We’ve all grown up hearing the same rhetoric when it comes to getting a job right after college. “Make sure you have a good resume that stands out from the rest” and “have you researched your employer? You have to be ready for that interview”. Oh and one of my favorites! The famous “Don’t have gaps of no work or multiple jobs because it looks BAD in a resume”. With the guidance of society, young adult you went out into the world inspired to take on the challenges ahead. You had your $40,000.00 – $250,000.00 degree in one hand and your internship or part-time work experience held in the other. For most of you, this was enough to land you your dream job and begin dedicating the rest of your life to one specialty. For those of you with this reality, it is a wonderful achievement to hold under your belt.
For the rest? What I’ve come to realize is that, for the REST of the not so lucky people, they have faced some heavy roadblocks along the way. I’ve heard stories like “this was not what I thought the medical field was going to be” to “I get paid $16.00 an hour in a field I didn’t go to school for because I can’t get hired as a ______.”
My job background can be summed up in the image above. That’s just a handful of jobs I’ve held in the past and present. I’ve scooped up ice cream, pre-tested eyes and moved millions of dollars into different accounts. I have experience building websites and marketing, and once interpreted for a high-profile rape case between an attorney and a client. I’m here to tell you why these random jobs inadvertently became the best decision of my life.
I learned that your work ethic and value as a person overpowers any reason as to why you’d think you can’t switch job paths or careers. I’ve been frightened to my core after leaving a job. However, it was taking that leap time and time again that showed me how powerful a person can be when you “hustle” your way into new territory. Switching your job because your unhappy or you want to earn more money are VALID reasons to pursue other things. Especially in your twenties.
Having multiple jobs taught me about people in general. My co-workers. A lot of them were unhappy where they were but could not take the same leap because truthfully, bills need to be paid and families need to be fed. I can fully understand the reasoning behind staying and it has been a motivation for me as well to move on. Society has taught us that we should have a family right away, settle down and buy a home. When you think about it, how odd is it to rush through school while accruing that debt, and then say “let’s double that debt” by getting all this? By the time we are reaching our 30s, we find ourselves committed to spending the rest of our life in the negative paying for living. American consumerism.
The employment system for any field is practically set up in the exact same way so that we can never move on. It doesn’t matter how much we make and where. We live in a world where money circulates and dictates our decisions. So, it’s no wonder that most of us stay in the same job for the rest of our lives. They set up obstacles so that we have no other option.
I’m here to say that you shouldn’t hesitate to switch your life around. Anything can be learned. Whether it’s in a job or just a habit in general. Choice is strength. Even in your 30s, you can make the leap. Our generation is fortunate to have access to unlimited information online. Find ways to create the life you want.
Just to clarify, I’m not here to undermine people who have a stable job. I’ve also met great people who love their job and wouldn’t have it any other way. The idea is that if that isn’t you, you should be encouraged to look for something else. Go try something new. Go back to school to get a B.A. in something else. Go to another country and work abroad to figure it out. Whatever it takes to say, “I can work here and make a difference. I’d be happy”.
M.