Ever since I was about 6 years old, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I never had another career in mind. In 2007 I got my foot in the door at a veterinary clinic, intending to spend 6-9 months in the kennel then move up to a Veterinary Assistant.
Nearly 7 years later, I’m still in the kennel. Why? At some point along the line, I decided that I didn’t want to be a vet. I’m not sure exactly why…perhaps just because I really don’t want the pressure of a life in my hands. I still have a passion for animals, but at some point I lost interest in being a doctor.
My job
This is Tipp City Veterinary Hospital. It’s a family owned business, and probably the biggest vet clinics in my area. I’ve been there since April of 2007! I’m a Shift Leader (aka supervisor) in the Lodging Department (aka kennel). Basically, I take care of the animals that are boarding. Feed them, walk them, administer medication. We have something called Group Play: a bunch of dogs in one area playing together. (We have a special evaluation to make sure they’re approved for it – if you know anything about animals, you know that two strange dogs together can be a potentially disastrous situation.) In short, I get paid to play with dogs! It’s awesome sometimes and awful others (dogs can be assholes, too!). It’s stressful like any other job, but I feel like it’s one of the more meaningful jobs. To many people, dogs are like children! It’s very important to them for their pet to get quality care while they’re away. So it is fulfulling at times!
What I like: The animals, obviously. It’s why I picked the field! I don’t like dogs as much as I used to (boy, working there has really schooled me on what breeds I would never own), but I’m still passionate about animals. Especially cats ;) I love some of the clients we get, because they’re passionate about animals too, and there’s the occasional client that I’ve built a relationship with and we connect over that passion.
What I don’t like: Working with people and having to work in the winter time. Because whatever temperature it is outside, it’s probably about that inside the kennel area. The ‘houses’ where the dogs are have heat and AC, but the main area doesn’t. So it gets cold. Plus, we have to walk dogs in the snow. I despise the cold, guys!
My dream job(s)
It was a very long time before I finally settled on a career choice. Many things have crossed my mind, but nothing really stuck.
To tell you the truth, my dream job has always been this:
To train orcas. I looooove orcas, they’re beautiful and fascinating! I really wanted to do this someday, but you have to be a marine biologist. That is so not want I want to do (umm, snore)! So there went that. *sigh*
Other careers that have crossed my mind:
- Skydive instructor – when I went skydiving, my instructor told me he gets $30 per jump, with anywhere from 1-10 jumps per day (up to $300 in one day?!). Get paid to jump out of a plane? Hell yeah!
- Stunt car driver – I know it sounds crazy. But I love driving and I already drive like a maniac, so why not? I don’t want to do something average.
- Race car driver – I was actually planning to buy myself a compact to race at our local track when I was old enough to get my license, but I kind of drifted away from my interest in racing.
- Storm chaser – another crazy one, but I used to be obsessed with the movie Twister. Storms fascinate me and the danger appeals to the adrenaline junkie in me!
- Editor – This is a recent one. I’m not interested enough to pursue it, but it would be cool!
Now, I’ve finally settled on a career in web design.
I want SO badly to work for myself. I basically make my own schedule right now – I picked the days and hours I wanted to work, and I can get just about any time off I want – but it’s not enough for me. I want to work from home. I hate getting up early to go to work. I hate driving in the snow. I’m not a good follower, nor do I play well with others. ‘Worker’ jobs expect you to schmooze and kiss ass. I am not a good ass kisser. I can’t be fake with people I don’t want to work with, and I don’t take orders well (especially since I know what I’m doing….I’ve been doing it 7 years for Christ’s sake). I don’t want to have to work with people I don’t like and act as if I actually do like them (because if I don’t pretend and join the ass-kissing party, I have an ‘attitude’). I want to do whatever the hell I want, when I want to, with no one micro-managing me or telling me how to do my job. I want to be my own boss.
I love making things for my blog, and I feel like I could pick up quickly on building websites. I have pretty good knowledge in simple HTML, and I taught myself what I know so far. I want to self teach if possible; I’ve got plenty of books for it and am going to start learning! I’d like to avoid going to school if I can because it’s so costly. We will see :)
Your turn! Make your own post telling everyone what your career is or what you want it to be, and link up! I encourage you all to participate!
