The subject of careers is much more complicated now than it was 30 years ago. Gone are the days of starting with one company and building your savings until retirement when you box up your belongings and leave the same building you stepped into fresh out of college. These days it is rare to actually have one career, let alone one employer. As knowledge grows and fields of study expand there are an increasing number of careers to choose from.

This summer my daughter is working for Monsanto, a corporation that has had a lot of bad press lately. She and I have talked about the ethics and principles involved, as well as talking to her supervisor about those issues (who happens to be in our ward). In the end she decided that the pay is good and it’s a great opportunity to get real world experience in her field of choice (biology) before she even starts college. However, we don’t tell a lot of people who she works for (until now).

As my children get older I have choices to make about my second career, the first one being full-time motherhood. I’m torn between writing (which would include teaching) and social work. In a volunteer capacity I’ve working in both fields and see the pros and cons pretty well – neither will make me rich.

What factors did you consider when you chose a career?

How did your faith and values play a role?

As members of the LDS church we believe in charity, service and sacrifice. Does this effect our career choices, not in an indirect way, but concretely?

How do you view your career in the eternal scheme of things?