I've casually mentioned my frustration with my current job throughout this blog. A few months ago, I picked up this book by my favorite publisher , Chronicle Books. I started reading it without any expectation of finding solutions to my current career woes and concerns. I recently finished reading and working through it. Though I may not have a concrete plan of how I should go about seeking my next career, (whatever that may be) I've gained enough hope and inspiration from this book to keep learning about myself and trying new things.It is so common in today's society to identify people by what they do for a living rather than who they are as a person. There are many people out there who are known simply for their significant accomplishments in their respective careers. These people are so stuck to their titles that it becomes who they are. I've even heard that some people tend to 'lose themselves' in their careers. Good for them. However, I still wish that society wouldn't undervalue character traits so much like they do now. Just because I'm not a lawyer or a doctor does not mean that I'm not a good person. What about my punctuality? My willingness to take initiative? My care and a concern for others? Apparently such things don't seem to weigh as much as saving a company from the depths of bankruptcy or generating a few million dollars in sales.
While I'm definitely an ambitious and driven person, I don't view myself as a 'career woman.' I don't want to be identified by what I do for a living. At the same time, I am attached to what I've accomplished so far and would hate to give up what I have already worked so hard for. It's a constant battle of self vs. self. You may wonder how that's even possible or perhaps you know exactly what I'm speaking of. In either case, we all have to make decisions and choices in our lives. More often than not, we struggle over them. If we didn't, making choices wouldn't be such a big deal, right? I'm all about learning from experiences and taking opportunities. If we bypassed every opportunity presented to us, how would we know what it's like to experience something new? We may not always be pleased with the outcome but at least we could say we tried, right?
Growing up in a community surrounded by medical professionals, I couldn't help but push myself down that career path only to find out that it wasn't for me. I still remember my high-school graduation party when I told guests I would be majoring in nursing. It was a safe answer. In fact, it was the only word that every SDA Filipino adult would want to hear. Well, besides 'doctor,' of course. I ended up changing my major two quarters into my college career. I couldn't handle the sciences. Four years of college and a master's degree later, I am still learning about myself and finding out that degrees earned may not necessarily lead to the 'ultimate career experience' that most talk so fondly about. Or it could be that I'm just not into careers.
I was given the false impression that once you're out of school, you will work and make money. With that money, you will buy everything you want and need and you will be happy. FALSE. Not everything will be handed to you in a silver platter. There will always be unknowns and you will have to keep putting yourself out there. It's because of the fear of the so-called 'unknown' that I found myself hiding in the caves of academia, trying hard to savor every moment of the 'safe world.' Writing numerous papers, working out statistics problems and taking exams isn't exactly the fairy-tale description of a 'safe world' or is it? To me, it was better than scrounging around my bank account to pay bills and sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day. Putting yourself out there is more difficult than it sounds but I'm warming up to the fact that it could lead to great things. I'm living and growing from my experiences day by day.
I yearn for the feeling of fulfillment more than a hefty paycheck. I want to be one of those people who love their jobs. Who knows, maybe I won't get that far but maybe I will find something (an activity or a hobby or anything) that will fill the void of the 'successful career.' In that case, maybe I will be able to look at whatever job I have at the moment as 'just a job' and be able to function normally during the hours of 8-5. Now if only there weren't things called bills, this road wouldn't be so difficult to travel on. Careers don't have to define who we are. Stay true to yourself because no matter what others may say, it's your character that defines who you really are and that in itself will take you far.
