Erika_

Hello.
I would be very thankful if someone could give me a good advice concerning my studying in Canada. I moved to Montreal this summer, I am a permanent resident. To be honest, I feel a little bit lost now. I got a Master’s degree in Linguistics and Translation, apart from English I also speak 4 other languages. The problem is that I don’t want to do anything with linguistics, so probably I will have to go to the University and start studying from the very beginning (which is perfectly fine – I am 26 now and it’s ok for me to invest time and money in another degree). I would like to study at McGill University because it is globally renowned and I am sure that all the lectures will be of a superb quality.
While choosing a new major I am not taking into consideration any degree in Engineering (I am at the humanities, but not math or chemistry). I also realized that I am not interested at all in HR, Finance, Economics, Law, Logistics, Psychology, Teaching, Translation, IT, Management, Design. I feel very strongly that I don’t want to study these majors. Now I am in limbo…
I do understand that choosing another unserious major (Journalism, Anthropology) will ruin my life – though these majors are very interesting. The job perspectives seem brighter for engineers, finance analysts, doctors, lawyers, rather than for me. It makes me really sad and unhappy now – I was a top student at the University, and now I am finding myself at the bottom of the ladder because of my major.
Maybe someone could give me a wise advice concerning a new major in Canada which would lead eventually to a well-paid job? I am not afraid to study anything (though I was always bad at math and physics). I just desperately want to be a successful and happy person, but without any future plan it is just impossible.
Thank you.

Snowy560

I would be inclined to do a professional qualification that will enable you to work at something rather than something purely academic. Reading your post makes me think you need to give academia a break rather than get more into it.

I'm sorry you don't like linguistics. I'm a sociolinguist by training and I love it although I only work a very little bit in that field now.

S

Dorothy

Nuclear physics.

Millhouse

Apply for a job at the UN in DC. Communications department, travel the world.

Erika_

Thank you very much for your replies. Probably it's a good advice just to give it a break and try to find a job meanwhile.

Davita

I'd never heard of a sociolinguist so had to look it up. Seems very elaborate and requires a lot of study...but I couldn't see where it had any practical application...what does one do with such education?

Btw totally agree that the OP needs to get out and find a way to use the academics already in possession....and maybe return to academia after some lifestyle experiences.

Former Lancastrian

What do you want to do career wise and do you have the qualifications to do the said job. Define well paying job?
You speak 4 languages so would a job as an interpreter with the Immigration & Refugee Board be something you would consider?
http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/BoaCom...ges/index.aspx

Contract vacancies open in Montreal.

viajero

My advice would be to get a job as a translator. Assuming one of the 4 languages you speak is French, this should be pretty easy.

In the evenings, do a post-graduate certificate at McGill or Concordia in something that might interest you. They are far less expensive and more practical than university degrees (and less time-consuming, of course). They tend to be geared to university graduates - people in mid-career seeking new skills or a career change.

I would recommend consulting McGill's Continuining Education site: https://www.mcgill.ca/continuingstudies/

I share your love of anthropology. If I had the time to pursue a third university degree, that would be it. For the moment I'll have to content myself with more leisurely reading of material covering that discipline.

Pizzawheel

There's a glut of useless university grads in many fields at the moment, college is where it's at.

In a recent project interview it was my college HNC that excited them, not my university degree, which I found interesting.

Having said that, you need to get out into the workplace to find out what you like and what courses you need. Academic qualifications are just your ticket into the funfair. They don't impact which rides you go on (though the humanities and STEM funfairs are different places).

Erika_

Actually, I speak 5 languages in total but somehow I always feel that I am not competent enough. I translated so many documents, several books and films – but in the long run I realized that I don’t like to stare at the computer for the whole day. Let’s admit – very rarely do translators and interpreters find a good job (UN, etc). If they want to work for themselves – they will need to spend a whole lot of time on searching for the new clients. There is no job security. It was ok when I was 22, but now I am 26 and I realize that I should become a responsible adult.

Concerning the certificates in McGill or Concordia – I don’t know… I am not sure it will be enough to put just a certificate in my CV + my Master’s degree. I should probably get not just a certificate, but a real degree.

Maybe I just experience a quarter-life existential crisis and that is the reason why I have no idea what to do in my life.

Thank you very much for your ideas!

bats

Art History, then you could move into museum work, curating perhaps. Your languages would be useful there.

Something more practical would be physiotherapy.

Snowy560

FL makes a great suggestion. Go and see a few hearings at the IRB. Costs nothing just a day or two of your time to go and see if it would suit you. It's very interesting. You might enjoy doing something very useful and helpful for those who really need you.
You certainly won't be at the computer all day!
S

Aviator

Law - Lawyers get paid well.

Snowy560

I think the OP needs to do something practical rather than academic study at the moment. A training course perhaps where her present qualifications can be used as generic qualifications to gain access to the course.

That's my opinion. I could be wrong. I thought the IRB was a great suggestion. Nothing to lose except time by going there and observing a few hearings. It's very interesting.

S

Erika_

Thank you very much for the link. Ironically, I don’t know any of the languages and dialects required. I have a wrong set of languages for the IRB – English, German, French, Russian and Ukrainian. Anyway, thanks a lot.

Based on your life experience, do you think it is generally a good idea to choose something more practical, like law or finance due to better employment possibilities in Canada? Moneywise, it is not a bad idea at all, even though I will have to spend another 5 years getting a degree and I will feel probably miserable because I don’t have passion and personal qualities of lawyers or financial analysts. Or should I choose a road less traveled and make value of what I know already, rather than spending 5 years on something certain and high-paying, though not really interesting for me?