Did You Choose the Right Career? Did I? Did Anyone?

This is my second non-political blog in a row. Let’s hope it continues, because as much as I detest our corrupt buffoon of a president and his corrupt, buffoonish underlings, I don’t intend to spend as much time blogging about them them in 2026 as I did in 2025. I’ve said what I had to say. They’ve taken up enough space in my head. It’s time to get back to the original point of this blog, which is to document everything Vance Cariaga – because the world has a limitless hunger for Everything Vance Cariaga. Ha ha…..

Although a lot of things torture me – leaf blowers, long lines, phone chats, airports – one thing that has never tortured me is figuring out what I wanted to do for a living. From a very young age, I knew I wanted to be a writer/journalist, and set about prepping for that career long before I actually embarked on it.

I wrote for our student newspaper in junior high school. In high school, I got involved in a career organization where we worked with professional journalists, published a monthly paper, and produced daily papers at a couple of national events. At university, I majored in journalism at one school and English in another. I wrote for the student paper, and got involved in various literary circles. My first job out of college was as a newspaper reporter at a small-town daily.

In the decades since, I have mainly earned my living as a writer, reporter and editor, with a couple of brief detours into accounting and bartending (yes, they have nothing in common….).

So: I really have no idea what it’s like to waver back and forth over a career, or second-guess it once it’s underway. I’ve never second-guessed mine. Today it’s as much a part of me as my skin, bones and organs. I’m comfortable in it, which seems like a blessing I don’t always appreciate.

Which is not to say I haven’t occasionally wondered what I would have done for a living if I hadn’t chosen writing. It’s an interesting thought exercise, and something we all should do from time to time.

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One thing I can say for sure is that there aren’t a lot of alternative careers that immediately spring to mind.

The main one, and maybe only genuine one, is being a chef. I’m fascinated by food, have worked in kitchens before, watch a lot of cooking shows, and am a decent home chef myself, according to my own arbitrary rating system. Maybe that’s where I would have ventured.

Maybe I’d have been a police detective, solving crimes.

Maybe I would have been a jazz trumpeter, if I hadn’t been such a supersonically awful trumpet player as a schoolboy.

Maybe I would have been the world’s top-ranked tennis player, bopping around the globe in my private jet, collecting trophies and paydays like other folks collect pocket lint.

Maybe I’m dreaming…..

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Today, out of the blue, I decided to take one of those career tests to find out what science tells me I should do for a living. Okay, that’s not quite accurate. I wanted a blog topic, and this topic just sort of appeared in my brain.

Maybe you’re taken one of these tests. I’m sure millions and millions of people have. I’m betting hundreds and hundreds are taking one right now.

The tests come in different forms, but most involve answering a series of questions, and then determining what your career path could be or should be based on your answers. I’m sure the best career tests are based on tons of research, but I have no idea how much they influence people’s actual career decisions.

They’re pretty fun and harmless, though – and maybe even illuminating, if you’re lucky.

The one I took was the Princeton Review Career Quiz. It was one of the first to appear after I googled “what career should I pursue test.” Since it had “Princeton” attached, I figured it must have merit.

With this quiz, you’re asked 24 questions that require you to choose one of two options. After taking the quiz, the Princeton Review will show you careers that match the “style” and “interest” colors you created (but only after you create an account. Sigh).

The colors have particular meanings:

• Red: Expediting
• Green: Communicating
• Blue: Planning
• Yellow: Administrating

Here’s a handy table I painstakingly put together showing the 24 questions along with my answers, which are highlighted in bold/italic (I just realized that the “Question number” column is blank — thanks WordPress! I don’t know how to fix it. So just remember that the numbers are 1-24):

Question number	First Option	Second Option
	I would rather be a wildlife expert.	I would rather be a public relations professional.
	I would rather be a company controller.	I would rather be a TV news anchor.
	I would rather be a tax lawyer.	I would rather be a newspaper editor.
	I would rather be an auditor.	I would rather be a musician.
	I would rather be a production manager.	I would rather be an advertising manager.
	I would rather be an accounting manager.	I would rather be a history professor.
	I would rather be a bookkeeper.	I would rather be an electrician.
	I would rather be a writer.	I would rather be an elected official.
	I would rather be a clerical worker.	I would rather be a carpenter.
	I would rather be a payroll manager.	I would rather be a manager of engineering.
	I would rather be an audit manager.	I would rather be a safety manager.
	I would rather be an artist.	I would rather be a salesperson.
	I am usually patient when I have to wait on an appointment.	I get restless when I have to wait on an appointment.
	It is easy to laugh at one’s little social errors or “faux pas”	It is hard to laugh at one’s little social errors or “faux pas”.
	It is wise to make it known if someone is doing something that bothers you.	It is wise to remain silent if someone is doing something that bothers you.
	It’s not really OK to argue with others even when you know you are right.	It’s OK to argue with others when you know you are right.
	I like to bargain to get a good price.	I don’t like to bargain to get a good price.
	It is easy to be outgoing and sociable at a party with strangers.	It is hard to be outgoing and sociable at a party with strangers.
	I would read the instructions first when putting a new toy together for a child.	I would just “jump in” and start putting a new toy together for a child.
	It is usually best to be pleasant and let others decide if your ideas are worth accepting.	It is usually best to be forceful and “sell” your ideas to others.
	I usually like to work cautiously.	I usually like to work fast.
	Generally I prefer to work quietly with a minimum of wasted movement.	Generally I prefer to move around and burn some energy while I work.
	I don’t like to have to persuade others to accept my ideas when there is a strong forceful opposition or argument from others.	I like to sell and promote my ideas with others even when it takes some argument.
	It is better to listen carefully and be sure you understand when topics are being discussed.	It is better to speak up quickly and be heard when topics are being discussed.

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So, what does this quiz tell me about my career choices? I won’t bore you with all the details. I mainly wanted to share this because it provides an interesting look at the types of questions that get asked, and because certain readers might want to see what the quizzes involve.

The short answer is, I fall into the “Blue” category for both “interest” and “style.” This means people like me often work in editing, teaching, composing, inventing, mediating, clergy, and writing.

Since I earn a living as a writer and editor, I guess I picked the “write” career (ha ha!).

What is of greater interest is how my answers happened to land in the right place. Because on the face of it, you might not think so.

For example, the quiz analysis had people like me pegged as “sensitive” and “non-confrontational” – even though I clearly stated that I don’t mind arguing when the situation arises, I’m impatient when waiting for appointments, I like to work fast, and I’d rather dive into building a toy rather than sort through the instructions.

The choices are often strangely random. Company controller vs. TV news anchor? Carpenter vs. clerk? Writer vs. elected official? I’d love to know the science behind such choices.

Some of the choices seem too black-and-white, too. One that springs to mind is the choice between wanting to work quietly vs. wanting to move around and burn energy. Franky, I want both. I want to work quietly – but I also have to get up about once or twice an hour to get the energy flowing.

Well, who am I to argue with science? They pegged the right career for me, so hats off to that.

I knew decades ago what I wanted to do for a living. Decades later, that choice has been validated. I wish I could reach back in time and talk to my younger self, let him know he was heading in the right direction.

But, nah. He wouldn’t have listened to me, anyway.

And thank God for that.

Image: AI-generated, based on my very specific set of instructions. Yes, AI will end us all, and their image creations are kind of silly looking. But at least I don’t have to worry about copyright infringement…..