I'm Changing: The Analysis of a Career Changer

[I've decided to start a mini-series of posts based on my current plight in life...CAREER CHANGE.  My motivation for doing this is mostly selfish in the sense that I am hoping that it will help define my mission, highlight my progress and help me to identify and validate where I'm going...but I also hope that it may help anyone who may read this.]

Growing up?

(Point of view taken from up until 2000, dating myself and assuming that not all that much has changed.  Also note: these are statements on public school- I am fully aware that privileged private schools may be different; however a majority of people do not have this as an option.)

 

There's something inherently wrong with our public education system, grades 0 - 12.  It's rigid and far too based on "core curriculum" with not enough opportunity for personal discovery. You've got your standard math, english, science pathways with some elective-like courses thrown in here and there (I'm looking at you middle school band, home ec (WTF), and if you didn't grow up in a small town in Virginia, maybe computer science). Yes, I'm exaggerating to some extent on course diversity, but I do feel feel strongly that this is no way to introduce students to discover what they are passionate about, excel at and how they may be able to contribute.  Sure, I excelled in school and graduated from a major university with a biology degree.  How did I get to that point?  My mom,who also graduated with a degree in the biological sciences, was a partial influence.  Other influences were classes I enjoyed in high school.  But not really.  I would have rather had 10 creative writing/film classes as compared to my courseload of organic chemistry, calculus, biology, etc...  I took these classes because I had to- literally.  Unlike college, there was no flexibility in creating a "major."  I took a course path based on what the state of Virginia thought I should take.  OK, cool.  I was 18 and kinda just accepted that because I thought that was "the way" or something.

Enter college and beyond:

The way our system is set up, every class, test, standardized test (lame) a student takes leads up to making a decision on a college, and even finer in detail, a major/minor.  Because I thought I excelled in biology, I landed on a biology degree at the University of Georgia...which I really enjoyed once I got the "core curriculum" out of the way and jumped into the biology stuff.  OK, cool. I excelled, graduated and now was expected to go out and find a job.  I landed at a major biotech firm in SF which was a great experience, moved to NYC and landed another gig at a major pharmaceutical company...but something wasn't adding up.  This 'something' I began to identify back in college.  As time passed, I realized that my personality may not be the best fit for the discipline I now had spent the last 10+ years involved in.  As more time passed, I began to sincerely despise the work and industry I was involved in.  There could have been multiple reasons for this, but the major issue could be summed up in one question and answer: WAS IT FULFILLING?  NO!  The area of work I had chosen was not fulfilling. The people I worked around were nothing like me.

...and then an amazing thing happened: I was laid off!

Next Post:  Big. Scary. CAREER CHANGE Part 1:  The Initial Concrete Internal Analysis.

No Excuses, Smarty Pants

Information should be free...and it is. Anyone with access to the internet has the potential to learn pretty much anything. No, this is not your mom telling you to "stay in school" or your third grade teacher playing the inspiration card. It's stating the obvious. We are at the point where asking a friend, acquaintance or other type of human for hard information can come off as lazy. Resourcefulness is an expectation. All of this seems painfully obvious, and I kind of feel silly typing the preceding 6.59 lines, but it's a lead- ok? We are at an amazing time right now where, if you want to learn some serious material, taught by instructors from top tier schools, you can...for no monetary cost. I say "monetary" in the sense that the cost will come in the form of your time- just like school. Enter Coursera. Coursera is a company that has tapped major universities to provide web-based courses on subjects ranging from the biological sciences to business to technology and design among others AT NO COST TO THE STUDENT. These are serious courses and their rigor is to rival sit down classes similar to those taught at the parent university. I see Coursera being part of the beginning of a new paradigm in education. Anyone with internet access will be able to learn without being restricted by cost and geography. I've enrolled in a course on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). It is slated to take 9 weeks at ~20+ hours of work per week. There will be video modules, homework and quizzes and a course long project I must complete at an 80% acceptance level. I don't expect it to be easy in the least, but I do expect my investment to pay off. No Excuses, Smarty Pants - go learn something and contribute.