Saturday, September 23, 2006

But I want to be a lion tamer!

I had my third and final meeting with my...sing it with me now, Monty Python fans...Vocational Guidance Counsellorrrrrrrrrrr on Thursday, and the results were no surprise. God has called me to be a chartered accountant.

Actually, I had the right idea all along. In college, my plan was to be a science writer for a newspaper or magazine, or, perhaps more realistically, a marketing or technical writer for a scientific products company. Thus, I majored in Journalism and got minors in English and Physics. (Actually, the PLAN was to double-major in Journalism AND physics, but I was too busy working and too lazy partying to study enough to get through the necessary math courses.)

After all the fancy surveys and worksheets, it turns out I test very highly in "Investigative" (that's fancy-talk for sciency/researchy stuff), "Creative" (creating and enjoying art); middling in "Social" (helping, instructing) and "Realistic" (building, repairing) and low on "Conventional" (accounting, processing data) and "Enterprising" (selling, managing).

So I was initially on the right track, but was derailed a bit when I got into the financial marketing thing. My writing and research skills enabled me to do well, but it was still "just a job" at which I never really excelled and I went part time as soon as I was able so I could take piano lessons. (It's all so clear to me now!)

The challenge now, of course, is to find something more up my alley. My counsellor seemed keen on my becoming a teacher and Argotnaut seems to feel I'd be good at that, but I'm not so sure. "Learn that algebra or I'll give you something to cry about!"

But at least now I've got validation for what I thought all along. Now I just need to find something that will involve a lot of my "high interests" and few of my "low interests." I'm thinking something along the line of audio or video production, which would be technical but also creative. Or maybe I'll do marketing and educational materials for an artificial hip manufacturer. "Not only do I write about them, I'm also a client!"

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Am I the only one reading these? Fine, I will comment I was trying to be nice and let others have their opinions...).
Don't worry about the lion taming. It's a dead-end street. The lions have to want to be tame, and that's just not going to happen (ask Siegfried and Roy).
I remember our High School English (and Bib.Lit.) teacher once ran into Mom, and asked after the kids. Mom told her what we were all doing (at that time), and the teacher replied, "Oh, they're all in communications." I guess we haven't changed much.

Anonymous said...

No, Sweet Sister, YOU are not the only one reading these. I just didn't want you to feel alone out there in cyberspace.

Yes, that teacher was Mrs. Frey. Somehow, I don't think the fact that all of us are in "communications" surprised Mrs. Frey too much.

Mom always said, though, that she never tried to stifle our "communications." (I'm sure she would have like to many times.) So, it should come as no surprise (Mrs. Frey is a perfect example) that we've all put our verbal tendencies to good use. Oh yes, using our powers for good and not for E-vil.