# How to Decide ONCE AND FOR-ALL on a Career? (17 year old)



## Redhotpengy (Jan 17, 2013)

Hello guys. This might be a lengthy post, but I would really appreciate it if you could give insight. 

As an INFP, I spend a lot of time thinking. One thought that keeps springing into my mind is what I want to do when I'm older. As I'll be starting Grade 12 in September (Senior year for those in the US), I keep contemplating on what career I want to choose when I'm older. 

How did you guys decide on a career? 

There is a huge chunk of me that wants to make films, then there's a part of me that loves health and food that wants me to become an organic farmer. However, there's a part of me that wants to travel the world and explore different cultures as an ESL teacher.

If you asked me a couple of years ago, "What do you want to be when you're older?" I definitely would have told you being a film director. Now, things get more complicated because there are so many things I want to do, so many things I like, that I deeply question wanting to do this. 

My friends and teachers, upon watching my films, always joke; you'll be the next Spielberg! One friend even told me that he'd be disappointed if one day he didn't see my name on a Hollywood film. It might sound silly, but this makes me feel obligated to become a director because of them; I want them to know that this kid who had loved making films ends up becoming a film director. That's my silver lining. However, it's a difficult field to make a living in. I also think going to college for film would be a waste of money, but currently it's the path I'm headed down. My dad is encouraging me to go but I'm skeptical that it'll be useful.

Another consideration is to travel and do some work as an ESL teacher abroad. I haven't travelled much before, but I love learning about other cultures food, language, ways of life, and immersing myself in it. Where would I get to travel as director? I wouldn't have the money! What's great about teaching is that I might have the leisure time to work on films maybe on the side, but really how would I make films abroad? I also think I would be a good teacher; I'm not outgoing, but I'm determined, friendly, persistent and a little funny. 

There's also a drive in me that wants to become a farmer because of my love for the outdoors. The freedom, wide vast fields, the quietness, the physical labour (would put me in good shape!). I could never work a day and say I just sat on my ass doing nothing. I'm very passionate about healthy, pure, fresh, and natural foods. What better way to consume them than by being on the farm itself?

I'm been blabbering on too long. Thoughts?


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## Orchidion (Jan 3, 2013)

With this 5 step program you will find the job of your dream. Success 100% garantueed.

1) Write the name of every potential career on a sheet. 
2) Distribute the papers in the room.
3) Decapitate a chicken.
4) The chicken will run around without the head for a while and eventually land on a sheet. 
5) There you have it!

If it lands on two or more sheets repeat steps 1-5.


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## PrimroseMind (Jan 28, 2013)

Thoughts? Ok... I know choosing one career path is the usual way to go but isn't it constraining..? Choosing to do one thing. And is it possible to settle for one thing too? People are so colorful within themselves that being completely content with a career option for the rest of life seems impossible. I think there will always be times when you'll want to do one thing or the other. And it will constantly change. I think that you're right in searching for the optimal variant for a career but don't think your passions, thoughts and feelings about the career won't change over time. 

Those are my current thoughts.

I might have strayed a bit off though.

Sorry if my intonation or pick of words seemed off. ..


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## DAPHNE XO (Jan 16, 2012)

There's no point choosing just one career path - the economy is ever-changing and most people have to change industries/retrain after X amount of years to stay competitive. Just go with the flow, keep note of things you particularly enjoy in school, keep doing it, see where you end up and hope you like it.


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## Aenye (Jul 13, 2013)

Career for most f the people is basically a choice between: the career that makes me happy (and usually is financially useless) and a career that will enable you to make a living. Or a career that is something in between.

You should weigh costs and losses, the benefits and disadvantages and decide what is it you are willing to sacrifice and how much. How much you can and are ready to risk.


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## Hypaspist (Feb 11, 2012)

You're not going to choose a career path at 17, not even at 21 so don't be thinking about restricting yourself to one career. I've experimented in 4 lines of work before I hit 25 and I've known people who have had 9 or more jobs before hitting 30, all in different fields. When you're young, you can mess around with different careers and base where you work off of feelings as long as you don't have any high bills (home payments, car payments, insurance payments) and see which job you enjoy the most and can afford to live off of.


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## jessnic (May 13, 2013)

I was exactly like you when I was your age and I needed to figure out my perfect college major and career choice and_ stick with it _my_ whole life!!_ Even though I had never done anything architecture-esque my whole life, on paper it sounded *perfect* and I convinced myself, my friends, and my family that it was meant to be. 

But you know, after my first year of college, I've changed my mind about a dozen times on what I wanted for my future. A major/job on paper and doing it in real life are two completely different things. You can't know if it's meant to be if you don't try it - I guarantee you there are parts of every job that you won't like. I would be dead-set on having a career in film (like you!) one week, and then the next week I'd question everything again, and then the next week I'd want to be a teacher - and then rinse and repeat.

I was so frustrated with myself for not knowing what I wanted to do no matter how many tests I took, people I talked to, and articles/books I read, that I just gave up. I tried not to think about it at all for two months straight (which was a long time for me ), and I was pretty miserable cuz family members or my professors would ask what I wanted to do and all I could say was, "I don't know."

But _that's OK!_ I grew to accept the fact that I_ don't_ know what I was going to end up like in the future and I'm okay with that. Things will always be changing, you're never the same person you were a few hours ago, let alone a few years ago. You will try things out in the future through clubs or volunteering that just clicks with you - opportunities will come up that you'll want to take even if it never fit into your "plan" for a career, and you'll want to take them. And you should.

