Career, what is it?

[randomvim]

if you have a career. what is it to you? how have you come to decide what to do or what you should do?

if you do not have a career, what do you say a career is?
how do you set goals for a career or for your path in having a job and maintening life?

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[Draconic Aiur]

I have an associates in culinary arts thats going no where.

[kilodelta]

I'm not too sure about the intent of the questions. But, here's some sort of answer.

I'm a defense analyst. I have worked in capabilities development, doctrine, training, policy, and materiel development. What is it to me? Hmmm... it's a means to continue to work on multiple linked projects and see real world impacts from that work. I decided to go into and stay in the career field because I have an aptitude for it, it's interesting, pays well, and I get to stay within a relatively small community.

As far as setting goals, that comes from observation of what's going on around me and what interests me. Many goals are actually required for the job. e.g. certifications, education, and training. Other goals I set for myself are establishing and completing large projects. The completion of those projects become a resume item in case I want to get another job. There are clear areas that I have no interest in such as operating DoD financial systems. I'd rather perform the analysis on what needs to be purchased rather than executing the funds.

Really, I think my career has been shaped by my work environment and the decisions that I make in response. Jumping out of my career field now would probably require me to almost entirely start over. I think if I didn't like it, I would have known within the first two years.

[SGOS]

Career:  What one calls the thing he does for a living when he wants to put it in the best possible light.

Other descriptions of Career:  it's a living, pays the bills, job I really hate, my boss is a prick, any paid work lasting more than three months, thing you do because you can't think of another way to make money, a way to make enough money to do what you really want to do.

[SGOS]

how do you set goals for a career or for your path in having a job and maintening life?

My career goal is to get my vacation.

[kilodelta]

My career goal is to get my vacation.

Yeah. And a new motorcycle for that vacation.

[randomvim]

I'm not too sure about the intent of the questions. But, here's some sort of answer.

I'm a defense analyst. I have worked in capabilities development, doctrine, training, policy, and materiel development. What is it to me? Hmmm... it's a means to continue to work on multiple linked projects and see real world impacts from that work. I decided to go into and stay in the career field because I have an aptitude for it, it's interesting, pays well, and I get to stay within a relatively small community.

As far as setting goals, that comes from observation of what's going on around me and what interests me. Many goals are actually required for the job. e.g. certifications, education, and training. Other goals I set for myself are establishing and completing large projects. The completion of those projects become a resume item in case I want to get another job. There are clear areas that I have no interest in such as operating DoD financial systems. I'd rather perform the analysis on what needs to be purchased rather than executing the funds.

Really, I think my career has been shaped by my work environment and the decisions that I make in response. Jumping out of my career field now would probably require me to almost entirely start over. I think if I didn't like it, I would have known within the first two years.

Huh. I don't think I understood your description. Defense analyst is similar to how it is described here?

[kilodelta]

Think of it more like: http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/CareerLvl.aspx

[SGOS]

Think of it more like: http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/CareerLvl.aspx

Purchasing is a career they teach at a university?  I'm good at purchasing stuff, and I usually pay more than it's worth.  So I'm thinking a government career, possibly the military.

[Baruch]

Money comes into the economy from government expenditure.  Private parties create value, not money.  The government doesn't create value.  Then money meets value ... you have price.  That is the basic equation of fascism, for the last 5000 years.  So the question in a cash based economy (something other than serfdom) is how can you intercept some of that money.  You can catch some it directly as a recipient of government expenditures.  You can catch some of it directly as part of the government uptake of that same money out of the private sector (be a tax man or H&R Block guy).  Meanwhile, when the money isn't in the government coffers, or leaving or entering the government ... it circulates around and around in the private sector, a bit like the toilet bowl when you flush ;-)

So what is a career?  Long term employment, doing pretty much the same thing, for the same people.  This is increasingly scarce, now that the gig economy has come along, where everyone is like a frog being invited to a frog leg cookout.

In my case, I have been mostly close to the money flowing out of the government, providing government services as a civilian contractor.  But I have had three careers so far as an adult.  First as a DoD contractor in engineering.  Second as a programmer, first in DoD, second in private sector.  Third as a computer support person (my favorite) for the DoD.  My background in math, science and engineering helped me get in the door of engineering, back in the say when anyone with a pulse could get in.  Once you have experience and lack of a criminal record ... you can parlay that experience into more opportunities ... though you can only hold your nose for so long ... eventually you have worn out your welcome due to obsolescence or having made enemies.

A career isn't value neutral ... it is a Middle Class concept from the 60s.  But if the Middle Class succeeds in eliminating itself ... there won't be any more careers other than being a house boy to a Chinese family.  Chop chop!

[Baruch]

Purchasing is a career they teach at a university?  I'm good at purchasing stuff, and I usually pay more than it's worth.  So I'm thinking a government career, possibly the military.

Corporate or government purchasing is very complicated ... both by nature and by design.  One can easily make a career of that particular corner of bookkeeping/accounting.  Are you good with numbers?  If you are not good with numbers, but are overly physical, you can try out the Marines ;-)

[Baruch]

Advice for young people ... take a few weekends to skim thru the yellow pages of a mid to large size city.  imagine what all those businesses do to make money.  Does any of that ring a bell?  If not, then you probably don't have much to offer an employer.  If so ... do you think you can be self employed?  Only if you want to work 80 hours a week ... and some do.  No boss is harder, than a successful self employed person is on themselves.  If you hate yourself also ... then unemployment might be your destiny.

[aitm]

Yeah, I am really tired of my job, mostly because my babble thumper bosses don't think I am pious enough and I don't get to do the shit I really excel at. So I just run construction projects and don't get to manage or bid anymore cause I don't have "gods grace". They don't say that , but that is the reason. But yes, I do it because the money is good. So ….meh..I imagine the % of peeps who hate their jobs is about 90 and those who don't have a job is about 40 and those who have a job and hate it is about 60 and those who are just trying to fucking eat is around 40. Okay,,,,I can deal with a partially shitty job that pays well. Life is subjective.

[Baruch]

Yeah, I am really tired of my job, mostly because my babble thumper bosses don't think I am pious enough and I don't get to do the shit I really excel at. So I just run construction projects and don't get to manage or bid anymore cause I don't have "gods grace". They don't say that , but that is the reason. But yes, I do it because the money is good. So ….meh..I imagine the % of peeps who hate their jobs is about 90 and those who don't have a job is about 40 and those who have a job and hate it is about 60 and those who are just trying to fucking eat is around 40. Okay,,,,I can deal with a partially shitty job that pays well. Life is subjective.

One can choose to be thankful for the status quo, even if not a theist.  Don't thank G-d, thank the people you meet at work, thank your customers, thank your bosses.  But it isn't easy, even for a theist.  I have to work on gratitude constantly.

[kilodelta]

If you are not good with numbers, but are overly physical, you can try out the Marines ;-)

Hey! I resemble that remark...