Wednesday, June 18, 2014

WHAT NOW?


Jessica just graduated from college with a liberal arts degree, but with the economy being so poor, she’s having trouble finding work. So, to tide her over in the meantime, she’s increased her hours at the part-time retail job she’s held since sophomore year…or so she’s told her friends and family.

The truth is, Jessica hasn’t even begun to look for a job. In fact, she’s not even sure what she wants to do. She assumed she would ‘figure it out’ over the course of school, but she feels no closer to making a decision now than she did when she started college. Her retail position will allow her to stay afloat for the time being, but she knows that she wants—and others expect—more than it can provide. She’s felt panic building under the surface, because she knows that this is only a temporary solution and she doesn’t know how long she’ll be able to make excuses and hold on.

Now, Jessica’s aunt, Grace, has told her about an opportunity. One of her professional contacts is looking to hire for an entry-level role, and he owes Grace a favor. He told her that he’d need to interview Jessica as a formality, but assuming the meeting went well, he’d offer her the job. Both Grace and Jessica’s parents are very excited, but they’re confused and alarmed by Jessica’s lack of enthusiasm.

Jessica wants to move on with her life, but she is afraid to move forward without direction. Is it as simple as picking something and sticking with it, or perhaps starting something new and learning more about herself in the work-force, or holding out until she determines what she wants, and then make that her goal?

Clinical Considerations
Every transition occupies the space of transformation between “before and after." Transitions, while unsettling, are constants throughout the stages of our lives. It is important to take the amount of time necessary to collect useful information to weigh the findings.

This first step in Jessica’s journey feels daunting because she fears making the wrong choice.  What she doesn’t realize is that all her choices, including the mistakes, grow resilience. For now, finding clarity is Jessica’s goal; and every experience she takes on is a chance for her to move closer to attaining confidence on her career path.