Risky Business

Happy New Year! I had an entirely different blog and different idea for this week. However, things come up. This blog is a very personal one about a life decision I have recently made. To protect my privacy and from getting in trouble, this blog might be vague. I will do what I can to share some insight and the recent life lesson I have learned.

I have been at my job for three and half years. I went through the struggles of COVID with this company, went through my bachelors and now my masters with them. I have watched them expand, one of their first full time employees, they are slowly starting to add more benefits. It was also my first big position. There, in a way, is a sentimental value I have for them. Things have been pretty smooth sailing.

When everything was finally calm and at ease, I got a message from a friend about a job opportunity. I decided that in order to expand my portfolio, get a 35% increase in pay, and the capability of working from home, I added the part time job for a different company and was going to take a step down from my current company from full time to part time.

I knew this was going to be an ordeal. And to be fair, it is. I am putting my employer under extreme stress by figuring out what to do with my hours that I am giving up, to hire another person, etc. One of my employers was ecstatic for me. One employer was not. There have been some decisions and a new order set in that is less than ideal.

I could say “I can’t believe they did this to me, why is that happening, blah blah blah.” I do not think that and that is not the point. This is about me reflecting and expressing my disappointment in the current situation I am in. I have put a lot of time and dedication to this company. This company has also proved that to me by accommodating my school schedule every semester. It was a reciprocal relationship. However, being a student, both the company and I knew this was not going to last forever. I guess we did not think we would be telling ourselves “I cannot believe this is how things are going to end.”

I’m not mad at them at all. Hand on the bible. They are a business and they have to look out for themselves. I am also looking out for myself as well. I know that this decision that I have recently made is a risk I needed to take. Last year got too dark for me. Post pandemic fatigue is very real and has been effecting more than I realize, regardless of any political stance. However, last year was necessary to get to where I am now and needed to be done.

My husband stated is perfectly “last year was our year of milestones. Now, this is our year of goals.” I have been taking the time and energy to heal from this past year and I am now in a healthier spot where I can refocus on my hobbies and establish goals. This new job opportunity was hard to pass up and I knew that it was only going to aide me. I have the possibility of establishing a more balance work-life style and of reaching my financial goal of going through grad school with no loans. I made this decision for opportunity, not to burn bridges.

Where more of the disappointment comes in is that I do not feel heard at all. And now that I have the time to reflect, I have not felt heard at my job for a while. I haven’t had challenges, there’s no room for me to grow. Regardless, my current job has given so many opportunities and experiences that I will be grateful for. And now, that time is up and it is time to set myself up for a new challenge and the possibility of a better work/life balance for myself.

Kindly, Kat