Finding a Career After Moving Home
Last year, I was preparing to move home to Idaho after spending 5 years in Seattle. I was in love with Seattle and so sad to leave, but my fiancé got into grad school in Boise, making it time for us to start a new chapter. At this time, I felt very confused in my career and was so unsure of what I should do. I was always torn between my passion of being creative but also wanting to make good money that allows me to travel, experience new things, and also be very generous with my money. I felt that in making this move, now was the time to really evaluate my goals and passions.
I started applying to any and every creative job I could find in Boise. I kept making it really far in interviews, but I never felt truly excited about any of the positions or companies I applied for. That's how I knew I needed to stop throwing spaghetti at the wall and get even more specific with my career and life goals. After spending some time thinking about this, I stumbled upon a large company here that I actually felt really excited about. It checked all my boxes. I liked the product they sold, the design work they produced, they have a respected reputation in the community and are heavily involved in philanthropy. I submitted my resume and got a call for a phone interview one hour later. After my phone interview, they flew me out two days later for an in-person interview, and I fell even more in love with the company.
When it got down to negotiating my salary, I was so set on my goals that I had the self-worth to ask for much more than I was making in Seattle, which is also crazy since the cost of living in Boise is so much lower. One day later, I got a call with the job offer AND the salary I asked for, plus they offered me Senior Designer position, a position higher than I interviewed for. I am now more creative than ever, more inspired than ever, and more satisfied in my life and career than I ever have been.
-Anonymous
