What do you do?

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Jellybones

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I thought it'd be interesting to have a somewhat personal thread. In the years I've been here there's always been you lot of familiar faces that I don't know much about. Therefore, some questions that could make for a nice discussion:

What do you do for work? Is it a career, or just a job?

If you're in education, what is your major, or what are you considering?

If in High School or under, what do you want to be?


I'm currently going to a local community college in my second semester. I'm simply working on my general education and undecided on my major. However I'm generally aiming for something to do with graphic arts or any kind of art. I'm not picky.

I used to want to be an elementary teacher, but the requirements for that here in California are absolutely monumental, and as working with kids in not my #1 joy in life (it's my #2) I settled for simply obtaining enough units to work at after school programs or preschools. And working for my major in the long run it'd be a better source of income than any minimum wage job. I was actually nearly hired to have my own classroom in a daycare I volunteered at but I wasn't out of high school yet and still wanted to go to college.

I work part time in retail. It's hardly anything- like 12 hours a week on average. But it's money in the bank, and I'm good at saving so it's all good. The holidays are hell though. Otherwise, I currently volunteer regularly at The Boys & Girls Club and in the past have volunteered at daycares and elementary classrooms.

Feel free to add whatever you want to the questions. Don't let me limit you guys or anything.
 
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I suppose I could answer a few of these questions for fun. I've been around this community for sometime so I do not mind talking a bit about myself.

As for me, I'm currently not employed or in school, rather I am working as an artist who takes in commissions. I guess you could call me a freelance artist in that regard. I do enjoy it more than working for an employer and it does gives me more freedom.

However, I'm not stopping there. I'll be moving away from home to study game development at a college and mainly looking into doing visuals and learn a bit of programming, because that's generally what I've been interested in doing while growing up. Just a few more months until I begin my studies, and I'm quite excited to see what sort of challenges are ahead of me when it comes to designing for a video game.

When I was in high school, I did think about going into medical and become a doctor. I was great in biology and I did get accepted to go to a University to study, however, I decided not to attend and follow the route of an artist.

Hope that's a bit of an interesting read. Still the same aspiring artist looking for a career in the video game industry. A side job I plan to do for fun is work into creating graphic novels. I'm still young, but over the years I've been practising just to accomplish these goals.

Welp, there goes my mini-wall of text. Trying to post more on the message board when I can. I do wonder what others have to say about themselves though.
 
How did you start off doing commissions? I've been thinking about it to make some small cash on the side but wouldn't know where to start. Aside from perhaps having a small portfolio to showcase, which I guess I do. Then there's the other ordeal where you have art/skills people are interested in purchasing.
 
I've been posting my work online for a good few years now and have gotten recognition with a few people. I do have a portfolio set up to show to people if they're interested in commissioning me. The best advice I can give to you is to find a way to get people to acknowledge your work and if they're interested in what you can do, they'll consider it.

As for gaining commissions from others, I have a few friends that have shared my art with other people and if their friends art interested, they begin to ask me about commissions. It's kind of like a web of networks.
I can't say it works for everyone though. You do need to find ways to make connections with people. Best thing to do if find networks with other people.

Sadly, people out there on art networking sites are more interested in fan art. I've started out drawing fan art for fun and it seems people were interested in it. Again, this is just from experience over the past. There are people out there who would be more interested in your original work though and would surely commission given you have the skills to do so.
 
As of now, I'm still in high school, so I really don't have all too much time before I have to decide what I want to do with my life. I would likely end up going into something programming or web design related sort of like I've wanted to do for a while, although now I consider them more of a hobby. In terms of programming, SRB2 is responsible for firing up my interest in learning it now at least, because of Lua scripting and how it could give talentless fools like me a chance to actually make a good mod, woo! But as for web design, that's something I feel that is very flexible and always has room for more in, so despite how small, I like adding things to my webpages and making them more and more complex.

What I fear the most about me having these interests is that if I do decide to pursue them, I'll be forced into the more tedious side of things completely foreign from me simply doing what I love to do. I hope that I end up being right if I choose to go further with these sorts of things, because I really am sick of hearing people tell me to try and pursue other things that I have no remote interest in.
 
Yeah go on then, why not? it's been a long time since I first joined and a lot has changed within that time.

I currently work at a restaurant outside a wildlife park. It gets the money and can actually be quite good fun, especially talking to various members of the public and not tredding on any wasp nests near the park itself. (got stung 4 times last year)

Currently at a college studying Animal Management, but moving to Cornwall to do either Applied Ecology or Zoological Conservation in September.

My true goal is to become a conservationist. Specifically on native wildlife in the UK. I'm getting some experience when I go to South Africa in May for 2 weeks and hopefully it'll lead onto something. Voluntary experience is a vital thing nowadays.
 