A major is just a major. It's the first stepping stone to your future, and there are so many steps after that you can take, and they will change so many things. There's no way of knowing what you'll be like in the future. Be okay with that. We are both *so* young, and it's hard for us to accept that, because at this moment we're the oldest we've ever been, but there's a world of possibilities out there and we haven't even lived a quarter of our lives yet! We don't know what it's like to be 30 or 40 or 50, and no matter how much we think we do, we just don't. Because we haven't lived that yet. I congratulate you for wanting to figure things out and for thinking of what you value and what you want out of life, but you're just too young to_ know _yet. It's good to think about it, but it's one thing to think about your future and another thing to plan it all out when you haven't been able to try anything out yet. You don't know yourself as well as you think you do. Trust me.

PLEASE do what I never did and just go in as undecided. That's honestly my _biggest _regret. I went to a college specifically for my major and didn't even consider to go to a school that had other majors I was considering. And now I'm stuck at a school that's super expensive and I have to get a degree in three years because the architecture program was so intense I had no electives and now I'm starting all over. And I don't have options for majors that I would've had at other schools that would've been way cheaper.

Keep all your options open. You will figure it out eventually. Don't grow up too fast.


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## Redhotpengy (Jan 17, 2013)

Thank you all for your wonderful responses! Especially jessnic, that was wonderful.


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## Red_Setting_Sun (Jun 20, 2013)

Since you're an INFP, why don't you ask your Fi? INFPs are incredible in that they can work endlessly tirelessly for their values. What are yours? I think that's your key question.

My INFP best friend has devoted every freaking waking moment of his life to his mission and has got a detailed plan for every minute in his day (or night, as he's a night-dweller). You don't have to be this extreme, and maybe you don't want to do anything at all, but you have incredible potential as I picture you.

Do you even want to make films? It's important that what you do not only satisfies others, but also yourself. It has to come from within, or else you will come to a point in your life and wonder what the hell you have done. Also remember that you are free. You might feel obligated to do this or that, and maybe university isn't the thing for you if you want to make films. You can do _anything_ and I can promise you that you will value the experience, and trust me when I say that no creative product suffers from the creator actually having _lived_ a bit before making it. You can do whatever you want, you just have to dare.


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## bluekitdon (Dec 19, 2012)

1. Write down things that you enjoy doing.
2. Write down things that you are good at.
3. Look at any of those two that overlap that you can get people to pay for. Do that.


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## Redhotpengy (Jan 17, 2013)

Hey guys! I think I've come to a potential conclusion,

I've decided that pursuing an artistic craft at this stage in my life may not be the best for me. I really want to see the world and to learn about different cultures. I want to experience them, learning new things and building up my cooking/language/overall experience repertoire. I don't want to settle down.

Then, maybe after about 10 years of working (really depends on how I feel), I might settle down somewhere. Maybe back in Canada, maybe somewhere abroad. That's when I'll start working on my film ambition.

I don't like wanting to be stuck to doing one thing. Why not multiple? Who knows, maybe one day I'll become a chef, or perhaps a farmer... easier said than done, especially if one day I had children.

I'm really happy about what I came up with, and I wanted to thank those who posted in this thread and gave me very insightful advice. Without it, I wouldn't have came up with a potential plan like this one. 

Cheers. :wink:

Next step, getting my parents to take me seriously...


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## Snow (Oct 19, 2010)

Choosing a career based solely on its lucrative potential will end up making you less money than choosing one that you enjoy. The obvious reasons including you will suck at it eventually and stop applying yourself, and you'll quit or start job hopping.

Stereotypical issues you face as an INFP should be examined, and compared to see if you're willing to overcome those issues or not (and be realistic about it; willing to and doing it are two different things).


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## Gnome (Jul 27, 2013)

Imo, you never fully decide on a career. There is always the potential to cross pollinate or to migrate completely at a later time. People ALWAYS change.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

You're 17. It's statistically unlikely in the modern economy you will have one life long career. In fact I have met people who did what their parents told them to do, or what they thought was "right" then by 30 hate their job but have all these bills to pay or a family or loans they took out, and wonder if they actually did the right thing by doing what they thought they were "supposed to" do.

My bff has been a graphic artist since she was in her early twenties, and at one point owned her own small business before finding it too stressful and going back to work for a larger firm.

I dated a guy for a while who went to school for marketing, worked in things like production management, switched to advertising, started writing while in advertising, now does freelance writing (including some advertising though no longer with a large firm) and wants to write screen plays. This is all by his early 30s this happened.

I have worked in sales, the restaurant business, adult entertainment, freelance writing and part-time editing, massage, and pet grooming, as well as multiple short-term or private ventures. I am currently back in school (I was a lit major before, hence the freelance writing and editing) doing a wildlife and forestry conservation certification since June, am being trained as a docent for the Audubon society starting next week (this is volunteer experience that will count as a form of job related skills building on my resume) ..that I am going to follow up with a minimum of six credit hours of environmental biology and zoology in order to quality for a level 3/4 job with the national forestry service; I may even seek an A.S. in Forestry Tech. 

My favorite teacher in high school had four children and waitressing jobs before becoming a secondary level English teacher in her 30s. By her 40s she had a master's degree and taught on the university level.


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## Uralian Hamster (May 13, 2011)

Just try different jobs out and see where they take you. After a few years in the work force you may not know what you would like to do career-wise, but you'll know how you like to work and what environments you're more suited to work in. This can help you decide which occupations would be worth pursuing and which wouldn't. 

Basically, you can't theorize about what careers you'll love. That decision needs to be based off of experience.


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## chimeric (Oct 15, 2011)

bollocks said:


> Basically, you can't theorize about what careers you'll love. That decision needs to be based off of experience.


That.

Otherwise, you just run around in circles.


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## Arbite (Dec 26, 2010)

Nothing wrong with being indecisive. My degree progression in the last three years looks like:

Mech Engineering/Science
Theoretical Physics/Psych
Applied Chemistry
Human Movement/Biomedical Engineering


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