What is your career field, current position and why did you choose the career you have?

[Anonymous]

I will start. I am a U.S. diplomat. My current position is Chief of the Commercial Section at a U.S. Embassy overseas. I actively pursued this career because I wanted a career in public service, had an aptitude for and interest in foreign languages, and wanted to travel and work overseas. I would rate my level of satisfaction with my career choice as very high. In spite of some of the challenges it presents on the family, personal relationship front, I feel my career is very rewarding, that I do important work that is intellectually and socially satisfying and that is unique to the larger world of work that exists in the United States.

[Anonymous]

Accountant/CPA

I chose this because I like numbers and finance, and I knew I'd always be able to find a job.

[Anonymous]

Scientist/ Senior Scientist, I always loved the discipline I am working in, when to grad school, got my degree, and found out that my skills are in demand. 20 years later, I am still doing the same thing.

[Anonymous]

I am a librarian for a federal agency. I always loved being surrounded by books, information, and knowledge. I enjoy the teaching and helping aspect also of my career. I was a business major in college but should have studied something in the liberal arts area instead. Hated business school. Long story short-got out of undergrad, worked in sales for several companies, hated it, applied for graduate school in library science. Here I am. Ithas ups and downs, but I do like it.

[Anonymous]

Public health - Health Research and data analysis. Currently a Sr Analyst at a consulting firm that does epidemiologic research.

Always had some affinity for science and numbers, and discovered a passion for public health and population health. Got a Masters and learned some technical skills (analytic software, etc) and don't see those skills going out of style anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Investment management (US equities)/senior equity analyst/I've always been fascinated by the stock market and I can make a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

Internal Audit/Compliance/Ethics

Work is always changing and evolving, finding and fixing issues is fun for me. I expect that this will be a growing field.

[Anonymous]

medical social work.

Interested in medicine, wanted to help people, didn't want to go to medical school or have the unglamorous life of a nurse. I love it.

[Anonymous]

Sr manager at a large consulting company where I manage IT services projects

My degree is in chemical engineering. I graduated in 2001 in the peak of the tech bust. I had a corporate research offer, a offer for a management development program at a major chemical company, and my consulting offer. I picked consulting because I wanted to stay close to my boyfriend and didn't want to move many states away.

That relationship didn't last, but I am incredibly happy in my career. Watching my peers who graduated with me and the various things they've done, I am confident I made the right decision for my abilities and goals.

[Anonymous]

Mechanical engineer. Unemployed. Wanted to work on government policies encouraging renewable energy.

Good field that I think is important. I just suck at it, apparently.

[Anonymous]

Preschool Teacher--currently working in community preschool, but formerly worked in public special education preschool (hoping to head back soon now that my own kids are older). Wanted to change people's lives--early intervention can do that. And in my current position, although I am not providing the specialized intervention, I am often the one that recommends that parents pursue it, so I guess I am still changing lives.

[Anonymous]

RN. I was involved in the medical field in a different role and then we had a crisis situation and anyone who was able to was asked to help. I remember organizing supplies and handing them out and thinking "man, I want to be the one to help these people.". I was 22 with a BA in Communications/Econ and enrolled in nursing school the following fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RN. I was involved in the medical field in a different role and then we had a crisis situation and anyone who was able to was asked to help. I remember organizing supplies and handing them out and thinking "man, I want to be the one to help these people.". I was 22 with a BA in Communications/Econ and enrolled in nursing school the following fall.

G-d bless you.

[Anonymous]

Director of Human Resources at a hospital. Choose it based on ability to work in business and support an org helping to save lives

[Anonymous]

Public Defender writing appeals.

This job suits me to a tee. I went to law school because I love to read and write and I have a huge sense of fairness and justice.

After many years of being a criminal trial attorney (which I loved but was prob. not my forte), I switched to writing appeals. I love criminal law and I love research and writing. I also now love the fact that I can work at home in my sweatpants.