After a week of non-stop job applications almost every time I'm at home, I've been contemplating what I might have done if I hadn't studied animal management at college the first time around (or specialised in dog training this time around).

So if you could, what career might you do instead of what you do now?  And include what you do as well, the comparison will be interesting!

Me, right now I'm in a kennels till about 3 hours' time, then who knows what.  All but one of my jobs have been animal related, and I've wanted to work with animals since I can remember.  But, if I were to follow my other interests - I could have been an astronomer or an astrophysicist, or maybe a psychologist - or even a criminal psychologist, that I'd love to do!  Or on another tangent, forensics I love (take after my sister in that respect).  Who knows, maybe one day I'll be working two completely different careers :D

What about everyone else?

Sadly I am so institutionalised into the world of investment management I cant think of anything else I could do right now.

If I had my time again I would like to work for the foreign and commonwealth office - based in different embassies around the world....fantastic!

Maxine

I work as an IT tutor but I've always wanted to be a midwife, even at school but I never had the motivation or encouragement to go out and do anything about it, it was just expected I would leave school (no exams) and work in a factory to bring money in.  I went back to college myself and got qualificatons whilst still working in said factory and now I'm here.  Some say it's not too late to become a midwife at 45 but for me it is, I'm too far down the road of IT teaching now to turn back.  But who knows what the future holds?  Never say never x

Im a Medical Secretary to a Dermatologist but if I could do anything I would be in the Kings Cavalry/ a mounted police woman or a horse whisperer (I have qualified as a HW but dont get chance to practice it much). :)

I'm one of those really boring folk - an accountant done it since I was 16 Hate it with a passion but pays well !!! What I would really like to do which will never happen now is maybe the fire service or police something rewarding and everyday doing something different

Good luck with your job search

Another Medical Secretary here but in ENT.  I've always wanted to go into acting, so a slight difference there :d

I started as an engineer, now a lecturer in computing. If I could be anything I wanted I'd like to be a doctor or an astronaut I think.

The job I do now is not one that I ever set out to do, I just sort of fell into it at a time when I was just trying to pay the bills while I figured out what I really wanted to do with my life.  I started with the organisation as a temp. clerical officer but found I enjoyed the work and worked my way up quite quickly.  I am currently a senior housing officer but my official title is Accommodation Officer as I work in a specialised field with a particular client group who, traditionally, don't tend to live in houses :)

Most days I really enjoy my job.  I get to travel all over this little country and meet loads of people.  I'm always picking up new skills and every day is different.  Boredom certainly isn't an issue! It can be frustrating too and infuriating and, some days, downright impossible :(  But just occasionally it can be very rewarding too.  I probably won't do it for ever as it is recognised that the 'burn out' rate is very high but, for now, I can't really think what other job I'd rather be doing.

I started off as a Veterinary Nurse, went through all sorts of Accounting/Admin/Rep/Sales jobs.  Ran quarantine/boarding kennel before dog grooming.  I just wish that I'd started grooming years before.  It's the only job that I've ever had where I didn't wake up some mornings and not want to go to work.  I truly loved every working day, even enjoyed educating some of the stooooopid owners and made a good living.  To me the perfect job. :D 
I even trained as a therapist midway through grooming but couldn't stand the pathetic clients.  I wanted to give them my 'slap-round-the-face-get-a-life' therapy but that wasn't what I was trained to do! :rolleyes:

>I wanted to give them my 'slap-round-the-face-get-a-life' therapy but that wasn't what I was trained to do!

A bit like vet-receptioning then! ;) :D

A bit like vet-receptioning then!

Similar in many ways JG.  Probably why I've always preferred working with animals than their owners! :D

>I even trained as a therapist midway through grooming but couldn't stand the pathetic clients.  I wanted to give them my 'slap-round-the-face-get-a-life' therapy but that wasn't what I was trained to do! :rolleyes:

LOL!! :D I ditched a masters in counselling for exactly the same reason :D My tutor from my undergraduate days agreed that it probably wouldn't be the career path for me as I'd never be able to hold my tongue with the time wasters!

>or maybe a psychologist - or even a criminal psychologist, that I'd love to do!

Yep, ditched those too :rolleyes: I have a degree in Psychology (at least I completed that!).  Ditched a criminology masters too as it was just soooo boring!  It took me quite a few attempts before I realised that academia wasn't for me and I just needed to get out in the world and get a real job!

I'm the same as Wizaid-  I do accounts and have done since leaving school.  I have lately though been considering a change in career myself- since my Son was diagnosed ADHD- I have found it a constant battle with the education system, ignorant people stuck in the dark ages etc etc not to mention coping with him myself- I've been considering going into a career helping children with special ed needs or helping families recently diagnosed to understand their childs disability and the impact it's going to have on them etc.  Not just ADHD obviously but learning disabilities etc in general.  I saw a job advertised about a year ago for a finance officer, helping young adults with various learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders, the job was to help them budget their money, apply for benefits, jobs etc etc- I soooooo regret not applying for it :-(

Stacey x

I reckon you should have a look around again Kash - in my search for jobs over the past week I've seen a fair few positions for special needs, mostly adults but I'm sure there were a couple with children as well.  Definitely worth a look.

The very traditional, girls grammar school that I went into in the late sixties/early seventies only believed in it's pupils going to university or (then) teacher training college. I didn't want to go to university :( Career advise was non-existant :( As I had two A levels in Maths (and another in French :D) I sort of drifted into Accountancy (in those days it was possible to train without a degree). My father managed to get me a job in the Electricity Board - but I wasn't allowed to be an official Trainee Accountant as I was female :( :( My boss did give me a day off a week to go to college and was so surprised that I passed the first lot of exams that he paid the fees :D Soon after, the offices shut and I was transferred to another place where the boss was more liberal and made me an official trainee :D :D The only female :) After five years and many changes of locations I finally qualified and was the first female accountant in the place :) But how I hated it - it just wasn't for me and when my son was due, I handed my notice in and said that I wouldn't be going back :D :D I've never managed to escape it though - still doing it after 30+ years :( Had I had my time again and more confidence, I'd probably gone into computing. Now tho' I'd like to study forensic psychology or work in a County Records Office - putting my love of 'getting to the bottom of things'  into effect :D :D :D

Daisy

I think I went to the same school as you Daisy!!!  I took the teacher's training option.  No careers advice at all - I hadn't a clue what I should be doing or the confidence go for anything else.  I remember thinking how brave a friend of mine was leaving after 'o' levels and going to the technical college to do a secretarial course.  My father did go to a talk on Air Traffic Control (he belonged to the Royal Observer Corps) and came back with much enthusiasm telling me that I should go for that.  Soooo glad I didn't.  Me juggling planes up in the air - no thanks.  Wish I had had more careers advice though - maybe I would have done something else.

Think I could fancy psychology, forensics, criminal profiling, and writing\ copy editing\ proofreading (especially the last one).

My DIL is a forensic scientist but at the moment is working in pharmaceutical industry and my daughter is training to be a criminal psychologist.

If I could choose any career at all I think I would quite like to be an expedition leader to far flung corners of the world. Or have a small holding :)