Still not sure I actually have one.
My interests when I was young were music and sports (and girls). I wasn't good enough at sports to play them professionally, but I might have enjoyed being a broadcaster or sports reporter. I did try music for awhile (played in a band professionally - even though I wasn't really good enough at that either); however, one of my friend's father played professionally his entire life, and I did not want to end up like him. He made a living - (barely) - but was away from his family for probably 9 months out of 12. Seemed to me with music you either made a lot of money, or made little money, there wasn't much inbetween. Not, mind you, that money was all that important to me, then or now. But I wanted to at least not have to struggle just to pay the bills each month.
And lastly there was the law. In my pre-teen years I always thought I would be a lawyer. In fact, I studied Political Science in college for that very reason. I got my degree at night in 5 years, and by the time I graduated I was pretty burnt out on school - and also had a job making fairly decent money by then. I did end up going to law school later on, but did not graduate. By then I had a wife and baby. The wife did not appreciate being home all day with the baby while I worked, and then being alone with the baby at night while I went to school (probably the seeds of our divorce were initially planted there). During that period we relocated from Texas to NJ for my job, and I never re-enrolled in law school once I got back to NJ.
I don't really regret any of that, and feel that the actual practice of law is probably very different than my idealized vision of it. As with most things, the view from inside is usually very different than the view from outside.
Anyway, enough of being serious. I made it to retirement. I raised two kids and put them through college. The path not taken is just that - not taken. But that should answer your question - I don't want to go back to work. I probably should get more involved in things like coaching youth sports. However I'd just feel somewhat strange doing that without a kid who is playing. I'd be that strange, old single guy who wants to hang around with young boys.
But how about you? Success aside, are you doing what you want to do?
Thanks Mike, that’s a pretty good précis of 45 years of a working life. Interesting that you considered Law as a career or journalism; just through this thread I always thought you were pretty sharp on detail and a talented wordsmith, both requisites for those two jobs.
And I fully understand what you are saying about the law being different in practice than looking in from the outside. When I was on jury service I was not impressed with the tedious nature of it and second, when I see how interns are treated especially in the large firms with 14-16 hour days on a regular basis, it’s not a profession I would encourage anyone from entering.
I also considered being a pro musician and, like you, I was for a time before being offered a twelve month contract in a band, playing on board a cruise ship and strangely, that’s when I decided to ditch music as a career. I was looking for something more definite than a musician’s life and I also realised that I wasn't very talented either. I should say here that I was brought up on a housing estate; my Dad was a skilled blue collar worker who had to scrimp and save every penny he and my Mom made to have a decent life. My first place where I lived when my parents moved hundreds of miles away was a high rise block of flats. "Apartments" is not a word that could be used to describe them!
But I had a sense, a very strong sense that I could have a great life with a very high standard of living and very different to my life thus far if only I could find and unlock that particular door to what I was looking for.
Teachers at school in the careers department told us that you had to choose a job you could be good at or were qualified for; I was looking for lifestyle. And I left school with virtually no qualifications because I was lazy, lacked focus, was immature, didn't listen and had discovered girls. But I could play guitar! And as I quickly found out, being a guitarist in a band equalled girls. And lot’s of them too.
Then one day, when I was working training as an electronics technician (by that time I had realised that I need to focus and get something done about my poor schooling so enrolled on a night-school course for electronics and got a trainee’s job with a local firm) I saw through the windows into the office and saw a guy who seemingly came in a 10am, went to lunch at noon; came back at 2pm, never worked after 4pm; never worked Fridays and was always talking to the girls in the office. He also had the coolest car in the car-park.
I thought to myself then that I didn’t know what job he did but it looked ideal to me! When I found he was a salesman, the die was cast.
I have loved my life as a technical salesman; it has paid for me to visit over 44 countries of the World, meet some truly inspiring people, given me tremendous focus and job satisfaction and launched me into a whole new career of General Management. And it has also given me a good income and of course, frequent vacations.
Along the way I have had to work hard; getting my MBA whilst holding down a responsible job with a young family and house to support was not easy. And I always worked hard to achieve results for whoever I was working for.
I have tried not to be a management poser; I remember only too well some of the idiots that I encountered along the way and try to remember that people respond best to encouragement and positivity and not to tongue lashings and public humiliation.
Over the years I have participated in many psychometric tests and they confirm to me that given my personal characteristics, traits and preferences, I have chosen the best career for me.
The saddest part for me of accepting this job in Dubai is realising that I no longer have ten years ahead of me to plan my career anymore; this is either the last or last but one move for me and it is very difficult to get my head around.
Sure, I will have many interests to keep me going when I retire; music, gardening, painting, sculpting, woodwork (very similar to Guys list!). But not to have a career and a job of “significance” is difficult to comprehend for me.
So in answer to your question, yes, I did find the right door to open and did eventually find my calling and for that, I am very, very grateful.
P.S. This web site sucks. Why is it always the long posts that end up getting trashed????
I don't seem to have so many problems as you guys with this site but it does take ages to load and post.
