Career choices – atlantablackstar.com
Being a corporate sister is not easy, far from it…And being a corporate mama, as I like to call it, complicates matters even further. I remember being a young associate at one of the Big 4 Accounting firms, working until all hours of the night or day during busy season, going out for drinks with the team on Thursdays after work, and still showing up all perky on Friday mornings after only a few hours of sleep. Those were the days when you went hard or went home…The days when building your career was not just a matter of being excellent on the job, but also having the time, stamina and availability to be an all-around team player. For most of us in “Public” as we used to (and still) call it, that meant working week-ends, hanging out with the team, and basically not having much of a life outside of work…
Fast-forward a few years, and for those who did find a different life along the way, for all those who dropped out of the “Public’s” ranks, or just those who wanted a life outside of work, some of the career choices we made were many a time motivated by our families or significant others. There, you fell in love and wanted to spend more time with your partner on week-ends. Or you started having children and could not stand to be on the road while your children were taking their first steps or uttering their very first words. So you jumped ship, tried and found other more satisfying or “balanced” work alternatives. Or you chose to stay and forgo the experiences that others were embarking on, like motherhood, or marriage. And as you sit back and reflect on your professional progress, you cannot help but wonder if after all, your career choices were primarily motivated by your family (or lack thereof).
My dear friend N. asked me the other day: “If your life had been different, if you didn’t have to take into account all the family responsibilities and duties, do you think you’d have made different choices in your career? Do you think you’d have been further along or on a totally different path?”
After pausing for a few seconds, I had this truly inspiring, breakthrough response for her: “I don’t know!” And while I can certainly speculate on all the what-if’s, and would’ve or should’ve, the truth is I don’t know…None of us really knows what decisions or choices we would have made in different circumstances, of how far (or not far) along we’d be had our journey been different…All we know is the NOW, and all we can do is trying to better it…
In hindsight, I’m glad my family motivated some of my career choices. I’m glad that they helped me distinguish between what truly matters, like being there when your kid first pees in the toilet, and what matters less. Sure, there is also the reverse side of the coin, that many feel that life’s hardships and family duties possibly made them miss out on some opportunities…
Yet like my dear friend N. says, “No matter what, we are where we are supposed to be.”
Has your family motivated your career choices?
