I decided to postpone my Let’s Speculate discussion post this week to feature and talk about Jessi’s Life Of A Blogger posts, this week featuring careers.
Believe it or not, but I’ve been meaning to write a personal post about the careers I’ve been thinking of going into for awhile because simply, I need help. Jessi’s Life Of A Blogger: Career finally gave me the push I needed.
I’m currently working at a After School Program for kids. Yes, it’s probably one of those many after-school programs you’ve probably attended when you were a kid. I help out third and fourth graders with their homework and boy, are they so demanding and not patient. While I’m helping out one kid, another one runs up to me and demands loudly for me to help them right this minute. Another one then runs up to me to join the “I need help NOW” group. It gets tiring to have five kids asking for my attention/help all at once. Sometimes, I just want to put all the books down and run out of the room.
This job does have its perks though. I can speak to the kids without feeling any pressure and be 100% myself. They don’t judge me (unless I speak Mandarin wrong of course), share my love for Pokemon, and are fun to observe. Seriously, you do not want to know how many paper guns I’ve confiscated and threw out. The money helps too, $9 an hour is pretty good and 6 hours a day is not time-consuming with college and all.
Thank goodness the kids love me (probably because I bonded with them through Pokemon and chips) because otherwise, this would be one tiring job. Yes, bonding with Pokemon and chips really works guys. I wonder why my teachers never do that. ;D
1. A Librarian: When I was in 5th grade, I wanted to be a librarian. (I’ve loved reading books way before then.) I remember my exact age because when my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I told them “a librarian,” they completely freaked out and lectured me for days, saying no, don’t aim to be a librarian, the income is near minimum wage, and how will I survive with that kind of income in NYC, etc. etc. In my 5th grade mind, I got that being a librarian equals bad.
2. An Author: Believe it or not, I had my first book written when I was in 5th grade. (It was a fail children’s book, but hey, that still counts right?) In fact, my 5th grade teacher noticed/knew I was so passionate about writing and drawing my own book that she talked to my parents about getting published. My parents had a talk with me of course, about how that was unrealistic and to stop drawing so much and focus on the math test that I had a 80% on. I think I still have the children’s book I wrote somewhere in my house and I cringe every time I see it because I basically copied the characters and half the plot from my favorite book that I had read in 5th grade…
3. An Artist: I used to love to draw. You can find me doodling in class in middle school, not paying any attention to my teachers whatsoever. Once my parents discovered that next I wanted to become an artist, you guessed it, they ruined that dream for me too with some real hard facts: 1. Most artists don’t make money until they actually die and the world realizes how much of a genius they were; 2. You barely get any income when you’re an artist; and 3. There are so few jobs out there for artists (and that was before, when the economy was still doing well). Now, I haven’t drew anything for more than five years, which makes me sad. As of now, my art skills isn’t as good as it was before.
4. A Teacher: Then I thought about being a teacher. I mean, my resume is perfect for it right? However, once I actually became a teacher’s assistant, it just didn’t work out. I just couldn’t take it. I don’t take it well when a 2 year old throws his burning hot leftover rice with soup on my brand new white sneakers (I wonder how fake my smile was that day) and when a kid touches everything and puts it in his mouth. You see that toy there? In his mouth it goes. And that glue stick? Yep, that goes in too. How about that wooden board puzzle piece? In it goes. I just can’t take that. (How will I ever have kids?) Working with kindergarten to first graders was okay, except for the drama (yes, first graders are involved in drama too). I had to stop them from crying because that one girl said that another girl wasn’t her friend anymore, or someone traded snacks but wanted to do a trade-back and the person he/she traded with didn’t want to do a trade-back, or even HEY, YOU’RE BLOCKING THE MOVIE. My current job is so much better than working with 1 year olds to first graders, but it’s just not my passion. It just sucks because my resume is perfect for becoming a teacher or working in the education field with kids. (And it’s not like it matters since my parents also do not want me to become a teacher because more and more teachers are getting laid-off apparently.)
After all those rejections, I explored other fields, but there’s always some kind of problem that popped up.
1. Computer Science/Web Design: I was in the computer science major in high school. I applied because I thought we would be playing video games or at least, designing video games, but no, that did not happen. Instead, we learned Java which nearly killed me. Coding in some kind of coding language is basically solving puzzles and did I tell you that I hate solving puzzles?
I was also thinking about web design because I love designing websites (it’s like I can take my passion for art and put it onscreen) and I’m good at it, but if you want to design a really elaborate and gorgeous design, you’ll need to know/use PHP and Javascript. As I’ve mentioned above, coding using coding languages is not fun for me. HTML and CSS, meanwhile, is easy peezey.
