Job hunting is a funny thing. Not funny in a ha-ha kind of way, but more of a beat your face off of a brick wall until the pain and frustration supersedes any desire to cry over your current situation. Have you job searched in earnest in the last few years? If so, you understand.

I came across a job advertisement a few days ago, and the moment I saw it, I knew I WANTED it. It’s an administrative internship for just shy of one year, that helps someone without the administrative title in their repertoire to gain access to a job pool that might be difficult for them to breach. As someone who has worked extensively in retail (and as a manager, you ARE the administration team) I see the potential in a position like this. And to boot, it’s in the Arts. It’s basically my dream position, to be supporting a team of creative individuals while gaining industry experience. It’s the kind of position that could change the direction of my career, something I so desperately want and need.

The problem with retail is this; once you gain experience in retail, potential employers read your resume and assume that retail is all you are good for. This isn’t meant to be insulting to employers outside of retail. I see how it can be rare to read a resume like mine and think “hey, she would be a great administrative assistant!” because I’ve never held that title. Never mind that over the years, my time in retail has seen me master all of the requirements for an admin titled position, minus the odd coding program (which can always be taught to the incumbent). It’s simply the nature of the beast. Once you gain experience in a certain field, your best options are within that field.

Case? Minutes after I applied for this position, I received an email from a woman who found my resume on one of my various online profiles, and thinks I would be an excellent candidate for a management position with her company. I read the email a few times, and came to the conclusion that it was not a bot, but in fact a real person who had genuinely read my resume. I cannot tell you how tempting this potential offer is. After a few years of being outside of retail management (so that I could return to full time studies), I could definitely use the managers paycheck, as well as the added responsibilities. I’m bored out of my mind at my current job. I love my customers, but when my downtime duties do not exceed “dusting” and “facing,” it’s pretty clear it’s time to get the hell outta Dodge. Especially since I’ve told the managers I need more responsibilities, and that I dislike being idle. Every now and then they toss me a bone and I get to make a pamphlet, or a sign, but it is not enough.

Not nearly enough.

But should I go to this interview, and take on this management level position, I risk throwing myself back into the retail loop. And Lady Fortuna has been unkind to me. So I think it’s time to get off of this wheel, for all it does is turn and turn, and start a new pathway.