It's hard to believe that this semester is coming to an end. Time really does fly by. I feel as if, the older we get, the more quickly time passes. When I was a child, an hour seemed like a week. Now, an hour drive is routine & I don't consider it "too long" or "too far." I'll gladly make those trips. The concept of time passing so quickly is quite unnerving, though, especially when applying it to all I've learned about my future this semester. I'm scared that, before I know it, it'll be time to interview & give job talks. I don't know that I'm ready quite yet! I have the knowledge & understanding to apply what I've learned & be successful, but I'm not sure I'm emotionally prepared to take this next huge step in life.
"The key is to know the path that is right for you," Sherri Hope Culver & James Seguin write in the conclusion to their text, Media Carer Guide. This is definitely something I've struggled with for a long, long time. The struggle continues even after a whole semester of investigation into potential careers. I run into a problem as a person with many interests & talents where I have the potential to be successful down many different paths. Picking just one is extremely difficult for me. I have trouble deciding what to eat for dinner let alone making a decision that defines my future! I think the fear that "it may not be the right one" overwhelms me.
I must say that, if I learned anything this semester, it's that your future is up to you & nothing is permanent. In my Communication Careers class, we often discussed the nature of the working world nowadays & that taking new career paths every 5-10 years is quite normal. I may need to frequently remind myself of this to calm my nerves & help me be more decisive when it comes to choosing a career.
Despite my indecisiveness, I am offered a ton of advice with how to handle the job search & more importantly, my future. Culver & Seguin offer that, maybe location should be a focus when job hunting. This could be a great option for someone like me who has difficulty defining their path. I have severe wanderlust & would love to see so much more of this country, & even more-so, the world! If there's anything love doing, it's researching potential places to live. If I can't decide on a specific career, maybe I should set my sights on a perfect location & build out from there. I would really love to visit parts of Europe & also New Zealand (land of the Hobbits, for my fellow LOTR nerds ;) ), so maybe I can make some trips & look for communication related careers in another country. I have always wanted to live abroad, so maybe I'll feel called in that direction!
Another theme I identified often throughout the semester is that, in order to be successful, not only in the workplace but also in life, you have to be extremely motivated & give your all in everything that you do. My mother always told me, as long as you do your best, no one can ask more of you. You can only do what you can do. The security of knowing that you put your all into something, regardless of outcome, should make a person feel accomplished. In my experience, this holds true. Culver & Seguin also mention this in their conclusion to Media Career Guide. They state that, no matter what position you're in--no matter what company you're working for--even if you hate it & would rather be someplace else--give 110% of yourself. Your dedication & hard work will show. The converse works as well. If you hate where you are & your attitude shows it, be prepared to stay exactly where you are or to lose the opportunities your experience presents you. Your attitude toward your job can certainly help you gain leverage to move over & up in a company ("over" meaning transferring to a department within the company that you are working for). A guest speaker that my class hosted this semester, Dan Kennedy (Sr. Director of Sales at Riverbed Technology), stressed the importance of transferrable skills. No matter the classes you take, life experiences you have, job position you hold...each of these experiences offer you the awesome opportunity to learn and uniquely build your skill set in ways you never imagined before. Volunteering can teach you important life lessons about respect, character & integrity, while a job working in a cafeteria at a retirement home can teach you the importance of patience & guest service. Every experience you have can teach you something that you can uniquely mold to define your skill set as well as who you are. I'm certain that the concept of transferrable skills is hands-down the most valuable lesson I've learned this semester, & maybe even my life.
A professor of mine, Dr. Kanan Sawyer, is a very intelligent woman. However, the best lessons she taught me this semester have nothing to do with her intelligence, but rather her experience. One could easily characterize me as a worrier. If there's something to worry about, I'll find it. If there's nothing to worry about, I'll still find a reason. I've gone to her many-a-time this semester panicking about "this assignment" or "that interview," & she constantly reminds me of 2 things--
1: not to take life so seriously & to see life experiences for what they are
2: you can never practice or prepare too much.
I, like many people, have an irrational fear of failure. Dr. Sawyer has helped me to not be so hard on myself. If I didn't perform the way I wanted to, she helped me to process what I think I could have done differently to be more successful. She's taught me that, not every interview will go well & that I won't get every job I apply to, but regardless of these outcomes, there is always something I can learn from these experiences. Dr. Sawyer has helped me see experiences/failures past their face value & recognize what they are truly worth.
Throughout all of my ups & downs this semester, a key lesson has been repeated: there is no such thing as too much preparation. Almost every time I did not perform the way I wanted to, or I was disappointed in how something turned out, the answer to "how could I improve?" was almost always "practice more." Practice doesn't make perfect, but it lessens the opportunities for the element of surprise to throw you off. I've learned to be prepared for anything. And about taking life too seriously: I've learned that even if I do get thrown off, I'll have a new experience that prepares me for my next challenge.
I am a firm believer in the notion that everything happens for a reason. I can easily forget this sometimes, but once I come back it it, it's simple to take Mr. Kennedy's as well as Dr. Sawyer's advice to heart. "What can I learn from this & how can I apply it to my future?," I'll ask myself. I'll never be perfect, but maybe I can "wow" my way through a couple of interviews & work/life experiences. Who knows, maybe I'll even be wise enough someday to give advice of my own to a person much life my current self.
As this semester comes to an end & as I reflect, I recognize that the future is unpredictable & you never know where you'll end up! Which reminds me of the importance of networking & never discounting a potential connection for the lack of immediate relevance. Culver & Seguin state in their conclusion that, "People with seemingly divergent career paths can end up in similar jobs years down the line." This is so important to keep in mind as life continues to hurl me toward "the real world." Heck, one of my current classmates with a completely different focus could set me up with my future dream job! Who knows?!
As terrifying as the ending of this time in my life is, I'm also so excited to see what the future holds. The possibilities are seemingly infinite & the anticipation is intoxicating. I am so thankful for the valuable lessons I've learned this semester...not only the academic ones, but the practical ones, too. I have a lot to work on, but even more to look forward to!
Cheers to the Fall 2013 semester: Here's to the beginning of my next life chapter!
No comments:
Post a Comment