As a college student about to embark on a brand new journey, full of uncertainty, bills, and forcing ourselves to expand our palette from just Ramen noodles, we begin to wonder what type of career we will actually end up in.
Many of us are theater, dance, psychology, communications, art history, English majors.... and the list goes on. Those of us who have chosen one of these majors labeled more "creative" are probably afraid of getting stuck in a position that doesn't provide outlets for our creativity and force us to sit at a desk all day.
A theater major's worst fear... the cubicle.
However, as much as people like to knock cubes and the office work that they entail (that so many people inevitably end up doing), I'd like to say something on behalf of those of us who currently hold an office job and absolutely LOVE it.
Just because you're in office work doesn't mean you can't be creative. It doesn't mean your hopes and dreams for the future are going to be squashed like a bug.
Sure, wanderlust and imagination and getting to travel are all super cool things and we should definitely all experience them at some point in life. However, for the college student who is about to go into the world to get a real job that will probably point them towards (or even be) their lifelong career, know that working in a cubicle is not the end of the world for you.
Office work is often stereotyped to be boring, monotonous, the same daily routine that involves just clicking on a screen from 9 to 5 and probably falling asleep at your desk every so often. However, as someone who actually enjoys office work, I can tell you it is anything but monotonous when you actually are doing a job that means something.
Personally, my office job involves delegating cases to specialists who mediate conflicts between students and professors at my university. Sure, to the outside observer or listener, that might sound extremely boring. But let me tell you what I, as an English major, get to do.
I get to assist specialists on projects that require my editing and writing skills as an English major. I get to observe specialists negotiating peaceful resolutions between student and professor, and learn from it. I get to laugh with my coworkers in the cubes around me and participate with them in fun projects so that some days it doesn't even seem like I'm at work.
My skills are still utilized, even in a cubicle doing "boring office work", and yours can be too. Don't be afraid of getting an office job after college just because it's "what everyone does" or because "I won't get to be creative".
Trust me, if you pick the right job working for a company that values its employees and their different skills, you'll be able to use the things you went to school for even in the office. And the steadiness of an office job is definitely also a pro in this situation.
To college students scared of losing individuality, creativity, or your desire to travel, working in a cubicle will not be the worst thing that could possibly happen... Not even close, especially if you find yourself working a job that helps people or means something to you.
So don't knock the cubes! Put some pictures up and enjoy office life.
