Advice on life (jobs)?

VoluminousGirly

I'm in high school and it's about the time to find my career (my mom keeps pushing me)

I have a question. Should I go take classes that would benefit me educationally/ job wise or should I pursue my dream? I want to be an animator but you know how much they get paid.

Help? Thanks. How did you decide?

CurlyCanadian

I would take tons if different classes and see what interests you.

A friend in high school wanted to be an animator and went to school for it. About half way through she decided it wasn't for her and tried a few different things.

She wound up taking a photography course with a friend as something to do and loved it. She's now a fantastic photographer who books up months in advance.

claudine191

I would study animation and take a variety of other classes. If it turns out animation is in fact what you love, relocate to a strong market for the field.

HTH!

VoluminousGirly

If I take a variety in high school, how would I know what to take in college (expensive)?

CurlyCanadian

Get an idea of what you enjoy, then you can focus in in college.

kucikas

of course follow your dream!!!

Take those classes that you like.

Yes, you can take those classes that after school you maybe just maybe you will be paid more, but you don't know now what econoics and what salaries will be after few years.

So my advice, follow your dream, because then you will do what YOU want, then if you do what YOU want, you will be better than others who just took those classes for money or smth.. If you will love what you like, you will become expert, you will enjoy your lofe and you will be happy, and that comes that you will make more money !

spiderlashes5000

What is it they say? "Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life."

Just be smart about it; figure out how to turn your dream into a viable, lucrative career. Obviously, that will take research, networking and creativity but it will be worth it. Be prepared to stretch yourself and think outside the box.

VoluminousGirly

Thank you guys! That line to me is very cliche and hard to believe since I hear it so much. I wish it's the truth. Hopefully everything works out by following my dreams and whatnot

PerriP

I work with a woman who loves music, she's a choral conductor. LOVES it, her passion. Yet, that isn't her full time job. She said she tried to do it as her career but there was work politics, drama, etc. and she realized that she wanted to "protect" her passion so now only does it part time, accepting the jobs she wants to take. This is how she has chosen to live her passion and it works for her.

The point is, there are a lot of ways to do what you love. It's not all one way or nothing at all. I would suggest balancing your courses so that you also learn something else (business maybe? ) so you have skills for filler jobs between animation gigs. Or teaching courses. There are a lot of ways you can do this.

DaniGirl88

I agree with what others have said. I think you should follow your dreams, but remember that just because you don't have a full time doing what you love, doesn't mean you can't do what you love on the side.

I recommend taking as many free classes as you can in high school, and then taking what interests you as electives in college.

When I was in college I took various courses that I found interesting that would still count towards graduation just to see if I was on the right path. While I didn't pursue a career in Art or History, I still enjoyed taking those courses and learned a great deal. And they counted towards my degree too.

I think it all comes down to doing what makes you happy. If you're happy being an animator, do it! Life is too short to have any regrets or be miserable at a job.

VoluminousGirly

Thank you everyone for the motivating words

sixelamy

Don't make the same mistake I did. The only thing I'm good at is art, and all I've ever wanted to do is artsy things. I do them in my spare time - all different kinds. Well, there's no jobs in art, unless I want to show in galleries (UGH! No thank you!!). So I decided to try a major in a field that I had interest in. It was largely math and science related - I've always hated science and I'm good at math only if I understand it (which I stopped understanding it once I got to Trigonometry). That was a complete fail, so I went back to art. Then I thought why not try my hand at another field - big fail, because I hated the classes I had to take for that field and I didn't do well. So, I went back to art. Then I said, well maybe I'll just get a certificate in this other field... nope, went back to art. Then I tried an art related field and received very poor advisement and took all of the prep courses at the same time, so my portfolio was no good due to not having enough time for all the classes. So I just got a general degree in art. Now I have a steady job that doesn't pay very well, but I'm ok with it. I like my job. I do my artsy stuff on the side.

So my point is, don't spend 8 years in college like I did when you know what you want to do. You may not get a job in your dream field, but you'll have a degree that you loved getting, and you will find a job doing something. You'd be surprised how you could use a degree in animation. You'll learn animation amongst other design techniques which would make you marketable to advertisement or website creation. You just have to integrate what you love into something that's at a high demand. It's been years, so I'm not sure what the market is for web developers anymore, but when I was in school it was high.

I guess it depends on what you want to spend your time on, and what type of job you want or would be satisfied with. If you're anything like me, if you look around too much you'll be in school forever trying to find something you might like.