Career goals - maybe closer to on track?
So I've been back at the bookstore for just over three months now, and I must say, I enjoy tasking much more than I ever enjoyed serving customers. Enough so that while I figured, when I first went back over Christmas, that I'd be so over it really quickly, considering how sick of the place I was when I left the first time. But I'm not. I'm actually still enjoying what I do, and it's actually fairly rare for me to have one of those "I so don't feel like going to work today" days. Especially as I've started learning receiving, and having made my enjoyment of that known to my managers, will soon be doing more back there, which is awesome. So I've been thinking occasionally that maybe I should just stay. I like it there. Problem is, I don't know that I'm really making enough money to function properly, although I did just get a raise, so that might help a teensy wee bit.
However, very little else seems to be on the horizon at this point. Closest thing I have to a lead right now is a potential technical writing job at a company where one of my co-workers' boyfriend works, and that's certainly nothing definite. I haven't even had an interview there, let alone an offer. But even if they did offer, I just don't know that I'd want it. I'd make a hell of a lot more money than I ever would at the bookstore, but I just don't know if I want to be a technical writer. Thinking back to my previous stint as one, I guess I didn't hate that aspect of the job. I liked it in the beginning, I think, just because it was a change, but I really didn't love it. I think I actually do enjoy what I'm doing and where I'm working better now than I did there. But there's that money thing, not to mention the fact that being a retail slave my whole life isn't really what I want to do either.
However. I had my 3-month review last night. Mostly it went as expected, but toward the end, we started talking about future plans. My manager asked me if I was at all interested in following my husband's footsteps into management there, and essentially implied that if I wanted to, we would make it happen. I've never really wanted to be a manager before, but thinking about it now, maybe I do. I wouldn't make a ton of money, it's true, but between the two of us, I think we could make plenty for our no kids, no car lifestyle. And I'd get to keep working with books, which really is a big perk. Plus, and here's a really important point, right now, I only work with the books as books. They don't come with people or any networking opportunities; they're just books. However, if I were to become management, I would start to encounter more of the people involved in book production, including both authors and publishers. And that really could lead somewhere.
So basically, the more I think about it, the more sense it makes for me to go down that road. So while I might have to reconsider if some amazing editing opportunity gets dropped into my lap, for now, I think it's time to start taking some steps.
However, very little else seems to be on the horizon at this point. Closest thing I have to a lead right now is a potential technical writing job at a company where one of my co-workers' boyfriend works, and that's certainly nothing definite. I haven't even had an interview there, let alone an offer. But even if they did offer, I just don't know that I'd want it. I'd make a hell of a lot more money than I ever would at the bookstore, but I just don't know if I want to be a technical writer. Thinking back to my previous stint as one, I guess I didn't hate that aspect of the job. I liked it in the beginning, I think, just because it was a change, but I really didn't love it. I think I actually do enjoy what I'm doing and where I'm working better now than I did there. But there's that money thing, not to mention the fact that being a retail slave my whole life isn't really what I want to do either.
However. I had my 3-month review last night. Mostly it went as expected, but toward the end, we started talking about future plans. My manager asked me if I was at all interested in following my husband's footsteps into management there, and essentially implied that if I wanted to, we would make it happen. I've never really wanted to be a manager before, but thinking about it now, maybe I do. I wouldn't make a ton of money, it's true, but between the two of us, I think we could make plenty for our no kids, no car lifestyle. And I'd get to keep working with books, which really is a big perk. Plus, and here's a really important point, right now, I only work with the books as books. They don't come with people or any networking opportunities; they're just books. However, if I were to become management, I would start to encounter more of the people involved in book production, including both authors and publishers. And that really could lead somewhere.
So basically, the more I think about it, the more sense it makes for me to go down that road. So while I might have to reconsider if some amazing editing opportunity gets dropped into my lap, for now, I think it's time to start taking some steps.