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thekingof8
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thekingof8 Kilroy was here
 
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, North America, Western Hemisphere, Earth, Milky Way
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Default May 03, 2020 at 06:56 AM
  #1
After everything I have dealt with, it’s probably for the best that if I decide to go back to school (and it’s still a big IF) I should try to find something that I am passionate about. I narrowed it down to the 5 full time programs below. I had a 6th in Creative Writing, but it’s only part time and on-line. I would rather do this at the campus so I could interact with others, including the instructor, face-to-face.

Business - Management and Entrepreneurship

Details:
  • 2-year full time course
  • On Campus
  • Learn how to do a business model.
  • Create a start-up idea that you develop and enhance throughout the program.
  • Unsure if Second Career would approve of this as there are other similar programs available.

Potential Careers:
  • Marketing
  • Visual Merchandising
  • Store Planning
  • Sales
  • Customer Service Management

General Arts and Science - One Year - Concept Art Foundations

Details:
  • Starts Winter 2021
  • 1 year on campus
  • Acquire skills that help you create original characters and concepts for the entertainment industry applying the fundamentals of colour, light and composition.

Potential Careers:
  • Freelance Animator
  • Illustrator

General Arts and Science - One Year - Pre-Animation and Illustration

Details:
  • Starts Winter 2021
  • 1 year on campus
  • Learn the basics of drawing to further your studies in animation or illustration.
  • Focus is on building a strong portfolio that contains images with strong composition, structure and observation-based samples.

Potential Careers:
  • This certificate prepares you to continue your studies in animation or illustration.
Illustration and Concept Art

Details:
  • Starts Fall 2020
  • On campus, compressed to 3 semesters
  • Develop industry-standard technical skills in digital and traditional media for a career employing your creative talent.
  • Learn ins and outs of print periodical illustration, children`s books, and concept art for animation.

Potential Careers:
  • Children`s book illustrator
  • Editorial illustrator
  • Concept artist
  • Production designer
  • Background artist
  • Matte painter

Professional Writing

Details:
  • Starts Fall 2020
  • 2 years, on campus
  • Acquire the necessary skills to write independently and collaboratively in freelance and organizational settings, with attention to detail, learn to research, write, edit and proofread.

Potential Careers:
  • Communications officer
  • Copy editor
  • Researcher
  • Proof-reader
  • Web content writer
In addition to deciding what to do, I also want to decide where to go. If worse comes to worse, I’ll do it at Algonquin. The way everything happened involving the Business-Accounting left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I never got anything out my Chef Training course that I took over 10 years ago. I’m also starting to hate this city. I have lived here for 40 years and I have yet to make a mark. It’s been nothing but bad luck and crappy job after crappy job. Maybe a change (albeit temporary), might do me some good. I made a list of the pros and cons of relocating for school:
Pros:
It would be a change of scenery for me. I love to explore and go on road trips (big or small) and being in a different city would allow me to do that. It would also give me chance to start fresh and let me leave my failures behind. I still have a hard time dealing with regrets and a temporary change might give me a fresh start.
I’m good at finding my way around too. I know Toronto (and the GTA in general), and North Bay (which feels like a second home to me, even though I haven’t known anybody there for over 10 years).
Cons:
Whenever there is good, you must weigh out the bad as well. If I do decide to move somewhere else, I won’t know too many people, or anyone at all. I know some people in the GTA, but I would be leaving a lot of people behind, especially my family. Yes, they drive me to almost drink, but I still love them. Maybe it would be better to love them from a distance?
Having Social Anxiety doesn’t help either. Though I have made some progress and new friends the last little while, any type of social gathering, especially ones where I only know a few or none at all, still scare me. I was talking to a friend/former Manager on Messenger the other day. She moved from Ottawa to St. Catherine’s a couple of years ago. Despite leaving her friends and family behind, she doesn’t regret doing it. She has a job that she loves. Mind you, she is much more outgoing than I am, though I’m sure it was still hard for her to do.
Add to the fact I would have to find a job and a place to live. Enterprise might be able to accommodate the former if I go to a big enough area (assuming I’m still with the company by then), but there are no guarantees. Living in the GTA or Southern Ontario is more expensive as well. North Bay would be cheaper, but I don’t know anyone there.
Final Thoughts:
As the saying goes, if something doesn’t scare the living crap out of you, it’s not worth doing. It’s not like staying in Ottawa has gotten me anywhere. There are no guarantees moving to another area (temporarily or not) would do anything either. I just feel like I need to make a change somewhere. After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. It’s not like I would be severing ties or moving to another country. With today’s technology, I could face time with people, rather than just hear them on the phone.
It’s a tough decision and it’s one I can’t make right away or on my own. I really need to think about this because I really don’t want to fall flat on my face again.
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IceCreamKid
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Default May 03, 2020 at 08:03 AM
  #2
I won't comment at length, but I will say that I do not think you should believe, "I never got anything out my Chef Training course". Education is never wasted if we do not allow it to be wasted. You have mentioned business management, art and writing. Add that to chef training and I see a lot of opportunity there. And at the very least you should know how to prepare a lovely meal to entertain and influence people on a micro level. I've found your choices to be interesting. Keep trying to reduce your social anxiety; it can be done if you put effort into it.
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thekingof8
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Default May 04, 2020 at 10:44 AM
  #3
Quote:
Originally Posted by IceCreamKid View Post
I won't comment at length, but I will say that I do not think you should believe, "I never got anything out my Chef Training course". Education is never wasted if we do not allow it to be wasted.
I guess I meant I could never further myself. I would apply at all the good places, but would always lose out to someone from Le Corden Bleu. I always got stuck in these crappy restaurant and cafeteria jobs where I was always stuck on the grill. Most of the stuff I already knew or could've learned on my own.

With all of the stuff that has happened (losing a friend, my grandmother, school, among all of the other crap and s***ty hand I've dealt the last couple of years), maybe going out of town for school might do me some good. I'd have to have a roommate, which can't be worse than living with my friend and his family, although things have gotten better and quieted down since I read them the riot act a few months ago.
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Thanks for this!
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writesofpassage
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Member Since: May 2020
Location: Katoomba
Posts: 16
3 yr Member
Default Jun 07, 2020 at 11:07 PM
  #4
The professional writing course would allow a lot of flexibility to work remotely or create a portfolio career as more & more businesses go online.

With the job market shifting constantly, developing a grab bag of skills is one way to navigated the shifting sands. As you say, its a big decision & something you want to give some thought to. You might find this career book worth a look:


Career Counselling ✩ Career Change ✩ Resume Writing Services
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Thanks for this!
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