Last week I had the chance to meet with the chief clinical dietitian of the hospital. She was great; very easy to talk to and offered a lot of advice. So far in her career, she’s held nine different jobs in four different states. In addition to her current position, she’s teaching at a community college, raising a toddler, and completing her master’s degree.
 
Um. Whoa.

The biggest shocker? She’s only 29 years old.

I had so many questions for her! How can you not want to find out everything about somebody like that? Somebody who has clearly excelled in her field, and learned a lot along the way.  The biggest challenge to me in the upcoming months is deciding where I want to start. I’m about 99 percent sure that I want a clinical position. That’s definitely what I’m most interested in, but that’s definitely not where my interests end. I love running and I’d love to be a certified sports nutritionist. I love to write (obviously), design, cook, teach, learn, talk, and listen.

If a routine sets in, I quickly become a creature of habit. Stepping outside of my comfort zone can be hard for me. Knowing this, I have to continuously remind myself to be open to new things. While being at one job for the long-run can be a great thing, it can also be hindering. My fear? Becoming too comfortable. Because once that happens, I know how hard it is for me to leave. And there are just too many opportunities and choices out there to let that happen.

So, what do you gain from multi-jobbing? Other than the skills of how to do each new job?

You learn people skills: you learn how to work well with (or maybe just tolerate) different people, and you learn how to adjust to each new environment. You learn interviewing skills: they can ask you anything. It’s just a matter of being able to come up with a good answer on the spot.  You build up your network, your resume, your knowledge, and your confidence.

I know there are also plenty of good things about staying put for years in a job that you love. But right now? I don’t see myself passing up the opportunity to explore all the options of the field. There are too many things I’m interested in for me to “settle” on just one. 

Yes, I know where I want to start. Going from there, I like not knowing where I’ll end up!

Posted by Mary Ellen Nunes at 01/28/2009 02:30:07 PM