the alarm went off at 6:30am as i crawled to a state of awareness while simultaneously making it to the shower. soon it’d be another two hours, two trains, and a brisk walk in the lung-opening chicago october air that i’d finally arrive at my job. granted, the work day didn’t officially begin for me until 9:30am and i was in jeans. all five employees greeted me with a smile as i waltzed in the door. i was happy to be at work.
we hear about the mythical beast of ‘doing work that does not feel like work’ in many success stories, but how many of us really know what that means? do you have a ‘dream job’? is anything classified as a ‘job’ not part of your dream? even more, how do you choose to pursue a potential ‘dream job’?
i thought about this scenario a month and a half ago when i decided that my current paycheck-mailer wasn’t fulfilling any of my needs. here i was newly employed, making an easy 45 minute train commute, and part of a billion-dollar entity that was virtually career safe and paying very well. what about ‘being safe’ scared me so much? i always told myself that i didn’t want to remain stagnant, and even though there were career opportunities, the path i was heading down did not feed my soul.
on a nice friday evening, i took a chance, interviewed with a small company and put my dreams on course. it was scary. it still is scary, but the small firm i’m with now is doing big things and the owners are more than my boss; they are ‘me in 5 years’. they have what i want. i have decided to pursue my passion, pick their brain, and establish myself in this industry to lay the foundation for my own business. was it a big risk? of course. i’m completely changing careers, embarking on a longer work day (4 hours on the train, 8 hours working), and leaving almost 15% of my previous income on the table.
i can definitively say, however, that it has all been worth it. i feel better about myself and my future. my stress levels are down. i’m constantly challenged and learn new things each day. even more, i’m part of a new technology that can easily change the world while gaining skills to impact that change myself! it’s almost like a life mutual fund. i must invest in myself, even if i start out with a small amount socked away each month. some say being young is an advantage and making these moves now will help in the future. only time will tell, but being lean, green, and financially clean has helped make this transition easier.
so what say you, community? do you like your job now? do you have any advice for us who are thinking about trying to parachute off the ‘plateau of monotony’ into the abyss of non-work work?
(pic from successfromthenest.com)
Tigga76
I feel you all the way. I’ve been working for the last 6 years at a place that was my passion at one point but as I grew older (more mature) my passions realigned. Now I seriously want to move more firmly into my one true passion (graphic design). I’ve been doing graphic design since I was in the 6th grade and even earlier and that has always been a part of me. The problem is exactly what you stated though, It’s scary as hell making that move. I’m taking uber baby steps. Pay Checks take precedence. To top that off the place where I work now is struggling and unstable but the world is much colder. I’m glad I found others like yourself to motivate me. I am pushing harder now and I just pray that I don’t fall off.
October 31, 2007 at 5:47 am
Fredric
good stuff. i checked your website. i am professional programmer. we should talk.
October 31, 2007 at 9:27 am
UMO
i am very envious of you Fredric. My goals is to jump off the corporate ladder in 6 months or so and focus 100% on growing my business.I figure if I dont do it now it will never happen. in the grand scheme of things it’s riskier for me to stay where I am now then to be completely happy doin my own thing.
October 31, 2007 at 4:06 pm
AroundHarlem.com
Twice in my life I’ve experienced what you are talking about.
The first time was when I was about 23 years old and had been at a company almost a year. I hated it. I was in an industry where I would read about new tech changes month by month and the company I was with was still using stuff from years ago.
I got so frustrated that I quit to freelance. At the time, no one understood, and I got a lot of flack for it.
It was the best decision that I ever made.
Years later when people ask for advice, I always tell them to risk it all for your dreams so that you won’t have any regret when you’re older.
The biggest motivating factor for me was my father’s death. On his death bed, he talked about all of the things he wished he had done.
Currently, I’m going through the experience again in trying to build my online magazine. There are naysayers and times are lean, but I’d be too disappointed if I didn’t commit 100% to the idea. I don’t want to have any regrets and walk around saying “if only I had…..”
Stay committed and focused and you’ll get more out of your career than you’ve ever imagined.
November 1, 2007 at 2:22 pm
ETS
This was very encouraging Fred. I have been in a process of self-examination and I need to make some decisions. Quick.
November 2, 2007 at 7:28 am
The dream job « Personal finance for the rising stars
[...] dream job Posted on November 2, 2007 by templewest I came across this blog post from Young Black Professional Guide about the trade-off between a job that pays well [...]
November 2, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Lester Spence
Along with this blog…keep a journal of your experiences. Should be very valuable for you and your progeny down the line.
Speaking of which…i need you to do me a favor and answer answer a question for me.
November 2, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Fredric
that’s an excellent idea dr. spence. do you mind if we borrow it from time to time, walls of wisdom?
November 3, 2007 at 9:53 am
Martin Lindsey
Way to go fredric and everybody else who is making or has made that move. That’s why I’m back in school full time in Computer Science and Software Engineering. Regular corporate engineering never did it for me and I’ve been looking for the right thing ever since I left industry 4 or 5 years ago.
Now I’m getting my coding/artistic jones on which I should have done more than ten years ago. Well, like one of my old bank customers told me one day, “It’s never too late.” That was an affirming comment for me just a couple of months ago.
You hit a positive nerve on this one fredric, specifically, the dream vein!!! Keep on movin’ people. Keep on movin’!
November 3, 2007 at 10:06 am
David McQueen
Well my friend I commend you. Having taken the jump twice myself (learnt a lot of lessons from the first time round) I could only really do what my passion really is. Really focusing on what it is you want to do and how you want to contribute.
Always enjoying the journey with the end game in mind!!!
(Hope you and the good lady are fine!)
November 4, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Anjuan
Fredric,
Congratulations on taking a chance on your dream. I work for a large consulting company, and I have many of the feelings you described. I don’t know if I’m reaching my full potential, but a steady and hefty paycheck gives me a nice feeling of stability. There have been times in my life where quitting to pursue my dreams would have been the worst possible mistake. However, I am getting close to the point where it makes sense to take a chance on my heart instead of staying on the plantation.
November 13, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Young Black Professional Guide » Blog Archive » From Corporate to Small Business
[...] back, I took the plunge and left the cushy atmosphere of a big corporate gig to pursue my career passion at a smaller firm. [...]
March 6, 2008 at 1:07 pm
DJ Playlists
This is very inspirational. Good on you. I don't know if I have the courage to follow your lead, but maybe I will
January 22, 2009 at 7:33 am