Career Milestones of 2021
A reflection on major events in my professional life this year:
1. Left teaching after 10 years. This was a BIG DEAL because teaching was such a big part of my identity. I cared so much about my students that I reached a point of emotional burnout. This job gave me a sense of purpose for ten years, but it also felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders at times. Setting aside humility for a moment, what’s hard to reconcile is that I was a great teacher. I hoped I could find that sense of fulfilment and achievement elsewhere.
2. Left Atlanta International School after 4 years. My colleagues were the kindest, funniest, most talented bunch and I miss them dearly. However, teaching during a pandemic led to a sinking feeling in my stomach every morning when I pulled up to campus. I felt like a hog being led to the slaughter when they forced us back into the building long before public schools found it safe to do so. No one should dread entering their workplace.
3. Dabbled in unemployment for a few months. (spoiler alert: it’s not for me). I took a whopping three weeks off before diving into the job hunt. I was antsy and found myself looking for projects and distractions. It was a good indicator that when I retire someday I will need to seek out volunteer opportunities to fill my time.
4. Started a new career as an instructional designer. Curriculum work still brought me a lot of joy as a teacher, so I wanted a new job where I could develop learning experiences full-time. Landing a job at an investment management company was the perfect fit because I am a huge finance nerd. Having worked in the corporate world for 3 months now has been a confirmation that I made the right choice.
5. Worked remotely full-time. This was eye-opening because it fit my lifestyle so well. I am granted autonomy to take breaks when I want, the flexibility to arrange my daily work schedule in a way that matches my energy levels, and the freedom to walk my dog on my lunch break. My home office is my little innovation den and I love it.
6. Paired with Michele Leary as my mentor. This was one of the biggest blessings of the year for me. Michele has been my proverbial shepherd at Capital Group, pushing me outside my comfort levels, and trusting me with responsibilities before I even trust myself. Recently we have been working on a content management project together, and I’m so proud of the work we are creating. Our blended course design for associates who handle retirement distributions includes eLearning, video tutorials, infographics games, debriefs, and practices. This engaging new curriculum is largely due to Michele’s vision for a holistic experience. She has inspired me to look at the big picture and consider the impact of my design choices.
7. Did this all during a pandemic. My biggest focus for much of the year was basic survival. Mental health became a priority and at various points I worked with a therapist and a psychiatrist just to keep my head above water. There were so many canceled plans, personal crises, and health scares, but throughout it all were also moments of joy and connection.
Finding reasons to celebrate life became of the utmost importance during 2021. I took a leap of faith and moved to Indiana with my partner, and hopped in the car and drove to stay with dear friends in Madison, Nashville, Chicago, and Montgomery. I joined a women’s chorus, learned to roller skate, and worked to give my cat and dog the best life ever.
Work is important; my personal life is more important. David Brooks refers to eulogy virtues as the characteristics people will speak about at our funerals. So while I am proud of my professional accomplishments listed here, I’m more proud that I cultivated bonds with my community and found moments of connection and happiness in what could have been a very dark year. Cheers to 2021, and good riddance!
My very good coworkers in the home office
