I've been having a lot of inner dialogue about what I want to do with my life.
I've been struggling with facing the reality of low chances of success in trying to make a living off of what I am passionate about.
My plan A's:
Journalism- I think I could make a good journalist in that I have a voice, great style, and decent writing skills.
The problem is the journalism industry, by and large, is going down the shitter. With more people going on Facebook and Twitter for their news rather than The Economist or The NY Times, regardless if the content is online or in print, I don't see the industry being a safe bet for landing a decent job with a middle class income. I plan on trying anyway, even going to journalism school next year, but the probability of landing a job is low.
Novelist- Being a novelist is another dream of mine, perhaps my ultimate dream.
Sadly, most writers who want to make a living writing professionally don't make it. I think the last statistic I saw is that 1 in a 1000 make the equivalent of a minimum wage.
My ambition, emotions and confidence says go forth and try. If my time is wasted anyway (by doing something "safe") I might as well waste it pursuing something I may never receive.
My rational mind says choose something safe. I can't imagine living like the way I do now (hourly wage, constant survival mode, one illness away from bankruptcy) at 32, the age I've projected I will be exiting graduate school (I am currently 29).
Ebook/Blog business- I see this as the most tangible dream. I have a voice and great ideas. I figure becoming a self employed blogger/ebook seller can happen.
My main concern is the time it would take to get the ship off the ground. I imagine five years of hard work and continuous effort, unless I luck out with my first-ebook and wake up one day to see it is #1 on Amazon for a month straight. I'm not basing my success on a "lottery ticket" though.
My plan B's:
Higher education administration- I get to work in a college campus which is a great work environment. The job market is growing thanks to access to higher education expanding. Obama's (and three years from now Hillary's) "everyone must go to college" spiel won't be ending anytime soon so that is a lot of opportunities to work.
I figure student affairs would be the funnest niche. Helping coordinate housing and events for students seems like a fun job that I could manage while trying to get my boat to set sail. Also, being around all those young women can net a lot of game opportunities, even better if I am in a major urban area or college town.
EELP Special Needs Pre-K- Small class size. Kids are easily manageable (compared to middle and high schoolers), can work anywhere in the United States. Lots of time off. Excellent job security.
However, the job is stressful and there is a lot of paper work. I can't imagine doing this job for the money or time off. I don't think hating your life 9 1/2 months out of the year is worth 2 1/2 months off.
English Professor- The pluses I mentioned in higher education administration are there (stimulating work environment, lots of young pussy, autonomy, intellectually stimulating).
One major issue is that the jobs are scarce and the competition is fierce.
Also, you have to go to where the job is. I plan on staying in Florida long term so taking a job in Anchorage, Alaska is out of the question.
And politically, academia is becoming much more beta philosophy and politically correct oriented, meaning any red pill views that slip out of my mouth will cost me job/tenure. We all remember what happened when Lawrence Summers, then president of Harvard, said men have a better aptitude for science and math than women.
Yeah, witch hunt.
Add to the fact you are investing a minimum of five years in a degree, that pays 40-50k, which you may not even see, given the competition for jobs is so fierce, (5000+PHDs in the humanities are janitors from what I've read) and we are sitting on yet another low probability job.
I may have a bit of an edge given I am a minority (black male) but that can only take me so far.
*sigh*
Is anyone on the forum shooting for long shot dreams? What keeps you motivated? Do you have any plan B’s?
I wish at times to throw away my ambition and concentrate on something realistic but I know so many people in their 50s who wish they had done what they wanted to do with their lives. Choosing the safe option may be a path towards regret.
I wonder how everyone else feels about it all.
I've been struggling with facing the reality of low chances of success in trying to make a living off of what I am passionate about.
My plan A's:
Journalism- I think I could make a good journalist in that I have a voice, great style, and decent writing skills.
The problem is the journalism industry, by and large, is going down the shitter. With more people going on Facebook and Twitter for their news rather than The Economist or The NY Times, regardless if the content is online or in print, I don't see the industry being a safe bet for landing a decent job with a middle class income. I plan on trying anyway, even going to journalism school next year, but the probability of landing a job is low.
Novelist- Being a novelist is another dream of mine, perhaps my ultimate dream.
Sadly, most writers who want to make a living writing professionally don't make it. I think the last statistic I saw is that 1 in a 1000 make the equivalent of a minimum wage.
My ambition, emotions and confidence says go forth and try. If my time is wasted anyway (by doing something "safe") I might as well waste it pursuing something I may never receive.
My rational mind says choose something safe. I can't imagine living like the way I do now (hourly wage, constant survival mode, one illness away from bankruptcy) at 32, the age I've projected I will be exiting graduate school (I am currently 29).
Ebook/Blog business- I see this as the most tangible dream. I have a voice and great ideas. I figure becoming a self employed blogger/ebook seller can happen.
My main concern is the time it would take to get the ship off the ground. I imagine five years of hard work and continuous effort, unless I luck out with my first-ebook and wake up one day to see it is #1 on Amazon for a month straight. I'm not basing my success on a "lottery ticket" though.
My plan B's:
Higher education administration- I get to work in a college campus which is a great work environment. The job market is growing thanks to access to higher education expanding. Obama's (and three years from now Hillary's) "everyone must go to college" spiel won't be ending anytime soon so that is a lot of opportunities to work.
I figure student affairs would be the funnest niche. Helping coordinate housing and events for students seems like a fun job that I could manage while trying to get my boat to set sail. Also, being around all those young women can net a lot of game opportunities, even better if I am in a major urban area or college town.
EELP Special Needs Pre-K- Small class size. Kids are easily manageable (compared to middle and high schoolers), can work anywhere in the United States. Lots of time off. Excellent job security.
However, the job is stressful and there is a lot of paper work. I can't imagine doing this job for the money or time off. I don't think hating your life 9 1/2 months out of the year is worth 2 1/2 months off.
English Professor- The pluses I mentioned in higher education administration are there (stimulating work environment, lots of young pussy, autonomy, intellectually stimulating).
One major issue is that the jobs are scarce and the competition is fierce.
Also, you have to go to where the job is. I plan on staying in Florida long term so taking a job in Anchorage, Alaska is out of the question.
And politically, academia is becoming much more beta philosophy and politically correct oriented, meaning any red pill views that slip out of my mouth will cost me job/tenure. We all remember what happened when Lawrence Summers, then president of Harvard, said men have a better aptitude for science and math than women.
Yeah, witch hunt.
Add to the fact you are investing a minimum of five years in a degree, that pays 40-50k, which you may not even see, given the competition for jobs is so fierce, (5000+PHDs in the humanities are janitors from what I've read) and we are sitting on yet another low probability job.
I may have a bit of an edge given I am a minority (black male) but that can only take me so far.
*sigh*
Is anyone on the forum shooting for long shot dreams? What keeps you motivated? Do you have any plan B’s?
I wish at times to throw away my ambition and concentrate on something realistic but I know so many people in their 50s who wish they had done what they wanted to do with their lives. Choosing the safe option may be a path towards regret.
I wonder how everyone else feels about it all.