what made you go into your career?

[Nicole]

Something I was talking to a friend with last night about, we haven't had a lot to do with one anther over the last 10 or so years because she was living & working in the UK.

I had no idea how she got into tech, turned out she was bullied in high school and the computer room seemed like the only place she could get away from the bitches bullying her. She wasn't huge on computers at the time and over time she learned a lot and when to came to uni, she was offered a place at Melbourne Uni.

It took her all over the world and she now works for a huge international airline, but they've allowed her to move back to Australia.

My career is a photographer, other than always loving he magic of the dark room as a kid, again is was the one place I could get away from the bullies.
My dad, who past away a few months before I was born was a hobby photographer and over time mum would show me some of his work.

When I came out I left school and we moved to Melbourne, I then had a year off before going back and finishing my VCE (like your SATs).
I never really wanted to work as a photographer but after a while I was thinking what will I do with my life, so I applied to do photography/Art to Melbourne Uni. I studied for a year, took a year off for SRS, went back and finished, but was working 3 days a week at News Ltd by that stage.

After a few years I hated news photography, I was being sent to car crashes, murders, sitting outside of the courts for hours and so on.
So I quit, I had a chance to buy a photo print store and I did, it did ok but I could see the writing on the wall, so sold up the shop.

Since then I've pretty much worked in photography, doing my own thing, I pick up odd jobs like photographing models who are starting out to shooting real estate and the odd sport event.

But I found it funny that we both started our careers to get away from the bullies.

[Dena]

What a trip down memory lane. My first year of college I was and still am a nerd and I wanted to follow the path of electronic engineer. My high school consoler didn't have a clue and put me into liberal arts but as I didn't have a clue, I put myself into electronic technology. One of my classes had a project where I was supposed to write a program on a computer so I would know how to do it. The language was and early form of Basic and I was to use a 110 baud teletype connected to a GE-265 computer with a 3 ton hard drive, about 8k words of memory and around a 5000 character program size limit.

From then on it was just a matter of taking classes that kept my hands on a computer through out my time in school. I encountered and conquered the GE-425 which used tape drive and card reader input, the memorable CDC 6400 with card input but super computer power that could run up to 8 jobs at a time and the beloved IBM 1130 and even more beloved IBM 1130 which while not powerful, contributed a good deal toward my transition as the General Automation 18/30 was really an IBM 1130 at heart and my first job used the 18/30 and the second one was working for General Automation supporting the computer.

Those are my first loves of which I have many fond memories.

[KathyLauren]

In high school. I hung out with the other nerds.  If you got enough nerds in a group, the bullies would stay away to avoid contamination or something.  So I joined the science club.  One term, they brought in a mini computer for the club to play with and learn BASIC programming.  We coded our programs with pencil-marked cards and handed them in to the science teacher.  At the end of the day, we'd go and collect our printouts.

The next year, some friends and I found out how to get access to a DEC PDP-8 at the university, so we'd head over there after school and steal time.

So, when it came time to pick a major at university, computer science was a natural choice.

I took a detour into the Air Force, because they had paid for my university, and because who can resist the government flying club?  While I was in the Air Force, the first hobbyist computers were just starting to come out.  I bought a Heathkit version of the DEC PDP-11 and built it myself.  At the end of my military committment, there were unemployed pilots sweeping out hangar floors, so I fell back on my computer science degree.  Thanks to my experience with DEC computers, I was able to get a job at a government department that ran DEC VAX computers.  I stayed with them for over 20 years, eventually switching from an employee to a contractor, but keepig the same job.

When my wife and I moved out to an island off the west coast of Canada to live the hippie life, I quit my contract at the government and did odd jobs on the island for a couple of years.  Then one day I got a call from my old manager: the guy who took over my contract wasn't working out, and would I be interested in bidding on it, to work over the Internet?  So I did it for a few more years, until I retired permanently when we moved to Nova Scotia.

[BeverlyAnn]

In my case, I just plain got lucky.  I was 18, had applied for a job with Southern Bell (now ATT) and had turned down the only thing they had which was climbing telephone polls.  That evening I was looking in one section of the want ads of the Atlanta Journal and my mom was looking at another section.  She told me she found something I should apply for so the next day I put in an application at Delta Air Lines, was hired and had a 34 year career retiring at age 52 after 9/11.

[Deborah]

The Army gave me an electrical engineering degree and then let me spend ten years of adventure in the Infantry.  After that they sent me to school again, against my wishes that time, and turned me into a statistician and operations research analyst.  I did that for a while and then got sidetracked into doing a few different things concerning developing and writing concepts for the Army.  Now I'm back to doing experimentation studies and doing math magic to come up with defensible conclusions.  I've found that I really enjoy  manipulating the data bases to extract what I need to then run statistical tests.  Since nobody else understands the math I get pretty much left alone to do my job as I think it can best be done.  I have found myself in nerd nirvana working math problems all day LOL.