2. Any Field In Science: I’m taking Chemistry at the moment and there’s really only two words that describes it: time-consuming (yes, that’s one word) and studying. Seriously, Chemistry is studying, studying, and guess what? More studying. Today alone, I spent seven hours studying for two chapters. I don’t think I can take it. No, scratch that, I can’t take it.
3. Any Field In Math: I’m really good in math…once I study like crazy. Otherwise, math isn’t really for me. Don’t get me wrong, I can take it, but I won’t be really happy doing it.
4. A 9AM to 5PM Job: I had a 9AM to 5PM job this summer and it did not work for me. I hated it. I do not like waking up any time earlier than 9AM and getting home later than 3PM. Like, I hold my own personal grudge against it. After realizing this fun fact, it doesn’t leave any real good options for me.
So here I am now.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about going into book publishing. I mean, I love reading books, I love chatting about books, and I love reviewing books. New York City is also one of the best places to get a career in book publishing. What could be more perfect than that?
The obstacles: My parents. And the competition.
They want me to get a successful high income job and I highly doubt book publishing will cut it for them. After some thought, I figured out that they may be right – a panelist from HarperCollins said that the average annual salary for working in book publishing is $22,000 to $34,000. Realistically, as I’m sure most of you might know, living in NYC is expensive. A month’s rent for an apartment in NYC costs anywhere between $900 a month to $1,500 a month and that’s now and if you’re lucky. Living in NYC and spending so much money on books is hella expensive, especially when it comes to my spending habits on books. I highly doubt $22,000 or $34,000 will really cut it for me. Like some guy who sat behind me said, WHAAT.
There’s also a lot of competition if you want to be an editor. After attending tons (okay, two) book publishing career panels, I learned that there were two different kinds of editors, an editor editor and an editor whose main job is to find those grammatical mistakes and those spelling mistakes. I want to be the kind of editor that looks into the plot and research part of the book, not the grammatical part of the book, but again, there is a lot of competition.
Which leaves me with one word, undecided. Or maybe even completely undecided.
So where do I go from here? When will I figure out what I want from life?
I’m a fairly new follower and I love your blog and reviews! It’s obvious that you have not only a passion for books, but also a talent for talking about them. As cliche as it sounds, I really think you need to follow what YOU love, not what your parents expect. I’m going to be 30 next year and I was too afraid to follow my passion for a variety of reasons, so I can tell you with experience that it’s worth it to reach for what you love, even if it’s terribly inconvenient right now. I suspect that your parents want you to have a high paying job because they want you to be comfortable. I don’t disagree with them, but I also think that there is a happy medium. Right now I recommend taking full advantage of every opportunity, even if it means making $30k/year in NYC (for now). The cliche to follow your heart doesn’t apply better right now than any time in your life and I think you’re smart enough to find where it takes you without being irresponsible. If you ever need to bounce around ideas with someone, I’m here, even if I’m not very knowledgeable with publishing careers. ;)
Danielle recently posted…Top Ten Books on my Winter TBR List
Hi Danielle & aww, thank you! <3
Ha ha, I wish I can blab on and on about books to my friends in real life, but they just don't get it like we book lovers do. :P
I'll love to follow my heart, but I'm personally worried about the consequences. There are tons of what if's - what if I don't get accepted? What if it all doesn't work out? What if I end up regretting it? I'm a careful kind-of OCD person who likes to plan my life every step of the way (I can tell you all about my schedule for this Thursday, what I'll be doing at what time) and when things don't go according to my plan, I panic.
