Choosing a Major or Career Path

I come from a working class family with parents that have worked hard but are still just barely getting by. While we had everything we needed, I watched my parents struggle every day to make sure that this happened. Unlike my friends, we didn’t go on yearly vacations and had to work ourselves for things like a car in high school. My goal is to make sure that I don’t have to struggle like this when I get older. It is frustrating that they both work 40 hour work weeks and don’t have much to show for it.

In order to achieve my dream I have poured myself into my education. In high school I work hard to make sure that I get a high grade point average and am banking on getting a scholarship so that I can go to college for free. Just attending college is expensive without the costs of tuition and books. I know that attending a good college will help me get to the top my chosen career at a quick rate. They will help me get the right connections so that I can leave college with a firm grip in the business world.

Education is so important because it is what makes your time worthwhile. If my parents had an education they would be working 40 hours a week still, but they would be happy because they would be doing what they love. Although they do not complain much, I know that my mother does not enjoy working at a warehouse and I know my father is tired from long days trimming trees. I want my time to mean something and to inspire others. By getting the right training early in life this will become a possibility for me.

I am now looking at colleges and hope to attend one so that my job at a local fast food joint is only temporary instead of permanent. It will just be something that I do while I get my education completed and move into a career with a higher income. Then my kids will have something to aspire too and I can rest easy knowing that they will have everything they want and even some things that they want. The only way to get there is college and I am determined to put the hours in and get there now while I am still young enough to do so.

As long as I can remember I have been infatuated with things electrical,and more recently, electronics. Even since my dad caught me trying to stick a paperclip into an electrical socket I have tried to figure out how the many electrical appliances around the house work. Fortunately, he then safely showed me the proper respect one must have when dealing with this friendly giant.

After taking apart the toaster, clock and finally a radio, I discovered the electronics that now control most of our electrical appliances. I was hooked.

By the sixth grade I had my own soldering iron and began assembling some simple electronic kits to turn the lights on and off, to greet someone at the door. The more I learned, the more I wondered just what was going on within the various components and realized that I was going to have to study more to truly succeed in this field.

I knew I didn’t want to attend college and just “think” about these devices, but to be trained to address the technical issues that come up when things don’t go just right. I want to be a “hands on” type of guy.

I began reading some technical magazines and became aware of what education and training would be required. Since I am in my senior year of high school I have located a junior college that has a technical division that trains students just like me. After talking to their guidance counselor, I have developed a plan that will allow me to graduate with a certificate in electronics in only two years. That means that at age 20, I will be on to my chosen career.

As I began to think about furthering my career, I realized that the one I was in is not what I want to be doing. I started looking into different vocations and realized there is alot of different things I can do from home with 3 months to 1 year of online schooling. This got me really excited for so many reasons.

First, its a low cost way to earn a certificate that is legitimate and companies will actually look at. Second, I can work at my own pace, so having a full time job while doing schooling is not a big deal, I can work on it no matter where I am too. Third, with some of the schools, they will not only help with resume building, they help with job placement, and I’ll be able to take care of my family and keep my own schedule!! All of that is exciting and realistic!

The careers these technical schools offer, are decent paying jobs ( much more than I make now) with benifits and 401k options. To think I’ve been wasting my time with something that has made me feel lousy and angry makes me , well, angry!! If I had this information sooner I’d be well into a career that I love and feel like I’m making a difference with!

Now I can and I hope others can find something they feel comfident about. Its a great feeling to have and know your well on your way to a better life, a career that you love, a life you can be proud of!