Thursday, July 5, 2012

Why I Quit My Job Today

At age 5, I developed a superhero persona by the name of Kid-Kid. I aspired to be a cool kid on my own terms, by becoming someone that could improve the world with conversation and action. At age 13, I made a pact with my future self to never get stuck in a cube doing something I don't like for money I don't need. To always stay excited and never get jaded. To soak up every ounce of knowledge I can get my hands on. 
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And here I am. Three months in and I'm feeling like Sisyphus in the underworld. And you know it's bad when you start relating your life to greek mythology. Don't get me wrong, I know my job is good. I get paid well to do an easy task. I can wear/say/be what I want. But I am not a person that can sit in a chair and do the same thing day after day after day. I can't go on staring at a computer, not meeting one new person or having one meaningful conversation IRL for 10/12 hours of my day... and since when do I give one single fuck about money? My inner superhero would be disappointed.
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Until today. This past week has changed my life more than any other week I've ever experienced. I am fully engaged, fully inspired, and motivated to do more- to be more. So today I scheduled a meeting with my boss and told her I couldn't work there much longer. I wasn't happy doing this kind of work. She was bummed out because they wanted me full time to take on a Philadelphia project and said she really wanted to keep me in the company. She even suggested I shadow/research the other departments to see if I want a different kind of role. So I said I would get back to her with a decision. I spent all day thinking about it while on autopilot at my desk. Then I went to a few meetings and worked on something new. But it still wasn't it.
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I went to see her at the end of the day and told her that I made the decision to leave the company as an employee. I was losing enthusiasm and I could see everyone else on the team feeling miserable. Sitting still at our desks, sitting still in our lives. People often fear taking risks for happiness because they feel too comfortable or too anxious to try. Or they settle because the money's good. I told her the story of Kid-Kid and the decade-long pact and the bucket list and also how meeting two dozen people in the past week has made me feel more confident/engaged/focused than I've been in years. I can't stay at a job just because it's a job, and this definitely isn't the industry for me. Ultimately, the work that you do takes up a third of your lifetime. Why would you waste it being frustrated and melancholy when there are so many opportunities out there?
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Then I realized I was talking too much and remembered to listen. She congratulated and then thanked me. Not many people figure that out, especially so young, she says. I've been where you are right now. I completely understand where you're coming from. As a manager, this sucks, but I know you're making the right choice. And thank you for telling me now, the open communication is so helpful. We're going to miss you. And I will miss all the people there. 
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I gave four weeks notice. Then I don't know my next step. Get my resume, take my bucket list, and hit the ground running. I am 100% positive I want to work in school administration, so I'll need to go back to school for that eventually. But I also still have a lot of growing to do. The second half of 2012 is going to be full of friend reunions, new connections, stories, music, and adventures. I have a whole list of things I want to try and see and do. My goals are in place and I'm ready for action. ¡Vamanos!
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Infinitely yours,
Kid-Kid

1 comment:

  1. Good for you! Hey I want to work in higher ed administration too possibly. Did anyone say Penn....?

    ReplyDelete