I always wondered how people are so confident in choosing a career. We learn nothing deeply informative about careers in grade school. We may learn about well-known careers such as lawyers, doctors, or accountants. Still, I needed more than a description to help me understand what the jobs genuinely are. Maybe if I look back on my interests, I can deduce a few things about myself that will help me get closer to my “calling”.

First, I like building things—this drew me closer to computer science. You can develop tools and entire platforms through creativity and diligence without needing expensive resources. Before I knew about software engineering, as a child, I either tore down electronics to explore or spent a lot of time playing with Legos (many children love Legos).

The second aspect of myself is that I enjoy working quietly on projects that may require research and specialized, independent thinking. Being a consultant or a fund manager checks those boxes, but those jobs aren’t quite specialized or independent. This second aspect is what drew me closer to thinking about pursuing a doctorate program in computer science. The thought of being specialized in a subfield of artificial intelligence is exciting. I would enjoy spending hours researching and thinking about challenging problems.

Age (and family responsibility) is the reason I never applied to a full-time MBA program. Even with the two aspects, I learned about myself. I have a few questions. Is it okay to change your path as you move in life, even if you are a lot older than the average age? Is there an age limit for doctorate programs? Even if there is, I want to challenge the idea that there is a certain age for careers. How can we know what we are best at or what job we are best suited for if we never experience it? Is it valid to ask people where they see themselves in 10-20 years? Most people may have an idea where they would end up, but most people don’t end up where they thought they would be. That’s just the uncertainty of the future and life. So, it’s inevitable that most people figure out their path as they go (even if they claim to know where they are going). This has been the case for me. It’s okay not to know or even be wrong about where you want to go. Despite the uncertainty, I know my next two steps, which is attending a master’s program in computer science. A master’s program will help me build the skills necessary for the second step: applying to a doctorate program in computer science. Maybe the future will change, but I’ve learned enough that the core of who I am and what I enjoy isn’t as uncertain.