Dorissa Martinez
National Archives and Records Administration
Yorba Linda, CA USA
"It turns out that when you love what you do, the money finds you. "
Career Roadmap
Dorissa's work combines: Government, Education, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
St. Lucy's Prior High School
Bachelor's Degree
American History (United States)
California State University, Fullerton
Graduate Degree
American History (United States)
National University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Archivist:
Bachelor's Degree: American History (United States)
Graduate Degree: American History (United States)
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Teaching. As a history major, everyone makes you believe that you need to be a teacher. I believed it too, but then realized it was a completely unfulfilling job.
2.
Legal Secretary/Paralegal. Surrounded by a ton of people in this field, I thought maybe I would go to law school some day—glad I didn't.
3.
Corporate Sales. Great money, but horrible working conditions. People were more concerned with getting ahead than being decent human beings. My happiest day was being laid-off.
4.
Unpaid Internship. This is where I was able to really find my passion. I was fortunate because I had money in the bank to explore my options.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
It's more important to make a lot of money.
How I responded:
It turns out that when you love what you do, the money finds you.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I really wish I would've had time for an internship, rather than working full-time, because I feel like that would've helped me get into my career sooner.