How many times were you asked a a child, "what do you want to be when you grow up?'
In Elementary School, I always gave the same answer "I wanted to be a teacher".
In high school, I thought about being a Physical Therapist. But you have to be good in Science so that idea fell by the wayside, plus the University that had a great physical therapy program was way out of my price range (or student loan range).
By the time I started college, reality had set in. I knew I loved writing. Well, how about being a journalism major? YES, first major.
Was I ever going to make a decent salary as a journalist? Probably not.
Next, back to the ides of being a teacher. Loved the classes. But as I looked toward student teaching, I knew I could not afford to give up my day job in order complete that part of the curriculum.
I finally met with an Academic Advisor.
My question, what can I get a degree in with all the credit I have earned?
I could earn a B.A. in Behavioral Sciences (combination of Psych and Sociology). OK that works for me. Give me my diploma and I can move on.
So what kind of employment can I seek with that degree? I had no idea.
I got my first real job as a bank teller. I have to say it was fun. But the salary was pathetic plus I now had student loan payments added to my budget. I stayed at that job a year.
Next, it was a job in New York City. One block from the World Trade Center right on Broadway. Working in the Big Apple.
I worked as a trading assistant on the Government Trading Desk.
A long way from my degree and teaching.
After becoming a Mom, I needed to work closer to home so I entered the world of branch banking again.
People would come in and ask for help filling out their mortgage applications (yes, back then you filled out a paper application). We were also buying our first house and going through the mortgage process ourselves.
It seemed kind of fun.
Fast forward a zillion years and I am still working in the mortgage industry.
I have done in-house originations, processing, underwriting, and relocation closing.
I have been a Processing Manager, Underwriting Manager, Closing Manager and a Lending Partnership Manager.
I doubt anyone as a child said, "I would like to work in the mortgage industry".
But here I am all these years later. It has it's challenges and rewards.
Right now, it is insanely busy and exhausting and that is normal for this time of the year.
My degree in Behavioral Sciences has come in handy as I try to figure people out - customers, loan officers, counter-parts, management and my team members.
In the last few years, I have started working again at my first love- writing.
As many of you know, I have two books in process, I have been writing profiles for a local magazine, I am working on an article or two that hopefully will end up in a national magazine and yes of course, this weekly blog.
What would we do without friends? Although, I think Mary may get a little worried at times when at the end of the day I say, "what time do you want to go home?' Yes, LOL I call her house home!!
See you next week.
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