Am I really what I do?

I made a major career change about a month ago. The change was largely by choice, but with equal doses of necessity. Several months earlier I'd tried to embark on an orderly, logical vocational planning journey to try to determine what my true "vocation" is so that I could chose the perfect career for the second half of my life. Unfortunately, I was much too ill, frightened and financially stressed to do that. So instead I prayed, not as much as I'd like to have, but apparently enough to receive and answer.

I'm not sure that this job is where I'll be for the next 20 years, and with the economy and the nature of change being what they are, it's not likely, but it's a good landing spot for me for now. There are many things about my new job that are very well suited to my personality, my interests and my skill sets. It's much more enjoyable than many jobs I've had although it doesn't pay as well as many jobs I've had. But at this point in my life, as much as I'd love to be making a lot more money, I believe that this is where I'm supposed to be.

That said, I thought it might be interesting to take a quick jaunt down memory lane, and list some of the many jobs I've had (in no particular order, including permanent, temp and part-time jobs):

1. summer day care camp counselor


2. market research analyst (enjoyed it - sometimes)


3. legal secretary


4. account manager


5. call center trainer (enjoyed it)


6. receptionist (hated it!)


7. retail salesperson (hated it!)


8. administrative assistant for a non-profit


9. certified nursing assistant (hated it!)


10. small business owner - market research and data collection


11. small business owner - handmade jewelry and knitted items


12. dispatcher for an auto salvage yard (hated it!)


13. telemarketer (hated it!)


14. manager of a GIS research unit (my all-time favorite job)


15. corporate concierge