# I should've followed what ISTJ told me



## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

Like in my intro, I'm an ISTJ and we're advised by our personality not to go into anything that includes the entertainment industry. We are, after all, more on structures and institutions wherein there are rules to be followed and implemented. I like that, I love following guidelines and working on a schedule and knowing that I will finish the job if I only follow the rules. But just before College, I wanted an adventure, I wanted to try something new and go against my nature. I really _reall__y_ thought I could do it.

A month into College, a month into arts and broadcasting... all I want is to get out. I can do it if I just work hard and I kind of survived because I'm a fourth year now and almost graduating. What I don't know is if I can _really _do it. I'll be graduating (hopefully) by next year if I manage to finish this year. Problem is with the internship I need to apply for and the thesis I need to write and the future I need to plan, I'm stressed with all the working hard on this course.

I survived three years studying broadcasting, what I'm not so sure is surviving the rest of my life working in this field. I love the field of broadcasting and entertainment, working for it is kind of my problem.

I didn't transfer courses because my older sister is already taking 7 years of College for a 4 year course. My parents are really mad at her for not taking it seriously, and I don't want them to worry or pay more money for me if I transferred.

I hate asking for advise, but I don't know what to do. Everyone around me believes I'm good at this (broadcasting) but that's only because I put in 300% effort in everything I do (it's taking up all of my energy) so I can't tell them. Should I just accept what I chose and suck it up? What? Help?


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## Ballast (Jun 17, 2013)

First things first: do you have an alternative?

What would you rather study and what do you think you will enjoy doing? If you have an answer to that question, I don't think it'd be the worst thing in the world to turn around and focus on that. I know you've put a lot of investment into this path, but the worst thing you can do is continue and put 5 or 10 or 20 years _more_ investment in it, only to then realize way way later that this is miserable and you just can't continue. If you think of it that way, turning around now would be far more sensible.

So maybe it's time to develop a new game plan?


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## LostTheMarbles (Mar 4, 2012)

A few little bits of advice that might help you out:


Don't let your personality type dictate what you do or tell you what's good for you, you probably chose this course and career route for a reason, you probably know yourself better than some overly generic online profile.
A degree is just a qualification, it shows people that you can learn and work hard towards qualifications, don't go thinking that it ties you to a specific field or career.
You can define your own career within any industry, it sounds like you really enjoy the film industry so just find a job within it that suit you, it might not happen straight away but even basic experience will open doors for you.
You'll work hard on any degree course you move to, "the grass is always greener on the other side"

Just hang in there, there's not long left now.


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## sriracha (Sep 19, 2010)

For us ISTJs, we can be good at literally _anything_, if we put our mind to it. Because we are so focused and hardworking, we can become well-rounded and pursue the passions that we aren't naturally good at but we enjoy. Here's what I got from reading your post. You wanted to try something new and that is why you chose this field. Being the ISTJ, you've put in every effort you got to complete your work and master the subject. You are great at doing the work and everyone around you agrees with that. Now you are questioning yourself if you can really do it, meaning if you can work in this field for the rest of your life.

Fi is kicking in. You need to question yourself if you truly enjoy this work. Really think about it (because from what you wrote, it looks like you don't). If not this field, then what field? If there is no answer to that, then maybe you need to keep exploring. You wrote that you wanted to try something new. Maybe the 'trying something new' is the fascinating part that you like? You need to expose yourself to more subjects so that you can narrow down and decide what you are good at, what comes easy to you, and what you enjoy to do. 

It looks like you're stuck between your parents and friends, and your own values. All I've got to say is Follow your heart. As ISTJs, we're not so in tune with our feelings. But with this, there is definitely conflict, meaning that your heart wants something different from what your friends say. People change majors all the time, they extend their college time, etc. You'll just end up being one of them, if you do continue to attend college. If you stick with this, and graduate, and develop a career in this, will you truly be satisfied and happy? It's good that you have the experience now to know what you like and don't like. Honestly, I think you already know what you're supposed to do. You just need confirmation to go forward with it. It's because you may feel that you have 'lost' time and energy through out the years, not following through with your plans-that's what may be scary. But move forward and trust yourself. It's never going to be easy, but it will be worth it.


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## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

Ballast said:


> First things first: do you have an alternative?


This is one of the problems. When I realized I'm so tired from putting so many effort in a field I'm not even sure I still like, I tried to think of an alternative. If I wasn't here, where would I want to be?

One day I decided to walk around my University's whole campus and watched every student of different courses and tried to look at myself in their shoes. _Would I do well in this? Do I like that? Will I be better here?_ I tried asking myself these questions because if I wasn't in Broadcasting, where would I be?

The answer I came up with? I still have no idea. One of the reasons I'm so scared to leave broadcasting is because there is no alternative.

Thank you for answering me.



