the 17th! Anyhow, I have a BA in Psychology and a BA in Religion and Philosophy (I minored in Peace Studies). I’ve done tons of retail/grocery store work and supervision, I’ve been a youth minister, and I’ve worked in social work as a Case Manager at a Mental Health agency, in the Help Me Grow program (as a service coordinator), and as a WIC clerk. I loved working with my social work clients, but most of my bosses (and some co-workers) were a nightmare! I will never work for pay for a church again–volunteer, yes–be a paid employee, no. I actually have liked retail work the best, b/c I didn’t “take the job home” with me as much. Right now I am a stay-at-home mom to our dog and 10 cats, and I volunteer regularily at a local no-kill animal shelter and help with adoptions, too. I do a lot of crafts, jewelry making especially, and am always looking for cheap things to make and sell to benefit the shelter. I hope that I never have to work outside the home again! I have clinical depression, severe allergies, and the onset of fibromyalgia from the stress of my previous jobs–all things that are hard for me to deal with and work full-time. Also, I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), and can’t have kids (but wanted them), and it was very painful, while working in social work, seeing kids whose parents didn’t cherish them. Anyhow, right now I’m very happy here at home! I’m the type of person that if there were such a thing as a professional hermit, I would have a PhD in it!
I’ll join you in getting that professional hermit degree!
I actually love my job (I work in book publishing!) but I wish I had chosen a career that had some of the features of yours. Things like:
1. being able to leave work AT work. Since I basically read for work, the time I had to read for pleasure has been severely diminished – and every book I read kind of makes me feel like I’m working.
2. transferrable skills. There aren’t many places in the US where I can do what I do – some would say you can’t do it anywhere but NYC! I beg to differ, but I really don’t have as many options as someone with a more generalized career.
3. changing industry. Publishing is going through some major upheavals right now, and the industry as we know it will not exist in its current form in ten years – maybe even five years. There won’t be as many jobs, and that’ll make it harder to find new ones.
All that said, I basically get paid to read books and talk about them all day long, and that is, frankly, AWESOME. I’ve been really lucky and I like what I do all day, but the future is a little hard to see.
Hmmm, well it’s a job :}
I have a bachelors in business and work in an office envirorment. Not my ideal, but the pay is good and my schedule is pretty flexible.
My youngest niece is an LPN and will become an RN in May. After that she intends to continue her education. Eventually she wants to work in an ER setting or as a hospice worker. Nurses rock!
BTW, my husband (who is great about me staying at home) has a BA in Criminal Justice and a Masters in Public Administration. The economy has been rough on his jobs, though, and today was his first day at Walmart as a grocery stocker, part-time, after being unemployed for almost 6 months–this time around. He’s applied for over 1000 jobs, but hasn’t had much luck, with all of the competion out there. He’ll be making less than he was with unemployment and using more gas to get to work, but at least it is a job! He’s unfortuneate to have only 2 years of supervisory experience (most places want a minimum of 3 years), but has his Masters, so he’s either underqualified or overqualified for a lot of jobs. Right now, he’s just a bit overqualified! Hopefully, he can find a job that pays decently and has health insurance and benefits in the very near future!
I know exactly what you mean Katy! You can totally be consumed with your patient and their family during your shift…but then they deliver and recover or your shift ends and you go home without bringing them with you (most of the time!) If i think back over the years of being with women during thier deliveries, I feel so lucky to have been apart of them. And it’s funny how many family videos and pictures we are in, have you ever thought about that?
I am also SO happy to be a nurse. I am in graduate school to become and NP, but when I originally entered grad school I went in to become a certified nurse midwife ….i soon realized as much as I LOVE delivering babies, I love a normal schedule more 😉
I have been teaching English to adult immigrants and refugees for almost twenty years, and I love it now even more than I did when I first started at 23. (I got my Master’s from PSU.) The students are amazing, interesting people, and the challenges they face and overcome are an inspiration. I feel so lucky to have a career I still find this fulfilling. The only problem is, as my colleagues and I have discussed, I can’t imagine ever retiring! I think I’ll be 95 years old and up in front of my class and just turn to dust.
I have a B.A. in English lit. Basically that means that with my degree and exact fare I can get on any city bus anywhere! At 65 I still can’t figure out what I should have done except maybe be a UPS delivery person. Everybody is always glad to see them.
