I had a similiar situation. I discovered I had a love for cooking and nutrtion. I would spend hours at a time in my kitchen, getting cook books from the library, studying allergies, asian cooking methods, studied the science of calories, energy, macro and micro nutrients, etc... etc...
I decided I wanted to be a cook. Not as a job for the rest of my life, but a job I would enjoy doing, and a job where I would learn more. Maybe do that job for a few years, then move on to try to get my dream job.
So I apply for a cook position, get hired... and I got stuck with washing dishes, scrubbing the bathroom, and cleanup after the shift.
I figured "hey, we all have to start somewhere" and kept on trucking for 7 months. One day my boss comes in and says "Levi (the main chef), was out for 2 days. He asked if I would do it, and I said yes. At the end of the day the boss told me "Wow, you did a really great job. You really have something."
I was like YES, now he has seen what I can do. I fucking nailed it. Levi's dishes didn't look NEAR as good as mine. I put a ton of fucking effort in. It was my time to shine baby!
Levi comes back, then quits for a different job the next week. He has seen what I can do right? Surely I'm next in line, goodbye dishwashing!
...Nope, he brings in his friend's daughter who was fucking terrible and left after a month.
...now is my time right?
NOPE, now the bosses daughter has the job.
I asked for 2 fridays off since I was going to school and needed the time to film a project. Hadn't missed a day or been late in the ~9-10 months I worked there. I got the time off and it was all good.
I come in one week and someone is washing dishes. Thinking I must have gotten switched around, I shrugged it off and went about my normal routine of cleaning. Maybe I got moved to cook right? The boss comes around the corner as I'm going to get more cleaner.
He points me to his office.
"Hey, name, we had to let you go, we need someone more reliable."
"Wait, what?"
"You've missed 2 fridays in a row and we were swamped, we needed you."
"but... you okay'd my time off."
"We need someone more reliable"
"okay, have a good day."
And I walked out. Never got to be a cook.