For many high school students, the pressure to figure out a future career can feel overwhelming. College applications ask for intended majors, parents ask their children what they intend to do in the future, and social media makes it seem like everyone already has a plan. However, according to several teachers on campus, careers in the real world are almost never this straightforward.
Math teacher David Gesk’s career path looked very different from where he ended up today. He began college as an archeology major and was interested in ancient civilizations and history. At the same time, he worked in the music industry as an A&R representative for Sony Records, helping promote up-and-coming artists in the college music scene before the internet even existed. Gesk described the job as exciting but also unpredictable, saying that working with artists, managers, and venues taught him how to work with different kinds of people. “You had to meet the artist, meet the manager, and make sure everyone knew the label was supporting them,” Gesk said.
Gesk loved this job; however, he realized it would be difficult to make a stable living in that field long-term. He eventually shifted toward something more concrete, leaning into his interest in math and later becoming a teacher. “Careers are gonna shift, and talents are gonna move more quickly than they have in the past,” he said, especially with new technology and AI changing entire industries. Looking back, Gesk said he wishes he had known more about finance in high school, as he believes it’s a massive field with great potential opportunities. “If you don’t stumble into a finance class, you don’t even know that world exists,” he explained.
English teacher Jeff Alexander also took several turns before becoming a teacher. Out of high school, he thought he would go into real estate, but that quickly changed. He later became a sports writer and worked in journalism for around ten years before deciding to teach. At a younger age, he held many jobs, including working as a paperboy, at his parents’ video store, and as an usher at concerts and sporting events. He said those early jobs taught him how to work with people and perform under deadlines. “I had to get a job done within a certain time period because people were waiting on me,” Alexander said.
One major turning point for Alexander came when he had to choose between continuing his journalism career but traveling far away from family to prioritize his wife and children. He chose teaching, a career that allowed him to help others while staying close to home. He encouraged students not to let money dictate their choices, explaining that when passion is involved in a career, money will follow regardless.
Social science teacher Spencer Schwerdtfeger shared a similar perspective, emphasizing that careers often follow a “zigzag” rather than a straight path. After college, he knew he loved history but didn’t immediately plan on becoming a teacher. Instead, he went to graduate school thinking he might work in government or journalism, as he liked these topics very much. While in graduate school, however, he became a teaching assistant, leading discussions and grading papers, and that experience exposed him to the world of teaching. Schwerdtfeger said that teaching undergraduates helped him realize he genuinely enjoyed teaching and could see himself doing it long term.“It wasn’t like I always wanted to be a teacher,” he said. “It was more of a zigzag, windy path than a straight line.” His job as a TA started as a way to get money in college but quickly turned into the basis for his career.
When speaking about advice for students, Schwerdtfeger encouraged them to embrace uncertainty instead of fearing it. He explained that feeling totally certain about a career at 16 or 17 is almost non-existent. He also stressed the importance of exposure, such as meeting new people, trying new experiences, and seeking advice from older individuals with life experience, such as coaches, bosses, or mentors. “Uncertainty is good,” he said, adding that exposure is often how people actually discover career paths.
Together, these stories show that uncertainty is normal. Careers are shaped by experiences, mistakes, and unexpected opportunities. For students worried about having everything figured out, these teachers’ journeys serve as a reminder that it’s okay to explore, change direction, and grow over time.
