Originally Posted by
Chainsaw_Willie
There is a certain kind of person who can do well at things they hate. They figure it pays the bills and their babies' gotta have milk so they get out of bed every morning and trundle off to something that dulls their senses and makes them envious of other people.
Then there are people like me who have discovered through trial and much painful error that doing something I dislike is a surefire recipe for eventual failure, no matter how hard I try to make it work. The only thing that could entice me into a line of work I'm not enthusiastic about now would be mountains of cash and the knowledge that with said mountains I could walk away from it very comfortably in ten years or less.
I don't know what kind of person you are, but the people I know who are the happiest are the ones that have found something they enjoy doing and are pursuing it, even if they don't make as much money as a dentist or lawyer or financial wiz.
So the ticket, as I see it, will be to figure out what makes you feel good about getting up and going to work most days. There will always be times when it sucks, but if the majority of days are ones where you don't dread going off to make a living or even better yet, where you are enthused about what you're going to be doing that day then everything else will fall into place. Whatever that is, do it or something related to it, and keep an open mind. I don't know anything about what inspired you to get a film degree, but I'd guess that you might not mind working in the production side of things. Surely there are TV stations in Colorado that could use producers or cameramen. There are definitely stations in NJ that could use producers and cameramen. Maybe get a job with a TV station to learn the ropes, even if it's just sweeping the floors at first. Your management experience will look good on a resume, it shows responsibility and that you know how to work well with other people. Another thought is managing an outdoors store, if you don't mind the idea of working in retail. One of the big chains like REI or a smaller independent might need a good person. I skied with the bootfitter from one of the better known independent stores around here earlier this year. His schedule is flexible enough that he gets a lot of days in.
Just random thoughts from a guy who's never been very successful financially but has finally figured out what he likes doing, doesn't dread going to work in the morning any more, and finds that being a weekend warrior isn't the worst thing in the world.
