Most of you already know this? I graduated college at the age of 21 with a degree in mass communications, majoring in film production, minoring in art, music and literature. I wanted to direct movies. It took a few years but eventually it became evident that I was not going to get there. I then drifted for a number of years, taking whatever work I could get, until at the age of 35 I went back to school and studied computer technology for a year.

Since completing a certificate program in Computer Technology & Applications at Columbia University in 1990, I’ve worked steadily in information technology. It took me just a few years to move up from database administrator to management and this path has not only paid me a handsome salary but also taken me around the world, many times.

WB has provided outplacement service for the hundreds of employees they mistakenly laid off. I’ve been working for 40 years and I think I know how to search for a job at this point. But since it’s free and since I don’t have much else to do, I went there mostly to kill some time. The guy assigned to me is a nice guy and I have enjoyed talking with him, though mostly we talk about subjects like food in China and getting the most out of Twitter.

The company has a standard methodology that includes taking a battery of tests, and I took one for the hell of it. It was a couple hundred questions geared towards building a psychological profile and then pointing you in the direction of careers that would yield the most personal satisfaction.

These are the careers it determined would be the worst for me:

  • Petrochemical
  • Science
  • Information Technology
  • Crafts/Technical (mostly construction work)
  • Enforcement/Security
  • Consultative Tangible Sales
  • Accounting
  • Engineering/Technology
  • Directive Management – Operations, Manufacturing, Construction, Petrochemical Plant, Telecommunications, Utility Company, Military Officer, Police Department, Grocery Store, Information Center Managers

Jeez, if only someone had told me that 20 years ago!

The best?

  • Legal (ha!)
  • Delegative Management – Property Managers, Hotel, Club & Restaurant Managers, Tangible Sales Managers, Intangible Sales Managers, Insurance Sales Managers, Bank Managers, Controllers, Public School Administrators, Nursing Home Administrators
  • Artistic Careers (sigh) Visual Arts, Literary/Editorial Positions, Performing Artist/Acting, Architecture, Art Sales, Travel Agents (travel agent is an artistic career?)
  • Social Service/Counseling – Ministers/Priest/Clergy, Theologians, Therapists/Counselors, Social Workers, Sociologists, Psychologists
  • Educational
  • Knowledge Specialist – Public School Counselors, Psychologists, Career Counselors, Employee Relations Professionals, College Professors, Ministers/Priests/Clergy, Ministry Managers, Physicians, Lawyers/Litigation Specialists, Nursing Managers
  • Employee Relations/Training
  • Medical (double ha!)

The problem is, at my age and with my background, none of those are going to pay me what another IT management role would pay. And I’m still in a position where I need to earn.

On the other hand I have four fingers and a thumb optimistically I will retire in another 5 to 7 years, at which point I can concentrate on artistic endeavors, so another job in MIS won’t kill me. Besides, I have the blog (and now the photo workshop) to keep me interested in my “spare” time.

Hongkie Town
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