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Mon Aug 14, 2006 7:59 am  |
Okay, so I've been trying to figure out what I really want to do in life and have just about driven myself insane, so I thought I would come to my wonderful EDS family for advice!
First, a bit about my background. All of my life I wanted to be a veterinarian. My undergrad degree is a BS in Biomedical Science which fell under the School of Vet Med. However, at A&M this is also the degree that med students received. My 3rd year in undergrad I lived with a 1st year vet student and that completely changed my mind. There was no way I wanted to go through what she was in order to make $40k-$60k per year. So I decided that I would just own animals instead! 
Well, I had to go on to get a Masters since you pretty much can't do a thing with my BS. So I got a Masters in Health Admin. For the last 3.5 years I have been managing a radiology department at one of the largest hospitals in Dallas. However, this field really isn't where I want to be since my passion is still in animals. The problem is, most animal jobs pay nilch and you have to start from the very bottom since work experience is what counts.
My other passion in life is traveling, so I had looked into becoming a travel agent but they only make very minimal as well. Now, I'm not the kind of person that needs to make a lot of money in life to be happy, but I DO have to live! I have a mortgage and all so I can't work for $20-40k. I'm also very desperate to get out of my job and find something I really love, so if anyone can think of ANYTHING or has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance!!!
By the way, I'm 29 and single so going back to school full-time isn't a great option for me right now. |
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Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:50 am |
| So...you have experience managing a radiology department and you love animals? Do you have to be a vetinarian to manage a departmant in an animal hospital? Have you ever taken personality tests or interest inventories? They may steer you in a direction you never thought of. I have my masters too and if I ever go back to school it's for something lucrative and something that I know I can get a good position in. |
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Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:04 am |
Hi, Tamgirl;
Your topic is one I'm very familiar with- I feel for ya!
Veterinarian was one of the many things I
wanted to be too- but when I went to a vet clinic and there was a cat there that was going to be put down because it had a non lifethreatening illness- I reallized how much that one little thing alone would bother me. I'd be wanting to adopt all those newly discarded animals- I'm far to sensitive to see that on a weekly basis... or do the dirty deed of putting relatively healthy animals down.
I don't know if I have any useful suggestions for you but I'll try; it would be a shame for all that education to go to waste- are you SURE you don't want to be a vet??? If you are- there must be animal related jobs other than vet. The ones I know of are in zoos, conservation, animal/wildlife rescue. If you worked in a really good zoo, you'd be with animals all the time. I don't know what the pay is. Also ,you could get an animal related job in a place where they rescue sick and injured animals- like an animal hospital, not a vet clinic.
I took a travel agent course and decided NOT to go into it. Like you say -the pay is so little and the job is very intensive BUT I have heard of plenty of people who DID go into the travel industry and made out quite well with all of the travel benefits. you might want to interview some travel agents and ticket agents.
I know how hard it is to make up your mind about this area- luckily you are young- (I'm nearly 39 and still working it out! long story  ) I hope you get some more replies- maybe someone will have experience in the animal fields and be able to help you. I wish I knew more! Good luck with this, but like I say- It would really be a shame to waste all of that education, and the money a vet makes isn't great ,but it is good and think of the job satisfaction and joy you would have- you would make more money, after more time in the field and if you started a clinic with one or more partners. I think that if you could handle all of the aspects of being a vet- putting animals down, heartbreak, seeing people lose pets, doing surgery... you may be better suited for it than you think.
I'm just saying- but you may have your mind made up on that. I wish I knew more animal jobs to tell you!
best of luck. |
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38, normal skin, not a sun worshipper since early 20's,love this forum, welcome all comments, questions! |
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Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:07 am |
Sounds like we have a lot in common TAMgirl - 29, single, mortgage, in a career flux. LOL  Hopefully my story will give you some insight, or maybe we can help each other. 
I have spent the better part of my life in the travel industry. I've worked for airlines both on the ground and in "the friendly skies". I've also worked for hotels, travel wholesalers, travel agencies, tour operators - you name it, I've done it. Travel has always been and still is a HUGE passion of mine.
Well I left it all (permanently I thought) to pursue a career in holistic health. I left a good job with benefits, great environment, fun atmosphere, etc. to follow my dream. I was tired of an average salary and was offered more money and more advancement opportunities in the new job. So I moved out of the big city to a small town in the midle of nowhere because of a great opportunity or so I thought. That's when everything fell apart. To make a long story short, I was completely lied to, taken advantage of and betrayed by my new employer. Just 2 weeks after moving into my newly purchased home, I lost my job. (It was given to my assistant who worked less hours at a much lower rate of pay.) The owner was going bankrupt and she let a whole bunch of really great people go. I was devastated. New house, new town, no friends or family. I felt so lost. I took a crappy gov't contract job as there were slim pickin's in the small town but after that ended there was nothing left for me there. So I put the house on the market and moved home to the city for more opportunities.
The house still hasn't sold so I know what you mean when you say it's hard for you to just switch to a career where you make no money. My EI is paying me more now than some job offers I've received. I too have considered returning to school but have no idea what I would do or what field I would now enter. Plus student costs when I already have a mortgage on a home I don't even live in - not an option right now. So I understand how hard it is to pay the bills and make ends meet and feel like you don't have much to choose from.
