Last week I spent three long yet amazing days at a convention for work. For those of you that don’t know I work for Great Clips, and every other year we have a huge convention in our founding city of Minneapolis, MN. It is one of my favorite events I attend for one big reason: I love my career. It got me thinking of how so many people just aren’t happy with the work that they do, and that a lot of people stay in ‘for now’ jobs to make ends meet. I’ve been so fortunate to turn my ‘for now’ job into a career and I can honestly say that I am in love with what I do.
The main reason I decided to write about this topic is because I think every person owes it to themselves to ‘work happy’. What I mean by that is if you aren’t happy at least seventy-five percent of the time you’re at work then you need to think about switching jobs or careers. This may sound cliche but life is too short to waste your time in a job that makes you miserable, and it’s never too late to try something new. Of course there are going to be good and bad days at every job, but as long as you wake up every morning happy about where you are in your career then you’re doing it right.
Ten years ago I started with Great Clips at eighteen years old, fresh out of cosmetology school, and a week before I graduated high school. I had plans to go to college to earn a degree, and working in the salon seemed like the perfect ‘for now’ job to put me through school. About a year and half later I moved two hours away from home to attend the University of Toledo, and I continued my journey with Great Clips since I had such an awesome experience with the company while I was in Cleveland. Within the few years to follow I fell in love with my job and even more with the company so much so that I accepted an offer to manage for them one semester before I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. I’ve never looked back.
Now, six years after I accepted that offer, I am still managing and loving every minute of it. I feel so fortunate to have a career that I absolutely love with a company I want to stay with forever. My end goal is to end up working for the corporate office, although I still want to spend a few more years in the salon. I do best when I’m constantly learning and growing and with this company I can do it all. I tell you this because there are careers out there that will set your soul on fire and you can find them in the most unexpected places as long as you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone. If that ‘for now’ job doesn’t lead to the path you want to be on then NOW is the time to start looking for that new job. Don’t wait.
I hope this helped you if you’ve been struggling to make a change or solidified that you’re on the right career path. Finding love in a job is sometimes harder than finding love in a relationship but it’s worth searching for. Our careers take up a huge chunk of our lifespan so we owe it to ourselves to make it count. Get out there and kick ass at whatever it is you are the most passionate about. Goodluck!
<3Ash