SHARING STORIES

It's WG 2 here. This week we have something new for you. A friend honored us greatly by volunteering to tell us her story. We created this special section for her and anyone who wants to tell their story (boy or girl, it doesn't matter. Girls may run this blog, but it's not only for girls). 

We started this blog because we wanted to have a different voice that still rings true about the issues we face as twentysomethings. I, for one, have read a tad too much hate on millennials in the workplace. So, we thought, it's time to flip to the other side of the coin.

We start this by sharing our stories.

____________________________

There comes a time in our lives when we have to make the choice of pursuing happiness or pursuing duty. For most of us, that time is when we hold in our hands that opaque sheet of paper stating our name and degree in some cursive font, making it look official.  For some of us, that time is after we have spent months or even years being part of the work force in an industry we probably weren’t sure about when we decided to take the job.

For me, it was definitely the latter. I graduated and even if I had (still have) dreams of being a social entrepreneur, I set them aside like a responsible fresh grad, and told myself, “I need this experience. I might have to work in different industries before I start pursuing my personal goals.” And so I did.  

I wanted a marketing position, and that was (happily) my first job with an IT firm. It was a really good time for me. I got to work with inspirational people and learned an infinite amount of things. The creative side of brainstorming for the brand, the dull admin stuff they don’t teach you in school like work email etiquette and paper trails for project flow. Building a website from scratch and hiring interns (imagine people working for me), were just some of the highlights of my first love slash first job. I felt every new experience was helping me build a stronger backbone for the work force.

I would have liked to stay longer but providence gave me the opportunity to try out an operations job with a retail company. I decided to go for it. This was definitely something I could learn from, I thought. This job was way different than my previous one, definitely far from my early marketing work, but it was interesting and I did take away a lot from it. Being part of operations, I had to handle and manage the retail store. This meant being in the company’s front lines and interacting with customers. It was pretty exciting. I learned how to manage time and people, especially with the variety of customers we encountered. I’m proud to say that I was able to make significant decisions that led to a more efficient operations system, even integral training plans for potential employees.

Two years into that and honestly, I didn’t think that I’d be this burnt out. There are days that I struggle to keep my emotions intact (crying at random hours of the day and to your mother is NOT fun), or days when I lose sight of the big goal. My health was constantly on the decline, what with 16-hour shifts (hello overtime) that could go on for three to four days or more. This lead to an issue with my thyroid (serious but I’m better) and hospital visits almost three times a week spanning a few months. Also, they never tell you that the hardest part of a job is working with people. We come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes that means we don’t always mix well together but it’s work so we have to.

There were times I felt that there must be more to this robotic, unhappy routine of a job. At times, it was like trying to light a candle with a wet match, it just didn’t work; there was no win-win. I’m not trying to say that I want it easy. I know that I could take the job, but it was more of asking myself, “Can I do this for another 5 years or 10 years?” Simple answer, no. That’s when it dawned on me: I can keep on being sad and unhappy with my situation or I can go and pursue what I really want (work in marketing). That choice was given to me right off the bat; I just decided to try a different path at first. Hoping I could learn the ropes and then have my happy ending.

When I think about the motivation behind my desire to work in marketing, it reminds me of the time that as a child I had the makings of a little brand ambassador (before it was even popular). As I grew older, I was always fascinated with how companies built their brands; how they knew their target markets so well that they understood their wants intuitively. This was something I felt close to, in a way. In college, I got to do events management for the different student organizations I joined. This was another piece of the marketing pie, despite being quite stressful, I genuinely enjoyed.

Of course, it’s not like the movies where at the point of epiphany, I suddenly have everything going on for me. I had to sit myself down and be honest with myself. It really was not an easy process because even if I was struggling in my retail post, I didn’t want to think about what I wanted to do, who I really wanted to be, and what I had to do to get there, because I knew it would be hard work. And the thing was, I was afraid. If I made the wrong move that would be it for me. I could have had it easy and stuck with my seemingly stable job. But I knew deep down, this was not me. I was always in the pursuit of happiness or in the pursuit of things that would give my life a sense of purpose. Powered by the same feelings of possibility that generations before us have come to experience at this age, I firmly believed in my ability to make a dent in the world.

And I knew that I needed to do something, anything if I wanted change. Figuring out that I wanted to go back to marketing was one thing. Doing something about it was another. I’d have to concentrate on specific job openings and update my skill set. It’d be like going back to square one but I was ready to take the risk. Those early dreams of becoming a social entrepreneur and getting a Master’s degree came into focus. I was slowly discovering the direction I wanted to take.

I know that thinking of these things alone can either make or break your plan, that’s why I have also turned to the people I trust the most to help me along the way. Sometimes, being part of the work force makes you feel like you’re all alone, but that is definitely not true, and it’s nice to be reminded that there are people who are going through the same feelings you are, and who are willing to help you come up from the ashes.

Working for different industries and companies in the span of two years, is a bit much, some people would say. But to me, I’ve taken so much from it, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I might have had to suck it up every once in a while, but at the end of the day, that’s life. I would not trade the experience and lessons learned the past two years for anything else.

At this point of the story, it looks like I’ve already reached the pinnacle of success, but I’m sorry to say that this story really isn’t about getting to the top. Yes, I’ve quit my job, and no I don’t have another one lined up, but now I know what I really want to do with my time and my life. And I have accepted that I’m just not there yet. I have had arguments with the people I care most about (Hi Mom), but I know in my heart of hearts that I’m doing the right thing.

It’s like that quote from the show How I Met Your Mother where Ted says, "If you’re not scared, you’re not taking a chance. And if you’re not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing?" I know I’m taking a HUGE chance right now, but I know I’m getting there, one plan and step at a time, and with a clearer picture in my head as I move along.

Here’s to breathing in a sign of new life, happiness, hope, and making a dent in this world.