Swing from the Heels

Life is all about decisions. This week I made the responsible one.

For those of you who don't know, I am a Phillies fan. I'm also addicted to attending most sporting events. This past Saturday I was looking forward to combining my two loves by watching the Phillies play my favorite rivals (the Mets) with my favorite Dans. However, I was reminded about Laid Off Camp, a networking event that promised to help teach me to reinvent my career by utilizing digital media. Having already missed a day of "work" this week to eat Shake Shack/watch the Mets loose in their own house, I gave up my free ticket to attend the educational gathering.

I caught the last hour of the nail bitingly close 10 inning game at a nearby bar as soon as camp let out. Ten seconds after the walkoff walk by Shane Victorino, my elated attitude quickly morphed into a dysphoric shroud because I wasn't burning off 5 Yuenglings by climbing a Broad Street traffic light, waving my red jersey around in celebration.

Back to responsible adult decision making though. Those serious about transitioning into a new career shouldn't pass up a good opportunity to get schooled in something new. The grown up way of thinking is to put things into perspective. I missed one regular season game in a lifetime full of many for a unique experience. The result? I met lots of interesting people and gained fresh insight on how to market myself.

I also got a wake up call. During an expert panel discussion, a CNN personality talked about "try it before you buy it" - aka working for free as a way to see if a new career is right for you. Still bitter from my "Vandalay" experience, I approached him after the panel and asked if I made the right decision by turning down an internship in an industry I had already broken into. He told me I made the wrong one, that in this economy I should do anything I can to get my good name out there. His adept reasoning was that should a paying position open up I would be the first one called. But first, I needed to swallow my pride and accept that I didn't know everything - that I still had something to learn.

While I don't think the company I turned my back on was worth working at for free, I do believe there are others out there worthy of my industrious self. What I need to do is not attempt to watch season 4 of Lost in under three days. I need to make an organized list of the companies worth slaving at and customize a cover letter for why I want to work at each one. I need to find headhunters, do more research on different writing careers and see where I could happily excel. Thanks to Laid Off Camp, I know of new ways to get my oeuvre out there while figuring this all out.

The key is to keep looking at the greater picture rather than seeking immediate gratification. What is one weekend with friends missed when another is just 7 days away? I have the rest of my life to work. And as long as I'm financially able, what is a few months of interning if it leads to a job that will last many years? Take a healthy swing at something outside your comfort zone, see where it goes.

Next up on my list of responsible things to do - get apartment insurance.