A glimpse into a post-grad application and theoretical discussion of self-care.
As a college senior, no question has plagued me quite like, "So what's next?". It's always interesting to me that people seem more concerned with the destination I have chosen to pursue, my career, than the path I am taking to achieve it. Having a society that largely bases performance around measured success, i.e. landing a dream job, attending graduate school, or joining the armed forces, reinforces the need for self-care to achieve the everyday victories. In other words, my vocational journey has led me to pursue a deeper understanding of myself and my expectations for my future through mindfulness in the present.
As an English major, my life is centered around words: stringing words together, interpreting words, and dictating them. While nearly every career requires individuals who are effective communicators, the opportunities for content production and literary promotion are far more competitive. The last four years have been a series of achievements for me with little to no celebration for the work that accompanied these successes, but merely the work that will become accessible to me as a result. Namely, every academic achievement became a resume filler rather than a moment to stop and commend my hard work. This is not a novel concept, or a personal revolutionary experience. However, my expectation that my work as a young adult should define my life for decades to come slowly began to affect my relationship with my desired vocation. Rather than feeling passion for writing, reading, and speech, I began to see this fondness as a chore.
One of the greatest realizations that comes with being a mindful individual is the recognition that we are the orchestrators of our own lives. That means, when we get on a track of undesired outcomes and changed dreams, no one is forcing us to stay on that path. In fact, there will most likely be a new trail branching right out from our very feet. Self-care is recognizing the things that challenge, inspire, and stimulate us as individuals. While for a lot of people this will ultimately be our career, it is just as important to put that same devotion and discovery into the process of vocational discernment as it is to perform the career itself. For me, this led to an understanding that I was suited for something a little more unconventional than a traditional digital marketing or communications position. It was a process of understanding that I don't have to know the answer to "So what's next?", but I should try to strengthen the tools that allow me to achieve a "next" centered around my personal desires and gifts.
Through this introspection, I have come to create a set of values that I have carried with me into my career search. My advice to any young adult looking for a future vocation: a first job will never be perfect, but some things should never be compromised on. Meaning, if something is important to you, don't disregard it at the request of your employer, your family, or even your academic advisors. For me, the question that I have engaged with most in the interview process is, "How would you describe your work culture?". If the interviewer does not describe an environment that fosters personal growth through a shared community, I know the relationships that I will lack from interdepartmental interaction will not allow for my development as an employee. I am extremely motivated by organizations that cultivate a healthy social community. For others, it could be a workplace that accepts more neotraditional appearances such as tattoos, facial piercings, or dyed hair. Discerning your values is in itself a form of self-care, as it effectively promotes vocational well-being.
Practicing self-care in the present also sets a precedent when you have achieved placement in your ideal vocation. There will always be a, "So what's next?" being asked. Self-care is being present in your successes and acknowledging them not as a mechanism to get to the "next", but to affirm your achievement in the now. More than that, it's recognizing those times in which you are being spread thin, when your work has taken precedence over your mental and physical health. Self-care is a continual journey in much the same way that a career path is. Your relationship with yourself changes as does your desires to achieve, perform, and create a "next".