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| the perfect work space via a beautiful mess |
Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if we didn't have to work; if Sunday evening's weren't so stress inducing and Monday mornings weren't filled with tantrums. And then I remember what it was like when I was unemployed after university and remember how dull it was.
I guess if we didn't work, there would have to be some endless pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to tap into.
These thoughts are flowing through my brain as I enter a small transition phase. Moving from one country to another often means being somewhat jobless for a while and that's kind of scary. In less than two weeks I will leave my current job and that will be the end of full time employment and a steady income. While I am freaking out a little bit (ok a lot) about being jobless, I want to be positive about this time and use it wisely.
I want to find something I love doing; I want to be one of those people that make you sick because they do what they love and they get paid to do it. For the last three years I have worked at a financial services company and while it has given me amazing opportunities and taught me a lot, I don't want to continue working in such an industry. I pretty much detest numbers after studying words for three years so maths teacher, accountant and financial analyst are all jobs off my tick list.
Me and my brother were brought up in a hands on, creative household; I remember my mum was always baking, doing crafts with us, or reading us stories and that certainly rubbed off on us since I love writing and art and fashion and my brother is a designer.
I guess at 25 years of age (nearly 26) I feel like I need to find what I want to do in life and find what I love in life and somehow combine the two. I am over working jobs that don't satisfy me; sure I am not a super ambitious career women type, but a job should be more than just about bringing home a pay check right since you are there 5 days out of 7.
So I am going to take this break, the move and the international living head on and use the time to really build something for myself and look at ways to market my skills.
Than challenge will be not getting lazy after landing in London, before heading off to the next destination. Any tips for staying motivated, job hunting, or figuring out what you want to do in life would be greatly appreciated. I love making lists; is that a profession?
my husband used linkedin excessively and that's actually how he ended up getting a job. for me I've had more success tapping into friends. sometimes taking a risk on a job teaches you more about what you really want to do.
ReplyDeleteYes I am using linkedin a lot, I think it is a great platform actually. I couldnt agree more about taking a risk but after three years of working in cyprus, I know a lot better now what I want and don't want to do! :)
DeleteI'm in a somewhat similar space- after bouncing around countries for work (for a job I mostly loved, but in a space I believe in truly and deeply even if it makes me more angry & sad than it makes me happy), I decided I needed time out to figure out my next move (and destroy my sense of self with PhD applications).
ReplyDeleteIt's been interesting so far. I have had to be extremely disciplined and make sure I don't end up being disgustingly lazy. I took the first month off to just breathe a little bit, not have to be on 'go!' all the time. It was healing. I'm in my 'keep doing things' phase at the moment- ticking off things I've never had the time to do before (get my driving licence- eek, I have my test tomorrow!), making sure I meet my daily goals (go for a run!), and my monthly ones (send X number of job applications out, finish x number of tasks for PhD proposals). It's been good to try and set myself some sort of routine too- nothing too rigid, just the work I need to get done everyday. It doesn't matter 'when' that happens- am I really tired after lunch and need a nap? No problem. Do I really want to wake up at 0500 to watch tennis? Fine. I'll just have to work around those things and accomplish what I need to.
The thing I have been struggling with is how this.. transition period affects my identity. When I'm out with friends and I meet their friends and I have to explain what I do, it's quite difficult to say 'Oh, I'm not actually, well not really, working just now' and not end up going into the whole story. It's to do with how I see myself too, I suppose. I feel slightly defensive of my decisions, and tend to judge myself harshly before anyone else can. But, I've gotten to a point where I can joke and say 'Absolutely nothing. I waste away on my parents' sofa and watch lots of tennis'; and only explain if I want to.
I hope your 'transition' time is a good one- healing, healthy, and happy. x
Hi Risha, thank you so much for taking the time to comment.
DeleteI am hoping my transition phase wont be too painful. I know myself when im unemployed it is a very stressful and boring time haha. And since London is not my final destination, balancing life, budgets and temp jobs is going to be interesting. But everything makes you stronger and teaches you about yourself.
I hope you are managing your transition period well. Although I totally relate to you about the effect it has on your identity and self esteem.