I remember being asked this question by a doting aunt. I must have been 10 or 11 at the time. I learned later she was a college graduate and keenly interested in the plans her nephews and nieces had for their lives. I can’t remember what I replied.
What job did you have in mind at such an age?
While in college, I planned to complete a Ph.D. and teach history at a university. University research and teaching was to be my career. This was at the height of the Vietnam War, mind you, and colleges and universities nationwide were being flooded with applicants, Ph.D credentials in hand, seeking employment. The supply far exceeded the need. I abandoned my dream midway through my master’s program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I wondered what the hell I was going to do.
I fell back on my planning and communication skills that I had honed while in college writing education and training materials for what today would be considered start-up companies. I subsequently found my career niche as a planner, program developer and proposal writer for various nonprofit organizations. After 28 years I found myself near burnout and desperate to make a change. I abruptly quit my job with a major hospital system without a clue as to what – at 57 – I wanted to be when I grew up. I desperately wanted to change careers but I had no idea of how to begin.
Since you are visiting this site, you know what I do. I am a life and career coach. I can help you discover what you want to be when you grow up. J Click on the “Take Charge” tab on this page to learn more!