What am I doing writing a blog? I am not a writer (which may become clear in the very near future). This all started on a very long drive from Maine to Michigan to visit my parents. My husband had taken our kids to Arizona to visit his mom and so I decided to hop in the van to see my mom and dad. I had listened to every cd in the car and had a lot of windshield time to just sit and think.
It all started with ”Where will will my kids go to college?” and from there it went to “What will they be when they graduate?” I am a recent statistic in the long list of layoffs from big companies. I had a great run in a career that I loved, but the path to get to it was all over the place. I graduated with a BS in Marketing Education with minors in Marketing and English. I started out as a pre-school teacher and was soon a director at a daycare in Florida. I then decided to change paths and found employment in the car rental industry which then took me to my career in automobile insurance. I loved my job and was sad when my position was eliminated after eleven and a half years of dedicated service. The question I asked myself on that long car ride was “How did I get there?” to a career that I really gave no thought to, but ended up being something I really enjoyed doing. Will my children really know what is out there? What can I do to help them find their path? It is more than just chosing a college and a major.
Hence, the idea came to me have my children start interviewing family and friends about what they do for a living and how they got to where they are. It could be a book for kids about different careers. I excitedly called my friend, Susan, to discuss the idea and we quickly agreed that I would end up doing everything, so I should just start out doing it all. The blog idea vs. a book came from a weekend away with my college girlfriends. My friend Patty suggested a blog and so… here it is.
My plan for this blog is to interview as many friends, friends of friends and family as I can and compile them in a question and answer format for my kids and your kids to read. Maybe this will help them to discover all of those other careers out there that they (and you) may have never given a thought to. This is my journey to help my kids discover their path.
© Maria Connolly, 2010. Please link to my site, but do not copy without permission.
Ok, now I am thinking lets have Maria research the interests of my oldest son and find a path for him. He loves fitness, health and nutrition, and being in shape. So we just discussed the career choices I could think of to fit his current passions. I am sure I missed some great opportunities that we could gear him up for. What can you find out there????? I would love to hear some stories and journeys other people with these interests have to offer.
Thanks friend.
I have a questionnaire out to a personal trainer! Will update it when it comes in! Thanks, Dawn!
I would love to hear an interview from a veterinarian. My daughter loves animals. We had 2 cats (who have since passed on), and various hermit crabs and one fish. She opened her own “dog sitting business” this summer (sending emails to friends). So far we have dog sat, cat sat, and are dog sitting again next week. She also loves to ride horses. So, she says she may want to be a veterinarian but we’d love to hear more about that!
My son is into math, planets, weather stuff like tornadoes – so maybe a meteorologist?
Thanks!
Alisa- I am looking for a veterinarian! I have a few prospects in mind. I will also try to get in touch with a local weatherman! Thanks for the input and the support!
Maria
Do you still need a vet? My cousin is in her last year of vet school….she is young and new to the career but she could speak to why she is pursuing it. Cheers…
Yes!!! Can you put me in contact with her???
I love this idea! I am relatively happy in my job, but have always wished I’d know more about different careers and how to get into them!
My kids are young (6 & 8) and I’m always wondering what they’ll be when they grow up.
Thanks for doing this!
Ha! that was supposed to be 6 & 8. The combination of the 8 and ) turned into a 8).
Hi Maria, I love this. I’ve been concerned about giving my son a big picture idea of the types of jobs out there since he was kindergarten age, he just turned 16. This is good chicken soup. A basic “what, who, where, when, why & how” approach is all it takes. I’ve asked myself the same question several times. Five college majors, 14 years in/out of 4 schools, several career paths–who knows?
I know I like working in logistics. It fits my personality for moving and sorting and stacking stuff and it goes on trucks, trains, boats and planes ! I’ve moved stuff on every modern mode of transport so thats pretty cool. Of course if another offer comes, I may drop it in a second. Thanks for doing this. Keep it up. Come back to Florida some time.
-FC
Maria…my son’s father-in-law is a vet. I will contact him and ask if he would do an interview for you.
Hey Maria,
Great idea for a blog indeed. I have a similar background to yours with school with a communications/marketing degree. The reality is though, I spent all this time in school with the goal being good in school and getting my college degree. I did it all and got good grades and I did it fast! I finished at 19 with diploma in one hand and the other left scratching my head and wondering what the hell I was going to do with my life. I realized my entire school career, this was never addressed. All they cared about was successfully spitting out another cog. Ugh!
You have no idea how you got to where you were. You happened to enjoy it. Lucky you. I hope you understand that like many people, the reason you didn’t know where you were going next is because you never even planned or thought about how to get where you were going. You finished school and ended up somewhere. I did too.
Rather than exposing your children to a bunch of careers, might I suggest instead you help them discover their talents, interests and passions starting today and demand their schools do as well? This, not pumping out good test takers, should be the goal of parenting and education.
I invite you to check out my blog and read about passion based learning and unschooling. Children with these experiences do not have college as a goal nor do they wonder what they will be when they grow up. They focus on the present and know that today they are writers, artists, mathematicians, scientists, animal activists, or whatever it is that they’ve been allowed to explore, discover and do.
It’s time we stopped teaching subjects like science, math, social studies, reading and writing and started teaching students. Childhood is not a time to read about doing. It’s a time to learn, live, and do what you love.
Kudos to you for realizing this early on!
nice website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!