I discovered that I am not a journalist.
I tried to be a journalist. Because I’m a writer, I always thought I’d like to be a journalist.
I put a lot of time and effort in the attempt: attending two days of the Women’s Symposium, listening to speakers and talking with those around me and spending hours writing the piece I submitted to The Penn on the event.
You didn’t see the article I wrote because while it was a good summary of what happened, it just wasn’t a good news story.
I was upset that the story didn’t run, for the sake of the people who hosted the event and supported my efforts.
One woman had confidently told me, when I spoke of how overwhelmed I was by all the inspired, impassioned and educational speakers I heard, that I wouldn’t be up to the challenge, “You’re the journalist—you’ll figure it out!”
While I appreciated her vote of confidence, apparently I am not a journalist, and I probably will never be one. And that’s okay.
Sometimes finding out who you are not is half the way towards finding out who you are.
While I found failure in a profession I thought was my ilk, I found success in an unlikely location: the campus radio station.
I told a friend that I had kicked around the idea that “maybe someday” I’d like to be a disc jockey.
He led me to the person who turned a whim into a reality, and for that I will be forever grateful to them both.
Where playing the journalist exhausted me and made me insecure and cranky, being a DJ uplifted and inspired me, thrilling me beyond my imagination.
My summer fling became something I could not be without when fall came around — to stay involved with WIUP-FM this semester I was willing to do a 7-9 a.m. shift.
I’ve quit paying jobs that expected me up that early! But I would arise that early for radio in a heartbeat.
You may think you have your career goals set, and that’s great.
You owe it to yourself, though, to take whatever chance you can to “test drive” your chosen profession, whether it is through a summer job, a volunteer opportunity or speaking with someone in your chosen field.
Even careful contemplation of your hobbies could bring about possibilities you didn’t even consider.
What is your passion?
What are you good at?
What would get you out of bed early in the morning to do, happy to start your day?
What is your personality like?
Do you need to be a leader or a follower? Do you need an outlet for creativity or do you prefer a more structured environment?
There are many ways to explore careers: through workshops, the Internet and networking, just to name a few.
All this may sound like a no-brainer, but this is your life we’re talking about here. Make it count!
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