So I’ve been keeping something from you guys.
Remember that huge job change I announced just about this time last fall? The one that led to our leaving our beloved daycare and enrolling Mimi in a new daycare in town?
I quit back in February.
Part of me was kind of embarrassed to tell you guys, because I’m not a quitter. I’m not the type of person who leaves or gives up after only a few months. I mean, I’m the stubborn girl who turned a tween whim of “not eating meat” into a 25-year commitment to vegetarianism.
But I knew in my gut, even on the first day, that the particular position, and that particular industry, was not a good fit for me. The people were lovely, but friendly and helpful colleagues aren’t enough to withstand such major professional, and personal, incompatibilities. Top it off with a long commute (don’t get me started on the day it took me nearly two hours to get home just after lunchtime to retrieve a sick Mimi), and I recognized I had made a huge mistake. And to top it off, I was incredibly unhappy.
But I think fate was looking out for me, because I got a call a couple months into the new job about an intriguing opportunity elsewhere, something more in my wheelhouse and closely aligned with my strengths and interests … and closer to home. And I accepted.
So yes, I am that person who left a job after only a few months. But it’s a stigma I’m willing to live with, and I’m very much at peace with my decision — even if I was a little embarrassed about it at first. Because it was an invaluable learning experience.
I learned that I am simply not suited to a one-dimensional sort of role.
I realized I really do thrive in a fast-paced environment that requires the ability to multitask.
I learned I am proactive and need to be involved in the strategic and brainstorming processes in order to feel fulfilled professionally, and that I am not meant for a position that is 100% reactive.
I never would have gained all these insights had I not had that experience. And, as odd as it sounds, I am kind of grateful for it.
My first month in what Dr. G. and I referred to as my “new-new job” was a breath of fresh air, and before I knew it, I began to feel like “me” again. Trust me, I recognize I was so lucky to be offered two amazing professional opportunities in the span of just a few months — especially in today’s economy.
And, more importantly, I fully realize how incredibly fortunate I am to once again land with both a tremendous and talented group of colleagues, as well as a flexible and understanding work environment that takes so much of the stress out of balancing career and family.
So if I could offer any advice from my experience it is this: Trust. Your. Gut. You know when something –– be it a job, a relationship, etc. –– isn’t a good fit, or just doesn’t feel “right.” Rather than “sucking it up” and trying to talk yourself into it (which is what I tried to do for awhile), be proactive … whether this means talking to your manager about new assignments or having that frank conversation with your significant other or simply researching your options.
Because you do have the power to change your situation if you’re not happy. It may be hard and painful and embarrassing, but it is all worth it in the end. Take it from someone who knows.
(And Mimi? She is loving her new daycare center, and had a little group of girlfriends right from Day One. I guess we sometimes forget how resilient kids are, right?)
Jill Will Run says
I had a one week job stint once! I frequently forget about it, this post just reminded me. After college my boyfriend got a job in one city and I got a job one 300 miles away. And one week into my job I was offered a job in the same city as him, so I quit and moved. He’s now my husband and the original job didn’t really challenge me, so it was the right choice. But I totally get that feeling of embarrassment of being a short-timer!