Connecting the Dots

by Rebecca Crichton

Many years ago, when I was ‘between gigs,’ I tailored my resume to apply for a position in an interior design showroom. I hadn’t worked in that field before, but I had retail and art background and other education and experience that seemed to apply. I figured I would learn quickly and grow with the job.

When I proffered my resume, the woman interviewing me she held it gingerly,  glancing only briefly at it. “You’ve obviously had trouble finding what you want to do with your life.” Her chilly comment dripped disdain. I replied within seconds, as I plucked the resume from her fingertips: “There are many more designs than straight lines.”

While she was clearly not impressed, I impressed myself with my clarity and accuracy. It was a moment of insight.

My life and career were not linear and never had been. Instead of feeling shamed, which she might have intended, I felt freed to acknowledge that I didn’t fit into the template she had in mind.

The expectations for particular job success in 1985 might seem almost archaic in today’s world. Back then, what people thought about jobs, how long we should have them and what we do in them, was very different from present day career paths.

The only people I know who knew when they were young what they wanted to be when they grew up were artists and musicians. The rest of my large circle of connections discovered their callings or learned their capabilities through experience and experimentation.

The concept of an ‘Encore Career’ was one I hadn’t even heard of when I left Boeing at the age of 68. I still say I ‘Graduated’ instead of ‘Retired’ from Boeing. It felt that way and still does. In the years I have been ED of Northwest Center for Creative Aging, I have discovered how what I did in my 21 years at Boeing applies to NWCCA and helped inform the path I have forged from 2012 to the present.

Among the many concepts I learned from my work as a trainer and curriculum designer at Boeing were about how we each have styles of operating in the world. We have our own strengths, ways of learning and thinking and styles of communication. I am a circular communicator, an extrovert energized by ideas and interactions, and a creative collaborator. People can count on those styles when they work with me.

We know that older people are more diverse as they age than younger people because we have more life and more individual experience. All the more reason to include your whole life as you consider what you are doing now and what you want to do going forward.

Find the things that interest you, focus on what you love to do and what is possible now. Remember, it’s important to “Do something!”