What is your first job? What do you do right after graduation with a degree in language and arts?
I found this to be the topic of discussion since I graduated last year. What should I do for work? Should I go for something I love or should I go for something that pays well? Graduating with a liberal arts degree, there are just so many career paths you can take, the amount can be overwhelming at times.
I still remember what my colleague told me when we were having one of those deep conversations after lunch. He said not to do what you love most because doing that 24/7 for years and years will make you despise it. Rather, you should go for something you don’t mind doing and feel like you can develop and want to learn more about, something you’re ‘kinda’ good at.
First I didn’t understand what this meant but now I do. I love reading/writing so much but I can’t see myself as a full-time writer. Not only do I take too much pride in my writing but I have too much fun expressing myself that I want it to be something I do in my own time, like a therapy, a fun hobby for me and not for money or for survival. I want to keep my creative integrity and myself in my writing without any judgment and constraints.
Doing what you like is freedom, liking what you do is happiness.
When I got this job as outreach, I first hated it because I was sensitive and couldn’t handle rejections from websites and people in general. I tend to tie my self-worth to other people and constantly seeking validation. This is something I’m still working on and cannot say I’m over it. After a few months, I realize I don’t mind this. I like digital media, and I like bugging people and getting things I want. Yes, it sucks some days but I am building my skills and my confidence day by day. Not everyone can say they find outreach as their dream job or a job they want to do. It gets boring and disheartening, it’s burdensome and the phone calls you make are either awkward or never-racking. Especially in my case when you are expected to make those calls in the middle of an open office when everyone and anyone can hear you. But then once you come to terms with it, and don’t mind being a bit of an idiot in front of people, it gets better and better. Not because of other people’s actions, but because of you and the way you think and approach your work.
“If you put in enough time, and you get really good, I will give you a little secret: Nobody quits anything they are good at because it is fun to be good. It is fun to be one of the best.”
