What I really love is to get to know people. I love to make relationships with people and hear their stories. Everyone has something different to share - something to teach and thrive off of learning about that! My two childhood career dreams were to to become a teacher or go to beauty school.
Teaching requires you to get to know your students on a deep level - especially elementary school teaching. You have to know and understand the students needs, wants, desires, etc. Knowing their background and their family also helps you understand the way they learn and you can help them. All of this is appealing to me. I love children and it incorporates things that I love to do.
I have ALWAYS dreamed of going to beauty school. At first, I worried that people would judge me and think that I wasn't smart. I got over that really quickly. My next worry became that it wasn't a realistic career choice. It was a fun idea, but it could never really happen. When I decided that I really did love making relationships with people and hearing their stories, cosmetology obviously seemed like the perfect. Let's be real, beauticians are like therapists. There is something about sitting in that chair that makes people comfortable and easy to talk to. I love this idea. I love doing hair, I love making people feel beautiful, and I love talking and helping them relax!
I've done an internship and spent hours in classrooms. I work with children frequently and I know that I like this career option. The schooling is hard, but I know that I am capable and prepared to get my hands dirty and start working.
I've shadowed a beautician and toured a beauty school. I love the environment, I love the excitement of this career option. The schooling is equally challenging and very expensive, but I know that I am again, capable of doing it.
I can see myself in both career options. I can see myself in the front of a classroom teaching a room full of eager, excited children. I feel comfortable with this choice.It feels natural and simple. But I can see myself cutting hair too. I can see myself running a salon out of my home and raising a family. I like the non-traditional feel that this career path has. I like the idea of being different and doing something outside of my comfort zone.
Teaching is a career that would be put on hold while I raise my family, cutting hair is not.
Elementary Education will take me 4 years, Beauty school will take me 1 year.
So I feel like I have to choose one or the other. Although sometimes I think :
But that would be SO much time and money!! What if I get married? I don't want either dream to be squashed. I need one or the other. But why not both?
The struggle is real with decision making today.
What are your thoughts? In the end, this is ultimately my decision, but I'd love your opinions!
Em, first off, I LOVE reading your posts! Second, we must be twins separated from birth or something, because, no joke, those two things were EXACTLY what I wanted to do too!! Now that life is real, and it's the time to decide, I'm stumped and I have no idea. What I've found though, is that EVERYTHING I want to do is related to motherhood :) maybe I'm just meant to be a Mommy :) sorry for babbling, this didn't help you at all, but I just love ya :)
ReplyDeleteI am a firm believer in doing what makes you happy, regardless of what other people think is a "responsible career choice." Who cares about anyone else? They're not the one who has to live with that choice. If you want to be a beautician, you should be a beautician! I adore my hairdresser; visiting her really is like a therapy session.
ReplyDeleteI am personally planning to study two careers (choir teacher / private vocal coach). I love teaching, and it's something I can do out of my home when I have children.
Good luck making your decision! You will change lives either way. :)
What are you passionate about?? Teaching kids or cutting hair?? If you could ONLY do one of the 2 the rest of your life, which would you choose?? Yes, it may be a possibility to do both, but whichever one you are more passionate about is where you should start.
ReplyDeleteThat's my 2 cents! Good luck with your choice!!
Here is something to consider. You can see yourself in front of a classroom of eager and excited children. Would you be just as happy in front of a room of bored and rambunctious children? Or how about a room with a healthy mix of both? If you are just as excited about figuring out how to handle the craziness as you are about sharing the joy of learning than teaching might be a viable option. But if dealing with a class with a couple of "those kids" makes you a little less enthused, maybe you should look at hair. Another thought, hair clients come and chat - and then leave. And you decide how many you do or don't do in a given time frame. People will tell you everything, the good and the bad - and you will have to decide how to deal with what they tell you. Anything you choose will have good and bad days. The idea is to find something where the good days are good enough to make the bad days bearable. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI just started reading your blog Emily...it's nice to be back in touch with your life. If I may put my two cents as well. (Coming from a former elementary educator myself!) I believe both could be a real option. It sounds like you already know the dedication it would take to balance both, but here are my thoughts. I don't know what your scholarship/tuition situation is, but you could easily take the year you need (even night classes or some days on some days off) to get through beauty school and then find a job in a local salon. This can support you through your bachelor degree years. I believe in taking your time as well...if you need to do part time school, then do it! (How rigorous is the elementary ed program? Does it require certain blocks or cohorts or is there a go at your own pace option?) Then once you graduate earnestly look for teaching position, but while you look you still have the talent/option of a beautician. I don't know your thoughts on raising kids, if you want to be a stay-at-home mom or not, but you can certainly teach up to having kids, and then while they are young, take hair clients in your home! Once the babies are all in school, if you want, go back to teaching! I hope this wasn't as confusing as I'm starting to think it is. But, in a nutshell, if both feel right...then both it is!! PS...have you prayed? :)
ReplyDeleteYou'd be a great teacher and I know you would love it. But I also know that teaching school is very hard, and extremely time consuming. More hours will be put into it than you'll be paid for. You as a hair stylist would be perfect. You get to pick your hours and should you be too exhausted and need a break? Take one! And out of the home thing? Even more perfect! I say try out the hair school. If worst should come to worst, it's only a year AND you can just pick up right off where you left on the Elementary Ed. That's just my opinion:)
ReplyDeleteI personally love the career flexibility that will come with cosmetology. AND if you go full time you can do cosmetology in ONE YEAR! :) Then go back to finishing your degree. If you have any other questions you can totally email me! brooklynburton@hotmail.com
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