Ideally, I want this to become meme style with many other bloggers participating so we can learn more about as many bloggers as possible! I’m sure it will take some time, but I hope you guys will be interested in joining.
Nice one, Jessi! It’s so cool that you get to work with animals! :D I believe that’s my sister’s dream job… But she’s so fickle! You’re such a daredevil, and I really admire your bravery to do want to do all that xD And I do hope you can establish yourself as a web designer soon! :D I really want to participate, seeing that I made time to do it and all… but I don’t have a career lol! I’m still a student, but maybe I can talk about my dream career ;)
Awesome post, Jessi! <33
Thanks Emily! You can always talk about being a student, since that’s practically a full time job…and talk about what you WANT to do :)
YAY I’ve done mine, and added it to the linky! :D
I’m curious about which those are? :D
I agree with everything you said in your paragraph after mentioning web design. I think I just suck at the whole “working for someone else” corporate environment. And I hate getting out of bed, waking up early, etc. I feel a bit pathetic for saying that sometimes because SO many people put up with it, but waking up early regularly actually depresses me and turns me into a zombie. Even if I get plenty of sleep (8+ hours), waking up early just turns me into an unpleasant person.
You could totally make it as a web designer though! And you definitely don’t have to go to school to learn it. All of the best resources to learn web design are online, and you’ll get a lot further reading those and doing online tutorials than you will in a class (in my opinion, speaking from experience with both).
I love this post!
(And Orcas = win!)
Labs, German shepherds (I wanted one sooo bad before I worked there…now it’s a hell no!), weimeraners, pretty much any kind of hound (especially beagles), most terriers, setters (used to want one cuz they’re gorgeous, but they’re CRAZY), huskies, Bernese mt. dogs, poms, chi-chis, aussies, bostons…the list is pretty long lol! I think my most hated breeds are chows and sharpeis!
Same here! I’m naturally a night owl, so I actually find it difficult to get to bed before 11 pm, and when you have to get up at 4:45, that’s less than 6 hours of sleep! I need at least 7. I don’t mind being up early, but not for work. Some days I’ll get up at 6 or 7 to go to the gym because then I feel like my day is longer, but it should be a crime to have to get up before 6 am!
I’m sure hoping! I hate school SO much!
Aw Bernese Mountain Dogs are so cute though!
They’re so stubborn and dumb!! You don’t know the horrors of a Bernese until you have to groom one >.<
Lol yeah that’s a fair point! Any opinion on rottweilers or border collies? I love those two!
Rotts have a terrible rap, but they’re good dogs. Just VERY stubborn. But they’re smart and protective, so they’d make a great guard dog! Border collies….eesh. Haha. They are CRAZY hyper and need lots of space to run. I have a mix of my own and she’s 3 but still acts like a 6 month old puppy. They have lots of energy and need some sort of outlet for that, but they’re smart too!
Yeah rottweilers are one of my favourites! I’ve always wanted one. I love border collies too but the hyperness scares me lol! But yeah, it’s awesome how smart they are. Some of the things people train border collies to do are so cool!
Between the two, I’d rather have a border collie, but only because I’m not really a fan of short-haired dogs. I’m a visual person, and I think any collies are beautiful! Mine is like a teenager, so she only listens when she wants, but she can sit, stay (for short amounts of time), shake, high-5, speak, lie down, and heel. But she has ADD, so she’s easily distracted haha!
But with both of them, all I can say is LOTS of training for the collie with some outlet for energy (because otherwise they resort to tearing things up) and LOTS of socialization for the rott because the protectiveness can possibly cause aggression issues if they’re not socialized.
Ahh you totally have me wanting to run out and buy a puppy now!
I want a rott but I think my boyfriend would prefer a border collie. :P
Haha they’re fun but they’re a lot of work and can be stressful sometimes! Just remember: training and lots of socialization. VERY important :)
It’s good to search the puppy stages so you know what to expect and what to do and not to do. Here’s a great one: http://www.houstonspca.org/site/DocServer/developmental_stages_of_puppy_behavior.pdf?docID=369
Thanks!! I did a ton of research all about raising puppies (especially rotts), training, socializing, and all that a couple years ago when I went through a massive “I WANT A PUPPY” stage. I’ll probably do more reading up when I graduate uni and am actually in a position to possibly get one!
