So let's say you were 18 again, but with the knowledge you now have.  What would you choose to do for a living?

I'm not talking like fantasy dream job that you don't actually have any aptitude for.  I mean, if you had the time/money/energy to train for any job, with your own talents and pitfalls, knowing what you now know about the economy and workplace. 

What would you choose?  Why?  What would you absolutely NOT do?

Much thanks to those who reply.  I'm pondering career options at the moment, if you couldn't tell.

botony/horticulture .. and specifically hydroponic/aeroponic food production.  i love working with plants, but at this level pay is pretty sad.  i was even looking into the graduate program at Cornell for a while, but couldn't stomach the idea of taking on more debt.

Buy my Family's Homestead , and work it until sometime this year. Then sell it and keep the profits myself (farm land is going for killer prices these days).

Then buy a small plot to retire comfortably the rest of my days.

Tax law.  I'm not kidding.

Permaculture.

@Rant - are you aware of any training programs for hydroponic/aeroponic agriculture?  I'm super interested in it but all the agriculture programs I've found seem locked into old-school dirt methods.

@Del Why?

I would actually go through with dropping out of school the first time I thought about dropping out of school, not let that dumbass fuckwad talk me into staying so he could use me for my apartment. I would travel around and practice yoga.  School is a terrible investment, yet they keep telling you that you are somehow better off with it than without it. Thumbs down. Boo, disagree. Be free. Join the circus. Take more drugs. Learn the old fashioned way, from experience.

I'm not being facetious when I say I have no clue.  :)

Not to sound conceited, but on paper there are a lot of things I have the aptitude for.  I've never known how to apply what I think my strengths are into an actual jobby-job, though; welcome to Pisces MC + Neptune in the 6th.  :/

I still like the idea of building something.  I've always wanted to work on cars, too.  One thing's for sure, I would definitely get into a trade school ASAP.  After high school, I was so burnt out on "formal" education (as opposed to hands-on) that I'm still resistant to classroom learning.  It's really hurt me in a lot of ways, not the least of which is the debt I've accrued trying to make a go of it.

look into Cornell... they are top of the line when it comes to that field

http://www.cornellcea.com/

Boxing manager and promoter.

When I started college I was biology major - was interested in going into medicine.  I feel like I wasted so much time, should have done something useful that actually HELPS people.

Seriously thinking about it now... I would stay in the theater. Try out for Shakespeare in the park. 

I turned down the chance to join a traveling circus when I was 21:( One of my few regrets in life! All over a stupid boyfriend.

I can't think of anything...mostly because with my Jupiter + Capricorn I never feel it's "too late."

(Except the circus I wanted to join).

I'd become a film editor and work on documentaries until I was awesome and aclaimed.

interior design

This thread is awesome, cant believe I didn't see it :). I would stick with photography (film & darkroom) and become a photojournalist like I planned, before all the shit happened lol.

I'd not go to school and just go to do missionary work.

My four kids were my career, and I would do it again. I might try harder to fit more development of my art career in between that, but I was a homeschooler and I owned businesses, so there was little time.

I'm pushing fifty, and have been in school full-time for over a year now; training for a new career. It's not necessarily my dream job, but it's accessible and in-demand, and I need to build a retirement.

Either my first choice: language interpreter ( which would mean not going to community college - it cost me my chance to major in a language) or something more in the lines of urban planning.

I don't want to sound like a dickwad. But I probably would not do shit differently. I would probably move away from writing for a living to getting back to it slowly and more meaningfully. I'm still on that. And if I die trying I'm OK with that. Meanwhile, this life has been quite the damn trip. Onward ho.

I wish I could have taught English in China. I had to choose between that or my husband (no ultimatums, we just couldn't have been in the same country) and I know I chose right.. still wish it could have worked out. :)

I don't think I'd do anything different, career-wise. I can't even imagine a different path.

*Reality check*

I do this! I look back and wonder what I could be now if I did things differently and with fore-sight back in the past!

But guess what...

I am 18

Oh god I hope I don't do this for the rest of my life! Looking backwards when there's plenty of time/enough time ahead of me to change things or improve things!

P.S. - I'm sure you were all perfectly capable back at the age of 18 to be whatever it is you're not now!

Maybe we should all stop dwelling and start thinking of the future and what there is to change or improve on!

