I love this post: You Are Not Your Job on 99u.com. For us ambitious and passionate millennials, we’re working our hardest to get that dream job or contribute to that amazing nonprofit. We go to networking events and one of the first questions we hear: what do you do? I fall into this trap as much as the next girl, so often asking that. Inevitably, we get caught in a cycle of pressure.
Answering this question is especially tough when you work for a nonprofit. How many times have you heard “you get paid for that?” or see those sad eyes that say, “aw, you’re never going to move out of your parents’ house.” Since there are a lot of misconceptions about the nonprofit sector, there are a lot of misconceptions when you answer that question.
When you get those sad eyes looking at you, don’t fret! You are not alone. Read this article and remember that what others think of your job does not define you. Even more than that, what you do doesn’t define you. Although we all spend a bunch of time at work, it doesn’t mean it needs to represent who you are. If you get reprimanded at work, it’s not because you’re a bad person. Your job is only one part of you – not all of you.
“The more we can see each other in all of our humanity, the more we can honor each other for what we really are and what life is actually about. We are people first. We are not our jobs.”
-N.C.