My Mom always told me that the worst question a potential employer can ask you is “Where do you see yourself in 5-years?”
Why?
Because how can any of us possibly know that? We may have ideas, visions, and hopes, but we all know that life has a funny way of just...happening.
I graduated college a veterinary assistant in 2005. I thought for sure that once I started my career in animal medicine that it would be the place where I stayed until I retired.
Once I got married (2010) and had a baby (2011), I quickly realized that the hours and physical demands that came with that job were not going to be what was best for me and my family. My work hours would have had me arriving home after the baby had gone to bed for the night and I wasn’t OK with that.
So, I started doing some house cleaning jobs so that I could decide my schedule and only needed a couple hours of daycare every day.
After we added another baby in 2013, we knew we needed to expand the size of our home or move. The bank would tell me that without making a steady, secure income that there would be no way that would happen. And thus, began a year-long job hunt. 5 years out of the work force is a long time on a resume and a lot of employers don’t want to hear that you made your kids your priority for 5 years. To them, that means you'll make your children a priority over your work too!
After many hours submitting applications and tailoring my cover letter each time, I was finally given the chance (by a manager I will never be able to thank enough) as an office assistant in a busy doctor’s office. This was a full time job which meant, I went from being home and available to my daughters anytime, to working 40 hours a week and missing class trips and sick days with them.
It.
Was. Hard.
Two years later, an opportunity presented itself that involved part-time work for more pay. I couldn’t resist. I left the doctor’s office and started working as a ward clerk at the local hospital. Weekdays, office hours, walking distance from home – it was amazing! Blink and add another 2 years and COVID arrives, literally throwing everything into chaos as far as the medical field goes. Suddenly, we were working 6 days a week, various hours, including weekends. I was seeing my kids less and less at a time when they really needed support at home and when I was home, I was so exhausted and stressed out that all I did was sleep.
While these jobs helped us secure a new home, I needed more. The kids were at home doing virtual learning and I wanted to be there for them.
Work-from-home wasn’t an option for me with the hospital so I began searching for a new job. Along came Zeda Virtual Assistants. This amazing opportunity presented itself right when I needed it. I'm able to work from my brand new home, support my girls while they navigate online learning, let my dogs out whenever they need, and create the lifestyle that I choose! Not one that is chosen for me!
5 years as a Veterinary Assistant. 5 years off work raising babies. 5 years working in the medical field.
So how can we know where we will be in 5 years? We can’t. We can just hold on and enjoy the ride.
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