Throughout their developmental years, a person is only properly exposed to a limited number of professions, potentially narrowing their aspirations for the future. For example, picture books often illustrate the lives of firefighters, teachers, policemen, and construction workers early in one’s life. This is done because it is simple for a young child to understand these jobs, but the exclusive exposure typically leads to the child having very predictable ambitions. How many times have you heard a child answer the familiar question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with one of these professions or one similar? Of course, this is an extreme example, but I believe the core of the issue holds true for all adolescents pondering about what to do later in life: if you don’t know about a profession, how can you possibly wish to join it? In the coming weeks, The Roundup hopes to break this mold and present to readers real world examples of novel and intriguing career paths and professions, hopefully expanding the scope of your career search.
Founded on the question “How does a person get a job like that?”, the series The Atypical Jobs of Typical People aims to deliver thought-provoking interviews with a variety of professionals across a wide range of careers. It is our mission not only to inform you, our reader, about the education and careers choices of these professionals but also to impart advice for those who wish to follow suit. High school is the time to starting thinking about what you want to do later in life, but that should not be done passively. Being Open to Growth means seeking out the opportunity to learn about new things and being receptive to what you find. It is our hope that this series will aid you in that search.
We are proud to announce that the first article in the series will feature Hunter Gilbert’s ’16 interview with the writer, editor, and internet personality Greg Miller.
If you know of a person who you believe fits the mission of the series, please contact us here.