That’s awesome! At least you have a head start. I didn’t do my research and I regret it because Z has some minor issues that may have been prevented if I had been more educated. But I hope you get one :)
Ahh, this is SUCH a great topic Jessi! I feel like I learned A LOT more about you. :D
And ha ha, all those careers you were thinking about/dream jobs? They will all scare me to death. Although $300 a day does sound like it’s worth it, as long as it doesn’t give me a heart attack. I’m REALLY scared of heights. And danger. And speed. :P
As for working in a vet hospital, I really admire your guts to do that! I volunteered at an animal shelter for half a year and the dogs drove me CRAZY. Like, one pooped, stepped on the poop, and then pawed me with his poop-up paw. I was freaking out for an hour, counting down the minutes until I can go home and switch my hoodie asap. And there was this dog (I think the breed was a Great Dane?) who was TALLER than me by 4 inches. (I’m short – 5 feet 2.)
Ohh, web design! I took a web design class and LOVED it. I absolutely LOVED HTML and CSS. The only problem is that you’ll have to learn Javascript too if you really want to go into web design and I HATE Javascript. Learning it was easy, but applying it is hard. It’s like using Javascript to solve a puzzle and I absolutely LOATHE puzzles. The only good thing about Javascript is that there are many ways you can travel to get to the solution. Anyways, without Javascript, I’ll totally go into Web Design. Good luck with your goal Jessi! (:
And I’ll definitely be participating in this Life of A Blogger, just on Thursday. :P
Lol I totally agree with you about JavaScript. That stuff is evil >_<
I love heights and danger, so I’d be getting paid to have fun! :D
“Like, one pooped, stepped on the poop, and then pawed me with his poop-up paw.”
LMAO yep, occupational hazard! I’ve been scratched, bitten, peed on, pooped on, drooled on…you name it. It can sometimes be stressful, and it’s definitely not always fun, but the few good dogs we get make it worth it. Then we get the dogs that are 100+ lbs and drag you because the client never taught them how to walk on a leash…or the kind that you can’t even touch because they’re so aggressive (why would you bring a dog like that to a kennel?!). I used to groom and that was MUCH worse, but thankfully I don’t have to do it anymore.
Ohh I’m jealous! I’d love to take a web design course. I just don’t want to go to school for it because of all the other crap courses you have to take as fluff credits. Baha I love puzzles, so maybe that won’t be so bad to learn :)
This is such a great post and a great feature! I don’t have a career and I definitely don’t want a typical career. I went to school for accounting but after being home with kids for a few years I definitely could not to back to an environment like that. Problem is, I don’t know what I do want to do. Still, all of your listed careers would scare the crap out of me! Lol I’m definitely not storm chaser/car racer material.
Thanks Lori! And yeah, I had that problem too! I only decided on web design in the last year. Before that, I wasted 3 years at a community college (only supposed to be 2 years!), came within 5 credits of graduating, and quit because I no longer wanted to pursue a degree in science. For the next 5 years, I couldn’t decide on anything…it was getting into blogging that led me to discover my passion!
I would definitely love to stay home with my future children. I want to be a family oriented mom, not the kind that works all the time and rarely gets to spend time with her kids. Working from home would be ideal for sure!
Yeah, I have like social anxiety sometimes so the thought of working with someone else never sits well with me because I’d be so annoyed at them sometimes or just too anxious to talk to them. You’re such a good web designer though, so I really hope that you’ll get to work for yourself soon. Waking up early is a huge hassle, especially with school. My mom and dad wake up at maybe 7:30-8:30 every morning and almost all the kids in my school wake up at 6 in the morning just to catch the bus and it’s just soo tiring.
Fantastic post, Jessi! <3
It’s stressful sometimes, that’s for sure! I definitely don’t miss the days of waking up for school >.<
I’m glad I’m not the only one who just finally decided what she wants to be when she grows up =P It’s a tough choice to make!
