How did you pick your job?

[allycat0303]

....or did it pick you?

So I''m completely obsessing on career options. I have to pick my very last rotation (pretty much decides the field I will apply to for residency...i.e and probably for the rest of my life) and I can''t make up my mind.

I''m pretty much torn between:

a) totally in love with field/little job prospects/bad location/insane hours

b) like the field(many parts I dislike)/amazing job prospects/insane hours/good location

c) tolerate the field (bored a lot of the time/amazing job prospects/good location/very relaxed hours

So my question is, what was most important in choosing your work? Practical vs job security? Is it better to be in a field that you are totally in love with? I''m also a little worried that I might be passionate, crazy about it now, but maybe after a few years of working like crazy I will hate it, not because I''m working too much and I don''t have any quality of life.

Which aspect did you compromise on when you made your decision?

 

[Haven]

allycat--congratulations on (nearly) completing your medical degree! I''m sure you put in a lot of long hours and have learned a lot. You should be very proud of yourself.

I chose my career and job based purely on passion. I''m one of those crazy people who can only do things that I find personally fulfilling, which for me meant making the decision to quit law school (AND the full scholarship plus stipend that I won) to go back to graduate school to become a teacher.

I could not be happier.

I''m also pretty sure that I''ll eventually find some other career or job that I''d like to pursue, and if it''s compelling I''ll leave my current career to do so. I like to think that I''ll continue to grow and become interested in new things throughout my lifetime, which probably means that I''ll be ready for a new job at some point, too.

I should also say that I''ve found that money really does follow passion. I currently teach in a great district and make quite a lot more than I ever thought I would as a teacher. I like to think of it as some cosmic reward for following my heart.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[krisvrn]

Date: 2/27/2008 10:19:46 AM
Author:allycat0303
....or did it pick you?

So I''m completely obsessing on career options. I have to pick my very last rotation (pretty much decides the field I will apply to for residency...i.e and probably for the rest of my life) and I can''t make up my mind.

I''m pretty much torn between:

a) totally in love with field/little job prospects/bad location/insane hours

b) like the field(many parts I dislike)/amazing job prospects/insane hours/good location

c) tolerate the field (bored a lot of the time/amazing job prospects/good location/very relaxed hours

So my question is, what was most important in choosing your work? Practical vs job security? Is it better to be in a field that you are totally in love with? I''m also a little worried that I might be passionate, crazy about it now, but maybe after a few years of working like crazy I will hate it, not because I''m working too much and I don''t have any quality of life.

Which aspect did you compromise on when you made your decision?

I have a MSN and a BS in Business ~ I picked this degree so I can have job security, decent salary, and be able to find a job anywhere...
I was working in oncology before, currently working in corporate office. I gave up the patient contact for various reasons : bad hours, freq depressing outcomes, etc.

What field are you looking into? Speciality??

 

[allycat0303]

Haven: you are a lucky girl to have found exactly what you wanted.

krisvrn:

a) cardiac surgery (8 years residency)

b) general surgery (5 year residency)

c) opthalmology (5 year residency)

That also factors in a bit, considering I am turning 28 next week

 

[Haven]

Date: 2/27/2008 11:38:07 AM
Author: allycat0303
Haven: you are a lucky girl to have found exactly what you wanted.

Ahhh--for me, the key is to remember that I found exactly what I want right now. I realize (and I love) that my professional interests can change over time, and I welcome finding new things that really make me tick.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Are all your residency choices, local to you? Are you prepared to move to do a subspecialty? (glaucoma/retina, etc, etc). I worked in medical research (Ophthalmology, with a Glaucoma specialist) for 10 years and loved the field. It would be my choice!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Mara]

for me i would love to love what i do but i would also settle for liking it without too much stress. would never be into a job that i hated or was tedious or super boring. i have a pretty full life outside of work, and i don't live to work, but rather work to live, so i just have to have a job i like, making good $$, with people i like and that is enough for me. i actually do really love my job right now, somewhat because of being with a great company in the field i excel in & the nature of a great boss and a fabulous team, so that affects me very positively...!! but i have always loved the career i chose...it just can be affected by company/team/boss quite a lot depending. my husband has a job right now that he is detesting so i see how unhappy he is about things. but the funny thing is that previously he was in a job where he was bored. but now he'd much rather be bored than in an intense, passionate job he dislikes!!

