A year ago I was giddy with excitement at my new job at a
fabulous advertising agency. I was going to be creating brilliant campaigns!
Developing strategies! And beating impossible deadlines!
All of which, I did.
In doing so, my friendships tanked, my face got zitty and at
one point, 10 days before a huge event, my body broke out in stress-related
hives.
Don’t get me wrong, I adored my co-workers and my company
did some fantastic work, but my heart and body were screaming at my mind to get
with the program and get back to what I do best. So that’s what I’m trying to
do now, reconnect with things I’m passionate about and genuinely good at.
The trouble is that all of the things I’m good at are soft
skills. If I may compare my talents to food, my signature cuisine would look a
lot like a fine French bakery: sweet, savory, delicious and certainly not
always necessary to have.
Connecting, storytelling, organizing puzzling projects,
analyzing others -- these are the things I’m really good at, but that doesn’t mean
I have companies knocking down my door for my services.
Like almost every other 20-something in the US, I’m saddled
with loads of student debt and a pathetic excuse for a savings account. The
current economic climate for my generation is a distinct and classic mix of
glasses half-full and half-empty.
The half-full crew are the brilliant entrepreneurs of the
startup movement. Encouraged by new technology and driven by the spirit to
change the world, these folks have the brilliant ideas and skills to make our
world more engaged and connected than ever.
On the same token, there is this little monster known as the
“recession.” The news tells us the job market is toxic and impenetrable,
businesses are dreading the impending Fiscal Cliff and consequently nervous to
bring on new hires, and the global economic health is feeble and in need of a
bowl of chicken soup.
As a result of both perspectives, I feel simultaneously
excited for new prospects and silly for walking away from something stable and
reliable. It’s as if I called off an engagement to a man I was planning on
marrying.
Up until this fall, I had never in my life had to put in a
two-week notice. What’s worse is
that I didn’t even have a backup job, a “rebound,” if you will. When it’s not
right, it’s not right, so I cut my losses and walked away.
Now 20 days in to this strange purgatory of exploration and
investigation, I feel more in tune with myself than I have in months. However,
being in-tune with oneself doesn’t necessarily pay the bills.
Every single (un)employed person out there has something
unique to contribute to the world. I know I have a little something special,
too. It’s just a matter of finding a soul mate, err perfect profession, which
is mutually compatible.
You bet you have a little something special too. Don't settle!
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