Last week I walked into my boss’s office, and gave him my 2 weeks notice. I’ve been working a corporate job for about 7 weeks now, and I hate it! Am I crazy? Yes! I have been applying for jobs for over a year since graduating from university, but this job just wasn’t for me. I wanted it to be for me, and I tried to make the best of it, but I also couldn’t bear wasting time in a position, and at a company that is unfulfilling to me.

It’s safe to say that everyone was completely shocked! Talk about some real corporate drama. One of the more senior employees walked by my desk repeatedly saying, “Are you sure about that?” Why does HR even exist? 

Well anyway, I decided to not drink the corporate kool-aid and here I am about to turn 23 and kind-of employed and just as confused as I was before I started this job. All these different questions race through my mind everyday. 

Where do I want to live? (not that I can even afford to move with this housing market)

What type of job do I actually want to have?

Do I even want to work in the field that I got my degree in?

Why do I even have to work?

Why is it all so difficult?

Sound relatable? I’m thinking of starting a group therapy session where we scream and cry about why life is so hard that would meet multiple times a day every day of the week. Reach out if you’re interested!

Navigating this post-grad life can be scary, almost as if there is a timer ticking in the back of your head every second of the day. I am starting this blog to relieve the misconceptions and rethink the expectations of what post-grad life can be. Also, I need a place to vent my deepest fears and anxieties centered around adulting. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some people will immediately find themselves working in the field they hoped to, but for others it might be a little more complicated. 

It’s hard to realize, but despite what anybody says, time is on our side right now. We have the time to take chances and figure out what we as individuals like and dislike. We can try things, we can see different places, and most importantly we can listen. We can talk to people, and learn about their experiences. To have the opportunity to continue to educate ourselves is the most valuable tool we can use in this stage of our life.

My writing will center around where I find myself from day to day. The struggles I face, and all the small things that help make everything feel okay, even if it’s only for a brief moment. I’ll also include interview segments with people who may have a known passion, and some who don’t. It’s helpful to remember there’s people out there struggling just like you too! I know it’s helpful to not feel alone, especially when it feels like the rest of the world is 10 steps ahead of you. 

If you find this content relatable please feel free to write in about your own experiences. Whether you’re 16 or 82 there are plenty of lessons we can all learn from each other.

What does it even mean to be me?

This question circulates in my brain at least twice a day. I have absolutely no idea who I am. 

Deciphering the merit of my opinions and values, on top of just being a human, can feel impossible most of the time. I wear my favorite jeans, but now I don’t think they look good on me. I listen to a song that held so much value in my life and now I can’t help but skip it. 

But then there’s a brief moment that is as simple as feeling the sun on my face during a warm February day and I forget about everything else that has been driving me insane. The moment leaves even quicker than it happened, but it’s nice to remember there are truly happy little things that allow you to feel human. 

Everything can seem so serious, and so extreme. The highs are high, and the lows are so low, and everything in between just feels like a big blur. That’s why it is so important to have people in your life that remind you this is just life, and the universe will continue on regardless of the daily choices you make.

Speaking of choices, going back to my departure from Corporate America there was a lot I was able to take away from that experience (all of these are my personal views):

• 12 hour work days should not exist and that goes for any job
• “Hitting numbers” is not the same as contributing to a bigger purpose
• Corporate formalities are artificial
• Freedom of expression should always be acceptable in every work environment
• Pleasing the person above you should never be the soul motivation to do well in your position or to get promoted
• After hitting record-breaking goals one month, to do it all again (but even bigger and better) the following month is monotonous and strips away the authenticity of a position
• You are just a number to them

With all of this being said, I did enjoy experience, however these characteristics that may appeal to some people truly were not for me. To determine this I had to ask myself questions like, 

“Where do I see myself with this company in 5 years,” and 

“When all is said and done am I satisfied by my impact on the world?”. 

When I thought about my answers to these questions there were other factors to consider. I knew if I wanted to continue to work at this company but reside in the area I am currently living in I would still have the same commute every day. It was a longer commute which I personally was not a fan of traveling in during rush hour. 

I also thought about what positions I could see myself in over time. I love working with people, and I have a set of leadership skills where I like to be the one in charge, but for the amount of work the management team at my job was doing, working 6 am to 7 pm every work day and then adding weekend hours that just seemed too extreme for me when I didn’t love the company the same way these people did.

When weighing my contribution to a purpose that is larger than myself I didn’t feel that at all either. The company I worked for does truly have a large impact on the workforce, and a positive one at that, but I didn’t feel the literal effect of fulfillment the way I might in a different role. 

Yes, the money is good, yes, the benefits are nice, yes, it is a great company to work for, but what was I truly taking away from it? With the magnitude of student loan debt I have, the money was helpful, but I believe if I apply myself in an area of interest I have then I can achieve greatness, and have the salary I would in a corporate position. I know it will not be easy or happen overnight, but in my heart that is what was important to me. 

The way I made my decision might not be an option for everyone. However, if you’re feeling stuck somewhere or you’re involved in something that does not serve you, and you have no option but to stay in that position. Try to think about why you’re in that position. 

Will it help progress you to a position you want to be in in the future? 

Is the money too good to give up?

Can this role be a catalyst for your next step in life?

Do you really like your coworkers?

Is this not the position you expected to be in, but you are starting to enjoy it?

Is it just what it is? There is never a right or wrong to this question.

There are so many varying factors that contribute to the choices we make, especially with our careers. Some may not have the options others are fortunate enough to have. Despite all of this my belief is that if you can find a way to remind yourself what the bigger picture is that you’re working towards, whether that is a promotion, saving up for a car, to have more flexibility to be with your family, or simply because you like the job that you do, then I think it makes everything at least a little bit easier to manage and accept.

Where do we go from here?

As for the position I’m in now. I am back to just figuring everything out. I am lucky enough to still have a spot at the restaurant job I’ve had for several years, and I will continue to be coaching – which is what I am most passionate about. 

The biggest takeaway, though, is we are all just people. Simply put, we are all working towards that same goal: to understand what we were meant to do in this world. I’m not sure if I’ll ever really understand my answer to the question, but I find that writing is a helpful way to express my confusions and frustrations. I hope that after reading this you were able to find some comfort too. 

And hey if it makes you feel better, I just stopped working at a fortune 500 company because I believe I can either be an award-winning writer or a ground-breaking soccer coach. 

I am truly taking a risk, but fortune favors the bold. 

Until next time,

Meils