 

[littlelysser]

Interesting and timely topic for me.

Until two months ago, December of 2007, I was a lawyer. I started law school in 1998. I graduated in May of 2001 at the top of my class, went to a big firm, was miserable (worked INSANE hours and made really good money), looked elsewhere (better hours, way less money) and still didn''t really love my job. Long story short there we a couple of random events that lead to my having some time off to think about what I want to be when I grow up. Of course, it helps that DH is 100% supportive of this whole thing.

So, I''m kind of scrapping the whole thing and trying to do what I love...design jewelry.

I''m taking classes at my local arts center and working on pieces at home. I certainly haven''t sold anything. I''m working in silver and I finally have two pieces that are nearly finished. It is totally scary and totally weird.

So, I guess I''d say go for what you are passionate about. I know too many people who work and work at a job and are miserable because they aren''t passionate about it.

And as for compromise...well, at this point I''m making NO money doing what I''m doing. So I guess I''m "compromising" my ability to buy designer purses and stuff for a while...hopefully it''ll be worth it.

So yeah...

Have you come to any conclusions?

 

[allycat0303]

littlelysser: No I haven't come to a conclusion yet. I can only say that when I was in my cardiac surgery rotation, we worked insane hours and I came home energized and thrilled. And there was this sense of absolute rightness to it. Like this is 'what I was meant to do' Presently there are no jobs, but the average age in quebec of the cardiac surgeon is 50 years old! They will have to be retiring in 8 years! And although people say that cardiac surgery is being phased out by non invasive techniques such as stents, that really isn't the case, because people are getting older, not all coronary artery disease can be be treated with stents. One of my teachers told me that he is ready to bet his LIFE that in a few years, there will be a shortage.

I just don't want to gamble 8 years of schooling on something that might complicate my life later. But maybe it's stupid to worry, in 5 years, maybe the other fields will be in a down period. And I will be doing something I like less and have regret.

That is totally cool that you are indulging your passion (I mean we agree that us PS'ers love jewelery!) I wouldn't mind if there was a job where I could just look at beautiful bling no designing for me though and appreciate the artistic appeal.

I didn't know you were taking a break from law. Kudos for going for it.

And inquiring minds want to SEE (you get the drift littlelysser, I'll be looking for pics from you soon

)


Mara: So your saying a balanced approach: enjoy the job, with good salary and good people ? I suppose I need to find someone who is doing something they are insane about but everything else is BAD and see if they regret the choice. I'm a practical girl. I want to do something I love, with $$ in the place of my choosing. It just seems that none of the options fits that.

 

[sunnyd]

I''m kinda struggling with this too. I graduated last December with a degree in film studies, but fell into the job I have now because a family friend offered it. It''s a great company, good hours, free benefits...but the work is boring. By boring I mean not as exciting as I like. I worked retail for 4 years during school, and honestly, I love being stressed by having so much to do!!!

So I''m stuck in the ''do I leave now while I can and take a hit in pay, or stay and hopefully learn to love it'' internal struggle. I feel ya...

 

[misysu2]

Hi Allycat!

My FI just picked his rotation and he was deciding between the same factors you were. I think it''s important to remember that when you''re in an academic environment, it''s easy to become career-priority driven. It''s important to remember, though, there are many other things in life.

Do you like where you''re living (or where you will be living)? I have to say-- don''t underestimate this factor. I moved for grad school, thinking this wasn''t a major factor, and I was COMPLETELY miserable.

Also, are you planning on getting married and/or having a family? You may not want to be slave to the pager and 80 hour work week. Maybe find a job with clinic or flexible hours.

