We asked one of our rookie OSC’s to share a little bit about What Drives Her and we were beyond inspired by what she had to say. Karolina teaches us that people are multi-faceted in their pursuits and we’re lucky to have her wealth of talent and skills on board.
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There has been a certain nagging constant in my life. It has been in the form of external voices whispering to me “you can only be one thing”. This is where we’ll agree to disagree.
I started working at a very young age and I honestly can’t remember a solitary time where I have only worked restricted to one profession. This started at the ripe age of 10 when I had a paper route and a “babysitting company” as my young entrepreneurial mind liked to term it.
Let’s be real: I took care of neighbor kids. I had flyers and tear-away cards, so in my eyes, this was a legitimate business venture. Perhaps I read too many Babysitters’ Club books, but I digress. This trend continued for me throughout my life and career. I have always had a want for new knowledge and could never see myself limited to one interest or one boxed-in career option. Instead of being encouraged in my pursuits, I instead continuously heard things like “you need to choose a career path” or “you can’t do or be both things successfully”.
This is the furthest thing from the truth, but sadly, this is not a rare occurrence. While most women get to hear that they cannot be mothers and expect to perform to their full potential in their careers, I get to hear a different version of it because I have always chosen to have multiple careers at once.
I have been a student/nanny/CNA, an ER Tech/Sonographer, I waited tables in Japan while working at a Neuropsychology clinic remotely in the US. Always this has been frowned upon and discouraged as if one would get in the way of the other somehow, but they were wrong.
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I excel because my growth never stops. While some of these jobs may seem completely unrelated; I have always found qualities in each that I was able to crossover and apply to the other.
And then one day, I found my tribe.
I now work as an OSC for Shared Drive and am a registered Realtor in Arizona. I am also a full-time nursing student completing my BSN. My employer is well aware of this and of my schedule. But here, I am encouraged to pursue my goals and have for the first time, not heard that I need to choose. They recognize the fact that one needs not suffer because of the other. I pride myself on performing at my job and I currently maintain a 4.0 at my University.
I often get asked, “will I quit being an OSC when I obtain my nursing license?” and my answer is “Why would I?”.
I love both things and see no reason why I should give up either-or. In my eyes they are complimentary. In both, I learn communication and assessment skills, and most importantly, I get to help people. They are just different applications. I’m very grateful to work for a company that lets me shine and doesn’t place limitations on me. So, no, you don’t need to choose or have just one role.
Instead, find a place where you do not have to hide your muchness, preferably one where the unicorns are.
