ExposedNYC

I had a really great job interview today, and as silly as it sounds, when I was asked to consider whether I was interested in the job, one of the things that crossed my mind was how going from mostly freelance work to a 9-to-5 would influence my social life. I was a little ashamed for a moment until I realized that everyone does this, such as how a professional choice would influence their family. My status as a single woman shouldn’t diminish the value of this thought.

I definitely cherish the freedom that my current status gives me. I go out any night of the week I choose, I wear whatever I want on a daily basis, and I think nothing of booking a vacation outside of normal holidays. My professional status has a huge effect on my day to day life. It honestly crossed my mind to not take the job (if it officially gets offered), in order to preserve my way of life.

This is insane! On January 1st this year I made a New Year’s resolution to find a steady job that would provide health insurance by the end of the year. Now, one comes along, that may not be exactly what I want, but is related to the editorial field and is full time with benefits. The grass is truly always greener on the other side, and it made me realize that I want my security and flexibility in one package, a tall order to fill.

What I can’t decide, is how important this change in my daily routine should weigh in my decision. One of the reasons I didn’t enter corporate America right out of college is that I knew I would be miserable, and didn’t want to spend my work days staring at a clock and counting the minutes until I got to live my life. On the other hand, having spent the past few years living that life and feeling professionally unfulfilled, I’ve often been a bit envious of friends who have established a career path and a 401K.

I guess I’ve always held tightly to the attitude of accepting nothing less than perfection. In both dating and working, I’ve always imagined my ideal situation, and have a hard time accepting anything less than the perfect package I envision. Is this realistic? Of course not! Has it probably kept me from experiencing things that may have been good for me? Absolutely! But I’ve constantly been trying to figure out how to let go of my desire for a dream man or dream job and accept that on the road to that pedestal, I have to stop on a few platforms first.

After the impulsive thought passed, and I realized that until I’m actually offered a job I’m prematurely creating problems that don’t exist, I’ve convinced myself to hopefully accept the position. A full time job is not all-encompassing, and I’ll still have my free time to pursue the passions that I currently struggle to squeeze a living out of. And hey, in life as in love, I’ve always heard that you find what you’re looking for when you least expect it.

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