Lastly, make sure your residency pick is something you''ve already tried in rotations, so you''re sure you''ll enjoy it.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[sera]

There is no way I would pick a job I found boring (unless I was desperate for something and it was temporary); I think I would much rather have a demanding job than a boring job or one that I merely tolerate.

Security is pretty important to me, but I wouldn''t choose that over something I''m passionate about. And... I always want something to fall back on. I have a back up in case I can''t do the job anymore or get burned out and don''t want to do it anymore. I had a career but a bilateral injury made me unable to do the job anymore... so I''m going through that again!

My time is important so I wouldn''t want a long commute... though a bad location would not be a deal breaker for me (I did inner-city youth ministry in a ghetto, so that''s a pretty bad location... and bad pay... and insane hours... and no room for advancement... but I LOVED it!!!).

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 2/27/2008 11:38:07 AM
Author: allycat0303
Haven: you are a lucky girl to have found exactly what you wanted.


krisvrn:


a) cardiac surgery (8 years residency)


b) general surgery (5 year residency)


c) opthalmology (5 year residency)


That also factors in a bit, considering I am turning 28 next week

ally, I think a big consideration is when are you planning on having children? If soon, then I'm thinking cardiac surgery is too demanding, time wise. My dad has had a couple of heart surgeries and I've had exposure to some of the top cardiac surgeons in the country and they really have no life, work IS their life. Sure some are married, but I doubt their families appreciate their absence in the family life. They're always in surgery, always traveling to present or attend conferences. It really is an all consuming profession...which is as it should be when one's operating on a heart!

General surgery can be whatever you want it to be, IMO. I know someone who's brilliant and a brilliant surgeon. She used to be a general surgeon and ended up setting aside the "general" part as her passion is breast surgery. She runs the local, and highly prestigious breast care center, is renowned for her breast cancer work, etc. She has two kids, her husband is an anesthesiologist, and they just set strict work hours. She doesn't do office hours past 4pm, and her surgeries are all in the morning. It's doable and you can decide in the future to specialize in something that you're passionate about.

Eye doctors are important! I can see why it would be the less glamorous option but you are right, you'd probably have more of a life. Less blood and gore too!

I think it all depends on how you envision your life. If you close your eyes and think about what you want your life to be - ALL of it, not just your work life - what does it look like? Depending on how much personal time you need/want, I'd be guided by that. Aint no shame in being a kickass eye doctor!

 

[allycat0303]

I go back and forth on everything. All of you made valid points.

Surfgirl: I don''t know if I want children. I''Ve gone from being really adament NO to changing and saying maybe. In Quebec, there are few woman heart surgeons, and my teacher explained to me that it''s hard to take time off and come back and be at the level you were a year or two ago. I started to think there was a REASON that women weren''t in the field.

misysu2: I really want to stay in Montreal. I do agree that loving what you do is important, but I am scared of being unhappy if I move. I don''t know if I am being driven by my environment. I hope not! My brother and sister picked what they loved, and what is right for them. UGH. I''m getting a little freaked out as the deadline for options comes closer.

I have to admit though, that traditional wisdom always tells us to follow our passions, or we won''t be happy. I guess I''m looking for people that followed their passions and are misreable.

 

[Delster]

Date: 2/28/2008 6:21:27 AM
Author: allycat0303
littlelysser: No I haven''t come to a conclusion yet. I can only say that when I was in my cardiac surgery rotation, we worked insane hours and I came home energized and thrilled. And there was this sense of absolute rightness to it. Like this is ''what I was meant to do'' Presently there are no jobs, but the average age in quebec of the cardiac surgeon is 50 years old! They will have to be retiring in 8 years! And although people say that cardiac surgery is being phased out by non invasive techniques such as stents, that really isn''t the case, because people are getting older, not all coronary artery disease can be be treated with stents. One of my teachers told me that he is ready to bet his LIFE that in a few years, there will be a shortage.

You know Ally it sounds to me like you really want the cardiac rotation and are defending that choice against the other more ''sensible'' choices (work-life balance wise I mean)...

