I have a sweet job.
It took me a very long time to realize just how sweet my job is.
The first year, I was so elated not to be in lab doing (mostly failed) experiments that I truly wore those rose-colored glasses as I transitioned into my new role as an Editor. By the second year, the rose color started to wane, and the job became something that I did to make a living with the plus that I lived in NYC. By the third year, I decided to make the job work for me, for where I was in life. This is when I negotiated an off-site work arrangement and decided to give a little in terms of career progression, and gain a little in terms of starting a family.
The next two years really opened my eyes as to what a job should be. I work, and sometimes I work really hard; however, I soon realized that flexibility is key to keeping me happy in the workplace. Not only flexibility with working hours and with location, but also flexibility with what projects I work on and what responsibilities I take on. Part of the "sweetness" of my job is my manager, who trusts that I work hard, who allows me to develop how I want to develop, who allows me to pursue projects that I want to pursue. That type of flexibility is difficult to find.
Everyone has different career aspirations. Sometimes, even those of us who have high expectations and put a lot of pressure on ourselves, need to stop and readjust to make sure that those aspirations align with what is right for us at the specific time in our lives. A career, I think, is an ever evolving idea and completely individualized.
Even though I know this, I am sad because this month I resigned my position. My sweet job.
Will I ever again find a job that suits me so well, that is so flexible, that is as challenging as I want it to be?
My hope is that I will be able to make another job work for me. Freelance. Is that really as scary as it sounds? I will soon let you know.
