When I was 5 my parents asked me “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. A teacher. Then I wanted to be a doctor, then a sports woman and so on. Every time my eyes were caught by something new, I would change my career. It was easy back then since I wasn’t having any.
After finishing the first 8 years of school it came the time to chose a high-school (this is the system in Romania). My folks told me that becoming a primary school or kindergarten teacher would be a pretty good choise: it’s a nice “warm” place, I love kids, I can earn a wage and be able to sustain myself financialy. We were very poor back then and it was a good deal.
I was able to get into the high-school after a grueling set of aptitude exams and the normal set of tests anyone would have to pass. It was hard, but I made it. I had to stay there for 5 years (as compared to the “normal” schools, where the high-school years were just 4).
All went fine, I graduated and was ready to also try some college. After 5 years of learning how to be a good teacher I turned my back on this and wanted to go into the radio business. My folks were shocked, mad, you name it. I went to a local radio station and made it through the interview and the voice tests. I was accepted there, at 20, the youngest and the only one with absolutely zero radio experience.
I wanted to learn so I worked like crazy. For half an year I didn’t get paid at all since I was in some sort of a trial period and my family was mad at me. Instead of a small wage, but still money, I was working 5 times more then I would do in a class and got paid nothing.
Yes, I was into a good “business” indeed.
Still, I knew that once I was accepted as a full time employee I would get paid. After 6 months I was approached by one of the executives there and he told me they all have studied my progress (it was an amazing one and I could stay at the same level with people with 15 years experience) and they were pleased to tell me I will be hired officially. The new shows schedule was ready and I was the first one to be asked to chose a “spot”.
Hard work had paid off. I was earning 4 times more than I would as a teacher and was also in college to (maybe) turn into a high-school / college teacher. My folks still had the dream I’d be a professor one day and I wanted to go to those courses.
I have finished college and remained in the radio station. My wage was still superior to any professor I knew and I knew that I don’t want to go to this career if I can prevent it, even if I had now 9 years of hard work and studies.
Six years ago I started my first site. It was (and still is) a hobby and after some time I realized I like this. I created some more sites, got some very very small clients (who paid though), so after some time it was clear to me: I love web design and web business and I want to grow in this area too.
Last year I made all the official papers to start my very small web design firm. I am the only one still, I don’t have a fancy office, but I work more and more and develop step by step. I still keep the radio job (it pays well and it’s not taking too much of my time), but I am thinking about the day when I’ll leave this too and go full speed on my web design venture. It would be the second time I leave a career (I have worked for 10 years already, it’s not an easy step to be made) to go on something better.
I don’t regret any of my moves, I am better each day and earn more. For me it was important to see the opportunities and try to go there. Sure, I kinda regret spending 9 years to become a teacher and 10 years in the radio business, just to leave these. I have 6 years of web design and maybe one day I will find something better, that would keep me busy and happy.
Many of the people I know are scared to try something new, even if with no risks. They are happy where they are, even if they know it’s a “dead end street” and they can do better.
One of the few people I know who weren’t scared to take the plunge is a coleague from high-school. She worked for years as a teacher on a miserable wage and last year started working (first part time, then full time) at a tourism company. She was a guide on the route to Greece and then she was noticed and offered an exec. job in the company. The wage is at least 5 time bigger than in the previous teacher job and she is now accomplished. The teacher’s wage was very small, this one lets her afford a better life.
She confessed she still thinks about the old job, because she “wasted” all these years there. I asked: “Are you happy on the new job? Do you earn way better? Than what?” and she replied she never looked at this like this. Sure, we love our old dreams and maybe got fond of a job. But when you find something way better, that also makes you happy, why not take the leap?
My coleague is enjoying more the perks of a better job, even if she never prepared for this. I am embracing my new careers and am curious to see what lays ahead. Maybe in 10 years I’d like to become a lawyer or a boxer. Who knows?
What I know is that I won’t look behind. Not at the poverty, not at the years spent for a job, not on old jobs or work places. I will look in the future and be prepared to embrace whatever new comes in my way. Maybe I won’t die a web designer, there are so many possible careers to chose from 
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:29 pm
hi there! thanks for dropping by and your comment.
cheers
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I agree. The choices we made when we were very young (like studying to be a teacher, or a secretary) sometimes change. We change as we become older, so it is just normal to assume that our dreams will change too. I read somewhere that a human being is completely changed every seven years, physically and mentally, but for some of us it is hard to give way to new ideas, Your article was very inspiring. Thank you.