I have a B.A. + M.A. in French literature and now work as a technical translator (French –> English) with a company in south-west France. Originally my plan was to be a French teacher in the US, but when I married a Frenchman… that plan had to change! I’ve taught French, English and reading and so far have found a fair amount of work options from degrees that generated lots of “what on earth are you going to do with that?” type comments! Loved this post, and I have so much respect for nurses and the work you do!
I wasn’t, so I quit. Now I’m a full time Mommy, housekeeper, wife….
I got my BS in Bio in 2005. I have spent the interim as a pharm tech, a nutrition tech, a sewing instructor, a receptionist at a vet clinic and most recently a vet tech. When I realized that I wanted to continue working with blood and guts and helping people, but being able to do it part time and still make a living, I decided to apply to an accelerated RN program. I start in May.
On a side note, I originally wanted to be a zoologist or a botanist but found the fields to not be flexible enough for me. I want to live wherever I want and have a regular though nontraditional schedule (I love having weekdays off). I think as we grow and change our aspirations do to. 🙂
Forgot to mention: my good-for-nuthin’ brother (I hope you can hear the warmth and love in my humor) recently left his job to become a high school math teacher. He’s so much happier, and I think he’s probably a great teacher, too. I do love that kid.
I’m just at the beginning of my career path, so who knows where it will take me! 🙂 but I do love what I studied… I just finished my MS in geology after getting a BS in the same. I am currently working in the oil and gas industry and I REALLY enjoy the work I do every day, but I don’t see myself staying in it forever for two big reasons: I’m kind of a dirty hippie and therefore feel a little guilty working in an industry that is so heavily implicated in environmental degradation and global warming, and also, jobs in this industry are focused in parts of the country I don’t really want to settle down in – I’m from the north and I’d rather live there or at least somewhere fairly similar in culture and climate (As you might guess, geology jobs are pretty place-dependent, which is neat in that you get to travel to cool places for school or work, but not-neat in that you are at least somewhat geographically limited in where you can get a job!)
Oh boo! I don’t know why it shows my picture while I’m trying to be anonymous, haha.
Hmmm… well, my life has pretty much been a story of having an “anti-career”. I ran a folk music school for 16 years and now I do graphic design and photography. I have to say I’ve always been very VERY happy that I chose not to pursue advanced degrees and all of the debt that comes with it. My “career” such as it is has always been very self made, and I value that freedom more than anything.
I’m frustrated with my degree. I got a masters in library and information science, and went into school just before jobs went down the toilet. As a result, I’m not working in my field, and I have mounds of student loans. I’m frustrated because society told me I need a masters to do what I want, and I still can’t do what I want. I know I’ll never regret my education, and I’m happy to say I have a masters, but I’m still frustrated sometimes.
I’m in the exact same position as you are, Megg. The economy tanked in the middle of my MLS program, and now almost 3 years after graduation I still haven’t found a job in the field.
I’m lucky enough to be able to make money doing what I’m passionate about: teaching. I got my BA in elementary education and then 4 years later earned a MA in Education. At age 28, I’ve still got decades to go in my career, but there’s so many options, ways to grow professionally, and different types of jobs to explore. I’m glad my mom encouraged me to pursue a teaching degree rather than a degree in history (which I love, but my momma knew this girl would need to pay the bills, and we all know an undergraduate degree in history wasn’t going to do that).
My daughter just asked me the other day what my college degree was in, and when I told her I didn’t have one, her look of incredulity really struck me. I make the excuse that the only thing that would truly make me happy would be a degree in English Literature, and funny enough, Lynn commented above that making money with such a degree is rare. I just love books, and hope some day to be able to get that degree and just be happy to have it, with my daughter’s look of pride as well.
I am glad I have my education. Using it, though, became a problem when my eyesight became so bad I had to give up driving.
One more dollar toward yur donation.
My BS is in Chemistry, but after meeting and marrying my Soldier husband I quickly figured out that it was not a degree that travels well. After moving to our most recent duty station, I was introduced to a program that allows me to go from bachelors (in anything other than nursing) to a master’s in nursing (RN + CNL) in 16 months. It’s incredibly accelerated and stressful, and I should really be studying or doing clinical paperwork instead of reading your blog, but I look forward to being finished in December and finally being able to get a job no matter where we move!
When I was a kid in the 70s, two of my friends had moms who were RNs and worked as private duty nurses. They belonged to a registry and worked when they wanted to. One was a widow and the other was married. They both made really solid incomes and had great flexibility.
