Oh, the wisdom of Ariana Grande!
I do know that she is talking about romantic partners (seriously, I am not that old), but it resonates with me. I can appreciate all the experiences of my life, good, bad and ugly, but I am ready for a change.
I am an excellent Executive Assistant and Project Manager. But a current trend in companies is their EAs have turned into Masters of Complex Scheduling, creating meetings where absolutely nothing gets decided except when to schedule more meetings. And despite all the other projects we are working on or in charge of, we are often the first to be laid off. The Powers That Be forget all that we do because we make it look easy and they don't want to pay for our skill level. Decisions that my previous employers have come to regret...or so I have been told by former co-workers. That's all a topic for another post.
The EA position for most companies just lacks creativity....and I need that. I need to know that what I do for the better part of my day matters. That this skill set I have put together is valued, it makes a difference and that I deserved to be compensated well.
The last six months at this UW contract position has been so good for my mental health and ego. To have supervisors and co-workers who appreciate all my talents and skills and SAY IT was exactly what I needed to "refill my cup" and prepare me for the change I have been needing and desiring. To have the Chief Officer, who is not known as a warm fuzzy person, give me a lecture on never under-estimating my skill-set and my value as an integral member of the team and how much they appreciated me, while completely understanding why I did not what the job permanently - well, wow...I haven't had that kind of affirmation in a very long time.
While I have enjoyed the department and staff I have been working with, I no longer want the stress of working on Capital Hill in Seattle. I don't have the desire to work in cubicles with no natural light, deal with traffic, the cost of parking, and not being able to walk the street safely in a city I once loved.
I already have recruiters and human resources departments knocking on my door and it is a matter of where I want to land. I like the idea of another contract position.
While the future is a bit of an unknown, I am excited for the Next Great Adventure.
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