Rockett's Laboratory

I know that pretty much everybody (including myself) is confused about what will be going on in Ellenland in the upcoming year. Having finished my education for the moment, I’m at a crossroads of deciding where to go next, and I’ve been feeling pretty paralyzed with the decision. In hindsight I expect it will be clear that I overthought this, but right now it seems an incredibly important choice, and one that I’m very nervous about making. I’m not used to not knowing what I want out of life. Information has been slowly trickling in about my options, and I’m finally reaching the point where I have to make a decision.

A flowchart of the options I'm considering.

1. A non-design company outside of Dortmund would like me to come work with them on designing a new website for their expanding business. Although I wouldn’t make any money, I would presumably have inexpensive living costs covered. I wouldn’t be advancing my career directly, but I would be achieving a personal goal of working in Germany – something that would also look good on a resume. I feel that working abroad would also help clear up pessimism, be more of a fresh start, and I could visit design companies in other cities to make contacts for later. The location seems good – a small but centrally-located town from which I could easily reach the rest of Germany’s most populous state. They’ve been enthusiastic and welcoming. On the other hand, I do want stability and to feel like a grown-up more than an exchange student. I’m getting impatient to start “real work.”If I can’t live within the very modest compensation, it would be on my dime, and I’m rather partial to the savings I’ve built up. A lot of places in the agreement seem kind of patchy and vague, although I’ve been told that this is normal because they want to adapt things to me after they’ve gotten to know me.
   Pros:
   • work up to a year in Germany (but only committing to 6 months)
   • weekend sightseeing and occasionally visiting people I know in Europe
   • make German design contacts for later
   • some individual responsibilities
   • a safety net of people looking out for me
   • sounds like a nice location
   • escape!

   Cons:

   • not making real money; could have lost money in the end
   • often vague and unplanned; somewhat insecure
   • delays starting “grown-up life” until at least next spring
   • workplace/flatmates might be a bad fit
   • internship, rather than full-fledged position
   • feels a lot scarier and more risky
2. A web development company outside of Rochester would like me to move back there and work as one of their designers. I feel good about the people I’ve met there, and they’ve been eager to give me work tailored to my interests, with good freelance pay. Their head honcho has been very encouraging about my work and project management, so I might get cooler projects. Although a development company rather than a design place, they do work for big-name clients and I would get a good start on a network of contacts.
   Pros:
   • excellent starting opportunity
   • money to travel
   • full-time employment and greater expectations of me
   • networking
   • work environment probably a good fit
   • familiarity with the area and some friends from RIT
   • would be able to start right away
   • get a start on having my own home/life
   • Wegmans! ♥

   Cons:

   • numerous people have warned me earnestly that if one doesn’t get out of town, one will be stuck in Rochester forever
   • travel would be limited to weekends or using up vacation time
   • I really don’t like Rochester
   • would need to buy/insure/drive car, buy furniture, rent apartment, commute, etc
   • still Rochester
   • am I ready to get bogged down in an office?
3. I could continue living with my parents and freelancing for local businesses, which has been less like a real job and more like “Ellen sits around at home and noodles with software all day” which is relaxing but doesn’t make me feel very productive, no matter how much work I get done. It gives me portfolio pieces and good experience, but I have to work directly with clients and I don’t have coworkers to socialize with. Also I’m not making it pay as well as full-time would, and it doesn’t build my resume.
4. I could continue looking for another option. From my research, this option seems like a bigger gamble – sending out resumes to find a job with a company that doesn’t know me and would likely be in an even bigger (and more expensive) city. On the other hand, if I could get one of those jobs, it would be cool to work at a high-profile company.

Ultimately my options are all reasonably good. I’m not sure which choice will let me look back and say “yep I made good use of that year.” I don’t feel like I made the best use of my four years at RIT, so this is a really important question. I have a choice between taking going off on a somewhat risky/scary pursuit of interesting experiences, or taking a steady job that is a good first step in a career… or I could put on an eyepatch and become a pirate.