The highlighted bit struck a chord with me. My dream, ever since I was very little, was always to practice law as a barrister. With one thing and another by the time I finished my undergrad law degree and grad school I had to give up my dream (in short, the admission criteria were changed and my degree became inadmissible and I couldn''t afford the ''conversion'' course). Then straight out of grad school I had the opportunity to try out a prestigious and rewarding career choice that not many people get the opportunity to participate in over here. I loved some aspects of it, hated others. I muddled along, ticked all the boxes I needed to in order to advance in that field, got promoted and long term prospects looked great. But I just wasn''t happy. BF would ring me and I''d just dissolve into tears. I couldn''t even articulate what was wrong. I was just miserable.

Long story short, through a stroke of luck I was able to the admission criteria mess and finally got in to that professional degree, passed and got my call to the bar. From day one on that professional degree course it felt like I''d come home. Like you say, there''s an absolute rightness to it. I start practice this coming October. I will earn nothing - yes nothing - for the first year. I will then earn very little for the first four years. BF is going to have to support me for the next five years. I will be 33 before we can really think about starting a family as I will have to establish my career before I can take time off. We have weighed all of this up and it is all worth it to us. I am a completely different person when I am in the barrister environment, I am so much happier and so much nicer to be around too!

I guess what I''m trying to say is not to discount the effect your career has on all other areas of your life. And you sound very career driven. I''m not supremely ambitious or driven but I could never go back to doing that other job that was mostly satisfying but just not a perfect fit.

On the work-life balance issue, have you read the thread over in Family & Home about that? LitigatorChick (who''s in Canada too) talks about how she balanced her home life with staying on course for partnership at her law firm. It might be worth looking at. It''s easier for me as I''ll be self-employed so I can structure my leave and my career pretty much as I choose. I can see how it''s a harder decision in your shoes.

 

[zoebartlett]

I chose my job (teacher) because I love working with kids. I went through a brief stint working in children''s publishing and while I liked the idea of my job, I realized after 2 years that publishing just wasn''t for me. I learned a lot and I still think it''s very interesting work, but I didn''t come to love the actual work as I thought I would. I loved combining my love of books and getting to know the ins and outs of how they''re made, but I had had enough after a couple of years.

I''ve always been around kids and I knew when I left publishing to go to grad school full time that I wanted to work with kids. That''s why I chose teaching in the end. I''ve taught reading in 1:1 and small group settings and I''ve had my own classroom for a few years now. If I chose anything else, I''d consider earning a certificate in library science and becoming a librarian in an elementary school. I already have one masters and I don''t think I could financially swing another one.

I also love having vacation weeks throughout the year and having summers to myself. That''s a huge plus for me.

 

[bee*]

I always always always wanted to be a vet. I didn''t get enough points in my leaving certificate so I did a science degree and then worked in a vet clinic for nearly two years full time. Much as I enjoyed working at the clinic, I still wanted to be an actual vet but I decided to get science experience in case I never got accepted into veterinary. I hated working in the lab-it just was not me. Now that I got accepted into veterinary and am nearly half way through, I am so happy. It just feels right and it''s what I''ve always wanted to do. I''m just made to be a vet. I figure go with what you''re happy with. It''s so miserable working in a job that you hate.

 

[allycat0303]

bee* I am so happy you are on your way to becoming a vet! I admire people that have a little more of a round-about way to fulfilling their dreams.

Delster: I agree that career is a big deal, I mean when you think about it, you probably spend more of you life working then doing anything else, so I really want to make the right choice (but just writing that made me even more nervous). I don''t think with cardiac surgery there is a balanced home life, pretty much all other surgeons have asked me things like '''' does your fiancé KNOW you want to be a cardiac surgeon?'''' Usually it is followed by things that imply he would get sick of the lack of quality of life.

I suppose I''m afraid that ''''absolute rightness'''' might come back and bite me in the behind. But at the same time, I''ve never felt that intensely about anything (including my fiancé....that was a much more gradual thing