I am a high school visual arts teacher in a high poverty rural area. I use my frugal ways to scour craigslist, freecycle, thrift stores, and more to bring in supplies for my classroom where there is no allotted budget and no way to gain significant funds through fundraising.
I have kids who have all but dropped out of school tell me they came today because they are excited about working on their project. I gave up my planning period to provide an Art IV class to a group of seniors trying to get portfolios together so they can apply to art school. Each of them will now be the first in their family to attend college, all of them have partial to full scholarships which help make that possible.
I went to an in state public university since I had to pay my way and I knew that in order to do what I want I was unlikely to ever be wealthy. I love the job my degree earned me, I love how it opened my perceptions to delve so deeply into art and psychology, I love how I appreciate and understand true craftsmanship because I know the amount of ability and planning that goes into making something.
So while I hated the institution of education while I was a student, and I still do. I love to teach. I love to teach art.
I have a degree in diversified arts in education (multipe subject) with an emphasis on cross cultural/ languages studies. I was an english major for about 2 weeks in college, but I wound up teaching 8th grade English for the past 11 years. I also teach AVID (college prep class for first generation college attendees). Despite the occassional tough day and under-researched political movement, I love my job. I get to teach what I want, how I want. Who else gets to obsess about Edgar Allan Poe, dress up in 1940s fashion (Anne Frank), reenact The Call of the Wild (with puppets), while preparing kids for high school?? Is the pay awesome or even appropriate? No, but honestly I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
When I was 15, I decided to get a PhD. Having children and a husband who highly disapproved of me getting an education, make it rough. He only let me know of his disapproval after we were married. He kept moving us everytime I enrolled. As a minister, he had a portable job. Finally, at age 48 and after a divorce, I received a BA in English, then worked on the MA in English while working on a Social and Behavioral Science degree (Women’s Studies).
Then, after taking all 30 hours for the MA, I dropped out from sheer exhaustion. A year later, I went back into the university with all the graduate level English courses and took the Education courses to get a MaEd. At the same time I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
My first job was teaching Adult Basic Education (GED). I loved it. After several debilitation injuries and problems with the fibromyalgia, I retired because I could. Mostly, it is the injuries that hold me back.
I did continue to teach, to work, to tutor. Someday, I hope to get the PhD in reading. At 65 this is a big dream, but I need it to complete me and to help me further help people who struggle for all the reason no one ever guesses.
Part of my joy when I went to school was knowing my dying mother had her dream too–that I go to school, something she could have done but said she was too foolish to pursue. She died three months after I graduated with the BA in English.
I am a “bean counter” (CPA) by training but have done corporate accounting for most of my career. I really wanted to be an art history major but my very practical, frugal father suggested I get a college degree in something ” that would pay the bills” – so I did. I always liked math and find that I have an aptitude for details and analysis. Am I happy with my career choice? Yes, although accounting is not my passion, it has been good for me. I am at the age where I hope to work about 4 more years, the retire to my “encore” career – something that will give me more flexibility and play to my strengths. I think that what I want to do next is something related to Seniors…….helping them stay independent and in their own home as long as possible, protecting them from predatory or unethical people and helping them declutter and transition in to more suitable housing (as a senior move specialist). That would use some of my skills and experience and make me feel as if I am truly helping a sometimes vulnerable population. I think I would enjoy that sort of challenge and I enjoy being resourceful. The only thing that worries me is the resistance to change that many of us feel as we age…..and how that would play out when I would need to encourage people to move forward and be realistic. That will be a challenge.
I got my degree in something fun but useless. Now, 10 years later, I’m seriously considering a degree in nursing. Thanks for the motivation!
Love my work. Left office drudgery for a career as an electrician. One of the best parts is the local IBEW paid for my schooling (900 hours) and paid me for the work (8000 hours) I did while I trained. No unpaid internship for me.
I am an RN with a BSN too and I second the thought that it might just be the best job in the world! I have been a nurse a long time and I don’t plan to retire anytime soon. 🙂
I own my own bookkeeping business. I love the people aspect of my job but could lose the long hours. I find it has completely taken over my life, which is kind of a drag. In college I remember calling my Mom & saying I would never do this line of work because it was so boring. Never say never!
Second comment to get that second dollar. Nice charity pick, Katy.
Thanks!
