Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

Heyo,

The first thing you should know about me is that I believe the working part of life is way more than a series of tasks and responsibilities in between weekends and nights spent doing what you actually like.

I think our jobs/careers is one of the major ways we put our stamp on the world and what makes me proud to be a part of my generation (Gen Y? Millenial? I’ll let you know when I find a box I’m happy to be labeled in) is that so many of my fellow-youngins look at the working world and think, I want to carve out my own path. I’m energized by being part of a group of people who look at the status quo and go: not me, not ever.

The second thing you should know about me is that I believe the first thing so strongly that I quit my very promising job as a magazine writer, a job I got right after graduating from four years of journalism school, to pursue a job less ordinary.

Although I loved the people I worked with and the writing itself, I kept thinking, this isn’t how I want to make my mark; I can do more, contribute more, help society someway/somehow (yes, I’m that earnest in my ambition). So after an incredible amount of thinking and over-thinking and research and more researching (as only a journalist can do), I decided to head back to school for social work.

Where will that degree take me? What will I do? I don’t know for sure but that’s half the journey.

The third (and final) you should know about me point is that while I work towards this great, not-totally-known career and pay (some of) the bills as a freelance writer, I started up a blog called Watercooler at www.withmyba.com

Watercooler’s not about my exploits in transition (because although highly interesting to me, really not worthy of public discussion) but about the pursuit of a meaningful career, generally.

Mostly, what inspired me to start up Watercooler was that before, during, and since my big switcheroo, I have never had so many conversations that started with, “I don’t know what I want to do, either. But I want it to be great!” (or something to that effect).

So I thought to myself, how can I further this discussion? How can I create some space for people to talk about their ambitions and dreams and how to fit those into their working life? And so Watercooler was born.

Or for the folks stuck on a technicality and wondering so what’s withmyba.com? – What do you want to do with your BA (or BSc, BComm, BFA etc), and how are you going to get there?

That’s my question, my topic, my curiosity.

My answer is a work in progress.

What’s yours?

PS as for the image - no, that's not me. I prefer a cup.

PPS Thanks for stopping by.