LostTheMarbles said:


> Just hang in there, there's not long left now.


This is what I always keep telling myself whenever I feel too tired: it won't be long now. Thank you. I will try and hang onto it more and maybe, just like you said, I will find what I want to do through this.



rawr_sheila said:


> For us ISTJs, we can be good at literally _anything_, if we put our mind to it. Because we are so focused and hardworking, we can become well-rounded and pursue the passions that we aren't naturally good at but we enjoy. Here's what I got from reading your post. You wanted to try something new and that is why you chose this field. Being the ISTJ, you've put in every effort you got to complete your work and master the subject. You are great at doing the work and everyone around you agrees with that. Now you are questioning yourself if you can really do it, meaning if you can work in this field for the rest of your life.
> 
> Fi is kicking in. You need to question yourself if you truly enjoy this work. Really think about it (because from what you wrote, it looks like you don't). *If not this field, then what field?* If there is no answer to that, then maybe you need to keep exploring. You wrote that you wanted to try something new. Maybe the 'trying something new' is the fascinating part that you like? You need to expose yourself to more subjects so that you can narrow down and decide what you are good at, what comes easy to you, and what you enjoy to do.
> 
> It looks like you're stuck between your parents and friends, and your own values. All I've got to say is Follow your heart. As ISTJs, we're not so in tune with our feelings. But with this, there is definitely conflict, meaning that your heart wants something different from what your friends say. People change majors all the time, they extend their college time, etc. You'll just end up being one of them, if you do continue to attend college. If you stick with this, and graduate, and develop a career in this, will you truly be satisfied and happy? It's good that you have the experience now to know what you like and don't like. Honestly, I think you already know what you're supposed to do. You just need confirmation to go forward with it. It's because you may feel that you have 'lost' time and energy through out the years, not following through with your plans-that's what may be scary. But move forward and trust yourself. It's never going to be easy, but it will be worth it.


I have a back-up plan on what to do, you're right. But the back-up plan involves a decision on what I'll be doing after, if ever I do finish this course right now. I try and try to keep thinking but my mind keeps on trying to tell me to stop so I can concentrate on finishing first. It's all complicated that even I'm not so sure anymore what it is I want.

Everytime I try and think of transferring, I have huge problems like 1) I don't want to give up on what I already started even though I may or may not like it anymore, 2) where am I going if I don't like this? and 3) I don't want to disappoint my parents because it's my duty to finish College and work to help my youngest sister finish school. But either way, moving or not moving, I feel like I'm going to let down both myself and my family.

Thank you for answering and sorry for rambling again at your reply.

Oh and completely out of topic, umm, hi Jaejoong! He's gorgeous, damnit.


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## LostTheMarbles (Mar 4, 2012)

Maybe you could talk to your personal tutors (I assume you have one?), they'll have seen all this before, they'll know exactly what to do, they'll have seen this all before.

University should be about balance, work hard, party hard


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## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

LostTheMarbles said:


> Maybe you could talk to your personal tutors (I assume you have one?), they'll have seen all this before, they'll know exactly what to do, they'll have seen this all before.
> 
> University should be about balance, work hard, party hard


No tutors, I'm one of those people who would rather work alone than ask for help from anyone. My sister's only advice is: Suck it up. Not very helpful but makes some sense.

I'm one of those almost University graduates who never went to a single party--I must be doing something wrong! (Never much for parties, too many socializing to be done)


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## LostTheMarbles (Mar 4, 2012)

fallingraindrops said:


> No tutors, I'm one of those people who would rather work alone than ask for help from anyone.


I was 29 before I asked anyone for help, it made my whole life a lot easier and more fun.


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## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

LostTheMarbles said:


> I was 29 before I asked anyone for help, it made my whole life a lot easier and more fun.


I should learn that to make my life easier!


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## LostTheMarbles (Mar 4, 2012)

fallingraindrops said:


> I should learn that to make my life easier!


Give it a try, you'll realize how much (most) people care, how little you have to lose by doing so and how much other people can offer you.

I've got 2 degrees, the last one was so stressful that I ended up in hospital, would have been a whole lot simpler if I'd let people know what was going on and how much stress I was under.


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## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

LostTheMarbles said:


> Give it a try, you'll realize how much (most) people care, how little you have to lose by doing so and how much other people can offer you.
> 
> I've got 2 degrees, the last one was so stressful that I ended up in hospital, would have been a whole lot simpler if I'd let people know what was going on and how much stress I was under.


One of my problems with asking for help, though, is that I worry about putting some burden on them at having to help me. I'd rather not.

I'm sorry to hear that. Thank you for the suggestion, I'll keep that in mind and maybe I won't end up in the hospital too before I learn my lesson.


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## LostTheMarbles (Mar 4, 2012)

fallingraindrops said:


> One of my problems with asking for help, though, is that I worry about putting some burden on them at having to help me. I'd rather not.


