UPDATE 3/4/09: I have cut this bad boy into two posts. See below for Part I. I originally wrote it as one and then had blogger’s remorse after seeing it online and scrolling and scrolling and scrolling through it… I had no time to fix this yesterday – so my apologies (and thanks) to the nine commentors who actually read the whole thing in one sitting. Send me your addresses and I’ll mail each of you a prize for “longest attention span.” -Kate
I had already paid for a summer house at Dewey Beach (Delaware) with my friends. Making it (in my mind) a free vacation from my problems. I figured that I’d just get a job waiting tables and take a couple of months off from the serious job hunt. In the end though, my obsessive nature made it impossible for me to stop worrying about my unemployment, and my lack of upper body strength made it impossible for me to carry those heavy trays at the restaurant.
THEN something amazing happened. Well – two amazing things really. First, the Federal Government was so completely confused by my tax forms (which involved two different jobs and residences in two different states within a year), that I received a rather large tax return in July. In truth, I should have received no return. I won’t get into the boring details, but I did make several calls to try to rectify this and was informed that there was absolutely nothing I could do. The Federal Government would not take their money back – damn them! And then, one of my roommates ended up needing a temp at her office for a couple of months.
So I left the beach.
I have a friend who liked to refer to this time in my life as “that summer that Kate freaked out and moved to the beach and then freaked out and moved home.” Well…it was a bit of a roller coaster.
I finally did get a job, but not in “marketing.” It was in meeting planning. Or more accurately, association management, which included meeting planning. And then two years after that, I found a real meeting planning job and FINALLY had an actual career path. I don’t even have to use “air quotes” when I say meeting planning, because once I got that first foot in the door, I knew what this career involved and could have a clear vision of it – no more hazy montages of what I thought it was supposed to be.
But this was not a fairy tale ending (sorry – no, it’s not over – and I haven’t even gotten to my point yet).
While I basically like my current career path, I’m starting to wonder if having to work with crazy people is a requirement for every job I take. Because I have worked with CA-RAY-ZEE (and not in a good way) people.
It started with that first crazy boss experience that drove me to the beach, and continued at the association management firm where I had to work with various boards of directors. I learned that when it comes to a board, there are lots of chiefs, very few Indians and GIANT egos. At the very least, I think it’s safe to say that there is a small, Greek director at Suntrust who has a reserved seat waiting for her in Satan’s boardroom.
I can’t be specific about co-workers and contacts from my more recent positions, but at this point, I’m fairly certain that the list of accomplishments on my resume should include “significant experience in diffusing unnecessary office drama and placating egomaniacs.” I really have spent an inordinate amount of time time tip-toeing around these crazy people over the past ten years. And I have tried to leave these toxic work environments and find others that offer a better quality of life… But it appears that these boots are actually made for walking on egg shells.
So where am I going with this rambling account of the story behind my resume? Hell if I know! And that’s my point.
I think we all kind of fall into our career paths. Whether we start out with a clear vision of total global domination or with a dissociative aversion to any thoughts beyond next week – we all have to start somewhere.
Using myself as an example, I can clearly see that things eventually fall into place regardless of the chaos in which they begin. And on the flip side, things don’t always work out the way we had originally planned. In the end, there are no guarantees.
Whether you love your job or hate it, know exactly where you’re going or wander aimlessly as life pushes you along – you never really know what’s coming around the corner. So you have to be ready for anything.
There is something about the word “career” that implies a plan or a strategy. A direction taken forward. Taken up. Ideally to “the top.” But the reality is that people who decide where they are going and then get there as planned are the fortunate minority.
The rest of us get by through trial and error. We start out in advertising, then escape to the beach, then fall into a new industry that we didn’t even know existed. Then we find out that the ideal job for our industry isn’t ideal for having a family – and then we have to reassess our previous goals (oh wait – I’m talking about myself again…). And sometimes that decision is made for us – and we don’t have a choice.
Having been lost and then found several times over, I have no doubt that this will happen again. There is always opportunity out there when you look for it, and you can never be sure where you will find it. The career you currently love or hate may not be the one you will have five years from now. The only constant is you. So think of yourself as your career – not your job.
