![]() ![]() I had friends who had moved to Beijing, China the year before and saw a message that their school was looking for new teachers. Check your baggage, we’re going on a trip I needed to pull me (us) out of the proverbial rut and complacency that was my life. I came to the realization that I needed to move on. On top of that my job didn’t allow me to move towards my life goals of owning a home and having a family. My job had become very comfortable and I had stopped growing. At one point I told my boss that I would clean toilets filled with spiders if he was in charge.Īfter some time there I started come to the conclusion that I was stuck in a rut. This job went a long way to heal the trauma of my previous job experiences. It was a safe working environment where I was creatively challenged and had a supportive boss. I look back at my time in this position, as such a healing experience. ![]() Finding a place to growĭuring my years in this small agency, I was involved in almost all aspects of the business and was unknowingly executing a product design process. For the next 3 days YouTube taught me enough to impress and get the job. ![]() #Bootchamp alternative how to#In the interview I had said I knew how to work in Adobe Illustrator, I didn’t. ![]() In the spirit of fake it, until you make it…I applied for a Graphic Designer position at an agency and they gave me a challenge to evaluate my skill level. My next task was to find a way to pay the bills while acquiring the teaching certificate. I enjoy presenting and excelled in High School despite having actually taken juggling lessons from Razz-ma-tazz the Clown. The need for job security lead me to starting a teaching certificate that bolted on nicely to my existing degree. I now understood the problems and what form the solutions could take, so now was the time to act. I also found that I could not compromise on being creative, it was intrinsic to my daily happiness and therefore my success. With some self-reflection I found that I hated uncertainty of the job market, I wanted job security and so needed to develop a career. photography + au pair + receptionist + juggling = ? The things I was good at didn’t add up to anything that could have a job titleĮ.g. Part of the problem was that I struggled to even articulate what I could do. I seemed unable to translate this value into a job. I knew I had intrinsic value as a person and I knew my abilities were valuable. The second time I was fired, I was devastated. Now I was being asked to do all the things I was terrible at. I was used to excelling and being recognised do so. I was poorly suited for all of these roles and was miserable. I bounced from Au Pair, to Receptionist, to call Centre Agent, to Personal Assistant. I chose to chase a pay-check and paid the price. Money was the deciding factor for making my first turn in my career path. This position was creatively fulfilling, but I only earned enough to pay the loan for a modest car and commute to and from work and soon wanted more for myself. So I took a Photoshop course that supported my experience in film photography and translated this into a job at a photographic studio. My path starts in a somewhat pedestrian way, I completed university with a degree in Fine Art and quickly found that the practical applications of a humanities degree were limiting, for me. Part 1: From Fine Art, to China, to…Engineering? I actively chased down this role and this is how I did it. That is, once I had found my (work) home at Absa. And now, reflecting upon my journey there are 5 clear steps I took to achieve this goal. My path, for now, leads to becoming a Design Director. These twists and turns are not without merit, if only for the lesson alone. It’s deeply personal and exposing, but I hope in sharing it’ll help you to avoid some of the mistakes I made and help you on your own path. Allow me to take you on the journey with me. My career has been more of a winding path than a straight line. ![]()
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