Please take a moment- because that's all it will take- to answer the poll on the right.
NOTE: If you answer "other", please leave a comment. Otherwise your idea, no matter how insignificant you may believe it to be, shall remain in your head indefinitely, serving no purpose but to take up space in your brain. And no one needs any more mental clutter, right?
I selected 'uncertainty and aggravation' as well as 'a journey of trial and error,' but to be more specific, the former option refers more to the anxiety that I feel when thinking about what I will be/need to be doing in the distant future. Now I have only a semester left in my undergrad career, and so I've been forced to really get my feet wet and make some decisions regarding my "career." I have found this to be a more experimental time than I expected it to be. It took me a while to find the road I really wanted to be on, and I was only able to find it after dancing around the subject, pursuing all kinds of interests, and making decisions based on what I (my-version-of-me) was most suited for. I've found that defining things for myself usually leads to a dead end, so instead I cleared my mind and DECIDED to make no decisions - just to think about what got me excited, keep an open mind, and see where it goes. So that is the trial and error part. And I think it's going well... I've tried a lot of things just to narrow down where I want to go next, and I find that what I've narrowed down all sound like awesome things I would like to keep doing, maybe for 5 years, maybe for 50.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of "career" it tends to arrest my train of thought....
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI voted "other" because my definiton of career has changed over the last few months.
A career is an occupation where you can earn a living, and if you are lucky enough, it will also be something that "fits" you, so, therefore, most of the time you won't mind going and doing it every day.
Lisa H.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your thoughtful and thought-provoking response. "Clearing the mind," as you mentioned, always seems to bring about clarity in decision-making (...or non-decision-making, as the case may be! :))
I saw a plaque in a neighbor's rose garden the other day. It read, "Be Patient. You are Gaining Wisdom." Those words epitomize the career design process. It always seems to take much longer than you ever anticipate to test each path; however, the experiential, career elimination process teaches you an immeasurable amount about your preferences, strengths, and limitations.
On a positive note, that's great you've narrowed down the possibilities! Who knows, maybe soon you can begin toying with the idea of blending two or more traditional career paths to create your own unique career. That turns the decision-making into designing. (Which is much more fun!)
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteGreat perspective. When something "fits", as you said, it's much easier to get up and out the door each day.
Thanks for your comment!
Katie
A career, in my opinion, is something you do to earn a living. Ideally, it is something you enjoy doing, allows you to grow and develop certain skill sets (even if they're soft skills, rather than technical), and challenges you along the way. You may not LOVE every aspect of the career you've chosen, but the parts you do like allow you to accept and deal with the not-so-great parts.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I chose a career in television because I loved all aspects of TV production - the creative, the logistics, the deadlines, etc. While each and every JOB I had in television wasn't a perfect culmination of those aspects, I was able to focus on the parts I liked (and was good at), while working hard to overcome and excel at the parts I wasn't so keen on...all in an effort to make my career satisfying and enjoyable.
Very good points, Sara. You were able to enjoy your job so much on the macro level that the unenjoyable parts on the micro level became almost irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI too have found that focusing on one's strengths and interests vs. weaknesses is a key component in career satisfaction.
Thanks for a great summation!
Now I'm the opposite. I sort of fell into the printing industry after graduating because a manager was willing to hire me cheap. I enjoyed the printing business for the next decade, but it was a job. It paid the bills and I didn't hate getting out of bed in the morning. The next job was in direct marketing, and now I'm a typist.
ReplyDeleteYou may say that's not a career for an English major, and you may be right. I certainly worked with the written word through all these jobs.
But while that was happening, I was learning the ins and outs of writing fiction. Because I had jobs that took the worry out of feeding my family and paying the light bill, I could write with a clear mind.
And now? My first book hits shelves February 8th. I'm contracted for 2 more. That's my career. That's getting paid for doing what I love. All those jobs made this possible, in a way.
Thanks for stopping by, Alice.
ReplyDeleteI'd say that's fabulous things have worked out for you!! I think that as long as these jobs enable you to engage in your passion of writing fiction, then who cares what an English major is "supposed" to do for day jobs?
I think many artists, writers, and performers will agree with you that when they are starving (literally, sometimes) they aren't in an adequate state of mind to express their art. They are so concerned with financial problems that they are mentally and physically incapable of good creative flow.
Many congratulations on your upcoming books. Yay!
Please keep us apprised of your work. Inspirational stories are always welcome.
Hi Katie, I'd like to echo what Lisa H said: "A career is an occupation where you can earn a living, and if you are lucky enough, it will also be something that "fits" you, so, therefore, most of the time you won't mind going and doing it every day."
ReplyDeleteThe career has to pay enough for me to fund retirement, two college educations, and soon, aging parents. But if it's something I'm going to do 8 to 10 hours a day (or more), please God let it not be something I hate.
Hi Sohini,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your perspective.
The good news is the more you discover WHAT you are really good at, WHERE you want to do it and WHY, you greatly improve your chances of finding a lucrative AND enjoyable occupation.
Stay tuned for more blog posts on these issues you've presented!
Hi, Katie:
ReplyDeleteI chose "Other" because the main thing that comes to mind for me when I think "career" has more to do with a long-term outlook than the other selections. I think of a career as something that builds related job experiences over time into something that means more as a collective than each job could on its own. The colloquialism, "she's made a career out of blank..." comes to mind to describe somebody who's spent a long time focused on the same kind of activity. Hope this helps!
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteExcellent point.
The other day a graphic designer-turned web designer-turned coder- turned marketing/PR/media relations executive (her present occupation) told me that she feels she's now "come full circle."
Her curiosity for constantly experiencing new things has paid off.
Learning and performing all of the individual components of communication (the common theme) has now culminated into a streamlined, comprehensive career. She really enjoys the fact that her journey has enabled her to bring all of these pieces of the puzzle together.
Thanks so much for your input!