When I decided to take a six-month “break” from the traditional job market and become an au pair in Thailand, I was excited but worried. Worried that somehow, this time off would not advance my career but put me behind my peers. Yes, I graduated a semester early and so during this time “lost” my same-aged peers are still in school. But something about the traditional school-to-work path was so ingrained in my head, that I felt guilty about taking these six months. To add to how crazy my thinking was, it’s not like I am taking this time to galavant off in Asia, (well mostly not!) I have a stable job as an au pair, teaching English to four adorable kids, and as an added bonus to my salary, food, housing, and travel are included.
Even with all this, that tick in the back of my head was yelling at me to work, work, work. And so, I did. I decided to put my journalism degree to work and began freelancing my skills to the community I was living in. And still the doubts crept in. Who would want to hire a recent college grad? Am I even qualified enough to call myself a journalist or designer? My generation of 20-somethings are no stranger to this feeling: Imposter Syndrome, it’s called.
Breaking through that syndrome, or at least learning to exude confidence despite it, I have successfully produced a website from scratch for a client, and am in the process of designing another, creating logos and a brand story for a third client, and practicing my photography skills by providing headshots to businesses in my community. I am excited to share my work, as now it hits a little different. This isn’t a school project or something assigned to me; those days are over. This is where I have to make a conscious effort to find jobs and projects that both excite me and help fund my life as an adult. Wow.
So as much as I apologize for the month-long-lapse in posting — and I do apologize — I am so glad that I pushed myself to find freelance work. Don’t worry though, at least for the next month I am still a 21-year-old and galavanting across Asia is still on my “to-do” list, between “interview for jobs in July” and “do your laundry.”
And, in case you were curious, here is the link to the website I designed for a lovely client who owns a gym and studio in my neighborhood!