When I was younger, I envisioned myself being outdoors or with animals, then it went to wanting to be in an office with a big desk and windows. And here I am in a Graphic Design career path using my creativity to the best of my ability.
The process of deciding where best to take my professional career relied on myself and the people that surrounded me. The term ‘re-membering’, was originally coined by Barbara Myerhoff. It brought attention to the reaggregation of members, the figures who belong to one’s life story ... (Myerhoff, 1982). Michael White (1997) then introduced the term ‘re-membering’ into narrative therapy by developing the idea that people’s identities are shaped by what can be referred to as a ‘club of life’. So, when thinking back about a disruption in work I didn’t necessarily have a key moment however, a crucial moment where I experienced the most change and growth in my career was in 2019/2020, it’s in this experience I am able to identify these key points in my narrative.
I was in the early stage of my university degree, and I was working casually at a local café and Prouds the Jewellers, but I was craving more! I started working when I was 14, at MacDonald’s and have moved from casual job to casual job, so the thought of moving onto something more stable was high in mind at this point. I wanted to start to shape my professional career on all the experience I had, understanding that my professional identity is forged through my relationships with the other people in the workforce (Russell, S. and Carey, M (2002).
The instability of a casual job really shook me most when Covid first hit, and my casual position at Prouds the Jewellers wasn’t applicable to the government payments which meant I was left with no income throughout most of 2020. So, I began looking for more stability in a part-time job that I can do alongside university. It’s here when I realised university is not accompanying of students completing their university full-time with accompaniment of a job.
I found it so baffling to understand how as a student, I was meant to save money for my future thus have a job, get a degree for a job after university that will most likely require some sort of experience, and still have time for myself to ensure good mental health and stability. But instead, our class times are all throughout the week with odd times and no synchronies. So even having availability for a casual job became impossible, unless it was each weeknight or taking over my weekends which meant my whole week was either work or university. This really frustrated me as my values for a healthy wellbeing and work/life balance were not reciprocated in the timetables and expectations given to me. Thesevalues being part of how we pick up on details in the stories of others most likely from my ‘club of life’ (“outsider witness” principle).
And this was an experience I felt so wronged by, thus making it my mission to find some sort of balanced week lifestyle where I was still saving with a stable job and finishing my university in due course. Thankfully I had the support of my family and friends who consistently provided guidance for where to find jobs that will support my degree. I had the support of some university teachers that supported guidance on having my classes on the same day and the least number of days possible. These members were my ‘club of life’ representatives, who have influenced me with their support which therefore contributes to my experience of myself. These people whose views matter most to me, influence my identity the most especially my career identity and therefore, have a highly regarded and respected membership status within my ‘club of life’ (Carrey and Russell, 2002 and White, 1997).
Applying for these positions was the hardest, as many jobs that were in my field required full-time work or 1-2 years’ worth of experience. These being all ‘entry-level’ jobs really disrupted the way I looked at the design industry and professional jobs in general. It was baffling as to how I am meant to have stability in starting my lifesavings for when I finished my university degree, if the work I would most likely had to do first year postgrad would be free internship work! If I had continued I could imagine my work just being an immense amount of emotional labour.
It was this experience I learnt that I had to make a path over time that was coherent and more effective for myself . I learnt valuable interview skills and understanding I control my professional career and I can’t be constricted by certain factors. Re-membering my experience, I’m able to see the individuals I’ve worked with and those that surround me with support taught me a lot about life and the choices I make. I continued my journey and it certainly paid off, finding 2 graphic design jobs whilst doing full-time university and I’m now in a position where I can finish my degree and move straight into full-time work. This experience alone provided self-development in understanding my values, hopes and commitments in my professional career.
Until Next Time, Live and Laugh,
References:
Beck, J (2018) The Concept Creep of ‘Emotional Labor’ [WWW Document]. The Atlantic. URL https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/11/arlie-hochschild-housework-isnt-emotional-labor/576637/
Carey, M., Walther, S., Russell, S (2009) The Absent but Implicit: A Map to Support Therapeutic Enquiry. Family Process 48, 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2009.01285.x
Russell, S. and Carey, M (2002) Re-membering: Responding to Commonly Asked Questions, [online] (3). Available at: <http://narrativepractices.com.au/attach/pdf/Remembering_Common_Questions.pdf>
Russell, S. and Carey, M (2003) Outsider-witness practices: some answers to commonly asked questions, Available at: https://narrativepractices.com.au/attach/pdf/Outsider_Witness_Common_Questions.pdf
White, M. 2002: ‘Definitional ceremony and outsider-witness responses.’ Workshop Notes: www.dulwichcentre.com.au
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