Katy
I received a BS in Business Management though the Univ. of Phoenix. I used their online courses, and certainly can’t fault the classes. They worked for me. However, the degree is just a piece of paper. It’s kept me employed, but I’m not really using it.
Have been tempted to get an MFA in Creative Writing. But for right now, just looking for what might become a passion.
I’m not sure “career path” and “chosen” are quite the right words but I am certainly happy with my employment. A little over a year ago I left a PhD program (and the academic career path) so I could work less and be at home with my daughter. Now I’m a full-time mom and a part-time publishing freelancer writing ancillary materials for textbooks.
Right now, I’m a full time stay-at-home mom and a part-time freelance writer/editor. My “dream job” was once to be an international business lawyer, but I have to tell you that I’m SO glad to not be doing that right now. My dreams have changed, but my education has allowed me to do things I love from home in my spare time (haha at “spare time”). I’m really happy with my career path at the moment, and I’m still young enough to expand it if/when the spirit moves me.
I have a BA in humanities/creative writing, and I actually got a job using this so-called “useless” degree. I really have two jobs: one for public high schools as a reader (reading and grading comps and papers for high school English teachers), and a freelance writing/editing job, including working on documentaries.
I’ve really enjoyed both of these jobs, although the money is somewhat limited. I have a flexible schedule, which was especially great when my kids were growing up. The only challenge is working from home, where I have to keep myself on track to get my work done amid all of the distractions.
I’ve been fairly successful in my career with a BS and an MA in Communications-oriented fields, but now in my mid-40s, I wished I knew then what I know now. I don’t *love* the work. It’s fine and I’m good at it. Wished I had a better understanding of all the options out there. I would have majored in something where I could hang out my own shingle. Have thought lots about returning to school, but can’t justify the cost. Don’t regret at all having gone to school.
I earned a BS in Math Education in 2000, which I put to work for the next 8 years, as a high school math teacher. During that time, I also earned a MS in Math Education (which my school paid for). Toward the end of those 8 years, I started an Associates Degree in Accounting – one class at a time; which I will finish up this semester. Since 2008, I’ve stayed home with my kids; at first 2 kids, now 3. Eventually, when the youngest is in school, I’ll seek employment. I’m not interested in returning to secondary education; but my knowledge of mathematics & my experiences as a teacher make me well qualified for a variety of things. Add to that my new degree in Accounting & I am a math powerhouse. I’m hoping to find a job with flexibility, to accommodate the needs of my 3 children. And I DO NOT want a job that requires bringing work home or finding a substitute and/or making plans for an absence — as Katy mentions in this post, teaching easily spills over into the rest of your life. This is one of many reasons why not just anyone can be a good teacher.
How amazing…I love when people are excited and passionate about what they do. This is fabulous to read because I have met people in the medical industry who seem burnt out and jaded and it changes the whole experience.
I am a pharmacist. I would have liked to have been a nurse, but I couldn’t stand the blood and other fluids. I haven’t worked as a pharmacist my entire career though. After getting a MBA, I went to Wall Street as a financial analyst in the pharmaceutical field. I believe that every woman should have bankable skills that can support her and two children, because it often ends up that way. Don’t waste your money on a degree that makes it difficult to get a job.
Any skills you can develop like writing, public speaking, computers, coaching, advertising will help in your career. Second comment for Katy’s charity. Ann
I have a degree in environmental science and biology and enjoyed many adventurous outdoor work opportunities, eventually transitioning to meaningful government administrative work in the same field. However I find as I get older that trying to reenter the workforce in this economy and same field, after a brief time at home with younger children, has been quite difficult. I am hoping for some flexibility or part time hours. I am doing volunteer grant writing to build up my portfolio and make a contribution to the community in this transition.
😀
I work in the non-profit sector doing HIV/AIDS prevention and education. It’s by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I love it!
Oh and for the record, I absolutely love what you are doing here. Thanks for your amazing advocacy. 🙂
I really admire what you are doing. My little brother is thirteen and has a brain tumor. I know how hard he struggles so it is a very sad thought to me that not only him but other children are struggling with serious issues. What you are doing is beautiful.
Dollla makes me hollla honey boobooo
I have lots of nurses in my family- it is wonderful to be able to call one for insight on most any medical problem!
I love that comments are providing donations! Kudos to you and your sponsor!
