How did you choose your career (semi-long)

[HopeydaFish]

I graduated with a B.A. in Law but didn't have the marks to go to law school, and didn't want to go back for another year to bring my marks up. I had been working in retail sales while I was in University and started working there full-time once I graduated.

It only took me a year of that to realize that I absolutely hated dealing with the public. I'd always had a strong interest in computers and decided that I wanted to go back to school to become a programmer. I took a one-year compressed course at the local College, worked a few crappy jobs to gain enough experience, and finally landed a decent job after a few years.

My job isn't terribly exciting, but it pays fairly well and I have full benefits. We play sports at lunch every day, and there are plenty of office sports teams for me to join after work. I don't always enjoy the work, but I do enjoy my job.

One thing that I keep seeing from younger posters on here is a belief that your job defines you as a person. This is only true if you are planning on working crazy hours and devoting your life to your career. I have always gone by the idiom that "nobody ever lies on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time at work". My work pays my bills and helps me live a comfortable lifestyle, but it doesn't consume me. I don't think about my work when I am away from the office, and I spend as much time every week doing non-work related hobbies/sports as I do at work. I believe that it's important to have a good work ethic, but it's also important to try to become a well-rounded person.