Finding A Career Path Without Looking
by David Dean Menzies
The other day my wife and I were going for a walk on the beach. It had just “reopened” to the general public due to COVID-19 restrictions. There weren’t a lot of people around, nor had there been the usual crowds in quite some time.
That said, the beach was littered with shells. We’d never seen so many in that particular stretch. As we walked, taking in the warm air and sunshine, we weren’t focusing on anything in particular. Just enjoying the moment. Suddenly, my wife stopped and looked down.
A perfect seashell.
Seashells like this one are hard to come by in our neck of the woods, primarily since there are a lot of avid shell collectors—locals as well as tourists—who are on the sand at the crack of dawn. By the time most beachgoers are roaming around, it’s slim pickings.
We collect seashells; well in reality, “sea specimens” to quote Charlie Day in ”The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore” episode of the TV series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We’ve got bones from whales and dolphins, shark teeth, coral, sand dollars, even a petrified seahorse adorning our fireplace mantle and a bunch of other surfaces throughout our home. Since we live on the coast, we’re kind of picky in terms of the quality of sea specimens we put on display. This latest shell met our standards, and then some.
The fact we found this great seashell when we weren’t actually looking for it is representative of some developments in my professional life. In April, I got laid off from one of the most enjoyable jobs I’ve ever had thanks to COVID-19. I updated my resume, got on the job boards, and started looking for a new opportunity. I’ll be honest, initially I wasn’t picky with the types of open positions I was applying for; in essence, I was grabbing every spare shell on the beach. If a job listing had a majority of my skills, I was applying for it.
I really threw myself into my job search, spending hours each day on multiple job boards, going through a myriad of online application portals, engaging in multiple online assessments. After a while, I realized I was not feeling a sense of satisfaction. True, I was happy with myself for getting out there and looking hard for a job, but something was off.
A Wake-Up Call from an Unexpected Source
In the midst of my job searching, I was advising a young friend of mine on careers in writing. Fresh out of Syracuse University, this gentleman was working as a marketing associate in New York City when—like me—he lost his job. Instead of scrambling to find any old job he could, he decided to take a step back and really think about what he wanted to do with his life.He wanted to write.
After a phone conversation about the financial pitfalls of a writing career versus the joy of doing what you love for a living, my friend made a commitment to growing his portfolio and just writing for the sake of writing. I provided feedback on some of his work, and have continued to read what he’s been putting out.
Guess what? It’s really good.
Thoughtful, at times provocative, and engaging articles. Like any of us writers, this young writer has room to grow as he finds his voice. But from a pure “is this an interesting, worthwhile read?” standpoint his articles are high quality.
Kinda pissed me off, if I’m being honest.
Let me be clear: I was not angry with my young friend; in fact, I was (and am) absolutely thrilled that he’s following his passion for writing. I was more upset with myself for not doing the same thing. Taking the “physician heal thyself” route I took a step back and thought about what I wanted to do with my life.
Job search-wise, I stopped applying for every position that matched my skills, and instead began looking for jobs I really wanted. This approach is beginning to bear fruit, generating interest from several potential employers with opportunities I could really sink my teeth into.
Writing-wise, I engaged in some self-activation, becoming a writer once again. I’m editing a novel I’ve written, and am moving forward with some other writing projects in my newly discovered free time previously spent applying for jobs I really didn’t want.
Now when I wake up in the morning, I’m more excited than ever to start my day because I know it will be a day as a writer. I glance at our new seashell on my way to grab coffee and from time to time throughout the day, keeping myself open to finding new sea specimens wherever I may encounter them. And I read new pieces from my young friend, who is still pumping them out.
Oh, by the way, his name is Garret Rutledge, you can read his work on his LinkedIn page.
David Dean Menzies is a writer and marketer with a passion for innovative and inspiring people, places and things. He is also a published fiction author on Amazon.