Nurses are noble people…my sister-in-law is a surgical nurse and two of my 30+year friends are nurses. I admire all of their – and your – compassion and sacrifice to help people in need. In fact, my own son was born “quickley” -and my OB-GYN was not there…there was NO OB-GYN there. Only my husband…an Endocrine Fellow…He told me to relax, that the labor and delivery nurses would do a fine job and he would not presume to say ANYTHING to them. We had a beautiful delivery (by the nurse) and remain ever grateful for our (now) 26 year old son. Thank you, Katy (and your sisters).
I have a Marketing degree, and I am a stay at home Mommy – my dream job! Before my babies were born I worked in banking and enjoyed it. Marketing is a very versatile degree, and it can be used in so many different settings.
Good luck with the fundraiser!
I have a bachelors in wildlife biology and a masters in aquatic science. I enjoyed earning these degrees. Had some great profs, classmates and some really fun labs. I was able to chase snakes, net fish, tour wildlife areas, spend hours in the field learning plant and animal names and characteristics. It has been a joy. Since I became mom that has been primary, but I also work part time in forestry and it has worked well. My job is uber flexible, my bosses let me work from home and make my own schedule and I still get some field time as well. I’ll never regret getting my degrees, they led me to my husband, many lifelong friends and helped open my eyes to the world.
ps, love your charity choice! My hubby is a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor!
After gaining a Bachelor in Fine Arts, I decided I didn’t want to wait tables for the rest of my life. I went to grad school and got a Master of Information Science degree which has allowed me to be a project manager, freelance web developer and for the last 12 years a digital media instructor at a community college. Teaching has totally changed my life. It is the best thing I have ever done, though, there is no leaving it at work. My students email me all day and night and all weekend, but I don’t mind. I am helping to change lives everyday.
I am also a labor and delivery nurse….I share your passion for your job! I remember my first clinical experience in l&d thinking “they’d pay me to do this? I’d do this for free!”. I’m wiser now…..I love my profession, but it is a tremendous responsibility. My chosen career has also allowed me to work part time, per diem and eventually take time off to be with my children. The nursing profession has been an incredible gift….I believe best for those who are truly “called” to do it. I have met many nurses who went into it because of the flexiblity and the belief that they can “always get a job”…it’s a great job, but not for the faint hearted. I love your choice of charity…I lost a dear uncle to leukemia when he was just 47.
I posted earlier that I have a BSN in nursing specializing in Labor and delivery. I’ve worked in other areas of maternal/child health including teaching childbirth classes and in outpatient clinics for families “at risk”. My dream is to pursue a Masters of Public Health degree specifically in maternal child health. I wonder if there is an online program for that?
I have an early childhood/ elementary teaching degree…I taught for 12 years and have been at home with my kids for the past 8 years. My baby will be going off to kindergarten this fall so I plan to re-enter the profession by substitute teaching. When I was at home I would sometimes fret that I might not be able to get back into teaching–then I would reminded myself that subs are always needed! I like that my hours and time off match my children’s schedule and that we will have the summers off together. I love working with children- but the “other” parts of teaching make it not as appealing some days. By “other” I mean testing requirements, always trying to reinvent the wheel and overly aggressive parents. Sure, substituting won’t pay like a contracted teacher, but at this season in my life it’s a good fit.
I started my career path in fashion design. That one didn’t last long, I was only 17. I then went for accounting, changed to Finance and then finally settled on Respiratory Therapy. I have worked just about every area a RT can except home care. I love what I do and am glad I am able to now work when I want to or can. I Love working with my patients, which range from birth to geriatrics.
I am quite happy with my career path.
Love the idea of a sponsored post donating to charity as well as your charity choice.
I’ve been an RN for 7 years after working as a legal secretary for 17 years. It was a BIG change and I really hated nursing school, but I have found I quite like being a nurse. I currently work in a Pediatric ICU in a Level I trauma center, but was a house float for several years working in all acute care areas (Med/Surg, Neuro, Trauma, MICU/SICU, OB, NBICU) except L&D, Psych and ER. I earn a lot more than I did as a secretary and I really enjoy my job — most days, anyway! I think the best thing about being a nurse is that there are opportunities to learn something I didn’t know, gain a new skill or just grow professionally in some way every day.
I wasn’t happy with the path I chose (teaching high school), but it took 13 years for it to sink in. Then I muddled about, then I went back to grad school thinking I would teach college. About halfway I realized that I would just be doing what I had grown to hate. WHAT WAS I THINKING?….in the midst of all that we are starting a dairy goat farm and even though I’m finishing my MA (which I define as “useless”), I think I’ve finally found my path….farmer!!
