[Hack&Lube]

I went to University originally as a marketing major. I discovered that I enjoyed the design part rather than the selling part and became a pretty proficient graphic designer but I still hated selling and networking.

I inexplicably decided to go to law school out of that foolish adolescent need for pride/identity/status, I switched majors to political science, wrote my LSATs, started getting law-related jobs (Law Library, Alberta Law Society, legal research company, Calgary Bar Association) and quickly discovered what many have echoed in this thread - that a great deal of lawyers seemed to hate their jobs and were constantly stressed out in a conflict/blame driven industry which quickly changed my mind for me.

Around this time, I discovered I was fixing everybody's computers and printers at work instead of doing my actual job so I switched into IT. I started programming and tinkering when I was 6 years old (but stopped for several years) so I always had this as a background as well.

Today I work in IT for an O&G producer managing enterprise systems but with the industry the way it is, I'm constantly looking at backup plans. I've recently blown tens of thousands of dollars in the restaurant business (I like to cook) which I might not be able to recoup because business went down with the economy and embezzlement issues (ex-partner). I've also started a new real-life game/amusement business (PM me for details and CP discount). Interestingly enough, my graphic design background means I am now in charge of a lot of marketing material for these side ventures as well. Nothing is really paying off (financially) right now, but it keeps me busy enough that becoming miserable is impossible because the variety and learning curve (and fun!) is just intense.

The moral of the story is that life doesn't always turn out the way you expect it to, but even if you get pidgeon-holed into one career or your schooling (or lack of schooling) narrows your available field - this doesn't mean you have to start all over again or have a miserable life doing only one thing. There's 24 hours in a day and there's plenty of time to keep a full-time, professional job, and also try ventures on the side from anything in small business to an online startup to a food truck etc. Life is full of opportunity if you are creative and are willing to teach yourself. This is what I tell my 30-something friends who are having early-life career crisis and are constantly going back to school, still struggling with finding a new vocation through traditional means.