Sapere Aude

[Joelene9]

  My Navy experience. I wanted photography, but due to my high aptitude in math and basic knowledge of electronics, they put me in avionics. Electronics was a big provider of jobs, so I stuck with that. 32,000 cell phones passed through my repair bench in my career for starters. There were a lot of starving pro photographers. There was good advice long ago that said "Don't follow your passion, train yourself where the jobs are." Usually your passion may not net many jobs, but if it does, go for it. This advice is being repeated today as I see an increase of post-grads waiting tables and delivering pizza.
  My other passion is astronomy. No funds for college and the required post grad studies. I've been more satisfied doing the serious (Sirius?) amateur imaging, data collection and public outreach on my own time and dime.

Joelene

[2cherry]

At first, I did not like computers at all... then I noticed the Internet and I could build a website and reach out globally. My passion was design, drawing and painting. So I designed my own website in 1999, and because there wasn't any school where you could learn web programming and scripting, I had to learn it myself to make that website. From there it snowballed into owning my own IT company. I guess that's how life is, nothing can really be planned for... it just happens... 

[IdontEven]

Wow, lots of computer nerds! I was into computers for a long time, did the IT thing. I still help family and friends out with their computers and home networks but I lost interest in those things a long time ago, once I learned enough to make them completely non-mysterious to me.

So now I'm going the opposite direction of Joelene's advice - I'm pursuing a "career" in music. After deciding I wanted to transition I looked at my guitar and thought "I'm already doing the 'dumb' thing to chase down one dream, I don't want to feel regret every time I look at that guitar for the rest of my life". I doubt there will be many jobs, but hopefully I can teach or give lessons, at least. Meh, life is too short to spend it doing something I'm not happy with; I'd rather be poor than any alternative that doesn't revolve around music. Hopefully I won't literally starve, but I'm not going to be shocked if I do.

[Atom]

15 Qualifications and a degree later I started in my industry at the bottom. Right at the bottom.

Luckily, I'm quite intelligent and have a low moral bar/ ethically flexible on the whole.

I ended up with a nice severance package after running high for a fair few years. In my last years I had an account of 600 clients. Fine details are subject to a fat NDA but a lot of people left before I did. Personal beliefs over our work area.

I'm now a stay a home parent and studying to be a Charted Legal Executive. At the moment I'm leaning towards Child Protection, which I'm extremely passionate about.

[Kylo]

Necessity. There's hardly any jobs where I live and so much competition I just had to be self-employed.

But I've done a lot of different jobs in the past, got a degree (and halfway through another) and two HNCs and a course in business start up. I still don't think my prospects are particularly good atm in the UK but I refuse to live in London.

[arice]

I have always loved science... it was a refuge from bullying for me. When I started biology, I followed the courses I loved and ended up with a PhD in mycology... but there are no jobs to be had... so after my contract ended when I was pregnant with my first child, I became a stay home parent.

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[V]

I just stumble from one job to the next. I get bored too easily, and have to move on.
I've had 16 jobs so far, and out of those, 7 could be considered as careers that needed training, skill and application. I find I can turn my hand to most things. I'm a Jack (Jill really) of all trades, master of none.
I studied at the University of Life, School of Hard Knocks.
At the moment I'm an Automotive Research Engineer, but who knows what's next.
I really want to be a writer though. Never managed that, as I lack dedication and commitment.

[JLT1]

I started college in chemical engineering.  Flunked out.  Managed restaurants for a few years.  Went back to college, finished BS in chemistry.  Couldn't get a job.  Went to grad school, found out I liked research.  Got my PhD in analytical chemistry.  Got a job doing environmental research.  A few years of that, got PhD in molecular toxicology.  Now I do more environmental research. 

Jen

[lil_red]

When I was 22 I got a job at a manufacturing facility and realized I'm good at troubleshooting and fixing things.  I wanted to go to school to be an industrial electrician but put it off for years because I let people convince me that as woman (hadn't acknowledged that I was trans yet) I would never be taken seriously.

Late last year I said screw it, I'm going to do what I want and enrolled. Hoping to eventually get into electrical engineering.



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[V]

When I was 22 I got a job at a manufacturing facility and realized I'm good at troubleshooting and fixing things.  I wanted to go to school to be an industrial electrician but put it off for years because I let people convince me that as woman (hadn't acknowledged that I was trans yet) I would never be taken seriously.

Late last year I said screw it, I'm going to do what I want and enrolled. Hoping to eventually get into electrical engineering.

I don't know how old you are now compared to when you were 22, but I've worked as a woman in mainly traditionally male job roles now for the last 15 years, and in the past few years (well, here in the UK anyway) things have gotten a lot better for female engineers and technicians. It still could be a lot better though, but things have improved.
As a guy you won't have such difficulties though.
I have worked in a couple of firms that didn't have female toilets, and the male toilets were just "go behind the building and pee against the back wall", but I learned to cope, even though it was a challenge.

[lil_red]

I don't know how old you are now compared to when you were 22, but I've worked as a woman in mainly traditionally male job roles now for the last 15 years, and in the past few years (well, here in the UK anyway) things have gotten a lot better for female engineers and technicians. It still could be a lot better though, but things have improved.
As a guy you won't have such difficulties though.
I have worked in a couple of firms that didn't have female toilets, and the male toilets were just "go behind the building and pee against the back wall", but I learned to cope, even though it was a challenge.

