I'm going to quit my job today

since this is about doing things one step at a time, let me tell my story....

I'm going to quit my job today.

I relocated to Washington, DC from Chicago to take an adjunct assistant professor position... Having not taught a day of my life didn't matter as I had been blessed last year to connect with two people that I had never met, but formed a strong bond with: a mental bond, a musical bond, a like-mindeness that led to being published in each of their publications.

So, with beefed-up looking resume in hand (with the words 'curiculum vitae' slapped on top), a slew of faculty retirements, and part-time departures who left the school in a state of scurrying to find faculty to teach some core courses. There was an opening in the history field, so I jumped on it.

Having slept through 50% of the history slides during school, I wasn't sure how I'd do it, but I took on the task anyway. Obviously, this part-time teaching gig with no benefits wasn't going to be enought to live off of, so I went on a job hunt... At first I had this idealized idea of only allowing myself to work for an architectural firm that is rooted in the complexities of design...blah blah blah....

Eventually, I just needed a job. Somehow I received 3 offers in one week, and settled on a cool little interiors firm, that does some really hot shit. I never saw myself doing interiors and had always felt that somehow us 'architects' were better than those 'interiors folks'. I had always felt that the level of complexity doing an interiors job could not possibly compare to coordinating 4 engineers, an acoustician, Data consultant, A/V consultant, landscape designer, and understanding if the submitted silicone caulk shop drawing is the correct one for this particular waterproofing application.

Well I was pretty much right.

Although it is a plus to work with a bunch of Italian women and hot exotic looking designer chics like you'd find in your favorite stylized lifestyle magazine. Ultimately, I don't find the work fulfilling, personally. It still takes a ton of effort to put together a set of interior drawings, however, to me, essentially, it's all drywall details and finishes. My interiors friends might disown me for that statement, but it's really quite personal and I mean no disrespect to those who make interiors their living. I felt like I couldn't 'grow' here though.

They were preparing to give me a whole team of people and were scheduling interviews for people I wanted to join 'my team'. I had never felt the amount of confidence in my skills and support I was receiving here at this new position, especially coming from the situation I was in while in Chicago, where I watched the 'yes-men' get promoted despite their lack of knowledge and the forward thinkers were left on the outside to fight for the crumbs amongst each other.

So anyway, I knew I had to get out of the interiors business, my heart wasn't in it. On a whim I went to a lecture and met a woman afterwards who spoke of creating details to solve new problems, about making the form of a new apartment complex she was doing as an expression of cubist painter Georges Braque. She spoke of a water treatment plant addition that she was trying to figure out how to make it appear like the building was floating........ I was intrigued.

Three weeks, 2 interviews, a slew of e-mails, and only 5 months into my current job where I'm being treated very well, I received a job offer from her. I struggled.... a dilemma that I never thought I would feel literally took over my body to the point that I was sick for two days and could barely focus on work. I knew I had to make adecision.... Go for the architecture firm where I'd clearly be #2, #3,maybe even #4 man on the totem pole for a project, or stay with the interiors firm where I'd be the HNIC (a saying us black folks use amongst each other - 'Head Nigga In Charge').

The prospect of being a 'manager', doing billing books, managing people's time, managing personalities, making sure projects come in on time and on budget, etc... were all essential things that I knew I needed hands on experience with. It would inevitably provide a level of job security and upward mobility that I had not been exposed to. But shit, I'm only 30. not married. no babies to take care of (at least none that I claim), and no obligations to anyone except myself, friends and family. oh...., and my hoes. :)

I'm choosing to go for the experience of learning how to put buildings together vs doing really hot design interior work. Coming from a situation where you couldn't get anyone to design a box that had more than 6 sides, I thought my current situation would be perfect, but I was wrong, and I have to admit that and move on. In the long run, I know this is a better choice.

This is about 'building' and moving forward right?

Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave comments below...

~C

CD of the moment: Parliament - "Mothership Connection" (Remastered)