Friday, June 6, 2008

Is Marketing My All Time Love?

I like to play a game on my way to work in the mornings. Mainly it involves picking a profession and then deciding if I would be in an altogether happier mindset if that's what I was on my way to do at that very moment. Would I like to be a dentist? No, probably not. Would I be happier if I were a professional waitress? Maybe. Could I be happy if I owned my own laundromat? I think that maybe I could.

The moments where I decide that I would be happier sewing buttons on shirts or slinging drinks to underage drunks instead of going to my 9-6 marketing gig is when I know that my current job is not the one for me. I'm afraid to say that marketing might not be my all time love. 

My one-year anniversary at my company was two weeks ago and since then I've been doing a lot of soul searching about what I want to do with my life. I started working just three days after my college graduation and just three days before Memorial Day weekend. I jumped the gun. I knew when I graduated that I wanted to write or edit and when those jobs didn't fall in my lap I rushed into my the job I have now, which now, after much contemplation I know was the wrong decision.  

This past year, I've learned a lot and I've grown a lot. Just last month, Small Fry confided to me that she and The Boss had had many a conversation about whether I was going to make it or not in the field of marketing. Looking back on the first few months, I'd admit that things were pretty rocky. To this day if you listen to my pre-recorded voicemail, you can tell I had no voice (since I had just graduated I'm pretty sure I was still drunk from Senior Week debaucheries) and if you look back at all the Excel sheets I did up until August you would wonder why I was never fired (yea, they were that bad). 

I can truly say I've come along way. I'm a (somewhat) valued member of my company, I've made a lot of friends, and I'm a master at Excel. But some things aren't going to change - the fact that I don't have a dental plan, that I don't have a vision plan, or that I'm always going to be an assistant no matter what my actual title is. Nor is the fact that marketing and I are not in love.

With that being said, I'm going to be making some changes in my life within the next few months. I'm going to be applying to graduate schools across the country for a master's in journalism (fingers crossed I get in) and hope that with this big change in my life, I'll get what I truly want out of my life - to fall in love with my career. 

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you find your dream job.

Anonymous said...

Ooh!! How exciting! Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Good luck!! I'm getting ready to take the GRE soon and then apply to grad schools myself. It's scary but exciting.

Wayfaring Wanderer said...

It takes a lot of courage to make changes like that. Be very proud of the fact that you were able to recognize this sooner. And had the motivation to take that first step into making this life altering change!

Good Luck in your future endeavors :o)

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...

It sounds like you're figuring what you love and what you don't ... so at least you'll be able to figure out what you hate about marketing and hopefully avoid it in your next job

Anonymous said...

how nice it is that you can see the progress you've made, that's really great! and rest assured, few of us are completely sure of what it is we want or should be doing for a profession. i guess it just comes with time.

Anonymous said...

I play that game too...and I normally decide I'd be most happy as a waitress... which is kind of scary.

Bayjb said...

Good for you making that decision and taking steps to change your situation. I think that's great. Why stay unhappy, try something new!

Dana said...

good luck.... so very exciting...

Anonymous said...

I'm finishing up my accounting degree & have worked as a junior accountant for a few years. I enjoy it, but I wouldn't say it's my love.
I know I'd love to do any job in the corporate business world though.

Good luck with finding your perfect job!

Carolina Lange said...

That is so exiting! I wish you good luck!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on deciding to take a new direction and good luck!

Marianne said...

Sounds like a girl with a plan. Good luck with the applications - keep up posted!

Anonymous said...

I hope you get the job you want. I just graduated in May, and I keep telling myself to do what I want and not what just pays the bills. Happiness is a priority!

Shandra said...

Sounds like you have a plan to follow your dreams, and know that even if you don't end up exactly where you wanted, if you stay true to yourself you'll be happy. ( i know this sounds like a cliche but it's true.)

Lauren said...

Good luck! I really believe that you should truly enjoy what you're doing. Regardless of salary and benefits, enjoy your job. Because, if you don't, why are you even doing it?

Unknown said...
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Anonymous said...

Wow Awesome post. Well at least you learned a lot from the job and you know what you don't want to do! It can take some peeps several years to figure that one out! Good Luck on your grad school search!

Daszzle said...

I love the blog. I can so relate! I took started my job as an Assistant straight out of college. Do I like to write? Yes. Do I like to be someone's editorial bitch? No. Will my role in the company change.... not nearly soon enough. This weekend I made the decision to move on, and now it can't come soon enough.

Good luck with Grad school. If you got a job straight out of college then I'm sure you're a shoe in. :)

Andrea said...

If you need a reccommendation let me know...also...let me know how to spell recommendation.

Love,
Fab Proj Man
(I <3 abbrevs)

Anonymous said...

I think I'm about to do the same thing. I'm bored with San Diego, marketing is NOT my love, and I want a fresh start too.

I swear you have all the same thoughts i do. Weird.