Just ask, they can always say no.


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## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

LostTheMarbles said:


> Just ask, they can always say no.


Good point, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you very much.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Isn't broadcasting a pretty broad field? I mean you have TV anchors and radio hosts and people out front but there are a ton of people behind the scenes. ISTJ's need structure and there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff that requires structure. How about stuff like selling ads or something and tailoring those ads to specific TV shows or radio channels and their demographics? How about coming up with the programming of the channels? There has to be something that suits your personality type within the broadcasting field that you will excel in.


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## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

@fallingraindrops
Find your niche knowing CS, law, communications and psychology degrees for example are often gateway courses towards better things... better yet remind yourself what your hobbies are and merge what drew you to your course i.e. technology and communications reporting (?).
In my case I finished a branch of Computer Science, grew to despise the technical side but found out too late that I really favoured the business aspects and was 2/3 of the way through 'a degree I hated'* but it was too late to change to business or psychology as I desired. 

*After 4 months of complete burnout completing a 'subject' I disliked after-by graduation I had still achieved a 5.0 GPA but in the process had to rediscover what I had always liked about the subject area; still not coding and design or IT as I had always assumed but rather the business side of IT outside technologies implemented (or developments required).


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## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

PowerShell said:


> Isn't broadcasting a pretty broad field? I mean you have TV anchors and radio hosts and people out front but there are a ton of people behind the scenes. ISTJ's need structure and there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff that requires structure.


That is exactly, actually, my only comfort. I may not be suited for voice in radio or face in TV but I could work behind the scenes, which is what I prefer.

Not like any sane broadcasting would accept me, I have a lisp.



StElmosDream said:


> @fallingraindrops
> Find your niche knowing CS, law, communications and psychology degrees for example are often gateway courses towards better things... better yet remind yourself what your hobbies are and merge what drew you to your course i.e. technology and communications reporting (?).
> In my case I finished a branch of Computer Science, grew to despise the technical side but found out too late that I really favoured the business aspects and was 2/3 of the way through 'a degree I hated'* but it was too late to change to business or psychology as I desired.
> 
> *After 4 months of complete burnout completing a 'subject' I disliked after-by graduation I had still achieved a 5.0 GPA but in the process had to rediscover what I had always liked about the subject area; still not coding and design or IT as I had always assumed but rather the business side of IT outside technologies implemented (or developments required).


At that point, you're right. Even though I may kind of not like my course anymore, there is something it did teach me--that I still like studying and I want to study some more.

Which reminds me, I do like IT.


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

@fallingraindrops

Two pieces of advice from someone who's had a similar experience (I picked a major that required working alone, only to realize after graduation that I was too extroverted to pursue it as a career):

1. Career paths and college degrees are not straightforward. There's rarely a black-white transition (such as biology major = biologist). You are not required to pursue a career in broadcasting because that's what you majored in. Identify what you liked about your major and what skills you acquired while completing it (such as project management, keeping a schedule, herding cattle-- oops, I mean actors) and see what kinds of careers require those talents. Most skill sets have a wide range of application. I guarantee if you look around you'll see new and different things to try.

2. Continuing education. Continuing education. Continuing education. I can't say it enough. If you really want to make a steady transition into another field, go back to school (preferably a cheap community college) and take classes in whatever the hell catches your fancy. Try out different classes, talk to the teachers and professionals who practice in those fields (ESPECIALLY talk to professionals who practice-- this can save you from years of wasted effort on the wrong career path), and see what aspects of each field you like. This will make it much easier for you to transition in the long run. 

On another note, look up jobs online and see what the descriptions are. Find a few that you like the sound of and see what kinds of skills they require. Try your hand at learning some (this is what 30-day trial subscriptions were made for). You'll find out quickly if that's what you want to be doing day in and out for a couple years. 

Most of all, remember that you are young, and that the average person (at least in the U.S.) changes jobs five times before 25 and usually has more than one career over a lifetime. You are not doomed to broadcast journalism. You can be whatever the hell you want if you're willing to take the time to learn new skills. 

Sorry if this sounds preachy-- I'm literally in the process of making my career transition, so I'm really wrapped up in this atm.


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## fallingraindrops (Jun 23, 2013)

Marlowe said:


> Identify what you liked about your major and what skills you acquired while completing it (such as project management, keeping a schedule, *herding cattle-- oops, I mean actors)* and see what kinds of careers require those talents.


I will admit, this one stuck to me because one of the things I learned from Broadcasting that actors are really hard to deal with--even those that are just debuting. Dealing with them might be the hardest part of studying what I'm studying.

And thank you, I'll keep all of those in mind. It's easier to know that I'm not the only one who felt that because everyone around me just seem to love what they took so it's hard to talk to them.


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