As I was reading Ahlander and Kofman's Get On the Lattice, an excerpt from Share or Die: Voices of the Lost Generation foreworded by Cory Doctorow, I had a life changing realization. The "real world", or life after college, isn't all roses. My generation is very naive about what life is really like after college. The jobs we want we don't really know anything about, many jobs aren't as giving as you think they are, and having a family isn't as simple and happy as our parents make it look.
Today getting a job is a lot like doing paperwork at the DMV. Lots of paperwork and most of the time you don't know what you're gonna get. Making a career is even more difficult. Most of us don't even know what we want to do yet. I want to teach music, be it choral or instrumental, middle school, high school, or even college. Do I really know what I'm getting myself into? Does anybody research their future job options? The truth is they don't. Not knowing what to expect from your future career is like not knowing whether or not the fruit you're about to eat is rotten. Think about this question as you continue to read. Is what you're planning really what you want?
The second tip in "How to get on the lattice" (pg 90 of Share or Die) is to decide what's important to you. Flexibility in your schedule, health care, insurance, sick leave, vacation, a short commute, holding a higher position, or even being able to be a part of your (future) children(s) lives. Most jobs only offer 10 days of vacation a year for the first ten years; many don't offer sick leave; and women only get a couple months of maternity leave. What's important to you in a job?
My last point is becoming a parent. I adore children and I would love to have some of my own a lot later in life. With who I'm dating now, for example only, it'd be quite difficult. He's a Marine. He's never home and he's making that a career. I definitely don't see myself being a "single" mom. I want a job; I want to work; I want someone there to help me with my children. My career of choice does give me a good bit of time for a family. I'm just gonna be a band director. Yes there's late nights, rehearsals, and performances, but you can make that a family affair. A friend of mine got fired from her job, the first time she was late, taking her daughter to day care after being stuck in traffic for a half hour. Some jobs are unforgiving and unrelenting. Climbing the corporate ladder is almost impossible with children and if you have kids while you're climbing, you pretty much stay stagnant.
In conclusion, make sure that what you're planning on doing is what you WANT to do. Being stuck in a career you didn't want in the first place makes for an unhappy life. Do your research. See what the job has to offer you and not just what you have to offer the job. If you do decide you want a family, make sure you can and not have to give up on your dreams. Happy parents are the best thing for a child. Even if you're not there all the time.
