I don't talk about my work with friends much, either, except for friends who are coworkers. I feel bored when my friends talk about their jobs a lot, too. (Most of my friends are teachers. Is it just me, or do teachers LOVE to talk about work?)
Anyway, I am a middle manager at a large insurance agency. (See? Boring.) I like my job because my specific role really plays to my strengths (teaching/training/coaching/etc.), I have a lot of flexibility, and I love my coworkers. But it has become clear to me over the last few months that this is not a forever fit for me. It's hard to be a woman in this industry. It's equally difficult to be a bleeding-heart liberal in this anti-Obamacare, for-profit world. But the bottom line is, try as I might, I cannot find it within me to be passionate about commercial insurance.
I had a hard time coming to terms with this for a few reasons.
First of all, I graduated from college in 2007 with a social sciences degree and graduate school in 2010 with a communications degree. I didn't do any internships or have any semblance of professional experience. I was an overeducated server. Translation: I had a difficult time finding a job. In fact, the memory of my last experience looking for a job takes me back to a dark time in my life. And thinking about leaving the company that took a chance on me makes me feel a little bit guilty. These people have been good to me.
Mostly, though, I just don't know what I want to do next, which feels both overwhelming and too familiar.
I'm more of a jane-of-all-trades than a master of one. I've always been that way. I don't really have any spectacular passions or talents (short of being a gifted speller, which (1) we've already discussed, and (2) as it turns out, is practically useless). As a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian or a meteorologist. But, you guys... science was so hard! In high school, I wanted to be a journalist. In college, I wanted to be a teacher for a while. Then I thought I'd work in publishing. And then I decided I just wanted a cushy government job in communications. And thennn I thought it'd be fun to work in communications or development at a museum. (Still sounds fun! But jobs are obviously limited.)
But there were so many roadblocks. And here I am, working in insurance. Oh, life.
I'm not planning on leaving my current job anytime soon. Until then, I'm doing a little soul searching and focusing on getting more involved in the community so that once I am looking, I'll have direction/possibly some options.
I had a hard time coming to terms with this for a few reasons.
First of all, I graduated from college in 2007 with a social sciences degree and graduate school in 2010 with a communications degree. I didn't do any internships or have any semblance of professional experience. I was an overeducated server. Translation: I had a difficult time finding a job. In fact, the memory of my last experience looking for a job takes me back to a dark time in my life. And thinking about leaving the company that took a chance on me makes me feel a little bit guilty. These people have been good to me.
Mostly, though, I just don't know what I want to do next, which feels both overwhelming and too familiar.
I'm more of a jane-of-all-trades than a master of one. I've always been that way. I don't really have any spectacular passions or talents (short of being a gifted speller, which (1) we've already discussed, and (2) as it turns out, is practically useless). As a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian or a meteorologist. But, you guys... science was so hard! In high school, I wanted to be a journalist. In college, I wanted to be a teacher for a while. Then I thought I'd work in publishing. And then I decided I just wanted a cushy government job in communications. And thennn I thought it'd be fun to work in communications or development at a museum. (Still sounds fun! But jobs are obviously limited.)
But there were so many roadblocks. And here I am, working in insurance. Oh, life.
I'm not planning on leaving my current job anytime soon. Until then, I'm doing a little soul searching and focusing on getting more involved in the community so that once I am looking, I'll have direction/possibly some options.
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