Something Awesome: Considering Careers

The other day, I was stressing thinking wondering about my (near!) future. I turned to Jonty & asked, "What am I going to be when I grow up?"
He replied, "Something awesome."

Being a philosophy major (and master, degree to be conferred in December) that has decided, for the moment, not to continue on to a PhD program, there is no straight answer as to what my next move is. While some people are under the impression that philosophy is next to worthless in the real world, barring law school, it actually is the opposite. Philosophy requires analysis, attention to detail, and knowledge of many subject areas (depending on your concentration - from environment to education to physics to mathematics to ancient history). Good writing skills, ability to work individually with little supervision, and interpersonal skills also help in a big way. These are broad and important skills that could apply to so many careers.

But I'm still searching for mine.

At the moment, I'm looking into teaching at the (junior) college level - preferably online, so I can be flexible if Jonty finds a job elsewhere. I've also checked out some Office/Admin/HR Assistant positions, since they could possibly allow me to understand the company's setup better and lead to entrance into a higher up position, but at minimum I will get paid while I search for other opportunities.

I've also been checking out positions with the UN & other international organizations, & so many require a master's in a related field (Is philosophy related? My bachelor's is also in government...), some really specific knowledge, or, like, 10 years' experience in, for example, international mediation in areas of conflict. Gah.

Having "so many" options, right now, is seeming more like not having many options. I think one major obstacle is not knowing how to get into a field. Perhaps I need to get my network on.

A chat with my sister, while visiting her in Portland last weekend (photos coming soon), made me think about the different things I've wanted to be "when I grew up." Here are just a few:

* editor
* writer
* fire fighter
* singer/actress/model
* teacher
* astronaut
* FBI/CIA staff (not an agent - too dangerous)
* humanitarian
* psychiatrist
* doctor

While some of these options can be abandoned, barring further eduction (perhaps an option later...), I've still got some possible "dream jobs" on my list.

Even though it seems like a long shot right now, I have a feeling that I'm on the path to "something awesome."

<3