When we are small, we all have dreams of what we want to be when we grew up. Some aspire to be firefighters, or police officers. Others hope to study to become doctors or lawyers. Others want to work with animals. And as we grow, some of our aspirations may changed as we were exposed to different things through sports, school, our friends and family. Some know exactly what they want for a career and stick to it.
Looking back at what I wanted to be, I would have been through many career changes by now. Or paying for numerous student loans, possibly even still being in school! Here are four of the careers I had aspired too as I grew up.
- Veterinarian. This was more when I was really young, around 5. We had just gotten our first pet (a cat named Melanie), and I was enamored with her. I decided that I wanted to be a vet so I could be with animals all day everyday, and playwith them. Obviously, I know now that being a vet is so much more than just playing with animals all day.
- Pediatrician. This one lasted from the time I was in elementary school until I was in middle school, maybe even a little longer than that. I guess it stemmed from adoring my childhood doctor who was so kind and wonderful. She made the job seem easy. But as I got older, when I began to learn more about what a doctor actually does and the amount of school that goes into it, I started to rethink it. Not too mention, I don't handle needles well (I think this is what really clinched it for me...) or blood. And germs. Okay, being a pediatrician would have been a horrible idea for me. But I loved kids so... the next one career aspiration made sense.
- A Second-Grade Teacher. This was one was certainly attainable and almost did happen. My junior year of high school, I had an epiphany one day. I had been assisting with riding lessons for a little bit at this time, and realized how much I enjoyed teaching children. So I decided that I wanted to become a teacher, much like my father (who taught middle school for over 30 years!). Except I wanted to teach the younger ones, ideally second grade. I stuck with this until my freshman year of college. I even looked at colleges based on their education programs. Once I got to college, about 2 months in, my career path changed again.
- Journalist/Writer. I realized that while a teaching career would have been wonderful, I wanted to do something I truly loved. I loved to write. I loved the news. I loved every aspect about it. I was even offered an internship with Saddle Horse Report, one of the major publications in the Saddlebred world, and jumped at it. I went through school, completely in love with every aspect of my Communications classes. I loved being able to write. I felt like I had found my calling.
Sidenote: It probably didn't help that I also discovered Sex and the City at this point, and wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw. I wanted to write for a newspaper or a popular women's magazine in New York City and live the grand life. Thankfully, I realized that that was all make-believe and reporters don't make that kind of money to live that kind of life. But I still dreamnt about it every day anyways.
When I graduated, it was around that time that newspapers started to disappear, and I was trained in print journalism (I was even the Associate Editor of my college's newspaper!). So, it was time to rethink my career again.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Which is how I ended up with a Masters Degree in Marketing. I figured it combined my love of creativity and writing with some logic, and it went well with my Communications degree.