It sounds like you’ve given it a lot of thought, and are choosing what’s best for YOU, which is important! But it sounds like your job right now is a lot of fun too — I burst out laughing at your comment about dogs being assholes too =P
It really is! There’s so many options, and so very few of them make me happy. Even fewer that I’d be happy doing for every day for the rest of my life!
Haha it’s true, I swear!! XD
I want to become an editor but (and we did a project on careers) the pay is super low, so I’m not sure. Honestly, I think I may want to be a part time copyeditor or literary agent and maybe a psychologist. :P WHO KNOWS.
Is it really? I didn’t know that. I think it’d be worth it to work with books, though! I always found psychology fascinating, that’d be a good career!
Haha! We love our part Aussie, but he is just that. . .part Aussie. His other breeds temper the stubbornness and energy to an extent, although at 6 1/2 he can still have more energy than most dogs half his age. He’s a great walker and loves everyone (human or animal), though!
Growing up in central Illinois I’ve been around my fair share of tornadoes. Even so, I used to be terrified of tornadoes, but then when I was 9 we sat in a ditch while an air born tornado went over our heads. Now I have a healthy fascination for them. Living in Oklahoma for 4 years didn’t help. Whenever stormy weather hit, the storm chasers took over the radio. It fascinated me. While I could never do it as a career, I would love to go out with a team one time. I just wouldn’t want to be in the lead car.
Eek, yeah a mix is better than full-blooded because you get the beauty without the temperament! I have a border collie mix, but unfortunately she got the border collie crazy as well as the beauty. *sighs* She’s 3 now and still acts like a psycho 6 month old!
Holy crap, that’s awesome! As much as I want the thrill of storm chasing, the idea of one coming ANYWHERE near my house terrifies me! I’ve never been through one though, so I don’t know what they’re like (I’d probably not want to storm chase if I did haha). But I’m with you, I’d love to tag along just once to experience it!
It’s ineresting how dreams change isn’t it. Haha. In some aspects anyway. I loved reading about you Jessi!! An Orca trainer would be the COOLEST thing EVERRR. So awesome. And you’d be such a good web designer!! *wink* I don’t think I know anyone who wants to be a storm chaser! Haha! That’s crazy cool! I guess I didn’t know there was much of a career field in that. That would be SO cool though. AACK skydiving, I really want to do that so bad. Stupid age limits. I’m so writing this book about a skydiver though. Maybe I’ll get you to advice me. ;)And seriously, I couldn’t stand to work with animals. Yes they are cute and cool, but NO.
As for me the ONLY thing we have in common is Editor. Haha. :D I really want to talk about this now. Maybe I shall go do a post. :D
<33 inky
‘Tis. Daww, thanks! Maybe one day we can go skydiving TOGETHER. :D :D
(And I would totally advice you darling!)
What an awesome job! I know what you mean about the things you don’t like – people and cold would be at the top of my list – but I think it would be great to work with animals. Ultimately though, like you, I’d love to work for myself. In my dream world I’d be a successful author, able to support myself purely off of book sales. But since that’s not likely to happen, I’m working on being a professor. Hopefully I’ll be able to write and publish for fun along the way.
Haha cold and people are at the top of my list, too! It is great mostly, but it can really suck sometimes too. It’s amazing how many people don’t even train their dogs to sit! It drives me crazy when someone has an 80+ lb dog and they have no leash training, so you just get dragged when you try to walk them.
That would be awesome! I don’t think I have the drive to be an author. I wrote a story when I was like 14, but it’s not really publishing material haha. Ohh what subject? English?
Good luck, if you publish anything I’d love to read it!
I’m a Medieval Historian, 3.5 years away from my PhD at this point. It’s rough though, don’t know how I’m actually going to finish. As it stands, the novel I’ve been working on has a better shot getting finished than my dissertation (I enjoy the novel more!) :-)
You can do whatever you put your mind too! Just don’t give up! :)
Wow, we are in complete agreement about the ass kissing thing! I have such a difficult time faking that at work, especially when my bosses son is a jackass who I have to take orders from anyway. Working at home sounds like the best way to go!
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