Wow, a bunch of teachers and nurses read your blog, Katy!
And I am leaving teaching in order to become a nurse myself. I taught high school english for a while. I discovered that as much as I love discussing literature and helping students uncover tools within themselves to escape negative cycles and overbearing poverty, I am not a skilled disciplanarian. I don’t enjoy cracking the whip, making threats, enforcing rules (especially arbitrary rules created by bureaucrats who do not step foot in the classroom). Sigh…
Anyways, I imagine a wonderful career as a nurse ahead of me! Maybe even L&D, like you, Katy. : )
Going back to school to finish my degree was the best decision I ever made. I have a BS in Management work as a project manager and I love it. I also was able to pay as I went so I have zero student loan debt.
I have a degree that I am not really using now and have been thinking about going back to school to pursue a nursing degree. L&D nurses make such a huge difference in a hospital birth. Hats off to you!
I’m an organic farmer and I cant think of a more satisfying job. Originally I got into it when I was living on an farm in Hawaii, but in the following years I transitioned into doing landscaping, gardening and rockwork/stone masonry. With no education at all I was able to make 20-25$/hour, setting my own hours and doing creative hands on work outdoors. During this phase I often made more money than many of my friends with college degrees, which isn’t saying much.
A few years ago I took the Linnaea Ecological Gardening Programme, which is a 8 month intensive course in small scale farming, otherwise know as market gardening. I already knew a lot about growing my own food, but this gave me the confidence and background knowledge I needed to make the switch to farming for a living. Now I run a small CSA, which is a program where customers commit to buying $20 of produce a week from the farm and I harvest a box for them with as much variety as possible. I think the CSA program is the best possible way for people to gain access to fresh, super local, sustainably grown produce and as a bonus its also the best way for people to connect with a farm and learn to eat whats local and in season.
You should consider working for the drug company. It isn’t as satisfying emotionally, but there is lots more $ in that job.
I was a homeschool mom and took care of my animals, kids, and husband. I am satisfied with the life God gave me. I do regret the way time flew so fast. My children are grown now, and I miss the busy days of reading books, helping with sewing projects, baking, and all the things that went with being a mother of young children. Now a days, I take care of my dogs and cook/clean for my husband. I also answer the phone for his business. I really miss being a Mommy though.
I’ve had many “careers” in my life but I’m very happy with my current two/three: writer/editor and mom (not necessarily in that order). Is that good for $1?
Love the fundraising aspect of this post. Here’s to another $1.
I’m really frustrated with my career (or lack thereof) right now. The economy tanked right in the middle of my master’s of library science program, and in the almost 3 years since I graduated I haven’t been able to find work in my field. I’m currently stuck in a retail job I’ve come to despise–how can a non-consumer try to sell things to people all day long? What I’d really love to do is move to the country and work towards self-sufficiency.
I never really figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I am envious of those who do!
I can submit one more comment so I thought I would post pros and cons of my current job, a veterinary technician.
Pros:
1. I actually don’t get to play with puppies all day, but at least part of every day!
2. Animal lovers are special people, and our #1 clients and all my coworkers are definitely animal people.
3. I get to use my biology degree. I do gram stains, blood smears, x-rays, titrations and more.
4. I get to help people when they’re making that final decision for their pets. My experience and kindness brings them peace.
5. It’s super awesomely disgusting a lot of the time.
Cons:
1. Pay. If I had kids, I would be paying more for childcare than I get paid. No vet techs I know could afford a house, major surgery or to save for retirement.
2. Hours. Most of the time you have to be pretty available for weekend work.
3. Kennel duties. There is nothing fun about cleaning up poo.
4. Lack of ability to “move up” in the field unless you want to eventually be an office manager.
5. Ethics/morals? This is a personal thing, of course. I adore animals. I get my pets vaccinated, spayed and neutered. But veterinarians are required to offer treatment options for all of your pets ailments. The thought of doing thousands of dollars of treatment- chemotherapy, blood transfusions, joint replacements, etc – on an animal has never set well with me. Also, the majority of your best clients paid high price for purebred dogs, another fuzzy ethical issue for me knowing there are so many shelter animals being euthanized out there everyday.
i applaud your charity choice. my father died of leukemia in 1970–when there was only experimental chemo.