I have no idea what comes next for me, but I’m hopeful. And given my past experience, I have every reason to be (crossing my fingers for the Federal Government’s lack of math skill this year!) In the meantime, if all else fails, I hear that houses are going for cheap at Dewey Beach this summer.
Ok, this is so funny, yesterday I was reading this post between lesson pick ups and running to an evening event. I read to exactly where you cut the post into two, when my daughter came to me in a panic to help her with her hair for the event.
So when I opened it up this morning I didn’t have to find my place…you had cut it exactly where I had stopped yesterday, thanks…but no thanks to my daughter who cut me off and now I don’t get a prize…ha ha.
I read the whole thing yesterday evening, and then I had a dream about you. In the dream, you got me a job at your office. You were training me, but you kept giving me really vague directions, like “put those paper in the office by the elevator.” But their was an office on both sides of the elevator. Which office do I choose? I made the wrong choice every time. I think we hated each other at the end of the dream.
I’ve been thinking about this very thing over the last while only you put it into better words.
At some point I’m going to have to get some clarity on what path to follow. For right now I have no idea of what I’m really doing. Am I confusing you as much as I’m confusing myself?
Very true Kate! 5 years ago, I thought I would retire from the office I worked in. It was the perfect job for me and I loved it. BUT I worked with crazy people who made it their lifes work to get me fired and they succeed.
A year later, hubby completely changed career paths and we moved to Utah.
You never know what will happen….
I ALWAYS wanted to live at the beach and get a HUGE check from Uncle Sam!! You are totally my idol now!
I totally fell into my “career” in Finance – my degree is in Psychology. Fifteen years later…although I’ve held different positions at the same firm, I’m still in Finance.
I’ve never really thought of it that way…think of yourself as your career, not your job as your career. That’s a whole new perspective for me – thanks! That really helps me feel less stuck in Finance. It’s really more about the different roles that I’ve got experience with – through work or just life – that make up ME as a career. Cool.
You rock!
This post describes me to a tee (except I never got to live at the beach).
I actually have a “career path” advanced degree that I spent 3 years and tons of money getting but I only stayed in that industry for 4 years. I’ve bounced around since then and fallen into another career.
But when I do go back to work it won’t be in either of those fields. It will be something competly different (and hopefully infinitely more fun).
First, I have to laugh because when I started to read the first post my kids interrupted me and I had to bail. I normally don’t care if it’s a long post, I quite actually love it!
Second, I wanted to be a CEO of a company when I was growing up. A la Abby on Knots Landing. Remember that show? When I was in high school I swore I was going to get my MBA. Fast forward to 1997. I went back to school to finish my “associate’s degree” in business. Yea, didn’t like it much but I wanted to finish to prove I could get through it. I’ll be looking to go back to school again once my kids are all in school. Not much can be done with an associate’s degree these days I don’t think.
Thanks for a fresh perspective.
Much love from NJ,
Sue
I enjoyed reading the second half the second time around! You have my address — I’m now waiting for my prize. ;-) Actually, just got back from the post office where I put YOUR prize in the mail to you! Enjoy your Nips you lucky girl.
Back when I was in college, I asked my mom for advice as to what I should major in. She said, very simply, “Whatever interests you the most… because you sure aren’t going to use your major anyway.” Smart woman.
I have given up on ever knowing where I will end up in life. The surprise is most of the fun.
yeah. i think we have all worked with the crazies. it’s astounding how many are out there.
work is hard.
Kate – I can totally relate to this. I was exactly how you described yourself in high school and was the same exact way 4 years later when college graduation rolled around. I still have no idea what I’m doing! Basically I’m waiting for my undetermined dream job with great pay to fall down from the sky. Where is it already….
Wait. How didn’t I now there was a followers thingy? I just had this boring old subscribing way of doing things…
Now I’m off to catch up!
Yes, we can make all the plans we want, career or otherwise and our journey is usually much more interesting (and educational) than the mapped out version.
Here’s to the beach! :)
I have worked with CA-RAY-ZEE people myself and gone through 6 career changes in 18 years and not little changes either. Sports Development Manager, Sports Center Manager, Physical Education Teacher, Photoshop Retouch Artist, Marketing /Production Manager, Photographer!