Thank you for sharing some of your wisdom Danielle and I'll love to bounce ideas around with you when I get them! (:
Kelly recently posted…Judge A Book By It’s Signature: Smoke – Ellen Hopkins
I loved that you did this post! I think many people are in the same boat, conflicted on what to do and how to fight the “unrealistic demons” inside telling you that it just won’t work. But you obviously know where your passion lies. You said you’re interested in the book publishing world and if editing is your niche, GO FOR IT. If you think that after research, you don’t want to do editing, but still be in the publishing world, there are TONS of different jobs there. And you already are much closer than the rest because you live in NYC. But you know what you don’t want. You know the details (like 9-5 won’t work) of your career that is a must or is a never. I agree with the comment above, no matter how cliche it sounds, you gotta follow your heart. I worked a job this past summer that paid REALLY well for what I was doing, but I HATED it. Loathed. I cried almost every week whenever Sunday ended because I couldn’t stand it. I made myself fulfill my commitment until school started again and realized an important lesson: Money doesn’t matter. It doesn’t. It should be factored in, but when it comes down to it, it shouldn’t be your yea or nay. I thought it wouldn’t matter, that a job was a job and HEY, this is MONEY. More money for me, yay! But I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, in retrospect, because now I don’t value money as much. If I’m dirt poor, living in not-the-nicest neighborhood, can’t go out to eat, or any other 1st world gift (a luxury in 3rd world means), but doing what I LOVE, then it’s okay. Things will work out. The hardest part is the naysayers, especially parents. You care about what they say, you don’t want to disappoint, you value their opinion, and they have a big influence or hold on your life. But they’ll still love you (I hope, I don’t know your parents:). Just DO IT. Go back to your childhood wishes or pursue your current editing path.
Now that I’m done being super cheesy and waving my pom poms around, here’s a link for a fun inspiring blog. She offers career services, which I haven’t tried, but blogger I follow has and swears by her. http://yoursuperawesomelife.com/
Good luck and go!
Sunny recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Winter TBR
I know I’ll definitely LOVE working with books, whether it would be editing, marketing, sales, or publicity (hey, I’ll even LOVE to go to web design/book design but I’m not terribly good with photoshop or coding), but I dunno, I’ll like to know that I’ll be 100% satisfied with it and whether I could live with the salary.
Awww, I’m sorry/not sorry you had to go through that experience! (Part of me is not sorry for you because you learned a lot from it and know exactly what you want now.) I have a strong feeling that if I ever worked in a job I loathe, I can endure it because that’s what I do – endure things.
The thing is that yeah, my parents will still love me, but if I ever feel like I made a mistake, they will remind me of it nearly everyday, every chance they get. That’s just who they are – they still remind me constantly of a mistake I made when I was 11 and they NEVER let me forget it. Honestly, if my parents aren’t like this, expecting perfection from me, I’ll probably be aiming for a job in book publishing without a single doubt in my mind.
I just hope that things will really work out in the end. -crosses fingers-
Ha ha, that looks fun! Thanks for the link Sunny & thank you for sharing your own personal story!
Kelly recently posted…Judge A Book By It’s Signature: Smoke – Ellen Hopkins
That’s awesome that you work with kids, as tiring as it can be! There was a time when I wanted to work at a daycare center…totally forgot to put that in my post!
I used to draw A LOT in high school, and I was pretty good at it. I’ve barely drawn anything since graduating 7 years ago, though, so I’m not sure how good I’d be now. I never considered doing it for a living, though, because I didn’t think I could actually sell anything for enough to make real money.
I couldn’t be a teacher, that requires too much patience! I can imagine that younger kids would be a handful, but can you imagine how bad teenagers would be? *shudders*
“…if you want to design a really elaborate and gorgeous design, you’ll need to know/use PHP and Javascript. As I’ve mentioned above, coding using coding languages is not fun for me.”
I SO KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. I’m there right now in my self teaching, and PHP is absolutely kicking my ass. It’s like a foreign language, and it’s stressful and difficult, and gives me a migraine. I know it will take time, but I don’t even know where to start :(
I’m with you on the day job. I can’t stand it! I have the schedule I want – aka the best schedule I could possibly have where I’m at – and I STILL hate it. I work 3 doubles a week and have 4 days off. I love having so many days to myself, but working 6AM to 7PM seriously blows. I despise getting up early, I despise dealing with people, and I despise going out/driving/working in the cold. I also despise obligations and schedules. I like to do things on my own time. What I want, when I want. So I totally feel you there!
Working in publishing would be totally awesome! Even if it’s not a really high end job, you’re doing what you love: working with books. I think having an enjoyable job is more important that a high-paying job. Yes, money is important, but I think it’s okay to give up a little bit to be happy. Believe me, money is nothing if you’re completely miserable. Unfortunately, you need it to live. =/
Don’t worry about being undecided. It wasn’t until this past year that I finally figured out I wanted to pursue web design (and some days I’m not 100% sure about that, either). Before that, I was kind of wandering around blindly, hoping something would fall into my lap and get me out of my day job. I didn’t know what I wanted to do from high school until last year. You’re still young, you have plenty of time to figure it out :)
Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat recently posted…Life of a Blogger: TV Shows
The only reason I’m working with kids is because that’s literally the only jobs that’s available for people my age with little experience. And I just got lucky enough to find a job. :P
That’s EXACTLY what my parents said and I see their point. Still, it hurts to give up your dream job when you were a kid.