i, too, am an rn–an almost accidental choice. when i unexpectedly became a single mom of 3 i took the first job with regular hours and medical i could find–typist/clerk. we were elegible for food stamps when i worked full time and did a little sewing on the side. and i took night course 2x week to develope skills my employer desired.
i discovered i could go to school in calif to be a psychiatric technician, a licensed job similar to many state’s vocational nurse postions. i got paid more to go to school that i did to be a typist. during the 18 mo i worked as a tech i did rn pre requisites. and then i jumped ship and did nursing school. i got several scholarships and a loan from the local medical assn. i finished my 2 year rn degree when i was 41 and spent the next four years doing med/surg and hospital oncology. for me it was quite rewarding, but physically brutal. of course i started too late to think i would be able to make a career of hospital nursing. during the 4 years, i kept nicking away at that bsn. i switched to working at a state mental hospital, as amazing as it seems, because it was less stressful. unfortunately, i was eventually injured by a patient and medicaled out of nursing. that said, i it was certainly worth the effort to get the degree. i needed to do service work that also allowed me to see my children when they were awake and pay the bills. teaching and nursing came to mind. i could get the nursing degree in stages and have a living wage sooner, so that is the path i took. teaching still appeals, but i am sad for all the teachers who spent 5 years or more in college, at great expense, whose jobs are at risk (or gone) in a contracting economy.
I have a Bachelors degree in Cytotechnology. This tends to be more of a big city job, so when we moved back to our small hometown several years ago, I gave up my job and am now a stay-at-home wife. Most of the time I love it, and my husband likes having me home too. I do miss the patient contact and working in a hospital setting, but my husband is a health care professional and I at least get to talk a bit of shop with him!
I found this post inspiring! I’m in k-8 education, but I’m no longer a classroom teacher, and I love my job. I have a B.A. in English, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it when I declared, but I was set on teaching by senior year. I was a teaching assistant my first year out of college, then got a head teaching job making $30k (in NYC). Based on choices I’ve made and risks I’ve taken, my salary had quadrupled in 12 years.
P.S. let’s help Katy reach 500 comments to max out her donation!
Yes, please!
Katy
I am a 37 year old who decided I want to be a nurse when I grow up! So good to hear that there are nurses out there that love there job.
Nice spelling, I meant their in my comment!
I couldn’t be a nurse as I dislike touching people and have a horror of bodily fluids. I have nothing but respect for stronger people than me who go into nursing!
Good luck with your fundraising! As a teacher, I can completely understand how a job can completely overtake your life. Finding a balance in teaching is always challenging.
$1 please. 😉
Good luck.
My mom has been battling lymphoma for the past year. Thank you for supporting this cause. Without the kindness and support shown by many of her nurses her journey would have been much more difficult.
And thank you for your lovely comment.
Katy
Another nurse here! Graduated in 1994 also. This job has allowed me to work full-time, part-time and take time off with our 4 kids. I now teach clinicals and love watching the young student nurses grow into young professionals….a perfect combination for me. Great career choice and so very glad it found me!
A BS in education has provided years of employment while moving frequently with my army husband. I’ve worked nine different schools in every grade from k-8, and as a publishing rep for the best Math program. I took seven years off to raise two. ( My husband took time off for their high school years!) Finally retired, I volunteer to teach middle school students to read.
My son in law does not have a degree- but works as an analyst in his field and makes way more than I ever made.
My daughter in law is in finance with a BS. It should be very portable in her dual role as an Army wife.
I am a health unit coordinator/cardiac monitor tech. 2 most important things nurses need to know when working on a hospital unit……1) where the crash cart is. 2) who their HUC is.
I really like your post and your charity. My seventeen year old son is a leukemia survivor. Every dollar makes a difference!
My mother was a nurse before she had us children then her health deteriorated to where she couldn’t work. I thought about that as a career, but turned to teaching instead. I’ve loved my job. I feel so blessed to get paid for doing something so fun! I’m reaching the end of my career now and look forward to more time with my kids and grandkids.
Katy, thanks for being such a caring person. Good nurses have touched our lives many times. May God bless you.
I have a B.S. in Sociology and my career thus far has been sort of market research/marketing themed, followed by a lay off, and most recently in retail management (God, I hate retail). Currently unemployed due to a lay off from said retail management gig. Bittersweet turn of events of course that are forcing me to pick a direction at the crossroads.
