I was lucky enough to land a job in the music industry straight out of college. I love music, and it has always been a huge part of my life (especially when I wanted to escape social responsibilities). Everyone I talk to wants to know more about what I do. They ask me questions, and I admit, I feel cool answering them. I have the “cool” and “creative” job. I have friends who are still begging for a position like mine.

The first day on the job (and probably a few weeks after that), I struggled immensely.  We work in an open office layout. There were three guys (one being my boss) and myself. My first instruction was to answer the phones. I had never worked the phones before, and I was terrified. Everyone could hear me. I started to stutter, and I became unsure of my words. In an industry so keen on status, I didn’t know who was calling and if I should have known who they were already. I went from someone who hated ordering pizza over the phone to someone who had no choice but to speak to every person who called almost every other minute.

My nerves were shot after my first day.

I’ve been at this job for about a year and a half now. I am now more comfortable on the phone, but I still hate it. And as much as it thrills me to know I am a part of something huge in the industry, I don’t feel as if I’m making a worthwhile change or impact.

I plan on going back to graduate school to seek out a life of research and teaching. I realized that being in the music industry has its perks, but it’s not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to influence others through teaching and writing. I have always wanted to teach, so that’s what I’m going to do.