“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision." The Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoMy mom was reading The Alchemist a few weeks ago and shared this with me when she came upon this, saying it sounded a lot like what I am currently going through - and I couldn't agree more.
In early February, a position opened up within a different department in my company and I decided to go ahead and apply for it. The position, officially entitled "Documentation and Aircraft Photography Coordinator" sounded like something I was almost perfectly qualified for, and could be a potential stepping stone towards the yet-to-be-discovered career of my dreams. The decision to apply was one that I danced around and almost failed to make. There were excuses running through my head as to why it would be a bad idea, why I shouldn't apply, but at the end of the day I decided that I really had nothing to lose - so I went for it.
After updating and submitting my resume to the hiring manager, things just took a momentum of their own. I literally felt like I just pushed a single domino, and everything around me started moving and falling into place. Before I even interviewed, my manager wrote a glowing e-mail recommendation to the heads of that department. Following my interview, I later discovered that those managers started asking about me around the company and made the decision to hire me soon after. (I wouldn't learn about any of this until the week after the made their decision - though a number of people started asking pointed questions and looking at me when very knowing eyes, so I had my suspicions, but zero confirmations.) At the beginning of March, I was offered the job and started mid-month - after what felt like almost zero effort on my end. All I had to do was take that first step.
From there, I started to realized the job change was just the kickstart I have been waiting for in my life. Not only am I in a position that is a little more interesting (and will give me more direct exposure to design and the work my company does - you can see some of it at www.teague.com), but I now feel ready to allow the other parts of my life to gain a little focus and momentum. I have already been included in social activity outside of the office, I have had more inspiration and motivation to find a community, and my mind is gearing up to search for and embrace more changes as this year continues.
All this because I decided to hand my resume to a manager.