My supervisor’s supervisor is a high school teacher for one of the worst high schools in NYC (there’s at least three serious robberies a year) and she LOVES teaching there. Her advice is to treat them like adults and know when to be firm with them and when to be fair. The kids love her.
Aww, if only I didn’t reformat my computer and still have my computer science notes! My teacher started from the very basic basic stuff (like using Javascript to change the background color and add numbers) so maybe you should do that too. He also recommends W3schools as a great source and I still use it to this day. Good luck Jessi!
That’s a nice schedule Jessi, but 6AM to 7PM? That’s worse than my current school schedule right now, I’ll DIE. Save up money until you have enough money to support yourself for let’s say three years without a job and try your web designing skills then!
WHY DO WE NEED MONEY TO LIVE. Or better yet, WHY CAN’T MONEY GROW ON TREES? WHY?!
I know what you mean. As of now, I’m only 80% (?) sure I want to go into book publishing, but on other days, I’m pretty sure it won’t work out either. Why can’t there be a magic machine where we put out fingerprint in it and it comes up with the perfect job + schedule for us or something? I’ll be willing to pay $5k for its services!
Ha ha, I’m old according to my standards. :P
And I sadly don’t have much time left, I have to pick a major by the end of this semester. ):
Kelly recently posted…Judge A Book By It’s Signature: Smoke – Ellen Hopkins
I understand very well how it feels to have your parents keep you grounded and your expectations realistic. When I told them I wanted to be an author, they shot me down and said it’s not a viable job career because you simply won’t be able to afford a living when you first start out. But now I’ve understood that they are right and I know they have my best interests at heart, I can’t making writing a job but I’m not going to forgo my ambition of becoming an author but I have to consider a career path as well. Their mindset has somewhat changed over the years and I’ve told them I want them to go into book publishing so they just hope I can get into a good university for now. I know book publishing is very difficult to get in and the pay isn’t the best but if it’s something you love doing, it will all be worth it. I’ve heard that you do need to have some experience beforehand so try looking for internships. If this is a risk you’re willing to take, it’s all going to work out in the end :)
Charlotte @ Gypsy Reviews recently posted…Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (#103)
That’s exactly me – as soon as I offer an idea on what career path I want to take, my parents shoot down my idea asap. I’m now just attending college, trying to figure out what on Earth I want to major in and what career path to take.
I want to take the risk and go into book publishing, but I’m scared you know? Like, what if I regret the choices I make? What if my parents will right? What if I love it, but didn’t make it? All those what ifs just make me doubt myself and my own decisions. :l
Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Being Sloane Jacobs – Lauren Morrill
Hi Kelly,
I went on that stage but it takes time to find your career match. You know what you want and you have many talents so eventually you will be successful. I also wanted to be a teacher and ended up being a Registered Nurse. I work in the ER and saving lives became my ultimate passion. My parents wanted me to have a high paying job too but I know it will take time to go to the higher part of my career ladder but eventually it will. In short, enjoy!….. as long as your happy in what you are doing :D
Lovely post!
-Dannielle
Dannielle recently posted…Review: The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass
Hi Dannielle! (:
Ha ha, my parents will LOVE for me to become a registered nurse. Seriously, it’s one of the career options they’re “suggesting” to me right now.
And you give me some hope. I mean, you started off on the path you thought you would like the most, but changed your mind later right and it turned out all right. Maybe that can happen to me too.
Thank you & thanks for your input Dannielle! :D
Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Being Sloane Jacobs – Lauren Morrill
I understand how you’re feeling, and I know how frustrating it is to not know what direction you want to go in life. I wish I had some insightful answer not just for your sake but for my own too. I know well established adults who are still searching for the right career.
I fought my parents every inch of the way through college. They wanted me to have a degree in something practical that would earn me lots of money. I wanted to study something that interested me, which is how I ended up majoring in English and minoring in Japanese.
Personally, I wish I listened to my parents. After some jobs I hated, including selling kitchen appliances and answering phones at a bank, I finally got a job that I could live with. And guess what? It has nothing to do with my degree. I’m a bookkeeper– a profession I swore if never have because my mom is an accountant. Now I wish I would have listened to my parents because I’m at a disadvantage in my current field. I’ll need even more schooling if I want the big bucks.