Also thinking about “going back to school” for nursing.
I wish I chose a different major in college. Funny because I wanted to major in Theatre, but my father would have none of it.
Yes, I am very happy. Most of my life is made up of moving from one project that really interests me to another. I get to work with really smart, ethical people and get paid enough that my family has a good life.
I run a consulting company, doing statistical analysis, writing customized software and evaluating grant-funded programs. Basically, if it touches a number, we do it.
I went the very traditional route – kindergarten through MBA in brick and mortar schools. Worked for a few years as an engineer and then back to the University of California for my Ph.D.
I found being on campus an unparalleled experience because of the professors and fellow students I got to know, as well as the research opportunities.
The wise choice I made early on was to never avoid any course because it was “too hard”. I thought if the material was difficult, I’d just study more.
Worked for me.
I read often but never comment. Giving a comment that equals a dollar to charity – too good to pass up.
I was a Psych Services major which I chose over traditional Psychology because it was the more clinical, hands-on side rather than the research side. Of course, I have yet to actually use this major in a paying job. After college I did 6 years in the Navy as a Supply Corps officer followed by the past 12 years as a SAHM. I did a year and a half as a pre-school aide before we moved last summer and I loved it. Those 4-5 years olds are my favorite age it turns out and this is a field I may pursue further in the future.
I have a BA in German language/history/literature. Not very practical, but extremely fun, and I lived and worked in Austria and Germany, which was amazing and did so much to help me be a better citizen of the world. Now I pass on as much as I can during my current position as homeschooling mom. When my child is grown up, then I will have to do some soul-searching as to what kind of job to do next. I love books, baking/cooking, and kids, so who knows…kids’ cooking school/bookstore? There ya go. And bless you for helping your charity.
I am a teacher and also hold a leadership position at my school. The positives are the kids, the relationships with families and colleagues. Negatives include never being done, oodles of grading on nights/weekends (which creates almost no separation between work and home life ).
I have considered switching careers and giving nursing a go. It’s still working with people and a way to give back positively to society, but it would have the perk of work staying at work. Downside would be emotional drain of working with sick people (I don’t think I could work in a pediatric icu, for sure.) but labor and delivery could be great!
Labor and delivery is also emotionally draining. Not everyone is having a healthy baby, and the responsibility to do everything right as a nurse can be overwhelming.
Katy
I am a stay-at-home momma right now and LOVE it 🙂 But in the fall I will be going back to school to get my nursing degree. I was a CNA for years before starting my family, but I always wanted to become a R.N. Our community college has a program that works in tandem with OHSU to get a B.S.N. in 4 years on the community campus. My family is full of nurses – my mom, aunt, great aunt, cousins, and my sister is in her last term of nursing school right now 🙂 At this point I see myself working in geriatrics, the area I worked in as a CNA and loved.
I’m a biological research scientist. After a BSc in Molecular and Cell Biology I did a research Masters in Microbiology. I’ve worked in vaccine development for a few years, and now am doing a full-time PhD in drug development. I am research-minded so probably wouldn’t want to do anything else, but most interesting work happens at the universities, which limits mobility, and jobs are contracts with most projects less than 3 years. Ultimately I would like a permanent lecturing position, so doing research and teaching (and fund-raising to get grants for the research). My previous jobs I could ‘leave at work’, but if I do become an academic (lots of competition!) I would always have work to take home what with course preparation and marking. I live in South Africa, but understand the challenges of biomedical research are the same worldwide.
I received a BA in Radio, TV, Film. Although I’m not currently using that degree (and haven’t for a LONG time), I’m happy doing what I’m doing — managing three offices. I learned that I like “running” things and making decisions. Did my degree open any special doors? No. Did it close any? Nope!
BTW, thank you for being a caring nurse. We sure need more of you!
I have two degrees (in Botany – now there is a serious lack of career planning!) and worked in biotech until becoming a mother. Now I am getting a BSN so that I can find more flexible work that does not require 50+ hours/week like science. Le sigh.
Good luck to your charity.
I’m very happy with my career. I went to college part 1 for three years, but didn’t finish my BS degree (Biology & Writing double major). A few years after we got married, hubby suggested I go to school to get my AAS in Veterinary Technology. I did and I LOVE my career/jobs. I’ve had two jobs as a vet tech since I graduated and I love them both (work one full-time from home and another part-time).