There is no formula. As an architect this was my path.
4 years high school
gap year in France
4 years college
gap year with a Youthgrant (architectural history project)
3 years of grad school
Work 2 years in CA, got married
5 Years in Germany (worked about 4 of them)
Have first child - take 1.5 years off (first six months were paid leave in Germany)
Work part time 10 years and have second child
Open my own business (started off very part time, and it evolved into full time work as kids got older, I started my won business because of child care issues)
Man plans, and God laughs.
I had a very smart father. I highly recommend this path.
My words of wisdom…I never thought there was something I couldn’t (or shouldn’t) do because I was a woman. At the beginning, I didn’t realize that I was an oddity, I guess being oblivious can be a blessing. And now I don’t care.
I made a LOT of money when I graduated from college: $24,000. Really, it was a lot of money (many years ago, when I graduated). Asking us what we made for our 1st job doesn’t help you much. Others have posted some good advice for you, though. My advice is that what you think you want now is not necessarily what you will want as you move along the path of life. Be open to change.
Here’s my formula. Find where your passion and skills overlap and never quit. Ever. You have to heat many no’s before the yes. Never quit, never let others define you, never put a ceiling on yourself and your limits. Don’t dream of making 100k or any set salary, dream big, swing for the fences and never quite.
Btw…never quit.
Another factor- times change. Back in my day there were few women physicians or scientists to act as mentors and a lot of bad stuff going on- too many incidents we could relate. Now with around 50% women life is much different for women physicians- we were trail blazers. Regarding salaries- all of it is relative to costs. Back in the day I found out what interns were paid years before my time, decades later the pay is so much more than in my day. Likewise tuition jumped…
What @eyemamom said. I’ve worked for almost 40 years in a niche of the legal profession that was never mentioned during law school but that turned out to appeal to me and that matched a good percentage of my skill set. If you’re happy, you’ll be a success.
Do you have a job now?
If not— get one in a business setting (working in an office, retail store, or restaurant)
If your goal is to go into business, you can start gaining experience in high school.
The “timeline” isn’t important – but the point is that your work and employment prospects will be better if you can accumulate more experience along the way. It’s not a linear time line - it’s a matter of breadth of experience.
Life happens and careers are often things that people happen into rather than plan. But you are fortunate to have career goals that are not wholly dependent on a specific degree or major. So just about anything else you do along the way will help expand your potential opportunities.
OP- asking someone their income is like asking a woman her weight. Just don’t.