The Professional World Rat Race - Guest Blog Post

Anna Kaye is the tiny person in the middle

The next guest blog post comes to you from one of my favorite interns of all time, Miss Anna Kaye. She worked with me several years ago at the American Heart Association in Birmingham. 

What I love most about AK is that she is a little spitfire! Whenever I see that quote, "Fierce, but flexible," I often think of her. (She will probably be surprised by that!) She is hands down one of the nicest people I have ever met.... so where did I get the "fierce" part? Because she has a determination to learn. She will not stop until she makes something happen, and I know, from the bottom of my heart, she is going to "make it" one day. (Of course, I'm going to have to convince her to try in smaller cities.. but you know, it's a hard lesson to learn. ;-) ) LOL - Without further babbling... here is her piece - The Professional Rat Race. 

*Oh look, Amy updated her LinkedIn profile. She received another promotion? And she’s three years younger than I am. Good grief. If I ever hope to be as successful as she is I should have ignored the child labor laws and joined the work force at 11.”

If you know anything about the professional world, you know how easy it can be to transition from a normal human being into the green-eyed monster with one simple glance at any social media outlet. It seems like everywhere you turn it’s another friend’s super chic internship in NYC, promotion at an exclusive ad agency or another publication in a magazine. 

You can also look at it through the eyes of your current job. Maybe it’s not exactly where you thought you would be, but you enjoy the atmosphere and the people you work with. But you were hoping to be more than just an “assistant.” Sure, anyone can photo copy and file, but you want to contribute more, expand your skills, and most importantly, finally be taken seriously as an upcoming professional. 

When you were in college you probably had your ideal job already picked out. However, reality set in post grad and you needed something to pay the bills. So how can we keep our perspective while waiting for said dream job to come along? 

Remember where you are now in life, is not necessarily where you will be five years from now. Life happens and things can change quickly. If you’re the adventurous type, maybe you’ll be able to relocate and start your journey from scratch. You never know how those opportunities will help you in your career walk. 

Focus on the things in your life which you enjoy and expand on them. If you love the arts, take a painting, writing or photography class.  If you love music, try your hand at the piano or guitar. If you love kids, volunteer at a children’s science center or any other local place for kids. 

You don’t have to become your 9-5 job. Your job doesn’t define your identity as a person. You are more than simply an assistant. You have much more to bring to the table even if you don’t see that right now. Even though you see your co-workers advancing and being recognized for their achievements, it doesn’t diminish the unique, creative, fun person you are. Don’t get so caught up in the race that you’re burnt out before you have the chance to shine.