Choosing a career

At college a lot of my close friends knew exactly what they wanted to do and what needed to be done to get there. Some had their career path set out by their parents, some had experience in their chosen field either through summer jobs or volunteering and for others their personalities just ...fit... a certain profession. Then there is me. Up until I was 15 I had always had my heart set on joining the police force. Whether it was tv shows such as The Bill and Brit Cops or films such as Police Academy or just the sheer fact I know I wouldn't enjoy a desk job something swayed my mind towards this career path.

After some careful thinking and a lot of pushing from staff at the private college I attended I decided a degree was something I needed. I 'latched' out of the ocean of unappealing subjects somethings that I was moderately interested in and wasn't failing. Psychology. It seemed to be the subject I was most interested in and had a lot of career paths. I applied for the course I am currently studying which included education, counselling and psychology as its three major topics. A lot of choice means more chance of finding a career path I want right? Wrong. I found myself surrounded by course mates who were in the same position. They thought they wanted to do a certain job, but even one lecture easily swayed them in another direction. I found myself swaying back and forth with them for 2 years. Counsellor, teacher, psychologist, psychotherapist, counsellor, teacher, psychologist, psychotherapist. Until one day I decided to stop. I sat down with a careers advisor and whittled out what I couldn't be and what seemed to fit my personality least. I then went home with more questions than answers and spent a good few days researching and taking tests and googling and reading blogs until I stumbled across a rather big and obvious choice for a career. Something that both incorporated my now growing fondness of psychology and my passion for the criminal justice system. Forensic Psychology.

I have now applied for both a masters degree in Forensic Psychology at a learning university in the field and also a psychological studies conversion course to gain accredited status as a psychologist.

After reflecting upon my course, now that it is coming to a close, I have learnt that although coming to university without having a concrete career plan can be a detrimental mistake, it can also open up opportunities and career paths you never even thought about. Not only does it help make you a more independent person socially, it also gives you the independence and courage to say no. "NO. that is not the career I want to follow" "NO. I don't want to live a life with a career I am unhappy in" and "No, I know I can get the job I have worked so hard for".

If you're contemplating going to university or are unsure what career path to follow in general I hope this helps a little by showing that the vast majority of people are in the same position as you. Although choosing whether to go to university or not is a big deal, it isn't the end of the world if you feel your choice has turned out the be the wrong one. University will always be there for those who chose not to apply and it also teaches a lot of other skills to those who do go.

Pippa



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