(This photo has absolutely nothing to do with my career and is just me reading a brunch menu, but was the first picture I came across where I look like I have some information to share!)
I've been wondering for a few weeks what the moral of my career story is. I couldn't come up with one, probably because it feels a bit weird to be looking for the moral when the story isn't over. Instead, let's settle for the lessons that have come out of the story so far.
1. It's ok if it takes you a while to figure it all out.
I changed my major a ton of times. It was Biology. Then it was Criminal Justice. Then it was Business. Then it was Sociology. At the time, each switch felt like the end of the world. I was haemorrhaging money on student fees and at one stage, I even ended up taking a few semesters off. When I went back to school, I was still trying to pick a major while my high school friends were practically graduating and starting their careers. I was directionless and discouraged.
However, looking back, the time it took to get my degree just doesn't matter. You spend so much of your life in the work force, so in my opinion, there's no harm in taking a few extra years at the start to figure out which direction you want to go. To me, that is way better than rushing yourself into a career for the sake of getting a degree and first "real job". I felt a lot of pressure during university to just graduate and get out into the world, and at the time, I felt so discouraged that it was taking so long.
However, I learned a ton in the huge range of entry level courses I took, and I ended up with a degree that is widely applicable, so I'm going to count that as a win. Plus, I don't feel like there's a big gap between my career and that of my friends who graduated from university a few years before me. It all evens out within a couple of years. (And even if it doesn't, who cares?!)
2. There's nothing wrong with working hard to achieve something when the thought of the end goal brings you joy.
I want to weep when I think about how exhausting my final years of studying were. I was trying to juggle several part time jobs whilst studying full time. I was also commuting between my small town and Vancouver, which is 1.5 hours away, to see Shane and work one of my jobs. I truthfully don't think I slept for more than 4 consecutive hours my entire last semester. Some of my best sleeps in that period took place when I would put my head down in my cubicle in the library between classes and catch a quick nap. The whole semester was absolutely painfully, but I knew it was a means to an end, and therefore, totally worth it.
It reminds me of Gretchen Rubin's happiness paradox that "happiness doesn't always make you feel happy". A small bit of misery in the short term can pay dividends in the long term. That said, I would strongly consider whether it is worth slogging away at something that is making you miserable just because you think you should, especially if there isn't an end in sight. If my entire university experience had been that painful, I probably wouldn't have made it through, but it was manageable for the last few months.
3. There is nothing wrong with pulling the escape cord and taking some time out if you need it.
You hold the keys to your own happiness. This is so important that it bears repeating: YOU hold the keys to your own happiness. If you need a change, make it happen, because seriously, no one else will (or even should) make it happen for you.
I seemed to happen upon my escapes rather than actively pursuing them, but if someone had told me that it was ok to pause my education, maybe I would have taken time out sooner than I did. For what it's worth, I think you should give yourself permission to run away if that's what you need to do. Not forever, just long enough to get yourself together.
My biggest escape, when I went to Kenya after a terrible break-up, changed my entire worldview and career path. If I'd been too scared to take the leap, who knows where I'd be today.
4. Sometimes (often!) you may have to work at a job that you think you are over-qualified for.
I've personally started in positions that I thought were "beneath me", only to realise very quickly that perhaps I didn't know as much as I thought I did. Based on my experience, at the very least, starting in a position lower than you think you deserve gives you a chance to observe and get a sense of an organisation or field so that when an opportunity you want comes along, you are prepared to excel.
Once again, it's a means to an end. Particularly at the start of your career, it's unlikely that you will waltz into a job with a corner office, a personal assistant, and a team of staff under your supervision. These things take time. Pay your dues, work hard, and doors will open for you.
I loved sharing my story and these lessons with you. What lessons have you learned from your own career journey?
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