Don’t Settle for Acceptable, Strive for More

Please read Part 1, here, and Part 2, here.

I had quit one job to focus on my health and recovery. But time off could only last for so long. 

I had come across another job that ticked some boxes, but the further along in the interview process I got, the more boxes it checked. 

While it was currently remote, the office was local. A convenient commute for whenever the time comes to return to in-person work (and NO MORE commuting to NYC! I don’t think I realized how much of a toll that took until I stopped doing it).

After three separate interviews with different team members, I liked them all. They were kind, competent, and we seemed to connect. I made a conscious effort put forth the version of myself I wanted to showcase; the one that comes out when I’m comfortable. 

I was adamant about being willing to work hard – during business hours – but was clear that once the day was done I needed the freedom to unplug. And they understood.

I liked the product. Everyone knows you’re either a shoe girl or a handbag girl, and I am definitely a handbag girl. Being able to work for a company that produces them appealed to my inner fashionista (and my closet).

In learning more about what the role entailed, I knew it was one where I could excel, and hopefully grow. It fits my skill set to a T.

In retrospect, the process went very quickly. But when you’re waiting to hear news, any amount of time is too long. 

I got the job.

It’s everything I could have hoped for, and more. The benefits are good. Work/life balance is promoted. They invest in both their employee’s careers and mental health. I like the people, both within my brand, and my immediate team. 

They believe that mistakes are a learning experience, a stark contrast from being publicly humiliated when making one. 

They’re understanding of work-life balance, and do what they can to ensure they’re upholding the values they promote.

There is clear communication, which is a welcome change from having to guess what someone wants but won’t actually tell you (unless it’s to tell you that you guessed wrong).

At a past job, I distinctly remember at least two different co-workers tell me that while they weren’t happy, their previous job was worse. Inside, I was shaking my head in disbelief. How crazy to accept bad just because there’s worse? We should strive for more instead of settle for acceptable.

Why am I grateful for my current job? Because it’s the epitome of how things should have been all along. I guess I had to go through hell to come out the other side, but I finally feel like I made it through. Or can at least see the light at the end of the very long, twisted, dark tunnel.

Things aren’t perfect. Nothing is. But this opportunity is close, which is my well-deserved reward.