Job research

Trying to decide on a career is painful. It shouldn't be this way. If I knew what I should be doing, it would be a whole lot easier. I feel like I did before Peru: searching randomly on Craigslist and Indeed.com for jobs that might possibly fit my interests, but turning them down after reading the requirement list. It’s so discouraging.

Jobs require experience, and I am going to venture into an area in which I hardly have any experience. Do I take classes beforehand? What kind of writing category do I fall under? I do introspection, but I also can write help guides. What kind of relationship is that? I guess the common element is transparency; I try to find clear ideas on my life’s path, and I attempt to clarify technical things for other people. I think transparency is my guiding principle throughout my life, and I’m still trying to figure out why I value it so much.

Today I wrote a list of potential job titles that are related to each other:

• Writer (manuals, non-fiction, self-help, travel, poetry, songs) 
• Copy writer (found out this is writing for print and online publication, mostly for businesses) 
• Editor 
• Copy editor (before stuff gets printed) 
• Proofreader (the last step in the publication chain) 
• Editorial assistant 

I still go back to when I was in Argentina and some guy wanted me to edit his English translation from Spanish for a travel brochure. I felt like an English expert. I want to work with graphic designers to optimize their publications. I want the opportunity to write original content based on real life. I want to help collaborate on print materials and learn how they are actually produced. I have a need to use my sense of touch to connect with things, whether they be the texture found in ceramics or the feeling of indented type on a page. There is something about the presentation of a printed material that cannot be replicated online.

Any ideas for my future job?