When I Grow Up

It’s fun to answer questions such as “What do you want to be when you grow up” when you are in elementary school. However, planning an education and career is not all flowers and sausages.

When I was a kid, I wanted to go to the moon. I also wanted to swim with killer whales and own my own sports store. None of those things panned out. I had to work at creating my career.
Some people know what they are destined to do from the time they can speak. However, for people in my family and my circle of friends, it takes a lot of thought, trial and error and plenty of soul searching.

No one in my family fits the mold for typical jobs. None of us are cut from the same dye that create lawyers, doctors, politicians or anything else mainstream. We don’t do anything by typical social parameters.

In fact, my brother opted out of high school in 11th grade to move to California and attend my newly formed academy. A little paperwork, research and a keen sense to find a way around anything, we worked together for the entire school year. He went back to Virginia Beach with papers in hand and started his senior year at the school he had attended as a freshman and sophomore. It was genius and worked perfect for what he needed at the time. Plus, I loved being a teacher!

My brother is now 23 and still trying to figure out what he wants to do. He is following in the footsteps of everyone before him. My dad spent a career in the Army only because of a fluke car accident. I ended up in journalism because I injured my knee. My brother hasn’t had his “accident” yet to discover his path. Nevertheless, it never hurts to look outside the box when trying to find work or a path of education that might lead to a likeable job.

Take Sims Metal Management, for example. I had never heard of the global leader in metals and electronic recycling until my dad sent me an e-mail showing their job postings. They have 230 locations on four continents and have a staff of 6,000 employees. In addition, they have nearly 30 or more jobs postings for positions across the nation.

Think you might not fit? Think again. Job openings are for National eBay Supervisor, Account Executive and a truck driver, to name a few.

Some other jobs I was surprised to learn about: a social network developer for the FBI; a parking lot line painter for the Department of Defense; and one of my favorites: a designer to come clean and stage repossessed houses. There are media liaisons for schools and languages specialists that work with foreign and non-English-speaking students.
 

The dream job is out there, you just have to find a way to create it.

Staci Dennis lives in Norfolk, VA, is married to Eric, who is awesome, and has a fat cat and two cute Puggles. She has been published in various newspapers and magazine across the nation, and worked as a reporter for 12 years. She is a contributor for Nexxt, realestatejobsiteblogs.com and armedservicesjobsblogs.com.