Ok. I'm about to finish my college (university?) course in Facility Management. However...I'm dreading the day that I'll have to work in an office like during my internships. So I'm thinking about trying to join the Marines (Dutch marines) as an officer. Does anyone else have any tips on jobs I might want to look into? I actually really don't like my studies and the only reasons I finished are: 1) It was a diverse course 2) I need a diploma to get ahead in life (or so they tell me) Any thoughts are welcome. Not just about the navy or the marines. Anything that you think I might want to take a look at. Regards Alexander
Alexander, What is it you like to do??? Try various jobs or perhaps the same job in different companies until you find what you like. Careers are like marriages - you'll spend more time at your job than you will your spouse. I tell my (college aged) kids, "Don't settle for someone you can live with. Wait until you find someone you can't live without." Keep that in mind while exploring various careers.
Wish I could tell you anything. I graduated almost two years ago now, ended up really disliking my major by the end of college but it was too late to change majors without spending another 2-3 years more in college (can't afford that). Now I have determined that the job I acquired after college isn't for me and I need a new one but I don't really know what to do. Kinda sucks
The problem is I don't really know what I like to do. I know what I DON'T like however and that's pretty much everything in my studies. It bores the hell out of me. I'd kill myself if I had to work in a desk job everyday. I like moving, sports, reading, music, working with my hands, working with people (leadership style). And all in all the marines seem to offer a pretty good package over here. (including extra college education if I wanted.) So it's still a bit of a wild idea and I'm kind of brainstorming to see if I can find anything else (re, better) still.
I believe the military is a great choice for everybody. You will learn more life lessons in a shorter period of time than anywhere else I can imagine. As a military officer, I'm sure you will be moving quite a bit as well as leading your men through various situations. People skills are developed very rapidly as you will be challenged to deal with the spectrum of personalities. This decision, my friend, should be given a great deal of consideration. Military service is NOT a easy pay check and is NOT an easy way of life. One last thing.... if you are contemplating starting a family while serving Really do some serious soul searching. Families have a very difficult time staying together while on active duty. Best of luck to you. This is a tough decision.
I envy the people who really know what they want to do. I am a "career changer" at 40. I am going back to school for a Master's in Library and Information Science. Funny thing is, I know I don't want to work in public library. Probably an academic one, or in an archives. I would really like to work in industry as a corporate librarian. LX, good luck. This requires a lot of self-searching, and you might not find the answer right away.
Alex... I guess if you have someone to pay your bills, you can afford to wait until that perfect job comes along. If I had done the same thing, I'd still be home with mom. People change careers often in their lifetime, not necessarily because they are following a dream, but because their personalities change and goals change right along with them. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I've tried many careers, each one contributing to life experiences that have been mostly rewarding for me. The good thing is that I have three retirement checks coming in now... The military will do you a world of good. I agree with Rick that you need to forgo a family for a while if you choose that path.
I would suggest looking for work that requires you to spend time 'in the field' or 'onsite' as well as in the office. I don't know exactly what kind of work is related to your degree, but I do know there are a lot of Dutch companies that do excavating, trenching, etc... (Jan de Nul type companies) where I'm sure part of the job would require you to either be onsite or at least visit the site. I've always found this type of work to be the most enjoyable.
Very true, no-one pays my bills for me however. Me and the missus live on our own. As for the moving thing. I don't think that would be as much of a problem for the Dutch Marines as for the US ones. In the Netherlands there's only 3 or so bases and they're all within a few hours distance from each other. The only other place that has a permanent base is in Aruba and the Bonaire. Like I said though, this is the brainstorming phase. As for excavating company's. It's an interesting thought. I'll have a look at it at the least. But I do have to mention that my studies have very little to do with that field.
No career decision is easy and you may end up changing careers several times in your life. There is a balance between what you think you'd like to do and what you are good at. Try making a 2 column list and then see if you can connect any of them up. Do some research on professions that have both qualities. Military life will give you many skills both personal and professional. So will the Peace Corp. Neither is for someone who isn't willing to put out 110% I had your same problem in high school. Everyone expected me to figure out wanted I wanted to do in life and prepare for it properly. I was really good with animals and loved working with and caring for them. I was also really good at math and solving problems and seeing the big picture. A third choice was music. I played the tenor sax and clarinet. That gave me a several choices I could pursue. I wanted badly to be a veterinarian but my family nor I had any money and my grades were not the best in world. I thought I'd like the world of business but I did not have any business experience or courses and they were not rated as college prep level. I loved music and did well but I was a technical player and was lousy at improvisation. So what did I do? I did what I suggest you do on the advice of my Scout Master and then I walked into the Guidance Counselor's office in the middle of summer break and had her switch me over to business courses for half of my standard college prep courses over her objections. She said college prep courses were the way to go for any chance at college. She was wrong. I took something I was good at and added something I thought I like to do and ended up getting top grades in business and going on to a top rated private business college. The point is it's not always obvious what to do in life at first and you may change your mind a few times. That's OK. If you make choices just because it's the easy path, then that is something else. Nobody can help you there. Good Luck and I hope you find your path.
