jack of all trades
Category: Careers, Growing up
Lately I’ve continuously been doing the opposite of what I should “probably be doing”. Within the past 3 days, I’ve turned down two amazing job opportunities, the kind of positions that would have made Desiree circa April 2011 squeal in joy at the thought of even getting an interview, let alone an actual job offer. As I sit here, broke and insufficiently employed, I keep questioning whether I’ve done the right thing by turning down those jobs. Am I being a Princess? Ungrateful? Entitled? What the hell is my deal? What am I searching for?!
The main reason I didn’t take the positions is because they are what I know. Of course, this makes a lot of sense – people will want to hire me for the same type of jobs I’ve already done in the past. They’ll employ me based on the skill set I’ve begun to develop, asking me to perform the same tasks and achieve the same results. But something inside of me needs to know what else is out there: what other mountains can I climb? Which other jobs can I succeed at?
“No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.”
This is probably the most well-known criticism of Apple’s first iPod. There’s no question that many competitors did certain things better, but the iPod’s strength was in its overall execution package. The same can apply to professional/career development. Sure, you might not be the best Kindergarten teacher or criminal lawyer, but maybe you’d be the best prosecuting attorney for cases involving children.
From a financial point of view, it would be nice to settle down and stick on a career where you can continually build your expertise and professional marketability, but there isn’t necessarily a rush. I think exploring is great if you can manage it, and in all likelihood you’ll eventually land on a niche job that you either made up for yourself or is in relatively high demand due to the number of disciplines it involves. Or maybe you’ll stumble across something more traditional that just sweeps you off your feet. You never know.