At the same time, you’re an adult, and you don’t always have to take your parents’ advice. It’s your life, and you ultimately have to live with the decisions you make. Just because a job is high paying doesn’t mean you’ll feel fulfilled at the end of the day. Finding that balance of what makes you happy and what makes you financially secure can be difficult to find.
It’s also important to remember that in most instances, you won’t be making the big bucks right out of college, no matter how practical the degree. You still have a ladder to climb. Maybe you’ll make $25,000 in an entry level position at a publishing company, but you won’t be there forever.
Also, still strive to be an author. If you want to write a novel, write a novel. Most authors didn’t start out as a professional novelist. They had day jobs at the beginning too :)
Jackie recently posted…Teaview: I’m not nuts about Almond Tea
Yeah, although we hate it, sometimes our parents are right. And I’m afraid this will be one of the times they’re right and that I’ll be hating myself for my choices in the future.
As of now, I’m aiming to find a career that’ll make me happy, but at the same time, a career I can live with too.
And yeah, I know there is a ladder to climb, but honestly, there are just so few high positions in book publishing. I just can’t forget that. :l
Ha ha, I’ve long given up on being an author. I rather read somebody else’s words than write my own words instead. ;D
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and your input with me Jackie! It helped me a lot! (:
Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Being Sloane Jacobs – Lauren Morrill
I truly believe that doing something that makes you happy is much better than doing something that will give you lots of money. You have to work almost your whole life, why not do something you enjoy spending your time on? My parents always told me that I should find something I want to do and look realistic at it. At least find something that has a future, but don’t let every depend on the fact that it won’t give you enough money.. Money alone won’t make you happy, but I do understand that it must be super hard if your parents judge over it like that.
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Life of a blogger: Career.
Sadly, I am being realistic about it after my parents opened up my eyes and most of the things I love doing won’t earn you enough money to live in NYC unless you get lucky or live in your parents’ house (and I want to move out of my parents’ house asap).
And yeah, I know money alone won’t make me happy, but if I can’t make a living with everything I want to do, I might as well aim for a job that earns a lot of money right? :l
Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Being Sloane Jacobs – Lauren Morrill
When I was child, I always wanted to be a school librarian. However, even getting into school in library media sciences can be difficult. I ended up going to school to be a teacher. My fiance-now husband received a job offer outside of the state I was licensed for, and obviously followed him to his job. I worked as a substitute teacher to fill the gaps. When my daughter was 2 months old, I saw an ad for a middle school ‘library media aide’ position. It was basically a librarian position, but without the title and pay.
I applied, and started the job two weeks later and I love it. Things that are meant to be, will be. I do not have the ‘training’ to be a librarian, but yet that is what I am. I am working in a middle school, which is exactly the age group I was licensed to teach originally.
The pay is crap, but at the end of the day, if you love what you do- why complain? That’s how I look at my job. I enjoy every minute of it (well, almost) so I don’t feel the ‘need’ to be paid highly.
Jenni recently posted…Review: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer
I’m so happy you end up doing what you really want to do Jenni! Ha ha, your story gives me hope, especially your “things that are meant to be, will be” line. Hopefully things will work out for me in the end like how they worked out so well for you!
Kelly recently posted…Book Review: Being Sloane Jacobs – Lauren Morrill
You can be a librarian who is also a writter and artist. I know two authors who were librarians first and most of the artists I know have regular jobs and do art shows on the weekend. My son is also good at math, but loathes it. :)
I’ll love to be a librarian, writer, and artist, but in this economy it’s almost impossible to find a job like that unless you have some connections, which I sadly don’t. ):
And ha ha, I totally get him! ;D
Kelly recently posted…Life Of A Blogger: Non-Bookish Hobbies
LOL!!!! Pardon the typos. Fhkeindle the Kindle demon is acting up.
There are no typos as far as I can see. ;D
Kelly recently posted…Life Of A Blogger: Non-Bookish Hobbies
I know that kind of frustration Kelly. Honestly? I’ve also thought about being in Web Design (That will be my major on Freshmen year :D), being a librarian, editor, or agent for authors. My advise? Pick something you love Kelly. No matter how low the salary or how hard it would be for competition. If you do something you love, it would be worth it. God Bless on your career! You’re a great person/blogger full of potential. Your possibilities are endless :D
Jules recently posted…Blog Tour [Excerpt + Giveaway]: Echoes in the Glass by Cheri Lasota
I’m just worried about the future – would I regret my decision? Will I be happy in the long-run? I’m doubting myself so much that I’m not even sure what I’ll like to do anymore. ):
Kelly recently posted…Life Of A Blogger: Non-Bookish Hobbies