Either one year ago or two years ago, I had an epiphany. I believe I was on the couch in my old place in Cincinnati, watching tv and surfing the Internet. The epiphany was that I was in the wrong major and may never use my degree. This idea still stands today, about four months after graduation. Oh that reminds me, I need to find out where my diploma is.
To some, that might sound weird, because of how much I enjoy computers and designing. I have loved HTML and web design since sometime in high school. Before I started looking for schools, I was lucky enough to know what major I was interested in. Although I had some rough times at the beginning, I enjoyed UC and my major and believe I grew both in skills and as a person.
However, I still chose the wrong major. On coop, I became very bored at the end of an 8 hour day simply consisting of sitting at a computer. During my first coop, I realized that I needed to listen to something, or I would fall asleep. This had to do with the type of work I was assigned as much as to do with sitting at a computer all day. I would believe this was an isolated incident, if it didn’t continue to the rest of my coops.
As much as I love to sit at the computer at home for hours on end, you can’t compare it to sitting on the computer at work. At home, I am able to watch tv and do multiple things, of my choosing. At work, I have to focus on work and cannot deviate without making sure no one is looking over my shoulder every two minutes. At Williams McBride, they were liberal on the Internet policy, but at times, I still found myself very bored and close to falling asleep.
So, if I chose the wrong major and am looking for a job in the wrong profession, what major/profession should I have chosen? While looking for a full-time “real-world” job, I have decided to take a part-time “silly” job at the Cafe at Nordstrom, where I had previously worked. I have worked there 4 days and have enjoyed myself immensely. I am keeping busy the whole time and interacting with people instead of a computer screen. An 8-hour day there seems like a 4-hour day. If I go in tired, I don’t have enough time to feel like I am going to fall asleep. Sure, when I come home, I am totally beat, but I enjoyed my day and what else can you ask for?
As evidenced by my love for food in general, and my enjoyment at Nordstrom, I have come to the conclusion that I should have gone to culinary school and I should be looking for a job in the food industry. Once I started working at Nordstrom, I have lost all desire to continue looking for design jobs. Sure, I enjoy designing, but do I want it to be my full-time career? I really have no idea. The only problem with me going into the food industry, and why I couldn’t have gone to culinary school, is the whole Kosher thing; that might have to change down the road or might not, who knows? Right now, I enjoy working at Nordstrom and coming home and designing on my own time.
Now that I have realized how much more “fun” I am having at Nordstrom, as opposed to my coops, I need to re-evaluate where I am headed with my life and career. Do I continue looking for design jobs? Or do I stay at Nordstrom and freelance? Or do I stay at Nordstrom and try and move up the chain? Or do I stay at Nordstrom and honestly try and open up my “restaurant?”
So many options and so much to think about…it is an exciting time.
