Open Up the Box

Okay, so exploring career options appeals to you as much as an ingrown toe nail.  

And let’s face it we all want to get them, whoever your them is, (teachers, parents, guidance counselors) off your back.  So you listened to my advise in the last post and you picked a career.  And maybe you’ve even selected one of the three careers I have listed at the top, doctor, lawyer or engineer.   Look, you say, it keeps everyone happy and you don’t have time between baseball/soft ball, SAT testing, ACT testing, prom, graduation and a social life to surf the net, ask people, and figure out another option.  Everyone’s happy you say.  Maybe, for the time being.  But let’s use that chosen one to open up the box a little more.

We’re going to use an over-simplified example with everyone’s favorite -  the enviable career of teacher.  Now I am not a teacher, so don’t condemn me just yet.  But I do think all those vacation days are to die for.  Still, I know many of you will groan and say, teacher?   I never want to set a foot in another classroom as long as I live.  Okay, that’s fine.  Here’s a way to use even the negatives associated with a career to step outside the box and broaden your career options.

So using  the top 5 reasons -  Why you would never want to be a teacher. 

1.  You don’t want to deal with little kids

2.  You don’t want to be stuck in a classroom all day

3.  You could never speak in front of that many people

4.  The pay sucks

5.  You want to be the boss

Okay, number one, you don’t want to deal with little kids, I hear you, all those birthday cupcakes, field trips to the zoo, and stickers to handle.  But don’t rule out the teacher thing yet.  There’s  High School teacher, adult education teacher, how about college professor, no little kids.

Okay, you say maybe but being stuck in a classroom all day would feel claustrophobic and stifling.  Then consider physical education coach.  You get to be outside at least some of the time, or in a large open gym.  No suit and tie. 

Then Number 3.  Could never speak in front of that many people even kids.  So  how about guidance counselor.  You sit behind a desk with only one or two chairs in front of it.  I’m not sure what exactly a guidance counselor does, but your own office, no grading, and still all those vacation days.

 

The big one.  Number 4.  Pay sucks - maybe, but you might be surprised.  And you could use all those vacation days to write a book, be a fishing guide, etc. and if you calculate that into your wage you could be earning some big bucks.

And lastly - number 5.  You want to be the boss.  I understand this completely, so  how about Principal or even School Board Superintendent.  Often these positions are filled by teachers maybe with a little more education but still teaching degrees often.  

So even the dreadful job of a teacher can be used as a spring board to open up some not so horrible possibilities.  

And if you are charting a course toward a career in education there are still a boatload of options available should you decide to switch it up.  Yet, you would not necessarily have to go back to square one.  Saving you time and money on your path to your career.

Now, being the young, bold, creative types, you can see how easily you can come up with a host of other options related to any one career.  

Broaden your scope on the career you might have selected.  You might be surprised with what you come up with.