I left my 9-5 civil service office job around six months ago. Since then, I packed up my entire life, said goodbye to loved ones, and set out for a new adventure in Australia.
Have you ever felt that your life was set on a trajectory, and all the steps were laid out in front of you? I had the coveted stable government job, with good benefits and a pension. The incentives were there to spend at least a decade of my career with the government, and, after you’ve invested 10 years, you may as well stay for 15, then 20, then 25, right? That’s what many others have done. I could imagine a future where I would stay with the government, get my retirement and pension vested, and my student loans forgiven- and I could actually save up to afford things like a house and a pet (maybe). If government service is golden handcuffs, I might have been content to stay and enjoy the gold for what it’s worth.
Unfortunately, no good thing lasts forever. Soon enough, any hope of staying with the government seemed both impossible and undesirable. But that’s another story (Why I Left Public Service).
When my time with the government came to an end, I felt aimless and lost. I didn’t want to stay in the US anymore, and I wouldn’t have had much luck doing government jobs elsewhere. On top of that, I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to try to stick to my career field. But what can you do when you have no job plans, no prospects, and no offers for visa sponsorship elsewhere? Well… it turns out you can either move back in with your parents, or move to Australia.
I know, it still sounds crazy to me, too. But here I am. After a summer of traveling, visiting friends, and spending time with family, I relocated to Melbourne, Australia, on a Working Holiday Visa. I get to stay here and work for a year. It started one bleak day in February, when I applied for the visa and got approved instantly. No joke, literally within seconds. From there, this crazy half-joke of a plan started to turn into reality.
I showed up in Australia with my visa, a hostel booked for 10 days, and no other plans. No job, no SIM card, no bank account. Nothing. The fact that I, an extremely type-A person, ended up doing it this way is a testament to how absolutely burnt out I was. I was through with planning.
Reflection
Life tries to teach us lessons. When I keep running into the same challenges and problems, I remind myself to stop and think about what lesson I’m meant to learn.
This period of my life has been a shock to my system and a forceful reminder to accept things that are out of my control (a lesson I struggle with). Everything happens for a reason. One door closes and another opens. Etcetera.
The political turmoil that resulted in the end of my government service was out of my control. I could be angry about it (and I still am), I could scream and cry (and I do, sometimes). Or I could use this as an opportunity.
Without being essentially forced out of my job, I never would have taken this chance to move across the world and try new paths. My life and career would have kept moving along like a train, with me just along for the journey.
I have now been in Australia for around one month. I finally found a place to live and got a part-time job. And the honest truth- this small feat has been one of the hardest and most stressful things I’ve ever done. The process involves so much face-to-face rejection that it really starts to test you. If I had known how emotionally stressful it would be, I sometimes think I might not have moved over here.
Now that I have some stability, I can look back and see it was all worth it. But for a long time, I would cry myself to sleep at night, sick to my stomach, worried about what I was doing with my life. What am I “doing” with my life? For me, I don’t care as much anymore about climbing a career ladder or getting a prestigious six-figure job. I had that, and it left a bitter aftertaste.
Nevertheless, we all must find something to “do” with our lives. I need financial stability, work that keeps me engaged, and something that gives me some purpose. But right now, that does not mean a professional white-collar job.
I am using this year in Australia to reset, learn something new, do soul-searching, and have fun. So, I am working in a cute little culinary shop, taking French lessons, planning travels, and researching potential future paths. Working in retail has given me the mental bandwidth and space to focus on myself, and has been a nice break from years of stressful and unpleasant office work.
I am finding many upsides of being back in retail. One, the stakes are relatively low. There are no bureaucratic overlords breathing down your neck constantly, or authoritarian leaders working overtime to dismantle government. There are just shoppers, who are mostly pleasant, eager to find Christmas gifts for loved ones. I am not constantly worried about whether I’ll be laid off, and lose my health insurance and income.
Working retail also keeps you busy. Small things, interactions with customers, restocking shelves… they all help keep my mind off things. And I enjoy the work. Being in this job made me realize that most of my roles over the past few years included tasks I found unbearable and extremely unpleasant. I already dread the days when I eventually return to office work and have to live by deadlines and stress over email etiquette and office politics.
But don’t get me wrong, retail is tough. I am only working part-time, and it’s been hell for my body to get used to. Standing and walking around all day takes a toll. I am still getting used to it, so when I get home after a shift, I feel so exhausted and like I want to cut my feet off. But then I think of my grandma, who had been working on her feet well into her sixties. She was one of the strongest women I know, and when things get hard, I remind myself to be strong like her and keep going.
Simple joys: Restocking shelves, having a laugh with customers, getting an employee discount.
Struggles: Sore feet, need better shoes. Making embarrassing mistakes at the cash register.
Being back in retail also reminds you that a very different skillset is valued, and book smarts don’t always get you very far. I sometimes hear people complain, “I have a Master’s degree and yet I can’t get a job as a waitress/sales assistant/barista” ?! And believe me, I get it. Society places so much value on degrees and office jobs that you would think it is easy to get a “minimum wage” job.
A problem in our societies is that we deeply undervalue the labor and skills involved in retail and hospitality, among countless other trades. Many people tend to think that anyone can work at a restaurant or shop, and that these jobs should be easy to get. But if your only experience is studying political theory and working as a policy analyst, how in the world is that valuable for serving tables? Thankfully, I have experience working in retail during university, otherwise I’m not sure anyone would have hired me.
As the value of higher education is called into question more, especially in the US, it is more important than ever to gain practical and trade skills. Many of my peers would never consider retail work to be a serious career option, and many of them don’t understand why I would move to Australia to work in a shop.
For now, I don’t think I will be pursuing an office job while I am here in Australia. But maybe bookshop keeper, cafe barista, yoga studio receptionist, antique jewelry salesperson… We’ll see what’s in store for me.
Two reflections:
(1) A high-paying salary and a cubicle are not all they’re cracked up to be, and your life is so much more than just your job. I had a six-figure salary and a coveted title in a competitive field, living in my own place in Washington, DC. But I also hated my job a lot of the time, and I was so stressed that I started developing many chronic illness symptoms (which is not ideal when you’re living in a country where it’s so costly to just go to the doctor, let alone pursue treatment). Maybe it is worth it to take a pay cut to keep sane, take care of myself, and have more freedom.
(2) If something is not working, try something new. You don’t need to have a dramatic end to your job like me, or move across the world. All you need is to trust that the risk is worth the reward. So many of us stay in jobs or places that make us miserable when we don’t need to. Going back into retail has shown me that there are many paths in life and many ways to make a living, beyond the conventional 9-5 route. This is not me saying to quit your office job and go work at a cafe, but I encourage you to think outside the box.
Exploring my thoughts, experiences, and insights on life, travel, and personal growth. Join me on this journey of self-discovery and inspiration.