I'm currently attending college; right now I'm aiming for a degree in computer science. I'm taking a C++ programming class and I'm hoping to eventually take some classes on video game design, since that's what I'm ultimately hoping to do.

I also do computer repair work. Not really a job, just a way to make some money on the side. Outside of that and attending college, I am not employed.
 
I prepare tax returns at an accounting firm. I'll probably do payroll processing and other things once tax season is over.

I occasionally do some writing on the side. That's my main creative outlet these days.
 
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I'm 22 years old and I was studying Computer Science, majoring in Multimedia and Game Development, but it ended up getting too much for me so now I'm just looking for work while I pursue personal projects and try to get my life in order.
 
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I'm 26 years old and I was studying Crystal Plasticity, to get a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, but it ended up getting too much for me so now I'm just looking for work while I pursue personal projects and try to get my life in order.
 
What do you do for work? Is it a career, or just a job?
I am unemployed and loving it! I hope to somehow get paid for it.
If you're in education, what is your major, or what are you considering?
I am majoring in Computer Science, and I plan to somehow incorporate that into something. Probably video games if all goes well.
 
I was formerly studying a joint degree of English Literature & Creative Writing at university, but I had to leave at the end of my second year due to various sources of drama.

So I'm currently in the job hunt because being a NEET is a pretty miserable thing. But I do some volunteering work by doing some gardening and helping run a café at my local park to pass the time and to put myself to some use in the meantime.
 
Currently I'm an intern at a big corporation, doing programming for banking software. I know. Pretty dull.

I just recently graduated from high school and I have big plans. I want a major in philosophy. What can you do with a philosophy degree? Think deep thoughts about unemployment.

Unfortunately there isn't really a place in this world for philosophy. It's kind of like art in the way that some truly great artists have been dirt poor.

What makes this worse is that I have big dreams, and dreams cost money. I want to travel the world and see all of the amazing places and people.

So should I pursue my passion, or a money-making career? IDK.

Oh well. *sigh*
 
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I don't know about your exact situation, but I'd suggest pursuing it as a hobby, or at least trying to get a double major. The only reason I say this is that I know I'm prone to becoming extremely passionate / obsessed with things, and then quickly growing bored with them once the novelty has worn off and the tedium has set in. I imagine it would be especially bad if I also knew that my livelihood depended on me doing this day in and day out regardless of whether or not I really wanted to go through the motions on any given day. That's honestly why I can't see myself working in a truly creative field, and why I relegate drawing and writing to recreational activities.

Just my two cents. If you can make philosophy work for you, go right ahead. I know a lot of philosophy majors also get into computer science, both fields requiring logic and all, and it kind of sounds like that's the road you're facing now.
 
Currently on a Physics course at uni (specifically "Theoretical and Computational Physics", but right now it's identical to the normal Physics course), first year. Otherwise I don't really do anything, absolutely no idea what to do in the future considering I've had a number of different talents over the years ...most of them going to the dogs these days though.
 
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Currently on a Physics course at uni (specifically "Theoretical and Computational Physics", but right now it's identical to the normal Physics course), first year.

That's pretty cool. I've always been very interested in physics, specifically quantum physics. I've read many of Steven Hawkings books and all of Michio Kaku's works. If I wasn't more interested in philosophy, I'd probably pursue theoretical physics. Even if I never get a degree in it, I at least want a good layman's understanding of it.
 
What do you do for work? Is it a career, or just a job?
I do not work for money however I do Voice act around Youtube when people need me or want me.



If in High School or under, what do you want to be?

Well that is most certainly obvious, I want to be an official voice actor! I will be just as great and my inspiration from many other famous voice actors push me towards my dreams.
 
So should I pursue my passion, or a money-making career? IDK.
Money-making career with independent study as a hobby. I can tell you right now that no philosopher who ever said anything worthwhile ever took a class on philosophy, you can't be taught how to think original thoughts. From what little I understand of academic philosophy, it's all just reading and deconstructing past works with instructors presenting their own interpretations of highly subjective material to save you the effort of critical thinking. Save your money and read your Wittgenstein and Baudrillard or whatever in your spare time.

Similar advice for prospective game design majors: Don't! Academic game design is still in its infancy and no one knows how to teach it yet, it's a trap for people without passion or direction. Figure out what aspect of game design interests you most (art or programming- people don't hire "game designers", that position comes with seniority) and major in that instead.

College student, majoring in liberal arts and collecting phat tuition reimbursement checks while I work towards building a portfolio for a job in illustration or concept design. Would've transferred to an art school upon finishing but I think my federal aid eligibility will have run out by then.
 
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