Haha, RL-AS, that's exactly why I started this thread!  I'm trying to decide what to pursue, and wanted to see what people would say with the benefit of hindsight (although I'm a little over 18 at this point ;-p)

Elsa - "I don't think I'd do anything different, career-wise. I can't even imagine a different path." I'm pretty sure that's called self-actualizaton :)

@Korellyn

I never even read everything  I just assumed you were 40 something and dwelling... how ignorant of me!

And cool, I have no idea either, so I just chose something for the sake of having something chosen haha! I'm working towards becoming a translator between English, French and Mandarin Chinese! I can already speak French and English, just learning Chinese and pondering which university to go to!

My main goal in life however, is not career-related, but to get fit hahaha, that's my life-long dream, get a nice toned (hot) body! Haha, and a nice relationship to boot! But only after I've played around and flaunted off my new body!

Interesting, blessedwhitney. I don't even know what that is so I googled and found this:

http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds_2.htm

I have all those qualities, pronounced. :)

I'd definitely stay with my career as a programmer. I'd just skip my expensive attempt at college, and get a four year head start on it.

I like where I am. Right now I'm a full time parent, but I've been a student, corporate worker bee, soldier, farmer. I've been many things, gained many skills and a lot of knowledge. And they all brought me here. I still have plenty of room to grow (I'm only entering my 4th decade). I've got nUranus in my 10H, I'll never be "just one thing" ;)

My next "career-ish" goal is to have my own small farm again. It was also one of my original goals, I've wanted to have my own land and horses FOREVER!

But, if I were advising people younger than me about career....I'd say school can definitely be way over-rated! I'm totally with what Nota said. Where is your joy, and your creativity? Be you. Don't think you will find your satisfaction in pleasing those who pressure you to not follow your dreams but instead seek "security". That "security" is an illusion (as many people were rudely woken up to the past years) and if you do manage to "find" it, you will be more of a slave to it as you continue to work ever harder to maintain your illusion and your place in it.

Take a year off before college, go to a foreign country and teach english. See a bit of the world, expand your horizon's seriously!

Hmmm..... I like what Luckyduck wrote , but would caution something about it.

If you do go visit a foreign country , say a "developing" one..... DON'T  get caught-up in the current situation (IE: how lacking in basic services , like we have in our home country).

Peace Corps (and other humanitarian organizations) do a wonderful job , but they try to "tug at your heart-strings". I hate this..... 'cause while it is commendable to help alleviate suffering , I view this effort as "artificial".

It took nearly a century for my country (United States) to develop many of the social programs (many are not working as planned)..... so it will take similar time for these countries.

Volunteer if you wish..... but don't become a "partner" ((IE: become a monthly financial donor)). Rarely does your money go beyond the "administrative costs" (both of the organization and the government fees) , which is mismanagement in my book. I'd rather donate my Labor..... which is something that can't be siphoned off into some bureaucrat's bank account.

I would have gone into social work as my main job, and pursued my avocations (theatre, art, astrology, writing) on the side. Most of what interests me can be distilled into "what makes people tick"... it's endlessly fascinating.

The same but wouldnt let myself go through the crap about it in the do over

I would do what I always wanted to do growing up, and follow my passion for horses. I rode extremely well even though I'd had very little formal instruction, and had a real empathy with them. I didn't know it was an option to go and work and racing, so not having my own horse (or any money (and getting positive discouragement from my parents), I couldn't see any way to do it.

I worked hard to get to university instead - at least it would get me out of the parental home and I knew that was the first necessity. If I'd gone into racing I'd have had discipline forced upon me. I'm not sure though that my always fragile health would have enabled me to survive all those freezing mornings and being out in all weathers!

I honestly don't know what field I would go into instead of my own (future) field after finishing school for a third time next summer. I would try my hardest to find a way to not have done the job I've been doing for the past decade, as the stress to my body, and mind make the earnings just enough.

But....if I had to do it all over again, in this economy, I don't know that my life path would be much different than it's been. It's an employers economy as far as I can tell, says 6th house Saturn/Pluto.

I think I'll like my 'new job/career' when I get there next year though. Then I'll be able to create a better balance between working and being social, and volunteering my time to causes that mean something to me (vetrinary hospital, human hospitals).

I would be an architect. Louis Sullivan "the father of the skyscraper" was a Virgo and I understand that Venus trine Saturn which I have natally is also good for architecture.