Chase!

It looks like a big shift, but it really isn’t. It’s like studying to be a scientist, and then your first job ends up as a product designer. You’re basically using the methods you’ve learned in school and applying them to another field. Most people box themselves in with what they know, thinking, “All I can be is _____ because I studied _____.”

What kind of growth are you talking about? Growth can differ in meaning among people, so let me know what your idea of it is.

I’ll assume that when you talk about growth, it’s a career path; getting promoted, getting a raise, getting more training, more free stuff and so on.

I never actually took a programming job after I graduated. I worked as a game moderator > community manager > business development specialist for a gaming company. I moved up quick, around 3-5 months for the first, and around 6 for the second. The company wasn’t that big and it was clear that what I knew and what I was capable of could be used in higher positions, hence the speed.

The last position was actually something born from asking the bosses if they’d be open to creating an entirely new position if I proposed it. They said they’d be open to the idea. Before I could pitch something in, there was an opening for Brand Manager so I applied for that. They thought I could be better off in business development first, and I preferred it that way.

Thing is, the position wasn’t what I hoped it would be, primarily because I didn’t agree with the reasoning behind the task they wanted me to focus on. This would be in addition to a combination of miscommunication as well as my own lack of experience. It was probably all caused by the two above, really. It took me a year plus a distanced perspective to figure it out.

As it looked, I’d be stuck there for quite a few months, with no alternate opening in sight. I left the company soon after, since I didn’t like the work anymore.

Lesson at this point would be that I didn’t see the whole picture. I was impatient, and like a firework I zoomed out into the sky in a blink and exploded into pieces. The discontentment in my work, I blamed on the wrong things, and I *assumed* that nothing else could be done except by leaving. But really, there was much that could have been done. I could have asserted to make clear the vague things caused by miscommunication. I could have stuck around for the next office movement and waited at least three more months. Thing is, during that time, I was already plagued with thoughts of discontentment. I had convinced myself that there was no longer any hope, when really, there was. Sometimes, when you’re knee-deep into a situation, you can’t see the picture clearly. You need experience to be able to do that - experience that tells you what’s wrong because you’ve already been there… or at least a friend who already has.

Now that I think about it, I didn’t talk to anyone else about it. Makes me feel a bit silly right now. *chuckle*

Anyway, I’ll just continue rambling since I’m not sure what “growth” for you is.

Then, I thought that there was no longer room to grow, but it was just my own assumption. I just needed a different perspective. I walked into a box and thought, “I’M TRAPPED,” when all I had to do was walk back out and find another way.

So, you seem to be considering a different career. But I think what you really want is to be happy - your career just happens to be the source of your discontentment. Have you always been unsatisfied with your career? What changed to affect the way you think about it now?

If you’re not content, it’s not a bad thing. I used to think that I needed to be content - with what I have, etc. I thought it was a virtue, much like honesty. But it’s just a state of being. It’s like being full, or hungry. Contentment can make you complacent. You can be content when you’re old and retired, but when you’re young, being constantly displeased with where you are can be useful.

So there, I think I’ve said quite too much already. Hope it helps you think. Feel free to get back to me on this. XD