From what I hear things are getting better here in the U.S. too.  I'm 30 now and am starting my physical transition from FTM any day now (waiting on bloodwork results ) [emoji1]

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[Tessa James]

Great thread and I applaud how so many of you here have such self directed lives.  Growing up as a male it was drummed into my head that I must be a good provider and would likely need to "prove" my manliness by being in the armed services.  On the other hand my sisters got the typical incentives to be "pretty" but having babies was more important than an occupation.  It seems now that people change professions and careers more often as they "reinvent" themselves.

I was woking FT by the time i was 13 and in the army as a 17 yo.  In Vietnam the guys could see I was not much of a man or killer.  I found my first adult boy friend and was made a "field medic" rather than a machine gunner.  Getting out in the 70s they did not have the paramedics of today so I went into nursing but was not even considered for the obstetrics department as a guy.  I went on to become an anesthetist and realized my dreams of working mostly with women as a nurse anesthetist, CRNA.  It was a great career and pathway to other dreams come true.

I don't want to be a man basher but when I worked in jobs with mostly guys the competition and atmosphere was very uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous for me.  As a sissy guy I was harassed, threatened and some really wanted me to fail, a big joke for them.  Of course women can also be less than kind to each other but I found far better social and cooperative situations prevailed.

I really love being a wife and now retired the best!

[V]

From what I hear things are getting better here in the U.S. too.  I'm 30 now and am starting my physical transition from FTM any day now (waiting on bloodwork results ) [emoji1]

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Wow, exciting times ahead then 
I transitioned when I was 30 (started hrt and hair removal at 28) something about it being a milestone age for me and a 'do or die' moment.
I wish you well.

I don't want to be a man basher but when I worked in jobs with mostly guys the competition and atmosphere was very uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous for me.  As a sissy guy I was harassed, threatened and some really wanted me to fail, a big joke for them.  Of course women can also be less than kind to each other but I found far better social and cooperative situations prevailed.

I really love being a wife and now retired the best!

I didn't enjoy working with mostly guys before I transitioned (as you say, they pick on sissy guys), but afterwards, as a woman that changed completely. I much prefer mucking in with a group of men, and I give as good as I get. I use my femininity to maximum advantage whenever possible too 
I love proving them wrong when they think I can't do the job.
Conversely, I don't really work well in a group of women. Not wishing to bash women (I am one after all), but I can find them bitchy, gossipy and backstabbing. I'm definitely a 'man's woman' 
The downside is that my fella says that I often come across like Sandra Bullock's character in the film "The Heat" 

[karenpayneoregon]

Looking back on life I would never guess when graduating high school that computer software development would had been my career.

Right out of high school I was hired into construction and was placed under the wing of a master plumber, did this for seven years until I realized this was not something to do all my life even though the pay was excellent.

Decided to move into sales (during my stint in construction I got good at other things too) and sold, measured and installed window treatments for eight years, again good salary.

Met my future wife there, her brother in law some how saw potential in me for computer software development. He helped me pick out my first computer and tutored me for a year in C language. During the time I took a sales position in a computer store to pay the bills, not the best paying job by far.

Year two, tried to enter into computer science but was rejected as I wanted to skip COBOL. I was frustrated leaving admissions and a man could tell I was frustrated, stopped and asked what was going on? I told him, he asked if he could ask about my background which I did. After about five or ten minutes he took out some paper, scribbled for a few minutes. Handed me the paper and said, here is your pass, I am head of the computer science area and I believe you are qualified. Spent a year as a part time student and while doing so stumbled onto another language Nantucket Clipper. A customer at the store I worked at told me it was a great language and offered to assist me with learning the language. At that time I picked the language up and excelled with it. From there I learned money could be made writing articles so I did and ended up quitting my day job and wrote articles to support the family, now married.

Out of the articles a software developer contacted me, he was looking for someone with my skills to assist with the software he was developing. Worked for him for six months at 5,000 USD per month, a very nice salary at that time.

My brother-in-law's company Intel closed up shop and moved to Oregon. He said I should bring the family out and find a job there. Long story short I landed a position in July of 1994, still work there today.

Back in 2014 Microsoft recognized me and asked if I wanted to be a MVP (Most Valuable Professional) where out of millions of software developers in the world there were only 3,000 MVP developers so this really validated that I made the right choice in a career.

My MVP profile which is public to anyone.
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/profile/kareninstructor/

Having this recognition and a well paying job is great but at the same time placed me into a bracket that I had to pay for all of my transition except for HRT but at the same time no complaints as I had saved for three years prior and pay for surgeries in bank checks. If not for changing careers and being exceptional at it I may had never had surgery or been limited to who did my surgeries.

side note, last year at a week stay at Microsoft I made connections with several high level employees at Microsoft were one of the focuses was on how to motivate young females into the software industry.