Learning to love work

November 1, 2008

Article

Whether you're facing quarterlife or midlife, career-related education keeps you fresh and invigorated.

After a few years in college—again—I earned a degree in secondary education. I was jazzed and ready to shape young people into respectable adults. My first day on the job, a student in my sophomore English class refused to participate in the introductory activity. I internally screamed: "What, you won't even say your name and what you did over the summer?" But I still had yearbook and newspaper classes to look forward to. Well, let's just say the publication students weren't as interested in headline writing as I was. It turned out teaching was a job, too.

Kerry Hillard Johnson

I only lasted a year as a high school teacher. I loved the students—even the day-one nonparticipant—but I simply missed journalism. So I thanked my mom for putting up with me, dusted off my resume, and started the search for a magazine job. I ended up at the company that publishes this magazine. I worked here for three years before I got to Firstline, and I learned monumental amounts along the way.

I discovered that I'd been in the right career all along but that I had to make an effort not to stagnate. My instinct to go back to school was a good one, I just took it too far. Rather than punting writing and editing, which I loved and had a knack for, I should've chosen to learn more about them.

The moral of this story: Whether you're facing quarterlife or midlife, career-related education keeps you fresh and invigorated. And it might even help you get a promotion. The women who wrote first-person stories for the article "Certification: Is it for You?" on page 20 have embarked on—and benefitted from—a lifetime of learning and believe it's essential to every team member's success.

Luckily, you enjoy your choice of countless educational opportunities. For veterinary-specific CE, I recommend the CVC conventions (thecvc.com). Of course, you can always crack open a book, pop in a video, or talk to one of your dvm360.com community members to study up on everything from communication skills to computer skills. Whatever you do, just keep learning. I know I will—and I won't be changing careers to do it.