Do you ever wonder, what life is all about, what you're here for? What makes you happy, if you were meant to be in the field you're in, do the job you do?
I do and right now and I wonder if I missed the mark. I always saw myself in archaeology, art, art history, museums, libraries, maybe graphic design. But here I am, with a business degree that neither I nor any employer seems to know what to do with.
The way my business school was set up, I'm one class shy of pretty much any other business discipline the school offered, marketing, accounting, finance. I chose to go for business administration. And right now I'm kicking myself that I did. It's like you know how to do a million things, but none of them particularly well. You're not specialized enough for many things. Employers seem to be somewhat confused as well, you can do accounting, but not well enough to be a full blown accountant, you can do marketing, but not enough to be in management or anything worthwhile, finance, same story, no bank/financial institution seems to be satisfied with just business for a degree, even in a teller position, if you don't have several years of experience under your belt. (You may wonder, why not take that remaining class and get them all? That was my thought too, but different majors require different pre-requisites. I would have to get some of those first).
The problem with a degree in business, I noticed, is two-fold.
One, it seems like there is a whole lot of assuming going on in hiring departments:
I do and right now and I wonder if I missed the mark. I always saw myself in archaeology, art, art history, museums, libraries, maybe graphic design. But here I am, with a business degree that neither I nor any employer seems to know what to do with.
The way my business school was set up, I'm one class shy of pretty much any other business discipline the school offered, marketing, accounting, finance. I chose to go for business administration. And right now I'm kicking myself that I did. It's like you know how to do a million things, but none of them particularly well. You're not specialized enough for many things. Employers seem to be somewhat confused as well, you can do accounting, but not well enough to be a full blown accountant, you can do marketing, but not enough to be in management or anything worthwhile, finance, same story, no bank/financial institution seems to be satisfied with just business for a degree, even in a teller position, if you don't have several years of experience under your belt. (You may wonder, why not take that remaining class and get them all? That was my thought too, but different majors require different pre-requisites. I would have to get some of those first).
The problem with a degree in business, I noticed, is two-fold.
One, it seems like there is a whole lot of assuming going on in hiring departments:
- This person is going to want to get paid top dollar (doesn't everybody, anywhere, ever???)
- This person is going to want to move ahead and go into management (maybe even take my job)
- This person is not going to stay, they're going to try and find something better, and at their first opportunity at higher pay is going to leave.
- They're not going to care about this job, it's just a stepping stone to the next better thing.
Two, what if you don't want to be in management?
- Your resume gets sorted out due to being "over-qualified"
- You apply for one job that you really want, but it is not up to your "standard". Not according to you, because you applied for it in the first place, --but according to the hiring manager, who decides immediately to compartmentalize you into the "achiever" box and calls you for a different position (usually sales, marketing, management and the like) due to your qualifications. You may not want that other job at all. When you try to route him back to the job you originally wanted, it is "no longer available".
- You end up having to drop the master's degree off your resume in order to even get considered. (if you then are so lucky as to make it to the interview, you should watch the horror on a hiring manager's face, when you mention the MBA, assuring him it's OK, I like this job. I want this job. It seems to be burned in everybody's brain that a person with a degree should be in management (even if they hate it) that you get the feeling that placing an MBA in a lower level position is somewhere equivalent to juggling chain-saws. --A huge risk...instead of being glad you're about to get a really quick administrative person.
Surely some of it is my frustration talking. Some 180 job applications later within this month, I'm finally getting responses... after I have started to send out resumes without the degree, that is. Sad on the one hand, glad that something finally gives on the other hand...
You do wonder though, why you went through the trouble of going to school. No regrets there, --the college-time was probably one of the best times in my life. But you can't help but wish sometimes you would have chosen differently. I wonder, would I be happier in an artistic profession, would I be better off with an accounting degree? I guess everyone asks themselves that question sometimes and it's probably normal, too, unless you have managed somehow to make what you love most your profession.
The great news though, there is always hobbies, and volunteership. I decided, the answer for me may just be, to be more active in my spare time. Do a lot of my painting and crafting and go to art shows and fairs with it, maybe with some friends, to have a good time, not necessarily as a business.
In the meantime I have decided to cultivate skills outside of work. I just applied for my notary license, I am planning on taking at least one class this spring, Spanish or Graphic Design, maybe Quickbooks and enjoy learning something new, that may be of some use in the future.
For now, the motto is "Keel calm, and carry on".
Please comment, if you have similar or very different experiences. Maybe discussing will help all of us along. Also, when you get a chance take the poll.
Please comment, if you have similar or very different experiences. Maybe discussing will help all of us along. Also, when you get a chance take the poll.
