Expert: Todd Johnson - 1/21/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello. I am a junior in high school, and I can't seem to decide what kind of career I want to go into. I know, "It's ok not to be completely decided, some people aren't until half way through college", blah, blah, blah. But the thing is, I've done a TON of research on the subject, and I'm pretty sure that if I can't decide now, I won't be much more able to decide when I really need to(plus, it's a compulsive need of mine to have a plan before I jump into something I don't fully understand....and which will affect the rest of my life...*shudder*). I'm a good student, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get into most any college I set my mind to(even though i pretty much already have my heart set on Texas State-not too close, not too far). Anyway, I keep coming across the same things in my research, and they're not helping. I would really like to get into a career with animals, literature, and/or art. With the later two, I know, it's very hard to make a living with unless luck is on your side, but as much as I research careers with animals, nothing seems like it's for me. I really want a job I like, and one that pays upwards of 30k a year(not from the start, though, obviously). I grew up on food stamps and being my mother's live-in therapist for a job she hates, so these things are very important to me. Could you PLEASE tell me about any careers with animals in which I can work closely with many different types of animals (not veterinary medicine, please-it's just not my forte)? Also, are there any careers in which you DON'T have to have excessive talent, ego, connections, etc. (or fame) to make a reasonable living? I am very much interested in poetry and composition (and believe I do possess a certain feel for it-not to brag or anything). As for the art thing, well... I've been leaning towards keeping it as just a hobby. Thank you so much for your time, I know I rambled on a bit, but that's just my style... hope you can bear it. :)

ANSWER: Rachel,

It is good that you are thinking about your future life but I think you may be too focused on trying to get everything down so no changes need to be made. The average student changes majors about 6 times so you are not alone in not knowing for sure what you want to do with your life. The other problem with focusing too narrowly is that jobs change. 30 years ago virtually no one worked in the internet industry or with computers because such things didn't exist for most people. And 30 years ago, many people had jobs selling typewriters. Don't see that much now days.

There are thousands of different jobs out there and some will involve animals and literature. Writing for a nature magazine is just one example. Being a professional photography with a focus on animals would involve animals and art.

Keep in mind those things that you enjoy but be open to other things that you might also enjoy that you have had no exposure to yet. For most people, if you follow your passion, you will eventually find a job that you will enjoy doing. For now, get a broad based education so that you are ready to consider a variety of jobs.

I hope that helps somewhat.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you again, I will keep a lookout for other interests. As for the ones I mentioned, are there any courses of study that you would recommend that would allow me to start getting a useful degree before I know exactly what I'll use it for? Like, what majors should I look into and/ or what courses should I take in order to qualify for many different kinds of jobs involving animals, literature, art, and/or maybe some subjects I discover a liking for later on? It would be very helpful if you could describe some classes that might be useful for me to take when I get to college. I know there is plenty of time for decision-making (and I intend to use it), but I would like to get in the general ballpark in order to look into all the different options available in terms of majors, minors, colleges, scholarships, even maybe summer volunteer work or internships to gain some experience and insight. Thanks, you've been very helpful!

Answer
Rachel,

Most colleges do not require you to pick a major until the end of your sophomore year. That gives you two years of college to explore different classes to see where you might have a particular interest. I would suggest looking at classes in literature, the arts, biology, psychology to name a few. Every college will have slightly different options for classes but in general those would be the subject areas where you should be sure to take classes.

To get an idea of the majors available in colleges you might see if your school has a copy of the Book of Majors by the College Board. This lists the many different majors and the colleges that offer each type of major. If your school doesn't have this book, most book stores will carry it and you could look through it at the store to get an idea of the variety of majors available.

I think the idea of doing volunteer work or an internship is a great idea to explore different fields. If you live in a city that has a zoo, you might see if you could volunteer at the zoo. If they have a newsletter, you might ask about helping write an article for the newsletter. If there is an art gallery near you, ask if they might have volunteer spots available for you. There are all sorts of places that might like to have free help around for all or part of the summer.

Take care.