what job do you wish you had thought of

[TheLorax]

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking through the parking lot into the building towards my action, packed, exciting, thrill a minute work place. In front of the building is a charming little park like area that we're not actually allowed to go near. It really is quite beautiful from my vantage point from the overlook near the traffic circle There is a fountain in the middle of a little pond surrounded by dogwoods and flowers adorned quite nicely with "stay the hell off the damn grass, what do I pay you for" signs.

Note: I may be paraphrasing the sign thing a bit, but it is quite clear that it's a look at thing and not to be interacted with in any way.

As I neared the building, I saw a guy standing on the edge of the bank directing a small remote controlled boat around the pond. Instantly I was jealous. Here it is a beautiful spring day and he's playing with a little boat while I'm locked away in my cubicell. Then it got worse, oh yes much much worse. I got closer and saw a truck that identified this guy as working for a pond and fountain maintenance company. I realized that this means that this guy was playing with a little boat and getting PAID to do it.

Where was this as a career choice when my high school guidance counselor was trying to get me to consider what I wanted to do with my life? No one ever said I could play with little boats in ponds for a living.

Oh but it gets worse. I once met a guy at a Widespread Panic show who grows marijuana for a living. I know what you're thinking, so has everyone, but this was different. This guy was growing medical marijuana for the state of California all upstanding and legal like. He had purchased a large quantity of land out in the middle of nowhere and had a contract with the state to GROW WEED LEGALLY.

Here again, where in the hell was my guidance counselor?

I think I'm going to quit my job and go work as a designer for Legoland.

[glatt]

When you HAVE to do something, it's not as much fun.

[OnyxCougar]

I think a better question is: What job would you most like to do? Most people don't like what they are doing, and would do something else (if it paid more, if they could have gotten the education, if it would have been available when they were younger, etc).

(1) I would like to be a successful musician.
(2) I would like to be an astronaut.
(3) I would like to be one of those people that gets to play with the dolphins.
(4) I would like to be a teacher. (this one I'm going back to school for.)
(5) I would like to be a linguist/interpreter for the United Nations.
(6) I would like to be an executive assistant for a very powerful and rich ..executive. Travel, money, delegation. Yeah.

[smoothmoniker]

I don't know that I'd want to pack it in and do something completely different, if given the chance, but if my hands fell off and I were looking for a new career, I think I could be really satified being:

1) A history prof. Did some lecturing this past year at a local university, and loved it. I think I could do it full time, but probably not in music.
2) A writer
3) CEO of something big, like Apple or GE
4) A pastor. I know I'll likely catch some flack for this one, but I'm anxious to see the church become relevant to my generation, in a way that it hasn't really so far. I think it would be a worthwhile thing to be part of that move.
5) Video game tester. Now this one would rock.

[ladysycamore]

Originally posted by TheLorax
I think I'm going to quit my job and go work as a designer for Legoland.

This reminded me of a job that I *did* score. It was for a company that built presentation models for various companies. This particular assignment was to literally...play with Legos. Actually, it was building car models out of Legos (but I loved saying that I played with Legos all day and got paid for it!).

*sigh* I miss doing that. I got crazy money for doing it, and lunch was paid for everyday by the company. Man, we goofed off so much...lol!

[wolf]

I could totally go for #5 ...

We've been having this discussion at work a lot. The "Short timer" on my shift has been there for 6 years, I'm 12, and the other guy is a freaking lifer ... 18 years (my department also has one of the rare 30 yr vets, who is being honored tonight at the 30th anniversary party, and just MAY fucking lose it during his acceptance speech and say what he's really thinking).

We figured out the master plan on Monday night.

The doctor is going to find us a nice cruise line. He'll sign on as the ship's doctor, which will be a treat for any cruise ship, as he is a competent physician and NOT trying to elude the state medical licensing board by spending the rest of his life on a ship with Liberian registry ... I will be his able assistant, completing paperwork and providing crisis counselling as necessary (what's a crisis on a cruise ship? Realizing your ass is too fat for that bikini? I can deal with that with both hands tied behind my back). My two male coworkers just have to figure out who is going to be Issac, and who is going to be Gopher.

[Radar]

If I could have any job on earth, I'd either be doing cartoon voice-overs or the president of the United States. One would be fun, and the other would mean I'd be making a positive difference for everyone in my country (even if some of them will only take responsibility for themselves while kicking and screaming)

Note: I also heard about a job in Guam I couldn't believe. Apparantly it's considered improper for a young girl to be a virgin when she gets married. She is supposed to know how to please a man. So they have a job where some guy goes from town to town and the family of the virgin girls pay this man (very well I might add) to deflower the girl and "show her the ropes" if you will.

This job wouldn't suck either, although I'd have to explain to my wife, I am not having a good time. I'm working.

[wolf]

Oh, what I'd REALLY like to do is something on a ranch. With horses. And maybe some of those hunting/shooting tour type things?

[Undertoad]

My cruise doctor experience:

Me: Hi, I was snorkeling and caught my leg on a hunk of coral and now I have a one-inch gash and it's four days from home and I'm wondering if you could help do something with it.

Doc: well I could bandage it for you but it would cost you $75. Or I could give you these bandages and alcohol swabs for free.

Me: Although this should probably have been stitched, and the trail of blood leads back from the beach to the gangway to your little office here, you have failed to warn me that using the ship's jacuzzis could give me a nasty infection. I will bandage it up myself. Thank you, you have convinced me not to use your services.

Doc: Good luck. Change the dressing every once in a while.

[wolf]

Thus the extremely high value of a doctor that actually remembered some medicine.

(under our arrangment, all costs medical treatment would be covered by the cruise line. "All inclusive" means that, doesn't it? We'd only be charging for special "discreet" services, such as prophyllactic Penicillin shots after visits to Ports of Call red light districts following failure to use prophyllactics.)

[TheLorax]

“Well, I suppose I could work in a shop of some kind or... or do um... freelance... selling of some sort of... um... product, you know...” Nigel Tufnel

[DanaC]

*Smiles* what I would really like to do is work for a cannabusiness....oh wait I already do! Myself, my brother and my ex run a small company which designs, has manufactured and then markets a range of cannabis pipes ) They sell all over the world and we once got invited to send a member as a judge on the Cannabis Cup contest in Amsterdam....I say we run....The boys do most of the hard work....the pressures of making the business stay afloat that sort of stuff :P...I just kind of choose what I most want to do out of what needs doing....*smiles*

And of course theres product testing......and freebies when in Am Dam...

The only possible way I could be happier with my occupation would be if I ever came down long enough to write the historical novel I am researching

There are better paid jobs than mine ( most are if I am honest ) but I cant think of many that are more fun ( to me )

[Beestie]

In order...

Army Ranger.
Warren Buffet's Senior Analyst.
Teacher of gifted children.
Stunt man.
Harley Davidson test driver.

[wolf]

Originally posted by Beestie

Teacher of gifted children.

This one, unless you produce your own gifted children and homeschool, will not be open to you.

Per National Education Association regs, the teachers of gifted children have to be stupid.

[Clodfobble]

I remember the moment I first realized a teacher was stupid. It was in first grade, we were learning about rounding, and someone asked whether the number 5 would round up or down, since it was in the middle. She paused for a long time and then declared, "Scientists haven't decided that yet."


I would have liked to go into medicine. But I deliberately chose not to do it because I wanted to have a family (and spend time with them), and didn't feel the two were terribly compatible--and I have to say I still stand by my decision. Would have been nice if there were a way, though.