STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Metric · Gucci

I'm Lost

atlgirl · Gucci

Depending on where you want to go to school, is there some sort of career guidance on campus that you could talk to? Or even a separate type of career-placement/planning agency (I know there is a name for this, but it escapes me just now).

Alternatively, you could take the Myers-Briggs (or some form of) and that might at least give you a nudge in one direction or other. That test is amazingly accurate in most instances, IMO.

You could go to the library and peruse some career-oriented books (or to the bookstore and check out what's in the self-help sections)...

Just my first thoughts...

relrel · Marc Jacobs

Can you envision yourself doing anything in the future long-term? I mean, not for a long time...but a very long time into the future. When you picture yourself at 40 or 50 years, what are you doing? If you can't come up with that, can you at least picture what you are wearing? I know that sounds really stupid but if you can't picture the work itself, perhaps picturing what you are wearing or the people who you want to be around or what type of environment that might give you a clue.

For example....I love all aspects of my job, all things health related. However, I can't picture myself wearing a white coat and seeing patients so no doctor, and I can't picture myself wearing jeans and comfy shoes so no community health (just generalizations!!!!). However, I can totally picture myself wearing a suit-like outfit and heels, so policy!! Ta da!

If you want to work in a creative environment or in a business environment...that might tell you something as well.

I think you should become a tattoo artist personally.

Mandy · Kate Spade

There is the question from Office Space...

If you won a million dollars, what would you want to do? I love the answer of nothing, but maybe there is something you can picture yourself doing if you didn't *need* the money and just wanted to do something fulfilling.

Farrah · Marc Jacobs

Before I offer an opinion a question or two:
1. What do you have a degree in?
2. Have you considered any fields that you would be interested in (even if only for a moment)? What are they?

cahabo · Kate Spade

I'm sort of in the same situation. Although I am in school, I don't know what I want to do, just what I don't want to do. So I just decided to just take the required courses for now and now I am taking a career planning strategies class that hopefully will help me decide. I'm sure a career guidance counselor could help too.

Metric · Gucci

Farrah wrote:

Before I offer an opinion a question or two:
1. What do you have a degree in?
2. Have you considered any fields that you would be interested in (even if only for a moment)? What are they?

1. my degree is in professional cooking, I am a Red Seal certified Chef. Which technically is a trade diploma, not a degree.

2. Some of the things I was thinking about were maybe marketing, business admin, I love to write (short stories) but I don't know if I could make a career out of it. I like to put things together, create things. I am good at being in control, being in charge and getting others organized.

I know what I don't want to do...I don't like working with kids or sick people. I can't do anything medical or blood related. I don't want to work somewhere that would require night shifts. I don't want to go back to school for something that is going to take years and years to complete. And I'm not great at math.

In saying that, I'm not afraid of hard work; I am excellent at multitasking and organization. I am creative, I'm passionate about art and music.

And I know this sounds a little weird, but I'd like to be paid well. The restaurant industry pays cr*p and I'd really like to make enough money that I'm not just scraping by anymore. I'm not hoping to get rich, I just want to be able to support myself.

Farrah · Marc Jacobs

What about a career in Mass Communication (Journalism) or Broadcasting? Both of those fields would allow you to be creative and/or write.

jj · Kate Spade

Here are the first things that popped into my mind:

- a communications job sounds great - while you have the chance, you could take some classes and write articles for a local publication. I live in a fairly small town, but in addition to the regular daily papers, we have around 10-15 local pubs that come out weekly/monthly. It would be a great way to get some experience. Freelancing is another option.

- it sounds like you have the skills to be a project manager at a company, and some business school classes could help give you more experience.

- this could be incredibly dull, I don't know, but office managers for doctors' practices and offices do extremely well. One of my friends is one for a cosmetic surgeon with an adjoining spa - sometimes there's a lot of drama because it's all women, but she likes it and there are tons of perks like free Botox.

cinderella4282 · BCBG

With you loving to write, I think JJ's thought of the communications field is a wonderful idea. Entry level jobs are fairly easy to find. And although they don't have the world's best starting salaries, once you get in the door and the company realizes you have talent, they often raise your salary.

I have been at my company almost three years and have already been promoted three times. I started as a Marketing Assistant and am now a Graphic Specialist. And I get to go on photo shoots and get out of the office sometimes which I LOVE!!!!!

And with your background in the food industry, you are probably very good at working with others and under pressure. These talents would come in handy in the Marketing World!

-- Edited by cinderella4282 at 21:52, 2007-05-10

Suasoria · Chanel

I know you said 'no restaurants,' but here are some things that popped into my head based on the above suggestions and given the skills and expertise you already have:

- You could write reviews of new cookbooks for a magazine or newspaper. Or be a restaurant/hotel/spa reviewer. (A degree in journalism would be something to shoot for.) Or you could write your own cookbook. Or write recipes/foodie articles for publication. Even if none of this interests you long-term, writing about cooking would be a logical way to transition to a writing career.

- You could go into marketing and PR or consulting for restaurants. Or write a book for people in the industry/trade. Or work for the Food Channel in a production capacity, or for one of the PBS food shows, or a local TV cooking show. You sound like you have the mindset of a producer - being in charge, running things, etc. Again, the idea is to transition to the entertainment industry using your existing experience.

- You could run a catering and events company, which would definitely make use of your organizational skills. How great would it be to make a living having parties?

I'm still thinking...

Kitty · Hermes

You might like marketing communications. I'm actually kinda getting out of that field, because I don't like desk jobs, but it's probably the only desk job I could stand. There's a lot of creativity involved. About 50% of my job is writing and the rest is design, interviewing, etc.