Like many undergrads fresh out the starting gate, I couldn’t wait to get to work. I had a bright shiny new degree, a serious fire in my belly and student loans to think about. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to work in New York City, for a Fortune 500 brand, and build my resume. I wanted to reflect the images I’d seen in countless issues of Forbes and Black Enterprise growing up. Yes, I knew exactly what I wanted, went after it and actually got it!
I started my career supporting recruitment efforts for Fortune 500 investment banks. I actually enjoyed the rat race from New Jersey to New York at 7am and the 30 minute train ride from Times Square, grabbing a latte for breakfast, grabbing a salad for lunch (maybe) and running home to do it all again the next day.
As time passed, I soon learned that there were so many who began their careers just like mine and continue in this routine today. They miss quality time with their families because they’re giving more and more of themselves to a job. They’re burnt-out on cubicle life, boardrooms, trying to survive corporate politics, all in hopes of climbing up one more rung on the corporate ladder. They’re in desperate need of a change. Thankfully, we live in an era of opportunity. Where the archetypal scenario of: get a job (with benefits), start at the bottom and work your way up, stay there until you retire, collect your social security, pension, etc. is no more!
You don’t have to climb the corporate ladder. You can get off the ladder entirely!
Start a business. Become a freelancer. Consult. Do your own thing!
Of course, there are a ton of things one must consider before taking such a step. Your finances, the strength of your network and ability to bounce back when things don’t work out as planned are some of the most important.
If you’ve always worked in a corporate setting, love the work but detest the environment, it’s time to hop off the corporate ladder and start your own entrepreneurial venture.
Hi, my name is Pamela Shand and I want the best for you in your career. I started Offer Stage Consulting to show job seekers how to overcome the most annoying challenges and get where they want to be in their careers. It is possible to actually be happy at work!
Let me show you how.
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