Career Dreams

There's been a lot of talk about ideal jobs in my general vicinity.

A quote was posed to me recently. I knew I heard it before, but couldn't place it... To hear it actually spoken by Alan Watts gave it a bit more weight. I pondered it more than I have in a while. What would I do if money were no object?

Someone I asked earlier said he would travel. Another said he would sleep and party.

"But then what?" They both looked at me and neither responded. How can they honestly think those simplistic responses will be enough? Ennui is not only a vocabulary world from Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game."

We all have things that make us tick. My husband loves analytic thinking and applied science. He has a problem with authority and rigid, archaic modes of thinking. He will only work for smaller companies, where he can be as effective as possible. It's not the salary or benefits that motivate him - it's the challenge of the job, which he thoroughly enjoys. Fixing things that don't work, creating alternative solutions quickly, he LIKES doing that. My best friend is also at core an engineer who fixes and installs electronics in her home. Corporate wasn't the right fit for her, though she loved civil engineering. As a young minority woman, working in a small firm was more awkward than it ever was fulfilling. She thrives on interpersonal relationships and would rather spend the majority of her days positively impacting youth, and I know she's making a difference.

As for myself, I need to create. Leadership is a role naturally suited to me because I've taken on adult responsibility since I was a child who had to be brave to help those around me. Therefore, I derive some of the greatest satisfaction in life when I help others. That feeling of accomplishment translates to the workplace seamlessly. To assist with a project, offer a good idea, edit someone's email and suggest or create appropriate text are activities I really enjoy. I've written a few blogs recently and they have not required a significant amount of time to create. It felt good to express myself and share my observations with others. An old school friend chooses not to utilize her MS in Library and Information Science, but instead, she blogs for various web-based companies because it allows her the freedom to focus on her artwork. So, I considered going rogue. Churning out a few blogs a day seems like a breeze when compared to a thankless 9-5.

But I'm not entirely introverted. (To be quite honest, most assume I'm 100% extrovert, though I don't think that's an entirely accurate assessment.) My perfect job allows me to use my skills, for which I have innate ability, formal education, and various types of experience, in a professional environment in which I can interact with others, grow, and improve. Networking is something I do even when there's no direct/business benefit for me. It is a natural skill. I love meeting new people and am genuinely curious to know a bit about every interesting individual that crosses my path.

I very much look forward to, one day, wake up and live my career dream by beginning a work day in a position that is not a means to a paycheck, but a satisfying part of my life.

Work Things, New Things, Other Things, Too

The ways in which one's perspective can change after some time teaching in an extremely challenged urban environment are manifold. I am not the same, young, passionate educator I once was. You may call it disillusionment, but I recognize it as a result of true learning. That's one thing about teaching - a beautiful component of any great teacher is the ability to constantly progress and improve oneself through the lens of the student, after specific experiences, becoming better with each new day and lesson, no matter how unstructured or unplanned.

I thought the right answer was to go back to school after getting laid off as part of the mass career genocide of all untenured New Jersey public school teachers after Governor Christie was elected. Society tells us that Graduate School makes the most sense and is the new version of the high school diploma in the 60's. Education inflation used to incense me to extreme anger, but that has dulled and I don't even bother mentioning it unless someone hints to me that they have the cognitive ability to recognize that a Master's in anything, unless highly specialized, is a waste of money. I knew more people who were unemployed with Master's Degrees in their early and mid-twenties than those who went to trade schools or vocational high schools. When it came time for me to submit my official application, after an intense summer of pre-requisites which my Undergraduate Degree did not satisfy, I could not actually go through with it. I wanted to be Dr. Angie, but not at the expense of my future and any possibly savings a real job and living within my means might bring me.

You see, a personal assessment (one of those official ones that asks you what you enjoy doing and what you're good at and such), put me in more of a medical field. English teacher was unsurprisingly the top fit... but I wasn't doing that again. I will never allow myself to be vilified by an inherently flawed system that chooses to point fingers and place blame on individuals who are limited in resources, time, and authority to make effective decisions. While I was figuring things out and helping with a sick parent, I met my (now) husband. He suggested real estate, since it's something for which I could invest a small amount of money for a potential gain. I've spent the past year working with the greatest mentor/team leader/older brother figure who taught me things about the business that literally takes others several years to establish and ascertain. 오빠 진짜진짜 감사해요.

With the market what it is, my husband chose the wrong time to ask for a raise at his former job. That's the plain and simple. The more elaborate explanation could take several more blogs to explain, possibly at another time.

Luckily, a very good friend of mine suggested a job opportunity at Indy Hall. More specifically, a startup that works out of the glorious coworking space happens to be in need of a person with my exact skill set! The timing is perfect and the opportunity is great. I'm extremely happy to start working for a company whose vision is impressive and could change the way many the world over utilize space.

Once the papers are signed, I will share more.