28. in the search of growth...

Category: Career and Purpose

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​28. 

I have had 14 different jobs in my life so far.
Only 5 of them are on LinkedIn. 

​But the other 9 taught me most
of what I know today.

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When we look at career paths, it is common to highlight the titles and to try to follow a thread line. But the fact is - if we live a brave life - many of us have experiences that do not fit a neat timeline. And those ‘extra’ jobs often shaped who we are.
My non-resume jobs taught me much more than the ones with fancy titles. And  those ‘hidden’ jobs were not just in college, they are all throughout:

• Teenage newspaper blogger - (y15-18) taught me written communication skills and the feeling of making my own money.
  
• Waitressing and hospitality work - (y21-24) taught me patience, customer service skills and really hard work.
  
• Working as massage therapist - (y31-35) taught me detailed physiology, dealing with conditions and wellbeing management.
  
• Volunteering in kindergartens - (y31-34) surprisingly, taught me true leadership and inclusion, children will test our skills to the limit.
  
• Working on yachts and cruise ships - (y24-26) was a masterclass in workload resilience and multicultural teams dynamics.
  
• Working as yoga instructor and dance choreographer  - (31-to date) is everything from speaking, performing, connecting with the audience, to marketing, to entrepreneurship and to holding space for others.
  
  
  

Often, we focus on titles and prestige, but it's the smaller, less glamorous roles that offer the real growth. It is often the ‘side hustles’ that pay off the greatest in terms of learning and growth.


I  heave heard that this is because they are connected to our purpose. Is that true?
    Ah, the word purpose comes up often.