After searching for work and turning down a few spa offers, which were really really crappy I may add, I am thinking of returning to the travel industry. It just feels "right" for me. In fact sending out resumes and accepting interviews actually makes me smile and makes me feel excited again. It's hard to explain. I think it's where I belong as the universe keeps pushing me back into it. I've tried to leave the industry many times and have had lots of other crazy jobs in between my travel jobs, but somehow I always return. I've blamed it on the fact that that's where I have the most experience and thus it's the fastest way for me to find work, but I'm now realizing the truth that I actually enjoy my work. Sure it doesn't pay the greatest but at least I get benefits and perks which most spas didn't offer. And it's enough to cover the mortgage on my now cottage until it sells and then some. Plus it's a growing industry with lots of room for advancement so I'm sure that with time it will all pay off. I have lots of experience so I know I won't have to wait long before I move up in a company. Hmmm...Seems like I'm trying to convince myself here, which I probably am because, like I said before, I'm in a state of flux.  I know I need help. LOL
Well, I guess the point I'm trying to make here, if I even have one, is that I can empathize. I know it's tough. Maybe it's the fact that we're one year away from 30!! (For some reason this is scary to me)  I don't know. I think you should just do some soul searching and think about the things that bring you joy and make you smile. If you think about it enough, you'll find your answer. Just stay strong and try not to worry. (Obviously harder than it sounds.) But it will work out. It just has to if you stay positive. What's the worst that can happen? You pick something that doesn't work out and you have to start again. Oh well. New starts can be challenging, fun and exciting if you can see them that way. At least that's what I tell myself. Just believe in yourself and everything else will fall into place. Just one step at a time. 
And if anyone has any insights for me I'd love to hear them too. |
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Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:37 am |
Wow! Thank you all for the wonderful responses. This was much more than I thought I'd ever get! And Wildflower you must be my long-lost twin! So now you have me intrigued with the travel industry. I don't know much about it but I'd love to see what opportunities there are. What kinds of jobs are there and what kind of experience/education do you need? The thing is, I'm one of those people that can pretty much pick up anything, but unfortunately that doesn't get you in the door. I started looking into travel when I realized that I was booking all of my friends and my trips. I usually do a ton of research on each location so that I can plan my time at each well.
One of my dream jobs would be a hotel/trip reviewer. I think it would be awesome to travel the world and review cities, hotels, etc. I have no idea how you get that kind of job though!
Of course my other passion, as mentioned, is animals. The other reason I haven't gotten into vet medicine is because Texas A&M is the BEST in the country and unfortunately the only school in Texas. B/c it's the only school in the state, it's harder to get into than medical school here, so I don't have a chance. My grades were good in undergrad, but the 3 people I knew that actually got into grad school all had ABOVE a 3.9 gpa (one guy only ever had 1 B throughout his 4 years!). That's amazing to me. The other reason is that I really don't want to move away from the Dallas area for 3 years to get the degree. I was finally able to move back home after 7 years of school (undergrad + grad) so I really don't want to leave again.
Given my 2 degrees and my passion for animals, the most logical job it seems would be management of some sort in the animal industry. The problem is, you have to have experience in that type of employment first. For example, all of the admin jobs with the zoos require like 10 years of animal-related job experience. This is why I'm stuck. My other area of interest is research but again you have to be in that field for some time first. I'd love to be one of those people that studies animal behavior. I just can't take an hourly-wage job to get started though.
Ugh...the search continues. Wildflower - I wish you all the best as well. It definitely sounds like travel is where you need to be! |
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Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:58 pm |
| TAMgirl, I totally hear you. But, I think you've made good choices for yourself so far--- like some of the other ladies, I think being a vet would be too emotionally difficult for someone who has such a soft spot for animals. When my husband I adopted our little bunny boy Forest he had severe dental disease that required thousands of dollars of sugery and treatment. When my husband and I told the vet we wanted to start the treatment as soon as possible the vet was really surprised and said that most people in the same situation just have the vet put the bunny to sleep. Personally, I don't think I could face doing things like that day in and day out, which is one of the reasons I never considered being a vet even though animals are my passion. So, I hope that makes you feel better, though I'm sorry I can't give you any advice about what would be a good direction to go in-- please keep us updated! (How about a career change that brings you here to Cleveland? My bunnies would love to meet another animal lover!^-^) |
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27, sensitive/reactive/acne prone skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes, possibly the palest woman alive... |
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Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:14 pm |
Manslayerliz - Oh! I'd love to meet your bunnies! I was just at the Dallas Aquarium yesterday and they had an exhibit with little cottontail bunnies. There was one that couldn't have been more than a few weeks old and it was the cutest little thing I've ever seen! We should start a pet thread where everyone could put up their pet's pictures! The only problem is that I don't know how to upload mine. Thanks for the well wishes!
I'll definitely keep everyone updated. I just hope whatever I find comes soon. It's not that I hate my job, I actually really like it, but the politics have gotten really bad around here and I don't agree with some of the decisions being made. I'm having a moral/ethical conflict and that's why I want to leave more than anything. Many of my friends in similar positions have already left. It's pretty sad around here. I have one good friend left and we've agreed to go out together, even if one of us has to be unemployed for a while! |
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